Saying goodbye to Thanksgiving

With a bit of sadness I put away Thanksgiving yesterday. The weekend went by way too fast and now it seems as if we are hurdling toward the end of the year at lightening speed! Where has the time gone? Into the tote went the Indian corn and hand carved log pumpkins that I made a few years ago here in Utah, the Indian string doll family that was created almost 20 years ago when we lived in Alaska, went in the box with the hand carved Indian maiden gourd ornament from Diane McNaughton, as well as my new pumpkin ornaments for my new feather tree from Willow Springs Family Farm. I had just barely got the new ornaments done and now they are put away until next year..... already. The ceramic turkey condiment set I got in Alabama this year is stashed in the buffet and all is ready for Christmas.

Gee, when I think about it, my Autumn/Thanksgiving decor is a gathering of memories and times in nine different homes. Next year I hope to have more ornaments created for my feather tree. Perhaps some bluish green pumpkins, some beeswax turkeys and some tiny Indian corn.
It's certainly looking like Christmas outside right now, with skiffs of snow on the ground and dusting our desert peaks. So tonight I finish setting out the Nativity, getting the tree ready to decorate, and hanging the garlands with lights. The Santa collection is out on the breakfast bar already, and the wreath is on the door. The ribbons are hung on the cabinet doors in the living room, waiting for the first Christmas cards of the year to arrive. The wind is much too cold to be outside in, so decorating the porch will have to wait until things get warmer.
So goodbye Thanksgiving, until next year. Things will be different then, they are already changing. Let's hope and pray it will be for the better......

Thanksgiving Day preview and well wishes for a safe and happy holiday.

So you thought I would show you a fancy turkey dinner, huh? Not so my happy friends! Tomorrow is the update for American Holiday Artists Studios Marketplace so here's a quick preview of what I have to offer. Knowing that you will probably be busy tomorrow with family and or friends, I thought I would give you a little tease and hope to see you back on Friday. No, I'm not doing the Black Friday thing, we are already most of the way there in regards to gift purchasing and will just enjoy some time in Salt Lake City, and maybe a movie Friday night.

 From the Parson's home to yours, may you have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

A Johanna Parker Giveaway!

Okay, I'm in the mood to torture myself with dashed hopes so I'm sharing this link with you. The talented and oh so creative Johanna Parker is having a giveaway at her blog of this darling candy cane holder! There are many ways to enter, so let your fingers run, not walk to Johanna Parker Design to learn the details. I hope I win, I hope I win, I hope I win..........

Speaking of color....

 My beautiful Autumn feather tree I bought from Benita at Willow Springs Family Farm is standing naked since I took Halloween down and put it all away so I decided to put my red paint down and create some pumpkins to hang on it. These are a bit rough but I experimented with different ways to layer or wrap the clay around the foil balls and now they are drying. I can see that I want to use some great brown twig like wire for the stems the next go around and perhaps foam balls instead, but these were fun, and once painted will be great! Just like regular pumpkins, no two look alike which is what I like.

On the topic of color, have you ever walked into a room full of people and noticed that many of them have the same color of clothing on? I noticed that yesterday when I arrived at the twin's home. Mom and older sister were wearing the same turquoise blue although different tops. I asked Mom if they color coordinated and she laughed stating she hadn't even noticed. I pick up on this a lot. For instance the people on the Bank of America commercial playing on the Food Network right now all have a shade of gray on, whether it's a dress, shirt or slacks, each person has gray on. I wonder if it has to do with keeping the clothing tones subtle so you will hear the message and not be distracted by what they are wearing? It's the first time I've watched a commercial and noticed something like that. Often when I go to church several of my friends will have the same color on. It too is as if we all color coordinated. What is most interesting is that it's not always a seasonal color. I probably notice it even more now that I lead the music during Sacrament meeting. I can see everyone from where I sit or stand so I get to watch who's sleeping, (including hubby), who's wrestling with their children, who looks bored stiff and who is paying attention and enjoying what they are hearing.
Thank goodness for color I say! What a drab world we would live in if we didn't have the variety of color all around us. It's back to playing with more white stuff before I pull out my paint drawer and decide what color to paint my next creation. Taa Taa!

I've been told that red sells best....

 If it seems that I've been stuck in the "red" mode, I've been told red sells best when it comes to Santa figures. What is your experience? On ebay it can be a crap shoot of sorts, as I've had people go crazy over purple Santa pieces, and blue, not so much the antique white although I happen to like them very much. I've never done  a pink suited Santa or Belsnickle but have seen some very lovely ones.
Anyhew....the 3 Santa ornaments on the right are a commission for a friend. The other one is up for grabs.

This Santa is for my friend's mother so I have to keep her name a secret....:-). I'm so grateful for friends who are willing to give me a chance to create something special for their loved ones. It makes creating more personal. 

So back to the red thingy, do you think red Santas sell best or does it matter?

By the by, if you are looking for some great one of a kind pieces to give as gifts this holiday season, our American Holiday Artists Studios Marketplace still has a few highly collectible goodies to snag. If you have a moment please stop by and see what our artists have been up to. We will also be updating on the 25th of November so stop by then as well. Hope you have a wonderful evening.

I'm seeing red....

 I've been working on Santa figures for days so now I'm seeing red everywhere. Red in the kitchen, red in the studio, red in the computer room.... RED!!!! RED is my favorite color though so it's all good.

 I've got several pieces almost done for a friend as well as my AHA Studios Marketplace update pieces... no, no, no you can't see them yet... :-) The 25th will be the unveiling.

 This handsome fellow is now on ebay for your consideration. His hat is designed to use as the hanger so you don't have to hunt for a hanger every year.

He has vintage fruits and leaves from Blumchens as well as vintage mica "snow".  A one of a kind Victorian old world style Santa to add to your collection.

Honoring our veterans

War is never a pleasant or welcome event, but there are times when we have to do the hard thing to protect freedom. I'm so grateful to all those who have spent time in the Armed Forces, especially those who have gone to war. I hope the memories have faded so that you can enjoy the time you have now with family and loved ones. For those of you still serving,  may the Lord bless and keep you through these trials, and may your families be protected and comforted while you are away. May the sacrifice you make not go unnoticed. Thank you!

A Ho Ho Ho and a 25 days til Christmas idea....

 We've finally got all but two things out of our old apartment and are hiring someone to do a light cleaning as my poor ole body is giving out and time is precious these days. So now I can get back to creating with a passion, and get some things done. It's interesting how distracting moving can be, even though I work during the day, just thinking about all that needed to be done was enough to stifle my creativity to a certain extent.

 Of course being too pooped to move hasn't helped. My hubby had games and meetings and more games to attend so most of the packing, cleaning and moving has been left up to me to do after I got off of work. One more evening over there and we are done, yay! So today I was able to sit down and get a couple of pieces finished as far as the sculpting is concerned. The top Santa is a shelf sitter made from a foam ball and tinfoil covered with air dry clay. I didn't plan this one at all, I wanted something whimsical and let him come out on his own. The second Santa is a re-purposed light bulb turned into an ornament. Again, no plan, just let him show me what he was supposed to look like. It's so much fun to create ornaments this way. Sometimes I start with a basic idea, but more often than not I just let the shape and the clay work their magic with me as the guide.

I am thinking that many of you already do this or have done this for children or grandchildren but I had never thought of the idea of taking Halloween candy and making a 25 days til Christmas garland. It's a great way to use some of those treats your little darlings collected on Halloween, and make them last a bit longer, even though my sister and I were known to still be eating our Halloween candy come Springtime. ;-) It's amazing how much a pillow case will hold! LoL All you need is 25 pieces of candy or gum, plastic wrap, and ribbon. Lay out your wrap and space out your candy, roll the wrap over the candy, tie the spaces with ribbon and Whaalaa! Instant garland that would be cute on the tree, or hanging from a mantle, buffet, you name it. Uh oh, it looks like Wesley is losing his britches do I'd better get back to work. Hope you're having a creative day!