..even early for Thanksgiving....

My Christmas Cactus has its first bloom... I always said the silly thing must be a Thanksgiving Cactus ... and American Thanksgiving at that... traitor cactus.... !!

Our Thanksgiving was way back in October...

By Christmas..its sleeping again.

Wordless Wednesday

okay... not totally wordless... a teeensy hint...

check my other blog..

somebody found the ornaments...

Can I have one of these?

Why not?

photo of the week...

I'm still struggling with the Mac.... the photo uploading to the blog in particular. When I go to select a photo via the little "add image" icon... it takes me directly to a page of thumbnails, which should show me all the photos...but, for some reason... usually the last two or so uploads of photos... doesn't show up. Sigh...I clicked all over the place trying to figure out what went wrong...and Mr. BV did his clicking too. Finally he got lucky and clicked on the list of things at the left of our photo page and something happened to move them into the last position on the grid of "events" as Mac likes to call them. But... today when I went to get some pics...same thing...and no matter how many times I clicked on that particular area.... NOTHING happened. The air was blue....there were a lot of "French" words...and finally...they appeared where I needed them...but, by then... I was ticked. And....I still know not why it works that way.... I want my old way back....waaaaahhhhhhh!!! or... maybe I better go to the Mac store. But...I'm totally intimidated to go ... yet..... maybe next week I'll feel braver. ~~~~~~~~~

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ONwards with something I CAN do.... something I liken to a Rumpelstiltskin trick....I can stab wool into bears. Hahahha....not quite the same as turning straw to gold...but, close....

Remember little Darla? the cutest little natural wool bear? ...I sold her. Shouldn't 'a' done that!

I've been trying to make a second Darla...and finally got one that is close. There can never be two alike... although Paint Granny manages to get lots of hers to look like triplets and twins... how does she do that? more practice I guess.... I don't make nearly enough yet...

Darla "2" on the left of the original...

the first Darla.. side view .....

new Darla....... see how the nose is a bit more pointy? not as deep down to her chin ?

new Darla...

Original Darla.... both are very sweet.....and I'm keeping the second one ... this one is mine, all mine!

Leroy

This little guy is not one of my bears. But, he sure does look remarkably like one of 'em.

A lady up the block wanted to learn how to make a felted bear...so we spent a few hours stabbing and I showed her what little I know..... then off she went to work on some bear bits for the week. She embroidered a little nose..made arms and legs and got some ears on.. we got together again and string jointed him... he posed for his first photo.... he's great! She named him Leroy and went off home mumbling something about making him a scarf or perhaps a hat... hahahha...she's hooked !

When I made my first bear it looked like a monkey. I kid you not. I was recuperating from carpal tunnel surgery... couldn't do any hand stitching on my mohair bears...and so was surfing the net just admiring everybody else's work and checking prices on e-bay. One day I saw a little needle felted bear made by a guy in eastern Canada... it was sooo cute. I decided to put on a bid....I got him! My first needle felted bear.... I could hardly wait til he arrived. When I opened up the tissue.. there he was... even sweeter than his photos.. I carried him around all over the house like a mother cat with a kitten... I couldn't get over how tiny and cute he was. He was so soft...very gently felted.. I had to have more. So, I bought two more, but one got pretty expensive ..somebody else wanted him too.. .. and, well, you know how that goes on e-bay.... he cost me...

When he arrived... yes, he was sweet too...but, I thought... this is getting expensive. But, then, I had a second thought....looked him over carefully and said out loud (to nobody but myself) "why couldn't I make one of these felties"? I got some wool...some needles and gave it a try. Hahahah.... my first effort looked just like a monkey. Poor little Bo... that's what I finally called him... here he is with his model, Kirby. Thanks Norm in eastern Canada... you were my inspiration to give it a try.

Finally he looked sort of like a bear.... I loved him. I, too, was hooked.