Last of the walnut ink...

They say it's a female's prerogative to change her mind.  I grew up somewhat of a tom-boy, but I change my mind plenty.  To whit: the walnut ink.  I have decided to stop messing with it, oddly enough, because of its success.  Time spent filling orders for ink is time I'm not spending on dolls, the house, the real estate, etc.

Sooooo to that end, I've filled the last of the orders, and saved some out for my use (lots of aging in my future...but we just won't go there) and I'm selling the last of it here.  Eight packets left, with a Buy Now button up there on the upper right under the page tabs. 

It's good stuff, and I did scout out where else one could buy it--it's all over Ebay, so there isn't exactly a limited supply.  But it's taken my focus away from what I wanted to do, and now I feel better.

Summer Hibernation.

I don't hibernate in the winter--that's when it's nice here, with the daytime temperatures seldom less than 50, and sometimes a nice sunny 65 or 70 degrees.  Cold nights make for good sleeping, but the days are perfect for just about anything.

No, I hibernate in the summer, (as in late May until September) when the temperatures hover around the three digit mark.  Today it has cooled down to 98 with 63% humidity...but I've got indoor work to do regardless of this "cold front".  The garden is dead, the drought has me out watering 6 to 8 hrs a week (have to water by hand because of water restrictions down here) just in order to keep the perennials and fruit trees alive.

I bring up the hibernation to excuse my absenteeism from the blog-o-sphere...just have too much going on!  Not much of a hibernation, if you ask me.  :~)

Lately I have been working my tail off--if not on dolls, then on real estate stuff, housework, etc.  Had the grand-twins for a week, and I've almost recuperated from that.  (Note to self: next time stock up on vitamins.)

I haven't gotten listings put up on Etsy like I've wanted to, nor have I started any Ebay auctions, although I may do that this weekend.  I have, however, thanks to Pamela and Natalie, sold out of ink crystals, and have sold almost half the shipment due tomorrow!  Holy Cow.  That's a lot of walnut ink.  I'm seriously thinking of starting an Etsy store for supplies, since my sales record on the doll store has begun to look like an ink store instead.  Not complaining, however.  I've had nothing but good comments on this ink, and I'm happy to be able to provide an alternative to tea and coffee for aging fabrics and paper crafts.

I did find a quilter today who makes doll quilts (or has, and will again) so if any of you are looking for doll quilts made of civil war repro fabrics, try Treasured Primitives.  The picture below is of a table topper, but I think it'd make a great doll quilt for a small doll.

I've got a doll show coming up in August, and have started so many dolls it will be all I can do to finish them by then.  I'll get pictures up as I do get them finished!  And at some point (shame on Granny Jan) I will get the kid-week pictures up as well--those boys are little heart-breakers.

Cheers!

Fun with Walnut Ink

Played around with ideas for hang tags.  I've been using some I'd cut and doctored up, but I'd hand-write JDConwell Folkart Dolls on them, which is okay, but sort of...hasty-looking.  

So yesterday's experiment was to make some with printed card stock, stamps, and walnut ink.  This is not a new concept, I know...any stroll through a "Hang Tags" search on Etsy will net you plenty of cool tags.  But I wanted to make my own, and I had these wonderful little vintage stamps...you know how it goes.

Lots of experimentation with the walnut ink crystals.  Where has this stuff been all my life?  It doesn't smell, like coffee or tea.  It lasts pretty much forever once you mix it up.  In a spray bottle, it mists over a doll's clothing to age it with that light-and-shadow effect that old stuff gets when some of the fabric is exposed and some of it is protected...if that makes sense.  If you sprinkle a few grains of crystal over a wet surface, they dissolve to create "old spots" (as the husband calls them) on the paper or fabric that look really convincing. 

I played with various strengths and application methods (certain spray bottles are great, others are an unholy mess).  Of course, while the ink is water soluble and does wash off, there is still a little bit of staining, so my hands and nails might look better if I wear rubber gloves next time.  :~)

So far, at least for hang-tags, my favorite method is to sponge it on both sides, bake them dry, then iron them flat.  These are the ones I made yesterday.  Of course I'll tweak them a little here and there, but I like the primitive look of them.  I see Christmas gift tags in my future.  Ooh!  Maybe a little bunting that spells out Merry Christmas?  Yeah, I'm in trouble.