"Memory Keeper"

Isn't he marvelous???  I first saw him in a post on Daryle Cook's site Woodstown Whimsies last November.  Of course I fell in love with him and wondered at Daryle's incredible talent and imagination.

Recently Daryle has opened a gallery where he is selling some of his 'whimseys'.  The first one that came up was - yes you guessed it - "Memory Keeper"!  Hmm, my birthday was in December but passed quietly -- didn't I deserve a gift - after all this was one of those 'big' birthdays?  

Its difficult to see in these pictures but the center heart is an open area where I can drop memories inside the main box.  

Mr. Memory Keeper is now hanging on a wall in our house - where I can look at him each day.  He reminds me that memories and their love are always with us, he inspires me because of the talent and creativity that it took to put him together.  Best of all -- he makes me smile!

"Keep all special thoughts and memories for lifetimes to come.  Share these keepsakes with others to inspire hope and build from the past, which can bridge to the future." - Mattie Stepanek 

Waking to Wonder

Recently we awoke to wonder - in the form of snow.  For me its like a gift of silence, and beauty. Of course living in North Carolina we don't get full blown snow storms very often so I can still view them as a gift of sorts.

 Our small pond is in there somewhere.  Where do the frogs go when it there's no dry landing and its 20 degrees outside? 

Our front light casts a yellow glow under its hat of snow.

It was still coming down when I took this and I wondered how high it would get.

There was no sitting on the bench these past days.  Hot tea, a good book, a bit of sewing got me through the storm.

The days are short

The sun a spark,

Hung thin between

The dark and dark.

Fat snowy footsteps

Track the floor

Milk bottles burst

Outside the door.

The river is

A frozen place

Held still beneath

The trees of lace.

The sky is low

The wind is gray.

The radiator 

Purrs all day.

-  John Updike

Hemp

When I was working on "The Unlikely's" I discovered hemp.  Quite by accident, in the craft section at Walmart.  At the time I had no idea what I would do with it -- but it enticed me.  

So many colors - and shades within colors.  I soon found a use for it when I unraveled strands (they end up wavy) and attached them to the heads of The Unlikely's.  Perfect! 
Later I found that they make perfect loops for hanging dolls.  

Now I am using it again in my latest adventure.  As you can see I've collected just about every color on the shelves and I'm ready for anything.

"An artist's duty is rather to stay open-minded and in a state where he can receive information and inspiration. You always have to ready for that little artistic epiphany." - Nick Cave

Winter Moppet

"I wanted to show you this snowball.  Isn't it lovely?  Perhaps we could store it in your freezer to take out in the middle of July?" 

"My hands are freezing. Uh-oh its beginning to drip on the floor." 

"Do I smell hot cocoa?  I could use a cup to warm me up.  You don't perchance, happen to have any freshly baked cookies on hand do you?"

Oh, the weather outside is frightful

But the fire is so delightful

and since we've no place to go

Let it snow,

Let it snow

Let it snow

Let it snow 

[Note to all my friends -- this year I will be posting a new 'figure' on the first and third Monday's of the month.  Giving myself a bit of a break from having something new each and every Monday. Thanks for stopping by.]

Oh what to do...

...after what you were doing becomes undoable???  Isn't that a question we sometimes have ask ourselves?

In my case the answer is - make a doll.  But what kind of doll am I in the mood for? Definitely something simple, definitely something fun and definitely something small.

Lots of wasted cardboard, lots of drawing and redrawing.  Use of some previously used techniques and materials.  Lots of time, which I had happily given myself at the end of the last year.  Much more to do -- but now I know what I'm doing!

"All life is an experiment.  The more experiments you make the better." - Ralph Waldo Emerson