Thank you!

Thank you for all your help, I knew you'd point me in the right direction.
I've a couple of people ask for assistance, which is great as I was clueless before.
Another by product of this request is that I've been exposed to a multitude of new blogs, I can't wait to go back and have a proper look at them all.
I went to college with a fantastic bookmaker so have a real interest in it, whilst realising it's a craft to admire from afar and not try to actually do.

Getting a little paranoid about my powers of recollection I have just looked again for my Snow Queen source.

Non other than Hans Christian Anderson wrote,''My sledge! Do not forget my sledge!" It was the first thing he thought of. It was there tied to one of the white chickens, who flew along with it on his back behind the large sledge. The Snow Queen kissed Kay once more, and then he forgot little Gerda, grandmother, and all whom he had left at his home.
"Now you will have no more kisses," said she, "or else I should kiss you to death!''

See, I'm not crazy!
So the sledge and the chicken is a goer then?

Help!

A quick picking of collective brains.

Learning from my mistakes I now know that my talents are not limitless and my time certainly isn't, more importantly.

Do any of you know a bookmaker/binder who could make me a very little book?

I'm talking two by one and a half ish inches, hardbound with blank pages.

It's for a New Year's Eve Fairy I'm making, there's a story involved (a real one, not one I've made up!) all about new beginnings.If you do know of anyone or you yourself are an ace bookmaker give me a shout!It's going centrestage in a Christmas exhibition so I could give a little credit to the maker.

Anyhow, this is the beginnings of another key piece, the Snow Queen.Her figure is made and she's at the drying stage, so not terribly attractive to look at.She should look something like this.

Researching old fairy tales can be quite bizarre, apparently the Snow Queen had a chicken with a sledge attached to its back.I have seriously considered including this and have even made tentative sketches.I quite often get the wrong end of the stick and suddenly a chicken with a sledge seems completely implausible.Now I've told you about it even more so.

Think I should go and re read the story before commiting myself to that one.

On the other hand, how great would that be?A beautiful, glacial woman and a chicken with a sledge strapped to its back.

What could sum up Christmas better?

mess

Do you work like this too?
I start off with just my immediate neccessities around me.
Then as time moves on and the piece grows so does my 'stuff'.Sometimes I do attempt to stack it into more appealing towers, so maybe a little more table is unearthed but the surroundings grow taller.
By the time I'd completed my weekend's work I'd managed to have things projecting out from the table with me encircled.I was practically painting on my knee and kept looking at my collection of mother of pearl buttons spread in front of me , thinking, it would be so much easier if I just put them back in their jar but of course I didn't.
I didn't knock anything off though.
I was reminded today that promotional pics need to be sent off and the pieces I've been labouring over aren't really the ones I want to use.So it's production line papier maching again.
I have so learnt my lesson for next year.

pile up

Here's the lovely fabrics that Donna sent me recently, all perfect.

Knowing I wanted to use them in my new range I uhmed and aahed over which one should be the first, there was a lot to choose from. I have the idea of a little lined cardigan, with the fabric turned over at the bottom as a trim.
As I have all the time in the world available to faff around (ahem) I've also decided to attempt to add smocking across the top, mostly to help the fit.I'm ok on knitting but not so good at making things the correct size, rather a draw back when the bodies for these new figures are all odd shapes.I suppose I'll get better or change the plan to something easier.

I have an orderly line of work in front of me to do tonight, more sewing on the above, new figures to continue with for the Christmas exhibitions and job applications to fill in.
These are almost the most crucial to furthering my dream, without the time I can't create and whilst I'm more than prepared to go hell for leather in the short term, I know it's not ideal.So, a few less hours for more money.Couldn't be simpler!
I have over commited ever so slightly and a mild sense of panic is colouring everything I do.However, my vision is clear (ish) and I know what I need to make, at least.
As much as I'll moan, I function quite well under pressure and I know it will be worth it.Many pieces are well under way, they've just been sat around so I'm not looking at them as new work.
All will get done, I have six weeks to complete them and then I can gather my thoughts and plan the next stage.
In fact, I'm clear on that too, I know what my aims are for the early part of the New Year so just let me get through till October.
Keep your fingers crossed on the job front for me.

Strange trio

These are not meant to be together, least not all three of them.

These will soon be leaving me for pastures new, I hope their new owners like them.Conversely these became more enjoyable the longer I worked on them.Keeping all those little oddments of string and offcuts of fabric became worthwhile today, as just at the appropriate moment I happened upon exactly what I needed.

Earlier in the day the opposite occured.Not knowing where a little finishing touch was ( you know, the safe place that's so safe you promptly forget where it is?), I ended up making the dreaded DIY store trip only to find the blessed thing as soon as I got home.

Don't know how I handle the excitement sometimes.

Hey ho

A bit of affirmation.

I had fun today, especially with old Rover here, a mutt if ever there was one.

Thank goodness.

and then they had hair

Another week another learning curve.

After finally recieving the fibres for their hair I embarked on fashioning them into the image I had in my head.
I made the mistake (twice) of going for realism and attempted a style based on a sort of wig like structure.Using Tussah silk and attempting to tie and sew I eventually came to the conclusion that even with my usual infalable belief in my own abilities , there was a reason people do things like this for a living.
They've been taught how to do this and I've not.After being very disatisfied with the result I did what was needed and chopped the lot off.The problem was the fibres are slightly different from those I've had before but with a lot of trial and error I now understand how to use it.

Which is just as well as I've got masses.
Anyway, I know that I need to source a supplier of dyed Wenslydale fleece as that is my fibre of choice.Enough about hair.

They are still nowhere near done.Bodies, legs, artefacts, clothes to be made garments to be knitted, all ahead.All good, all will get done.Alongside these pieces I've also been working on other new work.

Thanks as always for your suportive comments.A little bit of a crossroads has been reached and knowing which way to take is consuming my thoughts.

Friday tomorrow, hope you're up to something fun this weekend.I have a hot date with a brush and some paint.....