Wednesday Addams cloth doll

Posted by, Paulette

This isn't the first time I've made this doll. I was struggling to make a doll for a friend and had a time limit that was coming up when I had to send her out for s craft swap. My attempts at using Super Sculpey, and paper clay were failures, and so I made this doll as a last ditch effort at getting SOMETHING done. She LOVED the doll. And then I had requests to make it into a pattern. I've sold several patterns since then, but had yet to make another doll.
Until 3 weeks ago, when a client inadvertently bought the pattern thinking that it was the doll. Through several e-mails, we agreed that I would make the doll for her and roll in the price of the pattern. And so, another Wednesday Addams doll was made.

 

True Beauty

Posted by, Paulette

Last week, I decided to go clothes shopping. Since gaining weight, my clothes are too tight and it makes me feel discouraged to wear them and see the obvious signs of weight gain. I just wasn't feeling pretty anymore. After speaking with a good friend, she convinced me to go shopping. And so we did
 As we left one of the stores, she told me that she felt like the sales ladies would have been more helpful and friendly, if she was dressed up, with her makeup on. She was angry that the world expects this of us. I guess maybe just women? 
 I put on one of my new outfits and went to the temple with my one and only. We decided to do sealings, which is an ordinance that is done by proxy for those who have passed on. It binds families to one another through the eternities. 

 As I looked around the room at all of the people dressed in white, I was impressed that everyone looked so beautiful. Regardless of how much money someone makes, or how old or young they are, everyone in the temple radiates beauty. We are discouraged from wearing jewelry, unless it's small pearl earrings, or other such small adornments. Certainly nothing like the arm full of colorful bracelets, chunky turquoise necklace and dangly earrings I wore. I left all of that in my locker. One of the phrases that seemed to stand out, was "clothed with immortality and Eternal lives."  We all will be beautiful after the resurrection!  
I pondered this for the day, and came up with this. Satan is the father of all lies, and natural man is the enemy of God. Meaning that as our carnal selves, we are in opposition to God's teachings.
 So what if, we know that through the grace and atonement of Jesus Christ, we all will be glorious and beautiful someday? What if Satan knows this and is providing a counterfeit? That would mean that we are searching for that beauty in people and ourselves, but it's counterfeit. If we spend more time in the service of our Heavenly Father and less time searching for that perfect beauty, we will achieve it. Isn't that a beautiful concept? That's what Jesus meant when he said that he who loses himself will find himself.

Belletrix Lestrange cloth doll

Posted by, Paulette

Being an artist means that you never know when you will be able to sell your work. Sometimes this is discouraging as you continue to put out pieces of art and then other times it's great when you get so many orders that you're finding time to fill all of them. The order for this doll came at such a time. I leave for a vacation to Florida in a week and I get an order for 4 dolls. crazy, huh?
 When I got the order for this one, I wanted to do a happy dance. My decorating style isn't Gothic or dark, but I enjoy making such things for people who like them. I guess it's my other side!

 Meet Belatrix Lestrange! She is a fully cloth doll with needle sculpting, colored pencil and acrylic paint detailing. She has acrylic yarn for hair, and drinking straw fingernails. I got to use three different "leathers", two for her under bust corset and one for her boots. Her jewelry is made from Super Sculpey and then painted. Her wand is also made from Sculpey that has been painted.

 The scroll work on her dress is hand painted.
 Bellatrix is already sold. 

Next dolls on the list to make:
Albus Dumbledore
Mrs. Weasley
Wednesday Addams

 

Mystery Solved

Posted by, Paulette

For the last few months I have been feeling like I'm going crazy. My brain tells me to eat healthy, but my body is craving salt and vinegar potato chips and sugar. I know I should be making smart food choices and working out, and I just don't feel the motivation to do so. I wish I did. Good things are happening in my life; I'm selling dolls, and I' going on vacation in a week to Florida to visit family. And I get to stay for two whole weeks! I should be so excited to go, right? All I can think about is how I'm about to bust out of my size 16 jeans. I do not want to be a size 18 again! 
My usual mood has been a little depressed, which is totally not like me. I am a really cheerful person. And my hubby is feeling so neglected in the bedroom. Again, not like me.  And I've been exhausted all the time, even when I've had a full night's sleep. And then I woke up one morning covered in sweat. Things are starting to make sense. Looks like my 39th year will be the one that I start perimenopause.
I wouldn't have even known what this was except I remember seeing an episode of Oprah years ago about it. Thank heavens for Oprah. 

The things that I remembered were, cut out the sugar and caffeine, to reduce the hot flashes. Hot flashes? That's a joke. It was 103 today in sunny Arizona. It always feels like I'm having a hot flash here. So I guess I'll be sticking my head in the freezer soon, huh?
 The good news is that I've been doing some research, and there's a lot to be learned from the internet. I'm already drinking soy milk every day, and that's supposed to help. Time to wean myself off the sugar...and maybe the chocolate. I'll have to confirm that one too. At least I don't have to stop smoking, because I never started. and I guess the girls and I will be visiting the gym more often. And maybe getting to bed before 11pm won't be so bad.

No Tomato Marinara

Posted by, Paulette

I've been experimenting with this for a couple of months and I'm pretty excited to share.

So what's a girl to do when she can't eat tomatoes and she LOVES spaghetti sauce? 
Find a recipe online for no tomato marinara sauce and tweak it.
I'll bet you didn't even know that you could make a red sauce with no tomatoes, did you? And why would you? Unless you have an allergy to nightshade vegetables. Sounds pretty awful, huh? When I hear the word nightshade I think of deadly nightshade, the poison. 
To some people tomatoes are poison. They get migraine headaches, joint pain, and maybe even hives. That's me...and a couple of my friends too. 
 My favorite food growing up was spaghetti. Mom used Prego in a jar, and ground beef. I learned how to make my own sauce by simmering down tomatoes for 4 hours, and then sauteing up some garlic and onions and whatever else I wanted to throw in there. I've made all kinds of red sauces, and I would eat them for breakfast lunch and dinner!
 And then I started having reactions to foods. And my life changed drastically.  This recipe will fool you into thinking that you're eating tomato sauce if you've been off of tomatoes for a while. 

2-14 ounce cans of pumpkin puree

(the original recipe calls for canned carrots, but, alas, I run into another allergy. So use whatever you want. Sweet potatoes would work well here too)

2 small or 1 large beet(s) peeled

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 celery stalks chopped

1 large onion chopped fine or 1 large fennel bulb chopped fine 

(Again, onion is one of my allergens. So use what you like)

1 whole bulb of garlic peeled and chopped

4-5 large lemons

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar, or apple cider vinegar, or red wine vinegar

(the idea is to get a ton of acid into the mixture. All of those will work, just use what you have on hand.)
Sea Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste 
a big handful of fresh chopped basil 
Leave the basil out if you want to use this mock tomato sauce for all kinds of recipes.
some kind of sweetener, I use stevia or honey to taste

Peel and prick your beet, and put it in the microwave to cook until you can easily insert a fork into it. When it's done, throw it into a blender with about 2 cups of water and 1 can of the pumpkin puree.
Heat up a large stock pot and saute the onions (or fennel bulb), celery and garlic. When they are soft, add the juice from 4-5 lemons, and mix in the pumpkin puree and the beet and pumpkin mixture. Stir in the vinegar, salt and pepper and the basil. Add water to make the sauce to the consistency that you like, and then add the sweetener to taste. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Just long enough to meld all those tastes.

This makes a good size pot of sauce. I like to use it over the top of homemade gluten free meatballs. I also add it to soups instead of tomato sauce, and it makes a great gluten free, vege lasagne. 

Last night I made a chili with it from some leftover black beans soup. The soup was really easy.
1 LB black beans
1 bulb of garlic  hand full of dried oregano
1 TBS cumin
enough water to cover, and then more water later.
Sea salt to taste. About 1 tablespoon for the whole pot


This I cooked in the crock pot all day. 
Last night I browned a pound of ground turkey, and a couple of zucchini chopped into 1/2 inch pieces. And then about 3 cups of the sauce.


This is why I make such a large pot. I use little bits of it all week in all kinds of dishes. And I have no allergic reactions!




 
 

Sometimes We Just Need To REST

Posted by, Paulette

Today this is what I feel like,

 This is actually what I look like.

A friend of mine posted this in her Facebook notes today.

The Girl in a Whirl
 by 'Dr. Sue'
(a.k.a. Vickie Gunther)


 Look at me, look at me, look at me now!
 You could do what I do
 If you only knew how.
 I study the scriptures one hour each day; I bake, I upholster, I 
scrub, and I pray.
 I always keep all the commandments completely; I speak to my little 
ones gently and sweetly.
 I help in their classrooms!
 I sew all they wear!
 I drive them to practice!
I cut all their hair!
 I memorize names of the General Authorities; I focus on things to 
be done by priorities.
 I play the piano!
 I bless with my talents!
 My toilets all sparkle!
 My checkbooks all balance!
 Each week every child gets a one-on-one date; I attend all my 
meetings (on time! Never late!)
 I'm taking a class on the teachings of Paul,
 But that is not all! Oh, no. That is not all .
 I track my bad habits 'til each is abolished; Our t-shirts are 
ironed!
 My toenails are polished!
 Our family home evenings are always delightful; The lessons I give 
are both fun and insightful.
 I do genealogy faithfully, too.
 It's easy to do all the things that I do!
I rise each day early, refreshed and awake; I know all the names of 
each youth in my stake!
 I read to my children!
 I help all my neighbors!
 I bless the community, too, with my labors.
 I exercise and I cook menus gourmet; My visiting teaching is done 
the first day!
(I also go do it for someone who missed hers.
It's the least I can do for my cherished ward sisters.) I chart 
resolutions and check off each goal; I seek each "lost lamb" on my 
Primary roll.
I can home-grown produce each summer and fall.
 But that is not all! Oh, no. That is not all .
 I write in my journal!
 I sing in the choir!
Each day, I write "thank you's" to those I admire.
My sons were all Eagles when they were fourteen!
 My kids get straight A's!
 And their bedrooms are clean!
 I have a home business to help make some money; I always look
beautifully groomed for my honey.
 I go to the temple at least once a week; I change the car's tires!
 I fix the sink's leak!
 I grind my own wheat and I bake all our bread; I have all our meals 
planned out six months ahead.
 I make sure I rotate our two-years' supply; My shopping for 
Christmas is done by July!
These things are not hard;
 'tis good if you do them;
 You can if you try!
 Just set goals and pursue them!
 It's easy to do all the things that I do!
 If you plan and work smart, you can do them all, too!
 It's easy!" she said
 and then she dropped dead.

Okay, I'll give you a moment to clear the tears from your eyes from laughing.

I am so thankful for my talents. I am thankful for my family. And I have to tell myself that I am thankful for this:

 (That's just the clean laundry. The dirty laundry is still in the hall.)


And this:

 (Sink full of dirty dishes, dirty floor, a counter of stuff to be put away.)

The towel by the back door is there because one of the kids turned on the sprinkler and it was spraying that door. I had to open it to turn off the water. Again, another reason I am glad we don't have carpet there anymore.

And why should I be thankful for all of this? Because it means that I have a lot of family around to love me, and they are healthy to be making messes, and eating all of the good food that the Lord has provided. I should be thankful to be living in prosperous times, where I am more concerned about eating too much, than with where our next meal is coming from. 
 My house doesn't look like this all of the time, but often this is the state of things, and the other rooms aren't much better. But you know what?
We are all happy, and very busy! My friends feel comfortable about asking to spend the night on the fly, and they know that they are welcome to share dinner with us too. 
I do a lot of things, but I cant do them all at once. None of us can. 
The funny thing about the above poem, is I pretty much used it as a check list, and then laughed at myself for even thinking it!I find it interesting that exercise isn't mentioned in the poem....
 Today, I've decided to rest. Just a little bit. So please excuse the mess. If you drop by today, you're welcome to fold some laundry or wash some dishes. Make yourself at home!

Moster Book of Monsters

Posted by, Paulette

You've already seen pretty much what Hagrid looks like completed. I thought I'd show you the finishing touch. the Monster Book of Monsters!

It's made in the traditional way of book binding. The pages were cut to size and then sewn down the fold. Then they were glued to the spine, and then all of the fun stuff happened. I used fake fur glued to the outside of the book and then using scraps from Hagrids coat, eyelids were hot glued to some doll eyes and then glued to the front and center of the book. 
The tongue is a piece of ribbon clued to the inside of the book. I'm so glad I cut the buckles off an old pair of little girl's shoes before throwing them out, because they came in handy for making the belt that holds the book closed.