Soft in the Head

Winter Wonderland....Maybe?

2012-01-25T11:23:00.000-08:00

As everyone is starting to thaw out here in the Pacific Northwest we are beginning to worry about the possibility of flooding. Growing up in this area many (way to many) years ago flooding was always a concern after a huge snowfall or days of rain. We just muddled through and either left our homes in small motor boats or hunkered down in the up-stair bedrooms (lol). Life in the Pacific Northwest has always been adventurous and enlightening! I'm beginning to think it is the only place on earth that one can claim snow-storm, flooding, ice storms, volcano eruptions and earthquakes all in one breath. Gotta love it here! Not to mention a casino on every corner (well maybe not every corner) and REALLY good coffee! Today we venture out to do some much needed "junking". Upon leaving I will inhale a deep breath of the air that not only clears my lungs but my mind and brings nothing less than a smile to my face and soul!

Woooo-Hoooo Snowed In!

2012-01-18T14:46:00.000-08:00

What does a person do when they have 14" of snow in the mountains of Washington....READ! LOL! Bet you guys thought I would say "build a snowman" huh? No Way Jose....not this over-weight diva/granny....me and cold wet snow occupying the same space....NOT GOING TO HAPPEN! I like fires burning in the fireplace, a good book and some freshly brewed vanilla Earl Grey that was purchased at a VERY snooty tea shoppe! Yep this is how I spend my vacation, well some of it anyway. Spent the first part at the Quinault Resort and Casino and I must admit it was amazing. Not only did I hit a few lucky machines but I saw my first Orca (Killer Whale) in the surf and a bald eagle soared and dipped in front of our 4th floor window over-looking the ocean....AWESOME! Downside....no camera at the time! I have 2.5 more weeks of unbelievable adventures to attack, absorb and create and then it is back to reality! I will stay in touch via my blog and Facebook....Please remember that my wonderful "better half" is large and in charge while I'm gone so all shipments will only be mailed out on Saturdays! This is the relaxed and pampered Ol' Softee signing off for now!

Running Away From Home!

2012-01-13T21:24:00.001-08:00

Guess who is running away from home for 3 weeks....yup it's me! Almost have my bags packed and ready to load up! Been looking forward to this for awhile and now it is here. After living at the post office for the past two weeks because business has been CRAZY I am so ready to slip into my comfy clothes and squeeze myself into the seat on a plane and take off to the west coast, look out Oregon and Washington I'm on my way! It use to be I would do this at least once a year because my roots are back there and also my BEST friend but life has a way of getting in the way and stuff just gets put off. My friend (of 50 years I might add) and I realized that we can't put things off any longer cause time is a very important commodity and we need to live every second that we have left....So here goes me I'm ready to live! Of course this means I have to leave the better part of me behind, Dan....I already miss him and I haven't even left yet!

Dan will be handling the "Pattern Shop" while I am gone but I must warn everyone shipping will only be on Saturdays! Well "Happy Trails" to me! See everyone in February!

Simply Primitives for January!

2012-01-13T21:23:00.000-08:00

Simply Primitives opens it's doors January 15th with some new and interesting eye candy. "Soft in the Head" will have some new characters with a bit of a twist. Meet the "King of Hearts" a PODD with a lot of love! I always enjoy making PODDS but the Valentines Day PODDS are a particular favorite of mine, maybe I'm truly an Ol' Softee at heart!

I know there is such a following of Gnomes, I mean who doesn't love the "Roaming Gnome"? I thought I would try making my own version using mice....Meet my "Garden Mice" Beadle and Blossom! I truly love the pointy hats and the detail stitching on their clothes. Since I am the "Mouse Lady" why not have a pair of Gnomey Mice...Right? I will be traveling while this sale is going on so please be patient re: me getting back to you!

"Soft in the Head" in Prims Magazine!

2012-01-13T05:37:00.000-08:00

The "New" Prims magazine is out in the stores and guess who has a spot in it.....yep my elephant PODD "Elwood". This Ol' girl couldn't be happier... cause with this one they contacted me. I just knew Elwood was going to be special and he proved that with his profile in this wonderful magazine! Elwood has a nice home in Fairfax, Va. living there with some of his other PODD friends so he is unavailable for comment at this time!

For any of you that aren't familiar with what a PODD is they are a specialty line of characters designed by me "the Ol' Softee" here at "Soft in the Head". PODD stands for Portly, Original, Designer Doll!
They have become so popular with collectors that they have their own site: www.softinthehead-poddsville.blogspot.com Hope you will visit the "Land of PODD" and meet some of these funny round characters! In the meantime you can meet "Elwood" in this issue of "Prims".

Miss You Casper!

2012-01-12T07:45:00.000-08:00

It has been a year since my buddy Casper lost his battle with cancer and left us. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't miss those occasional head butts or the meet and greets in the bathroom. I still think I hear the floor boards creak under his 22 lbs. of pure cat love! There was a time that if someone asked me if I was a cat person that I would reply with a quick "NO"! Casper changed this for me. We adopted Casper when he was 3 months old so our little Seamus would have a buddy. When we met Casper he was a bit shy but took to Dan right away, most animals do. Casper's history was a sad one. His nose had been broken along with some serious contusions to his backside and head. This loving boy had also been doused in lighter fluid and set on fire by some seriously demented 8 year olds. There mother was able to catch Casper before to much skin damage had been done but the psychological damage was off the chart. Casper ended up at the Vermont animal rescue with little or no hope of ever being adopted because of his fear of people. He had no fear of Dan when we met him and soon became a part of our family. It took me a long time to bond with him but once I did he was an inspiration and a constant companion! Everyday was a new step on that stairway of trust for Casper. He always trusted Dan and eventually me but no one else. In fact, his name is Casper because no one even knew he existed most of the time cause they never saw him. My friend Stacey Mead remembers meeting Casper and soon became accepted by him but it usually took days for him to appear to anyone.

Casper was with us for 13 years.....13 years of smiles and laughter cause he had the most incredible personality and a very lo-o-ong tail! We could rarely set any food (especially dip) on our coffee table cause his tail always found its way into the middle of it. He was also the biggest klutz I had ever seen....never being able to round a corner at a run without sliding around it on his side. When it came to catching mice (our old store had plenty) he had the patience of a monk and the speed of a cheetah on steroids! Dan and I were often greeted with gifts in the morning, little dead furry ones. Needless to say the mouse population around here came to a halt while he was alive. One of the most emotional moments in our life with Casper is when we re-located to Virginia and he made the trip, in a rather large carrier, with us. Both Dan and I remember the look on his face when we opened the door to the carrier and he entered his new home. He looked at us with a look of pure love and delight as if he were saying "you brought me with you"!

We NEVER took one moment with this cat for granted because he showed us a new world through his eyes and actions. I miss you my enchanted love and wish so much you could have stayed with me forever! You were the teacher and I the student in our relationship and I am forever grateful of our time together!

The Winner Is.......

2012-01-10T04:40:00.000-08:00

The Winner Is......Robin of "The Cranky Crow"!

Thank you everyone for participating. I will have more giveaways throughout the year! I just wish every one of you could win!

New Goodies on PFATT....

2012-01-09T22:10:00.000-08:00

My PFATT Marketplace for January is all about "Hearts and Love". I decided to do an entire Valentine theme this month....maybe it's because I still have a ton of red and white fabric left over from Christmas or it could be I just love "LOVE"! Either way I have 3 new little characters that are all dressed up for a bit of that Valentine Love......"Be Mine" is all about Mitzi the Mouse being all excited about her secret admirer and dancing a jig while waving her Valentine around!

Next is "Penelope Sweets" a bit of a dowager mouse who is all about the proper way to do Valentines Day.....I especially love her dress and apron. The dress is a soft velvety plush fleece and the apron and bonnet are made from a vintage hanky....

Last but hardly least is a new addition to PODDS-ville "Miss Lovey PODD". I enjoy making PODDS (Portly Original Designer Dolls). I have so many PODD collectors out there that I hope Miss Lovey won't have a problem finding a home....Com'on over and give all the artists on PFATT a peek: http://www.pfattmarketplace.com/softinthehead.html I'm sure you won't be dissapointed!

Pattern Factory!

2012-01-08T13:02:00.000-08:00

Recently I made a comment on Facebook about my recent excursion to the post office where I quickly became the other customers worst nightmare...I had 187 pieces of mail to ship. With the exception of seven packages everything else was patterns. January has always been a great month for pattern sales but throw in a 50% off sale and you end up with a tidal wave of orders! There were patterns going to Norway, Sweden, Germany, England, Italy, Australia, France and Canada. This has been the absolute best sale I have had to date and might be my last unless I can train my cats to stuff, lick and address! I was completely over-whelmed and at times crossing my eyes in frustration! Notice the "Chairman of the Board" (Seamus our cat) was little or no help!

Since my surgery driving has been on the back burner and I have had to rely primarily on Dan for shuttling me around and trips to the post office. Since he works Monday through Friday shipping was usually on Saturdays. I apologize to everyone who has experienced any delay in receiving any of my shipments. Good News.... I am now able to drive and hopefully things will get back to normal with timely deliveries.

Many have asked why I even have a sale like this when my patterns seem to do very well at their regular prices.

It's cause everyone needs a break now and then financially and sometimes getting even a pattern can put

an added strain on one who is counting their pennies. This also helps me clean out older inventory and get an idea of what is truly hot right now. It goes without saying that "MICE" are a big winner but what surprised me was that "anything" Halloween sold......and not to mention the bunnies, Easter is right around the corner! Sooooo I guess in the BIG scheme of things "Soft in the Head" is still loved and in demand! Thank you to all that took advantage of the sale and "Happy Sewing"!

Work In Progress!

2012-01-06T08:35:00.000-08:00

Often I find myself just putting things together with no idea where they will go. The cat PODDS pictured here are commissioned pieces... so I have a pretty good idea what needs to be done but when a collector tells you to "just go with it" LOOK OUT cause that is exactly what will happen! Some of the best work done by artists is done when they are given freedom to express themselves!

The dowels and wood bases is an idea that has been forming in my mind and when I figure it all out I will go back to finish these odd looking pieces! I truly love working with fabric and don't think that will EVER change....now adding clay, hmmmmm this may be my new thing! There is nothing better than a good solid tooth added to an expression to make it "POP" or is it "CHOMP"! I thoroughly LOVE my job!

Finding Treasures and Planning....

2012-01-03T07:21:00.000-08:00

As I walk down this "artist" path I find that I keep getting side-tracked wanting to try different trails/avenues... but in the big scheme of things I always seem to find my way back to that one trail/avenue that has always lead me to my true self "Whimsical Primitive". It's in my soul....there is no changing it! My imagination is my "Aladdin's Lamp" and when I rub it the "Whimsy" genie takes me on a ride! I have already started shopping for props to use with this years new characters. In my travels along the internet road I came across some great finds....two sets of very old and rustic candle sticks! I can't wait to see what these remarkable finds will whisper to me so that crazy imagination of mine can take over! Odd and old are my favorite words in this profession I have chosen....the odder the better and as far as old...bring it on! I will be traveling to the west coast this month and have already planned on hitting every junk store in the entire state of Washington and Oregon while I'm there....Have junk, Will travel...that's me! Dan use to stare and raise an eyebrow with concern for my sanity now he just smiles and knows something extraordinary is about to happen! So, sit back and buckle up the Ol' Softee is on a mission!

A New Years Tradition!

2011-12-29T12:29:00.000-08:00

"A Good Luck Tradition!"
Many places have their traditional faire for the holidays but one that sticks with me is the Southern tradition for good luck, "Blackeyed Peas" for New Years! Now, I'm not talking about the singing group but the scrumptious dish of legumes that tastes REALLY good with cornbread and turnip greens. Can you tell my family is from the south, lol! My personal favorite way to cook these little bits of culinary delight is by throwing them into my slow cooker and forgetting about them....my favorite way to cook! Here's a great slow cooker recipe that I use but I substitute the ham and bacon with a good turkey sausage! Of course I also attempt to make corn bread but nothing has ever compared to the mouth watering corn bread that comes from my mother's kitchen....her secret is bacon drippings and buttermilk, hmmmmmmmm, I feel my arteries hardening even thinking about it!!

I wish everyone a prosperous and healthy New Year and one filled with a multitude of possibilities!

Slow Cooker Blackeyed Peas

6 cups water
1 cube chicken bouillon
1 pound dried black-eyed peas, sorted and rinsed
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded
diced 1 jalapeno chile, seeded and minced
8 ounces diced ham 4 slices bacon, chopped
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin salt, to taste
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions Pour the water into a slow cooker, add the bouillon cube, and stir to dissolve. Combine the black-eyed peas, onion, garlic, bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, ham, bacon, cayenne pepper, cumin, salt, and pepper; stir to blend. Cover the slow cooker and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours until the beans are tender.

Anticipation.....

2011-12-21T11:28:00.000-08:00

The Anticipation and Remembering.....

I still can remember the excitement and anticipation of Santa's arrival on Christmas Eve. To be a kid again and experience the awe and wonder of that most prestigious of nights. I tell ya we do grow up way to fast...maybe that's why we have children and then grandchildren so that magic can continue. This one time a year everyone always seems a bit nicer and alive.....wish everyone could carry that magic with them everyday. It seems if we did, tough times wouldn't seem so tough and small petty people would remain small and petty but we wouldn't worry about them, lol! As my grandmother use to say "sweet milk can turn sour but sour milk will NEVER turn sweet"! Let's all enjoy the simple magic that Christmastime brings. Take some time to smell the air and listen to the tinkle of a bell and the laughter of children. Leave a dollar here and there, or some much needed food.... and maybe remove a few tags from a giving tree and buy some gifts. Make this small part of the year last a lot longer in your heart and as well as the heart of someone else! Merry Christmas everyone!

Christmas Down Under......

2011-12-19T09:10:00.000-08:00

Most of the time when we think of Christmas we think "SNOW".... Or we might have images of a workshop in the North Pole with everyone bundled up in red and white and drinking hot cocoa. Of course there is the "fatman" in red with fur trim to remember (hey isn't that the guy I live with?) Anywho....we think cold and snow this time of year. Having our kids living in all parts of the world, has taught Dan and I to be a bit more flexible when it comes to how we imagine the Christmas season.....

Right now, it is snowing in the mountains of Southern California so our daughter Casey and family are in for a "White Christmas". Our son David, who lives in Shanghai, China, will be having a gray and rainy Christmas... BUT.... our son Chip who lives in Australia is having the most uncommon Christmas from we normally imagine! I had to laugh when I saw the picture of our grandson Rohan sitting on Santa's lap and Santa is wearing sunglasses! Or how about the one of our granddaughter Abby with her friend and they are dressed in summer wear

wearing Santa hats....I mean what kind of Christmas carols would you sing...."Sleigh Ride" or "Jingle Bells"?

Dashing through the snow just doesn't seem to fit! Chip says the heat and summer like weather has helped him get through Christmas without being TOO homesick! I just can't imagine swimming and picnicking at Christmas but I'm sure in our southern states here they probably do it but me, I love the cold weather at Christmas and snow is just a bonus! Even our grandson Eli is in the Santa fashion wearing sunglasses for Christmas....just can't get over it, LOL!

Amazing Power of 44 Cents.....

2011-12-16T06:44:00.000-08:00

When I was young one of my favorite things to do this time of year was to get the mail. It was a plethora of colored envelopes and Christmas Greetings from all over the place. The cards were full of winter magic and good times, not to mention Santa! Sometimes there would be photos of long time friends who now live far away but always remember the love at Christmastime! My mother would find a special place for all the cards and often create a masterpiece of Christmas magic with all the different images and textures of the cards.

I still love receiving cards and always look forward to getting the mail with grand hopes of finding one or two stuck between the many hospital bills that seem to fill my mailbox nowadays! The internet and the ridiculous cost of a single stamp have caused the flow of Christmas cards to decrease considerably over the years, but it hasn't stopped me from spending a quiet afternoon at the table with a cup of tea and pen in hand. I'm not an organized person at all, so most of my addresses are on scraps of paper, old envelopes and various addresses books that have cluttered drawers over the years....but I have fun pulling them out and remembering "good times".

The impact a simple card can have was brought to light last night with a phone call. My husband has a very good friend....Ben. Now Ben is in his 80's and Dan has known him for many years. Their friendship was created from fishing. Ben had enrolled in Dan's fly-casting clinic and hired him on occasion to guide him on the rivers of California. Ben didn't get around very well and needless to say Dan had a difficult and often frustrating time guiding him but a true deep and respectful bond was created between these two. Ben never cared if fish were caught he was just happy to be out with Dan. Since leaving California Dan often talks to Ben on the phone and when Dan is on the west coast they make a point of having lunch and talk of the fishing days gone by. Ben is Jewish but his wife is Christian so every year Dan makes a point of sending Ben a Chanukah and Christmas card. We haven't heard from Ben in a while which always concerns us but last night he called. With much emotion in his voice he thanked Dan for the Chanukah and Christmas card. He also told us his beloved Diana has been hospitalized for the past year with Parkinsons and was not doing well. His voice was aged and frail but the love and respect he has for Dan flowed with each word....Dan remembered the importance of those cards and sent them out even though we had not heard from Ben in a very long time. This had made Ben so happy during a incredibly difficult time.....the amazing power of 44 cents! Merry Christmas All!

"Simply Primitives" for Christmas.....

2011-12-14T19:53:00.000-08:00

"Simply Primitives" is ready for the month of December and I have a couple of new characters wanting to come out and play. There is a new "pin-keep" for all of you collectors and this one is truly fun. It's a small wool felt Christmas tree with its little Christmas helper nestled inside. The tree has antique bone buttons and a few little jingle bells for decoration all sewn on with a red floss! The base is a vintage porcelain lid. The little mouse helper is very festive and of course "helpful'!

Next.. meet "Mrs. Doolittle"....a mouse with an uncontrollable urge to snack at night, I think I can relate....lol. Mrs. Doolittle loves to grab a cup of tea and one of her favorite sugar cookies and snuggle up by the fire in her over stuffed chair and just relax after a long day of shopping, wrapping and baking! Her little tea cup is from an antique childrens tea set and is made from embossed lead. You can find my new little friends on "Simply Primitives" so click the link and pop over to do some Christmas shopping for that special gift!

The Stockings Were Hung.......

2011-12-11T12:32:00.000-08:00

Traditions in a family......
The stockings have and will always be the most anticipated part of Christmas morning in our family. Unlike many families our stockings bear treasures of all sorts and sizes and exceed the usual expectations of the owner of said stocking. Stocking shopping has become an all year event for us Gracia's. I will start shopping for funny unusual tidbits right after Christmas for the next year and pass them on to Santa. Of course our stockings are larger than the standard stocking one might wear and they were hand made with holding an abundance of treasures in mind. Santa has yet to complain of their size and has NEVER had a problem filling each and everyone of them.
As our kids have left the nest and moved on into there own Christmas traditions the "Stocking Event" has continued! My son-in-law started out slow with his stocking training but now going on year six he is getting the hang of it and my daughter is quite thankful. Yes, the technique for good stocking stuffers is a time worn tradition and takes years to master!

I believe this tradition was brought to the Gracia family from the Manning's (my family). My mother was the Queen Elf when it came to the stuffing of the stocking......BUT along with her talents at stocking stuffing came her evil sense of humor and my brothers and I often found ourselves spending the first few hours of Christmas morning searching for our stockings only to discover the stockings had turned into our ski boots, work boots or barn boots (ewww) . She seriously got her Christmas joy bribing Santa to tease us in the worst way with a Christmas morning Hide and Seek!

Here's to "TRADITIONS" in all families....We are bound as family by the traditions that we carry on regardless of how small or trivial they seem to others...they belong to us and make us family! So go forth and create, stuff, make, bake and do...create a TRADITION!

December PFATT Marketplace...

2011-12-09T04:57:00.000-08:00

I have to admit that I just love creating "bunnies" and always find some reason to make a new one. This is "Ann". She is inspired by so many memories and the deepest of friendships. There is always one "major" drawback to selling online and it is that one never gets to see up close and personal all the detail work that goes into one of my characters. Ann is wearing a wool vest that has faux pearl buttons and a vintage button at her throat. She also has the cutest little puff of a wool tail on her backside...the list just goes on! I truly love this little lady and hope she will find a good home December 10th on the "Marketplace"

What would a "Marketplace" be without "MICE"! I wanted to have something that could be used as a gift for that special someone....especially someone that collects "Pin-Keeps". My love of combining the past with the present continues with these little ladies. Each mouse is firmly attached to the top of a pin cushion that is nestled inside a vintage silver-plated sugar bowl. Each little mouse holds onto a sugar cube and has a few extra on pins stuck next to them.....very sweet!
Meet "Nighttime Nick" my PODD Santa. Now the PODDS are very popular and especially the Santas. This guy is such a character with his silly little nose and wide smile...he will make anyone smile and chuckle this season. He definitely looks like a Santa on a mission and ready to take on all the kids at Christmas! Good Luck Nick!

I hope everyone will spend some of their hard earned Christmas money with us hard working artists at the "PFATT Marketplace" ....The treasures you find there are truly magical and all come from the heart and will prompt memories for many years if not forever!

"Traditions"

2011-12-08T07:09:00.000-08:00

"Does Santa Still Visit?"
We all have our own family traditions when the holidays come around. When you become an "empty nester" like Dan and I it is often difficult to get into that "Holiday Spirit" like we did when our kids were around, then again I do live with Santa! In his own special way Dan always brings a bit of magic to the holidays even if it is only with a chuckle, a few "ho ho ho's, or even a smile! When Dan was created the "powers that be" decided he needed an extra dose of "happy" and believe me when I say they did a great job!

Our family traditions seem to have stuck with our kids as they have gone on to have their own families. Stockings were never just an accent to Christmas they were an event all on their own! Now our grandkids are experiencing that event! We also had a cookie tree in the kitchen that was "always" accessible to little hands and constantly replenished daily! The Holidays are about bending the rules a bit and making fond memories to carry with us throughout our lives. One of my favorites of our family traditions is the reading of the "Night Before Christmas" on Christmas Eve and having Kentucky Fried Chicken....now I know most of you are going "HUH?" The Kentucky Fried Chicken thing started with my youngest when he was all of 3 or 4. He had asked Santa for a picnic with KFC on Christmas Eve (to this day he is still all about food)...so Santa came through, and has delivered every year since, along with the blanket spread out on the floor next to the tree. Nothing says Christmas like twinkling lights while you munch on a drumstick! Even in Australia where he lives now with his three kids KFC is a must on Christmas Eve along with the blanket and family gathering next to the tree. Our daughter does the same thing in California with her family every year....and if KFC isn't available there is always fried chicken from our own kitchen or someone else's! Our son David who lives in China.....hard to say if he still does KFC but I do know he does the stocking thing cause his mother sends it!

Me, I'm about the fruitcake....I know your thinking "fruitcake!" Must be the Irish in me cause nothing is better Christmas morning than a good cup of coffee and a slice of whiskey soaked fruitcake! When the rest of my family is munching on cinnamon rolls I'm in heaven with my fruitcake! It truly is funny the memories we create especially during this time....happy times always seem happier and sad times come to life with more poignancy! We miss the ones that are no longer here to celebrate and share a piece of chicken but we hold on to them tightly in our hearts!

Embrace, Enjoy and Enhance your memories this year....Merry Christmas to ALL!

Band-Aid Cookies......?

2011-12-02T04:33:00.000-08:00

As many of you know I am not one for cooking.
When I met Dan about 40 years ago and we were to spend our first Christmas with his family I wanted to show his extremely domesticated mom that her son would be well taken care so I was going to bake some cookies for a gift. Now, I can barely boil the proverbial pot of water so following a recipe is pushing the envelope! I had no problem with college chemistry but what the heck is a teaspoon and a tablespoon or for that matter cups!!!! You think I'm kidding, this girl flunked high school Home Ec! Now back in the day the only option for cookies without baking for us novices was the slice and bake variety or hitting up some bakery. I wanted them to be from me and special and "By the Gods" they were that "special"!

I decided that I would attempt to bake "Russian Teacake Cookies" which seem to be pretty common during the holidays. The first accident happened while trying to cut a cold chunk of butter and slicing my finger....I put a band aid on it and continued on my mission. The dough was so tough and dry that I broke my mixer trying to mix the darn stuff so I finished up by mixing them by hand....Okay this might work, I think to myself! After burning the first couple of sheets I started to get the hang of this baking thing and the cookies were looking pretty good. Heck they even tasted alright, major perk for this "NON" kitchen diva! I put the prettiest cookies in a festive Christmas canister and off we went to meet the in-laws. After dinner my pride and joy cookies were displayed for all to see and admire. I remember my father in law taking his first bite and smiling with a look of pure delight...THEN IT HAPPENED!!! My world began to spin and I wanted to duck and cover from what was going to haunt me for the rest of my life! My father in law reached into his mouth and brought out a small piece of plastic that had once been that DAMN band aid I had put on my finger! He stared at the band aid then at me and smiled...Yes everyone he smiled! He looked serious and made a Hmmm sound and said, "So Pam, is this what you use to hold the cookies together, interesting!" He then leaned over and hugged me! Soooo this was the beginning of the "Band Aid Cookies" as they became to be known! I still try to bake but no longer wear band aids or any type of jewelry cause you just never know! My father in law was my hero and so dear to me through many adverse circumstances. He taught me to accept and understand, and he admired my ability to stand up for myself. He left us in 1989 and there has been a huge void in our lives ever since. "Hey Ken do they have Band Aid Cookies in Heaven? If they do they won't have as much love as mine do!" Merry Christmas All?

Here is my recipe for "Russian Tea Cakes" or fondly known as: "Band-Aid Cookies"

A ball-shaped cookie with chopped walnuts, rolled in powdered sugar.

Makes about 48

1 cup softened butter or margarine
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
additional powdered sugar

In a large bowl combine first 6 ingredients on low speed of mixer about 1 minute. Blend well. Gradually add flour at low speed until just combined; stir in nuts. Roll dough into 1 inch balls; place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 F for 8-10 minutes until firm to the touch but not brown. Do not overbake. While warm, roll in additional powdered sugar. Cool; re-roll in powdered sugar before serving.

Small Business Saturday Nov. 26th!

2011-11-22T06:58:00.000-08:00

Shop Small Business's This Season!

I'm like many of you out there pinching pennies has become a way of life......but when it comes to Christmas shopping I'm not always looking for the best deal or interested in the shoulder to shoulder marching through the malls looking at everything I don't need! My Christmas lists are very well thought out and special. Of course, toys are toys and no one can compete with the billions of dollars put into advertising to brainwash our children, so we succumb to purchasing the popular super hero or princess that is out there!

When it comes to my older friends and family I like to find something special and often one of a kind. You can usually find this in your downtown small independent stores. I love the feel of shopping in friendly small towns, it reminds me so much of my childhood when all the shop owners seem to know your name and your secret Santa wish! Not only that, but everyone is friendlier and in the "Spirit" of the season...

This weekend is our opportunity to help get back a bit of the "Spirit of Christmas" by helping out all our small business owners by doing some shopping with them this season! If everyone of us just bought one thing can you imagine the impact it could have....small town America could thrive and remain with us instead of being just a memory of days gone by....Please take the time to shop in your downtown small businesses. Remember November 26th and make a difference!

Upcoming Preview.....

2011-11-20T06:54:00.000-08:00

Two New Patterns Coming Out This Week............

The Ol' Softee has been busy at that proverbial drawing board and has come up with two new patterns of some very old favorites...meet Phoebe the Winter Mouse with her brother Tad and a "runaway" snowman named Windell! This two patterns will be available Thanksgiving Day! I hope all of you will have as much fun creating them as I did designing them!

NEW MOUSE PATTERN!!!!!

2011-11-19T06:52:00.001-08:00

New Pattern..."Pilgrim Mice"

Meet the new addition to the "Soft in the Head" Pattern family...little Miles and Patience, the Pilgrim Mice! The pattern is available by snail mail or PDF for $10. If interested please zip me an email at: softinthehead@gmail.com

It Begins With a Tree.................

2011-11-18T05:54:00.000-08:00

As the Christmas music flows through my home and the cinnamon candles flicker sending off the scent of cookies baking I begin to reminiscence of "ALL" the Christmas' gone by. I truly believe, that whatever your faith or calling, that this time of year has such a magic about it that it re-charges everyone's batteries so we can deal with humanity at its best and/or worst! You see it on the faces of young and old as they take a deep breath of the season! Times are more difficult for many of us, more so now than they ever were in the past, but even with that there seems to be a sense of peace in our hearts as nature begins its winter sleep. Often I wonder how I can have so many memories stuffed into this rather small space called my brain....I love to remember the simple things from my own Christmas' as a child...like Dad always using nothing but blue lights on the tree every year and hanging each strand of tinsel individually till the entire tree was engulfed in silver! Or when Santa (snicker) wouldn't use my stocking but instead stuff a once forgotten boot in my closet! I can still smell the crisp evening air as we bundled up to hit the tree lots in Los Angeles for that perfect Noble Fir Dad had to have every year! Then coming home to Mary Martin playing "Peter Pan" on the television and Dad softly cursing in the background as he tried to get the tree into its stand! Once it was decorated I would lie under it and looked up into the magic of wishes and dreams all dressed in silver and blue. Funny how some memories never seem to leave us and often meld into who you become later on....Yep you guess it, I'm a dreamer and a fanciful, imaginative person who still looks for stuffed boots and likes tinsel (duh!)......Everytime we decorate our tree we're able to relive a lot of those Christmas memories with each treasured ornament that comes out of the boxes. The paper cut-outs the kids made in school, the photos glued to stars and candy canes or the toilet paper tube Santa's. Each one is a masterpiece and has survived time with much love. I even have one ornament, a little choir boy, that was my favorite as a child. It may only be a piece of metallic plastic to many but to me it holds that childhood magic that created who I am today. I really chuckle when I pull out this battered little Santa that was purchased 39 years ago for Dan's and my first Christmas together. We had barely enough money for a "Charlie Brown" tree and one ornament....the Santa! That Santa means more to me than all the fanciest and most expensive ornaments out there cause Dan bought it for me with love in his eyes and heart and the silliest grin on his face that I remember like it happened yesterday! Remember: it's what you hold in your heart that is important, not your hands! Merry Christmas and Happy Solstice to All!

Tough Decision and A Sad One.....

2011-11-16T04:48:00.000-08:00

Not Going to Be at Fairfax This Weekend!!!!

As many of you know I do TWO shows a year, not counting my blog shows....Ghoultide Gatherings and the Fairfax Christmas Show! Unfortunately this old body of mine didn't want to cooperate and mend fast enough for me to attend Fairfax. To all my loyal and caring friends, collectors and just all around fun people...I WILL MISS YOU!!!!! My dear friend Carolee Clark of "King of Mice Studios" will be there this year which even makes the decision not to attend that much harder. She will be painting personalized signs....if you have EVER seen her work then by all means stop by her booth in the gym. If you still need a bit of "Soft in the Head" for your Christmas you can attend my blog sale December 4th starting at 7pm. Just log onto: softeessellingshop.blogspot.com and email me @ softinthehead@gmail.com with your list! I will all of you at Fairfax....Have a wonderful show everyone!

What's New on "Simply Primitives"

2011-11-14T17:37:00.000-08:00

Really getting into the Christmas spirit around here! I have so much red and green fabric lying around you wold almost think the elves just threw a party!

This month on "Simply Primitives" I have a couple of "Santa's Helpers"....These little bunnies are being sold as a set. They are just adorable and the perfect size for all those nooks and crannies that need filling at Christmas, they are a nice 12" tall. I love making bunnies and Christmas is the best time to spread some "bunny love". Don't forget to pop over to "Simply Primitives" and see all the amazing talent and drop by a give a wave to the "Santa Helpers"!

Thanksgiving Memories & Wishes

2011-11-11T06:41:00.000-08:00

Often I sit back and think about the years that have gone by and wonder what I could have changed to make this time in my life different.....considering the fact I seem to be a pretty content person I guess I would say "little to nothing". Everything that happens has a purpose and a reason but the one aspect of my life that could truly use some tinkering is my lonely holidays without family and friends. Living here in Virginia, far away from everyone Dan and I know, has been an experience I would rather have not had. I like my solitude but holidays are meant for family gatherings, friends, laughter and good food. Since my cooking skills are limited I often depended of the skills of my daughter Casey and son David to take the reins and provide a feast fit for Kings! Of course our son Chip would eat like a King but cooking was not his forte!

Thanksgiving is a lonely time for Dan and I, especially Dan since he comes from a rather large family and Thanksgiving was an EVENT in his household....Our kids now live all over this world and coming together for the holidays is expensive and challenging...so our time is spent via the internet. I remember as a kid that the only screen I would be sitting in front of was the television screen watching the Macy's Day parade! Now it's my computer screen looking at the faces of my grandchildren and their parents....how times have changed! As you prepare for this upcoming holiday remember to be grateful for the time you have with family and cherish all the friendships you have acquired in your life. I know I will, even if they aren't with me it doesn't change the fact that they are a huge part of my life. This year I won't be able to stand long enough to cook a feast for Dan and I but I have found that I can actually order a tailor made one from a wonderful market in Roanoke.....now if we could just find company to come with it, lol! Be thankful, be happy and most of all be content and have a joyous Thanksgiving!

November PFATT Marketplace......

2011-11-09T17:45:00.001-08:00

Got my sewing legs back....just in time for PFATT Marketplace. To help celebrate Thanksgiving a new PODD character has arrived and "Dressed for Dinner"....meet Wishbone the Turkey!

To help us all get in the mood for Christmas I have a couple of Holiday mice..."Clarice" is all about her shopping and getting ready for the Holidays.

Thought I would try something a little different this year with a sweet little mouse made on a bell. This is such a great Holiday Ornament and will look great on your tree....meet: "Ding Dong Merrily" an adorable little mouse ornament!

New Patterns on the Horizon!......

2011-11-04T04:46:00.000-07:00

Well Everyone....I said it once before that I was hanging up my "pattern designing" shingle but due to this new road I'm having to travel concerning my health I got the itch to offer some new patterns! The first one is a Santa Mouse that I designed for "Better Homes and Gardens" in 2010.....meet "Teaspoon" the Santa Mouse. This pattern is ready for purchase....just email me for details: softinthehead@gmail.com

I have three more new patterns in the works right now and hope to have available by next week. They are a couple of Pilgrim Mice, a Cookie Munching Mouse and my all time favorite mouse Phoebe. Hope you will check back for details....Wish me luck!

Good Friends and Treasures........

2011-11-02T05:36:00.000-07:00

The unexpected gift is often the most treasured one. To think that during someones busy day/life that they thought of you only adds to the magic of it all. I received this amazing gift in the mail yesterday....well it could have been out there before yesterday but I managed to walk out to my mailbox yesterday (yay me!) Inside my mailbox was a very ornate (decorated) manilla envelope from Norfolk, Va. from one of the sweetest and dearest friends anyone could have, Connie Hindmarsh! Many of you know Connie as the "Romper Room Lady" or the owner and designer extraordinaire of "Bears, Hares and Folk Art Dolls". Connie and I have never met in person and our friendship blossomed via emails and phone calls. She is such a gentle soul and makes my life richer just knowing her. She had this sweet book in her collection and felt that it had a better home with me! Needless to say this Ol' mush-pot teared up when reading her note and seeing this vintage book being a lover and collector of old books! Thank you so much Connie! Your generosity knows no bounds and your thoughtfulness is what gives most of us balance in our lives. You are a true gem of the rarest kind! Bless you!

It's The Small Things...........

2011-10-23T08:29:00.001-07:00

Thank You To All...............
As I sit here primed and ready to write something thought provoking and enlightening all that seems to come to my mind is "Boy that cup of coffee sure tasted good"! How does one go from "seeing the light" to normal? Your mind is such a kaleidoscope of emotion that it is difficult to separate anything clearly. The connection that we have to the ones we let into our lives becomes more vivid and important and the pettiness of gossip and personal insecurities becomes obsolescent. My dad use to have a saying and at the time made no sense to me at all but as I grew older the simple words became attached to my soul "IT'S EASY TO FORGET WHAT'S IMPORTANT....SO DON'T". As I laid in the ICU for days I think I finally realized the full impact of that statement!

To find I'm cancer free, after being told by nine doctors otherwise, was such a blessing in itself. I think it took an army to pull Dan off the rafters when he heard the news. Men are so funny when it comes to their emotions....they keep them wrapped up with just enough "loose tape" to only let a few escape at a time....it's the "Nature of the beast"! This abrupt turn in my life has seriously made me realize the importance of the people that are in it....most of my friends that I have I've physically only met once or twice but talk to everyday via the internet. Funny how the internet has impacted our lives. I want to thank all of you for the heartfelt encouragement and prayers you sent...you helped this Ol' Softee pull through. My life will be forever altered by this series of events but one part that will always remain constant is the love I have for family and friends! I still chuckle as I remember hearing the small voices of my grandchildren telling me to get well as Dan held the phone up to my ear in ICU....or my one grandson telling me to hurry up and get out off NCIS (he meant ICU). Never take the smallest gesture, event or experience lightly. We are the navigators of our destiny and it is up to us what road we choose to travel down. Even when the day is at its darkest a true navigator of positive thought can find a ray of light. Be happy, be productive and be loved my friends....this Ol' Softee is ready to make each day count and I would love some company!

That Ole Softee is a 5 Percenter

2011-10-15T06:23:00.000-07:00

Well that old Softee is still in ICU in the hospital. So this is her husband, Dan, giving you an update.

Try as she might, Pam just can't get out of bed these days. Of course that fact that's she's in ICU and on a ventilator (respirator) has a LOT to do with that. She went into the hospital on Thursday to have a massive tumor removed from one of her ovaries and the rest of the baby-making plumbing removed too. Since our "babies" are all in their 30's now with no plans for anymore, that seemed the judicious choice under the conditions. We had been prepared by all the doctors she's seen that this tumor would most likely be malignant. At her "lofty old age of 60", we were told that cancer was about the only reason it would be of that size. So they said "95% chance this is cancer." Well, Pam is a 5%'er. It was benign, not cancer.

That was of course about the best news ever. Unfortunately from there, everything went downhill fast. As part of the surgery, they intubated her to control here respiration while she was under. At a certain point in recovery, they remove the intubation. When they did that, she had a respiratory failure. The oxygenation of her blood was sinking and her Co2 levels in the blood were rising dangerously fast. So they had to re-intubate her. When I was finally allowed to see her at about 8:30 PM that evening (her surgery was from 7:30-11:00 AM), she was awake, all tubed up and in a lot of pain. They were at the point where they couldn't give her anything more for the pain without causing more respiratory problems, even while on the ventilator. So she was hurting. Sometime around 9 PM, a room finally opened up in ICU and they transferred her up there. I left around 10 PM and she had a pretty tough night.

When I visited yesterday morning she was much more lucid and anxious to get the tubes out of her. She was breathing well on her own, the oxygenation of her blood was good and her Co2 blood levels were sinking quickly. She was mouthing instructions to me and even writing a few quick notes. It looked like she was going to get her wish. However, they couldn't detect any leakage of air around the breathing tube once they had removed the seal from the back of her mouth. That is a necessary precondition to removing the ventilator. The opening to the lungs needs to be bigger than the tube from the ventilator. If it's not, than the vocal chords or upper areas may be swollen and if they remove the tube, it could close shut and she wouldn't be able to breathe.

So, they left her on the ventilator again overnight and we'll see how she's doing this morning. All the other parameters had fallen into place, but they already re-intubated her once and they really don't want to do it a third time. Once they are able to get her off the ventilator, she should be able to move out of ICU and hopefully come home 2-3 days later. When I left her last night, she was resting fairly comfortably and in much better shape than the night before.

Remember when I said she was awake enough to write. One of the first things she wrote was "Blog?". I had promised to post an update on with her blog and hadn't done it yet. So now, I've done it and probably in more detail than what she really wanted. When she's well enough, she'll probably edit the heck out of this, but for the time being....this is where we're at.

Thanks to all for your prayers and well wishes. We are more than happy to be added to the prayers of all who have an inkling to do so. Hopefully that ole' Softee will be back soon.

Dan

Portrait of Me from Joyce Stahl...LOL!

2011-10-12T18:28:00.000-07:00

Off To See the Wizard.......
As many of you know I am off to have surgery. It is time for "Bud" (my tumor) and I to part ways. Bud has had a good run but now I need to venture forth into the world on my own. The image you see here is a sketch that my dearest friend Joyce Stahl of "Enchanted Productions" did for me when we were all out to dinner after a very successful show at "Ghoultide Gathering". The drawing is actually the front of her hand made card which everyone signed on the inside. This just made my day, night, life etc. In all my years on this planet I never quite imagined the amount of love that is aimed in my direction....I feel so honored and privileged to have more people than I could possibly list sending me well wishes, hugs and oodles of love. Being one that doesn't mesh well with mush I get quite shy and blush a vivid red but want to let all of you know that there are no words to express the emotion that you all have ignited with your kindness. May the "powers that be" continue to shower me with their wisdom and grace and keep me earth bound a bit longer....I honestly feel I can beat this thing and do it with a smile, humor and a touch of class! Besides I need to stick around and make those idiots that dislike me miserable...right? So here I go off to Carillon Memorial Hospital at 5am and no coffee....wow I am going to be "grumpy gus" good thing they're slipping me a sleep cocktail! Hubby (Dan) will keep everyone in the loop here on my blog until I stop seeing double! Thanks again everyone, you know who you are.....YOU GUYS ROCK!!!!!

Packing Sucks!

2011-10-11T06:49:00.000-07:00

What to Take to the Hospital?????
I hate packing whether it's for a long vacation or just a few days at the hospital. Packing sucks! I miss all my little "creature comforts" and want to take them with me where ever I end up but lets face it favorite quilts and pillows are just to difficult to fit into any suitcase and still have room for a toothbrush! Hospital stays are really the worst, how many changes of underwear do you take....do you even need underwear (God I hope so)....Often you can't even wear your own gown and get stuck wearing one of theirs that has serious back-side air conditioning. Not only that...who has long enough arms to reach all those cumbersome ties in the back. The other thing that just drives me loonies is how ridiculously rough hospital sheets are.....lying on sandpaper for a few days is definitely not my idea of fun...I can try to pack my own sheets (700 ct. Egyptian cotton) but I highly doubt they will fit. And that's the other thing "the beds"....God I wish I could just pack my own bed and be done with it! Okay, I know I'm being a cranky Gus here but it beats dealing with the nerves. As I lay out all the basic essentials I feel I will need on my bed I'm beginning to realize that 3 suitcases won't be enough! I will need one for my teapot, cup and various herb teas and I can't forget snacks, MP3 player, cross-stitching, Kindle and various magazines....wonder if I should bring my shower scrub, loofa, hair dryer and hot iron.....this is getting way to complicated, maybe they can just give me enough drugs that I won't care about any of it...Works for me!!!!!

Cancer is Just a Six Letter Word.....

2011-10-05T11:56:00.000-07:00

The Ol' Softee Says.....

That the "proverbial" cat has leaped from the bag and is out in cyber world now....I might have cancer! Though the first knowledge we had was not good it seems there is a HUGE light at the end of that spiraling tunnel of life, my tumor is contained and looks like it has not spread anywhere! As many of you know I had entered that "demon world" of dieting and actually was doing very well when one morning I woke up with severe abdominal pains and Dan took me to emergency. What we thought was probably a gall bladder attack from the heavy protein diet ended up being a tumor the size of Rhode Island nestled securely around my left ovary. This little invader had kept to itself and gone totally un-detected till now. After a couple of morphine shots and a visit to the Cat Scan I realized that my hitchhiker was as big as a cantaloupe and weighed somewhere in the vicinity of 11-13 lbs...YIKES! No wonder I felt like "puppy poo" and hurt like acupuncture gone awry! I was carrying around something the size of a baby and this one loved to kick......After being told that the chances this tumor, lets call it BUD, is malignant my first response was.....give me drugs I have Ghoultide in 10 days I promise to deal when I come back. Of course Dan stepped in at this moment and said....not if it will shorten your life....well needless to say it didn't and I was at Ghoultide with the serious help of drugs and now arrangements have been made for the removal and recovery of BUD! I will be going into the hospital October 13th for what they are calling "serious" surgery, the tumor will be extracted, dissected and analyzed while I lie in bed a few pounds lighter. I keep trying to bribe the doctor to remove some extra fatty tissue or give me a waist but she's not having any of it! Darn! Keep me in your thoughts everyone cause this Ol' Softee can use all the support and energy she can muster. If you don't see me around on line much it will be because I'm either high as a kite or sore as a stubbed toe with a hang nail! Just be patient my "Softee friends I will be back with a song in my heart and a bandaid over my mouth to keep me from singing said song! Nothing gets this "hot mama" down for long! Cancer is only a six letter word....but Fear, now that's four and you know what they say about those four letter words...Bad Kitty! Carolee Clark will be my go-to friend....questions go to Carolee. You can find her on Facebook. I have a week to clean my house and get my blog sale together....Wish me oodles of luck!

2011-10-04T07:07:00.000-07:00

"Ghoultide"....Halloween for Grown-ups!

As another year at "Ghoultide Gathering" closes and I can sit back and take a much needed breath and begin to reflect.....I know you are all probably thinking, oh no not another one of those mind altering, soul searching soliloquies....Nope not goin' happen! The reflection is just a simple three letter word "WOW"! This year "Ghoultide" expanded to have an early preview and buy night and can I just say "it was awesome". It was seriously like Halloween for grown-ups. The live music was playing, treats were all around with cider flowing and hot cocoa as well....there was that magic in the air from our childhood that all of us die hard Halloween lovers carry with us everyday. The weather was awful but only seem to enhance that magic. Anywhere you looked there were costumes, lights, treats, and laughter! The smiles were everywhere the excitement was contagious and powerful. The collectors, with their orange Ghoultide gift bags brimming, were exchanging peeks of their treasures and new discoveries and making sure that if you hadn't visited a certain artist that you needed to. It was seriously like Halloween night from my childhood but instead of collectibles we always shared which house had the best candy! Every year I pinch myself and go back and re-read my letter from Scott when he invited me. This is truly a dream come true for all of us who participate. We bow our humble heads (as Joycee says we curtsy) to Scott and Stephanie for all their vision and hard work. Two of the most selfless individuals that I have ever had the privilege of calling friends! They strive to make all of us feel like the kings and queens of Halloween that we know they already are...... because of this amazing event I feel as though I'm the artist I have always wanted to be.... so to all of you Halloween lovers out there....get geared up for next year and get yourself an "E" ticket to the best Halloween Event Created....you won't be disappointed! Each year just gets better from the previous one...Now for some pictures.....It's time to see the artists as they begin their Ghoultide adventure! Please note that most of my pictures are from the set-up....Dan and I NEVER got away from our table once the show started so I apologize that some of the tables weren't completely set up when we took the photos.
Soft in the Head...Carolee Clark....Nicol Sayre....Vergie Lightfoot.....Debra Schoch....Lori Ann Corelis.....Sheila Bentley...Scott Smith....Katherine Webber....Laurie Hardin and Kelly.....Paul Gordon....Murphy's Bears.....Debbie Hawkins....Johanna Parker....Will Bezek (really missed his set-up sorry Will) Dinner with the artists after Ghoultide....Hi Murph and Joycee! Can't forget the brave artists who withstood the elements to give Ghoultide its best....I also want to thank all the artists that I didn't get pictures of cause my batteries died and the crowds were HUGE....also all the amazing people that came out to celebrate this magical event! We have the BEST collectors EVER!!!!!!

"Prims" Magzine!

2011-09-29T03:44:00.001-07:00

A Free Pattern For Everyone!!!!!

Looks like there is a "Soft in the Head" treat for everyone in the Fall issue of "Prims" magazine....my little Sunny Mouse! Needless to say I was a bit shocked when my friend Patty Wohl sent me these photos and the amazing spread from the magazine....I had no idea it would be so special! As many of you already guessed I am the "mouse lady"! Yep I have been crowned with that title from the "Prim" world for some time. Mice are fun as long as they aren't the breathing type and I find that I enjoy designing them doing just about anything from dancing to singing! I hope you ALL will pick up the latest issue of "Prims" and enjoy the free pattern plus all the terrific articles, eye candy and all around pleasure of this magazine.....

2011-09-28T18:51:00.000-07:00

On the Road to Ghoultide!!!!!

It's Game-Time with My Ghoulies!!

2011-09-28T13:59:00.000-07:00

A Year Has Come and Gone...Time to Celebrate at the "Ghoultide Gathering"
Hard to believe that a year has gone by and I'm heading to Northville, Mi. once again to be a part of the most imaginatively inspired Halloween show anywhere here in the U.S. What makes this show the success that it is are the artists that are involved and especially the two magnificent artists that put it together, Scott Smith and Stephanie Rawson.

My humble little characters are packed and ready to venture out to touch someone's Halloween heart and find a new home. Dan (hubby extraordinaire) has the "Spirit" van packed, gassed and cleaned ....ready to make the trek to Ghoultide, me I think I'll fly. My broom has needed some air-time for a while now. Goggles on, scarf tied securely around my neck and a few magic words and we're off! Wish us all a profitable and exciting time. Can't wait for those "Ghoulie hugs" and stories of the past year! Halloween Blessings to ALL!

Ghoultide Ahoy!!!!!

2011-09-26T05:28:00.000-07:00

The last 6 weeks around here has been nothing short of a blur. It seems that I have this personality quirk that raises its ugly head when triggered....I need to have "dead-line" pressure to produce. The on/off switch to my brain gets stuck and sleep becomes highly over-rated and off I go into the "La-La-Land" of Halloween. The sewing machine begins smoking and fabric is tossed around like confetti and my ankles rapidly disappear beneath the remnants of fabric cast-offs....not to mention the mounds of trash and utter chaos that gets dragged from room to room by sluggishly moving feet. Dishes begin piling in the sink with me hoping they will magically clean themselves and the vacuum takes an unscheduled vacation. Ah yes "dead-lines"! Even when you know that they come at the same time every year you find yourself stuck in a rut trying to find new and innovative ideas and time just flies by and before you know it "THE PRESSURE IS ON"!

I'm so excited for this year at "Ghoultide Gathering". We will have two days of fun which means I get to see my Halloween comrades even longer. I look forward to seeing my wonderful followers and friends....to get hugs and hellos and lots of smiles! This year "Soft in the Head" has added many more "Pumpkin-heads"....dancing, singing and smiling from ear to ear pumpkinheads! Last year I ran out early on....Can't wait....then I get to come home and clean, unless my house-sitter gets ambitious! I can dream........

Over-Run With Mice.......

2011-09-14T05:22:00.000-07:00

In my designing attempts to be original and maybe even a bit odd I end up finding the darnedest pieces to use for my creations. This one, which I fondly call my "Mouse Condo" is made using an old wallpaper paste brush that I found while I was antiquing with my friend Carolee in PA. The silly brush caught my eye and all I could envision were little mice climbing, sitting and playing hide and seek on it! Could it be I need to change the brand of coffee I'm drinking or maybe try to get more sleep....who knows but these whimsical visions seem to keep me smiling and creative so I say "Bring It On"....This "mouse condo" is the latest in my creations headed to Ghoultide this month and I must admit it is quite adorable in a mouse/witchy kind of way!

2011-09-13T04:52:00.000-07:00

Count Down to "Ghoultide"
Here are some new friends that will be making their way to "Ghoultide". Meet Squibb the funeral director, always smiling and carrying the key to the crypt while he lights your way....a couple of ghostly mice just hanging out on a candlestick and the Jester who is ready for some "Trick or Treating! My inventory is slowly growing, but you know what they say "it's not the quantity but the quality"....yea whatever!!!!!! LOL! The problem with those "life roller coaster rides" it's hard to do anything else while riding it! The last week has been pretty steady with new creations and the mice are slowly multiplying (unusual for mice). Today I'm starting on 10 PODD witches...green faces or regular...AHHH, the decisions of an "artist life"! I just finished a mouse condo that is made using a paste brush...my mind definitely revolves in a different world or maybe it is just the lack of sleep. It's very cute though,,,heh heh!

Tea and Sympathy.......

2011-09-12T05:25:00.001-07:00

Remember the days when a simple "tea party" with your best friends would be the cure for just about any ailment or emotional dilemma? Well, my friends, it seems that it still works! After the roller coaster ride of the last couple of months I find that a quiet time with my little four legged friend Issa in my lap and a comforting cup of peppermint tea just seems to melt the bad mojo away! Tea itself is a simple remedy for the stress and discomfort of "blah" days. A cup of the soothing nectar can hold possibilities and the bliss of a care free day and will let your mind became a whirl wind of positive endeavors....not to mention the cute and sometimes bizarre pots that brew your tasty and soothing nectar! I don't know about everyone else out there but I have a serious teapot problem....problem in the fact I am running out of room for my collection. My collection started from my sons travels around the world....he often brought me a teapot from different ports-of-call. When friends and family heard of this they too began to gift me with odd and colorful teapots, ones they felt depicted a bit of my whimsical personality (scary)! Needless to say I will soon need a room just for this ever growing collection. I love tea and have many memories where tea brought friends together for simple and comforting conversation or for those much needed "quiet times" where one can reflect or receive a bit of sympathy.....It's tyme once again to brew a welcoming cup, to sit back with a bit of humility and love.... and of course a few pets for Issa!

Evolving and Liking It!

2011-09-01T19:09:00.000-07:00

The Road To "Ghoultide" Continues......
When I look at the work I did five years ago compared to what I am doing now it always shocks me. I love the primitive art form but often I find myself going a few steps further and developing my characters more then primitive allows. My characters always seem to shout out at me that they want more....they need a story in order to be complete! Not necessarily a written story but a story in their presentation. I've also found that adding pieces of the past like old lamps, candlesticks, books etc to my characters gives them even more of a sense of age and whimsy! Taking an old clock that no longer works and transforming it into the body of a whimsical Pumpkinhead or magical black cat is exciting and somewhat challenging....but the end result is often a treasure that will bring nothing less than smiles and chuckles for many years to come. My characters still have the rough edges and sanded, coffee stained appearance that primitive design begs for but they have graduated into something even more....a design that only comes from inside me! Being different and unusual is not always easy in a genre that is growing fast and saturated with many wanting to add to their income in difficult times. The collectors out there have a plethora of whimsical and engaging designs to fit their likes and wallets....so the artistic challenge is ever growing! To be different and still in demand is not often an easy task for any artist....but I think the one quality, as an artist, we need to never let go of is being true to what is inside ourselves. Sure anyone can make a mouse but how many can make that mouse sing while hanging upside down on an antique candlestick...if ya catch my meanin'! Be who your inner artist wants you to be and not what is popular ....the challenge is to make "your" inner artist what's popular and to do this is by staying original and growing and developing your skills!

2011-08-30T04:56:00.000-07:00

Life Can Be Like "Herding Cats"....
The last couple of months have proven to be exactly that "herding cats"! Now ask me how many I've managed to get into one space/room at the same time...NONE! Life has a unique way of sneaking up on us and presenting itself with a multitude of emotional upheavals and dilemmas. Many of these we manage to tackle with the maturity, yes maturity, expected of us as adults and others....ah yes the others....knock us flat and then tromp over us with the finesse of a club footed over-weight troll. The question then is how do we pick ourselves up, dust off and start again? Slowly and not without some serious "me time" hence "herding cats"! When your mind is trying, desperately, to heal itself and your emotions are raw it seems that creativity is the last friend who comes knocking on your door of recovery. Trying to throw myself into work as been nothing short of "NOT"! Fortunately for me my customers have been understanding, well at least to my face....I'm sure they weren't happy and probably uttered a few descriptive metaphors under their breath....I know I would! I wish I could say that "Soft in the Head" was back on track and all is right in her creative world but alas there are still a few tails caught in the door and we seem to still be herding a few cats that bolted from the herd, but ya know with experience comes knowledge and with knowledge comes solutions???? I did discover, however, that running the can opener does seem to help in the herding!

Before and During......Argh!

2011-08-23T08:21:00.001-07:00

A Clean Workroom To Pumpkin-head Chaos!

Here we go again....as I approach the final stretch to "Ghoultide" chaos has taken complete control! No matter how many times you tell yourself and make that proverbial vow "I am going to start "Ghoultide" in January!"...it never happens! Creativity must flow easier under stress I guess cause I seem to always wait till the last minute for everything. Of course this doesn't take into account that "life" throws us those wicked curve-balls that seem to take out "BLOCKS" of time and push us back into a brain numbness that takes days sometimes weeks to recover from!

Pumpkinheads are on the menu this week and seem to springing to life on the weirdest contraptions....guess this is their charm! Next in line will be cats, then ghouls and mice and to round out my arena of strange and whimsical characters will be more frogs....ya know I think there is a worm or two poking their fuzzy little heads around a heap of fabric!

"Steam-Rolling Ahead.....

2011-08-21T05:26:00.000-07:00

As time marches on so does the nimble fingers of "Soft in the Head". The "Ghoultide Gathering" event/show is rapidly approaching and the butterflies in my stomach have now turned into "BATS"....I love this show for many reasons but I think the biggest is that I can just let my imagination take wings and fly! Take a look at my newest creation "Joffrey" a Steampunk Frog! Now lets be real,,,,a Steampunk Frog? I have to blame it on the Ghoultide bug that I have fondly named "Boo"! This "Boo Bug" can cause one to have sleepless nights, sporadic daydreaming and a twitch in your writing hand that seems to search out anything worth writing on! As you shuffle through the endless piles of paper scraps trying to make sense of these notes you begin wondering....are these in code? Then it hits you...they're ideas! Bizarre and truly magical ideas! Then as your brain begins to wrap itself around the idea the obsession and frustration begins...."CAN I DO THIS? So many of my ideas can be adapted easily enough to clay but often I find fabric a more difficult medium to capture my odd sense of humor....and after all I am "Soft in the Head" (ergo: fabric). Onward I go as I trudge forward in my attempts to find "Ghoultide" nirvana with my characters! Wonder if mice are still popular? Maybe a "Steampunk Mouse?" Alas, I continue my pursuit for an original and quirky design.....one thing is a must, "IT MUST MAKE YA SMILE and maybe giggle a bit! Wish me luck!

My Mom.....

2011-08-18T05:51:00.001-07:00

As many of you know my mother is not well and has been struggling for the past four weeks to stay with us. Although she's in her 80's, which makes me in my 60's, my mother has always been a power to reckon with. Since my mom has become ill and frail I have found myself entering some new territory, one that I have had little or no experience with, it's that territory of extreme loss and separation of a loved one. I lost my father in '87 but with dad it was a blessing for him to move on and kind of a relief for all that loved him to finally see him have peace, this is much different! It's not time for mom...we have to many things yet to do!

Mom and I didn't always agree, heck we seldom agreed, but her strength and determination was always an inspiration! No one had a better work ethic than my mom, having grown up during the depression. She always said the most important things in life was a roof, full cupboard, a bar of soap and family! My mom is lying in a rehab facility in Oregon and here I am in Virginia. This is difficult being so far away but unavoidable....thank God my younger brother is there and on top of everything! I did have a conversation with my mom yesterday and it was wonderful....we laughed and made promises to each other and I finally heard hope in her voice. My daughter, Casey, has been a constant in my moms life and even, with the help of my brother, flew up to Oregon from California with her two youngest sons in tow to see her. Casey felt that if mom saw her great grandsons it might be the shot in the arm she needed and Casey was right! My mom wears a necklace that has a picture of all three great grandsons around her neck and she told me that she holds on to it tightly everyday and prays that she will get to hold onto the real thing soon.
I know this is almost redundant to say....but remember time is fleeting so hold onto those moments and people in your lives that are important and never take one day for granted. Once they have left us there is no guarantee we will cross paths again and our memories become the picture books to our hearts...sooo keep your camera ready and remember to love, laugh and click often!

Simply Primitives This Month........

2011-08-14T19:48:00.001-07:00

Soft in the Head is going Halloween this month on "Simply Primitives". It seems that we already have our "pedal to the metal" here as we get into the Halloween groove so why not bring it out and have some fun! There will be a new "spooky" Pin-Keep with a watchful eye from Ruby the mouse. I love brass candlesticks especially when they are the base for a Pin-Keep! Of course Halloween just wouldn't be Halloween with a pumpkin PODD! This month we have the great joy of introducing "Jackpot Joey" the latest and most colorful new resident of PODDS-ville and up for grabs on "Simply Primitives! Ol' Joey always did like a good card game....To round out my characters this month I have "Mae" a dignified and somewhat arrogant cat who is dressed and ready for the Halloween Festivities. Where there is a party you will find "Mae"....Hope you will take some time and check out all the FANTASTIC talent over on "Simply Primitives".

It's Happening....Waa-Hoooo!

2011-08-10T08:33:00.000-07:00

As many of you know I'm changing the way I live my life....well I'm changing the eating part of it anyhow....kinda like being unusual and warped! I just had my weekly visit with my doctor and I have lost a whopping 14 lbs. in 6 days. Now I'm an intelligent woman and realize that I peed most of this weight away but I also lost 14 inches...3 from my rather large belly! I never dreamed that I could do any of this but I am. Pain has become a constant companion the last couple of years and recently it had gotten so bad that even the slightest chore became an ordeal....like doing the dishes! Well I did my dishes and vacuumed my floor yesterday before I had to sit down...this is amazing for me! I know most of you are afraid to talk about this "taboo" of all subjects and that's okay, just don't go through life fooling yourself. If you're comfortable in your skin "GREAT" but do know that with over-weight comes other factors to figure in, blood pressure, diabetes, and breathing problems, not to mention your bones! I've NEVER been one to hold much of an opinion about the surface of people....I like to get to the insides of the person to know who they are, but the insides definitely depend on the outside to keep them healthy and working......Age can be our best friend or our worst enemy...it's up to us to find out! Stay healthy my friends.....here's to another successful week, I hope!

Feeling the Whimsy......

2011-08-09T19:04:00.000-07:00

MEET......

Auntie Mudmire
"Elwood" PODD
and "Santy Cheese"

What's new on "PFATT Marketplace"......... SOLD

Get Ready for PFATT.........

2011-08-09T06:51:00.001-07:00

I promised "Christmas" this month on PFATT and Christmas is here! On the 10th of the month PFATT Marketplace opens its doors to "wonderland". A bevy of creations from talented and magical minds. It is without a doubt one of the best online Marketplaces for the creative endeavors of artists. It offers many different mediums to strike your fancy and everything is HANDMADE and ORIGINAL! I try to bring at least 3 new creations to this amazing site every month. This month I did just that! You will meet a mouse that lives to give at Christmas, "Santy Cheese", a frog that finds her mojo in creating a helpful potion from "pond scum" Auntie Mudmire and a VERY happy elephant named Elwood! Grab a cup of "whatever" and come to be amazed, delighted and enriched while you shop the Marketplace!

A Primitive Place and Ghoultide......

2011-08-06T09:52:00.001-07:00

Got mine in the mail today.....and it is FANTASTIC! Not just because there is a featured article about the "Ghoultide Gathering" but because it is just an awesome magazine! The feature they have about the artists is wonderful....not to mention the "eye candy". I'm fortunate enough to be a part of this article with good friends and inspirational artists. Here's just a sample of what you will see at "A Primitive Place"....Hope you like my little frog "Funstitious Fred".....

My Life Right ow.....

2011-08-05T05:19:00.001-07:00

I knew going in that this new way of life would require quite a few adjustments....but whoa the non-stop bathroom runs are exhausting. So tempted to set up my workroom in the bathroom! My hand seems to be permanently attached to a water bottle or a cup of herbal tea! Wonder if "Omar" the tent maker makes Depends!

First Day of the Rest of My Life.....

2011-08-03T13:06:00.000-07:00

It's not often we like to admit certain things to the world....like being over-weight! I'm extremely over-weight, obese in fact! I never thought I would have this problem since I was a svelte and VERY active college student and would run 2 miles a day and I played tennis...but it happened! Over the course of 30+ years I have added 200 lbs of excess fat to my medium size frame and now I have developed a multitude of health issues because of it. If you are a follower of my blog then you know, I am a firm believer in the truth and I DO NOT live in "fairytale land" where everything is neat and tidy and perfect! I hate to cook, I'm grumpy, my mouth can make a truck driver blush and as far as perfection, the only thing perfect around here is the way the toilet paper fits on the spool! I finally bit that proverbial bullet and sought help for my weight problem. With the financial help from my little brother (thank you Mark) I am able to go to a doctor. Our insurance no longer provides coverage for weight management regardless of whether it is a health risk or not. Starting tomorrow my life will change forever and food will become only a necessity and not the end-all to everything. I want to see my feet again, not huff and puff just walking out to get the mail....and more than anything I don't want to hurt any longer! Sleeping is a luxury that I hope I get again because the joint and bone pain keeps me up all night! Keep your fingers and toes crossed that I can "take care of business" and become the person that will be around to see my grandkids grown up! I'm not looking to wear a bikini but a maybe a bra that doesn't pinch and cut into the body would be nice! Here's to possibly doing a "Walk for Cancer" someday! Wish me luck!

I Started "Junking" Very Early....

2011-08-02T06:11:00.000-07:00

Remembering Where It All Started.......

As a kid growing up in the Columbia Gorge area of Oregon I found one of my favorite places to haunt was this hidden drop off place down a seldom used old logging road. The treasures that I would find there always fulfilled the imagination of a fanciful young "wanna-be" archeologist! Digging around the dirt and muck I would find the past leaping up and grabbing that whimsical imagination and creating many stories from the past. I honesty think this was the beginning of my love for the old and rusty (much loved) pieces I often use with my characters. Instead of always wanting my treasures of the past to be shiny and new looking, I wanted them to retain their original patina and battle scars from everyday use or neglect. To me the life of a piece and its history was more fanciful when it appeared to have had a rougher road to our present time. If only they could talk... ahhhh the stories they would tell....so, I let my characters help tell a story that I hope reaches out and captures an audience!
Often, in the neglected forests of Oregon we would get lucky and find an abandoned farm house or cabin and then not only could the pieces from the past create a story but an entire home would almost burst with excitement with tales to tell. I know many of you are now thinking "hmmmmm she needs serious therapy"....but it's ones imagination that keeps us young and hungry for more! I create stories with my characters and not create just a doll. My "Softees" need to be busy....that's why my mice sing and dance and my ravens read or my bunnies sew....life is not just a photograph it's a blockbuster film! Now.... I want to go junking....this is an itch that will never get enough scratching...thank God!

2011-07-31T17:38:00.000-07:00

"Little Peanuts" On EHAG~Emporium Tonight

My little mohair elephant, "Peanuts" is for sale on the EHAG~Emporium
He is a sweet little 9" mohair elephant mounted on a painted wood base. He has an orange satin wired ribbon collar with a sweet clay peanut hanging around his neck. He is wearing a wool witches hat and carrying a clay jack-o-lantern filled with clay peanuts. His little trunk and ears are wired and can be posed and he has two black glass beads for eyes. Such a happy little fellow that will make anyone smile!

2011-07-29T06:42:00.000-07:00

"Ghoultide Gathering Bound"
I"m beginning to think I just might have my head in the game, FINALLY! After months of trying to get my brain to start creating ideas for this wonderful show with absolutely no success it is now "by God I think she's got it"!!!!! I've had these miniature lanterns sitting around forever and since I make large Jack-O-Lanterns out of very rustic lanterns I thought I would give it a whirl on these small ones. I must admit I'm kinda liking them...A LOT! I just got some old antique metal horns (one is pictured above) and as I look at these I don't see a child using a musical instrument but a tall pointy witches hat....hmmmm...funny how the artist mind works! I also just received some incredible twisted and bent manszanita branches from California. If you aren't familiar with manszanita then just think of the "spookiest" tree on a dark stormy night reaching it's gnarled and twisted arms out to get you....THAT"S MANSZANITA! Plan on painting them black and hanging some rather comical bats from the branches....personally I love the look and the idea of funny bats! Will be sending out my "Ghoultide Gathering" postcards this month.....so zip me an email if you would like a postcard which also gives a discount into the most "magical" Halloween Event around....and did I mention fun too!

OOPS! Christmas in August........

2011-07-27T17:37:00.000-07:00

I'm thinking that maybe for the up-coming PFATT Marketplace I might just have to do "Christmas in August". The pictures are of some of the characters I had at my Christmas Show in Fairfax, Va. last year and when I saw them I got a cold chill of excitement....funny considering I'm totally in Halloween mode! I can make a snowman....I mean they're round like pumpkins... I'll just have to make three different sizes and stack 'em...right? Okay so I'm pushing it a bit but in all seriousness I think I'm going to grab my inner Christmas elf and go for it! Alright Everyone....this July 10th on the PFATT Marketplace "Soft in the Head" is going to go all red and green and cold for "Christmas in August"....Put your mittens and ear-muffs on and pop on over to see what is new!!!! I can smell the hot chocolate in the air!

I originally had this under "Christmas in July".....I tell ya if it wasn't for a dear customer, thanks Maria, pointing it out to me that it is almost August I would still be running a month behind! This has REALLY been one heck of a year! So everyone hope you will come to my "Christmas in Ausgust" on PFATT!

New WIP.....or Is It?

2011-07-26T07:12:00.000-07:00

Since Connie Hindmarsh encouraged me to work with mohair I have been having a blast creating my little mice....but now I decided to try a hand at an elephant. Meet my "Peanuts" the petite pachyderm!
I'm beginning to think that small is more fun and adorable.....besides they can find more places to call home!
I'm totally in the "Halloween" frame of mind so it seems that everything that comes out of the "Soft in the Head" room of chaos (workroom) will have a Halloween spin to it. Gotta love orange and black! This year I think I will be working the color of deep purple into some of my Halloween characters....purple is a fun color and needs to find its place in all the important dates of creating...don't ya think? Okay this Ol' Softee is off to play in her "room of chaos" once again....Ghoultide is just around the corner and I have yet to stock up anything.....uh oh! Better get my rather large backside in motion!

Junk or Treasure??????

2011-07-19T04:18:00.000-07:00

I'm a "Primitive" designer and with that often comes a bit of the past tagging along. Often I will use objects to build from, like an old clock, candlestick or even a book! I love old and rusty cause they have the best stories to tell and sometimes the characters I add help to tell that story! Even my house is old and rusty and I do know it's bursting at the seams with stories! You could drop me in an prestigious antique store and I would be nosing around looking for the one item that is scraped and torn....one that has seen better days and I'm in love! Maybe it's my over active imagination but I hear these treasures whispering to me and I go with it. Broken clocks can be rejuvenated into a theatre of busy little characters or the body for one character! I remember last year my clock pumpkin guy was a HUGE hit. His body was the clock but in the back of the clock there was a mouse winding it up...or the rustic candelabra with comical ghostly mice hanging from it and being playful! Everything has a beginning and it is my job as a "primitive" artist to tackle that beginning and follow it to the end....of course chuckling the whole way!

"Simply Primitives for July"

2011-07-14T21:00:00.000-07:00

Meet Phoebe Pumpkinella....SOLD
We're feeling a bit "spooky" on Simply Primitives this month, Halloween is flowing through our veins! I thoroughly enjoyed creating this little lady from clay over cloth. She's a happy little goblin and already has a pumpkin basket full of candy corn, every goblins favorite!

Now meet the "White Enchantress" herself, Varda!SOLD Now I couldn't stray to far from my signature characters, mice, now could I? I love how this ol' girl turned out. She actually looks aged and hauntingly foreboding!

SOLD...Last but hardly least is the cutest little mohair mouse sitting in a rather small sugar bowl! I just love this sugar bowl....it's small and silver-plated with lots of character. The little mouse is called "Sweet Tooth" and is keeper of all things sweet! He is holding a clay sugar cube and his favorite sugar spoon! I also love the fact he is wearing the sugar bowl lid! I hope you all will take a few moments and travel through all the artists on SP....there is some wonderful talent there!

Do You Wish Upon Stars......

2011-07-10T05:28:00.000-07:00

Star Light, Star Bright....
There is always that one simple moment in our childhood that seems to stay with us always, mine was wishing upon a star! I'm a child of the 50's when Disney brought so much magic to our childhood but it wasn't Jiminy Cricket that taught me about the star wishing it was my dad. Like all small children I was fascinated by the realm of the little people, faeries, pixies and leprechauns. My dad was quite the story teller when he had you on a one on one and blamed all things on the antics of these mystical beings but when it came to wishes they could only be granted by the stars because the stars were the keepers of all the magic that granted wishes. When a star fell to earth it was because it was full of wishes to be granted! Many nights I would lie out in the yard to watch the stars. Living in the country as a child made the nighttime sky a cosmic masterpiece since there were no city lights to take away from Natures own lighting. It's funny the thoughts you have as a young child and the wishes that you thought, at the time, were so important. Even now I find myself gazing into the night skies and finding that one star that calls my name and I begin to utter a wish! If anything, star wishing has taught me that magic is definitely an important ingredient to the recipe of childhood passing into adulthood and should always be added with love, curiosity and wisdom....you just never know what wish may come true!

PFATT Marketplace for July.......

2011-07-09T08:25:00.000-07:00

"New Characters For PFATT"
All Characters Are Sold....Thank You!
Thought I would try something a bit different for this month on PFATT. I'm in such a Halloween frame of mind that it is going to be VERY difficult not to create some spookiness in the months to come. Nothing scares me more than "spiders" so I figured I needed to create one....not just a spider but one that has personality and is a bit comical without taking the essence of the spider completely out of the equation....so please meet "The Jaunty Juggler Jerry" a juggling spider. Next I decided to make a smaller version of one of my frogs, only she is more of a toad, sitting upon a "toadstool" drinking tea..."Tea Toad-ler". The really nice addition is the small teacup and saucer and spoon which comes from an antique miniature metal tea set I have. Last but hardly least is "Tricksie" the little mohair mouse with a sweet tooth. I used a vintage silver-plated coffee creamer for the base of the pin-keep. I love working with old pieces that can add some character to my little characters. Be sure to pop over to the PFATT Marketplace and see the amazing talent which I feel so honored to be a part of.

"Ghoultide on the Brain".......

2011-07-03T06:12:00.000-07:00

Why is it that after every "HUGE" show an artist says to themselves, "I'm going to get an earlier jump on this next year"?....and without fail you don't! Welcome to my on-going battle! I know this show is coming, I know it takes mountains of time from the thought process to the actual finished item....then WHY do I wait so long to dive in????? I can honestly say that this year has mostly been due to health reasons....yep you heard it here...the Ol' Softee has been fighting the "darkside" since last December. I almost passed on to the other side last December but managed to negotiate with "the powers that be" to give me more time and they did but not without, shall we say, challenges! I'm still in a battle to retrieve what was once normal and through this it has affected my ability to sew, see, and even walk......needless to say I'm a tad over-whelmed but also I am VERY stubborn and refuse to give in....so everyone out there please be patient and this Ol' girl will eventually deliver the goods! I just finished a couple of new characters for "Ghoultide", yep they're mice and witches as well. I think this year "Soft in the Head" is changing a bit....don't get scared, we will still be the whimsical, primitive designer who has a thing for mice, frogs and pumpkinheads but I'm going to pop out of that proverbial box a bit! Wish me luck! Hope you like my new little witches!

"EHAG~Emporium"...

2011-06-30T04:38:00.000-07:00

"Good Evening" on EHAG~Emporium" SOLD

Meet A. Hitchcock Esq."...This is my humble little character being offered tonight on the "EHAG~Emporium". I had so much fun and a few headaches trying to get the essence of Alfred Hitchcock (who I adore)into the stuffed round body of this little mouse, I think I succeeded. Everytime I stand back and look at him he makes me giggle. Gotta love the "comb-over"!
"Mousey" Hitchcock stands approximately 7" tall and is probably about as round as he is tall. His body is dyed and distressed muslin with a hand stitched and painted face. His "comb over" is some wonderful gray Alpaca wool that I found sometime ago in Ohio, looks like real hair. He has wired arms and is dressed in black wool with a "flour sack" fabric shirt and black wool tie. In his right hand he carries a "noose" and in his left a clay crow. A. Hitchcock is mounted onto a wood base and is ready for display in your spooky and mysterious setting! Gotta love Hitchcock!

Do You Cartwheel.....?

2011-06-28T08:36:00.000-07:00

Remember how easy it was when you were young to play out on the lawn and do one cartwheel after another. They never had to be perfect just fun! I miss those days! Now if I were to try a cartwheel I would not only break my neck but leave a rather large dent in the ground, maybe even get permanently implanted! I know it would take more than a couple strong arms to pull be up, possibly an entire small country. On a warm day like today I do a lot of reflecting and tying the smells with the visual. A newly mowed lawn is what made me think about the cartwheels. I loved that smell and when I was young my friends and I would spend hours tumbling and showing off our (what we thought) skills on the newly mowed lawn! Being young came that adventurous streak that made all of us think we were invincible and the "queens of the world!" Though I never had any formal training in the cartwheel department mine were often thought of as flawless. This opinion came from a group of eight year olds and we all know they pretty much know everything about cartwheels and tumbling in general. I mean, after all, how many beds did you jump on before you were twelve....see we all have a hidden talent that we forgot to embrace! Not only did an adrenalin rush come with flipping through the air but also that feeling of complete and utter "freedom"....freedom from responsibility...that's what adults were for. So now, I have the world of responsibility and not cartwheels and with that comes....Hmmmm...less bruises?

The Mystery Unfolds.....New WIP!

2011-06-27T04:48:00.000-07:00

Pushing myself to think outside the box while not traveling to far away from home (comfort zone) often is an adventure all on its own. I thoroughly love doing the EHAG~Emporium every month just so I can create some unusual character that no one else might have thought of. It's like a game to me trying to be different, original and fresh! This month I tackled one of my all time favorite directors "Alfred Hitchcock! I mean who doesn't love this icon!!!! Of course the whole idea and challenge is to try and transform the character of Hitchcock into a character a bit more my speed...say a mouse! So everyone meet my new "work in progress" A. Hitchcock Esq. the mouse! I have to admit I do love that "comb over"! Look for the finished character on EHAG~Emporium this month!

Don't forget about the great giveaway on the "EMPORIUM" this month.....one of my pumpkin mini-PODDS is looking for a home!

The Line That Binds......

2011-06-25T07:39:00.000-07:00

This one is for you Stephanie!
Often, as we look back on the years that have passed with our children and our family as a unit, we find a common bond that developed within our home. Something that is special and unique that makes us who we are. In our family it has always been nature and the environment. As far back as I can remember in my own life camping and the rugged outdoors was a major part of my life. I climbed Mt. Hood 4 times before I was 17 and probably back-packed more miles into the wilderness than I had driven in a car. I have such respect and admiration for "Mother Nature" and all that she is capable off. Life lessons can be learned from watching "Mother Nature" in action, lessons we often carry with us always. Dan was always a student of the outdoors as well. He loved the art of fishing. Not just the baiting of a hook and tossing it into the water but the whole idea of being one with nature and out smarting the fish. Dan is a "fly fisherman"! Probably one of the best known in this country. He has traveled many places to fish, taught some very famous people, made long time friends and taught his own children the art and poetry of the sport as well. Just a few minutes watching Dan casting into a rough and moving river, with only one target in sight, a log which breaks the water into a smooth and tranquil pond, will convince you that it truly is poetry in motion. I loved sitting on the banks of the river to watch the line swish back and forth with grace, rhythm and accuracy and then finding its target with no effort at all. Within moments a fish is fighting the line as Dan reels it in to gently handle it and remove the barb-less fly and set the fish on his way. We are only a "catch and release" family....we want fish we usually buy it in the store unless we are camping and eating from the land. I could write pages about how fishing has influenced all of us in this family and hoping that the next generation of Gracia's will get to benefit from all the knowledge and love that their Grandpa has for this sport. It's a sport that teaches discipline, kindness and appreciation while it educates you about this amazing planet and the creatures that live here.

Pictures: Dan and our son Chip finishing the McCloud River No. California

Our daughter Casey at 7 looking at tonight's dinner with our son David at 5 tying a fly onto his line.

Our son Chip at 3 showing off his first fish!

Grandpa showing Jude (our grandson) the beginnings of a legacy, the fishing rod!

Pen and Paper=Magic....

2011-06-21T07:11:00.000-07:00

When I was young and in college I had many sleepless nights struggling in my writing classes. The floor was often littered with wadded up pieces of paper that were first drafts of many beginnings that never made it to the second line or paragraph! I just couldn't find my niche....and of course it didn't help that I had the professors from writing Hell to contend with! It seemed to me the there was nothing constructive on an essay, you struggled and sweated over, that consisted in red slashes and scribbles of incoherent hogwash all over it and then you NEVER get the time to discuss it with the "Scribbler" himself. I had almost lost hope where creative writing was concerned until my junior year when I met the most incredible woman. She was a retired English Lit Professor and often spent her days in the campus park writing in her journal. It must have been in the stars that we would find the same bench to sit on, me in tears over receiving yet another C- on my essay and her writing away in her journal! Our conversation started with her asking me "What's in your heart?" I turned and stared at this complete stranger with an expression of "Excuse Me" on my face and she just repeated the question. I had to think at that moment because my heart was the last thing on my mind. I responded with "frustration" and left it at that. Of course she pursued....Why? she asked. I explained to her that my writing skills were less than acceptable and no matter how hard I tried they didn't seem to improve. Writing was not my major in school so I had started to feel that I would leave it at the C- and focus on other courses. She began to laugh....Quit over thinking it....write what you feel. She sat there for about an hour explaining to me that writing was like talking but with just a lot of bad punctuation and spelling! She didn't seem to think that talking was a problem for me, I'm embarrassed to admit it isn't...so why would writing be that difficult. We had lunch together for the next week while she kibitzed me about writing and even proof read some of my work.....not one red mark ever appeared! We laughed and talked about our lives, of course she had a few years of living on me but I was enthralled and amused by my new friend. My next assignment took me all of 1 hour to write and with a shaky hand turned it with no expectations. Two days later it was returned and I saw the BIG RED marks again...but this time they said "GOOD WORK MISS MANNING" I thoroughly enjoyed it!....and at the top of the page was a large perfectly sculpted "B+".
It doesn't matter if a person runs their sentences or their punctuation is off or a word here and there might be spelled wrong. What matters is the content, "What's in your heart"? I try to make my letters and stories come across as if I'm talking directly to the person. My vocabulary is okay, my punctuation is awful and often my sentences run off the page...but what does matter is....did I make you smile, was there a moment you were somewhere else? Happiness and contentment are what make a soul come alive and grow.....so I say lets show those "pearly whites" and write from "the heart"! Thank you Mrs. Elsie Graham for making my world a richer place because you added the magic!

Best Listeners Are.....

2011-06-16T08:55:00.000-07:00

This photo tugged at my heart when I saw it for the first time and now I have it sitting above my computer. Everytime I look at it I'm reminded who the best listeners are in my life. Being a good listener is a VERY important quality in a friend. Often our animal partners get little or no credit in this area because we seldom remember just how many times we talk to them....maybe we actually don't want to remember for fear of being thought of as eccentric, looney or just plain old! My animal buddies are with me more than any human and I do find myself bouncing ideas off of them like they're the CEO's of "Soft in the Head". Seamus (our orange cat) has been Dan's and my landlord for 12 years now and we count our blessings everyday he allows us to live with him! Issa Bee (our white cat) is the Vice President in charge of quality control and has no problem voicing her opinion about "EVERYTHING"! These two fur friends keep me entertained, know my secrets and ease my pain when the time calls for it! They have their "quirks", furballs being one of them, but that's a small price for always being there when I need to talk or someone to keep my feet warm on a rather cold night, sorry Dan! I recently lost my best fur friend, Casper, to cancer and now, a day does not go by that I don't think of him, but instead of a tear I smile and remember all the wonderful times we had and the long conversations, often one sided, we shared! Our fur buddies are an important part of our lives and their loyalty and devotion knows no limits....everything with them is unconditional! That reminds me I think we're out of treats....uh oh I'm goin' hear about that!!!!!

In Stitches on "Simply Primitives"...

2011-06-15T05:14:00.001-07:00

Almost didn't think I would have these little ladies up this month for "Simply Primitives". It seems our internet provider wanted to go on vacation and didn't tell its customers in Virginia! We have been without the internet for days! Funny how dependent we have become to our computers!
Anywho, I would like to introduce you to my newest little pin-keeps! Meet "Miss Prism" a very industrious little lady who owns her own sewing shop and her specialty are her ornate pins. Everyone in her small village loves to show off their new Miss Prism creation!
Next is "Millie" a sweet little mouse who has such a love for sewing or is it just the company she keeps while sewing....she belongs to the local sewing circle! Personally I think it is the gossip that Millie likes the best! Hope you will take some time and pop over to "Simply Primitives" and check out all the amazing talent there is! http://www.simplyprimitives.com/artisans/softinthehead.html

Red, White and Blue on PFATT.......

2011-06-10T05:07:00.000-07:00

The "Softee's" Are Getting Patriotic!
This month we here at the "House of Soft" felt like we needed to get a bit patriotic! With Memorial Day just passing and the 4th of July coming it just seemed like it was time! This month we have two mice and one cat.....hmmm hope they get along!
"Little Betsy" is a sweet little lady who likes to sew. She is attached to the top of a pin-cushion that is placed inside a vintage silver plated dessert dish! To make Little Betsy even more in the spirit of the season she has three "firecracker" pins in the pin-keep!
Next we have "Patriotic Pete" a cat of distinguished qualities. His job is to ring the bell of FREEDOM so we all never forget! You will find Ol' Pete in the town square everyday reminding us all with the sound of his bell!
Last but hardly least is "Twinkles" the happiest little mouse around. He is enjoying all the holidays with such glee! He has found a vintage patriotic coffee mug to frolic in and frolic is exactly what he is doing. I love making these little mohair mice, they always have such character! Twinkles has pos-able arms and legs and can be removed from the mug. His tail is holding a sparkler, hope it doesn't burn his tail!

Tough Times and Fairy Tales...

2011-06-08T06:43:00.000-07:00

We all grew up with the fantasies of "Fairy Tales". In fact we relate to them often in our everyday lives and share their lessons and characters with those that are closest to us, like our children. I believe our lives are our own personal "Fairy Tale" and it's always up to us to write the ending. Sure circumstances have a way of rearing their ugly head like the "wolf in sheep's clothing" but we, as a race, are a bunch of survivors and find ourselves waving our finger in the face of adversity and skipping along. It isn't always easy to see the positive of a negative but the world is about "balance" and that positive is hanging on just to keep everything in balance. We endure, we fight and scrap along and times wonder why is life so darn hard, then it happens....we see our kids laughing, a sparkle in the eyes of someone you love or even a miracle that you never saw coming. It's all about "Faith" and her ever lasting grip on us in the face of that adversity! Like many, I find solace in the stories of mythical creatures and happy endings. It's my escape from the reality that we all have to deal with on a day to day basis. I find this is why I create characters that bring smiles and happy memories....it's just my way of sharing this "Faith". There is not enough time in our lives to wander down this road with hatred and hostility...there is already enough pot holes in that road of life without us adding to them. Look at the "potholes" as swimming pools for the "Faeries or Wee Folk" and smile! We will all make it one way or another....Remember your path is just one of many on the road map of life so travel it well and with a smile!

Ideas.......

2011-06-02T09:04:00.001-07:00

Where Do Your Ideas Come From........
Are you one of those that keeps pad and paper next to your bed so you can jot down ideas. Some people have their best ideas as their tired brain starts to relax....you know that period between closing your eyes and deep sleep. I like to refer to it as "the sunset of your mind"! I know I often have the funniest concepts and truly bizarre ideas during this time. It often makes me wonder where I came from and what I was exposed to while I was growing up, lol! Most of the quirky and "teetering on edge" ideas definitely come from books that I have read and the stories I heard while growing up. I was fortunate enough to come from a family of "story tellers". True stories no one will ever know for sure but truly entertaining nonetheless! When I first started in this business I would often name my characters after my colorful family. When I ran out relatives the names and their personality started to develop on their own (hmmm that sounds scary)! I'm sure almost everything I do comes from something related to my colorful childhood.....you have no idea how colorful!!!! I'm also an avid reader and seem to find myself drifting towards the magical with a touch of whimsey! Halloween has always been a favorite of mine due to the fond memories I have of it as a child. Some of my ideas also come from the amazing people (characters) I meet in my life. Nothing amazes me more than the expressions that are made during a scary or embarrassing moment. Since my skills with human like characters is limited I find myself creating more with animals or magical characters. My PODDS (Portly Original Designer Dolls) are a favorite of mine and often emulate real life individuals that I find interesting.....like Phantom of the Opera, Albert Einstein, Colonel Sanders, or characters from Alice in Wonderland! It's important to me that my characters have props and are doing something, it makes them seem almost animated. I never surf the internet for ideas because I just don't want to look like anyone else....I need to stay true to myself which means there are times the well is a bit dry and creating is tough. Best thing for me is to go shopping and empty the brain!!!!! Nurseries and hardware stores are places of choice to shop....don't ask! Someone once said there is no such thing as an original idea....I beg to differ! Sure, there are a lot of mice, birds, cats, frogs and bears out there....but it's what you do with that design that makes it original and yours! I've started many trends and can definitely say they were mine and original...but that will get me nothing more than a touch of heartburn and hours of wasted time so why bother! An idea is an idea and if it's yours and you're one of kind then it's original!!!!

EHAG~Emporium is Comin'........Tonight!

2011-05-31T15:05:00.000-07:00

"Meet Mrs. Black" Newest Member of PODDS-ville.......
This little lady is taking to her broom and getting ready to make an appearance at the "EHAG~Emporium". She's hoping not to stay long but wants to say "Howdy Do" to a few friends and try to make some new living arrangements while she visits. Her bags are packed and she sold the stinky potions to her old neighbor who is having a problem with stink bugs, so it looks like Mrs. Night could be the "purrrfect" roommate! Except I don't think she has told anyone about her pet spider "Reggie"....he's kinda out grown his card board box and is now on a leash! Oh well, what someone doesn't know won't hurt them, kill them maybe but not hurt them! Good Luck Mrs. Black! Mrs. Black is made from painted muslin with a stitched and painted face. Her hair is sheep roving and her hat and shoes are wool felt. She wears a rather large red jewel brooch and has a wired pointy collar. She is weighted, but not to heavy to ride her favorite broom!

Here It Is Again....My Home......

2011-05-29T09:26:00.001-07:00

Again many of you have asked about my home....well here it is again. It's an old country store....something like you would see in "The Walton's". There are only four rooms in the entire home, a kitchen, living area (the biggest part) bedroom and a workroom/bedroom. Oh, I forgot we do have a bathroom, sometimes I feel an outhouse would be more appropriate considering the surroundings! LOL! This store is part of a "Historic" area up here in the Blue Ridge mountains and sits right on the "Carolina Trail" where many of our ancestors traveled to reach their destinations when this country was young and unsettled. You can still find broken pottery and arrowheads throughout the field behind us and often we see people doing just that.

Our home has a strange set-up and very little light (few windows)so the pictures are a bit jumbled. The main room is divided into our livingroom, familyroom and diningroom. It has the original counters, shelves and fixtures from the store when it was operational. Since I have virtually no closets or storage I use the shelves to stack my blankets and quilts or excess dishes. I do, however, have one corner of the store devoted to my beloved Halloween and it stays out 24/7cause a day without Halloween is like jello without bounce! The walls have chipped paint and rusty nails protruding out in random places....but they just add to the character of this old place. There are buggy whip holders hanging over one window and from the ceiling. We even have one of the original wood barrels that held orange syrup for drinks.

The original cash drawer is still inside a counter and even rings when it's pulled out. Like I said, tons of character. We even have a resident ghost or should I say ghosts. Apparently the land this old store sits on holds many spirits from days gone by and they often like to visit.....good thing I don't scare easily! All in all this place has many stories and tons of character. Good thing Dan and I don't mind the occasional invasion of natures critters or of the supernatural! We have an open invite to anyone that would like to visit....just give us advance warning so we can set some guidelines to our furry and spiritual friends!

"Ghoultide is Coming! Spooks are Afoot!

2011-05-25T05:28:00.000-07:00

Things That Go Bump In The Night.....Cool!
It's getting to be that time of year for me again "Ghoultide"!!!!! Of course "Ghoultide" isn't until September 30th, but for me it starts officially NOW! I have started playing the spooky music and surrounding myself with "creatures of night"....not live ones but pictures and old time memorbilla, I have trunks of goodies from Halloweens gone by! The inspiration is afoot and all I need to do is sit back and close my eyes and let my imagination do the work! Yea wish it was that easy!!!! Even though my
house may be haunted, yep you heard that right, my ghosts refuse to help out with anything that involves organized labor! They feel once they have scared the "beejeebus" out of me their job is done! This year I think I will be adding purple to my list of colors. I love purple and it just looks so "happy" amongst the "doom and gloom" of black and orange. Ideas of "Bats, Cats, Witches and Mice are playing tug-a-war in my head right now....where do I start? I will let you know where my muddled brain starts its journey! Until then "Have a BOO-tiful Day!

"To Prim or Not To Prim"......

2011-05-23T07:21:00.001-07:00

What Is Your Secret??????
Most "prim" artists, by now, know how to age their creations using common household products like tea, coffee or cinnamon. Over the years I have read numerous methods they use when applying these products.....they go from spraying, dipping, sponging and painting. Drying the creation also varies in process and some of these are quite extraordinary ranging from baking in an oven to hanging creations on a clothes line during a sunny day. Funny what we, as artists, will do to get that desired look we want, isn't it? I love trying new things and discovering what works best for me. I'm not much of a "follower" when it comes taking classes or reading instructions from someone else, I like to experiment....maybe I was a "mad" scientist in another life, lol, interesting thought! I have my own mixture of coffee that I use. I've tried many different variations but always come back to my own concoction of instant coffee, vanilla and sugar...sounds like a Starbucks drink huh? Also I have found that painting this mixture onto the fabric works best for me and using a blow dryer to dry the fabric limits the blotches, though some artists like blotches, I'm not one of them. The primitive and aged look is truly one of my favorites though I'm not a real big fan of the "extreme primitive" look, I like the more whimsical look and using my method of drying keeps the blotches down to a minimum all the while giving the creation a nice aged look and feel. I not only paint the body with my coffee concoction but I also paint the clothing once the character is dressed. This gives the clothing a stiff and crumbled look which is often perfect for something that is used and old. Using ground cinnamon in all the nooks and crannies of you character also helps enhance the lines in your characters face or just to make it look worn. Primitive doll making is fun and almost fool proof. I've even found using common everyday inexpensive hairspray to seal the cinnamon on the surface of your doll works fantastic with little or no harmful fumes and it's a blast to use when making hair dos with roving! Time to mix up another batch of my "primitive glop" and get to work!

Stopping Time......

2011-05-16T05:35:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Sweet Cassaundra (Casey to us).....
There are times as a parent that you wish that old saying "put a brick on their head to stop them from growing" had been true, then again how exciting would the adventure have been? Our daughter turns 38 today and with that comes a whirlwind of memories mixed with tears and smiles. If someone had told me 38 years ago that I would be sitting here today with this heart of mine ready to burst with love and in utter amazement at her accomplishments I don't think I would have been surprised. Dan and I always knew our kids were smarter than us from time they could walk so to see Casey become the woman she is....not surprised at all. Now maybe the paths she took to get here could have chosen a bit more wisely but, who out there can say that all their choices were wise ones? There are lessons to learn and hurdles to leap to develop our character.....so lets just say Casey is full of character, lol! She has become my best friend and my rock! Her wisdom never ceases to amaze me and the patience and understanding she shows with her three little boys is building such a strong foundation for them in their lives. I know they will grow to be exceptional young men because their mother wants nothing less for them. Often we wish we could go back in time and change something because we all want lives without regret.....but if everything that has transpired in the past needed to happen to make today the way it is I would NOT change a thing! I have a beautiful, inside and out, daughter who is a wife, mother, nurse, teacher, actor, singer and author. She is funny and witty with a bit of her mothers sense of humor! She has her fathers sense of integrity, optimism and that twinkle in the eye that keeps you guessing. I am so thankful everyday that we were blessed with this gift 38 years ago......now lets see what the next 38 will bring!

I'm Getting "Cheesy" on "Simply Primitives".......

2011-05-14T15:47:00.000-07:00

All 3 are SOLD....
Well, it seems this month on "Simply Primitives" I'm getting a tad "cheesy" with all the little mice. I have a enchanting little lady named "AnnaBelle" that is dressed in an antique doll slip and trimmed with all kinds of vintage laces and ribbons and even a piece of an old antique wedding dress. It seemed the only right thing to do was to attach her to a old looking brass candlestick to complete the entire look. I'm definitely having a tough time parting with this one!
Next I tried something a bit different, I used a wooden box that is a small suitcase and made it into a pin-keep....this is "Mimi's Sewing Box" and attached to it is Mimi the Mouse! Mimi is also dressed in some beautiful vintage laces and ribbons and she has been doing some much needed stitching to the pin-keep. This turned out so sweet!
Last but not least....we have little Miss Sunny and her box of seeds. Sunny is dressed like a bright and happy flower with her little packet of seeds. The box actually has sunflower seeds in it. See I told ya....I'm a bit cheesy this month on "Simply Primitives"! Hope you'll all come over and take a step into the world of yesterdays by visiting the amazing artists on "Simply Primitives"!

Mother Nature Is Not Happy!

2011-05-11T08:43:00.000-07:00

We've all grown up with the stories about "Mother Nature" and developed our own opinion of who or what she is. Mother Nature has a huge influence on my beliefs and my way of life. Lately I have noticed that she's not very happy and has created some pretty nasty scenarios! Last night my house was struck by lightening and literally fried my husbands computer and all the Direct TV receivers in the house. I'll never forget sitting there watching NCIS and POW! It seemed like the whole place lit up and shook! I remember feeling my hair on my arms stand up and my heart race! What an experience! My dear friend Lori Ann Corelis said she thought "Mother Nature was going through menopause".....well I don't think she's far off the mark with that comment! The weather lately has been anything but normal for any of us! It's been SCARY! Time to plant a tree and some flowers in homage to a very upset, and rightly so, goddess! I think I would be extremely upset if my home were being threatened with devastation and pollution by the guests you allow to live with you! I promise to recycle and be kind....no more lightening bolts PLEASE!!!!!!!

PFATT Marketplace for April.......

2011-05-09T17:51:00.001-07:00

Smorgasbord of Fun on PFATT......
I had so much fun creating this month for PFATT... I have a bit of everything from a pirate mouse to "sour puss" cats and a couple of very funny PODDS! The two cats are part of my "Sour Puss" line. They're called this because of their dour expressions. I also went with a smaller cat, these girls are only 13" tall and mounted on wood bases. The black and white dressed cat is "Vanity" cause she loves looking at herself in the mirror and the orange and black dressed cat is "Evilynn" because you never know what she might be brewing in her pot.
The next little character on PFATT is the "Not So Jolly Roger". I just love this little pirate mouse. He was so much fun to create and just "oozes" personality! I think he would have better luck fishing if he had bait!
I'm always asked when I will have more "PODDS"....well you're in luck! This month on PFATT. I have two new PODDS..."The Colonel" a tofu eating chicken and "Swine Lake" a ballet dancing pig named Rosebud. I always wondered what Colonel Sanders would look like as a chicken and now I know. As far as Rosebud the pig....we all need to have a ballet dancing pig in our lives, right? Anywho...here are my new characters this month on the "PFATT Marketplace"...hope you will take some time and visit this site and see all the amazing artists represented there!

Seeing Possibilities......

2011-05-05T07:16:00.001-07:00

Most of the time the easiest part to my job is seeing possibilities in oddball pieces of junk/history. I love taking objects that have been forgotten and turn them into treasures of today! Having a sense of humor or as some might say "quirkiness" helps when I look at an odd piece and envision it as something completely different. Take that old rusty lantern in the picture....you see a rusty lantern, I saw a "Jack-O-Lantern"....the lantern as the body and a pumpkin for the head, hence "Jack-O-Lantern!" Most of my ideas for my characters come from seeing an object, the idea pops into my head and the work begins. The other day I saw a piece from a beehive spool sitting on my table. It reminded me of the pillars of a pier....from that I got fishing...from that I got a castaway and finally I arrived at a pirate mouse sitting on a stump fishing named "Not So Jolly Roger"! This is how my mind often works...in stages, but it takes something to ignite the flame and before long I have a roaring fire! How does your mind work? What sparks your flame to creativity?

It's the Little Things.....

2011-05-03T08:05:00.001-07:00

Time has a way of showing us the importance of those fleeting moments that carry with them the essence of who and what we are, and why our lives have meaning and substance. Just like the picture of Grandpa (Dan) sitting for a moment with his grandson Jude and reading. The excitement and memory of this moment will last with us forever. Little things we do without thought or planning often result in the best memories. I use to tell my kids when they were young that we weren't going to have a vacation we were going to create a memory! Memories are what we carry with us through out time and often get us through those difficult and uncomfortable situations that life throws our way. I know that when I'm unhappy and blue I find going through the pictures of times gone by will put a smile on my face and some warmth in my heart. Even though my family is scattered to the four corners of this planet it's the pictures and stories attached to the pictures that keeps us together. When someone says a picture is worth a thousand words they weren't kidding! Even if I couldn't be there for Abby's (our granddaughter) first day of school the pictures I have lets me share in her smile and excitement.....Or when Jude passed swimming...or when Eli (our grandson) made a new friend with the neighbors dog and Ethan (our grandson) became a rock star! These are little things that hold so much love and need to be shared. Our kids have learned so much from their granola eating, tree hugging and dirt worshiping parents! Ah yes... it is the little things in life that often create the biggest hugs and smiles!

EHAG~Emporium is Open!

2011-04-30T18:08:00.000-07:00

Miss Patchouli..... SOLD
Thought it was about time I added a little mohair character to the to my Halloween inventory. This little lady measures 7" tall and is mounted on top a wooden base. She is dressed in a black velvet cape and hat with some very vintage looking ribbon added for trim. In her small arms, which are pos-able, she is carrying a sculpted (by me) pumpkin. Her face is hand stitched and the black eyes are glass . Let Miss Patchouli come and cast a spell at your house! Visit on the wonderful treasures on the....EHAG~Emporium!

Holding On......

2011-04-29T07:38:00.001-07:00

Do any of you artists out there hold onto any of the pieces you create? Is there just one that you can't bear to part with? Marley was mine....I have always had a soft spot for ghosts at Halloween and then there is the "Christmas Carol" at Christmas, soooo to capture my fondness of my two favorite times of the year I made Marley. I do sell the pattern on my website: www.softinthehead.com but I was never able to part with my model. He sits in my Halloween Corner inside one of the vintage built-in drawers....kind of a place of honor. I have no idea why this guy just called out to me but he did and everytime I look at him I have no regrets in keeping him for myself. There have been many times I've gotten excited upon the completion of a character and thought to myself "wow" but they still didn't touch me the way this ol' primitive ghost has.....Maybe the "Art Gods" were giving me something they thought I needed, a piece of my artsy soul to hold on to, and I thank them!

Friends of All Types.....

2011-04-28T06:04:00.001-07:00

As we grow older we reflect many times at how our lives have turned out and often share these reflections with friends and family. It always seemed to me that friends were much more accepting of our decisions than family. Is it because friends just like to share in the adventure? I know mine always did cause I was the adventurous type and loved to live life to the absolute fullest. With this being my nature it was always a comforting thought to know that my friends had my back as well as my legs, arms and head! Now with the years rapidly creeping up and taking hold I've had to slow down (much to the relief of many) but my mind is still as adventurous as it was in my 20's. My friends have also slowed down but our phone calls and visits are still filled with laughter and stories. Though the years have separated many of us and we all have walked down much different paths we still have that connection that bonds us together. If I were to place all of us in a room at one time I think you would see the humor that grows when we're together. None of us are alike....we differ in sex, color, weight, height, religion and nationality but the one constant is, that we were there for each other when we needed it most and that unspoken bond keeps us tightly woven together like a VERY colorful quilt! One can have all types of friends, the more types the bigger the adventure!

Feeling Grounded........

2011-04-26T06:56:00.000-07:00

"My Church"
My favorite place of reflection and solitude has always been the Redwood forests in California. I can still remember, after 50 years, my first time entering the realm of these majestic symbols of time. The sun was literally blocked out by their giant size. As you stand there in "awe" you feel and see the mist rising and curling around your legs. You feel as though you have entered a mystical faerie land as you stand there waiting to be greeted by the wee folk. Time has stood still for these giants. I knew when I first saw them that this was "my church" and that my connection with God was stronger here than anywhere else in the world. All that had seemed impossible became possible when embraced in the magic of these giants. They had changed me forever.

To many that know me I'm a "tree-hugger" and a "dirt worshiper". As comical as it sounds it's true. I find joy in the simplest of things, like watching the colors change on a praying mantis or seeing how the moon rises over the tips of the trees on a clear night. I will never forget seeing my first "Twig" bug! They really do look like a twig! All this is magic to me and gives me peace within my soul and the strength to endure what comes my way. I want my grandkids to learn and enjoy the mystical psychology of the earth because it is a part of all of us. I feel it only makes you a better person and able to be more understanding and forgiving of others when you have a strong connection with nature. As John Muir quoted: "When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world". Okay everyone, now go out there and hug a tree, lol.....

The Love of Dust Catchers......

2011-04-22T05:41:00.000-07:00

My Eclectic Soul...and Then Some.....
Are any of you like me, you collect "stuff"? My collections are many and cover a huge arena. I guess I would say my Halloween collection, small and humble as it is, would be my favorite and second would be my collection of signed 1st edition books, the older the better! Of course you could throw in there my obsession for clocks, old trunks, antique quilts and the occasion rustic and often non-functioning rocking chair! Gosh I'm a mess! After reading this I think I need therapy! Good thing I live in an old rustic and battered looking country store huh, cause my obsessions feel right at home here! I do love the fact that I have a corner where I can keep my Halloween up 24/7. Since these pictures were taken I have added pieces from Allen Cunningham, Scott Smith, Carolee Clark, Cathy Pendelton and Nicole Sayer, so it has grown! One of my all time favorite things is that raggedy old witches hat which is actually a "Sorting Hat" puppet! My grandsons loved it! Most of the Halloween pieces I have were gifts from family and friends and even if they aren't valuable "money wise" they are very valuable to me "love wise"! Up on one the shelves of my Halloween corner I have a dozen or more copies of antique books about witches from fairy tales to actual accounts of the Salem witch trails. Vintage and antique books about witches are difficult to find but I'm always looking. You will also notice one of my own characters, "Marley the Ghost". This is the only piece of my own work I own. When I finished him I fell in love and couldn't part with him....glad I kept him! My house has no rhyme or reason and would never make it into any magazine of "House Beautiful" but it is comfortable and fun. Everyone that visits feels at home and entertained at the same time! If what they say is true and your house is a reflection of yourself....."Holy Jumpin' Jelly Beans" I'm in serious trouble!!!!!! It's All Dan's Fault!!!!!

Being Careful.......

2011-04-21T07:32:00.000-07:00

Sometimes doing business on the internet can be like the "cat up a tree" with no way down! We become vulnerable the more we put ourselves out there, but that's part of business. Exposure is everything. The internet has given us this amazing tool to do just that....get our name/business out there for the world to see, but with this comes what I like to refer to as the "internet darkside". I'm hardly computer savvy and I'm constantly learning the very basic necessities of the computer world but without it my business would not be thriving the way it is! Being online gives me the freedom to work from home and on my own schedule. Even when I take a vacation my business goes with me via my laptop. Closing ones website down, for any reason, to me is ludicrous, people do like to window shop! I do, however, have my guard up often when involving myself in new ventures like selling sites, forums, Facebook and even my blog. We truly never know who will be on the other side of that monitor! The internet allows the user to virtually become anyone they want without ever being responsible for their deception. They can hide behind "private walls", fake IPS, and have numerous Facebook and/or Twitter ids and even use a fake identity to slip in where they aren't wanted. Everything is on their terms by protecting themselves from any confrontation dealing with their questionable behavior. You think I'm kidding...I wish I was! Like many, I have learned this through painful but eye opening experiences. The whole reason for this post is I just recently had a conversation with a severely traumatized individual regarding a situation that they had while doing business with someone they met on Facebook. Since I've been around for some time I was familiar with who they were dealing with and counseled them the best way I could. I wish there was a way that we could all avoid drama like that and enjoy what being online can offer both as a business and as a consumer. I think the best solution now is to communicate with each other, especially with those that travel in the same circles. If your leery about anyone and question their ethics ask someone you know and trust, they might just know who they are and can help you. People like this burn many bridges and will eventually run out of individuals to hurt and deceive. This is how my new Facebook friend found me when confronted with their unfortunate experience, they asked others in the same circle. There is always someone that knows the truth......so ask!

Scary Times.......

2011-04-20T09:29:00.001-07:00

From Fantasy to Being to Real.......
We all grew up with the images of Dorothy and Toto being sucked up and flying along in their house by a tornado but NEVER did any of us ever think that a tornado might pay us a visit some stormy night or day! Growing up partially in Texas I came to understand the terror that one of these weather monsters creates and prayed that I would never have to live anywhere that I could be touched by one. Well I guess it doesn't matter any longer where one lives because they seem to be landing just about everywhere. My brother just had one in Oregon in the mountains where he lives. Took out part of a forest....never heard of such a thing! Here in Virginia seven innocent souls lost their lives to a onslaught of these wind demons this last weekend....again I never thought here in Virginia we would have this fear but I guess I was wrong. Many of the homes around me, mine included, don't have basements or a safe place to hide if one does occur. I guess we just keep our eyes closed and faith open that we make it through! With every sound of thunder my heart skips a beat now. I use to love thunder storms but now they are bringing this menace with them and there is no escape from its destruction if it finds you! The days of thinking that a ride in a tornado brings a land of magic and fantasy are over because this is real and very dangerous. Please Everyone Be Safe!

Is Silence Golden...or Not?

2011-04-19T06:18:00.000-07:00

The Sounds You Work By...........
After a conversation I had with my dear friend Carolee yesterday I began to wonder, "Do you like silence when you work or do you have music, television, movies or books on CD in the background?" Me, personally, I love books on CD cause believe it or not it's actually hard for me to read and sew at the same time....I know you all think I'm this amazing person but I do have my limits (of course I'm saying this with a huge smirk on my rather large face) and I LOVE books! My second favorite is music. Since I'm not a big fan of t.v., music is often playing either from my computer or my small stereo. I find time goes by much faster as I listen to something that sparks my inner "whimsy" and creative spirit! Of course there's always that impromptu interruption of cats who think they can carry a tune or my growling stomach...but when music is playing I get lost in thought and work. I have also noticed that some music can actually have an affect on the humor or lack of, that might go into one of my characters. Many artists that I know listen to Christmas music in the summer months to get inspired as they create for winter shows...this works for me and I'm not afraid to admit it! I can "jingle" with the best of them in July!!!! Notice I said jingle not jiggle! So here in my "humble" little niche of a work space I have my entertainment to keep me trekking along and inspired. Now if I could just teach those "furballs" to stay on key!!!!!

Simply Primitives This Month........

2011-04-14T12:35:00.001-07:00

"Chir-r-r-p".......
"Simply Primitives" goes up tonight or tomorrow morning, never know for sure when.....anywho I'd like to introduce some new "Softees". The little ladies pictured left are a group known as "Chir-r-r-p". They love to sing and NEVER miss an opportunity to do so! Each little lady is mounted on top a keepsake mache box and dressed in vintage lace.

Next is little "Toby" the mischievous mouse. He decided to skip Sunday school and go fly his kite.....boy is his mama going to be upset! This little guy was so much fun to make and just makes me smile when I look at him....kinda reminds me of my grandsons! Toby is actually wearing a piece from a vintage sweater! He is firmly attached to a wooden base and will look great placed on a shelf or sitting on top of a rustic table or desk.

The bunny I have on "Simply Primitives" is a design that goes back to the beginning of "Soft in the Head" before whimsy took over. Meet "Nana"....she is a grandmother who loves to indulge her grandchildren with stories and poems, often reading to them at night as they lie snuggled in bed! I love how she turned out and especially love the vintage lace (thank you Joycee) that trims her dress and the eyelet used for her cap. The book that Nana is holding is an antique leather bound book of poems. Everything about this little lady screams "vintage"....Hope you will pay a visit to "Simply Primitives" to see all the wonderful treasures offered from the wonderful artists!

Ducks In A Row Or.......

2011-04-14T06:18:00.000-07:00

Bottoms Up???????
It seems to me that no matter how much planning one makes to get their life to have a sense of normalcy some little "gremlin", with a wicked sense of humor, likes to make an appearance and muck it up! I guess if it wasn't for those occasional "muck-ups" life might get dull or un-entertaining! At this point in my life I think I would welcome dullness with my arms spread wide and inviting! You often hear people refer to the comment "old age sucks" well I'm here to say "YEP" it does, well at least the health issues that go with it do! It seems that the occasional "tune up" at the doctor's office is no longer sufficient to keep your engine purring like a kitten. You find you can no longer gun your engine without some wicked exhaust or a minor explosion occurring which results in changing the fuel you use or purchasing an extremely expensive additive to prevent anymore embarrassing flare-ups!! To bad there isn't a body shop that takes coupons for a complete over-haul both internal and external! Then again, if there was, I don't think I have that much time slotted to be away from my business without going out of business! Ah yes...I believe it is time to embrace the inevitable and learn to live with insomnia, backaches and indigestion....BUT I refuse to deal with gray hair, facial hair and wrinkles like a pro! Nope not gunna do it! If I have to stock up on Clairol, Nair and Oil of Olay this woman is not going down without a fight! Now if I could just find the coordination to juggle life's little interruptions without falling on my face or breaking something I think I might just be able to live to be 150! Just think of it 90 more years of being "Soft in the Head"!

A Good Junk Store Is...........

2011-04-12T05:58:00.000-07:00

"Heaven On Earth!" I find that when I need a break from reality I dive into the past with a vengeance! Not just a neat and pretty past but one that has stories of hard work, family and life! Ever notice that the things you truly love are the things you use the most from a favorite shirt to that dog eared book you have read over and over. Well this is how I look at junk stores. I find treasures with rust and dents and use them one last time to create a piece that will, hopefully, be treasured once again and make the new owner smile everytime they look at it. I find the greatest pieces of odds and ends to add to my characters or actually use it as the foundation for the character. My "Jack O'Lanterns were a HUGE hit at Ghoultide last year. I remember the look on my husbands face when I purchased these rusty non-function-able kerosene lanterns, lol, it was so funny! Once I added my pumpkin heads and began to give them a personality he got it and smiled! They were such a hit! I love old clocks and am always keeping my eyes open for one with character, working or not. Clocks inspire me so much. I think to myself about the stories a clock could tell if they were able....like a young girl waiting for her first date or seeing the minutes, that seem like hours, tick by as you wait for her to come home! I wonder how many times a clock has heard the profanity of someone who is late for work, school or an appointment or the punished child waiting for the time to be up so he can go outside and play.....just so many stories! I could spend hours wandering around the most disgusting and dirty junk stores just hoping to find that right item that will help my characters come to life! Old books are one of my all time favorite junk store finds and I have shelves filled to prove it! I have a house filled with discarded pieces of furniture that I have waxed and oiled and given new life. I never removed the dings or scrapes because that's part of the history that I love about my pieces. I have an old trunk that came off a ship in the Boston Harbor in the late 1800's and one that made it's way from New York to California in 1906. I collect pieces of quilts and frame them. I have one from the civil war and two from before the war of the states, the colors are amazing. I didn't need the whole quilt just a piece that normally would have been discarded but now I have it on my wall. I find a good "junk store" therapeutic and enlightening.....it also makes me feel as though my time here on earth will be remembered through my simple possessions, whether who has them ever knows my name or not my life lives on in the things I used and loved......

Need Brainfood for "Ghoultide"......

2011-04-11T05:35:00.001-07:00

From the looks of my work table I might have been munching on flies as brainfood.....I have frogs leaping from everywhere! This must be the "Ghoultide" year for frog-mania from "Soft in the Head"! We have short frogs, long frogs, frogs with teeth and frogs with feet, frogs wearing feathers and frogs wearing leather.....seems to me I need to either get some much needed sleep or change the name of my business to "Frogs in the Head"! I never knew there were so many ways I could make a frog look, lol....I realized I might be having a problem when I bought out all the green paint from my local craft store and then asked when the next shipment was due. I'm beginning to think the employees there think I'm either drinking the stuff or found a new recipe that requires green paint in the mix. Are frogs really that popular? Maybe by the time I'm finished they will be. It seems I have a frog for every taste, unless you seriously don't like the green amphibians, but maybe after you see my "green folk" you might change your mind cause they are definitely a smile maker! Here's to the year of the frog at "Ghoultide"...Needless to say things are truly "jumping" (snicker snicker) here at "Soft in the Head"!

PFATT Marketplace for April.......

2011-04-09T15:13:00.000-07:00

Spring is in the Air........................
Among all this rain fall I still feel like spring is lurking somewhere! This month on the "Marketplace" I have decided to try something a bit different for me. There's "Mrs. Bodeen" named after the gentleman that always introduces everyone to "Motel 6" with "we'll keep the light on for ya"....Well Mrs. Bodeen will do the same at her Inn. It's a new rabbit design for me complete with a full head of black hair twisted into a matronly bun.

Next we have a little guy named "Hemmet". He is a curious little hedgehog who is all decked out for Easter. His favorite thing is collecting those colored eggs and it looks like he might just have a good jump on it! Working with mohair is something totally new for me and this guy was so much fun. I truly love that long "hedgehog" looking mohair, it's quite authentic looking!

Last but hardly least is "Mabel"...my little mohair bunny! Now Mabel may be small in stature but she is huge in personality! Little Mabel here is quite ready for her day at church with the other lady bunnies. She's wearing her finest bottle cap hat and pearls! Now anyone that knows about Sunday's at church know that there is nothing better than good set of pearls! I hope everyone will enjoy my new characters as much as I enjoy making them.....Check out the PFATT Marketplace for all the amazing talent!

Music.....Friend or Foe?

2011-04-04T08:36:00.001-07:00

Reading to Someone Else's Music.......

How do you feel about "blog" music? Personally I love it and try to select pieces that others will enjoy and also enhance the pictures on my blog. It was brought to my attention recently that the music may deter individuals from paying me a visit and I should re-consider. I must admit that the selections I find on some other blogs may not be to my liking but I thought that was what an "on and off" switch was for????? I enjoy music so much and I'm a VERY eclectic soul when it comes to my choices. You might even find some of my music is sang in different languages but the tempo, THE MUSIC, reaches us all and I just love anything that moves me. I am a huge fan of Bluegrass and have a few selections of that on my blog because I realize it isn't for everyone....but it sure does make me smile and makes me want to shake my rather large backside and stomp my feet! My work is often created from the sounds of these tunes and depending the mood of the music, has a direct influence on the expression one might see on my characters faces! Let me know how you feel about my music and if the majority says to loose it than I will consider it! Notice I said "consider" it! I LOVE TO BOOGIE!!!!!

Thanks Lynn...

2011-04-01T06:44:00.001-07:00

For Introducing me to James Christensen!
I love art!!! I must admit though, my mind and tastes are VERY eclectic and encompass a huge realm of "likes". When anyone asks me what I collect I just snicker, or is that my husband snickering, anywho....I collect what I love... from vintage copies of first edition books to framed scraps of time worn quilts. I guess what it all comes down to is "I collect what makes me feel good"! My Halloween collection, for example, won't garner any huge dollar amount if sold at auction but each piece I have I cherish and remember who made it or where it came from. The same goes for all the artful items I have...I have original pieces from Disney that are 50-60 years old and a couple more modern day pieces from an unknown artists of today, but I treasure each equally.

I have to give a big "shout out" to a dear collector and new friend Lynn Westmoreland for introducing me to "James Christensen" and his work.....simply breath-taking! I look at his work and travel to all kinds of places and experience amazing adventures. Everytime I look at his art I see something new and exciting! Thank you Lynn....James Christensen is now on my proverbial "wishlist"! I had better hurry and start making some of those wishes come true cause life is getting a tad shorter each day, :o). I believe, to surround ourselves with anything that makes us smile, dream and feel alive is the best gift we can ever give ourselves. Soooo whatcha think...maybe I should go shopping?