Eminent Domain

 I've laid permanent claim to the sun room. 

Come June two of the kiddos will be official teenagers and the third a young adult of twenty so I figured their summer time use of the space as a playroom is a thing of the past. The remaining toys and collections I found squirrel away in drawers and baskets were cleared out and I moved in.

 I can't tell you how amazing it is to have a desk area set up with everything I need to construct the little books within arms reach.

 Ditto to my painting station on the other wall.

 Supplies fit easily into the baskets...

 ...and the drawers I freed up.

In this one room at least I finally feel organized.

 Each night I do my best to tidy up...

 ...but when I do have a project in the works now I don't have to worry about cleaning it up in time for dinner or homework. What a great feeling!

Creating Lucys and mini books in a sunny studio space is making for a delightful May. My most recent batch is visible in it's early stages here and for those of you with eagle eyes you may notice I had four little dolls in the works this time around. This is my new plan of action as I've got plans to host a table at the Southern New Hampshire Doll Show and Sale next September and need to slowly build my inventory for it. I figure "one for me and three for you" ought to do the trick for the time being which means...

there are three new Lucy's and mini books ready to go! 

Numbers 12, 14, and 15 will be available in the shop this coming Thursday, May 22nd

between the hours of  5 and 7 PM.

Looking ahead a bit more I wanted to let you know June will kick off a summer full of Lucy goodies to come. New Patchwork Tale products will arrive each month. There's even an itty bitty clue for one of them in the photo above! 

In addition, the reset of my sun room studio has me back in the Cottage Quest frame of mind and trudging through the rest of our house I see oodles of items that will need to go. I figure a good portion of those can be either destashed or offered up as Attic Treasures

 in the shop as well.

 It's going to be a fun and busy summer!



Forgot Me Not

 A wonderful surprise awaited me in the mailbox today...

 

...many thanks to you dear "Lucy," you made my heart smile!

 

 



It's a Date!

 

This week's batch of Lucys and books will be available in the shop on Friday, May 9th.

I will be listing them between one and three in the afternoon EST.

 

And just in case you can't make it then....I'll have another batch ready the following week!

 

 

 



Passing the Time...

 

Thank you, thank you , thank you EVERYONE!!! Popping on here to read all your delightful comments is just as much fun as painting Lucys. I've got three little girlies in the paint drying line as I type and if all goes well should have them ready to list come Friday. I'll let you know for sure tomorrow!

Painting By Numbers

 Oh where, oh where have my little Lucys gone....

 

I have to say I was more than a bit surprised at how quickly the cupboard was bare after listing the first batch of dolls and books in the shop yesterday. Thank you everyone for wanting to welcome Lucy into your homes and out of that "dim and drafty attic!" We are both so happy and have decided we will do everything we can to make everyone who did not have the opportunity to get a doll yesterday happy as well.

 

Remember the basket full of bells I acquired last February?

Well, there were 166 of them and every single one will be turned into dolls if need be. And beyond that, should the interest continue I do believe I have located a source from which to purchase even more bells. The only other thing needed, therefore, will be patience. Do to limited space in the house and time in the schedule I'll be keeping batches to a maximum of three. This will help me focus on each little dearie and give her the attention and care she deserves. It will also give me a little wiggle room to continue making the mini books and also figure out the lingering glitches in the velvet cushion, the bigger book, and some other surprise goodies I have coming up.

 

 Thinking of there being so many more Lucys in the future I decided to keep track of each one.
So I found myself a notebook and started listing them out by number, name, slight variations, and last but not least their eventual destination.

 

I also put a corresponding number on the bottoms starting with the first three I listed in the shop...

 numbers 6,7,and 8.

 

But what about the first five you ask?

 

Well numbers 4 and 5 belong to me and to my mom and dad who collectively received her as an Easter present although my mother continually refers to it as hers alone. Funny its the same thing with the house, the furniture, the Christmas decorations and just about anything else she has a fondness for. The lawn mower, the snow blower, and the old car on the other hand, those exclusively belong to my dad!

 

 



That of course leaves numbers 1, 2, and 3.

They were my first attempts and I like to call them my Three Muses.

In the purple is China Lucy since her colors were based on some old dishes, pretty on the dishes but not so much on a doll. In the middle is Poor Lucy due to the fact that she has most unfortunate arms in addition to a sad color palette. Finally I followed my youngest son's advice and created one in blue and ditched the yellow base. Success at last...or at least she was until I realized the ivory pinafore had a dingy cast to it and then she became Linen Lucy because it reminded me of trying to whiten old tablecloths and napkins.

 



Looking back it's fun to see what I learned from each one.

 

Looking forward on the other hand, it's time to move on and attend to 9, 10, and 11!

A batch a week can easily be completed and ready to list in the shop so that's the plan. I'll keep you posted here on the blog as to when they will arrived in the shop and this time I'll give both day and time! I felt so bad yesterday when I realized I had left the time aspect up in the air and people wondering...oops! I won't do that again, I promise!

 

 



It's May Day!

 

Happy May Day Greetings One and All!

 

I just walked in the door so I'm a bit behind but have no fear.... I've got a batch of goodies ready to go! Give me a bit to put the kettle on for a cuppa and to ramp up the shop and I'll get down to business of making the listings. Today's batch will include some little Lucy dolls

and mini versions of Book #1. 

 

More of the same (and then some!) can be expected tomorrow and all throughout the month ahead!