Patchwork Mouse

Finished the green marble frame and book box. They both came out pretty well. Black base coat, then mix of deep, grass, and olive greens. For dark colors, sponging is definitely the way to go, although the thin edges required the stripey technique instead.

Almost done with the black pieces, too.

Marbled three boxes: two white, one blue. The varnish one the first box was turning brown at the end, so I threw that out and bought some more, then had to make a replacement box. The off-white looks better than the gray for the white ones, but I think I should have gone with pale cream instead. If I do more white ever, I may try that.

I test-swatched some greens: four coasters and two tiles. Still not quite sure what colors I want to use. I tried out the sponging technique; it looks pretty good, but the colors aren't quite right. I'll probably go with deep green plus either mint or grass, or possibly the sponged deep, grass, and olive (sage).

I couldn't find the box I wanted to do in green, so I'm working on my test frame in pink now. The paint I bought for the lines is a little light; magenta might be better than this pink.

My plans for the upcoming months are more amorphous than usual.

Right now I'm concentrating on marbling stuff--in the middle of making the first set of practice coasters. I want to finish at least four boxes, two frames, and a set of candlesticks by December.

Each marbling project takes about as long as a stuffed animal, because I have to wait for one step to dry before I can do the next one. But I can work on more than one thing simultaneously, so it's not as bad as it sounds.

At some point I may get tired of the marbling and make a few stuffed animals. Not at all sure which it will be, although the poodles, the bumble-zebra, and the stealth skunk are likely contenders.

I also want to make a bracelet and a necklace by mid-December.

And I might want to make a quilt or two this fall; there are a couple that I'd like to have done by next Balticon, at any rate.