How I got my sbl Blythe's head open, or so I guess I don't have to worry about resale values anymore

I'll just admit it: I have really bad taste in Blythes.

Well, there is my AE, the only Blythe I've ever bought who has actually increased (gasp!) in value since her purchase.  I do think she is quite cute, but honestly, her hair is a god awful nightmare.  Otherwise, the ones I really like are dark haired sbl's who only get cheaper and cheaper with time.  My very first Blythe was an RRe.  I thought she was just the prettiest thing, and I named her Nouvelle.  But I've always wanted to customize the dolls to photograph them, which is why I started collecting in the first place.  Actually, I kind of hate the clutter of playing with dolls - the clothes, the props, the accoutrements... I'm just a tomboy, I guess.

Anyway, sbl's are cheap (and therefore not a bad choice for novice customizers), but have the hardest head molds to open. Often you are required to actually saw their heads right open to even get started.  But I had heard  that you could open an sbl head without a saw by prying the face off.  When I tried this, it did not work  DID! NOT! WORK!  I had read or watched some tutorial that just didn't make it clear enough what to do.  My poor Nouvelle sat headless (I had sort of put her hair atop her head because it was just too creepy to look at a decapitated Blythe with a huge shiny bald dome - the hair really did help me feel less like a total weirdo serial killer type) for months and months.  Then I happened upon this wonderful you tube video that showed the right way to take an sbl face plate off.  Woo-hoo!



And here's Nouvelle!

Eek.  Some plastic broken there!  That piece snapped when I pulled the scalp off.  There was no hope for it.  The rest of it is stuck in place on the back of the face plate.  Hopefully the scalp will go back in alright.

Here you can see the gouges from the failed attempt at opening Nouvelle's head way back when.  I really am usually a very careful and patient person, I swear! ;)

I also got the eye mechanism out thanks to a fantastic (as always) tutorial at Puchi Collective.  Awesome.

So, there you go.   I hope I have more to show you soon!

Stripped Piano

A couple of weeks ago I noticed that a beautiful old piano had been left out by the garbage bins at one of the thrift stores I visit from time to time.  I guess they must have assumed that it would be a tough sell and considering how many pianos show up on freecycle, maybe they were right.  I went back today with my camera for a few pictures and found all ivory keys completely gone.  Old pianos are one of the few relatively abundant sources of legal - and often free - antique ivory.  Obviously someone had seen the opportunity here and taken what they could.

The inside of the piano had gorgeous lettering and graphics from the company.  B. Shoninger was apparently one of the first major piano manufacturers, opening in 1850.  This piano had the serial number 5356, making it a very early model.  According to this website, the company had made over 25000 pianos by the 1950's.

It's sad to see a wonderful, antique instrument left forsaken in a grungy parking lot.  Honestly if I had a bigger house, I would have at least a piano or two.  We had one growing up and I learned all about music from plunking away at those old keys and deciphering my grandmother's ancient sheet music.  Ah well, everything must come and go, I suppose.  Maybe I'll have to get a storage unit and start a piano rescue.  Imagine that!

Fixing a hole?

Rainy October Night, originally uploaded by bossbob50.

And it really doesn't matter if I'm wrong/ I'm right/ where I belong I'm right/ where I belong

They Say it's Your Birthday

Hello, hello!  I'm back again, after a long hiatus.  It is indeed my birthday (yay!) and I'm looking forward to a fantastic new year.

But first I want to look back at a great little nature walk I took with my family in Winnipeg's Assiniboine forest.  Assiniboine forest is a park/preserve of the natural woodland in this area, right in the city.  I love it there.  We went in the middle of November, which is usually frigid here but was unseasonably warm this year (thank-you, El Nino!).  The leaves had mostly fallen but the moss was still green and "flowering" - it was a beautiful day.

Lovely, isn't it?  It's amazing to think that the whole city was once a natural boreal forest!  We've seen all sorts of wildlife at the forest, including deer, beavers, many birds, and of course, insects.  It makes me sad to see nature increasingly marginalized, even though I do appreciate the comforts of modern life (especially in the -20C weather we are now experiencing!).  I am very happy that there is this tiny portion of the past can be preserved, and that I can share it with my son.

Recent Knitting Projects

BRRRRRR!  All of a sudden I'm starting to believe winter is on its way!  Only two weeks ago we had 30 degree weather here in Winnipeg, now we're into the single digits with frost at night.  I have to admit, though, that it's nice to feel like I can bake again in our non-air conditioned house, and to have that motivation to once again pick up my knitting projects.  My theme this fall seems to lean towards greyed out natural colours like mossy green and a weird brown-charcoal, with pops of bright primaries thrown in.  Right on trend, according to one of my favourite websites, the Pantone Fashion Color Report.

I've been working on a new design of cabled fingerless glove which came together very nicely.  They are very fitted and came out very well for my first attempt at designing a knitting pattern that isn't a scarf.

I have also been working on a lace scarf in bamboo/wool for my son's daycare provider.  I just need another skein before I can finish the last half.  Bamboo/wool blend is fantastic - silky but not splitty,  light and not itchy at all... I can't sing it's praises enough.

Off to put on a pot of tea!  Enjoy the autumn weather!

Living in the Moment, or for those of us who remember the nineties, There is no spoon, ha ha ha.

I had been looking for a sign from the universe.  What should I do next?  Where should I be going?

Here is what I got.

A message in a bottle.

Things have been such a struggle lately.  I have been trying so desperately to move ahead with opening my business.  Instead of enjoying it, I have been feeling so negative and constantly running into roadblocks.  Why was I always stuck?  Why couldn't I just act in the here and now and stop worrying about being a huge failure?  In what seems a comically desperate move, I typed "how do I live in the moment?" into google.  I ended up on a message board where everyone seemed to be suggesting this book by Eckhart Tolle called The Power of Now.  The message of the book is so simple and so difficult.  Just be.  All we ever have is now.  The past and future are illusions.  Stop worrying about the things that aren't real and connect with what is.

I impulsively decided to try the book out - not in character for me at all.  Somehow it ended up on the shelf at the library, despite there being nine requests for the book and it being shown as unavailable in the online catalogue.  Weird, huh?  Or is it?

I'm honestly not quite sure where things will go from here.  But I guess that's all right.

Here are some fall images from my neighbourhood:

Doesn't this log washed up on the shore look like a rock?  Amazing colour.

Ahhhhhhh...

The weather here in Winnipeg is beautiful right now, but the leaves are still falling.  I just love the light in the trees.

I have been really enjoying macro photography lately.  Perspective can be such an interesting thing to play with.  Lichen is actually pretty spectacular up close.

This hawk sat on a branch directly above me for about ten minutes.  Now that's humbling.

Happy Friday!

Don Draper is now following you...

This gave me quite a thrill!
Maybe I should get drunk, phone his house and ramble incoherently.