These are the things that came about on wednesday and friday. Wednesday is early day for Nat and I always like to try to find little things for us to do. She handed me a couple of her books that morning and I found a craft on how to make a celestial mobile. Since we seem to collect things for later craft use, I already had a small branch for us to work with. I brought out the cardboard, cut them into shapes, took out the foil, glue stick and glitter and let her go to work. Once the moon and stars were complete, we punched the holes into the moon and stars and i tied them up with our twine.
During the down time of this project, Natalie began a painting, actually, a portrait of me. I was so very flattered and really loved seeing her creativity and artistry at work.
Here is Natalie with her 'masterpiece'!
I am always on the lookout for new things to try and create. Lately, I've been starting to get obsessed with beautiful wooden spoons. While at the store the other day I saw a few I really wanted to purchase but instead, bought a pack of wooden spoons that I could paint faces on and perhaps, even, make them into little dolls. Yes, spoon dolls. So this is what I came up with...
The face, painted with acrylics and a matte finish.
The doll, completed with felt and material dress (filled with material scraps) and finished off with a braided yarn scarf.
She's a bit quirky looking but I like it. We will see how future spoon dolls come about. Until then, Happy weekend...
Saturday, November 7, 2009
moon, stars, a painting and a spoon
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
luna lapin
My first twig and yarn doll in the littlebighead shop is Luna Lapin. She is a sweet off white colored rabbit in a black chenille yarn dress. I think she is graceful and a bit whimsical standing on one foot as she poses. The first of dolls to enter my shop, she is extra special. Especially when Natalie wants to keep her ;)
november begins
Already four days into the month of November. On the first I told myself that things will start all over and I will have a new beginning. It doesn't matter that the year is almost over, or that this can be a hard time to start anew with the holiday season upon us. I have to do it. I have to change. I need to get better. My body and mind needs to get healthier for so many reasons. For myself and for my family. My GERD is acting up a bit and I know that I am over for my height. I saw the photos from Halloween and I was not happy. I want to be happy again. Can't I be without sounding or being vain? It's tough for women, isn't it? The balance of all these things. Well, here's to new beginnings...
...and here's to getting on the ball for other things too. I am going to start creating more again and I have a few commissioned projects to do which I am pretty excited about. I am having a hard time getting the new look for my website up (www.mylittlebighead.com). For now though, I still have the old look, which is at littlebighead.tumblr.com and now, a new online portfolio at littlebighead.carbonmade.com.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
all hallow's eve
What a great Halloween we had! We began the day with a little baking. I knew we couldn't have a spooky autumn day without it so I looked around and finally found a yummy recipe Nat and I could do, Halloween Spice Cake. We changed ours just a tad bit. We omitted the cocoa, used dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar and poured the batter into muffin tins rather than a loaf pan. It's more of a bread type but it was perfect as mini cakes (what we were calling them). Natalie is very much like me where she likes to name things we have 'created'. She named this Autumn Spice Cake and I'm more inclined to that name than to the Halloween one.
We also didn't add the powdered sugar on top but believe me, it doesn't need it. They came out so good and I even thought maybe next time I will add walnuts to it. After the bread cakes were done, I started to make some Cinnamon Pumpkin seeds as well. I had them in the oven for 20 minutes, took them out, stirred butter, cinnamon and salt and popped them back in for awhile more. Very good too :)
Rick came with a few treats as well, like Boylan's Birch Beer, one of my favorite vintage sodas. Actually, this one was Creamy Red Birch Beer, a soda with both natural birch oils and vanilla. Delicious!
The real photo taking began once my mother in law, step father in law, sister in law and nephew came. Look how cute momma and son are!
Evening was quickly approaching and it was time for Natalie's transformation into the classic story book character Madeline. She was just perfect, with the yellow hat and spray painted red hair as well. She couldn't wait for Halloween to begin and as we waited for my friend, her husband and their daughter to arrive, Nat was eagerly handing out candy for early trick or treaters.
Yvette and family arrived and it was time to saddle up everyone for our neighborhood trick or treating. Even little Ezra costumed up into the cutest hot dog we all wanted to gobble up!
And the night truly begins...
It was a great night. Nat's costume was a hit with almost everyone and she had to complete the charm by saying 'au revoir' after her thank yous for the candy. I had to restrain her for being a mile ahead of the rest of the group but I know how exciting it is for kids. All the kids made out great (how couldn't a storybook character, an autumn witch and a mini hot dog not?) and us parents and grandparents had a great time as well.
Hoping everyone had a wonderful and safe Halloween too :)
Saturday, October 31, 2009
pumpkin patch and a carved owl
face painting, one of her most favorite things...
a pretty pumpkin princess!
and with evening comes the transformation!
oh, scary!
Friday, October 30, 2009
the fall festival is here
Yesterday evening we attended Nat's first Fall Festival at her school. She simply could not wait until it was time to walk on over and begin the festivities. She decided to wear costume no. 2 (yes, two costumes...) as a masquerader and we headed on over. I volunteered a bit at her classroom's booth (the bean bag toss) and once my shift was over I couldn't wait to snap more pictures of the event.
on our way...
her classroom's booth
nana and natalie, looking so very fine!
little ghosts on the swings, one seems to be smiling :)
beginning the parade
We had a wonderful time and I just couldn't stop telling my mom how much I loved it. It was so nice to see all the kids running around in their costumes having fun. A wonderful sense of community was around and I know Nat especially loved it...
found, made and sent
Several random things to share, all tied together :)
A drawing I did over the summer while drawing and coloring with the kids at CFL. The day I drew it, Natalie and her friend both 'copied' it. Their drawings are hanging up on the wall of the CFL nursery. She keeps this drawing in her room.
Love craft ideas, especially pretty ones that can be catergorized under 'recycled crafts'. Here, sock craft ideas (what to do with one sock with the other has gone astray) from Cookie magazine. I made two caddies, a bigger one out of the bottom of a soda liter bottle (Serena has made herself comfortable there for now) and a smaller one for Nat's colored pencils.
Obviously, it's no surprise that we keep making things into owls since they are our favorite (i.e. Nat at first wanted to carve the pumpkin into a Harry Potter face. Now she wants to carve it into an owl). So, more TP rolls get made into something a little nicer. With sequins eyes, twig beaks, felt wings and fabric heart bellies (hers is the floral belly, mine, the polka dotted one).
Letters, real snail mail, seems to be a dying art and a few of us are doing what we can to keep it alive. I sent out two letter invitations to two of my best friends hoping for a little get together next month. Sealed with silver wax and a 'G' emblem, complete with a Gary Cooper stamp :)
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
serena and tea!
The past few days I have been blessed with a few nice surprises. My aunt and uncle who live in Hemet came over to visit this past Saturday and we all had a great time. I hadn't seen my aunt in quite some time and it was so nice to see her looking healthy, well and jovial too! She brought a few gifts over and it was like christmas! We were blessed with yummy teas like pumpkin cream chai, pomegranate green tea and delicate white teas with honey sticks, tea pots and sets too.
Also this week I got a nice little owl post, literally, from my friend Mathyld. Serena the Wizarding Owl is home at last! She made herself quite comfortable upon arrival and even began to enjoy the new tea pots and such with us.
One of the first things Serena did was to peruse books we have all over the house.
She absolutely fell in love with my new owl tea pot my Aunt gave me. I told her how thrilled I was to receive it :)
Eager to use my first Yixing clay teapot (also given to me by my aunt), I made some delicious Blueberry tea given to me by a dear friend who lives in England right now.
Serena, a bit tired from her long journey from Paris, couldn't wait for a cup herself.
While we waited for it to brew, I showed her the beautiful Yixing Tea set that my aunt gave Natalie...
...and this absolutely darling porcelain set she gave her as well.
I think Serena felt quite at home!
Serena came just in time to be with us for this autumn season and I am ever so thankful to Miss Mathyld for sending her my way...
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
seasonal goods...
- pumpkin cream chai tea given by my aunt
- finally getting our pumpkin for halloween
- serena the wizarding owl comes home (more on that later)!
- end of march's ghostly goodness
- striped socks for fall!
- haunting pictures and other bewitchments
- ready to send nat's card by 'owl post' from her friends at Hogwarts (ssshhh!) ;)
- having some of our halloween crafts posted on the Crafty Crow
- adding lovely things on Believing Nature
- looking at this amazing owl mask posted on the Baking Bird
- amazed at the talented Elsa Mora and her darling creations
- learning about the 'scary' herbs of halloween
- meeting a few new friends at the Love for Vintage Network
- happy that I saw several black and white movies including a few silent films (La Boheme, The Unknown, The Picture of Dorian Gray) with a few more awaiting on my DVR
- my black hollyhock seeds finally growing (I believe so, I hope so!)
- pumpkin ice cream (yum!!)
- finding more cool and amazing photos to notebook at fables
- enjoying the day and thanking Him for life
Friday, October 23, 2009
an evening in fullerton
Yesterday evening was so very nice. We had dinner at one of our favorite places, Rutabegorz in Fullerton. While Rick and Nat were going over what they were going to get, I had already decided on a half 'the walnut that kissed the chicken' salad sandwich with a cup of their pumpkin soup. It was delicious!
Rick had the Framboise as his beverage, it was so good! Natalie, however, did not :)
Playing patty-cake while we waited for our dinner.
After we had dinner (and had pumpkin cookies for dessert!) we walked over to the Farmer's Market they have on thursdays.
This picture does not describe how beautiful these sunflowers were! They were a vibrant burnt red orange with velvety purple leaves. Exquisite!
We walked into the Fullerton Museum shop to get some change. They had it all set up for spookiness, for sure!
Hmmm, another little apparition in the ghostly portrait?
Natalie scored too with a handmade purse and scarf made by Domestic Violence Survivors. And before the night ended, I spied a booth with someone very familiar in it...
Mrs. Carla of Robots and Rainbows, that's who! She was doing her thing quite well and I had to wait a little while to really get talking since she was with customers.
Can't wait to see you again Carla!!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
thrifty finds and crafty monsters
Yesterday I made a stop at the local thrift store nearby. One of the things I picked up was a peeling gilded bird that didn't look like much but I had good potential. I brought it home and promptly applied black semi-gloss spray paint. I love the way it looks now.
I also scored on two worn out little woodland owl figurines. I was thinking of spray painting them as well but thought maybe I should keep them in their current state. I think they tell more of a 'story' this way.
Besides a cute little folksy skirt, the last thing I picked up was a small terracotta rabbit. I spray painted it black as well (partly inspired by the black hare) and I just love this cute little guy all the more!
For Frankenstein and his bride, we inserted popsicle sticks for arms. I cut the top of the roll to mimic wild hair for him and used a folded coffee filter for the bride's dress. I left one side a little longer, glued and wrapped the dress around a made little slits at the bottom so the dress would come up a bit.
We also made a bat boy and girl (or little vampires if you will). I cut a little semi-circle at the tops to create their bat like ears and then glued the front and back part together for the head. After, she drew and painted on them and again I used a little exacto knife to cut slits for their bat wings. I cut the wings with little inserts to slid through the slits and then glued the back of the wings to where it was inserted.
Look at our monstrous family!
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