65 days and counting......

I now have just 65 days till Tower House Dolls closes its doors.  That's not much time to do everything which needs to be done, plus being so poorly for the past 6 weeks has effectively lost me the whole of January.

Needless to say I have several lists on the go, utilising my time-honoured practice of writing down stuff to do then waiting patiently for the stuff to be done.  It's never worked but I continue to live in hope.  

However the knowledge that there are just 65 days has galvanised me into something approaching action and I've made a start on my final sale list.  It's hard deciding what to keep and what has to go but with each passing day I'm sure it will get easier as I gradually lose the will to live.  In my defence, I've already gone through all my boxes of vintage lace and have now started on my trimmings and fabrics, which admittedly will be harder to whittle down.

In addition,  there are all the boxes of components and miniature bit and pieces.                          Miniature tools                                                                                                                                                Books and patterns                                                                                                                                          Miniatures from my own collection....  there's a LOT to sort out.

Also, while the next 65 days will be a whirlwind of activity I can't yet clearly see what lies beyond.  Hopefully a re-modelled hobby room, where I can be messily creative without the need to focus on what might sell.  

Whatever happens, it will definitely be strange.... I'm feeling a bit unmoored already!

Advent Box reveals.....!

Christmas may already feel like a distant memory, but in recent weeks I've been receiving emails from people who bought my Advent Boxes and who've made up all the kits!

Tanya's finished Advent Box kits from the 25 days!

Tanya even made a little video almost every day when she was opening the packs and then again after she'd made up each kit.

• The box arrives
• Day 1...   and   Finished Kit 
• Day 2...  and    Finished Kit
• Day 3...   and   Finished Kit
• Day 4...   and   Finished Kit
• Day 5...   and   Finished Kit
• Day 6...   and   Finished Kit
• Day 7...   and    Finished Kit
• Day 8...   and   Finished Kit
• Day 9...   and   Finished Kit
• Day 10... and   Finished Kit
• Day 11...  and   Finished Kit
• Day 12... and   Finished Kit
• Day 13... and   Finished Kit
• Day 14... and   Finished Kit
• Day 15... and   Finished Kit
• Day 16... and   Finished Kit
• Day 17... and   Finished Kit
• Day 18... and  Finished Kit
• Day 19... and   Finished Kit
• Day 20... and  Finished Kit
• Day 21... and  Finished Kit
• Day 22... and  Finished Kit
• Day 23... and  Finished kit
• Day 24... and  Finished Kit
• Day 25... and  Finished Kit

I also had these photos from Louise of her Marotte Toy and Noelle Toy Dolls....

Thank you so much to everyone who contacted me.... my Advent Box was truly a labour of love but seeing these wonderful results makes it all worthwhile.  😊

Eeeek.....!!!

Today marked another very important step in winding down Tower House Dolls.  A helpful 'man with a van' just turned up to collect my lovely kiln, plus several boxes of dollmaking equipment, doll moulds, porcelain slip, and assorted related items and take everything to the new owner in Cambridgeshire.

I've been feeling low-level panicky all morning as it is now the point of no return when the prospect of retirement becomes properly real and there's no going back.  I even had a dream last night where I ran down the road behind the van, screaming at it to stop as I'd changed my mind.  

I've had various kilns over the past 35 years and they've always been a sort of security blanket.  My last one has definitely been the best, with its computer controlled, programmable controller, which has ensured perfect firings time after time, and none of the guesswork of earlier, more primitive models.  

Thankfully, to avoid terminal withdrawal symptoms, I have a reasonable stock of little porcelain dolls, which I can dress as and when the fancy takes me. 

I've also liberated a lot of space in my workroom, which I suppose I should now rename.

Hobby Room sounds a bit naff.  As does Craft Room.  I'll have to give it some thought......

Meh......

Next in an occasional series titled "You Couldn't Make It Up" and I'm now two weeks into an intractable chest infection which started between Christmas and New Year.  It's been made worse by being on high dose corticosteroids to treat the colitis flare, which have suppressed my admittedly rubbish immune system, allowing the infection to take hold.  Heavy duty antibiotics have helped, but I'm still really unwell with a hacking cough, intractable nerve pain (yeah.... thanks MS) and zero energy.  Even the 10 second commute from sofa to kitchen requires a lie down to recuperate afterwards. 

And it's not just me.  PP is poorly too, with the same lurgy, although hers has manifested as as a really bad cold.  However, we both have epic coughs and are taking turns glugging double strength cough medicine, honey and lemon drinks and assorted cough pastilles.

So.... not a great start to the year, with both of us ill.  I'm unable to do anything much, apart from rest and try to limit the coughing bouts, which exhaust me even more.  With so much to do it's really frustrating but currently I've no choice but to wait it out.  

Also, despite my best efforts, I've been unable to source any of this, which looks as though it would cure just about anything.  Or at least make me not care.....