Looking for "Verna"...

...haven't found her yet... but, I did put some things together with those halloween beads I made - oh, and a "Polka Pumpkin" totse!

 









Look Ma - I can make glass buttons on my torch! (Working with a pair of double mandrels is great new fun - NOT. )

Here's three of the bead pens I put together...

Pumpkins, pine cones, acorns, ghosts, and spiders - oh my!

Would you like a little cheese with that whine? Or is it the other way around? (I prefer to just whine...)

Oh Verna - where art though? I'm sick of pumpkins already - on to snowmen or whatever...



You can see these items and more at my boutique Poladora.

I am the Queen of Procrastination...

...but who could help themselves when you can walk in the woods this time of year? Even though the leaves are pretty much gone now, there are always beautiful things to wonder upon...
 

 
Just a dead twig can be very beautiful if you really look at it...

Something as simple as milkweed going to seed can inspire one to want to - oh - say have a sweater made of this stuff!

So while I submerge myself back into my work (darn), I shall resurrect the Totse Process once again. No, really! AND, I will be posting some really "haunting" fun things in my Boutique - Poladora (just give me a day or two to get pix and posting done - please).





 

Now where did I put that "Verna" stuff again? I swear these projects hide from me!

I know, I know...

...I'm supposed to be blogging about my "Verna" Totse project, but, it's Fall! That means it's lampwork torch time! (Both Spring and Fall are the best for working with my torch in the shop - summer is way too hot and winter is a problem for breaking glass - long story...)

Anyway, I haven't been able to get out of the shop or away from the flame...does that make me a bug? I digress... Here's some goodies I've been playing with for Halloween!

Boo! Hehe...

It's the "family of pumpkins"!

Yup, there's even a button in there (for an upcoming Halloween Totse for my boutique Poladora)! There's also a pine cone, candy corn, a spider, and an acorn...well, my interpretation of them anyways.

Trick or Treat! Now, where was that "Verna" project?...

The Journey Continues - Fabric Selection...

...for the top band and interior of the "Verna" designer Totse:

One of my favorite "Verna" coordinates, this whimsical paisley just had to be the top band for the totse. (I would just love to bead this fabric but, I'm afraid that with all of the glass beading already on the body of the totse, you wouldn't be able to lift it when finished!) Hmmm...perhaps a totse of its own... (I digress.)

Here's a closer look at this wonderful paisley with all of its swirls and dots and...well, you already know my weakness for these things so let's just say the colors are perfect!




Stay tuned, as you can witness the birth of this totse which will eventually end up for sale at my boutique Poladora.

Ahhhh...A Walk in the Woods...

...reveals too much rain! Yikes! Our area of WI has had its share of rainy weather and flooding! But out of bad always comes some good...and in this case its an opportunity to shoot some pictures of our remaining surviving morning glories - and yes - mushrooms!

My first thought when I saw this pair of mushroom was "Mommy, please shelter me from the sun!"

Then there was this "family of three"... look closely for "junior".

But probably one of my favorites, this illustrates the underside of the above mushrooms once their heads actually turned up toward the sky, went flat, and eventually fell over from their own weight.

Nature is a beautiful thing indeed...

The Journey Continues...

Out of bed and all better, I've been able to continue my project.

Above, you can see that I've completed the beading and embroidery I want prior to texturizing the panel (it will shrink about 30% in all directions).

While the beading and embroidery itself does create a texture of quilting all its own, texturizing it will make the flowers "pop" off the fabric in their own way.

 




















 Now steamed and texturized, the panel has changed its personality.

In the closeup, you can see this more clearly.

Stay tuned, as we're now onto assembly of other pieces necessary to make the Totse...

Sleep is a Good Thing...

...especially when you're sick! I started with a sore throat (for a solid week), then it turned into a head cold, and now I'm coughing my way through the night - not a good thing for sleep!

Am I whining? You bet. But! I have not stopped working on my projects - between cups of hot tea and snuggles from my mini-dox "Teddy".

About those projects... 
Here's an example of the backside of my work. Yikes! (I know - nobody shows that!) But in the spirit of "I have nothing to hide", and "look how much work this is!", I'm breaking rules again and showing you my backside - well, sorta...

I think I need some "SISSY" cuddles...