Fox and Ox Dolls, and a Rose Update

I've been working on some new dolls lately.  I just finished some fox dolls and kits which are now for sale in my Ety shop.  I just listed them this morning, and they have already been favorited by people from England, Greece, Canada, Israel, and Denmark, as well as the US.  Apparently foxes are popular the world round!

Hazel

Lavinia

Sadie

The roses that I rooted are doing well.  Only one didn’t make it, all the others have little leaves and look healthy and happy.

Last but not least, I wanted to show off the little ox doll I made for my brother-in-law’s birthday tomorrow.  He’s part of a silly joke about “foxes” versus “oxen” dolls and I think he turned out quite well.  I especially like his little horns!

Award Time!

  Melissa from The Crafty Panda Girl has given me with a Liebster award for blogging.  I feel like Ugly Betty when she got her Blobby.  Excited, honored, and without a clue what it is.
  Turns out it's a networking tool for bloggers, a bit like a chain letter, but instead of scaring people with bad luck if they don't participate, it just gives new bloggers accolades if they do, as well as extra exposure and hopefully, more followers.

‘Liebster means ‘favorite’ or ‘dearest’ in German.  This award, which originated in Germany, recognizes up and coming bloggers with fewer than 200 followers.

Melissa awarded me the Liebster, so I go to her blog http://thecraftypandagirl.blogspot.com/ to get my award, and thank her in a comment, as well as adding a link to her blog on mine.  Next, I choose 5 new recipients, and award them the Liebster as well.  If they want to participate, they do the same and we all get more exposure and readers.  It sounds like a win-win situation to me.  I looked at lots of blogs from people who are on Etsy teams with me, and here are my new awardees.  Please take a peek at their lovely blogs!

http://balmyatticarts.blogspot.ca/

http://deepmidnightperfumeoils.blogspot.com/

http://virginiadiakaki.blogspot.com/

http://sarawenperfume.blogspot.com/

http://theengineerandthegypsy.blogspot.com/

Coloring Eggs

This year I thought it would be fun to use natural dyes to color eggs for Easter.  I looked at lots of recipes and decided which spices and vegetables looked like they would make the best dyes.  I used things like blueberries, red and yellow onions, and tumeric and paprika.

 Beets for red eggs

 Red cabbage for purple

Spinach for green

Some steeped in hot water

Some boiled in saucepans

They looked like rich beautiful dyes when I put the eggs in...

But they all came out pale and sickly, or without any color at all.

So, in the end, I used regular old food coloring on brown eggs from my neighbor's chickens, and I got the rich earthy jewel tones I had been hoping for.  Conclusion:  natural dyes are fun, but they (at least the ones I tried) don't produce much color.  Brown eggs and food coloring work very well!

My finished eggs, a combination of natural dyes and food coloring on brown eggs.  Have a very happy Easter!