It's Spring at PFATT Marketplace!

 Connie Cuddles is hoping to hop on down the trail to a new home soon. She is hand sculpted using polymer clay.

Perfect for an Easter tree, these ornaments were created using a vintage style candy mold. To learn more about all of these you can find them here: Mother's Dream Artworks

Hang Your Heart Up

'When you fish for love, bait with your heart, not your brain'. Mark Twain

Mother's Dream Artworks

PFATT BLOG VALENTINE GIVEAWAY!!!

 Starting tonight at midnight our PFATT ebay group is having a Valentine give away, just for you! Our PFATT sisters have gathered together to share their talents with loads of gifts you could win, so stop by and see what's happening and how you can participate. Below is my contribution, a Valentine ornie, hand sculpted and embellished with lots of love.

Here's hoping you will win at least one of the treats that will be available. Thank you for your support and continued encouragement.  PFATT BLOG Valentine Giveaway

Just so heads don't roll....

 I often use rice in a tub to help steady what I'm working on, or for a place to put things to dry. I had so many little snowman heads though that I had to resort to a pizza pan to keep the little darlings from rolling over and crushing their hats. What do you use?

Here's a sneak peek at some WIPs I'm finishing up as well. The big show set up is Tuesday, eeek! I'd better get back to work!

So many things to share, so little time, and a chance to win!

 The second of three posts today, I'm trying to squeeze in computer duties with sculpting. It's been crazy busy here and there, which means I'm busy at home and at the in-laws. I've sequestered myself into my apartment to get ready for a show at the Nugget here in Wendover this Saturday, so snowman heads are popping up all over, little Santa figures are coming to life, as well as an angel or two. I've need to share though that I have the Santa above on ebay right now. The auction ends on Saturday.

This adorable driftwood ornament is part of a give away my friend Denalee of Silver Strands is having at her blog. Head on over for a chance to win this one of a kind ornament, as well as inspirational and uplifting words and shares. She has some heady connections so stop by won't you?

Bitzy Bee is buzzing around ebay...

 Pretty little Bitzy Bee

Buzzing everywhere...

Busy little Bitzy Bee

Do you really care?

Fancy little Bitzy Bee

Honey is your game...

Flightly little Bitzy Bee

Sweetness is your name!

A gourd folk art ornament  to be found on ebay. She would love to buzz around your home!

A simply lovely Valentine for your sweetheart.....

 Small and sweet, a little Valentine ornament to tuck into your sweethearts goodies.

She's on ebay right now, wondering where she will end up for the big day. I hope you've had a great Monday so far.

Americana Uncle Sam...a double feature!

 It's a red, white, and blue sort of trend with the new year, the newly elected officials in Washington D.C. and the upcoming patriotic month of February. There's never a bad time to be patriotic, so I have two Americana offerings on eBay this week. The first is my hand sculpted Uncle Sam ornament.

Above I am also sharing a hand sculpted Uncle Sam and mixed media wall hanging or shelf sitter.  Click on my ebay link to the right for more on these handsome fellas.

What do a snowman and a Santa have in common?

 What do they have in common?
1. They both have to do with Christmas, at least these do...
2. They are both made out of gourds....okay these two are....:-)

3. They can both be found on ebay! These would make special gifts for that someone special, so if you're looking for a last minute gift idea you've come to the right place. Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you are enjoying the season.

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!

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.

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!

Celebrate 365 and Our AHA Artists

Another wonderful publication by Connie Porcher arrived in the mail! Yes, I'm a tad behind the 8 ball here, but the holiday rush took over and stampeded any hopes of sharing this sooner.
The line up of AHA artists featured in this issue include, besides me (blush):
Amelia Schaefer - www.sweetbfolkart.blogspot.com
Dawn Tubbs - www.boyhowdie.com
Johanna Parker - www.johannaparkerdesign.blogspot.com
Kathy Hunka - www.primsicalstudios.blogspot.com
Nancy Malay - www.nancymalay.com
Robin Seeber - www.outsidetheboxprimitives.com
Susan Verndoerhook - www.seasonalwhimsies.blogspot.com

There was an article featuring Susan and the Artistry of Poland piece she designed of which we are so proud. Yes, we do take part ownership as she is one of our group leaders and it's such a thrill to see one of our members succeed! If you haven't gotten a subscription to Celebrate 365 think about it as a New Year's resolution!

Reflections

After I finished reading scriptures this morning I sat looking at the lights blinking on the Christmas tree. I could hear the individual tinkle as each light that twinkles would go on and off. My husband is starting to find the lights annoying, but they are a part of my past, so I will cut down on the number of blinking lights in the future. I may have gone over board this year....lol.

It occurred to me that the tree is looking more and more like the one I grew up with than the one my children did. Each year I search for ornaments that are like the ones we had on the tree when I was a child. I've found Italian indent ornaments with different scenes, though we only had one when I was growing up. I've purchased a snowman, an angel and others for my children's collections. The stencil ornaments like the Silent Night one you see above is one I want to incorporate into a design I have in mind, but we had several of those.
Oh sure, I still have a lot of the home made ornaments like the angel in the photo above, as well as the tin can lid punched heart ornament and the hand painted bird house. The counted cross stitch ornament below is another I made years ago, as well as the cinnamon star with snowman painted on him and the wooden soldier I made out of a tree branch and popcicle sticks. As my children have grown up though I have passed some of those along to them.
So why not ask my parents for some of the old ornaments? Well, after their divorce our living conditions dropped dramatically. At one point we lived in a tiny home that was pepto bismol pink with white trim. It seemed to be a favorite haven for earwigs, which are evil looking creatures that find their way into everything. It was so bad we had to shake our clothes out before putting them on as there might be one lurking in a pant leg. Ugghhh, I still get shivers thinking about it. The wood stove in the living room had a pipe that would separate sometimes so we would wake up smelling like we'd been camping. Not good for a teenager who liked to smell pretty so as to attract boys attention. The second summer we were there we had a grease fire when someone forgot to turn off the burner under the frying pan full of oil, or perhaps my little brother had turned the burner back on. Let me tell you it was a blessing in some ways. So we moved into a better place in a better location with no bugs but the occasional spider all homes seem to have. That Christmas though we discovered that our Christmas decorations were missing. They had been in the shed at the old place and were forgotten in all the turmoil going on then. We went back to find them, but they were gone. Oh, it was devastating indeed as we were so poor and surely couldn't afford to buy all new stuff! Our hearts were broken as we knew we would never be able to replace the different and what we thought were unique ornaments we had. And yes, some will never be replaced as we had done up some satin ball ornaments with sequins that turned out so pretty. Luckily for us Mom had some good friends who came to our rescue and bought us all gifts and had us over for dinner and such to help brighten our Christmas and try to make up for what we had lost. Their kindness has never been forgotten though they are long gone.

So fast forward to today, with ebay and yard sales and second hand stores as well as antique stores. I have been searching and finding some to replace the ones lost. No, most aren't in very good shape but I still hope against hope that I will be able to find nice ones that can be passed on.
Why go through all the trouble you may be thinking. There is always an air of excitement when the decorations are pulled out and we gather to dress up the tree. I remember as a child having my favorites, and yes, we did argue about who could hang what each year until Mom decided to have us take turns. She always seemed to know from year to year, who hung what the year before. My children had their own as each has a themed ornament collection so that wasn't a problem. When the tree is done we can all sit back and enjoy our efforts together. My grandson brought it home to me last week as he came over for a visit and had me sit with him on the floor as we looked up at the tree. He tucked his tiny hand in mine and made little comments on the different ornaments and we just enjoyed the twinkling lights and the time together. I want my children and grandchildren to have a piece of the past to carry forward, and I want them to feel the same pleasure we did as we dressed up the tree and then sat and enjoyed the light show on the walls and listened for the twinkling lights. I want them to have a glimpse of what it was like for us before our world came apart, and I want them to build the same memories with their children. Time is so precious, so sharing peaceful, quiet, reflective times help strengthen bonds. Sure we could do that with any ornaments on the tree, but since my children never knew my mom, I want to find ways to share a part of her in all our family gatherings. This is just one way I can do that.

Featured Artist in at American Holiday Artists & Etsy Treasury

This little fella has been featured at American Holiday Artists and in an in an Etsy treasury: http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=99444. Thank you to Becca of seasonsart1031 !

It's Ho Ho Christmas Time!

We have a new term around our home, "Ho Ho Christmas". My oldest grandson ( I actually have 2 now) calls everything related to Christmas "Ho Ho Christmas". When we play with play dough he asks me to make a Ho Ho Christmas tree for him and so it goes. Aaaah, the joy of having him
close! I wish the other grandchildren were closer as well, but I will take what I can get for now.
Do you think perhaps the reason Emmett came up with "Ho Ho Christmas" has to do with all
the Santa figures that keep popping up around my home? No..... it couldn't be that.........

AND THE WINNER IS......

NO NO NO....these aren't the winners, Cathy Darling of Pure Art Studios is! She gets to choose from either one of these. Thanks to all who participated. I will have to think up something fun for Thanksgiving. Have a great week all!

A Primitive Victorian Retro Vintage Christmas?

Christmas is the icing on the cake as we slowly slide into winter. We've put the gardens to bed, the harvest is lined up in gleaming rows of jars in the pantry or frosty bags of goodies in the freezer. We've shared a Thanksgiving feast with loved ones, celebrating the good things we've been blessed with this year. Now all the trimmings are up in the house, evoking a sense of warmth and childlike delight as we anticipate the gift giving season.

As an artist who has created Santa figures and ornaments for years, I have tried many styles, and love them all. My collection of decorations that I've either purchased or created spans the gamut of many styles, with the exception of western or northwoods, even though I haven't left that out on purpose. I do love the rustic woodsy style that's found in many a northern home, and I am toying with the idea of a western themed Santa or two for fun.

What is your style? Do you have a strict theme or color scheme, or are you more eclectic, gathering decorations or collectibles that catch your eye?

My original one of a kind hand sculpted ornament above can be found here:http://www.pfattmarketplace.com/mothersdreamartworks.html