~*~ Lula ~*~

 

Life is settling down a bit finally!  My Step Dad had his surgery Wednesday and he is doing well.   The lost package situation is finally under control, and R is home.  That left me with enough ambition to finish my little elephant.  So meet Lula!  She is available on my website at www.blondheart.com

I hope you have a lovely and stress free day!

Hugs, K. <3

Airavata And Interesting Lessons Learned

 

Like a kid with a new toy, I had to make another elephant.  Chances are there will be another one soon.  Or...who knows maybe another animal?   I would like to introduce you to Airavata!  He is available on my website (he has been adopted now, thank you!)  at www.blondheart.com

Now as promised I said I would give you a more in-depth update on my diet.  First of all I want to tell you that I have lost eight pounds the first week, YAY!  But I won't lie, it hasn't been easy.  

The first two days of "loading" really sent me into a tail spin.  I am not used to eating that much sugar, fat and carbs.  The second day my short term memory just went away.  Now in the past I have told you that sometimes I dislike having this incredible memory retention, but you know what they say...you don't miss something until it's gone.  Lesson learned...it's a far better thing to remember everything, rather than nearly nothing.   It was such an odd feeling and I felt confused and helpless almost.

There was an upside to it though, when I try to design patterns I usually over think and over complicate them, and it freed me up to do the elephant without over thinking it.  Complicated is not always better.  Getting out of your head and just doing something without over thinking it works.  Lesson learned.

When I moved on to the actual diet phase, it was hard the first few days.  Especially giving up my 9 PM iced latte.  It's not even just about the coffee, it's about that pleasant hour when no one bugs me and I goof off for a bit before starting work.  My little furry darlings know that when Mom has that cup they don't bug me for anything.  A decade or so back when I discovered that I was allergic to chocolate I thought I would die without it.  Every time I tell someone now that I am allergic they always respond that same way...that they would die without chocolate.  But really you don't.  The first couple weeks were rough, but then I got over it.  It's amazing how you can give up things you thought you couldn't live without.  However...I am still on the phase where I feel like I am going to die without my COFFEE!!!  lol  Iced tea just isn't the same.

The next thing that happened was Saturday I was hit with fatigue.  Extreme fatigue.  Luckily in the book it tells you if this happens to go get vitamin B 12.  That made a huge difference.  Sunday my blood sugar dropped.  My vision was swimming, and I was lightheaded.  R made me drink orange juice which you aren't supposed to have, and he made me eat a little more.

Today I went in for my weekly visit with Dr. Ivy League, and sat in the infrared sauna.  I came out feeling great and today was so much better all the way around.  So I am confident, and I have to tell you..it's almost surreal stepping on the scale every morning and seeing that figure 2 pounds less.  While I know it won't be 2 pounds every day for the entire time because you level off, I can't wait to see how far I get.

I want to thank all of you for your positive feedback and supportive e-mails with this.  It's really helped!

Hugs, K. <3

~*~ Torbert ~*~

 

As promised I have a brand new animal for you!  Please meet Torbert.  I have been wanting to do an upright elephant for ages.  Years and years ago I did some four standing ones.  I was about to design a new upright one a few years ago when all of a sudden everyone was doing elephants and it put me off a bit.  But I decided it was time to give in!  So here he is in all of his adorable lilac colored glory!

I hope you like him as much as I do!  He is available on my website at www.blondheart.com

I will also have more of a diet update for you a little later in the week.  I am proud to say that I have lost 4 pounds already though!  

Have a lovely weekend, Hugs, K. <3

Pink Elephants, Blue Whales & Pearly Whites

As you know I had a difficult month, but with some luck the tide is turning.  I woke up early.  I knew I had an appointment to keep and I never sleep well when I have to be somewhere, I am always afraid I am going to over sleep and be late.  Plus I had the strangest dream about an old boyfriend I hadn't thought of in years.  I don't know what that was about.  The subconscious is an odd thing in it's ability to dig stuff out of old files you didn't even remember you had.

Today I went and got my new crown fitted.  Keep your fingers crossed that it stays put!  I can't afford to keep buying crowns, they are expensive little things.  Plus this whole not being able to eat anything solid was really starting to wear on me after so many weeks of it.

When I was done I stopped at one of my favorite shops and found a blue whale ring, while I like whales pretty well...a couple years ago I saw a blue whale ring online and thought it was the cutest thing ever.  I don't know why, it's not the sort of thing I usually buy.  But I have looked at it a few times over the past couple years.  Today they happened to have one in the shop!  All things really do come to those who wait!  It fit perfectly, so naturally it came home with me.  I had been so good too darnit!   I have him on the wrong hand and wrong finger for the pic, but it's surprising how hard it is to photograph your own hand.  Also don't mind the Hello Kitty band aid...I stabbed a scissor point into my finger yesterday.

When I got home there was a package waiting on the porch.  I LOVE packages!!!  They are always filled with wondrous things, and I certainly wasn't disappointed.  Inside was a little pink elephant that had to come and live at my house from Kelly Jo at Tickled Pink Bears.  Isn't she cute as pie!  Interestingly enough she is similar in shape to one of the two new patterns I just designed.  Although mine isn't an elephant.

I was going to work on one of the new designs tonight since I have a fun idea, but I am just too tired.  So I am off to bed early to make up for getting up early.  The new pattern will just have to wait until tomorrow!

Hugs, K <3

The Secret Project Teaser

As you know from a previous post, I am hosting A Midsummer Night's Secret Dream Party on July 17th.  Just click the link above or at the right if you would like to sign up for it.

I have a secret project that I want to make for it...something very fancy. Last night as I was sitting and working on the little bear I have cut out I was suddenly overwhelmed with the urge to start designing the new pattern required for what I want to make. I just can't wait to get started!

Several years ago I bought something a bit unusual for a teddy bear artist to buy, (actually I bought five of them) but I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it. The problem is, I never did it...I came close a few times to getting started but just didn't do it. When I came up with the idea for the blog party I knew the time had come.

Several days later I went to the Bear Bee in Denver and I picked up the yummy colors of upholstery velvet shown above. The colors of raspberry, thistle, peridot and periwinkle were just exactly right for what I wanted to do. Needless to say I was really excited by finding exactly the right thing and took it as a sign I was on the right track at last.

A few days after that I ordered some very small pieces of mohair. (Also shown above.) I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to do with those when I ordered them, but the colors were so pretty and I knew when they arrived I would know.

I did know! After the little bear I have in the works I am going to start working on the pattern. I am going to make a bear or two from the mohair first in the style I want to use for my big project. But along with my grand idea I also got another idea. A long time ago I made several four standing animals, including lambs, elephants and pigs. I have decided to mayyyyyyyybeeeeee make one of those animals into a sitting animal. But I am not going to tell you which one! You will just have to wait and see!

I can't wait to get started on the big project, but it's going to take time and won't be something I can finish in the regular time it takes me to make any of my other pieces. So you're just going to have to wait. But what fun to give you a tiny teaser of what I am going to use and leave you wondering what it might be!

Even when you see the first pieces from the new pattern, you still won't be able to guess what the BIG SECRET PROJECT is! Shhhh. *winks*  You will just have to wait until July 17th to see that!

Stay tuned! Hugs, K. <3