Verde: It's not easy being green

My best friend's birthday is in November (just like mine) and we get each other "Birithmas" (Birthday and Christmas together) Gifts.  My other friend's birthday is also later in the year (not as late as November) and so she gets Birithmas gifts too.  I enjoyed making our gifts in the past (Beach Stall Birithmas Gift) and starting this early in the year, I fully intend to make this year's gifts too!

But I had no ideas.  Until reviewing my friend's photos and saw this window display decorated for Christmas from her trip to New York City:

Queen of Hearts Window Display

I love bright bold colors and I liked the fact that this was not a "traditional Christmas" scene of trees and nativity scenes.  I loved the sparkle/glitter too.  He's hard to see but my favorite part is the little dog down in front of the Queen:

And they sparkle!

So it was settled: My friend is getting a NYC shop window roombox!  I figured out a design and how to get lighting into it.  AND, I couldn't resist making the inspiration for the project: the little green sparkle dog!

The chihuahua starting place

 This little dog from Falcon seemed like a close enough match.  Even though Mom is certain that the actual dog statue in the window display is a Chinese Crested dog, my friend is getting a chihuahua.  I painted him green first (except his face because for some reason I recalled his face as being gold sparkles in the picture, and not green).  (Did you just scroll back up to check?  LOL)  Then I glued green thread to his tail to create the poof wispy tail the statue has.  While tail glue dried, I covered him in the green sparkles (except his face).  Using a sheer ribbon I sewed a gathering stitch thru it and created his colar:

Getting green (with envy?)

His tail is tied up while the sparkles dry but I intend to fold his tail down to mimic the statue.  This is about the time that I had the brilliant idea to double check friend's photos to discover my memory was faulty and his face is green!  So back to painting:

Anyone else thinking "You're a rotten, Mr. Grinch" like I was while painting?

Tail is still tied down but otherwise he's done!

His tail did not turn out as I'd had liked.  I guess I needed silk thread instead of polyester or something.  So I am not putting it on his ears and paws like the real statue has.  He is just supposed to create an effect; not be an exact replica, right?

His name is Verde.

Now, came the uneasy feeling that although this project works great for my one friend, the other one is not a shop gal (she detests shopping, especially clothes shopping).  That's why we get along so well: just like her, the only shopping I enjoy is for food or miniatures.  But I like all of us having the same gift (cuz I'm making one of these for myself although mine will have a chocolate shop window display).  I had no inspirational ideas for other friend so she was going to get stuck with shop window display gift too -- maybe she could do chocolates too?

Until this morning at 2 am when my dog woke me up (as she usually does between 1 and 3 am) to go out and as I stood there waiting for dog to return from the yard I had a design epiphany!  So other friend is now getting her own awesome kick-butt roombox (which I will make one for myself as well).  That design I will show/tell you about once I get it cut/assembled, but let's just say there may or may not be a shark involved.  Yes, I love Birithmas gifts: apparently it's because I also make one for myself while making ones for my friends!