I thought I had blogged these, but the last pics I see are still progress pics. I think I was waiting until the recipient of the blue one got it, and now she has, so you get to see the finished product. The red one is for the CQI Spirit of Christmas Doll Swap. When I had finished her, I thought she looked very christmassy. And as I said the blue one was a ROAK for a fellow kiwi blogger. Us Kiwis have to stick together. There's not many of us you know.
The top is finished now, honestly. I found it interesting from comments on the previous post, that some of you obiviously thought I had completely lost the plot with little venture, and heartning to know that you thought I had managed to pull it off. Creative vision is a great thing...when it works!
I added some leaves from artificial flowers. It fill the whole top out nicely, and adds a 'flat' dimension.
Here are the leaves from the back.
Here is the whole doll to date. More of those artificial flowers - it was going to be really difficult to embroider some- and I like the realistic look. This is only 6" in length, total. 
There will be some beading done on the trunk, but not a whole lot ( I know, that's what I always say!)
And finally a pic of my day yesterday. We went to the zoo, It was fun, between the rain, thunder and lightning !! This is a pic taken from the 'rain forest' (how appropriate). Even the monkeys weren't out in the rain!!
Happy happy joy joy happy happy joy. Did you ever watch that inane programme , Ren and Stimpy? I had an ex boyfriend (whom shall never be mentioned again on this blog, because if you don't acknowledge it , it never happened- right?) who watched it, and thought it was funny. I did not think it was funny, but I used to say that about sponge bob, and I freaking love that little guy, anyway, that's why i know the 'happy joy' song. Why am I so delariously, incoherently happy? Because I got my camera back!! Happy happy joy. Not my camera I might add, a replacement because they couldn't fix the other. I rang again today for a 'progress' report, and got a little bit shirty, and got a phone call back within 15 minutes to tell me that I could come and get a replacement.
And just to ease you back into it, the first photo is crap!! Oh well, I just wanted to give you an overall of my tree spirit.
I did a creativity course a few years ago, just a one dayer, nothing major, but at one point we had to close our eyes and try an focus on something that played a significant roll in our childhood,that made us feel happy an safe, then we had to draw it. I drew a tree, and so did several other people ( 98% women). Amazing how many people have an affinity with trees. Of course these days trees have been "OSHed" right out of childrens lives, but I spent many hours up the top of a tree. I have actually finished the doll now, but I wll get nice daylight pics tomrrow...yes I have added even more than this!...
Above is a wee ceramic bird charm that Hideko sent me last year. Perfect for a tree. Below is a pic of the back...so far.
It is school holidays here in NZ, and we have got thru the first day without killing each other. YAY. I have actually achieved quite a lot today. I fed the kids, three proper meals plus snacks, and a proper dinner (not cereal- remember that CHER film?). I did 4, yes 4 loads of washing, hung it out, bought it in, re spun it cos it pissed down, and will go thru the whole futile task again tomorrow...sigh
and I stitched. I worked on Lori's Halloween block last night. This is a big block, and there is still a big lot of space to fill up.
I added little cobwebs to 'fans'. Might need some spiders too. I also did the recipe
Here is the tree spirit doll today. It is really quite relaxing randomly stitching beads on any old place. This is not nearly finished. I am having a little difficulty embellishing after stuffing, but I think it is the shape rather than the process.
I completed the second doll for the 'Comfort Doll" project (see top of my sidebar). I used a fancy yarn around this one instead of beading. It is very soft and pleasant to hold. There are what I hope will be, inspirational, words embroidered on the doll, and a spiderweb for luck. Each doll, although donated anonymously, will be sent with a note for the recipient.
And here is the progress on the 'branchey' tree. Poor thing. I love the woven leaves, but they are quite hard to do on the narrow area. I think this doll will be my muse. It doesn't really fit the criteria of a comfort doll. I have been surfing blogs and there are some beauitful beaded dolls out there. My whanau (family) think they are voodoo dolls, and give me suspicious sideways glances when I pull them out!! I can have fun with this by randomly pulling out stray hairs and offering the the nail clippers. mwahahahahaaaaa
I always blog things that turn out well. Today stuff hasn't turned out so well, but I will blog it anyway, maybe you will learn something. I decided I REALLY wanted to make a 'tree' spirit doll. Below is the pieced tree form, which I really like (lesson #1).
..And here it is backed, stuffed and turned. Man! That was a mission (lesson #2). Don't get me wrong, I do like the form, and I will work with it, and it will look great when it is done, but all around, next time I will make the form so it looks more like the first pic once done. Not so branchey.
You might be wondering where the embellishment is? In my blog hopping I have come across beaders who make the form, then embellish, so, I know it can be done (but can I do it). I'm sure Lesson #3 will learnt during this process.
(edited to add 'improved' block. I'm much happier with the addition of the light blue strip)
This little number (taken with my old crappy camera) is for a undersea themed block. I really like the top left fabbie, and it does look marginally better in reality, but it really doesn't work in this block...but I use fuseable interfacing as a foundation, and it's staying. I might add a strip of the light blue thru it, to make it look more like shafts of light.
Speaking of crappy camera, i rang to get some progress on the repair time. They said 7 days, I waited 14! Sorry ma'am, they are waiting on a part from Hastings! HASTINGS! WTF!! Hastings is ONE day by courier, which I told them. Imbiciles. I want my camera back.
I really like the life and dimension that the sculpy faces bring to the spirit dolls, so I just had to try. A couple of TradeMe purchases, and we have metallic green sculpy faces. I didn't find the 'easy to use' mould s terribly easy to use!!. They said to dust them with powder for easier removal, but the powder has kind of baked on. Any suggestions? I also popped in some seed beads for eyes, and some holes to attach them to work.
So here is another 'Comfort Doll" with a face added. I will do some beading around it too.
Here are the four that I made last night.
Here is my first doll for Pats Project. I thoroughly enjoyed stitching her. I took much inspiration from Leslie's tree spirit that I received. I focused on beading, which was fun. I have been watching 2007 Bead Journal Project blog and looking at all the great eye candy coming out of this event. Hundreds of people have committed to this venture...I'll need another day in the week to keep up with all those blogs!
...& new projects! I always feel like I am blogging about new projects, but never finishing anything! Although I know that is not true. CQ actually has proven to be one of the lesser creators of UFOs than many previous hobbies. I do get things done. I just like to get a start on things when they enter my head.
I recevied yet another RAOK this week. Thank you to Ati for these beads and doily piece. I am feeling incredibly spoilt at the moment, and very humbled by peoples generosity. 
This is another spirit doll I am working on. Pat Winter is hosting a charity project on CQI. We are making 'comfort dolls'. They will be sent to womens shelters and gifted to the ladies who seek refuge there from abusive relationships. Abused women are, I guess you could call them a passion, of mine. I want to help them to understand that if they can live thru what they all ready have, they already have the strength to leave, and survive on their own, which many don't believe they do. After receving Leslie's doll, I know that something like this will at least take someone's mind off their problems for a while, and too know that someone they don't know, has taken time to think of them, well, it just might make a difference.
I don't have personal experience of an abusive relationship, but I did watch a friend spiral downwards into one, and it took her years to get out, despite having support of friends and family. The emotional and psychology abuse that these women are subject too is awful. My friend was one of those women that you think has it all together, and would never put up with something like this, AND she volunteered for the Women's Refuge at the time she met the guy. I don't know, I still don't understand.....but hopefully I can help others in some small way. Thanks Pat for doing this. Take it global girl, take it global!!
Here is my first doll so far. I drew the face on. I will bead around it. I will work more on this today, so stay posted.
These are two new key ring ID holders. They are for a friend and her sister, who got married in March (the sister). The fabrics are from the wedding and bridesmaid dress.They will be 'lightly' embellished.
Here is the green 'Spirit of Friendship 'doll for the swap at CQI. There are 14 of us in this swap and I think most are doing more than one doll. There are some really creative embellishment ideas coming out of the group. Have used fancy yarn for the tassel, and I like the look, although I like the beaded ones too. I have done a garden type theme for this one, with lots of little bugs and garden dwelling creatures.
The whole doll, tassel included
A great pic of the doll, thanks to my nifty new pentax. Click and the pic will get bigger. I really think that green and pink are my favourite colours together, for CQ that is, I wouldn't live in it, not far off tho, our house is green and maroon (and cream)!
Close up of a woven ribbon rose (spider web rose). The stitch around the central patch is up and down buttonhole, with a bugle bead in each 'V'
These are the wee fargo roses (without wrapping the ribbon around the needle ), just straight running stitch. They come out flatter than the way my tutorial shows. Above that is the cast-on stitch. The base stitch for this is the herringbone stitch.
Do you like my new, more informative post? I tend to assume that it is only 'oldies' that stop by, so you all know what I have done, but I know there are a few who are newbies or nonCQers, so I shall endeavour to let you know more about what I do, rather than just posting pretty pictures
..and here is the pink doll. How many is that so far? I do have another sewn up, but I am completely uninspired by it, so it may just sit as it is.
The tassel looks alot better . The flash has done funky things to the colours.
I seemed to find these two harder to stuff than the others, and this ones shape is a little off.
From top to bottom there is a buttonhole wheel (the fan), with fly stitch inside. A freeform herringbone stitch. Buttonhole wheels again, the ribbony bits off the 'fans' are done in a twisted drizzle stitch. Spiderweb roses again. Freeform chevron stitch. Feathered up and down buttonhole, with small bugle beads in the 'v', inside a detached chain stitch. Phew...finally, one of the sequin flowers. People have be referring to my tutorial on these recently, which reminded me to use it!!
Below is a closeup of the sequin flower. Tuts are in the sidebar, and 99% of these stitches will be in SharonB's stitch dictionary.
One of mum's guilds had a show on the weekend and they had a market table. Mum flogged of 4 of my Key Ring card holders. Thanks mum. But do you know, there was some little shit there going around writing obsenities ON the quilts in marker pen!! I don't know....
Just a quick post to to put up a progress pic of the second friendship doll. I like this one. It has a "folky" feel to it.
Anyway, enjoy the eyecandy. BFN
Over at CQI, we took a poll and one of the most popular choices was to do a "Spirit" doll swap. We (myself and co-moderators) had a little angsting about the "spirit' connotations, and came up with "Spirit of Friendship" doll swap. I am going to make a few of these - although the swap is for one only, I will gift the rest to, well, friends!
This is the first one. She is just on 15cm (6"approx) long, + tassel. This was a lot of fun to make, a didn't take to long at all. The most difficult part was stuffing . Only the front is embellished.
