The Crafting...and the dieting

sooooo.....let's see...what have i been up to....first let's see ...the new stuff on my Etsy page, shall we......
I listed a few Hamster family members.....

I also listed a new mouse, and a monster!

 

You can see the hamster family  in a short video here!

  so in other news....eh, well a couple years ago I lost some weight and felt so much better, but ever slowly and persistently I have gained a lot...SO, I decided (pretty much since only I read this) I am going to start writing about my diet/exercise along with my crafting. woo hoo?...yes come one...woo hoo!! oh btw.. i am not getting on the scale...I realize I should, but I am not. I am going to go by "clothes fitting"...at least for a while...

so here goes

DAY ONE

4:45am:

coffee

sugar cremora

5:25 am

ran 20 mins on elliptical

9:30 am

i can tuna

some wasabi peas, 

approx 1/2 thing non fat cottage cheese

2pm

chicken

spinach and

broccoli

5pm more of the chicken/veg mixture

6pm ran 1 hour on elliptical (which was really tough)

 my main goals are

exercise of some sort every day

drink only on my weekends (Thursday night and Friday night)

avoid bread, cookies, candy ect.  and to blog about it so that I feel accountable!

SO wish me luck! Have any diet tips?

so with that, I need to shower...and am, as always, closer to the edge...

More Hamshire!

Hamshire update!! well, I have done a bit more work on the Hamshire, it's not close to being done, but its coming along nicely!!
apparently I have misplaced some of the pics I took...but this is what is done so far...
First after it dried completely, I painted the entire outside with a dark brown paint, after that was dry, I dry brushed over it with a lighter brown, to bring out the texture, then went over a few places with dark brown...then, I made a little porch area with twigs, glued cardboard over the door as , hmm, like an awning...
....then I glued moss on the cardboard over the door, around the window openings and all over the "ground area.... here are a few pics!!

front door

side view front door

side door

front door again

Here is a pic on the Hamster wearing an ewok costume, next to it...

I still have to touch up some painted ares, build the side patio with sticks and stones, and make the whole interior...which I havent decided if it's going to be very simple or what.....

in other news I've felted a few more mice and bunnies which will be going up on etsy soon....until next time...i am, as ever, closer to the edge.....

Hey there!! Well, I changed the look of the blog...a little less cluttered, a little more obvious.. hahahah
Hamshire Update!!
Well, I actually have been working on it ( we all call it "The Stump")....
here is the progress so far...

First I taped paper bags to the foam core skeleton...

Then I paper mache'd the whole outside, let dry for a day, then did the same on the inside, and let that for for about 2 days. I simply used newspaper and a flour/water mixture.

I wanted to add texture, so I bought some air dry clay, I tried it on a small part, just to see, and although the texture looked ok, it totally flaked off in huge chunks once it dried, so I decided to try something else.....










I shredded up some toilet paper, threw it into a bowl of flour and water, and mixed it all together...

then I covered the whole exterior in the mixture smooshing around to make a bark-like texture...and ....let......it..... dry

next post, paint and moss!!!

until then....i am, closer to the edge....

The Hamshire, part 3

Ok,  so, things are slowly moving along with 

The Hamshire! 

I do have work,  and a FEW other projects I'm working on

( and laundry..and dishes.....)

this is what I've done so far!!

First I bought some thick foam core, and some regular foam core ( at Michael's) .

 Then I drew a kinda -sorta tree shape on the thin foam core, cut it out with an exacto knife, traced it onto the thicker foam core and also onto a piece of thick cardboard. I cut out the cardboard shape with scissors.

 I did not cut out the thick foam core because this will be the base.

the extra foam core I cut into strips as high as i wanted the stump to be, then cut it about 2/3rds the way up...totally arbitrary height, and grabbed the glue gun

 

I glued the longer strips around the traced line which will be the bottom of the stump, remembering to leave open where I wanted to place any doors or window. I left the back without any foam core strips, because I want to leave that part open.

 next I glued the thin foam core tree shape to the top of the strips, glued the shorter foam core strips around the edges, and glued the cardboard piece on top of all that

 (this will be the roof, or top of the stump) 

because there were neither blankets nor food involved, 

Butters was not at all impressed with my contraption

 

that's it so far!!

 any comments? any at all??

until next time....I am....closer to the edge

Hamshire part 2

ok, so I started Hamshire...just barely ....but you have to start somewhere, so I started with the door!

I used a small piece of craft wood, measured it and drew the door and door frame shape...

Then I cut it out....

 

I cut the bottom of the door short so I could make a stoop or landing....

then I sanded the edges.

With a dremel I carved grooves to look like boards into the door, then carved in some wood texture, then sanded LIGHTLY (so as not to sand out the texture I just put in).

I then painted the whole thing a darker brown tone, being sure to get the paint into the grooves, but NOT fill them in with paint.....I  dried it with the hair dryer then dry brushed a milk chocolate color with the side of a paint brush over the whole thing. I use the side of the brush so I just get paint on the raised parts of the wood, but not in the grooves,   deepens the textured look.

 then I added hinges, all that's left is a door knob of sorts!

any comments???anyone???

stay tuned!!!

Until then I am...as ever...closer to the edge....

The Hamshire

 coming soon (ish)

 so,  okay I have a new thought in my head....
it started with these guys....

 

and now I want to build a smaller but more realistic set for them, and it will be 

The Hamshire 

( I've been playing a lot of lego LOTR)

of course the mice could use it too....

here are my sketches of it...

so sorta like a covered doorway into a tree, and windows....I havent started it yet but stay tuned!! Meanwhile the hamsters are pestering Butters...but you'll have to check out my instagram to see those pics!! (link at end of post)
and then...the mice got a new youtube video, its boring, but I have another one waiting to be made in my head...(it's pretty crowded in there...)
so check that out too!
Did you read this post? please comment!
Is the link to my page, all my other links are right there!!!

http://www.elvenartistsforest.com

until next time...i am ever, closer to the edge...

Mice n sets

Okay so, what have I been doing (besides shoveling)... I've been working on Mice, and sets! Well, just one big set, although I really would like to make several... I might have to move it all to the basement :(.....
here's some mice pics! I've even knit them tiny sweaters.

and here are pics of them on the paper set....

 

ahhh I especially like this one of the little mouse with her balloon and glue stick... hahaha

I keep thinking I want to expand this set thing...maybe make it more realistic, like a train set...but I don't know, I'm very conflicted about it. Any opinions?

In the next couple of Days I am "planning" on posting a how I make a mouse tutorial ( no, not like the felted bead one) but your know that goes!!!

anyway.......

time for .....FDCML!
Fancy:  hmmm this show, it's called Supernatural...ever hear of it?     
Detest: people texting in the car. FOCUS PEOPLE!
Creating: Mice, hamster and chipmunks
Mulling: train set, sets
Last movie I watched: Safety not guaranteed (recommended by Kirsten) pretty awesome!
 so with that, until the next post, Salt and burn people....i am ever....Closer to the Edge