SOAP, beautiful SOAP!!! Loverly SOAP

I just cut up 10 pounds of freshly made patchouli soap. All slated for a client who can't live without patchouli, ( she wanted 30 lbs-they must be a VERY clean family.........)
I cut it different then normal so there is much less then 40 bars, but some are nice and large for the men in her family.
She is going to be thrilled!

I made it yesterday and now it will join the older more experienced soapies up in the soap room.
They will instruct it on it's future career.....

I worked on another cloth doll this weekend. She is very somber in an Addams family sort of way, without being macabre.
Soooooooooooo I was thinking..............
how about a sort of halloween without being scary sort of a doll?
I have been wanting to play with that sort of theme for a while....

( I LOVE halloween, but none of the horror and bloody crap, I only like pumpkins, and ghosties and witches...... maybe an occational banshee thrown in for good measure, although a dancing skeleton is pretty good here and there............... oh and BATS.... love me some bats and black cats......)

so anyway, I have her made, and I am painting tests for her petticoat, with pumpkins on it!, after I do the clothing I will do her hair.
( I switched last year to needle felting hair on these cloth dolls after I got the felting needles in Rhinebeck in October........... LOVE IT, and won't go back to doing it any other way!)

I drew out the next couple of dolls.... I am doing some experiments with cloth so we'll see how much makes the final grade and into the competition at the fair.

I still have the Toadcroft sisters to do as well.......

Hey I got the BESTEST present today!
mengele gave me a delphinium!
I have tried to grow them from seed, but they get about 4 inches high and keel over.
( and I have a VERY green thumb, ask bernie...........he swears I can grow a stick!)
she gave me one she divided off of her established plant so I have high hopes for this one.
wasn't that the sweetest most wonderful thing????
I love delphiniums, they are one of the definative english perrenial border plants, and really beautiful.

So thank you so very much mengele, you have no idea how wonderful that was of you........

I am thinking of what out in my garden I would have to share with you....... as it is not in good shape lately but IS full of obscure medicinal plants........ stuff no one grows anymore but really still work so very well..............?
agrimony?
red valerin

oh one more thing.......... Today our little calpurrnia has been with us a year!
and on july 17 her and her brother will turn two years old!
I just took a nap and little calpie slept up on my chest with her tiny pink nose next to mine.
hahaha
she is my little lady.......... and I am so thrilled that she joined our little family.
whatever did I do without them?
til next time
vi