Straw into gold

Where did the weekend go? It was full of ups and a huge, painful upset... that's life, I guess. Suffice it to say, Sarah Forrest will not be attending the Philly show. Anyway, them poor rats are now behind schedule...
Here are the fabrics I picked out today for their tails, ears, inner mouths and paws, upper and lower.


And I did find renewed inspiration! I will try real rat incisors (instead of my usual fangs) because of an incredible piece I purchased from B.C. artists Michael and Dianne of Moon Raven Designs. This is a bronze rat skull made from a mold of a real skull! Just magical! Look at those teeth! I've invited these talented arts to take part in my Online Hallowe'en Trick or Treat, I hope they say yes!!

And also inspirational was a horoscope shared by a colleague at work:

"Aquarius (Jan.20-Feb18) Horoscope for week of March 10, 2011

In the old fairy tale, the character known as Rumpelstiltskin had the power to spin straw into gold. That skill has a metaphorical resemblance to the wizardry you could pull off in the coming weeks: transforming seemingly ordinary or worthless stuff into a valuable asset. Although your work might seem a bit miraculous and make some people wonder if you've used hocus-pocus, the fact is that it may at times feel tedious or extremely demanding to you. Be gutsy in your mastery of the intricate details, Aquarius. I'll be thinking of you as the Gritty Magician."

Miraculous? Maybe not, but otherwise I thought it was pretty dead on, seeing the plans I have before me! On to the rats, who have taken names: Cere and Bella (from cerebella, "little brains")!