The New Year in Russia...

Well, not exactly "in" Russia. I just got back to work on the Russian cottage this morning. It's Walter's birthday and he is going to play golf in weather under 30°. I am staying inside where it's warm and cozy. I think that that makes more sense.

The first thing that I did this morning was paint the orange bead with antique copper Folk Art paint. It is going to need a few coats, but it looks pretty good. I have to hunt up the other bead that size. Tessie is already whining that she doesn't have samovar. "Why does April get a samovar and I don't? You like April better than me...."

You know the routine. Now I am just waiting for the paint to dry.

While waiting I hunted around and found the Faberge egg and the hedgehogs that April claimed on Christmas day.

The egg was a kit that someone gave me years ago. I have never had any place to use it, so it spent a long time in one of the printer's drawers on the wall of the workroom.

After looking at it, I am thinking of trying a few of my own. I am not sure what the original egg was made of, but I don't see why I couldn't use poly clay to do that part.

The stand is a couple of jewelry findings and the decoration on the sides is just a very small finding and a stick on "diamond". I suspect that that was originally a fingernail decoration.


I did find the balalaika. I had put it in the leftovers basket. Not a good place for it. It did survive though.

The hedgehogs started out as kittens made from pussy willow seeds. At least I was calling them kittens.

When April saw them, she imediately christened them hedgehogs. She is right. They do look a lot more like baby hedgehogs than kittens. Poke the photo if you want to see them closer.

The only serious work that I have done this morning is...I finished bricking the foundation. As soon as the glue is a little dryer, I will use a ball stylus on all of the seams and then paint them.

I guess I had better go back to work.

Happy New Year!!!
See you tomorrow.