Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

A buxom young lass named Molly

thought Irish jigs were such folly.

Until Lord of the Dance

gave sweet Molly a chance…

Boy, could she jiggle by golly!

The Secret Lives of Christmas Trees

Peppermint Princess

It’s that time of year…Here’s a short film we made in 2010. The Secret Lives of Christmas Trees “star” all of the clothespin dolls I’ve made throughout the years and posted on my blog as well as a collection of Christmas ornaments passed down through the years from our families (some well over 50+ years old) in addition to ornaments we’ve collected over 30+ years!

To all of my blog readers…Thank you for reading, following and liking my blog and making it a great year for me!

Wishing all of you a Very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year!

Enjoy!

‘Twas the night before Christmas, then the clock struck twelve…

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Hope you enjoy this short film we made 2 years ago!

A young girl is persistent in her trick or treating at an abandoned shack in the town of Fortune, Nevada.

Vampire Bat “Countess Belle Fré” Faerie Clothespin Doll

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

This was another fun project for me for my Faerie Folk collection. 🙂

Faeries love to have fun especially on Halloween.

Allow me to present Countess Belle Fré of Bat-On-Rouge.

Countess Belle Fré, a vampire bat faerie, decked out in antique silk and lace, is ready to attend the Halloween Ball with her husband Count Fangela.

As always, various recycled materials were used from my craft box.

Body: Wood Clothespin

Dress: antique silk covered with antique lace and finished off with a pearl from a broken necklace

Wings: leftover leaf appliqués from another project, sprinkled with glitter glue

Hair: feathers from an old boa

Ears: carved from wine cork stopper

The grassy rock-like base was purchased. It is covered styrofoam. I take a flat bamboo toothpick and stick it into the base for a stand.

Countess Belle Fré’s Measurements:

Approximate Height (w/base): 4 inches

Approximate Height (w/o base): 3 inches

Wingspan: 4.0 inches

Enjoy!

Vampire Bat “Count Fangela” Faerie Clothespin Doll

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

This was a fun project for me for my Faerie Folk collection. 🙂

Faeries love to have fun especially on Halloween.

Allow me to present Count Fangela of Batagonia.

Count Fangela, a vampire bat faerie, decked out in a silken cape, is ready for the Halloween Ball.

Body:  Wood clothespin

As always, various recycled materials were used from my craft box

Cape: piece from an old silk shirt

Tie: piece of leftover red felt

Wings: leftover leaf appliqués from another project

Hair: feathers from an old boa

Ears: carved from wine cork stopper

The grassy rock-like base was purchased. It is covered styrofoam. I take a flat bamboo toothpick and stick it into the base for a stand.

Count Fangela’s Measurements
Approximate Height (w/base):  4 inches

Approximate Height (w/o base):  3 inches

Wingspan:  3.25 inches

P.S. Next post you will be meeting Count Fangela’s wife Countess Belle Fré of Bat-On-Rouge. 😉

Enjoy!

Skookum Indian Twins Dolls

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Here’s the last of my Skookum Dolls postings.  If you wish to see the “Mother and Papoose” Skookum doll and the Skookum “Indian Boy” doll, please go to my May 13th, 2012 and August 4th, 2012 postings.

These sweet faced composition twins were made in the middle to late 1940’s. The Skookum Indian Boy stands 6.5 inches tall and his twin sister stands 6 inches tall.

By the middle to late 1940’s, the moccasins/boots/shoes that were once covered in painted paper, leather or suede gave way to molded plastic. Instead of the old paper labels, the “Trade Mark Reg. Skookum Bully Good Indian Patented U.S.A.” was molded in the plastic. Headbands that were once leather/suede were exchanged for a shiny plastic tape.

The rest of the materials used to make the dolls remained the same: painted molded heads with painted features; short blunt-cut black mohair wigs; paper and cloth wrapped bodies. Felt fringed leggings, wool shirt and wool flannel blanket wrap for the boy. Floral print shirt and skirt and wool flannel blanket wrap for the girl.

It appears these Skookum twins were mailed as a gift from the Navajo-Hopi Trading Co. in Flagstaff, Arizona to a Mrs. Harry Hall of Lake Charles, Louisiana (see photo back of box: July 11, 1949). As you can see, these dolls have not been properly stored as shoes are covered in mildew, clothing is moth eaten and the straw stuffing is showing through the back of the boy’s head. A few beads remain from necklaces worn around the necks of both dolls.

Skookum History:
Skookum dolls were composition dolls handmade by Mary McAboy between 1913 and 1920. These dolls resembled Native American people of various tribes.

Mary, who was inspired by the apple head Indian dolls her mother made, decided to make her own little apple head Indian village. The figures were set up in the display window of a local grocery store. Astounded with their successful sales, Mary filed to register trademark the name SKOOKUM in 1917.

The word Skookum is an old slang term still used today in the Northwest Territory of the United States. The word originated from the Chinook or Siwash traders of the American Northwest and has a few meanings. Ask any Northwesterner and they will tell you that Skookum means “Excellent,” “Mighty,” or “Very Good” and to Mary McAboy these little dolls were “Bully Good!”

Skookum’s became so popular and to keep up with the demand, Mary McAboy went into business with H.H. Tammen Co. of Denver, Colorado in 1920. These factory made Skookum dolls (1920’s through the early 1960’s), came in a variety of sizes (2″ souvenir mailers to 3 foot store displays) and styles to represent various tribes, customs and dress. The Skookums were usually sold in tourist spots.

Mary oversaw the production of these dolls for approximately 38 years, and retired in 1952.  She passed away in Denver, Colorado at the age of eighty-four on January 3, 1961.

Enjoy!

Skookum Indian Boy Doll

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Here’s another one of my Skookum dolls.  If you wish to see the Mother and Papoose Skookum doll, please go to my May 13th, 2012 posting.

This sweet faced circa 1930/1940 composition Skookum Indian Boy stands 6.5 inches tall.

Other Details: painted molded head with painted features; short blunt-cut black mohair wig; paper and cloth wrapped wood body. Leather boots painted with orange and turquoise lines; yellow felt fringed leggings; yellow flower print shirt front; blue, orange, yellow and grey wool flannel blanket wrap. Partial paper oval tag on bottom of left foot reads “TRADE MARK REGISTERED” around border, sunrise drawing over “SKOOKUM (BULLY GOOD) INDIAN” in center.

Skookum dolls were composition dolls handmade by Mary McAboy between 1913 and 1920. These dolls resembled Native American people of various tribes.

Mary, who was inspired by the apple head Indian dolls her mother made, decided to make her own little apple head Indian village. The figures were set up in the display window of a local grocery store. Astounded with their successful sales, Mary filed to register trademark the name SKOOKUM in 1917.

The word Skookum is an old slang term still used today in the Northwest Territory of the United States. The word originated from the Chinook or Siwash traders of the American Northwest and has a few meanings. Ask any Northwesterner and they will tell you that Skookum means “Excellent,” “Mighty,” or “Very Good” and to Mary McAboy these little dolls were “Bully Good!”

Skookum’s became so popular and to keep up with the demand, Mary McAboy went into business with H.H. Tammen Co. of Denver, Colorado in 1920. These factory made Skookum dolls (1920’s through the early 1960’s), came in a variety of sizes (2″ souvenir mailers to 3 foot store displays) and styles to represent various tribes, customs and dress. The Skookums were usually sold in tourist spots.

Mary oversaw the production of these dolls for approximately 38 years, and retired in 1952.  She passed away in Denver, Colorado at the age of eighty-four on January 3, 1961.

Enjoy!

Rubber Chickens In The Arts

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Here’s another fun Library District competition I entered in 2010 using all recycled materials.  This was a challenging and fun project because it forced me to use rubber chickens in a creative way to promote reading.

I entitled my piece William Shakespeare’s “Omelet.”

I received the “Most Creative Individual” award 🙂

Materials
Stage Base: Old box painted black

Plastic Egg (on stage floor) and Rubber Chickens – “Omelet and Horatio” donated by a neighbor

Stage backdrop: Old book painted black, then pasted background graphics I created on to it

Front and Back of the book: pasted graphics of “Omelet” title and of William Shakespeare with “No rubberChickens were harmeth…”

Capes and tunics: sewn from recycled materials (cotton, silk, suede) from my arts and crafts box

Props: Graphics of tombstones printed and then cut out. Omelet holds a broken eggshell in his hand.  Bookmark made from recycled gold ribbon and a feather

I really love to play with words and after the project was done I regretted not calling my project “Sheggspeare’s Omelet.”  I also regretted not calling Horatio by “Horeggio.”  At the time I made the project, I figured “Omelet” and “Yolkick” was plenty and using more would have been overkill.

This project was so much fun, I actually made a short 1.25 minute video and entitled it “Sheggspeare’s Omelet” where I did use Horeggio. Here’s the link below if you wish to view it.  Please watch it through the credits which is where you will really see my love of playing with words. 😉

Enjoy!  Hope you have had an “egg”cellent time!

The Case of the Missing “Groom” Clothespin Doll

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

In May of this year, I posted my “Bride and Groom” clothespin dolls. The actual bride and groom loved these representations so much, they displayed them at their reception on the table next to their wedding cake.

While unpacking wedding gifts at their home, they discovered the bride doll was groomless on her stand. 😦

A big search ensued but after several weeks, the groom doll was no where to be found.

I felt so bad for the bride and groom, I told them I would make them another groom doll.  I also said as I use recycled materials, the doll would not be exactly the same as the original.  While remaking the groom, I decided not to make the dark lines around his eyes.

So here he is!

New Groom

Groom
Hair: Yellow feather from an old boa.

Suit Jacket: Old black ribbon wrapped around pipe cleaner.

White Shirt & Cuffs: Old white ribbon.

Slacks: Colored on with a black marker.

Enjoy!

P.S. After the bride and groom returned from their honeymoon, the original groom doll was found wrapped in tissue paper amongst a box of wedding gifts. They still don’t know how the groom doll got separated from the bride doll on their stand but they are happy he was found.

CASE SOLVED! 🙂

JUMPING DEER Weathervane

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Another one of my husband’s beautiful folk art weathervane carvings.

Pattern taken from “Carving Early American Weathervanes” by Anthony Hillman (Dover publications).

Jumping Deer: carved from recycled oak and then stained.

Hooves: black paint.

Inside ears and under tail: white paint.

Antlers: copper sheet with verdigris solution applied for patina.

Eyes: upholstery tacks with verdigris solution applied for patina.

Measurements: 18.5 inches x 11 inches (includes antlers), 3/4 inch thickness

Enjoy!