Oh, i wish I had seen this thread before posting a similar request on another. Last year a strong wind came through and snapped off the entire top of a gorgeous pine tree in my front yard. This left me with a 22' (apx) standing trunk (no branches), that is about 2.5 feet thick, which I cannot bear take down. I am wondering if there is something I can do to make this tall standing trunk into something a little more attractive. I was thinking maybe I could slice (? with a chain saw???) it down from the top to aboout 2 feet and then outward to make a sort of throne with an extremely tall back, maybe even paint the inside with something attractive. Or, maybe I could make it look like a living tree again placing a potted bush on top of this tall trunk. Is there some kind of big bushy plant like that which would survive a NW winter? Or maybe something fanciful like topping it with some kind of fake palm frons or fake willow branches. Of course whatever it is ,it would have to withstand cold winters with snow and survive on natural perception for water (or be fake). Or, maybe put a steel rod through it and hand a couple swings??? Has anyone ever done something like this? I'd really love to keep the tree trunk if I can make it a little more appealing to look at. Ideas from all artists are welcomed and appreciated :-) Wendy only@wildwendyworld.com

Hey Pam and Becky, I would love to see pics of the reborns babies.. I made many many of the Time out dolls and sold almost all of them like about 50 or 60 of them and each time it was like giving away one of my children, infact my grandson came to our house one day after I had been to a craft show and sold pretty much of the dolls I had made and he wondered where all the kids when. I almost felt like I had sold part of our family.. LOL he was just a little guy then.. but he still remembers as I still have one or two of the dolls left that I would not sell. It was funny how some of the folks who bought the dolls were buying them for either their mothers or fathers , aunts or grandparents.. I even made one with red red hair for a lady ..whose little boy had fire red hair and so she wanted to give the doll to her Mother.. I told her to bring me a snip of his hair and I would try to match and I was able to do so and she was as happy as a bug in a rug. One other young man bought one for his mother.. when he gave it to her.. she cried, and said..that was the only doll she ever had, as when she was growing up they were to poor to have toys and dolls.. she sent me a thank you letter and I cried too. So Dolls are just like family...You can see some of my Time out dolls on this web site Huggy

Primitive actually refers to the type of craft and it can be decor and other things as well as dolls. These dolls you said you see on Ebay, cute as they are, are not really primitive. Primitive means a doll that looks like it was made with nothing but hands and hand held tools, like you would see in pioneer times. Corn Husk dollies, dolls that have straw stuffing and raggedy ann type faces, sock dolls, etc. Picture the type of doll made for a pioneer child and you have a primitive. A Voodoo doll is a primitive. So is a rag doll. Also, just because something is listed on Ebay does not mean it is correct. Some people consider that something ten years old is vintage. I have seen dolls that are from the thirties listed as ANTIQUES (they wont be for another 60 plus years, antiques are 100yrs old minimum.).

Rubyslipperz - Both hubby and I have sat on the bench to see if it would be possible to bump the mirror, and it's not, but I have room to move the bench out from the wall further, and in doing so, hopefully the mirror will seem to loom less. Deedee - Thanks, I sewed the pillows myself, and had a good time picking fabrics. Kiko - Thanks, your comments boost my decorating confidence. As I said, the round mirror is not a piece I would have otherwise chosen, but after Parma suggested it, I really started to envision how beautifully different it would be. It was hard to let go of my own idea, though. So, I'm glad you think this is better than the black rectangular mirror. A lot of people have commented on the pillow fabrics, which I picked out on a whim at a Joann's craft store, except for the middle pillow, which is fabric I ordered for sewing my kitchen window valance. I wondered how they would look being all different, but they came together nicely. Loribee - Hi, and thanks for posting. Pupwhipped - Yes, prim girl needs a perch, for sure. In fact, after church today, I'm going to stop and see if I can find her something. She can sit, hang, or stand. She was purchased originally with the intent to put her on a shelf above the black rectangular mirror I was going to get, until I changed my mind! The round mirror wouldn't look right with a shelf above, I don't think anyway. So now it's plan B for the dolly. Cathrugg - Thank you!