tools of the trade

There is something really soothing about handsewing. Also sometimes painful. Like, when you are trying to push the needle through 5 layers of fabric on a weird angles and the blunt side of the needle pokes into your finger. Erg. and then you think of that thimble -- but really - who can actually sew deftly with one on!? Not me.

There is quite a bit of handwork involved in my dolls. Handwork. I even love the word. I use a variety of needles and thread for the hand sewing. I love using bright and contrasting colours - forget trying to hide the stitches. I tried that -- too stressful. So I started opting for bright, obvious stitches. Makes it much more fun! 

I use dowels to stuff the dolls -- and turn the pieces inside out. The pliers help when smaller pieces get stuck. Stuffing is a big part of the process -- it's an art. It can really make the difference of how a piece looks and feels. 

These are my favorite fabric scissors yet -- I have kept them safe from paper for a while now. They do need some sharpening, though.

This is my sewing machine. I need to learn how to take care of it better, but I am improving, slowly. The paintbrush is for dusting out lint on a very regular basis. I find this helps alot! I actually taught myself how to oil it earlier this year. That is a big accomplishment for me. 

I do actually use pins. And an iron. I just love these pearly ones. 

I will share more about how the dolls come together soon. And maybe even share some pictures of some of the crazy messes I make in the process. The above picture is a detail from my box of doll hair. The rainbow collection. 

Starting to stitch the face - that is definitely the most challenging part of making these dolls. Starting - possibly totally messing it. Totally messing it up - or thinking I do - and continuing anyways. Usually it ends up okay!! If not...my girls can always use another doll... 

;) 

Okay ... well, hot pink paper isn't really a tool - but the camera certainly is. I bought this paper on Saturday for fun. What do you think? 

I had been wanting to make a glasses girl for a while! She looks so smart.

I am trying to get a little photo studio set up for the dolls so I can take more portrait like pics like these. 

thanks for stopping by! 

sharing the love, a humble giveaway

halo all!

sooooooooo...thwarted by facebook and leery to try again in case they suspend my page activities i am going to post the rules and regulations of the draw HERE instead... 

also then you can get connected with my blog in case you feel like hearing me ramble on longer than a facebook status update ;) ... I will be posting bits about the processes and what is going on in studio - pictures of messes and other random life events. It might be fun.

Here it goes

SHARE THE LOVE 

humble giveaway 

you can get entered in my little draw to win one of 3 prizes: a handmade dolly (little lu size) with your choice of hair/outfit colours etc.  -- or 20 humble dollars or 15 humble dollars towards your next purchase. Yay! It's easy.

1. Like my fbpage or subscribe to my blog - not totally necessary but awesome

2. pin 2 of your favorite images from www.humblehome.etsy.com or www.humbletoys.etsy.com (or from this blog, too) ... if you can pin them onto suitable boards.
3. uh... DO NOT under any circumstances share this on your timeline on facebook. nudge nudge?
4. LIKE or comment -- either comment here on the blog or LIKE my post on facebook where I shared this so I know you want in and keep track of all the names.

So those are general guidelines, obviously you can see the point of this thing is to spread the word about my new adventure -- and hopefully keep some food on the table and gas in the car ;) (read previous post for details on that). I trust you to spread the love how you see fit - and really only if you feel the need. I try to create things that spark that spark in our hearts - mine and maybe yours too - if you think these kinds of good things are worth sharing, please do! I am grateful! 

The name collecting starts NOW and goes until march 3. I will then take a day or two to write all the names down and pull them out of a big ceramic bowl. (there is probably a great techie way to do that, but i do not know it...) ....
okay...
GO!

Disclaimer: This promotion is in NO way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. humble and all the participants of the said giveaway hereby release Facebook of any liability. Information collected is NOT collected by Facebook. Information collected by humble(Home/toys) is used with strict confidentiality, is not shared with third parties. The winner is chosen at RANDOM within 48 hours of the end of the Giveaway, this can be delayed slightly on some occasions due to workload. All postage costs are covered by humble no matter where the winner resides (see my shipping policies www.humbletoys.etsy.com)  There are no age/gender or residency restrictions from our end. The participants MUST comply with their local laws & regulations to the best of their knowledge. Sharing this post on one’s timeline or on one’s friends timeline does not provide additional entries and likewise isn’t a prerequisite of an entry in this giveaway. (The same goes for tagging yourself or your friends in the Giveaway post). I will announce the winners on my facebook page. 

ANEW AGAIN

How many posts can I start off by saying; oh! I am moving into something new! Again! Aren't we always, aren't we ever? Each day...a new day...a new something we have never seen before; new sounds; new smells; new sunshine, new sensations. Familiar perhaps, but always new.

And so...is this. New.

For real this time, I promise!

When I glance over previous posts (and I really do mean glance - not at all read because that is too annoying to me presently) I definitely see a pattern where I try to commit myself to my craft and *really* trying. It's funny to me, the way life unfolds sometimes. That I tried and tried and strove and strove to make the time to do what I felt I wanted to do...

and then...

over the past year I have had a huge shift. Something about moving, about being in a new place, settling in, loving our home, loving so much being a mom - and really embracing being *just* a mom. Embracing this life; husband busy busy busy at work, me at home with the kids...alone...alot. But, this is the way it is, I thought, and it is good. So lucky, we are, to be able to be here; with abundance and love and kids and home and food. Challenging at times, yes, but overall good.

And so, I thought I would retire my humble ambitions. Let go of the lofty thoughts of selling my goods - maybe making a living at it someday, somehow. What was the point, really? Mostly it caused me to miss out on sleep that if I got would make me a less grumpy mummy - and would also make less mess. I focused more on home life; cooking, cleaning, being creative with the kids, playing music. Frivolous creative endeavors, instead of ones that might offshoot into monetary gain. Downsizing my craft room to a cupboard. Although I do flip flop back and forth I was really realizing that this choice made the most sense for now -- maybe in five or six years I could revisit it - but for now...

It really made more sense to let it all go. Play and be creative if I needed to for myself, but forget trying to make money at it or gain some sense of identity from it. I didn't need to and everyone would be happier, really, if I spent more time keeping the household running smoothly. Not in some old-timey context, but really; I couldn't do it all. I feel like that realization sort of came to me, gently. Also, becoming pregnant again and realizing that another busy four or five years lay ahead - and this was likely the last wee one for us (number four) and I would really like to just enjoy this baby and not stress myself out trying to make a little bit of extra cash.

Not that it is all about the money -- but definitely putting energy into etsy and craft shows etc. is, and I realized that unless I had a certain threshold of input the results would be meager and I was really realizing that in my life, with my abilities, I just couldn't put more into that world without sacrificing things that I really couldn't bear to sacrifice. It wasn't worth it, and we really had no need.

So, in the early winter, after thrashing about in the pre-Christmas madness, making and making, and enjoying it - I conceded to myself that this was likely it. I might keep posting little things on facebook, sharing a bit, selling a few dolls here and there, working on things when I felt like it - but without expectations or pressure - just for the joy of it - but that would be the extent for now - and for the next few years at least. After Christmas I would work on packing up my craft room into bins, stash most away in the attic, nicely labeled so I could bring down what I needed when I needed it - but just keep out the few things I would need to work on small projects over the next few months. For fun.

Alas. The world has plans.

The wonderful, steady and dependable company my husband had been working insane hours for over the past number of years unexpectedly went bankrupt. Two weeks before Christmas we got the news that his amazing job was no more.

When he left for the meeting in the morning - the one where they would tell him the crazy news - we suspected this might be the outcome. But what I certainly DID NOT expect was my husbands' reaction to the news. I thought he would be stressed out - upset - worried - distraught, even. Some incarnation of freak-out, anyways, probably coupled with slight depression and mountains of stress.

But he came home and said: Well, are you ready to start a new chapter in our life?

With ease, and lightness -- and -- elation?

It was a strange kind of freedom, we realized. An uncertain and potentially hazardous kind. But there was suddenly, it seemed, a boundless horizon before us, unmarked and full of potentially awesome potential.

And so...the newness.

An entirely new sort of life.

In which I am put to the test. We decided to try. To try and see what happens. To see, can we make our own living? Can we create and thrive?

This is our newness, now. We are only a couple months in, earnestly seeking and learning and stretching. But we are loving this newness. And a relaxed feeling is settling back into his bones.

Wonder and joy and love are becoming everyday adventures again. Life and meaning and appreciation are a shared experience within the whole family - there is a reconnecting that was sorely needed, but had no time to be had! I am so grateful!

So - this time - for real. I have a need to do the sweet making. And I have the support and the time to do it too - and I feel totally spoiled and grateful and wonderstruck that any and all of this is unfolding. It is early yet - who knows what the years hold - what this year holds. But I am going to try and make the most of it.

We are expecting a new baby in the spring. Another new adventure. It is going to be a busy year. A year of many beginnings.

This is a long rant - after a long absence and with many unshared thoughts in between - but I do hope to use this blog on a regular basis - to share the unfoldings of our humble home - but also the inner workings of the studio, yummy distractions, DIY inspirations, adventures, sales, creations -- all things humble. ;)

Making dolls and Making time

I was making dolls over the weekend - finishing up the stragglers from a batch i hatched for The Children's Art Factory, in Guelph, Ontario. I had had a few weeks of really non-productive life; meaning, I was spending more time with my family and housekeeping; less time actually making things. This is not a bad thing, but I did have deadlines I wanted to keep for myself, and actually bailed on one, realizing there was no way I could accomplish all I had hoped. But I did get a good little batch of dollies into the Art Factory, and if you are in the area and feel like checking them out, you should! There will also likely be little artists there making magical messes for you to enjoy.

Balancing wild making yearnings with Family time can be challenging. I try to include my kids in a lot of the process - and this is a win-win for us most of the time, but sometimes I just like to be alone in the creative process. I think part of the problem is I am an extremely messy crafter. I envy the tidy, organized crafter. I often think if I was more That, I would be able to include the kids in more of the process, or at least have them nearby for more of it -- but alas, it is not so. Even in my big space I find I expand and fill all the corners with bits of the various projects that find themselves simultaneously unfolding.

Having a baby rummaging through your stash of thread spools and subsequently wandering though the house in a colourful thread-web is also a laborious side-project that was unplanned for. Then, considering something of that sort (be it thread-spools or yarn-balls, fabric-piles, or what-not) happens probably 10-15 times an hour, it's not surprising I wonder what the heck I did all day and why didn't I get more done? So then, these types of days, the making-for-profit part of my life might spill over into time that really should be set aside for snuggles and stories.

Although at this very moment I am seriously doubting the efficiency of this course of action, as I have yet to have a five minute stretch of time uninterrupted here writing this post! Ahh! I have a baby on my lap and finally just tucked in a very grumpy almost 10 year old who has done nothing but scold me all evening for being on the computer! How many times can I say it, but I know every parent feels it; I just can't win. 

But, I am determined to make time for this blog. I really wanted to write today, for my own selfish self, but also to share these new lovelies...this most recent batch of handmade dolls will be going on etsy tonight or tomorrow morning (depending on the way tonight goes!), and I wanted to share a couple thoughts with you about them before they do! 

The creative process is mysterious, but it's also strangely challenging. It's totally a really ridiculous first world problem, but I do find myself coming up against silly fears in the process of making. I think especially making with the fore-thought of trying to sell something. I could agonize over the choice of fabric for a doll's outfit for half an hour -- or more... pulling out scrap after scrap - holding up against other scraps, considering how they look together... (what a ridiculous thing to feel fearful over! I know!)

 But now I am taming this trouble. The black-haired doll with the colourful rabbit hat is a perfect example of my tactic. I was having trouble deciding on her clothes. I wanted them to be darker, maybe moodier. I got the skirt done then was feeling myself start to fret about the top. The solution; an old trick from the crazy-cowl making times; just pick what i am most doubtful of, or just go in a direction that i don't think would work. Often it does - sometimes it doesn't, but either way, it gets done. 

It's a similar issue I run into with my ink drawing. I start to get attached to the product - the idea of the end result. Some Way I want it to be. Doing the unexpected - going in a direction that I am resistant to, helps to free me from that attachment, or the fear that "it won't work out"... (or look good?). I really enjoy the process of making and I am finding this incarnation of doll-making to be really really conducive to it. The projects are small but meaningful and allow lots of room for play! They also seem to really reach across the board and touch a wide range of people. 

They are so forgiving, they embrace the imperfect, they look good in anything and they have awesome hair. What more could I dare ask for? I hope I get to continue this experiment and adventure for a good while yet. While still making time for this...

<3 p="">

big changes, small town

How many posts can I start with; oh! I haven't written for so long! So much has happened! Such Changes!! .... ??! and then followed by promises (to myself? to you?) that I WILL write more often ... blah blah blah!! ha!

But Really, I will. I promise.

There HAVE been big changes. Along with our lovely new daughter and homeschooling we decided to add moving to our agenda. And so we did, by the seat of our pants, and now we have landed and snuggled into a lovely big old home in small town (village, actually) ontario. We moved in last August and the girls started school in their new country school that September. All is going well and everyone is thriving in our new quiet and spacious abode.

I acquired a new massive studio in the process. A lovely room with a big window, lots of light and brimming with scraps and plans to be hatched. I really really notice the shift from a cramped space to one that really allows me to spread out and take on endeavors that may have seemed too much hassle before. It seems to have given my imagination space to play and explore...as well as my mess! I have been busy playing with my re-found love of dollmaking. Really playing with shape and character and different ideas and designs. I have had such a lovely response on facebook and etsy. Encouraging and inspiring! I was even recently interviewed about them on the local-to-Guelph radio show Accessibility Matters.... you can listen to the show here (the January 30th show). I am on about at 34 minutes in I think, but the whole show is worth a listen. Some great local music on there.

I am inspired to write today. Inspired to share. Something. This time of year often gets me in a tizzy. I feel what I'm doing is somehow not enough, I crave change. Perhaps it is the brink of spring. The light and the feeling in the air that things are changing...somewhere down deep. Something is stirring. And so it is, in me. But whenever I look at what I am doing and thinking of change; pursuing something more profitable, getting a job, abandoning crafting alltogether, writing more, drawing more...etc. etc (something? anything?) I am always brought back around to the fact that I haven't REALLY gone whole-hog at anything, yet. I have been in love with these dolls and making and it's completely FRESH to me -- really. I just started in December, and I have not given them a chance to bloom -- and yet, already, the fear that it will not lead anywhere plagues me already. The fear, more so, that I will not see it through... (because of my fear.. hm.....)

It stems from a noble vein in me, really. I would love to be able to support my family by doing something (almost anything?) ... but preferably something that can be done alongside spending time with my family and/or even involving them somehow. My husband has been ever-so-giving of his time and life, really, to work and support us and it's been years and years and I would love to be able to relieve him of that stress and allow him time to pursue somethings that I know he would love to - creative endeavors.

So - I am dedicating myself today ... to putting aside my fears and all my entangling plans, and just do what I do. Do what I love. To make, and create, really, whatever I feel like. And to share. I have been reading a lot of blogs this winter and feel like I finally really appreciate them. I love to get a little window into someone's life. And some people might think it's narcissistic, but maybe someone might be interested to get a little window into mine? I know, when we were moving, I was really trying hard to find information about the area that we were moving to. It was hard to find, without being here. I wanted to read about a family's transition. How did they fare, moving  from a city to a village? Or to the country? What changed, for better, for worse? I hope to share my crafts and some things about life here, in general, so maybe someone else considering a move like this can gain a little perspective. Also a hope is to be really open and share the process of some of the crafting that I do, in the hopes that other people might be inspired and try it too!! Along with recipes, projects around the house and garden, and other food and family related things.

So the blog is getting a little makeover. I hope you like it. Please feel free to leave feedback anytime, or contact me at my new email address, humblehomestudio@gmail.com ...

thanks for reading today.

new arrivals!

re-surfacing! re-surging, re-minding.... wow. big big changes around here! we have a new baby girl! It's so exciting and lovely and wonderful. LOVE! sooooo...i have been very busy nesting and renovating, but we got it all done. I have a new craft room on the main level (pics soon!) and the big girls have their own rooms upstairs (much happier mornings!). A new living room, a new couch, a new baby! Everything fresh and open and bright. And here are some goodies, slowly making their way to etsy...