Happy Easter to you!

Happy Easter! I woke up very early this morning, and couldn't get back to sleep. Rather than flop hopelessly from one side and then to the other for another hour, I decided, since I'd never gone to the Sunrise Easter Service at the North Carolina State Capitol before, that it would be a good time to go.

I made it there just before the sun came up over the horizon. The weirdest thing happened just as I was approaching the Capitol. When I'm driving in low light, I always fret that animals will cross my path. So, I jumped when I saw a low-flying dove come flying out right in front of my car. I just missed it, but it was grazed, at least, by the car next to me. I went back, and couldn't find it. It must have just been stunned, and then recovered. I hope it was okay, but I thought, that is the strangest thing to happen on an Easter morning, and to a dove of all birds.

I parked in the church lot, which was mostly empty, and walked to the Capitol. I just listened for a while, and then I took out my camera. Cameras are funny. People change when they see them. One man waved at me, and another just kept smiling and smiling. I guess he wanted to make sure he was smiling in case I took a photo? A young couple stopped me and asked me if I could take their picture with their camera too. I tried to get a couple of good shots for them.

The news teams were there, and some press photographers. One man was sitting in the grass, with his dog. Church where you can sit on the grass with your dog sounds appealing to me. I don't have a dog, but I bet I could easily find one or two who would enjoy such a thing.

After the service, I walked around for a while. One of the cool things about going out when other people are "in", is that you can stand right in the middle of the street. You can't do that in Raleigh most of the time. And, of course, the other cool thing is watching the sun come up.

When I got back to the church parking lot, there were some homeless people just getting up. One was still asleep on the steps, and another asked me if I had enough money for a bagel. I hope he got himself one. And then, there was this lady, sitting barefoot, on a bench out front, with two kids, a teenaged girl next to her, and a young boy who was exploring. She'd taken off her silver or golden shoes, and was playing a flute of some kind. She was facing the sun, as it was coming up, and seemed to be playing directly to the sun, like she was paying a tribute. She was very absorbed in her song, and didn't seem to mind, or maybe even notice, me taking photos of her. Then, I got in my car and headed back home, glad to have a nice, comfortable one to go to. When I returned, everyone was just getting up. Had I not left a note, no one might have known I'd even been gone. I went back to work, at our beautiful new computer, and felt stupid for all the things I was chewing on earlier, while I was tossing and turning. We're doing just fine.

I did some photo editing. We've got a new little bunny that I just put up on her own web page. Her name is Tulip. You can read Tulip the Dutch Bunny's cute story here. I think I'm going to take the plunge and switch to WordPress very soon. So, our blogs may be on our home pages, at ruffings.com and elizabethruffing.com the next time you visit. If that doesn't work, there will be a note there instead! Check our Ruffing's Facebook page too. I've been updating that with any new items. Enjoy your Easter and your weekend! I'm hungry from getting up so early! Got to go get some lunch...

So much to do, so little time to blog...

Last weekend, my cousin, Steve, his wife, Erin, and their kids, Benjamin and Sophia, were in town for Erin's brother's wedding. I got to visit with them, which was great fun.

Their new cousin, Eliana, Ben, and Sophia are so amazingly energetic. You can't help but enjoy yourself around them.

I even got ambushed...

I was too large to be carried however.

Sophia tied my legs together when I said I was going to be on my way. After securing me, she decided to let me go.

I also made it to the web design group I hadn't been to for about two years. The nice Wordpress theme developer, who was giving the presentation, gave me lots of tips for our web site migration. I was very happy because he was able to answer some questions I'd been trying to find the answers to for two weeks.

Right now, I think I am mostly trying to get up my nerve to make the change. I know that the navigation will not work just right until I've got the whole site moved over, and I'm nervous about that. Plus, I keep debating over whether or not I want to put the blogs on the home pages of our sites, or on their own sub-page. At some point, I will just jump in.

In the meantime, the Ruffing's blog is not active, although it is still up. So, here is our latest offering, "Matilda the Tuxedo Kitten", an original, one-of-a-kind art doll figurine by Max Bailey. You can read more about Matilda by clicking here to go to her web page.

We are also debating over computers right now. We need a new one, and we're trying to decide which Mac to get and when. We also need to learn to use a Mac, which adds a little extra excitement. We need a desktop to edit photos, but I'd also like a laptop, to make myself more mobile. I know you can hook the laptop to a monitor, but I'd like the option to take trips or work elsewhere for some variety. The desktop we are looking at is kind of intimidating. It seems like a TV set to me. So, another plunge to take.

Oh, and "Beatrice and Beulah" the lop rabbit folk art dolls by Max Bailey and myself, are up for adoption on eBay this week. The auction ends tomorrow night. You can check out Beatrice and Beulah's eBay page by clicking here. Once again, I'm putting announcements on our Ruffing's Facebook page. Please join us there.

I'm also finishing up a small pile of Hug Me! Slugs and a Hug Me! Toad or three. I'll be putting them up in my Etsy shop as soon as I can.

Two tutus to do

This is just a sneak peek at one of the Pixie Kittens that Max Bailey and I made. Two of them have been waiting for tutus for a long time. I had been waiting for my other sewing machine to be repaired, but now I'm forging ahead without it.

This tutu is for fitting only, but the final one will be in the same color.

I've been working on the Ruffing's site, trying to make some necessary changes so I can switch our hosting accounts over to Linux. I'm looking into using Wordpress instead of Blogger, but it has some features that appear to work better, or that are at least easier to implement, on Linux. Again, if you're on Facebook, please join the Ruffing's fan page. I will use that as a place to post an announcement, if I run into any problems over the next two and a half months, while I attempt to get everything moved. I'll also post any announcements on our home pages of each of our sites, but just in case those pages are down, I'll use the Facebook page as a backup plan.

My neck and shoulders are so sore and prickly from working at the computer! Ah well. Hopefully we'll be getting a new computer soon too, as this one is groaning away. Lots to do...

Ta da...Luna the Pixie Kitten's web page is up

I just got Luna the Pixie Kitten's page up here on our web site this afternoon. Here are some more pictures of her flying around in our garden amongst the ageratums.

I have two tutus to sew for two more Pixie Kittens. That's a tongue twister. Next is a tabby kitten named Celeste. She gets a gold tutu to go with her pretty fall colors. I'll have to ask her to pose with the yellow chrysanthemums I got yesterday.

Luna is sniffing a marigold here. They smell kind of funny, but she likes them anyway.

Sneak peek at "Luna the Pixie Kitten"

I'm in the middle of editing photos of "Luna the Pixie Kitten" by Max Bailey and myself. I had to share my favorite shot. I was crouching next to our Shoal Creek Chaste Tree, which the bees love, hoping one would cooperate, and one did. Once I have the rest of the photos color-adjusted, I'll get Luna's web page up over here.

I asked my mom to take a shot of me too. She told me I looked tired, but I said go ahead anyway. I got my flu shot recently, and since then I've been feeling a little under the weather. I'm not sure if I just happened to start coming down with the flu at about the same time, or if I'm just experiencing some side effects. Hopefully it won't turn into anything.

I picked up some new fleece colors and am in the process of pre-washing them right now. I pre-wash most fabrics, if not all. You never know what might run or shrink, and it's good to get that out of the way first. I'm always suspicious of reds, and even though polyester fleece doesn't usually run, this one did. I got the extra dye out so it won't be a problem later, if anything needs to be washed in cold water in the future. I'm going to make some fleece "Hug Me! Slugs" out of these.

I also picked up a dry-erase board, at Staples, so I could keep track of things I need to do. My current system of little pieces of paper, strewn across my desk, doesn't seem so reliable, although it's worked so far. The first thing I need to write on the board is, "Hang up the board." My mom said no, it's, "Take the wrapper off the board," which, I guess, I'd have to write on the wrapper. I'll get right on that after I write it down on one of my little pieces of paper.

Pixie Kitten in progress and a new slug

This is actually the second Pixie Kitten original, one-of-a-kind folk art doll Max Bailey and I have been working on together. I got some really cute photos of the first, a Siamese, the other day, which I can't wait to show...but I have to color correct them first. This Pixie Kitten is going to be a tabby with an orange tutu, or that is the plan so far.

She's made of paperclay and cotton cloth. Her paperclay is still drying. Next she'll be painted with acrylic paint, and varnished.

This is "Hope the Hug Me! Slug". She's spoken for already. As you can see, she's excited and happy about this.

She and the Pixie Kitten have been speculating all afternoon about what her new home will be like.

Hope has her own, personalized hang tag too. I think she's in my workroom trying it on right now.

Chelsea the Maine Coon Cat is up on our Ruffing's site

Our original one-of-a-kind Maine Coon folk art cat doll, Chelsea, and her birthday cake are up online now.

She is waiting anxiously to taste her pretty birthday cake.

Her birthday guests, as pictured above, from left to right, are "Loretta and Lulu", "Heidi and Helga", "Chelsea", "Emily and Edwin", and "Beatrice and Beulah". Please click here to visit Chelsea's web page.

Loretta and Lulu, our Siamese mom and her kitten are up on our web site

Loretta and Lulu, our original, one-of-a-kind Siamese cat and kitten folk art dolls are now up on our Ruffing's site.

Please click here to visit Loretta and Lulu's web page. Please click here to visit Emily and Edwin (above left) and please click here to visit Beatrice and Beulah (above right).

Heidi and Helga, original tabby cat folk art doll and painted goose, are now on our Ruffing's site

Heidi and Helga's web page can be seen by clicking here. I finally got their photos taken and edited and uploaded. Whew. In the spirit of "avian week" last week, I thought it would be fitting to get them up online.

I've got two more original, one-of-a-kind folk art cat dolls to get up online, and one waiting for some overalls.

We're working on writing articles to submit to magazines, something we've been talking about doing for a long time, but not getting around to doing. Now is as good a time as any. My mom has now sprained her ankle, and is being a good sport by taking notes and jotting down ideas while she keeps her foot elevated. She is tired of being called "Poor Mom" and so I will refrain from saying that.

Original one-of-a-kind folk art dolls, Beatrice and Beulah, and Emily and Edwin, are up on our Ruffing's site

Beatrice and Beulah, our lop bunny rabbit dolls, and Emily and Edwin, our ginger tabby with her pet elephant, are up on our Ruffing's site now. I just finished up their web pages.

Please click here to read Emily and Edwin's story,

and please click here to read all about Beatrice and Beulah. There a plenty of other photos on their web pages to enjoy too. It's been lots of fun creating them, for both myself and Max Bailey. More to come!

Raining on my photo parade

I think there just might be a conspiracy against my getting the rest of these doll photos done. It's crazy how many things have stopped me lately, with all that's gone on these past few weeks. I'm now even more determined to get them done a.s.a.p. My mom was actually well enough to give me a hand today, helping me set up and holding things steady. So, I ironed everyone's doll dresses, and set them on their stands.

I gathered up all their friends and accessories, and ironed our photo backdrop too. We set everything up outside, and I got some photos of Emily and Edwin taken. I was just about to go for some group shots, which was my main objective for today, when the wind picked up and started blowing things around.

Then the rain came...ugh. Well, we got everyone back inside and no one got wet. But, by the time the rain stopped, the light had faded too much for our photo shoot. Hopefully the stars will align for us tomorrow, or at least the wind and the rain will wait until we are finished.

Finishing Emily's dress

I'm still here! We took a little trip to the beach last week, which was beautiful, and then I caught up on my doll dress sewing. I got some pretty roses too :)

I tried out a whole bunch of decorative machine stitches on this skirt, and added a partial underskirt with a ruffle.

As you can see, I went with my simplest color combination from my selections. I thought that would show off the stitching the best.

I got a new iron too! Then....ta da!...

Emily's new outfit. She reminds me of Mary Poppins in this photo, about to lift off, with me trying to hold her down long enough to take her picture. It was raining, and so I was afraid to put her down anywhere. I'll get more photos once it is dry outside. See you later!