More on my prayer dolls

I have been working on my prayer dolls and they really are looking pretty.  I stayed up until after 1AM the other night painting on them and I have to say I had a ball.  The next morning, I took pictures to show my progress.

Here they are:

I still lack painting their hair and adding collage items so I can cover them entirely with a sealer.  I think they are really cute and I plan to make many more.

 For my friend, Rebecca

 For my sister

 For my friend, Kenita

 For my friend, Elizabeth

and hopefully, this one will be for me!

I love spa treatments as much as the next girl (perhaps more).

Here's 3 lovely spa recipes I found that are wonderful and decadent.  These come from the-coveted.com and I have to tell you I am in love with the sugar body polish.

I hope you enjoy a spa day on your next day off!


If your skin needs a little rejuvenating, try one of these ultra-easy D.I.Y. skin treatment recipes and let the pampering begin.

Sugar Body Polish

1 1/2 cups raw or brown sugar
1/3 cup real maple syrup
1/3 cup olive oil or sunflower oil
Drops of your favorite essential oil (Optional)

Prep: Mix ingredients together and put in a closed container.

Use: Apply scrub to wet skin in a circular motion to exfoliate. Remove thoroughly with water and a wash cloth.

Refreshing Cucumber Toner

1/2 large or 1 medium cucumber (unpeeled but washed)
2 tablespoons witch hazel

Prep: Puree cucumber in a blender or mixer. Next, strain the cucumber pulp into a bowl. Mix the liquid from the cucumber only with the witch hazel.

Use: Soak a cotton ball with the toner and apply to face, neck and chest.

Calming Oatmeal Mask

2 tablespoons oatmeal (regular, not instant)
2 tablespoons full fat plain yogurt
2 teaspoons honey

Prep: Mix ingredients together in a bowl.

Use: Apply mask mixture to clean skin and let sit for 10 or 15 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with warm water.

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Window Shopping Wednesday

Another Wednesday.  Now to show you the work of another of my favorite artists here on the web.  I hope you are enjoying these trips to visit websites.  I hope you like these artists so much that you begin to follow their work as I do.  So, here we go....
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Christine Alvarado makes the most beautiful and delicate dolls I have ever seen.  She obviously loves what she does.  Her dolls are exquisite. To visit, just click on any of the images and you will be taken to her site.

Please visit her site and look at all the beauties she has made.  These are just a few.

Spring and summer bring bugs and bug bites!

 With warmer weather comes the urge to be outside and play out of doors.  Great fun!  But when you come inside for the night you may find you have unwanted side-effects.  The great outdoors abounds with chigger, fleas, mosquitos, and many other blood-sucking insects who are just as pleased to see you come out of the house as you are to be outside.

Nobody likes to scratch and itch all night.  Maybe you could try to make several of these easy bath bombs to have on hand.  After a long soak with this in your bath, you may find the relief you need to get a good nights rest.

I'm all for anything that helps stop itching and promotes healing, so I will be making a batch of these soon.

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Bath Bomb - Insect Bite Relief

Materials needed:

• 1 1/4 cups cup of Baking soda or Bicarbonate of Soda
  1/2 cup of Citric acid
  2 -6 tsp of Almond Oil or Apricot oil
  1/4 cup of Dried Basil
  1/2-2 tbs Water
  5 drops of Food coloring
  (optional)10-15 drops of calamine lotion
  Makes 7 medium sized Bath Bombs

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and stir until well mixed.
Drizzle in the almond oil and stir until mixture is moistened. Add more oil and fragrance and stir until well mixed.
If the mixture is crumbly then add more oil or a dash of water.
Roll the mixture into a ball using your hands or press it into a lightly oiled mold. Use a bath bomb mold or a chocolate mold.
Let it slip out from the mold and then put the ball/shape on a sheet of wax paper and leave it to dry till it is hard. It make take several days.
Store them in a airtight container.
Use 1 Bath bomb per bath.

Source: Craftbits.com

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Wired Women Pins

Here's a quick and easy polymer clay pin to make when you need to have a quick gift.  I love working with polymer clay and the colors are all so beautiful.  I think if you try this project you, too, will become hooked on working with polymer clay.  These are simply too cute!  But they are fun to make, too!

I found this project on the Sculpy.com website.  There are many others there for you to try.  Remember that Mother's Day is just around the corner and I can't think of a mother who would not love one of these.

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Materials:
* 20 gauge wire (about 18")
* Artistic Wire 22 gauge wire (about 8-10")
* Artistic Wire Premo Polymer clay in 3 colors of choice
* Wire cutters and round nosed pliers
* Sculpey Super Slicer Pasta machine, acrylic roller, or straight sided Glass jar
* A tie tack or clutch pin


Directions:

The Wire Body:

Cut 18" of 20 gauge wire from the spool. · Starting at one end, form a loop for the head so that a 1/2" tail crosses the wire at about 3" from its end. Twist to secure.

At the "neck," bend the wire 90 degrees to one side to form the first arm. Measure 1-1/2", form a small loop, and bend back to the opposite side.

Repeat for the second arm.

Bend the wire straight down to form the body. Measure down 2" from the twist at the neck, form a small loop, and bend the wire back up.

Wrap the wire behind the neck, and then bend it back down to form the second leg.

Form a small loop again, and bend the tail end of the wire up again, making sure the legs are even.

Using the pliers, bend the loops at the ends of the arms and legs upwards to form the hands and feet.

Cut two pieces of 4-5" of a contrasting color wire. Bend each piece in half, and wrap them around the top of the head tightly to form "curls." Use the round nosed pliers to curl the ends.

The Clay Dress:

Condition all of the clay by rolling it into a cylinder or snake. Roll between your hands or on your work surface until it is long enough to fold into thirds. Fold it, twist it together, then roll it out again. Repeat this process two or three times.

To make a jelly roll: Roll two colors of the clay to small, flat sheets to less than 1/8" thickness. Cut out a rectangle of each color that is about 1-1/2" wide and 3" long.

Lay one rectangle on top of the other, carefully pressing them together from one end to the other. Then, beginning at one narrow end, roll up.

Gently reduce the size of the jelly roll by rolling back and forth on your work surface, pressing down and pulling slightly until it is the diameter you want.

Roll another sheet of clay very, very thin, less than 1/16" (#4 or 5 on a pasta machine). Cut paper thin slices of the jelly roll cane, and lay them on top of the surface of the clay sheet.

Smooth the surface with your roller, or roll through the pasta machine again.

Cut one strip, about 1/2" wide, from this very thin sheet for the dress top. Cut another strip 1-1/2" wide for the skirt.

Gently stretch the skirt piece, so that it ripples, but be careful not to tear it. Use your fingers to push pleats or gathers along the top edge. Then, wrap the skirt around the figure's waist (where the arms and legs intersect.

Push the back seam together with your fingers.

Lay the dress top piece across the front of the neck, and use your fingers to arrange it around the body top.

Cut the excess clay off in the back.

Before baking, push a tie tack through the back of the dress top so that the point sticks out the back.

Here's the link to this particular tutorial

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Window Shopping Wednesday

I think I will begin to use Wednesday's posting to showcase some of the blogs and websites I frequent routinely.
To visit the particular site just click on any of the pictures to go there.  I hope you enjoy these sites as much as I do.

Here's some pictures from Pumpkinseeds Folk Art :

Alice in Wonderland Dolls by Cart Before the Horse Etsy Shop

Here is an article I found about one of my favorite doll artist couples.  I visit their blog regularly and am always pleasantly surprised by the work available for viewing there.  They certainly are talented and really enjoy what they do.  Whimsy and fantasy abound in their collective imaginations.  Please visit them and tell them I sent you.

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Contemporary Folk Art Dolls



Here's the link to the original article 

By: Katie Cordrey (Rockstar) Apr 11, 10
Oregon-based Etsy Artists Dylan and Jo make one-of-a-kind contemporary folk art pieces which they sell in their Etsy shop, CartBeforetheHorse. One of their creations is a set of Alice in Wonderland dolls. The contemporary folk-art set comes with Alice, her pink flamingo, the Queen of Hearts, and the Cheshire Cat. It is made-to-order through the couple’s CartBeforetheHorse shop on Etsy.
Alice in Wonderland dolls are just one set in the couple’s joyful, quirky collection of contemporary folk art pieces.


Source: thecartbeforethehorse.blogspot
Readmore: etsy