A Whole Lot of Poodling Going On

If' I'm ever to have the fabled "15 minutes of fame" I venture to guess it will be because of my poodle toilet tissue cozies, which are really the only thing I make that might be worthy of acclaim. I joke about "My nefarious mission: Repopulating the world wit kitschy, tacky poodle tissue cozies, one bathroom at a time!" But it's only partly a joke. I really think everyone benefits from whimsy, and these zany canines are my contribution to that happy sense of absurdity we need so much in the stress-filled times in which we live. My sewing skills are so-so (ignore the pun, I'm being truthful here!), I love to knit but don't do anything terribly ambitious or complicated. But I do make a mean toilet paper cozy, and I'm not too bashful to say so. 

The past few weeks I've been experimenting with some new designs. 

Actually, I'm always experimenting, and in the past 8 or 9 years since I began making these, there's been quite a few changes and improvements I've implemented.

Here are some of the earliest examples of my work; they seem pretty crude to my eye now, but even then, folks seemed to like them and I sold quite a few. 

My photography wasn't up to much in those days, either, looking back.

But over the years I've done a lot of fine tuning and I'm quite pleased with how much they've improved. 

Several weeks ago I was approached to make a custom order poodle in the style of the vintage spaghetti-ware figurines that were so popular in the 1950's and 1960's. Like this: 

This was a delightful project, though coming up with the eyeglasses took a good deal of trial and error, but eventually I sent this charming cozy off to her happy new owner:

Several more of these bespectacled canines later, my daughter had another idea for me. She suggested I make just a poodle head cozy, not a whole body poodle. 

This also took a deal of experimenting, and I'm still in the early stages of developing it, but I'm finally feeling hopeful I'm getting it nailed to my satisfaction. Because the proportions are completely different, my usual eyes simply don't cut it, and I have had to experiment with teddy bear "safety eyes"--not that they're child-proof by the time I'm done with them, as they have to have the shanks removed so they can be glued in place. My husband obligingly saws them off for me. And the eyebrows--good grief!! Those have really had me stymied. But I think now I'm getting it. (One fan suggested I use actual false eyelashes, and I may have to give that a try. Meanwhile, I'm using to stiffened felt.)

Here is the prototype. She's definitely looking stunned. Or stoned.
Altogether, she just doesn't suit me.

My next poodle head is much more to my liking, though! Here she is: 

I've given her a larger "top knot" pompom, set her eyes further apart, and tapered the eyelashes. A larger, repositioned bow is another change I like. It seems a bigger poodle needs a bolder-looking bow with more "substance" so I used my best quality saddle-stitched grosgrain ribbon. Not sure what this type is made of, but it's definitely heftier and holds its shape better than the cheaper polyester stuff I used on the other one. Here's another view: 

This pretty poodle will be available in my shop soon! I wanted to show her off here first.

After working on my pretty peach gal (the yarn, by the way, is vintage Phentex from the 1970's, approximately--love the color!) I went back to Prototype Poodle and worked a bit on her again, trimming the goofy Carol Channing eyelashes and giving her a larger bow. It's about all I can do for her, but she does look better, I think: 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/795314942/petal-pink-crocheted-poodle-toilet-paper

Anyway, I know it's been a very long time since I've posted anything, but I wanted to share what I've been working on. And I'll have more to come soon As I say, there's been a whole lot of poodling going on around here. 

Whole Lot of Silly Going On

Okay, I admit it. I've been assiduously ignoring this blog for weeks now... telling myself I don't want to write in it... pretending it doesn't exist... pretending that no one reads it anyway... (Well, that part is true!)

But there has been a purpose in my absence. It came to me a few weeks ago that, rather than thinking about making things, or blogging about making things, or amassing supplies to make things, what I really needed to commit to was making things. "Do, or do not," in other words. 

So, without further ado, I reveal the latest absurdities. Or some of them, anyway.

This spangled lavender hat has lain in one of my needlework bags for close to a year, waiting for me to buck up and complete a five-minute finishing job that, hitherto, I've consistently avoided. I'm thankful to say it's now for sale in my shop at long last. 

www.etsy.com/listing/207573900/new-ooak-purple-spangle-sequin-slouch

www.etsy.com/listing/207691149/set-of-4-adorable-puppy-and-kitten

I've been playing with plastic shrink-film of late and decided to see what I could do in the way of Christmas tree ornaments. I've also got a bunch of pins ready to put together and list--same cute little animals. Pomeranian ornaments are fairly few and far between, so maybe these will be a hit. I like them, anyway!

www.etsy.com/listing/207688651/exclusive-pomeranian-christmas-tree

And, after a long absence, I am thrilled to announce...

www.etsy.com/listing/207798287/primrose-and-her-pups-bathroom-poodle

 ... the poodles are back! New, improved, and more outlandish than ever!

This is Primrose, and her little soap cozy puppies.

The little guys still have their puppy coats.

www.etsy.com/listing/208161848/in-the-wee-small-hours-of-the-morning

Sleepy-eyed "New Mom" poodle went on sale in Pep's shop this afternoon. I am so pleased with the chenille-stem-and-pompom puppy I managed to contrive. All sorts of possibilities present themselves to mind for further projects!

Believe it or not, I still have more things to share. But it's getting late and I need to sign off. Hopefully it won't take me so long to get back with the next post, but who knows? 

Mayhem has a tendency to strike unexpectedly.








 

Back in the Saddle Again...

It's been a busy week catching up from all the work which piled up while I was laid up with toothache.  The root canal turned out not to be too terrifying and by the following day, I was feeling like myself again--what a wonder modern dentistry is, praise God!  All the while the dentist and his assistant were prepping me for the procedure I kept repeating to myself, "It could be worse...  This could be a blacksmith..."  I got through!  Rah, rah!!

I've managed to complete a few projects over the last few days, not the least of which was giving Wickham a bath--this little dog has a huge, fluffy coat and it's a big operation getting him dried and combed out.  For that matter, it's a huge job getting him wet--his coat has such a woolly underlayer the bath water runs off rather than soaking in.  Still, he's my dear, dear boy and one of my chiefest blessings, so his care is well worth the effort.

Another dog I worked with this week has a rather different type of coat:

This is the Canine in Red.  Since I sold Pinky (featured in an earlier post), I've been wanting to make another TP poodle, something rather different.  This time I even got brave and painted little white highlights on her eyes. Pinky, by the way, was purchased by a fellow Etsian and she is living and touring in a restored vintage 1950's camper in Texas, attending craft shows. Nifty, huh? Most fitting.

I'm also stitching away on a bevy of little muslin bags, experimenting with various lace and organza layers. I'm thinking weddings... The pretty red vintage trim in this photo was a donation from my sister-in-law. I'm waiting for some inspiration on how best to use it. I'd welcome your ideas.

Speaking of weddings, my daughter often urges me to try selling gum paste flowers for wedding cakes.  I learned to make them two years ago for my middle son's wedding, and then I made more when my oldest son married.  They so fun and rewarding to make, but I think it'd be a whole different situation making them for paying customers.  After all, my daughters-in-law couldn't complain if they hated them because they got them free! (Not that they did, of course!) And I wouldn't have a clue how to ship them or how to price them.  But I have to show you the results--I was so thrilled with this cake in particular:

 Here's a close-up of one of layers before I put the whole thing together.  I did the cakes themselves, as well, but that is way more nerve-wracking than making the flowers, in my opinion. Downright scary. Hence my use of the "cornelli lace" design.  Those pretty (and very easy) squiggles cover a multitude of frosting flaws!

Here's the assembled cake.  I realized after I had it put together that I had draped the flowers on the top layer in the opposite direction from the others, but--oh, well!  I'm the only one who noticed or cared. (We had the reception at our house and it went wonderfully well.)

My older son's cake was quite different, square stacked layers and with a blue floral scheme to match the pattern of china my husband and I gave the happy couple for their wedding present; if I remember correctly it's called "Moonlight Roses" and it's by the same company (Royal Doulton?) that makes the popular "Old Country Roses" pattern.  I kept a spray of flowers from that cake, which I'll pass on to my granddaughter when she's old enough to appreciate them:

This is part of the fun of gum paste flowers--they last and last, just fade a bit with time.

Okay, enough of this meandering!  I've got packages to ship and a mound of laundry to attack.  Thanks for visiting

Oh, and MESSAGE TO DAUGHTER:  Help!!  I need to repair some design layout goof-ups I've managed to inflict on this blog.  Call me!

Pain and Its Effect on Creativity

Listing to the Muzak,

Hearing people scream,

Sitting in the waiting room

Reading cr--py magazines

With a toothache...

This is it, pal....

ROOT CANAL!

(Weird Al Yankovic)

For the past week I've been having intermittent episodes of jaw pain, getting worse as the days progressed.  I have no idea what brought it on. I went to far as to look up TMJ on WebMD, and to make an appointment with the dentist for next Tuesday.  Then yesterday, the whole situation escalated and it was all I could do to function.  I attempted to keep busy with projects in order to keep my mind off the agony, but once you see this crazy teething doll I produced under the influence of jaw torture, you'll see I wasn't terribly successful!  Moral of story, don't waste time or materials when feeling rotten, unless you like the sort of surreal results that occur.  Fortunately, Benita (at 5 1/2 months) will not be too discriminating!

This ghastly little toy features skinny, floppy limbs for chewing and grasping, crinkly cellophane in the body for making interesting noise, and a squeaker in the head for Exciting Biting.  Ugly as a mud fence!  I must try again after I'm somewhat recovered.

Meanwhile, I managed to reschedule the dentist's appointment and my husband drove me down for it late this morning. It turns out it's not my jaw at all that's the problem, I have an infection under a molar and have to have a dreaded root canal.  As the patriarch Job said in rather different circumstances, "That which I greatly feared has come upon me."  I've heard such root canal horror stories!  But after a grim night of nonstop pain (lying on my side with a bag of frozen peas draped across my face!) and two days of being able to eat little more than yogurt or pudding, I'm ready to beg for the privilege of being of going under the knife..er, drill...whatever!

The dentist sent me home with three prescriptions--penicillin, some super-duper ibuprofen, and Vicodin, if needed, so I can sleep. Supposedly, 24-48 hours on the antibiotics will alleviate most of the pain, praise God. And I'm finding the super-advil renders me more or less sane and functional, as long as I don't sneeze or try to chew anything.  But I can sure tell when the dose is wearing off!  Speaking of which, another five minutes to go before I can take the next one!

Okay, enough about teeth.  

Two pleasant bits of news:  Last night I sold my crocheted  retro TP poodle on Etsy!  As fun as it is to sell vintage items, it's even more satisfying to sell something I've made myself.  Pink Poodle Girl is going to adorn a vintage fifties camper/trailer in Texas. Her new owner sounds like a most delightful individual!

Another interesting crafty happening was a fabric find I made at the Goodwill. It's by Daisy Kingdom, usually purveyors of ooze, as far as I'm concerned, but this 3-yard remnant is so bizarrely ugly I couldn't resist it.  I've found out it's called "Elinor's Dolls" by a cloth doll designer named Elinor Peace Somebody-or-other (I've forgotten her last name) and it came out in the mid to late 1990s.  I gather it's a rare find.  I've only found one other piece of this fabric for sale on either eBay or Etsy, and it's just a small 24" piece.  Hopefully I can find a buyer. The print reminds me of Cirque de Soleil, or maybe the Beatles' song, "For the Benefit of Mr. Kite".  Very creepy-carnival, Mardis Gras grotesque.  Here are a couple of quick pics:

Okay, I can't take this anymore and must go pop some meds...  Bye for now!