A clown to be discovered.

While going though my mother in laws items I sometimes come across things that require looking them up to discover who and what they are. In this case it is a who and the what is a doll that is a clown.

His name is Bombo. It took me two days to figure out who Bombo might be. Chuck McCann is an actor. I do believe that he might still be alive. There was a show he did as Bombo the clown. It was called The Great Bombo's Magic Cartoon circus lunch time show.

Here is Chuck McCann's Bio. http://www.filmreference.com/film/39/Chuck-McCann.html

Now this man did many children's shows and played many charters. Bombo who I was trying to find information about is suppose to be in the TV hit show Knight Rider. Remember Kitt the talking car?? Yes that show.

Back to Bombo's Magic show. Yes there is a DVD. Or sort of http://www.atomicmall.com/view.php?id=71655 The show when aired at the time was preformed live. So there is not much on any kind of film. Sad but true.

On further digging http://www.tripatlas.com/Chuck_McCann McCann was in so may TV shows. The list is long but interesting. Because I watched many of those shows. I will have to pay attention to the reruns to realize who this man is. Oh he was in Sabrina the Teen Age Witch.

What is odd I can not find any information on this doll. Normally I could find other dolls. Condition and what they sold for. This doll there is nothing. I mean it is like he never was. But yet here he is and his tag claims he is Bombo the Clown. So who is to dispute that?? OK I can but still with out a picture somewhere on the web so I can see if this is him or not. Needless to say it is a mystery item that I will list on eBay and take the chance that he might be something. Or not. It is hard to tell with unknown items. Because sometimes that one weird, unknown items might mean something to one or two or three people. Anything past one is a score. But hey one never knows. Bombo might be that treasure I have been looking for. Then again he might just be another doll who we found and was unloved and put away in a plastic bag for over a generation. He was in the same spot for the 17 + years I known my husband. The poor guy was probably in the same spot for 10 years or even 20 years before that for all I know. Things in my husband parents house did not move around much. Pretty much once they found a home that is where they stayed.

Bombo will be listed on eBay this evening. I will list him for 5 days. And see what happens. I am not sure about the starting price. My gut tells me not to start him off too low but yet not very high. Around the 25.00 range. So I might just do that.

All I do know is that Clowns are not a favorite in my house. And Bombo needs a home to go two. Hopefully someplace where he will be loved and not put in a plastic bag and sat on a shelf for a few more generations until someone else discovers him.

Listed on Etsy!!

I am jumping in and got my shop going on Etsy. I have some very pretty doily's listed. I have so

many that doily is going though my mind like crazy.

I did not make these doily's. They were crochet by my Mother in Law way back before I even knew of her.

I was so sad to see them all stuffed into a plastic bag. Enjoyed for the moment she made them but yet somehow forgotten about for a life time.

She did beautiful work. She had 3 boys and no girls. She should of had girls because she made pretty things.

I am listing them on Etsy. dlstein is my user name. Artist at Play is the title of my shop.

I listed these lovely things under vintage, crochet and doilys. So hopefully someone will come across them and fall in love.

Fun playing with old records.

It is summer and time and this is my time to get things cleaned out. Listed on ebay and now etsy. And while going though the pile of junk I have I sometimes find things that are no good to list but intresting enough to do something with them.

Yesterday I decided to go though some 78 rpm records I brought over from my mil's house. I have no clue if my husbands parents listen to them. Or if they were bought at an auction. But there they were found by my brother in law as he was going though stuff. All in a box that was falling apart. The top few records were clearly damaged from lack of care.

I decided to pair up the records with the same labels. Picked out the broken ones. Listed the good ones. I emailed a friend to see if she could use them in her art. She suggested that I make bowls out of them.

Enter the world of Google. Or Swag bucks. I use both. I got a list of good sights, two videos on how to make bowls out of old records. And then the fun began!!!

This is a great project for teens.

First clean your record. A little dish washing soap and water will do the trick. Dry the record. This is important because your bowl will come out all funky looking if you do not. One method is to put the record on an old cookie sheet at 200 -350 degrees for 1-2 Min's. Until soft. Take out of oven and place record over a bowl and shape.

The other method is to place an oven safe bow on top of the cookie sheet. Put the record on top of the bowl and place in oven for the 1-2 Min's. Then when soften shape record into desired shape.

On further searches I found out that records make great clocks also. I am sure there are other uses.

I am using my bowls to hold little junk stuff on my desk. It works great.

Gone once again.

Gone for months once again. Between computer trouble, school work, work and taking care of family blogging got pushed way back to the back of the pile of things to do. I figure try again and try to make it a habbit. lol.

For now I am going to reorginize and figure out where I want to start up again. Either with projects, Current activites, saving money, making money. So many ideas and yet I do not know where to start.

See you in a day or two.

A lot of nothing. But there might be something.

Life here is rolling right along. I just got done with some paper work that needed done and mailed by today. Off it will go and out of my hair. I do a newsletter for our tractor club. Its all done and all mailed off yesterday. Another thing out of my hair. And we have a schedule or rather I have a schedule for getting our bathroom floor tiled and done. Hopefully hubby will have the backer board down this weekend. And we might even get the tile done. I am willing to stay up later to get this project done and out of my hair. Do you see a them here. lol.

On to better things. I made homemade donuts again. Recipe found here. Look under the recipe section for homemade donuts. I made mine a little different. Instead of 3 cups of the white flour, I used 1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour. The donuts came out just as good and moist. I did find out that if you glaze the donuts they stay softer longer than if you sugar them.

Its going to be 70 degrees out. So I think I will make it outside to clean things up and get the gardens ready for plants. The grass needs cut. So starts the weekly grass cutting. lol.

We did get some new additions to our family. They are degues. They are so cute. We adopted them off a family who could no longer take care of them and give them attention. We had one already. So we figure why not 2 more. My daughter takes care of them. They get lots of attention from her. And us for now since they took residence in my dinning area for now.

I will leave you with this.

A knitting project. A shawl that did not make it. I froged it and started on another one. I think this one might take. 3rd times a charm. I also started on a log cabin afghan block. I think I like this block. And its a great take along project as well.

Have a great day.

The reality of paying off the bills.

A few years ago I made myself a promise I would pay off the 3 credit cards I had. They did not have huge balances. But still for me they were big enough and the fiance fees just kept the balance going up and up. Finally I came up with a plan that would work for me and I hoped and prayed that it would do the trick. And well it did. It was a crazy kind of plan. Pay the darn credit cards a little each week. I set up my bill payments online so that each week a small 10.00 check went out to each credit card. I did not miss the small amount each week. For some reason 30.00 a week broke down into 3 small 10.00 payments looked better than sending out 30.00 a week to each credit card and one would be late all the time. This way they all got paid and got paid over the minimum balance and paid on time. My finance rates went down. My balance went down and one credit card is paid off. I am looking at the second one. And its almost paid off. Funny to watch that total go from 500.00 to 490.00. Suddenly its seems smaller and its is. Then from 400.00 to 390.00 again amazing to see such a small number, but from under 300 to now it will be under 100.00 next month!!! OMG amazing. A light at the end of the tunnel. Its been a long road. It started off being foolish and stupid. Thinking at a time when we had no money that using a credit card would help us get though until we can hopefully pay it next month. Only it never happen next month or the next or the next. They called, sent notices and I did not want to get the mail or answer the phone. Now today the phone does not ring, and its not so bad getting the mail anymore. I do not want anymore credit cards. And if I do use one. A check will go out right the next day within hours of using it to pay it off asap. No more counting on being able to pay it in the next month. Because next month something else comes up and well the whole situation will start over again.

I have been feeling better again and can once again enjoy baking and cooking. I need to work that frugal mojo and cut back and save as much as I can. Also loose some weight along the way and get this family on a healthy diet once more. It feels good to have plans and goals that you know you can accomplish once again. Oh did I tell you. I am planning out the veggie garden. I think it might get warm enough to plant some onions here soon. And clean up the yard. Good fresh air and exercise. All in the master plan of keep us happy, healthy and rolling out of debt.

Next time as soon as I get my camera some good battries I will have pictures!!! We all love a good picture.

Cake, rum, and finished projects!!!

I bought this at the thrift store for 1.49!!!

My bunt pan. Its very pretty and its very heavy. That I like. I do not like wimpy baking stuff.

I made rum cake. The recipe you can find here. Search under the recipes at around Christmas time. You will find it. Better yet sign up for the forum and find it there.

See my pretty cake on a pretty summer plate. And mm its good.

You will need lots of this.

A cup full. 1/2 for the cake and 1/2 for the glaze. Give or take a little for yourself. I tried both dark and light rum. What ever you have on hand will work. My family will vouch for that.

I finished up some sewing today as well.

I stuffed and sewed up 3 dog bone pillows. Sewed up 3 stuffed eggs. And under all that is a chicken/egg swap that is done. And I can not show yet.

I love productive days like today. The cake I made yesterday. Its 1/2 gone. lol.

After dinner I will take a walk with my kid and the dog. I hope to be walking at least a mile 3 days a week at the very least. I want to work up to everyday then be walking several miles a day by summer.

All the material I used for my projects I had in my stash. :) Got to love that. The pillows will go into the gift box. Free gifts. The eggs I hope to use as decorations at Easter for my table.

Dinner is spaghetti. I had the noodles in the pantry, the sauce was in the pantry, hubby did have to stop for garlic bread. 2.29. :( and cheese. 1.49. :( But its way less than going out. A nasty little habit I am trying to break in order to save us some money.

I just discovered blogger has a spell check!!!! Love love that!!!

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