Christmas Dolls for the Fantasy Lover to Make

There are only a few holiday movies I really must see each year, The Grinch, since Dr. Seuss has been one of my heroes since I was five…and Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. I adore Burton’s taste for the unusual. Both are fantasy-lovers’ dream worlds.

One of my hobbies is knitting and crocheting. I’ve done needle projects for decades and constantly look for interesting patterns and yarns. This year, I’m thrilled to have stumbled upon patterns for crocheted dolls of the main characters of The Nightmare Before Christmas. I really need to squeeze out some time to make these. I can’t decide which I like best or will make first.

Zero by Lizville

He is too cute! The pattern is available directly on Lizville’s website.

Jack Skellington by Sunshyne Leland

I like how Jack can be made poseable by inserting pipe cleaners into his I-cord legs and arms. After all, Jack doesn’t just hang around—he’s always up to something! This is the easiest pattern, and good thing since as the main character you may end up needing to make more than one for friends and family.

This pattern is available for free as a download through the Ravelry website—a free online community of needle crafters. http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/jack-skellington

Patch Doll Amigurumi Pattern by Irene Strange

I love the detailing of her dress! This pattern is available as a free download on Irene Strange’s website.

Description from her site:

She’s a rather tall girl, a whopping 12 inches in her tiny green shoes and socks when made with 4-ply wool and 2.5mm hook. But if you use a bigger hook size she can get even taller!

This pattern uses tables for all parts, with added diagrams and pictures to help along the way. There are also step by step photos detailing how to begin crochet, assemble the parts and finish the embroidery. You will mostly need basic stitches - although the embroidery and assembly may take a bit of time, it won’t take longer than a couple of evenings to do.

Which of these is your favorite? Now if I could only find a pattern to make a good Grinch. Can’t find one I like. Anyone have ideas?

[Cross-posted at my personal blog, Illusions of Intimacy.] 

~ ~ ~ Marsha A. Moore is a writer of fantasy romance. The magic of art and nature spark life into her writing. She is the author of the novel, TEARS ON A TRANQUIL LAKE, the first in a trilogy. Part two, TORTUGA TREASURE is contracted for release in January, 2012. Look for her first of an epic fantasy romance series, SEEKING A SCRIBE: ENCHANTED BOOKSTORE LEGENDS ONE, to be available early 2012.

The Finish Line

On the 16^th of the month, I came down with something nasty. Pneumonia.  It stopped me for five days.  But, after the initial feverish days I got back into the wip for NaNo.  Still coughing and feeling like well, you know.  I finished NaNo.  Now, I don’t think a months of sleep isn’t going to be enough to get over the exhaustion I feel.  But, I also feel exhilarated by the experience.    You see, for me it was more than getting a certain word count; it was about making a commitment and following through.  And woohoo I did it.  Now, since I still have pneumonia I’m going to go and have a long lay down. 

Till next time,

Elizabeth 

Yipppee! Yahoo!

I have no idea what I am so excited about.

No, really. I just used that as a title because that's how I feel in the moment. It's the day before the day we choose to define what we find gratitude for and I am immensely grateful.

I am grateful, mostly, for the power that imagination has in my life.

Seriously. We think, sometimes, that we are just making stuff up to entertain ourselves and an occasional other. The reality is that we are also making up our own lives. We are--when we imagine what we would like our lives to be, approve the experiences that confirm what we imagined, and reinforce our selection with re-imagining the outcomes--performing a kind of magic. Psychologists would disagree, but we spec-fic peeps know that psych types are just shamans and magicians with "real world" degrees, understand the truth.

I am writing a story that has found real world correspondences without my indulging in research.

I am using the tools of fiction to ground the changes in my real life so that I don't suffer the chaos of major life transition without some kind of treasure at the end. (OK. That last is wishful thinking. There will be a monster or two of my own design but that is the point. I know I created it.)

The point is, I am creating my life in such a way that I can take responsibility for the outcome. And because I can do that, I am also grateful-- thankful if you will --for all the experiences that have come before. I am thankful for all my life experiences that have given me something from which to write what I know.

Bless the present. Consider all the experiences that have brought you all the things you treasure about this moment, this snapshot of your life. Even if you have to dig deeply to find something to celebrate, do that. You are wonderful. I am thankful for you in my life.
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Happy Unconventional Thanksgiving

Looks like it’s just going to be me and the old man for Thanksgiving this year. An advantage of being pre-kids is that long weekends are basically like mini vacations, especially when we don’t have any engagements or responsibilities to worry about. Obviously, I’ll miss spending time with family, who we won’t get to visit until Christmas, but I can still be thankful

Now, I love to cook, but I’m not about to put myself through a complicated traditional meal for just the two of us. Instead, we’ve decided to make a simple, one pot frogmore stew (also called low country boil). I’ve seen several variations on the recipe, but you basically throw a bunch of shrimp, sausage, potatoes and corn into a seasoned broth and let the magic happen. I’m adding crab legs to mine with some buttery cornbread on the side (yum!). I know it’s not the norm, but I’m dying to dig into a big pile of messy seafood goodness.

We’ll also be Skyping with the rellies, catching up on all the recent superhero movies, and probably playing a few rounds of golf if the weather’s acceptable. Last, but definitely not least, I’ll be writing (of course). It’s the last week of NaNoWriMo, and as much as I’m looking forward to a little grown-up fun time, I’ve still got work to do if I’m going to make that 50k goal.

Any special or unusual plans for Thanksgiving out there? Who’s planning to write their hearts out between turkey binges? No matter the situation, have a fantastic holiday weekend!

How's your hair?

Are you pulling your hair out over NaNo yet?  Last year at this time I was stressed beyond belief and driving my very patient and sympathetic husband crazy.  Every evening I would sit in front of the computer and “force” myself to write 1667 words a day to ensure that at the end of the month I had record 50,000 words.  You can imagine how  fun living with me was last November.  :)

On the eve of November 30th, I had managed to “win” at NaNo, but at what cost?  My sanity?  My poor husband’s sanity?  Then I jumped into a month of hardcore revision hell that didn’t help my frustration. 

This year when I started to struggle with the words because of the pressure that I put on myself to achieve those 1667 words, I stopped and moved far away from my computer and focused on another task. I stopped fearing those 1667 words and instead when I sat down for “my” writing time, I didn’t look at a clock or at the number of words that I had currently typed.  I just focused on finding my inner muse and allowing my characters to inspire me. 

The second week of NaNo had hit me hard as once again I found myself tapped, but I didn’t stress.  Instead, I took a few days off to focus on other things going on in my life and then when I felt like it, I returned to writing.  On the first day after the break, I wrote for three hours and chocked up 4700 words.  Day Two was great again with 3450 words. 

Through trial and error, I’ve learned that for me to get through NaNo, I had to throw away the calculation word count and just write from my heart.  There are some days that I just don’t feel like writing, so I take them off and I am even hungrier to get back to my story the next day.

Good luck to you all!  However you are feeling or doing, just remember nine more days and normal life can begin again!

RJ :)

Keep Going!

After last year’s win in November, I thought this year would be a piece of cake. But of course, after two days, I was on a course to fail NaNoWriMo. Between felling unwell and the pain in my wrists, I didn’t write much. Even the braces I brought for my wrists didn’t help.

Yet, the last two days have been a breeze. In four days, I will be back on track for 50k. If I keep up my daily goal, I will reach 75k by the end of the month which is 25k less than my original goal of 100k. It doesn’t bother me, since I can make it up during the first week in December.

For those of you behind, never give up! Keep writing until the last day in November. After so many attempts this year to finish this novel, I’m on track to have first draft done in 3 weeks. Push through those times you don’t want to write. There is still time to reach 50k or 75k. Heck, even 100k is possible.

Join sprints on Twitter, AIM, or go to a write-in. Their motivation will ignite your own writing. Remember you are never alone, no matter what time of the year it is. And that will always push you to keep going.

What a lovely place to spend time...

I wandered over to the Tor website and for some reason I followed a banner link to the website for Sailor Twain. I think it was because the image was of a steamboat and the steamboat figures in my nanonovel, somewhere. I didn't know the link was to a web comic.

I have nothing against web comics. Or rather, nothing that I don't also have against paper ones. I just don't follow them well, anymore. Or don't care about the story. Or want to invest the time and attention in a series even when I love the concept and story.

Until now.

I don't know what it is exactly about the Sailor Twain comic. It's a combination of all the elements that go into the site, the pages, the story. Then, I discovered that the author and artist is also an editorial director at :01 First Second Books. I originally heard of the company when I picked up Drawing Words and Writing Pictures, a textbook for creating graphic novels and other combinations of words and pictures.

I have been reading the book from the beginning, taking occasional dips below the fold into the posts and comments.
I'm behind writing my nano novel, but I reward myself by spending time aboard the Lorelei, immersed in the rich blacks and sparkling whites, and moody grays of Siegel's charcoal.

Yes. He draws the comic and "colors" it in charcoal. It's real Art. OK, I think of anything drawn in charcoal as being "real Art" since I have been avoiding charcoal all my drawing career.

But, there is another aspect to seeing this as Art.

Since beginning the book, I've been seeing the world differently. Especially how noses might be drawn. I know that's a strange bit of focus and it's not the only thing, but it's an important bit for me. I had recently heard somewhere that Art changes how you see the world. This Art is simplifying how I process the world visually. I'm also thinking of how to write stories differently, or how to visualize things like costume and setting.

Mostly, given the month of November and our multitudinous manifestations of monstrous something-that-should-begin-with-m, the big thing I'm getting from the web comic? Trust simplicity.

NOTE:  I've just come back visiting the blog post and discovered that the images I'd linked to are gone. Not sure how that works, but it might have something to do with the comic now being published in French.  I'm going to try posting a link to one of the images again. It's wonderful to be able to see the images out of context, to appreciate the beauty of a single panel and the work that produced it.
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