Adventures with Pleather

 

I call this one "Jewell"

This girl was an experiment, and I learned a lot!  I got the faux leather at Dollar Tree, a couple foot in a box...not too many colors to choose from.  

The pleather is pretty thin, so I used a thin needle.  With "regular" pleather, I use bigger needle.  

From a distance, she looks ok.  I was going to use some silver thread to give her some whiskers.  I was going to put a small diamond on the tip of her tail.  

I glued the jewels directly to the pleather using fabric fusion glue.  Before I stuffed her.  
    Lesson:  Glue jewels to felt, sew felt to body.  The jewels did not want to stick to the pleather.

I did not give the glue sufficient time to dry before I started stitching it together.  

    Lesson:  Let the glue dry, for goodness sakes!  

Smudges.  Can't remove them.  I tried.
And you can see the jewel lifting off the pleather.

So, once I admitted that this was not one that was going to leave this house, I stopped dolling her up.  She's still cute as heck, and I have a collection of white items, she will fit in perfectly there.  

Oh my goodness, I just discovered the PERFECT place to take photos, without having to get my whole photo box out!  

I cannot tell you how much I love it when ideas pop into my head.  I often wonder where those ideas come from.  Have you ever wondered how you think of something?  

Just a makeshift in the new location...

I'm really liking it.  

(Gotta  make a new backdrop)

Play Nice!  xxoo

Impact

Nope, not the font used on memes.  I was today years old when I learned that there are a bunch of memes out there regarding using this font on memes.  Hilarious.

Nah, I'm thinking about the impact that we make on others without even knowing it.  I mean, for example, not too long ago two of my friendships went through a status change.  Being the loner, I became the odd one out.  The other two, I assume, stayed connected.

Now you know that I am a firm believer in that everything happens for a reason, and I'm not going to go into the reasons, suffice it to say that I was relieved.  

I also believe that what's done is done, so I didn't do any lurking.  I have no interest in that regard. What they may have said is none of my business.  

The point is that I got a notification that one of them had changed their insta to private.  Now it very well may not have been because of me, but if it was, dang. 

Feeling the impact of what happened?  

So, in thinking about this, that's what got me to thinking.  I know this isn't a new idea, but it's one that I'd like to keep in the front of my brain.  

I mean, I try my best to be kind to everyone, to be friendly, upbeat, positive.  Trust me, I tried being "quiet" and that just doesn't suit me at all.  To go through a check out line without asking the cashier about her day is something that I can't do.  I've been on the other side of that line, and I do remember the customers that were sincerely nice.  

Except for that old man that lives in this complex that thought it would be ok to come to my door at 9:00 pm to ask me for help with his electric stove.  I got such weird vibes from him, I pretty much shut the door in his face.  

Play Nice!  xxoo

I made this, do you like it?

Handmade by Cosmo

Blocked

I seem to find myself with a blockage in my creativity.  

I spoke of this before, and while I did try to not work on anything, it's very hard for me to sit still and not be doing something with my hands.  Apparently this is a lesson/practice that I need to work on?  

I have to remember that I am in a new life now.  I don't have to depend on selling my creations to supply the vices that I no longer have.  

I have to remember that I am making it all on my own now, and remind myself that I'm doing well.  

In saying this, I am allowing myself to unschedule from self-imposed deadlines.  

My FB Shop is up and running, and there is content in it.  I'll continue to add items as they become available.  And I'm pretty much always up for a custom project, for sure.

I'm gonna give myself a moment to think about this, give myself a little re-boot.  

I can almost feel my creativity starting to bubble a little bit.

And in that regard, in my life I have found that if I take the time to put my thoughts in writing, it seems to clear up some space in my brain to think some different thoughts.  It's like I get a loop going in there, thinking the same things over and over and over until I write them down.  Like my brain knows now that it's written down I won't forget.  

My thoughts are fleeting these days, too.  I gotta write them down quickly, or else I will remember that I wanted to remember something, but I'll be danged if I can remember what that was!  So frustrating.  I mean, eventually some of those thoughts come back, but I'm sure not all of them.  Like Shower Thoughts.  

Sometimes I get the best ideas, and I think there's no way I will not remember them, yet I do.  I know they were great ideas, I remember how I felt when I thought them.  

Ah well, I can't blame that one on age, I've always been like this.  I have so many notebooks filled with such thoughts.  

Greg and I have had a couple of play times, he's ran the circle around here, climbing up on the top of the pantry in that circle at least twice.  I think we are both maybe just a little bored?  He doesn't know it but I have an order going in to Temu this week, and he's getting a bunch of new toys!  He won't get them all at once, of course.  He's also getting a large container of Temptations, because he loves to learn new tricks.  On his own time, as that is the cat way.

Just putting things in different places is something different to explore. 
And nap.

Play Nice!  xxoo

PS  I almost forgot the weather report!  A beautiful rainy/thunderstormy morning.  Lost of cool breeze blowing in the windows.  But this afternoon and the rest of this week?  Almost triple digits!  

Handmade By Cosmo

As I sit here

 on a Friday evening, watching the storm roll in...I started thinking about how blessed I am and thought I would share real quick.  

I went to the Food Pantry this afternoon, (Mary had to work) and got some things that I have been wanting but didn't need.  Also, some bath soap (wonder how I will like smelling like a Lemon?), toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner...

I'll be running some errands tomorrow morning, picking up a grocery order, a couple of other stops, then I'll be home.  Tomorrow weather will be clear, and more rain expected on Sunday.  I love it.

(typed July 14th)

July 20th

Nothing much out of the ordinary has happened in the last few days.  I shared some stuff Food Pantry stuff with her.  Shared some with the boys as well.  Also with a neighbor here in my complex, and with a guy in a parking lot, who gave me 3 homegrown tomatoes in exchange.  

I'm having I guess it could be called a creative block.  I have ideas, and I've started a few projects, but not motivated to actually finish.  So I am putting everything away in a drawer for a couple days...do some thinking and make some notes...like a brain dump.  Something up in that brain of mine is clogging my creativity, gotta jiggle that loose.  Been here before, it'll work out.  

I've been pretty faithful in posting to FB and Insta on a daily basis, posting products, and have re-opened my FB shop.  Populating it a little every day.  Gonna have to splurge on a better desk and chair, though, because this set up is too cramped for me.  

Since Mary couldn't go to the Pantry, and since she had to get ready for work, I had an hour to kill before I had to get in line.  I stopped in at our local flea market, and found an awesome old chest of drawers that I am going to get next week to replace the tall dresser that I have.  The bottom three drawers of the dresser I have are a bitch to open and close (it was purchased by my grandparents in 1944 and I have been dragging it along with me for the last 40 years).  Young Son is going to take it.  I'm pretty excited about that.  Come on Payday, and I don't mean the candy bar.

Less than $100!  

And it's low to the ground.
Hopefully Greg won't loose any toys under there.  Ha!

Speaking of Greg...

That's my boy, lounging in a Longaberger Basket.  

Play Nice!  xxoo

P.S.  We did have some weather this weekend and Monday...big baseball hail in some places.  Not here in my town, but in the town I used to live in (15 minutes from here).  Lots of roof damage and car windows broken.  

Back to "Normal"

Whatever that (normal) is.  My kids are gone back to Europe.  It was a short visit, I spent time with my grands but not so much my daughter, which was disappointing, but I will take what I can get and be patient until the next time.  

I've been working on my FB shop, finally figured out how to do it...being away from my computer for over a year, I had to get used to it again.  

Anyway, I've started listing Critters, I'll list the Pyrography after.

The kids made it "home" just fine.  And I have reconciled within myself to not be sad about it.  We'll stay in better touch now.  

If you've been reading a bit, you know that the my life changed at the end of 2021.  It was something that I hoped for, dreamed of, prayed about, and wished for.  And now I'm finding my way around my new "normal" and loving every minute of it.  

So, for that Year Of Limbo, our communications were pretty light.  I didn't want to worry her as she was so far away, and I was working through that big Demon (that got it's ass kicked, btw)...it was just a lot, and most of it was external on my end.

But now, since she's been here and we've all reconnected physically, she's seen that I'm actually doing what I said...I think it's better now.  Not that it was bad, just a little stretched.  

I think it's safe to share a pic here.  

Ain't they lovely? 

 

Unfortunately we did not manage to get a selfie of the two of us?  Next time!  

(Not knowing how many "next times" we have left, this is a practice that has to stop!)

Later...

Greg and I have had a couple of play times, morning chores are finished...probably do a few more throughout the day, 'cos that's how I roll.  

Gonna go post some more Critters in my FB shop which I have been informed that it is Live now!  How exciting, right?  

 

Just a couple Pleather Critters, you can find them in my shop!  

Handmade by Cosmo

Play Nice!  xxoo

I made this one for my daughter, for her Birthday.

(she's 38!)