giant

when i grow up, i will be as tall as the trees.

- baxter, currently measuring in at 4.5 apples high

get crafty: pupperina necklaces

Yippee! Just finished some happy etched & riveted copper doxie necklaces and posted them to Etsy, save for one that I personalized and hope to send soon to my nieceypoo as a belated birthday present. Metal has been an interesting medium to mess with. In some ways, easier than working with fabric, yet in other ways, a new challenge to explore.

It's all the same, however, to tiny chumley, who really just sees all my creative endeavors as time suckers that keep him from pursuing the paths that he'd like to explore. Eating, hunting, and playing. Not exactly new paths for this little boy, but ones that make him so endearingly doxie.

Really?, his eyes will speak when he finally got a chance to sniff over what I've been working on. These things aren't even edible. Let's go out n chase some squirrels instead, ok?

the dog, the stitch, and the wardrobe

There's a simple design philosophy out there that suggests looking into your closet for inspiration on how to decorate your home. Look into my closet, and I guess the rest of our house would have a decidedly unique, schizophrenic look. Sort of white wedding dress meets Kohls & Target basic tops meets thift store scores meets TJ Maxx bargains meets Ann Taylor & Banana Republic it-was-on-sale-and-it's-silk, meets Martin+Osa after christmas clearance meets stuff from the 80s and 90s that I no longer wear but hold on to for the day I need to cut them and use them in some wild project. Meets the hanging yardages of rich colored velvets from a millinery shop that was going out of business, meets the one vintage aqua kimono with gold threading that I didn't cut up from the box of old kimonos I got from Japan as a present from Big Boyfriend a few years ago, meets piles of bargain home dec and corduroy and yes even quilting fabric. Meets mauvy striped knockoff Kate Spade purse from Frisco Chinatown I bought in a moment of weakness, dresses and patent leather shoes in a variety of shapes for those just-in-case-i-need-it-and-i'll-never-be-able-to-find-it-then moments, sweaters from practically every decade since the 80s, and comfy cozy pajamas in a variety of weights and form factors.

You get the idea, and come to think of it, our house is decorated rather eclectically (though I drew the line at "wedding dress chic"), but really my point here is that despite all the stuff I have in our closet, I don't always seem to have something to wear. Like this summer, where I'm finally ready to let go of that surplice top look in favor of something more breezy and light, and, I'm sure to everyone's relief, less revealing.

Thankfully, I found an easy peasy Cynthia Rowley pattern from Simplicity that'll work really well for the hair up days of summer, that can either dress up or down depending on accessories and the fabric used. That can handle shorts or skirts or capris. And that will use up some of that fabric I've been collecting over the years. Win win all around, except for our poor overstuffed closet, and for tiny chumley, who thinks my time could be better spent rubbing his tummy and admiring his pinky pink ears.

optay ecretsay

dear diary,
guess what! i am spy! well, no not really. but i am involved in a special project for somebody and that's just like bein a spy, right? cept well, i'm not a spy. i'm just helpin and there's really no snoopin around at all. it is kind of disappointing cuz i really had high hopes when mom asked me if i wanted to help out with a special project. this is a prototype my mom made to see if her idea would work and this is me tryin it out. yeah, same as always, i know. but at least i got to learn a new secret language that nobody will be able to understand except for u know who. u know. the somebody this this project is for. i can't wait to talk to duk duk in my new language cuz boy won't he be confused!

well, i hope u have a fun memorial day. mom and dad said something about puttin dogs on the grill and i sure hope they're not talkin about me or any of my friends! well, unless they want me to lick it clean. i would be happy to do that so long as the grill isn't hot. yum.

toodles!
b.

ps - ihay moamay! ommay oughtthay atthay isthay ightmay ebay evelopedday toinay ouryay deaiay orfay moamay's elmethay. atwhay oday ouyay inkthay?

downward dog

Tiny chumley has been a trooper this week, hanging tight in his blankie cave while my crafty hands made all sorts of things, and happily gobbling up treats for his modeling endeavors. Yesterday, I put the finishing touches on this, a special order yoga mat bag that might just well hold the little kielbasa. Alas, as much as I wanted to test my theory, Baxter's ears and eyes proclaimed, "Oh pleeeze no. Not in front of the squirrels." Pint sized pride, from our little downward dog.

science sunday

Hey, it's me, Baxter, your roving rover reporter reporting to you today from the back door of my home. What I'm really here to report about is on the deck, but mom says I have to report from here on account of the fact that they don't make rubber gloves and protective goggles and chemical safety suits in my size. You see, today I am reporting on my mom's metal etching project.

Now, there's a lot of science goin on that frankly, mom and I both find boring, so lemme just say that if you're ever visiting my house and you think we're serving cocktails outside in these nifty glass containers, think again. In fact, don't even try tasting or touching or even going near those glasses, which is why mom put that old strainer on top of everything. Yeah, I know, I thought I should say something in case you thought you were looking at another one of duk duk's contraptions.

Anyhow, the point of today's science experiment is to etch some cool patterns on a tiny brass disc that mom wants to put on annabelle's new dapper doxie dud. To be quite honest I didn't get to see how it was all done, cuz, well, hee, since I couldn't be out there where all the action was, I went to work on my tummy tan and kinda fell asleep.



But hey looky, by the time I woke up everything was done and I heard mom hammering away. Get a load of what I saw. Pretty cool, huh? I want mom to make me one that says "more rawhide, please".



Well, anyways, today is mother's day and I think I need to get started on making mom breakfast. Kibble pancakes! I know, it's gonna be so tasty! I've been saving some kibble all week so I would have enough. This is Baxter your roving rover reporter wishing you and yours a scientastic sunday and happy mother's day!! :)

dapper doxie duds : la mariposa rosa

i may be wearing
pink butterfly fairy duds,
but i can still chase you.

- Baxter, 3.3 years old, slightly bending the rules of haiku while responding to the squirrels laughing in his backyard.

Ever the intrigued hunter and multitasker, tiny chumley managed to snitch snippets of time to check out the squirrel scene between poses for my latest dapper doxie dud creation. This time, a pink and golden yellow damask harness to round out an order from precious annie, with removable and bendable beaded butterfly wings stitched with lace and iridescent threads. I can't wait to hear about annie's adventures as she flits about the flower garden in her new wings!




update 4/27/2010: Just wanted to post a pic of the "before", a picture of the suggested primary elements for this dud n wing combination that I temporarily posted on the sidebar for Annie's mom to consider a few weeks before the duds were completed.

dapper doxie duds: precious annie's viridian vernal vestment

cool teals, blues, and greens,
another dud for annie.
i like the quilting.

- baxter, 3.25 years old, on having acquired a modest appreciation for fashion details after modelling so many dapper doxie duds

Whee! The fabric I pieced the other day, now turned into another dapper doxie dud for precious Annie. This time Annie wanted something a little spring, in teals and greens and blues, so I made up this quilty wonder from scraps I had kept from a quilt I made for my niece a few years ago. Lined in soft light green jersey knit and embellished with an amazonite and iridescent blue bead dangle, this harness also incorporates velvets, hand dyed fabrics, and quilting cottons I got in Amish country as well as a bright green dragon brocade I scored in the garment district. An amazing tapestry of memories for an amazing little girl. Make room in your closet and get ready to flutter, Annie, another harness is in the works!

project kibble tree: epilogue

dear diary,
well it has been three weeks since i started project kibble tree and even though my kibble tree never spouted, cuz, well, i ate the kibble, looky at all the grass i have! yesterday i snuck a nibble while mom wasn't looking and boy was it tasty. i like having my own garden and now when mom picks herbs from her pots, i can pick grass from mine. and u never know, my grass is tall enough now that maybe the easter bunny will leave me a little sumptin in a couple of days. well, that is if i don't chase him. guess i really should try and restrain myself just this once.

well, that is all for now. i hope u have a great weekend!

toodles!
b.

scenes from a sewing room

A tiny peek inside our day, a pictorial evolution of the work I am doing for an upcoming dapper doxie dud, compared and contrasted with the sleepy evolution of Baxter's day. Both of us happily engaged in our own endeavors, yet ever so mindful of each other's presence.

I didn't realize til after I snapped the center photo that Baxter was doing more than just sleeping while I sewed away. On his hind leg, a thread, evidence that my boy's migrating about had transformed him into an accidental and very oversized lint roller. Just another of the gajillion and one reasons why I love my innocent little boy.

baxter o'chumley

There was a wee doxie named Baxter O'Chumley,
Whose tummy did rumble, all noisy and grumbly.
Said he with dismay,
"No rawhide today?"
And looked at his humans, ever so humbly.

- baxter, 3.25 years old, quietly celebrating st.patrick's day due to the Great Rawhide Famine of 2010.

happy st.patrick's day! luv, b.

poster boy

Mondays are always the least chumley centric days, it seems, and the little kielbasa knows it. Maybe it's because I get up earlier than usual, or at least try to, and our morning spooning is cut short. Or that I actually make an effort to de-hag and smell nice. uh, better. uh, wait. well, you get the idea. But whatever it is, by the time I open our bedroom door on a Monday morning, my little friend knows that today is not his day. And so he wanders off, most times to the office to seek the company of his dad, whom he knows he can count on to be there while I am away.






I can only imagine that Monday comes nowadays as bit of a let down for tiny chumley, still fresh from the hubbub of the weekend, when the three of us typically go for long walkies or just veg in front of the TV, or go for ride-ys or meet new friends like Lulu or Charlie. Or doin crazy stuff, like posing for pictures to help me illustrate some of the finer points of the dapper doxie dud measuring and fitting process.


Fret not, tiny chumley, today is Tuesday and the day is yours again.

dapper doxie duds: precious annie

is that for annie?
okay i'll do it for her,
cuz i liked her treats.


- baxter, 3.25 years old, on how he came around to modeling annie's girly dapper doxie duds.

Christmas once again in kalyxcraftopia, the joy of finishing up a couple of dapper doxie dud harnesses for precious annie with a boy who was more than pleased to model them. First up, a wintry woolen in heathery browns and pinks, that I think will complement Annie's liver colored nose and dappled coat nicely. And a removable flower pin made of silk, freshwater pearls, and seed beads, to show off Annie's beautiful neck.



For Annie's second harness, a happy combination of dyed pink textured twill bound in navy denim, with button and box pleat detail on the back and a removable rose at the neck made from a length of vintage necktie. Everyday girly for year round doxie fun. Thanks Annie and Annie's mom for letting me have so much fun making your dapper doxie dudwear!

project kibble tree

dear diary,
so u know how i like to eat grass, especially in the spring? well, mom caught me eatin it the other day and thought i really shouldn't on account of the fertilizer n all so we planted a patch in my very own pot yesterday.

ooh, can u keep a secret by the way? you see, duk duk told me if i plant a piece of kibble then it will grow into tree and in the fall it will drop yummy kibble same as the acorn tree does in the backyard now. i'd be crazy not to try that, right? i sure hope everything comes up soon cuz for some reason i've been very hungry lately.

toodles,
b.

the kitchen kielbasa: snowball truffles

Hey everybody, it's me, Baxter! Some of you may recognize me as your roving rover reporter, but today I'm Chumley Chowhound, your personal Kitchen Kielbasa, sharing yummy recipes that are sure to please even the pickiest of hounds. Now, with all the snow everybody has had lately, I thought it would be nice to share with you my new favorite wintertime treat, snowball truffles.

Snowball truffles are easy to make with the help of your humans. First, get a piece or two of kibble or your favorite treat. Then ask your human to get a handful of snow and have them stick the treat in the middle. Pack it up like a snowball and there you have it. A delicious, refreshing taste of winter with a tummy yummy center.

Now between you and me, I don't really eat the snow part, but hey, at least I got a treat and if a little snowball fun is all your human needs to get you your extra treat, why not ask for a snowball truffle today?

This is Chumley Chowhound, chowing out.

dressed in black

Today I am off on a week long journey to visit family and attend a memorial service for my Uncle Ed. What a contrast, it seems, from just a few days ago, when I was hammering away at copper sheets and learning how to enamel, staying awake late into the night dreaming up ideas rather than dreaming in my sleep.

Black is a color that has gradually drained out of my closet as I have gotten older and wiser about what works with my aging appearance. Black used to be a color I sought out in my youth, thinking it gave me instant credibility and coolness that deep down, I guess I felt I sorely lacked. It wasn't til I met my friend Robin that I considered color as an asset, appreciated the depths of greens and reds and purples and even pinks and oranges, and worked the color wheel in my head to vibrant advantage. I didn't miss black, but here I am, required to bring it back into my life. One visit to Kohl's and one thrift store trip later, I am pretty much prepared as I ever will be for the need to wear black this time of year.

Tiny chumley quietly slept and played while I spent yesterday transforming my thrift store find, a men's cashmere crew neck pullover, into a velvet trimmed ruched collar cardigan. A fine diversion, while I finish one last thing, so I can dress in black.



ps - who knows what my ability to access the internet will be these next seven days, so Big boyfriend will be managing the posts I've prepared. Happy tails!

nicked

Okay, my fingers are a mess but it's been exciting and fun! Here are some pics of stuff in progress, which are nothing like the things we're being taught, save for the spiculum and leaf work.


Early on in class when I had no idea what to make to take advantage of open studio time, it occurred to me that I should make a dog tag for little kielbasa's woof mitzvah collar, and it has consumed my brain. Oh the possibilities! I wish I had brought the metal alpbabet stamping set on my table, but making do is always a growth experience. Hopefully I can muster up the gumption to post more things on Etsy and drum up some custom harness orders soon so I can buy the goods to get set up to make custom enamelled dog tags and who knows what else! Just what I needed, another hobby!!

dapper doxie duds: baxter's cupid's warrior outfit

With all the transgendered dressing the little kielbasa has done lately, it seemed only right to spend some time making my tiny boyfriend something a little dude-lier for Valentine's day. Something with a slight edge to show the world his warrior side.

Now, goodness knows what the person was thinking who bought the silvery mesh shirt I found at the thrift store, but it's nice to know that they came to their senses and donated it. Awful for a man to wear, but great for a faux chain maille dapper doxie dud of dudely proportions.

Snaps and copper wire help make his layered frayed canvas wings both bendable and removable, as any self respecting warrior knows there are times when he must operate incognito. Posing, perhaps, as a knight of the crusades in his medallion embellished harness.



A studly collar, cut down with scissors from a thrift store belt, completed the little warrior's look.



It's funny, the things doxies can figure out without being told. Unlike all the girly harnesses he's worn, as soon as I put all this gear on little kielbasa, he knew it was his to wear with pride. I am warrior, hear me woof!

cupid's warrior

Be mine, Valentine?

Love,
Tiny Boyfriend & Kalyxcorn

chairman of the bored

Okay, so did I mention the other day that I scored three chairs for five bucks at the surplus store? Yesterday's chair was a dollar, today's chair is a dollar, and that means the last chair was a whopping three bucks. It's all so exciting, right??

Today's chair is for Dana to take home with him, whenever the snow ends up melting in his neck of the woods. At first I had planned to just wrap the chair in one fabric like I did with yesterday's chair, and exclude the seam work.

But it seemed such a travesty to cover up the chair's most redeeming feature, aside from its legs. The beauty of its lines that don't quite seem as 70s as when it was made. (February 1974, to be exact, thanks to the tag that also told me that Frank of the Boling Chair Company upholstered it).

Out came the old newspaper and sharpie, so I could make a pattern and sew everything together.



I've still got the back of the top part to finish, but that didn't stop tiny chumley from stopping by to see what all the hubbub was about and make his presence known. "Again with a chair. Can't you see I'm bored already??"

Just one more chair to go, little buddy.