Getting Ready for Christmas

I know that its not yet Halloween but I do need to start thinking about stock for Christmas. Usually I add the Christmas stock to my Etsy shop at the start of November. But this year I feel I need to perhaps list at least the dolls soon.

The Father Christmas and Santa will be back and the Yule Fairy has already appeared in the shop.

I have a few Cornish Pixie Elves to take photos of and I also want to make a small fairy or even a winter angel. I'm really tempted to make some of these polymer elves again but with different colours. 

So apologies now for being a bit earlier than normal with my christmas goodies.

Vic x

Film Night

Last night I went to our local cinema, the Rebel, to watch a film with some of my book club pals. I haven't been to the cinema for a little while and the last film was a U or  PG so watching an 18 was a nice change.
The reason we went to the cinema was to see the film version of a book we had read earlier in the year. The book was Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, we all loved the book and it is one I would recomend to anyone who loves mystery style books.

The book isn't all about mystery it is also about relationships, marriage and why couples stay together regardless, though it is more of an extreme view.  The film has condensed this down really well and it was tighter and better paced. I suppose it helps that Gillian Flynn wrote the screenplay for the movie. 

As with all film things change or have to be omitted and this is true for this film version, but I felt it was done well, though more dramatic for one part. The ending was different to the book but  it worked well. 

Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike were very good as Nick and Amy Dunne, I'm now looking forward to seeing Ben Affleck as Batman, he has grown a lot as an actor since Daredevil. It was also nice to see Neil Patrick Harris since the end of the tv series How I Met Your Mother.  I also liked Carrie Coon and Kim Dickens who played Margot Dunne and Detective Rhonda Boney. 

In all its worth watching whether or not you've read the book as it is a good story and well acted. 

Vic x

Strictly Monday

I admit I'm a bit of a fan of the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing, I enjoy watching the celebrities and seeing how they improve. And I have to admit the costumes are just amazing and sparkly.

This years series started a couple of weeks back with a double episode split across Friday 26th and Saturday 27th. Luckily for the celebs it was the first week so no one was being voted off.  This weekend the public started voting and the first celebrity has left the dance floor. For this year I thought I would blog my views about the weekends show on the following Monday. I won't list all the celebrities and their Pro partners but you will find a full list  here .

Strictly Celebrities 2014

So Saturday night was a long show with all fifteen couples dancing, I admit I missed a couple of dances as I was busy sorting out tea, but my girlie gave a good opinion on them. We have a few we like so far:

• Tim Wonnacott with Natalie Lowe, danced beautifully we like him for sense of humour.
• Alison Hammond with Aljaž Skorjanec, did a great Foxtrot and boy can she dance with so much personality. 
• Caroline Flack with Pasha Kovalev, danced a lovely Tango
• Simon Webbe with Christina Rihanoff, also the Tango, I didn't think I would like Simon but I was pleasantly surprised and he dances well.
• Frankie Bridge with Kevin Clifton, I knew she was going to be good and she's dancing with Kevin who with Suzanne Reid was our favourite to win last year. 
• Jake Wood with Janette Manrara, Jake has started off as the dark horse of this series for us and wow that Salsa. 

Jake and Janette dancing the Salsa

As usual we disagreed with some of the judges scores, Frankie's Charleston it was good and deserved better mark so did Alison with her foxtrot. But one score I did disagree with was Pixie's Waltz getting the same marks as Jake's Salsa, in my opinion Jake's dance was better.

Pixie and Trent dancing the Waltz 

So we had to wait until yesterday evening to find out who would be in the dance off. Well we weren't surprised to see Gregg Wallace with Aliona Vilani dancing again but we were with Jennifer Gibney with Tristan McManus, we thought it might have been Judy Murray with Anton du Beke. 

They both danced better for the second time and I had to agree with the judges decision to send Gregg home. 

I'm looking forward to next weekend. 

Vic xx

Minecraft Sunday

Sunday is the day I really try not to do much at and well just chill out and spend time with the kids or just reading. Today I think I will probably be on the Xbox with my lad playing Minecraft. And as the new Dr Who skin pack came out Friday my character will either look like the 10th Doctor or a Dalek.

photo from gameinformer.

Hope you have a lovely Sunday and see you tomorrow and I promise I won't be dressed as a dalek.

Vic x

Goodbye to the Chooks

I'm sorry to say that the wooden chickens I sell will be retiring, which I'm quite sad about as I like painting them. Unfortunately the supplier I buy the wooden blanks from has stopped selling them. 

These chooks are still for sale and you'll find them in my Etsy shop.  

Vic x

New Doll - Catalina

I made another doll this week, one that I have been planning for a few months. I slowly got  few items together for her over the summer holidays including some silk from a very lovely lampworker Sue of Blue Box Studio. The doll is a Dia de los muertos or Day of the dead Doll, and I used the sugar skull as the starting point for her. So I made a doll with a white painted face neck and hands and then painted onto the face a sugar skull design, I also gave her nails a quick slick of black paint.

I added some lace to the front of the bodice and I wrapped some ric rac ribbon around the arms to give some texture and pattern to them. The rest of the bodice looked a bit sparse so I doubled up some cream organza ribbon and added a diamante buckle. At the back I also added a couple of vintage mother of pearl buttons. 

I admit I'm really pleased with how she's turned out.  

Now I'm starting to plan my next dolls and I may have to make one christmassy. 

Vic x

Throwback Thursday

This necklace was called "Spirit of Amelia Earhart" I thought I had blogged about it but apparently not. 

I made this necklace for a steampunk challenge a few years ago on a magazine forum I wanted to have a steampunk style pilot and then add the gears, cogs, vintage brass etc.

I loved working with polymer clay and was inspired by Christi Friesen an amazing artist who make the most beautiful dragons and much more out of polymer clay. I have most of her books and they have also provided a lot of inspiration for my lampwork beads.

I must get some more polymer clay and make some dragons again. 

Vic x