Christmas Tree Lights

I assume many of you have made one of these Christmas trees, using a bottle brush tree and preserved lycopodium. I thought it would be a relatively quick project. I was wrong, it took forever. The unfinished tree was 6 1/2 inches tall. I found it on ETSY and the lycopodium on Ebay.

If you have made a Christmas tree, can you tell me if you used the new LED chip lights? Did you like the way those lights looked on the tree? http://www.modeltrainsoftware.com/chip-led-string.html I am not sure which type of lights I want to use yet.

I see that you can get a string of 12 LED lights or a sting with 26. There are three color choices which is great and they run off a small battery pack. Particularly nice for people that have already wired a dollhouse or room.

500 Followers, WOW!!! Thank You!

My friend Linda Master http://miraclechicken.blogspot.com/ sent me a tiny cat she carved out of wood and painted for me. It is too small to be a 'live' miniature cat, it is meant to be decorative. She tells me, it is not a portrait of Kilmouski because she would need several photos to accomplish an exact likeness. I am sure if any one could do it Linda could. To appreciate it fully, you would have to see how she has painted the face and the eyes. I wish I could do it justice in a photo. Thank you so much Linda. You already know I love it.

The sterling silver tankards were made by using the roll printing process I discussed in a previous post about metal work.

Have you ever gone out to buy something VERY simple (a product) you needed to finish a project and come home empty handed? It drives me insane!!! I should have just gone ahead and ordered it online but I am so tired of paying for shipping. Especially when those charges are more than the item I want.

A half of a tank of gas and eight stores later I came home and ordered online. If I had been able to get what I needed, I would have posted a picture of the finished exterior lantern today also.

Trick Or Treat

My two daily trick or treaters... Groupie and Puffy. They will go all round the house looking through windows until they find which room I am in. Then they just sit there and stare at me through the window until I come out and give them a treat! They are very good at staring as you can see!

Quick Peek.

I have been working on two exterior lanterns that will go next to the front door.. I fabricated the top of it out of sheet metal. The lanterns are going to have a hinged doors and a latch (hopefully). I think I will go for a weathered copper finish rather than a highly polished one. The panels are 1/2 inch wide.

I bought microscope cover glass to cut for the panes but then I thought about using some mica sheet I have. I can solder right next to that and it has a nice aged tinted look. I am waiting for some copper foil to arrive to frame the mica panels with so I can get those soldered together.

I am stuck once again waiting for the mail to arrive. UGH!

Beyond Belief !!!

Not much totally astonishes me but these lace doilies sure did. I was afraid I would tear them just taking them out of the glass envelopes they arrived in. They were a birthday gift from my dear friend Linda Carswell. http://une-petite-folie.blogspot.com/

Spider silk comes to mind when I look at how fine the threads are. My first thought was that they would be beautiful framed on a black back ground in gold leaf frames. I want to hang them in the master bedroom. All three frames in the same place.Perhaps over the bed with the square one being in the middle. What do you think?

Please don't ask me where she found these beautiful lace doilies. A girl has a right to a few secrets, so I didn't ask either. :-)

Thank you so very much Linda!!!! I am delighted and thrilled to bits with these gorgeous pieces.

What Perfect Timing!

I have been waiting for a couple months for an order from Colin Bird. How nice that it should arrive on my birthday! I couldn't be more delighted! Colin's craftsmanship is always perfection. He has all six legs pegged to the seat. That wasn't something I noticed in his sample photo.

This new settee is very like the chair I have of his. They are both destine to be in a cottage living room. Though not right next to each other (too many spokes in one place).

I have not collected any upholstered pieces for that room. I thought it would be wise to wait to see what color the walls are going to be. One thing that these pieces tell me from photographing them is that I am going to need a lighter colored wood floor or they will disappear.

Linda Master, Thank You So Much!!!

If I could live seven more lifetimes I would never achieve a fraction the talent Linda Master has. Ever since I saw her work I have known I was in the presence of greatness!!!

Even though I have never actually met Linda, she has become a good friend. I love talking to her. We laugh our heads off.

She has totally blown me away with this beautiful 2 1/2 X 3 1/2 inch pencil drawing of Kilmouski. I see she did it from a photo I posted here on my blog of him. Unbelievable! I have not done it justice in this photo I'm afraid. You have to hold it in your hand to really appreciate it.

I am going to take it tomorrow to the best framer in town. Then... I will put it on my vanity table so I can see it every day.

Thank you so very much Linda. You have delighted and thrilled me with this beautiful, beautiful Birthday gift.
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Catherine XXXXXXXXXXXXXX