A day in the nest...

I'm good...

2009-05-22T18:23:00.001-06:00

Everything seems to be quite fine--I did score 2 pictures of real...live...Receptionurses...who said i could blog about them! :)

thanks everyone for your sweet words--
meg

Guess what I have?

2009-05-19T08:17:00.002-06:00

I have a lump. In my right breast. And blogging about it is a heck of a lot cheaper than therapy...

And too--this is my hope, with this blog entry. I know that someone, somewhere, probably has a lump too--and you're afraid to check it out. You'd rather not know the answer...and believe me when I say, I do understand that fear. I often feel like an old wooden marionette that's been repaired and pinned together with duct tape and rubber bands... And there's always something new....always. But back to you:

Please get your lump checked. If I can, you can too--and I'll bet you "all the mommy in world" that I have worse luck than you do, in the field of medicine!--you're going to be fine. :)

I've known about Ms. Lump (as we'll call her) for a while--I wanted to enjoy and celebrate Maggie's 5th Birthday before I checked it out....and too, lumps change, throughout the month. So tomorrow, I take Ms. Lump & Mrs. Boob in, to a new doc., and we'll see what's what. And I must say--the receptionurse was SO nice...but is she always nice? Or is it just because I said it: lump, when I made the appointment...maybe it was because my voice broke just a little bit, there at the end?

receptionurse: And what do we need to see you for?
me: I have a....lump. A lump in my right breast.

No one ever wants to say "lump" out loud. Never made my list of things to do, that's for darn certain...but, ah! My list of things to do...

I found the lump via. self-examination (aren't I responsible?!) It was late...I found Ms. Lump...I went to bed (Joe was already asleep)--I turned on my reading lamp, opened my excellent book, and laid it over my breasts. Like a shield. It was so late--and Joe had to work so early--and I really, really, tried to let him sleep. But I couldn't. I turned to him and whispered:

I have a lump.

And then...I just laid there. And I thought of everything I haven't done--every memory I haven't made yet. Blessings, reunions, celebrations... I'm sure there's a song out there, somewhere in the world, that will be one of my favorite songs. I haven't heard it yet. I know there's an author I will adore that I haven't found yet--I think there's a pale grey dress, with a silk rose and matching cloche...it's beautiful. I haven't bought it yet, let alone worn it. There's a beach somewhere--and an ocean that curls over it, embraces it...I haven't walked along it yet. I haven't curled my toes into the sand or gathered sea glass and sea shells to give to my girls. And my girls! I'll have to stop there...

Am I over-reacting? Probably. But at least I'm consistent. And honest. Tell me you haven't thought every one of those thoughts--personal to your life--when you found your Ms. Lump. I know that you did. It's just that I'm brave enough to write it down, to say it out loud. Because if there's anything left that I believe in--it's the power of honest words. Especially if they float a little courage your way.

Make the call--
meg

A note for my daughters...

2009-05-08T08:39:00.017-06:00

...on Mother's Day. (and I suspect that some other Mothers, flesh and blood or heart-Mothers, may relate to my sentiments)

mother: 1. A woman who conceives, gives birth to, or raises and nurtures a child.
"On" being "topic", versus the actual day... It's a lovely Friday morning. One of you is at school--one of you is asleep (of course!--who do you take after, I wonder?). I've thought of some things, over the past few months, that I have wanted to impart to you. Sometimes these thoughts occur when I am incredibly frustrated--sometimes they smack me in the noggin when I stumble across some drivel or another in a novel or a specific quote...

Some too, are when I check on you, just before I finally go to sleep. I always go to sleep last, you know....and I think I just have to check on both of you, bless you, touch your hair and get close enough to feel your warm breath before I can sleep myself. (By the by, I might break my leg at two in the morning since Chloe's on the top bunk now! The checking, blessing, etc. is mighty hard to do when you're 4'11" and terribly un-coordinated.)

Anywho--here's some thoughts from me, your Mom, and a few things I want us all to remember as the years go by.

1--I will make, and have made, mistakes. You will too. When that happens, we can embrace forgiveness or embrace resentment. Please remember, you always have that choice in your life, no matter the person or situation.

2--To Chloe: I will never forget the evening that your pink poodle hooded sweatshirt saved your life. I don't know if there's been a worse moment, grabbing the 1/2" of fabric just in time to jerk you back from heavy traffic. When I suddenly hug you as if I'll never, ever, let go--I'm probably thinking of this moment. It was actually worse than when Magdalen decided to be a robot and covered her head in duct tape (I know that you two compete...so far, you have "the worst moment"....and Mags finally has eyebrows again, for the moment.) I cannot imagine what I would do without my daughter who has "shown me the angels."

3--To Magdalen: I am so glad we both lived through your birth--I inadvertently received our medical records in the mail when you were about a year old?....I had no idea how "lucky" we were. And yes, even when Dad's been away for 16+ hours, when I'm bone-tired and you're incredibly naughty--and unrepentant--...when you glue things to things, find duct tape, make "soup", steal your sister's stuff (where is her pink ipod, missie?!), when you steal my stuff, steal dad's stuff...when you cut things into absolute ribbons that you should not (like curtains, or your hair--who will forget the "half-a-mullet", spring 2008?!). I'm still glad we made it--for you and me. You keep my body and my heart agile, and alive, in so many ways.

4--Be nice. And courteous. I'm not kidding here...the world would be a different place if we all woke up and thought--"Just for kicks...I think I'll be kind today."

5--This is a good one--and it's been passed along, from Gramma. When you're tempted to gossip...which can sometimes "creep into" a conversation...run the words you're just longing to say through this "filter": Is it kind? (see #4) Is it true? (if it's not, then you're lying AND gossiping.) Is it necessary? (why do you have to say it? If the world can keep spinning without your saying "it", then you don't need to say "it".)

6--The world will not stop spinning... Okay, it probably could, I suppose (though I myself think it will just blow up someday). If the world does stop spinning, you probably won't realize it--or you won't for very long. So, you've no excuse to not heed #5. I have to heed #5 as well.

7--I honestly don't care about your grades in school. Or, rather, there's a lot of things that are a bit of a "higher priority". Mark Twain said: "I have never let schooling interfere with my education." I whole-heartedly embrace this notion of Mark's...I do care that you educate yourself...you'll never, ever, regret learning. But no, you don't have to pay anyone or visit a classroom to learn. However, should I find myself paying for you to visit a specific classroom, you'd darn well better go! (Just ask Papa.)

8--Mark Twain is always right. I don't know why that is? It's almost creepy. Okay--it is creepy. But true. If you can't speak with me or your father directly, please consult Mr. Twain, with one exception--the legal age for drinking always trumps whatever Mr. Twain has to say on that topic. It's physiological, that age. (Yeah, yeah...I know you won't listen. But I had to say it. I'm your Mom.)

9--Learn one thing everyday. Sometimes, your "lesson" will be intentional--something you specifically wished to learn. But you know what the most powerful lessons are? The ones that keep you up at night. Those aren't worries or heartaches or regrets, my sweet girls--those are lessons. And they're usually free.

10--A "mother" in your life isn't always going to be just me, your Mom (and I'll try to choke down my jealousy). Please keep your eyes peeled for other "mothers"...these are your "heart-mothers". I have 2 Aunts (yes, I still have Judy), 1 crazy friend in Ohio, and 1 dear, sweet, friend from years ago, 2 sponsors, 4 teachers--all are excellent mothers, and have mothered me, in addition to own Mom. All have taught me useful "lessons", most have held me while I sobbed (even over the phone), all have rescued me from myself when necessary, and all have celebrated joy and blessing with me...and too, some have held on tight when I refused to rescue myself. That's a mom for you!

11--I really, of course, wish I did not have to even think about #11....but. Mistakes are, most often, like dominoes. At the very least they seem to come in pairs. However, a lot of times, certain mistakes can be avoided. And I'll tell you how to avoid some "biggies". Use a condom. Call for a ride. While, of course, I don't want to imagine you having to take either precaution...well. The world's a different place for you than it ever was for me--and it was still quite a world when I was a teenager. And too--you don't have to call me for a ride...remember you've kept your eyes peeled for those other "mothers"? If Grandpa Chapman can "be cool" when the cops bring someone home--in quite a state and wreaking of booze--if Harold can manage that--can be kind and loving and concerned (and NOT die of a heart attack!), then surely I can too. Please keep in mind, even with the various modes of transportation and precautions, you will still be in serious trouble.

12--Should you ever find yourself at a "place" in your life where it seems you have no personal dignity left, not one shred or pretense--you need to pay attention to that. And act upon it. Sadly, I--nor anyone else--will be able to "tell you" when you've reached that place without dignity.... I mean, sure I could tell you, but you won't give me any merit whatsoever in this "department of dignity". You'll have to figure that one out for yourself. When you do, I am here.

13--Do you remember when we watched Coraline together? You two loved it...and of course, I did too. But I think it's the "scariest" movie I've ever seen. I can only hope that I know about all of the little "doors" in our home and in your lives (and some of them, I do)--I hope, that if you must enter them, you'll at least let me hold your hand and walk through with you? And don't always assume doors have keys. Some "doors" are funny that way, and they might even trick you a bit...you can lock a door behind you, sometimes, and have no idea you've done so. (Chloe, you will understand this especially as we spent about an hour+ on the front porch the other day....waiting for Dad and his keys....good "teaching moment", eh?)

14--I'm always right. Okay, okay...my heart is always right. So that's why you can't do a staggering variety of dangerous things, read the books that I do (Grandma doesn't like me reading them either!), watch whatever you want, browse the web, etc. etc. Yes, I know it stinks. Too bad. Too bad for you and your sweet little girl hearts and brains. i.e., you will not be able to read this blog entry (#11)--but someday you may, if you like.

15--My High School speech coach gave me a little quote book when I graduated? (one of those "other mothers"...) She'd "marked" advice specifically for me...one of the highlighted advisements: Love someone who doesn't deserve it. This kind of goes back to #4...please, just "love". It's not something, "love" that is, that should remotely resemble a little scale with weights and numbers...ever. In example, there's not a number in this world that's big enough to describe how much I love you. See? I am always right.

16--It's funny...when you were babies, I could just about "fix" anything that was wrong...except you couldn't really "tell me", specifically what some of your troubles were.... As you grow older, as you are able to talk--heaven knows!--you're able to "tell Mom all about it"...and I can still fix a few things--quite a few, really. But the older you grow, the less I can fix, yet the more I can understand completely what you need. I don't know why that is...seems unfair. But I will try, I promise you that. And when I'm not nearby to "fix"? Well--I'll try to make sure I've equipped you with the tools you need to remedy what ills of this life that you can.

17--Be nice to your sister. Both of you. You do and will infuriate each other, compete, fight, love, and--finally--NEED each other.

18--This is all for now. You may read it when you're 22 (at least).

Love,
your mom
*************************************************************************

Since Chloe was born, I have kept an informal "mother's journal" of sorts...some of these thoughts are new, some are old...

I hope each of you has a loverly Mother's Day, one way or another, and try to let just a few of you "mothers" know how they're cherished...

meg

Editing is for sissies...

2009-05-05T10:47:00.001-06:00

I forgot something--I could have just added it, but we'll make up for 2 month's silence today...

I did have...one...super....wicked....amazing....idea to make money. My sister and I were discussing all of the Twilight Paraphernalia that has besieged Our Great Nation...like Edward T-shirts (personally, I want "I'm betting on Alice" or nothing, but that's just me).

Now tell me, what good is Rob Pattinson's face if you can't actually see it yourself?

I'm sure you do see--easily!--what I mean....

So--you heard it here first--

Shoes. With Edward's face on the toes...but--here's where it gets good--Edward's face is facing the shoe-wearer. Gazing up at you....with that intense, vampiric yearning...his cold exterior belying and gently providing exquisite contrast to his incredibly warm heart.

I'm just saying.

You heard it here FIRST.

Maybe I should write teen fiction?

Would that I were a snarky image stealer(s) who's making a whopping on various venues right now selling bling-bling to Twilight Addicts (okay, maybe not....but they are making money!)

What? What's that you say? No, no...I took that picture of Edward myself. Really...it was right after we'd had the most delightful brunch (he paid)...I was wearing my favorite flowered clogs...he let me drive the shiny Volvo....then we went for a run and he played me the song he wrote for me. They're keeping that one in the movie.

blessings,

meg

PS--S., if you're reading this, and I know you are...you HAVE to admit that my on-film-vampire is hotter. And I really would let him bite me. (That's for K.)

I was going to post some footage--irrefutable proof, if you will. There's just too much to choose from...(and all of it -1 is illegal). And I will admit that the spoofs are hillarious.

The Inevitable Need for Groceries...

2009-05-05T08:17:00.000-06:00

may trump The Unbearable Lightness of Being. For the moment.

I'd no idea, until yesterday, that's it been nearly 8 weeks since I've blogged...so that faint sense of relief you've been experiencing? The reprieve you've had from quirky music and senseless ramblings? That beautiful silence? Over. Again, for the moment...

I've actually spent the last weeks deciding what I might want to do with my life. Like a job or something. This is what I came up with....

a hospice chaplain
a hospice nurse
a nail tech., specifically for hospice patients, nursing homes, etc.
a teacher

So the chaplain thing...I suppose if no one I know, personally, ends up in hospice I might be able to pull that off (after all, I did work as a medical assistant one summer while pursuing a degree in acting....). A hospice nurse? IVs and 16 hour shifts wouldn't really "work", I'm afraid. ( I HATE all that is intravenous with near phobic intensity...IVs...blood draws. Anything vein-ish. I get grey...sweaty....sometimes I sing...). I did discover that if you drink a LOT of water right before-hand, the blood spurts out a bit quicker (yick-yick-yick!!!!). But then of course, you still have all the sweaty-groaning-grey-singing with an incredible urge to pee...

Needle Lady: Miss Wommack, are you okay?

Meg: (moaning and humming, head lolling on her sweaty neck....) Oh, fine....la-la-la...really fine...are you done yet?

Needle Lady: Almost. (we both know she's a liar. a freaking bad liar, at that.)

Meg: (between singing snatches of Hank William's "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive")....(croak)...weather...two girls...(watery gasp)...are you almost done?

Why do they ask you questions during a time like this?! Yeah Needle Lady...I want to recount all that is dear and wonderful and beautiful about my life. Because, that's really the sort of thing I like to do before I moan, sweat, turn grey, pee my pants, pass out, and eventually die-die-DIE! We both know this is going to kill me. Why is it going to kill me? Have you seen that movie about the kids-who-don't-get-on-the-plane-that-blows-up and then the rest of the movie they're-all-dying-and-stuff because they've cheated-a-horrible-death? HAVE YOU?! No, I thought not...because, if you had read any of my charts, then you, Miss Needle Lady--or whatever you call yourself nowadays!--if you had read, then you would know, the clock is TICKING. TICKING!!! Ticking for me, personally--and this could darn well be the last TOCK, that's just my freaking luck. My destiny, if you will...

She passed away while getting a blood-draw...yes...very rare....the Needle Lady used a needle that was way too long and it stuck right through Meg's arm and into the electrical socket on the far wall...the Needle Lady was wearing Crocs, of course, so she was not shocked....but Meg in her flowered clogs. Well. No, no...it's okay to say it. She never did wear sensible shoes...the most terrible part--that haunts me to this day--is that the tourniquet inexplicably popped off her arm and blinded her. She died, blind and electrocuted...and you know, her veins did blow up, there at the last--just after they'd been sucked up through the needle and squished back the wrong way. She'd always said that would happen, and I never did give that notion of her's much credence... Ah, poor mite. Would that I had known...

(casual laughter) No, no, no...I don't really think all that. (she said, abashed and slightly emberassed at her deepest fears being displayed for all to see...).* ** (some college)

I watched a nail tech. appointment. It was mind-numbing, and apparently you have to be nice allllll day long. In person. Face to face. Creepy chemicals. There's hand contact. And I can't maintain, nor do I desire to maintain, "pretty" nails for any amount of time--in fact, I do believe it's been a solid sixteen+ years since my unfortunate first--and last--attempt at "nails". And I just don't think that would make a very good impression on my potential victims? It smacks of un-trustworthiness. Like if I owned a restaurant and never ate there? Or a swimming instructor who can't [swim]. Then too, I kind of avoid make-up that's colored. (Yes, I know how that sounds...). You see an appropriate, subtle, shade of eyeshadow. I see a Crayola Box of 64--can't help it.

And the teaching thing...again, with the nice-ness. Ah, well... The only idea I've had which I've actually considered is a Master Gardener certification. Which is all volunteer work, which sort of defeats the purpose of the whole job quest.... Although, I must say, it would be completely expected for me to spend a lot of time doing something that adds no income whatsoever to my household (oh baby, don't say that!).

So a week or so ago? I decided to just go ahead and be an artist. Which leads to all sorts of questions...what to make, etc., blah-blah-blah.... Does a girl just ignore the economy and proceed? In truth, I really do miss dollies...but the dollie-dreams in my noggin have grown wicked time-consuming and complex. The figurative is at that place--I know you know what I mean--where you grow, learn, get better, or scrap it altogether out of respect for the medium. If I'm "stuck" because I don't want to grow, that's one thing...but if it's simply because no one has money to buy art, that's not a good enough reason. In my book. (Book of Meg, Chapter 2)

I actually polled the living room last night--and I so wish I could remember what Chloe had to say about "what mom should make"! It was her wonderfully "usual" follow your heart speech. But hilarious, too. Ah, that girl... She wants me to make "felt mascots" from the Japanese craft book she got for her birthday. (I suspect her advice is not completely altruistic.)

So. I'm as excited as you are to see what the heck I come up with....and just for kicks, there's a poll. Because I've never had one on my blog...unless it's not there. Because every time I threaten a poll, I can't get it to "show up".

What I am sure of, what I am certain I have learned--the artist's non-creating cycle can be just as vital as the art itself. Though that sounds a bit nonsensical and psycho-babbley, it's true... I know I gather everything--every moment, every image, every face, every song or poem or book...even a word--artists of any sort gather all of these trinkets of inspiration, every day, and store them away. Sometimes I feel I'm a peddler doll--but nothing's for sale, aside from the results of my dream-hoarding. (okay...I'm certain I've lost Sherry at this point...."Nutmeg...it's wonderful...but how do you come up with this stuff?!..." And that's a comment pertaining to my work, and the drugs. Or lack thereof-- not Sherry.)

I'm seeing girls in masks with little wool caps...flowing hair...small hands that are still large enough to hold fast to what's important--elaborate costumes, aged and worn...unexpected patterns and forgotten colors...they might have pet ravens or cats or little poppets of their own? I think all of them are on some sort of journey...and they may "meet", intersect, as travelers will do.... There will be that tentative moment of inspection, the hopes of a million little-girl's-journey-hearts will hang in the balance of an unsettling universe; a world that is cold, palest grey, and fraught with existential angst...and then the cats will eat the birds? Stay tuned, if only for the blood-shed.

blessings,

meg

(the dream-hoarder)

*Joe might beg to differ a bit with this particular disclaimer...after plasmapheresis, multiple sclerosis, chemotherapy, two delieveries (ah, that was easy!--I got a prize at the end!)...one nasty cat bite, and--though I did not require medical attention--an incident involving a discarded croc which bounced the bathroom door into my head...it smacked my noggin so hard that there was a noise (so take your sensible shoes and sell stupid elsewhere). Well, after all that--he might have his own opinions. But he's not the most verbose fella (yes, that quality was attractive to me, for various reasons.)

**The Needle Lady will definately disagree with this passage--like I'm scared. Are you going to listen to the girl in the really cool shoes or The Lady With All of Those Needles in the Garfield scrubs? Yeah. That's what I thought. Oh, snap.

P.S....It occurs to me that some of my frequent-flier doctor's offices' actually read this blog. No...it's not you, I promise. The scrubs are a coincidence...an unfortunate, regrettable, coincidence...

Waking up...

2009-03-11T09:13:00.000-06:00

Which is worse? To discover it's all been a dream...or to know, for certain, that everything is perfectly true?

I remain, since the age of eight or so, thoroughly disgusted with this little tale's ending. "Just a dream"?! Oh, please...like I haven't heard that one before.

At the same age~~about eight~~I had a little toy porcupine that would clip onto an edge of fabric with her little arms (do you remember those?)~~she "lived" on the edge of my bedroom curtain...and at night, lying in bed with the moon sifting through those curtains and making a land of shadows on my floor and bed covers~~at night, I swear to you that my little porcupine girl became a rather large spider. Black, grey, spiky...with glimmering eyes and huge fangs. You could never have convinced me otherwise.

And after a few terrible nights, I began to trust that the spider would not bite me...in fact, she seemed to stand sentinel like a strange arachnid angel over my bed. Alice knows better. The ending of that book is to soothe worried grown-ups and placate stupid children (the sort that would rather watch a bit of nonsense on the television and have all of their ideas neatly presented and packaged for their convenience...).

But Alice knows, as do I, that there's a wonderland 'round every corner...

...hatters, chessie cats, queens, and guardian spiders...

Gentle reader,

it's

all

quite

true.

Megan Wommack ©2009

Alice is available at The Paper Poppet and on eBay.

*******************************************************

This piece has, once again, presented the usual "art & life dilemma"~~chickens & eggs, which first? And how very, very, much I feel like Alice! Eat the cake...surely cake is always good? But no...then you're a mile high, full of cake, and so very far away from the earth...and quite a lot of other things (and people!) that matter.

So... a remedy. Drink from the bottle (after all, the bottle says to drink.) And then you find that you're so impossibly tiny...so lost in the vast, huge, earth that you longed to return to....so "vanished". And all you've done is follow the instrutions: "eat me". You've read the label: "drink me". Then to discover yourself!~~ tiny and small~~with a small part of your heart remaining in the lofty clouds.

As much as I despise the "oh, it's alllll been a dream!" easy-out-ending...it is a relief to wake up. To stretch and embrace. To rest and work. To sleep...perchance, to NOT dream! To eat and listen and love... To discover wonderland~~with all of it's solutions, magic, and voodoo~~is not always the best place to be. I'd rather be ill and imperfect....no red queens or hatters, no chessie cats. I'll spare you all the details of my usual medical quandries...suffice it to say, the past few months have been completely horrid. And horrid is sooooo horrid when you expect horridity(?).

And all because I did follow the directions, read the labels, eat me, drink me....the resulting misery has done absolutely nothing to quash my massive authority problem. It's fanned the flames. And given me so many ideas--

My next treatment? I do believe I'm going to implement my own therapy program--Meg's Alternative Medicine, "MAM" for short (I'll have the site up shortly).

Twice daily, I shall sting myself with bees and apply a poultice of chicken poo thereafter. I will meditate upon my personal wellness while not listening to Yanni or Kitaro. I will avoid reading Slyvia Plath excepting the third tuesday of each even-numbered month, and on those particular tuesdays, I will only read the seventh line of each poem. Wearing my 3D glasses from Coraline.(There's no way I was going to re-cycle those after the money-grubbing ticket price. Let alone the gouging that goes on at the candy counters. You're worried about gas prices? I'm alarmed at the fee I'm charged for a HUGE half-empty box of junior mints!!!). Candy at the movies? "Civil Disobedience". I'm just sayin'....

Finally, I will read "The Godmother" every day:

"...I give her sadness,

And the gift of pain,

The new-moon madness,
And the love of rain..."

Dorothy Parker

NOTE: Should you be seeking an alternative cure for multiple sclerosis please be advised that MAM is in clinical trials here in the US, though there's a rumor that everyone's doing it in Canada. So in other words, don't take me too seriously. I take myself seriously enough for the both of us.

Blessings,

Meg

PS~~a riddle for you...not a hard one...do you "see it"?

A boat, beneath a sunny sky

Lingering onward dreamily

In an evening of July -

Children three that nestle near,

Eager eye and willing ear,

Pleased a simple tale to hear -

Long has paled that sunny sky:

Echoes fade and memories die:

Autumn frosts have slain July.

Still she haunts me, phantomwise,

Alice moving under skies

Never seen by waking eyes.

Children yet, the tale to hear,

Eager eye and willing ear,

Lovingly shall nestle near.

In a Wonderland they lie,

Dreaming as the days go by,

Dreaming as the summers die:

Ever drifting down the stream -Lingering in the golden gleam -

Life, what is it but a dream?

Lewis Carroll wrote this about the "real" Alice...

i know the words....

2009-02-27T14:34:00.000-07:00

"Hope is the thing with feathers,

That perches in the soul,

And sings the tune--without the words,

And never stops at all..."

Emily Dickinson

°º©©º°¨¨¨¨¨¨°º©©º°¨¨¨¨°º©©º°¨¨¨¨¨°º©©º°

Just for today...i feel like i know the words to Miss Emily's tune...

nest~~joe~~maggie~~chloe~~remission~~friends~~family~~hope, indeed....

°º©©º°¨¨¨¨¨¨°º©©º°¨¨¨¨°º©©º°¨¨¨¨¨°º©©º°

I feel a bit like Alice...waking up from a strange dream~~but awakening to blessings and beginnings with a heart full of gratitude! For my wonderful family...the best customers in the world...and dear, sweet, friends...

You'll get to meet Alice soon. :)

Blessings,

Meg

Mornings with Maggie....

2009-02-15T12:36:00.001-07:00

This is Maggie...she's four. Her "best powell" (pal) is her big sister Chloe, whether she admits it or not!--and Chloe is a studious seven and goes to school (willingly...can you imagine?!) And so, Maggie and Mama are left to each other quite an awful lot. Dad's at work, Chloe's at school...life gets dull.

The other morning I was treating myself to the end of a "gripping" novel. (It actually wasn't very gripping...it was, rather, so poorly written that I was hard pressed to keep track of the characters--but, nevertheless, I did want to know who-done-it.) Of course, all of you parents know that the more you'd like to ________ (fill in the blank) the less of a chance you have of getting _________ done. Children smell fear, weakness, embarrassing topics, and a parent's yearning to ________ , as much as they can smell warm cookies or broccoli. It's just a fact. And it's almost creepy, their senses are that fine-tuned. So, I guess Mags smelled me wanting to finish my book. Because it became desperately important that I play with her--specifically, to play "Doctor".

Now, I've been well aware of the thriving veterinary practice/doll hospital here in our home. How could I not be? The countless throngs of stuffed animals and dollies line every viable surface in our living room when the office is open...

I didn't realize they'd opened up the practice to humans as well--beginning last Wednesday, to be precise. But I was feeling well, thank you very much, and had no need of Maggie's services. I didn't want to play Doctor. I wanted to read my book. But here's the thing--

Dick Cheney could learn a lot about torturing prisoners if he just spoke to Maggie Wommack. Seriously. She never touches you, never withholds food or water--you're allowed to use the bathroom (because she just follows you right in)...she has a very humane, very effective, method of torturing her prisoners. She whines. She hints. She sometimes screams. She wails, she gnashes her teeth. She persists. She's relentless. And then? She wins. Almost always. In under five minutes, Maggie could have signed confessions from the most terrible of terrorists.

So fine. I'll play Doctor. But of course, I can't just, you know, go check in and be seen for whatever she's decided ails me (but I can tell you what ails me....Children. That's all that's wrong with me. Specifically, the four year old.) No, no. I can't just relent and get my shot. I have to find her a clip-board. And a pen. And paper, of course. (And at this point, it's very clear that my morning is turning into a depressing version of "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie".)

So we find the clip-board. And the paper. And the pen. (We're about 15 minutes into the whole thing, at this point, between the whining and the finding.) Then Maggie sits on the couch, and I go sit down in my chair...and, since I'm in the "waiting room", I get to read my book. Maggie spends some time talking to other "people" that are in her practice that morning...she seems to be a cross between a receptionist and a clip-board nurse. A receptionurse, if you will. And I must admit--she's a bit more engrossing than my not-very-well-written book.

Not only is Maggie a receptionurse--she's a mean receptionurse. I know you know the kind--brusque and blunt, the brightly colored, whimsical patterned, scrubs belying the cold-hearted malice that glitters in the nurse's eyes...eyes that are slightly shadowed by a mighty lot of bangs sprayed into an unnatural formation on the crown of said receptionurse's noggin. Mean as a baby snake and twice as venomous.... I'm, frankly, a little amazed at Receptionurse Maggie's mean-ness. Our pediatrician's office is great, my neurologist has thee sweetest staff...I'm baffled. When did she meet a nurse like this?

And just a note~~I once "dumped" my favorite OBGYN in the world, because she'd moved to another town and I had to call and get set up as a new patient. I only spoke to the nurse/receptionist on the phone (yes, I'm well aware that they're probably not lumped together that way in title. Just roll with it--I only have "some college")...I never braved an actual face-to-face encounter with that Receptionurse. The lady was so MEAN!!! Like I was some irresponsible girl who went out for a wild weekend and got myself a case of the uterus. Like I'd caught a cervix from using a public restroom without a little tissue donut-shaped seat-cover. Like only women of ill repute have vaginas. I felt like asking if I could just send my cervix over in a taxi so we'd never have to meet--I'd send my $15 co-pay along with my cervix, of course. Or could we just do this annual pap thing over the Internet? Whoops. I digressed, didn't I?

Anywho. Back to last Wednesday. We're 20 minutes into this game of "Doctor"...and mean Maggie is ruling the office with her iron clip-board. And I'm, happily, once again immersed in my not-so-well-written book. Thankfully, the heroine survived the crash--even though I had to go find Maggie's props...what a brave & resilient spirit my heroine has! She didn't die in the ravine while I was away....

Finally, it's my turn.

Maggie the Receptionurse: Wommack? Megan Wommack for Doctor Hottenflooperspoop? (or something along those lines...you work "poop" in whenever you can when you're 4.)

Megan the Patient: (sighs and places un-finished not-so-well-written book on arm of chair, crosses stage L. with resignation) Yes, I'm Megan.

Maggie the Receptionurse: Oh. (looks askance) I'm sorry. We're closed today.

???

Can a four-year-old really be that passive-aggressive? Did she plan it--and at what point did she begin to plan? When did she decide the practice was closed? Before she called my name? Shortly thereafter, as I walked the less-than-five feet to the couch? I don't know. But Maggie the Receptionurse is wicked mean. And she doesn't even have "some college". I rescheduled. At her convenience.

blessings,

meg

the business of art....and a puzzle

2009-01-30T17:36:00.000-07:00

yikes! i am simply frantic...sort of...i don't really have enough energy to be truly frantic. :) blogs are a wonderful, beautiful, thing...but keeping up with posts, visiting other folk's digs, replying to comments. and now, of course, there's the whole new friending-networking-facebooking madness... all wonderful, but mighty time-consuming. how does a girl manage?! to top it all off, comcast changed their entire email format/system thingy on sunday--i can't seem to use my address book, write an email (unless it's a reply)--it's horribly inconveniencing!! and the last thing i needed to add to the stress of keeping up with orders, shipping, and general customer service. (sigh) i've no idea if i'll be able to do a newsletter with my current email address!!

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in addition to the logistics of their only being 24 hours in a day, and the horror of my new inbox...there's also this creative niggling going on in my noggin...

i've long suspected that one point all of my mediums would "crash"...would make a merry little wreck of arty goodness...and it feels sooooo close!~~but it's just not here yet. (sigh) and i know it's always worth the wait....but i HATE to wait!!

it's 3D. buy it's also cloth...and my new poppets are surely a part--i'm painting on little chunks of wood, but i'm not sure i like what i'm coming up with...

is it just me, of does she look a little under-impressed? :)

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so what does this new "it" look like???? (except i can't see "it")
i think there's some embroidery, and maybe a bit of clay...and all of these different elements lead me to believe "it" is some sort of scene...but WHAT sort?! arrrrgh!!!! and stranger still, "it" might be a bit "goth". what?! is this me??? a dark sweetness...a bit creepy...good heavens!

i do know that so many of you have written or commented that you miss my cloth dollies, that i used to offer on such a regular basis...

i should let you know, i suppose, that i miss them too!! LOL...it just began to feel as if i was a dollie machine...it's so important to me, even if it's just a wee poppet, that my work is "honest"--not lost in trend and artifice.

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anyway. do you struggle with these same woes, gentle reader? how do you organize? how do you cope? how do you unlock the elusive work-to-be from a busy artist's heart?

signed,
a completely nutty-meg

Izannah Little Red

2009-01-17T10:20:00.000-07:00

There are many, many, interpretations of this little fairy tale~~what do the woods symbolize? The wolf? Why is the little girl wearing red? A quick bit of research will reveal all you ever wanted to know~~and more~~about

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Little Red Riding Hood...

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To be honest, I usually enjoy "the annotated version". But not so with this classic tale. I prefer, in this instance, to take away my own impressions...my own thoughts.

The woods can be unsettling when you're all alone...terrifying when you're not alone. Critics and literary scholars return again and again to the childhood fear of "being devoured"~~a much more realistic fear in early 1800s Germany where Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm published a series of stories collected from peasants and villagers...Grimm's Fairy Tales. All of these tales have a "moral", or lesson, to teach their audience (children). It was a very good thing to be afraid of wolves if you were a child who lived in the scantly populated countryside and often~~or seldom~~ walked alone in the forest!
Little Red Riding Hood remains universally popular, even being used for political propaganda upon occasion, throughout history. While the psychological elements and symbolism within the story can be a bit overwhelming, the tale has certainly been utilized for many different purposes~~probably because of all of the "layers" and psychological suppositions...
So what is my personal connection?

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A memory...of walking alone, in the woods. Leaves that crunch and twigs that snap...being so deep into the thick oak trees that a sunny afternoon seems just a few moments before nightfall, the light is so dim and hazy. Knowing that you ought to be completely alone~~aside from harmless deer and perhaps a stray songbird...knowing that you should be, by all reason, alone. But that you are not. And then imagining, planning, rehearsing...
what you will say to the wolf.
©2009 Megan Wommack

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This latest paper poppet is available in my etsy shoppe,

or on eBay~~

twilight

2009-01-14T11:42:00.000-07:00

Okay...I admit it. I'm a book-snob. (But I am NOT an art snob!!)...and, to be quite frank, I've been known to watch all manner of drivel on the glass teat* while I'm working. We were in Barnes Noble to get loot with our Christmas money and gift cards and I saw Twilight (which is everywhere!)--I had the book in hand and listened to some young women in front of me talking about it. It's teen fiction. I put the book back. (snob!)

But then, more and more, I began to hear of reasonable, smart, interesting, people reading and talking about The Twilight Saga. And though the name in itself may imply something along the lines of Flowers in the Attic, I assure you, gentle reader...it is not something along those lines!! In a word, Stephanie Meyers is a brilliant writer. Of course, I enjoyed her stay-at-home-mom how-did-you-ever-do-something-like-this!? story on her site--that's always "nice to hear" when stay-at-home mamas prove their talents and skills....but. Ms. Meyers is a brilliant author!

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I noted--and if you read it perhaps you'll note as well?--that Bella (main character) is never completely "described" to the reader. Sort of. She can turn in to whatever the reader wants, or so it seemed to me. Which was a bit of a struggle for me...I'm really well past the teen-age years!...and i couldn't imagine my daughter falling in love with a vampire! (She's 7. And, well, I should hope she'll meet a nice boy without fangs...). It seemed a transient characterization--Bella can be "any girl" who's reading the book. Which is a darn good thing for teen fiction! (and certainly didn't "lessen" my experience...)

by the way please remember that i have scars on my brain and if the book does thoroughly describe Bella and i'm dead wrong don't send me any plastic vampire teeth or leave a snarky comment. thanks. :)

I got the book Saturday afternoon and instantly devoured it (heh-heh). I was reading the part where the vampires play baseball as my husband and I were travelling Sunday afternoon, and it was so cool!, I read it to Joe as we were driving...now we're going to read Twilight aloud together. (We did that with the first Harry Potter books....how sweet, huh? Why did we ever stop reading to each other??? We haven't done that in, like, 6 years! Why would we--oh, right. Chloe's 7. We had kids.)

So then, Monday, I traded in some stuff to get New Moon, the second book. And, um, yeah. I really don't have time for all of this reading!--However, at present I can count on at least one or two out-of-commission days... I'm going to send Ms. Meyers some roses!

I will say too, after finishing the second book (no, it's not like an addiction. I read fast. really. i did those classes where they have the little rolly-machines and questions at the end and....okay. I admit it. I really need to do some laundry. And I need to clean---wait! enough about me, let's keep going with my book review....).

Alright. Second book. New Moon. Meyers totally avoids the usual ennui and angst of the vampire quandary~~the whole damnation conundrum, if you will. I mean, sure-sure (inside joke), there's some of that...all vampires everywhere could be, quite possibly, darned to heck. Or maybe they're in heck now??? hmmmmmm.............. But, so far, The Twilight Saga doesn't "do" that. There's action, not too much violence, not any "language", and a sweet, beautiful, love story (no sex)....I'm doing that whole parent-rating thing, aren't I?

The first song on my playlist is "Bella's Lullaby"... But I can't tell you anymore than that. Go read the book! And yes, I hope to see the film soon....

It seems to be very well done (clips are here!

If you've read it, tell me what you thought!!

blessings,

meg

*Stephen King refers to Television as "the glass teat" in On Writing. I think. Again...the scars...

The Paper Poppet

2009-01-08T11:05:00.000-07:00

In a questionable attempt to become more p-r-o-fessional, I have opened up a second etsy shoppe, *The Paper Poppet* (it's right here, if you'd care to visit!)

This location will carry all of the paper dollies, note cards, prints...and hopefully, some little theatres & small *scenes* of some sort. Perhaps cloth dollies with paper dresses? I'm in that place where ideas are just little snippets and thoughts and images in my head...little brain doodles, if you will. I would like to have scenery that could move, different backdrops, etc. Wouldn't that be fancy?! I'm thinking Midsummer's, Rome and Juliet....Peter Pan....maybe some Jane Austen? Emily Bronte?

Maybe just some little folky nonsense scenes...a little wooden dollie (think Hitty) who goes to visit her family (a grove of trees...!)...she'd have all sorts of lovely adventures...

And what is a poppet? many things, evidently...(i'm thinking more along the dollie-child line than voodoo). And i do like the fragile aspects of paper--you can sew on paper too, you know! And i must admit, it's much, much, less expensive than wool or mohair. More portable--you've no idea the lengths to which I went to take my rug-hooking to Grand Lake for five days last summer! I think too, these little prints and dollies should be limited editions? What do you think?

I'm in the middle of an Izannah Walker paper doll~~her dress is a scene from Little Red Riding Hood...hope to show it to you soon!! That dollie (Izannah) is such a mystery...I had a theory about her eyes...they seem to me to be spaced "close"...like a little old woman's. But I may not be correct about that--it was just my perception when trying to draw her little face. However, as these dolls were made one-at-a-time, there seems to be some variance within the face structure. (Like this Izannah on Dixie's Blog). hmmmmm....any thoughts?

blessings,

meg

just a note to say....

2009-01-03T12:55:00.000-07:00

For Christmas I received this lovely Levenger pen set~~

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...possessing a rather spattered & murky past with the whole calligraphy thing, I approached aforementioned pen with some reservation & no hope whatsoever that I would be able to use the darn thing...much to my dismay...I wrote a thank you note! And it was legible!! And there were no ugly blotty things!!!

It was quite fun to sit and write thank you notes on my new Thank You Owl note cards with my new woo-de-doo pen...

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*Unexpected Music~~Winter Roses*

Completed and in the etsy shoppe~~i think i "got it right" with my photos (i am quite scanner-less!) Anywho...i do believe there's more along the lines of "unexpected music"...

have a cozy winter day,

& blessings,

meg

Unexpected music....

2009-01-02T15:06:00.000-07:00

*winter roses*

...this sweet lassie is awaiting some finishing touches! She was inspired by those roses i saw, a few weeks ago, just outside our nest...(they're at the very end of this post.)

I was thinking about everything around us, every day, that we "don't see". Just small treasures that are sewn in to our daily lives...so tiny that they are usually lost in the busy fabric of calendars and phone calls. These small moments are my "unexpected music"...I hope i remember to listen.

blessings,

and listen--just for a moment,

meg

Fairy Tales....Hansel & Gretel

2009-01-01T09:48:00.000-07:00

*Mother?*

Really, at the center of this queer little tale is hunger...and so, there is an oven--a witch's oven--precisely where this doll's stomach would be...there is day (a sun) & lonely night (a crescent moon), both helplessly watching a family's journey...

The four travel from their cottage into the woods...the children go further on, of course, after their father and stepmother have abandoned them--further on into the witch's candy house with feather beds and plenty of sweet food. At least, for the moment. But when your stomach is empty--truly empty--the moment is all that matters....

Maddening white birds flutter throughout this tale...and why white? For they only lead the children further astray--they are the witch's birds, and should really be crows or something like. Tiny white dots embellish the entire scene--they even illustrate the tattered lace on the witch-mother's dress...they are snow and cold...bread crumbs...light and flowers...and the lace...things seem different that are really quite the same, depending on which part of the forest you are in.

In this old, old, fairy tale...the children do escape (but you knew that). When they return home to their father, the stepmother is "dead"...do you think, gentle reader, as I do, that the stepmother died precisely when Gretel pushed the witch into the oven?

Each paper doll is laser copied onto acid-free card stock from my original *Paper Poppet Prints*, adhered to substantial paper, cut out & jointed with tiny brads.

*Mother?* is styled after a c.1600s wooden doll~~This doll has the unique feature of a "spinning head"~~she may change from witch to stepmother....did you ever make your witch, er, stepmother's head spin?????

By the by, I do love my stepmother, very much...she is NOT a witch! :)
measurements are as follows:
witch w/ boots folded up: 10" (includes hat)
witch w/ boots folded down: 12" (includes hat)
skirt is 8+ inches across at widest point

stepmother: 8.5" high (no boots)

this piece is available from my etsy shoppe, or eBay~~as you see, you may display her on an easel frame, though there is a double-loop of thread should you wish to display as a wall piece. Or, I suppose you could "frame" her...she does all sorts of things--don't you love dollies you can play with?! Her head spins 'round and is designed precisely so...the witch's hat is completely hidden when she is the stepmother. The witch's boots fold up as well, which can be a display option (or it makes the figure of the stepmother a bit more "different" than the witch...)

A happy accident with this piece: this doll's "form" is styled after the famed "Letitia Penn" wooden doll (whose year of creation and travel to America is somewhat debatable...). But, she is indeed a 1600-1700s dollie, which times out exactly with the Salem Witch Trials.

And another note~~these paper poppets of late are mixed media & then some...gouache, pen, ink, colored pencil, watercolor pencil, opaque pen...I am appalled at how much a set of watercolors costs these days, and so, have been foraging ahead without...and making many fun discoveries with the mediums I have on hand! (Although, I must procure some tubes of gamboge and payne's grey~~my favorite watercolor hues...)

Happy New Year blessings,

meg

Fast away the old year passes....

2008-12-31T12:36:00.000-07:00

We had an absolutely lovely Christmas...and I do hope you had the same! And, as some of you may expect, Maggie inspired thee Christmas Picture of 2008:

On Christmas Eve, every year, we go to Joe's Mother's house...wonderful, yummy, food...lots of presents...and legendary stockings. And Maggie received some play money, which came darn handy that night when we returned home to leave Santa his cookie and eggnog!

Me: Maggie....why are you leaving money for Santa??

Maggie:....oh....I just want him to have a Merry Christmas.

Yeah, right. Magdalen was completely horrid on Christmas Eve and had a freakitin' melt-down when she had to wait to did into her stocking. She was seriously naughty. Naughty. And was most likely a bit nervous, waiting for the big guy...and rightly so. Maggie is naughty AND smart.

But our reindeer food worked:

(and the 20 bucks)

...that's the naughty elf herself, to the right....she had a rather jaded Christmas season, altogether, I suppose....she realized if you should happen to get a "barbie jammin' jeep" (which she did not) you still can't drive yourself around wherever you want to go. And too, Jesus didn't show up for his Birthday party at Sunday School. Baffling.

Her big sister, on the other hand, is a sweet-pea. Mostly. I can't believe how much she's grown!

Here she is twirling in her Christmas skirt I made for her.... I've actually sewn some useful items as of late! (oh yes, it's true!!) Mostly skirts and aprons...the Christmas skirts are made from Alexander Henry's "Sprites of Tillbrook"...you can find the fabric on etsy from Lucky Kaeru Fabric & Supplies.

Maggie really enjoyed the accidental wonderful gift from Fran of Cloth Doll Supply....some fake hair.

She's had no end of fun with the swatch of hair (actually, the hair might be real...i'm not sure...)

And then, if you have a cutie gnome hat from Arfeinel. Well.

More news soon...I have "thank you owls" in the etsy shoppes & a Hansel & Gretel paper doll to upload this aft'! (she's sooooooo....something. I dunno. You'll just have to see!)

Happy New Year Blessings,

meg

a wee goblin....

2008-12-19T09:08:00.001-07:00

...has been lurking in my tiny atelier....can you see her?? Known to pilfer and pillage through my supplies...to sneakily spirit rare spun-cotton mushrooms away to the dollies' house and hide them in the attic! Sequins, beads, charms~~beware! Fabric, paper, pencils....and MARKERS!~~hide yourselves and hope to spare the tiny goblin!!!

Some days I lonnnng for a space to work (the above photo is our small kitchen table...)~~but other days, I enjoy small hands to "help"...I know the girls are learning, all the time, and best of all watching Mama make stuff. We've all lost that simple privilege, somewhere along the way. I want my girls to know, too, that you can have a "job" that makes you happy! Really. I mean seriously...is this a job!?

Sitting at the kitchen table, cozy with the snow and cold outside our nest...Christmas music, a pine scented candle burning, and coloring...painting, cutting, glittering...making.

Once more, Chloe (7), has inspired a whole new collection of work...(she is entirely responsible for the Christmas Gnomes, and all of the gnomes to follow...)

She's just enchanted with The Nutcracker, and did a wonderful job of painting her very own!!

By the by...the first song on my blog is "Red Clay Halo" by Gillian Welch!

Her CD, Time (The Revelator), is tippity-top on my Christmas Wish List....okay...to be dead honest, it's "tied" with Alicia Paulson's book~~Stitched in Time. I didn't know about this sweet posy!! Can't wait to open it on Christmas morn'...(Joe's excellent about sticking to the wish list...!)

I heard Gillian Welch on the Audrey Eclectic blog....is that some fancy folk art or what?! :)

Just one last thing to share with you....a lovely "gift" was waiting outside the door of our nest this morning, just waiting for me to capture it in a picture...just look at these beautiful winter roses!

Now, I really must fly from the nest~~to the post office! EVERYTHING is going out today...I can breathe and stitch on dollies to play with~~how fun! And I must say, the final trip to the post before Christmas is becoming one of my favorite traditions....good-bye little boxes!!

We'll chat again soon~~we had a rather hilarious Saint Lucia celebration...more on that tomorrow?

Blessings,
Meg

They sailed away for a year & a day....

2008-12-02T15:51:00.001-07:00

I
The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea In a beautiful pea green boat,They took some honey, and plenty of money, Wrapped up in a five pound note.

The Owl looked up to the stars above,

And sang to a small guitar,

'O lovely Pussy! O Pussy my love,

What a beautiful Pussy you are,

You are,

You are!

What a beautiful Pussy you are!'

II
Pussy said to the Owl,

'You elegant fowl!

How charmingly sweet you sing!

O let us be married!

too long we have tarried:

But what shall we do for a ring?'

They sailed away, for a year and a day,

To the land where the Bong-tree grows

And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood

With a ring at the end of his nose,

His nose,

With a ring at the end of his nose....

Edward Lear, 1871

~~You may visit this whimsical pair on eBay~~

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Today? I'm making mermaids!!

Tomorrow...well.

That's just way too far ahead to think about, now isn't it??!

Blessings,

Meg

Rabid Hedgehogs & Christmas Whimsies...

2008-11-21T10:32:00.000-07:00

*Mr. Pipps Goes Courting...*

Mr. Thelonius Pipps has been courting Miss Selma Hoganswarter for 42 years this Christmas Day~~and, he may just finally get lucky (when he asks her to marry him--dirty!!) And why may his luck improve? Because 42 is a multiple of 7...everyone knows that.

(Sevens are especially important to gnomes...)

Mr. Pipps is on his way to Selma's mushroom cottage~~he's wending his way through the winding, frosty, paths of Christmas Forest. Granted, he does this every Christmas day~~at least for the last 41 Christmases~~but this year...THIS year...he's bringing Miss Selma a nutmeg latte (along with the berry bouquet, candy canes, mushroom, and pine cones...). I have high hopes for Mr. Pipps! ~~and for the coffee shops as well.

But what will Miss Selma say??? What will she do?!

The first Christmas Mr. Pipps approached the topic of gnomish nuptials, Miss Selma dumped a pot of oatmeal upon his noggin (but we can all agree he deserved it--courting for only one year before a proposal?! That would be an engagement entered into with haste and ill breeding. Miss Selma made an extremely wise choice in her declining...) The fourth Christmas involved a snowbank--the 13th a rabid hedgehog (13 is unlucky, after all...thus, the extreme response on our young lady's part.) There are 36 other unfortunate tales of Christmas Proposals and their ensuing heartbreak~~but I'll spare you Mr. Pipps' annual misery. His leg has healed just fine~~barely a limp~~and the scar on his...well. It simply adds to his roguish charm.

And so, Mr. Pipps wends his way along...softly singing a tune from "Cabaret"...

"Maybe this time,
I'll be lucky....
...Not a loser anymore

Like the last time

And the time before..."

Ah, the winsome hope of Sally & Mr. Pipps!

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PS~~I really must cite the "Cabaret" reference...
Musical Play by Joe Masteroff.Lyrics by Fred Ebb. Music by John Kander.Based on I Am A Camera by John van Druten and Berlin Stories by Christopher Isherwood.Original Production directed by Harold Prince and Choreographed by Ron Fields
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Mr. Pipps is available on eBay...as well as the rest of this week's offerings!

*Lucinda Stars*

A tiny star pixie to flit about your tree~~but beware!...*Lucinda* has been known to turn harmless candy canes into deadly sharp holiday weapons...
...no frisky Santa for this pixie!
(and is it just me or is she somehow reminiscent of Lori Petty in "Tank Girl"???)**************************************************************Happy Christmas Forest*...a wonderful 10" Doll Wreath...my favorite figure in the wreath is the wee owl at the top~~***************************************************************And let's see...what else?? *Winter's Queen*, *The Frost Moon*, and a tiny winter owl... ....allllllllll on eBay*****************************************************************

Thank you all so much for your consideration of my work~~

blessings,

meg

In Christmas Forest...

2008-11-15T21:22:00.000-07:00

.....you might find a wee gnome~~or, perhaps, a tiny mushroom pixie! A woodland frosted with whimsy can hold many a wonder indeed! Aloysius Gnome and sweet Winifred Owl are just two of the many small stewards of Christmas Forest~~

Together, they live amongst the sparkling pine cones and spotted mushrooms...and the spotted mushroom pixies (which are not very well behaved, to be dead honest).

...softly floating above the snowy Christmas Forest trees~~a tiny star pixie...bright and aloft, just below the winter moon (he's for next week!!!).....

Well, it was just time to make some dollies...and the EHAG Artist's Challenge for November was absolutely inspirational!! Please click the banner (below) to visit all of the Eclectic Halloween Artist's Groups' auctions...you may visit our blog as well!

I'd already been dreaming of little gnomes...and with an owl! Oh my! (and did you know, there actually is such a thing as an "elf owl"~~it's true!)

*Aloysius & Winifred* are my offering for the EHAG challenge...*Wintry and Spooky Owls*.

All are on eBay this week~~and many more to follow!

Thank you for your consideration,

and,

blessings~~

meg

Jolly Holly Snowman

2008-11-11T18:28:00.001-07:00

...and Christmas Muzak!! Yippeee!!!!

I'm so excited to show you my latest primitive style hooked rug...a folky snowfella:

*Jolly Holly Snowman*... he's on eBay this week.I've also been dabbling a bit in wool applique~~ these little *Sewing Trees* are a brand new design for Christmas 2008~~whimsical, functional, art...my very favorite!

All on eBay this week...click here to visit the auctions.

And, be sure to visit Blestb's Christmas launch,

Old Tyme Christmas

(just click our banner to visit Blestb's listings...)

And now, to address an urgent "current event" here in the nest~~no, really, I simply cannot make another snow pixie!! By the time all of the orders were shipped last Christmas I was having p.t.s.d. nightmares about mean little pixies whacking things with candy canes...as well as an astounding amount of glitter on and around my personage. I just can't, I'm so sorry! but...here's what I'm thinking...maybe a "woodland collection", all from wool felt with wee embroidery details? Mushrooms and acorns, pine cones and birds...tiny nests all frosted with---DARN! there we go with the glitter again...(sigh) I'll start this eve' and post the collection within the next few days...

I'm off to the winter forest--

until next time,

blessings,

meg

PS--if my pictures are "twacked", i do apologize--they weren't when i hit "publish post"...does this happen to you????

hope won

2008-11-06T10:00:00.000-07:00

"...in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope...."

Barack Obama

blogs are buzzing...there's celebration...there's hope...when General Colin Powell endorsed President-elect Barack Obama, I began to get excited!!! and lo and behold, hope won....

tuesday night, joe had to work an over-night...i sat up, alone, eating wayyyyy too much halloween candy--i was a bundle of nerves...the first few electoral wins were Kerry alllll over again. i knew i shouldn't get crazy-mad-excited....finally, i put in season one of the x-files. then joe called--Obama won! we won...chloe woke up the next morning and the first thing she said:

"mom! did Rock Obama win????" (maggie "voted" for Bush...sigh.)

this was a shoe-leather, $5 donation campaign--somehow, we combated the non-sense in our inbox (snopes is a beautiful, beautiful, thing!)...somehow, we spoke truth...even to angry family members & friends...somehow, we stayed the course and ducked the "spin"--somehow, hope won!

i am 33 years old--this is the first President I've voted for who won. this is the first election that, when it was allll over, i feel it's only just begun! instead of "oh well..." (that's the delicate way of putting it!) i am asking....

what next? how can i help? what can i do? what's the first thing we are going to change??? and to allll of you naysayers who think that's just an idealistic, naive, "young" hope---YES WE CAN! because we did.

blessings,
meg
ps--i may need an invite to holiday dinner. :)

VOTE!!

2008-11-01T08:48:00.000-06:00

This has been circulating, around the web, for a bit now...the author is Connie Schultz of "The Plain Dealer", Cleveland. It's true ladies and gents...all true.
snopes.com: Why Women Should Vote
(And, there's an excellent article from About.com, on the "Brutal Treatment of Women Suffragists at Occoquan Workhouse".)

WHY WOMEN SHOULD VOTE.
"This is the story of our grandmothers and great-grandmothers; they lived only 90 years ago.
Remember, it was not until 1920 that women were granted the right to go to the polls and vote.

The women were innocent and defenseless, but they were jailed nonetheless for picketing the White House, carrying signs asking for the vote.

And by the end of the night, they were barely alive. Forty prison guards wielding clubs and their warden’s blessing went on a rampage against the 33 women wrongly convicted of “obstructing sidewalk traffic.”
They beat Lucy Burns, chained her hands to the cell bars above her head, and left her hanging for the night, bleeding and gasping for air.

They hurled Dora Lewis into a dark cell, smashed her head against an iron bed, and knocked her out cold. Her cellmate, Alice Cosu, thought Lewis was dead and suffered a heart attack. Additional affidavits describe the guards grabbing, dragging, beating, choking, slamming, pinching, twisting, and kicking the women.
Thus unfolded the “Night of Terror” on Nov. 15, 1917, when the warden at the Occoquan Workhouse in Virginia ordered his guards to teach a lesson to the suffragists imprisoned there because they dared to picket Woodrow Wilson’s White House for the right to vote.
For weeks, the women’s only water came from an open pail. Their food — all of it colorless slop — was infested with worms.

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/suffrage/nwp/prisoners.pdf

When one of the leaders, Alice Paul, embarked on a hunger strike, they tied her to a chair, forced a tube down her throat, and poured liquid into her until she vomited. She was tortured like this for weeks until word was smuggled out to the press.
So, refresh my memory. Some women won’t vote this year because — why, exactly? We have carpool duties? We have to get to work?
Our vote doesn’t matter? It’s raining?
Last week, I went to a sparsely attended screening of HBO’s new movie Iron Jawed Angels. It is a graphic depiction of the battle these women waged so that I could pull the curtain at the polling booth and have my say. I am ashamed to say I needed the reminder.
All these years later, voter registration is still my passion. But the actual act of voting had become less personal for me, more rote. Frankly, voting often felt more like an obligation than a privilege. Sometimes it was inconvenient.
My friend Wendy, who is my age and studied women’s history, saw the HBO movie, too. When she stopped by my desk to talk about it, she looked angry. She was — with herself. “One thought kept coming back to me as I watched that movie,” she said. “What would those women think of the way I use, or don’t use, my right to vote? All of us take it for granted now, not just younger women, but those of us who did seek to learn.” The right to vote, she said, had become valuable to her “all over again.”
HBO released the movie on video and DVD. I wish all history, social studies, and government teachers would include the movie in their curriculum. I want it shown on Bunco night, too, and anywhere else women gather. I realize this isn’t our usual idea of socializing, but we are not voting in the numbers that we should be, and I think a little shock therapy is in order.
It is jarring to watch Woodrow Wilson and his cronies try to persuade a psychiatrist to declare Alice Paul insane so that she could be permanently institutionalized. And it is inspiring to watch the doctor refuse. Alice Paul was strong, he said, and brave. That didn’t make her crazy.
The doctor admonished the men: “Courage in women is often mistaken for insanity.”
Please, if you are so inclined, pass this on to all the women you know.
We need to get out and vote and use this right that was fought so hard for by these very courageous women. "

Connie Schultz

(hopefully i have quoted intact, etc. ...this is what i dug up from other blogs and snopes--my apologies if anything is incorrect, mis-quoted, etc.)

I confess, my voting habits were a titch whimsical until the infamous Bush/Gore election. And even after 9-11, when our leaders were "deliberating" the Iraq invasion (though we were already in Afghanistan, where Osama oft' resides...)--even after all of the spin and all of the tragedy, as a working mama, and then a pregnant work-at-home-mom, life grew very busy and the wonderful chaos of children and family drowned out the tremendous action the United States was taking. I can't remember when I "woke up"--I know I had "Inspections Work" posters in my admin. assist. office...but at some point my concern and passion faded. I'm a mom. That's my very first job--but I have to remember that being informed and voting my conscience, sorting through the spin and carefully harvesting the facts, VOTING, is one of the most important things I can do for my girls. There's a dialogue in our home, and Chloe asks questions now--and not just Joe and I...she asks her grandparents too. And that's a wonderful thing--though she was a bit miffed that, at 7 years old, she will not be able to vote!

Since 2000, there's been only one state election I did not vote in--my mom and i went through the ballot, and knew we would precisely cancel each other out on every candidate, and every issue! Though i did torment her with "i voted" calls the rest of the evening... :)

Anywho. Get out there. Go do it. If your willing to sacrifice your own "voice", please consider the kiddos...our decisions now will impact them forever, on every issue, every front. And, if you must write Ron Paul in, I do understand--it's too bad that fella didn't go farther.

"Snopes" your inbox, watch both news channels, go to wiki (you can read a TON of speeches there!!!...it's always interesting to see what the candidates have to say when it's NOT an election year!)...you've got allll weekend to research. Be informed and GO VOTE!!

See ya at the polls~~
and blessings,
meg

Home again, home again....

2008-10-29T09:02:00.001-06:00

*October Cottage*

We are home from Illinois!! The little rug above was hooked some weeks ago and posted on eBay...I had resigned myself--happily--to it's not selling...this little "October Cottage" looks just like our wee nest, scarlet mums and all. The color "planning" was completely fun--I'd received a beautiful piece of wool from Lisa, a fellow PRHG member, in our "Great Pumpkin Swap"~~I began cutting the wool that very day. (the little cottage and the roof were hooked with Lisa's wool.) Then I just tossed "worms" together (worms are the strips of wool), checking my values and contrast as I went along. The crocheted binding was complete serendipity~~some old yarn from my crochet stash that was perfect!
But then at the last there was a bid! The sweetest customer...this is what she wrote when she received the rug...
"hello meg,
just a quick note to say how much i love the rug. i hook rugs and very seldom buy them but when i saw this i knew i had to have it, the colors are so gorgeous. thank you for a beautiful rug that i will enjoy for years to come....you have a true talent for colors. i simply adore the colors in the rug i purchased, it's whimsical and beautiful. it sits right on my living table for everyone to enjoy. thanks again for a lovely, lovely rug!..."
Wasn't that so kind?! I am so happy that my little cottage went to a good home... :)

And speaking of home--we are home! We have been to visit Papa 'Nois and all of our friends and family who live in beautiful, rural, Southern Illinois...we had a wonderful time--and I have just a few--well, quite a few!--pictures to share with you...

Ashley and Chloe

Ashley is my cousin's daughter...it was so cool, such a blessing, to have our families all together--happy and full of gratitude... I confess, I had a few "tears of joy", a couple of times.
We were in Pinckneyville Illinois...that's where I'm "from". Pinckneyville has the fabulous Mardi Gras celebration, the last weekend in October. Candy, costumes, a parade, rides...and funnel cake, of course!! These are the kiddos (and Jenny!) waiting for the parade to start....my girls came home with 3 bags of candy and we've a week to go before trick or treating!!! YIKES!

Ashley marched in the parade...she's in the Color Guard for her school in DuQuoin Illinois...isn't that a cool picture? Jayden is the little boy mouse next to Maggie-mouse (above). He must have had a close call, because whenever the color guards approached he'd yell:

WATCH OUT--HERE COME THE FLAGS!!!

The OLD guy below is my Uncle Frank & his wife, Aunt Diane...he restored that car himself--it's the same make and model of the car he courted my Aunt Judy in so many, many, years ago...(snicker). Judy passed away in 1997--she was my aunt and my friend, and sometimes,

...my mom when I was visiting in Illinois and away from my own mom...I'm always a bit nervous to visit IL. because she's not there anymore...it just seems like we should "go in to Judy's"--but she isn't there. This visit was the first time I've visited with Uncle Frank and Diane since they were married--and it was so good to see them so happy and so perfect together. I know Aunt Judy would approve....I do. :) And too, there's new faces...our family fills in with more blessings, and though people have passed away, we still have a full and wonderful bunch of people. Doug and his wife Jenny (she's so sweet), her little boy Jayden and his Big Sis. Reece (so cute!) and the baby every one's waiting for...Scott, Laura, and Kirsten, Grandma Darlene, and of course, Papa 'Nois--he cut a rug right there on the street during the parade. (And no, I will not show you a picture.) Papa Great and Grandma Reca Lee, Great Aunt Gege, Uncle Jack and Aunt Mary...Julie and her wonderful family...Grandpa Harold and Grandma Ina, Gramma and Pa...Debbie and Verlin...Uncle Jerry, Aunt Sharon, Heather and her beautiful girls...so many of us. A quilt of blessings sewn up with gratitude and remembrance.

I was very lucky to come home with a box of old pictures (with Grandma's blessing)...I poured through old photos of people and houses and horses and cows...! And now and then, a snapshot that I remember, or people that I do know. I think there's always a tug, from deep inside, when you "go home"--and yes, you can go home again...just down the road from my Dad's place is an old barn that was converted into a house. This is the road it's on:
Barely one lane, and canopied in oak trees...definitely a "road less travelled by"--and yes, I would love to live there. My Dad lives 7 miles out from town--they are surrounded by forest and fields of corn and soybeans...that land itself seems to nestle into my heart...to make a place of memory and reverence for such beauty. This was taken right outside the back door at my dad's house:

No matter where we were this past week, we were home.

Blessings,

Meg

Primitive Halloween...

2008-09-21T08:07:00.000-06:00

Look what I found on eBay!!~~available from my buddy Sherry, of From Sherry's Heart...I LOVE this jackity lantern!!!--

...and just look at that rug!!!!
You can click any of Sherry's pictures to visit her auctions....

Just yesterday morning we were talking about the WORK involved with just getting ready to hook a rug...Sherry had blogged about it. And I think, gentle reader, she cursed me! Because yesterday was one loooonnng day, getting ready to hook a rug--in a nutshell: the bathtub leaked because I was absorbed in cutting my wool and forgot I was running a bath (our tub is 1941 like the rest of the house, and you can only run it so high or it leaks into our basement. We've tried to fix it of course. It's a mystery.) Thankfully, it just leaked onto 3 boxes of incredibly ugly pots from my unfortunate (for the viewer) sojourn into ceramics and pottery... So anywho. That's what happened while I was cutting my wools...now, onto dyeing!

A 9"X13" glass Pyrex dish blew up all over our tiny kitchen. I don't really think that should have happened, do you? Thankfully, I had just turned my back to the stove a second before it blew--an explosion of dye water, wool, glass, hot burners...the mess was absolutely horrid (and just between you and I, I'm not sure if the stove still works--it's 1941 too!!) Then there was this whole saga with trying to transfer my design--I don't have any red-dot paper which is what hooker's use to get those designs on the thick, opaque, backing fabric...I wrestled with some old locker hooking backing, a window screen, the living room window (sigh). I've actually never transferred anything as I usually just draw right onto my linen, but as this is a sample for my next book, I wanted it to be "true"...

So. At 7:30am I woke up motivated to hook a rug as sample for my new Christmas pattern book--at 6 o'clock in the evening, I finally sat down to hook. Keep an eye out for my this new rug!! It will be $500, buy it now. (I know that's high, but I have to buy a stove!--LOL)

Be sure to visit *Timothy Jack III (is NOT a fop!)*~~he's on eBay right now...

A changeable fellow~~he's quite prepared for Christmas AND Halloween with his dapper little costume...you'll just have to go see!)

Have a blessed Sunday,

and while you're at it--

have a sundae too!!

Meg

Crafty Christmas Challenge...

2008-09-12T07:58:00.000-06:00

What, pray-tell, is that nutty little song playing on your blog Nutmeg??? Wellllll....it's off the Juno soundtrack. Juno is one of thee best movies I have seen in a very, very, long time. A few months ago Joe and I watched some of the Oscar Winning/Nominated movies. Whatever. I was heartily un-impressed. Then my mother-in-law told me to check out Juno--mostly for the weird music factor. Anywho. You should watch it. Now.

You're back?? Super!! :)

The main point of this post is the Crafty Christmas Challenge--but I've been meaning to tell you all about that little indie flick. So what's the challenge? Well, I'd blogged on the 12th about making my gifts this year, and asking other artists and crafters to play along...it's not super-structured or anything, not especially organized...I just thought it would be fun, for all of us who would like, to maybe share our pics. and progress with the blog community. Most importantly, I wanted to share with everyone why it's so darn important to buy handmade and to make things your very own self! You can read more here ...but one of the "finer points", imho:

Buying handmade is better for people.
"The ascendancy of chain store culture and global manufacturing has left us dressing, furnishing, and decorating alike. We are encouraged to be consumers, not producers, of our own culture. Our ties to the local and human sources of our goods have been lost. Buying handmade helps us reconnect...."

Hear, hear!! Just over the past few months, I have acquired some new convictions--this "stuff" is so important...to grow your own, make your own, and teach others (especially kiddos!) along the way. I have three quilt-tops from the 1930s--they belonged to my great grandmother, Ida Rice.

I have no idea how to quilt them! And oh, if I could only grow tomatoes the way Mom Chapman did!--I know full well she didn't pop down to the local big-box store and pick up a box of strange, neon, grainy, "fertilizer". These traditions, crafts, homesteading skills...they've simply disappeared for so many of us. The recovery of our loss is GREEN and it's a revolution! And of course, with those two words, I've lost a few of you...crazy Nutmeg rides again. :) Ah well...we'll be back to simple look-at-my-auction entries soon...

Anywho. Now that both girls are in some sort of school, I'll have a few hours each week to work on their gifts--in secret, un-interrupted. This vintage dollie is definitely on the list:

(You can get this pattern at Cloth Doll Supply.)

I also found a TON of freebie patterns at Lion Brand's website, for those of you who knit or crochet...

So. Spread the word!! And then, as you wish to, you can email me pics. of your Christmas goodies, and at some point in December I'll upload them to this blog, or, of course, you can load your own and link to everyone's lovely creations!! :) And do let me know if you'd like to play...and I'll add links and names to this blog entry...

I found this pic. this am and wanted to share it with you...that's my husband's Grandma and Grandpa--her name was Dollie, and I do all of my sewing on her sewing table...cool huh? I also have a treadle machine from Grandma Francie--not brave enough to try that out yet, but it's definitely on my "someday..." list!

Have a wonderful Sunday,

Blessings,

Meg

Wicked Talent...

2008-08-18T20:39:00.000-06:00

I am sooooo thrilled to officially be a part of EHAG!

Eclectic Halloween Artists Group...do check out the loads of fabulous art that's up right now, on eBay--there's presently an artist's challenge underway:

Halloween Carnival

Just click (above banner) to visit all of the auctions!!

Mine own offering is a ne're-do-well cat named Charlie--he's actually banned from the carnival...and you'll just have to click (below) to find out why!! :)

Should you be unfamiliar with EHAG, this is what the artists' blog has to say:

We are a group of professional artists and enthusiasts who share a love for art that celebrates the magic of All Hallow's Eve. Halloween painters, sculptors, doll artists, miniaturists, fiber artists and collectors alike gather here to share, inspire, encourage, support and discuss our latest creations!

Do go take a peek!!

Pin Cushions & An Award!!

2008-08-13T09:20:00.000-06:00

Life isn't easy

for the Pin Cushion Queen.

When she sits alone on her throne,
Pins push through her spleen.

Tim Burton

One of my favoritest Tim Burton Poems-- yes, he writes poetry too! All charmingly illustrated...

But, I digress--what's all the hullabaloo about Pin Cushions?? I was so excited to realize there is some folklore associated with pin cushions (or pinkeeps, as you will...), according to Martha Stewart. And we won't question her, now will we?! This is a sweet little freebie project on her site (click picture at right):
Martha writes:

"Pincushions were once set on mantels in new homes to bring occupants prosperity..."

What a loverly gift for newlyweds or a housewarming...!

I have to tell you, the sweetest thing happened--after a long, long, day, I checked my email to find that Trudy of Bits of Wool has given me an award...

"Primitive Excellence Award"

And, as blog awards go, I am will pay it forward and share the sweetness...!

Here are my picks:

Sherry Kristoff, From Sherry's Heart
Lori Brechlin, Notforgotten Farm
& of course, Joee, of Cart Before the Horse
& always, always, always, Rochelle Fugate

These four gals define Primitive Folk Art, for me, as a folk artist...

Sherry's exquisite hooked rugs and whimsies...I own one of Sherry's hooked pieces, and I can tell you that her craftsmanship is incomparable! And, she is so willing to share her years of experience--I've lost count of how many of us girls she's taught to hook, over the phone (yes, that does sound a bit racey doesn't it?!)

Lori's fabulous work--her scherenschnitte (papercuttings) are timeless--a rare quality in the modern folk art world...

Joee & Dylan never cease to amaze us all with their innovative and beautiful designs--I have long admired the "honest" quality of their work! And every week, rain or shine, there's something new to enchant and amaze!!

Rochelle's dollies are simply wonderful in every way--muslin folk figures that demand you fall in love with them...and it's quite easy, believe me. Each is their very own little personage--Rochelle takes traditional "techniques" and then sprinkles each figure with a sense of humor, happiness, and a sweet spirit. Dollie Goodness personified! :)

Now, I really must fly from the nest...my husband & I are headed to The Inn of Glenhaven to celebrate our 9th anniversary! I am soooo excited! I am taking my sketchbook, of course, and my camera to take pictures to share with you...the Estus area is one of Colorado's most beautiful spots...stay tuned!

Until next time,

Blessings,

Meg

Homemade, Handmade, Christmas...

2008-08-12T14:17:00.000-06:00

It's been years since I've made all of our gifts to give--about 5 years, to be exact!! But one lovely Christmas I crocheted mittens, hats, scarves...some were a bit ill-fitting, occasionally a mitten thumb grew wonky round by round, gauge tightened and released without my effort or realization...2001? was indeed "better to give than to receive"! :) However, I feel I have grown a bit in the area of craftsmanship, and I shall give it another whirl! Is my post a bit "early"--well yes, but there are only...

Christmas countdown at FlashBannerNow.com

How's that for the ol' blood pressure??? Truth be told, I love the flashy, ticking, seconds...it seems most everyone celebrates something during the winter season...Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwaanza...or just plain and simple commercialism, falling prey to every ad. and sale that flashes before our collective eyes as we vegetate in front of our screen of choice...and that, my friends, is a tradition I would like to avoid. I want to teach my kiddos the value of creating, and receiving, homemade goodness. So--what are my plans, my ideas? What's on my wonderful list? (And aren't Christmas Lists just FUN!! To carefully scribe a name on pretty paper and thoughtfully pen the perfect gift???) Well. So far I've thought of the following...all to make my very own self:

Waldorf dollies--I've made a few of these, and the ones that float around our nest seem to remain...they rise above their plastic cousins and remain timeless and more dear as the years go by. Tattered and loved, they are some of the most confident and secure toys in the girls' room....they know they will live with us forever!

Hooked Rugs...and purses! Those little 5"X7" bags with a longer strap are soooo popular now! I am quite certain there are gals on my list that would enjoy carrying them! And then, of course, larger rugs for all of the parents??? There are MANY of Lori Brechlin's designs that I would like to try...and Karen Kahle...and, and...!!!
Boiled Wool...stuff. Slippers, hats, potholders & mitts...all embellished with needle felting...
And, of course, CROCHET!! :) I got this very cool pattern from etsy seller thnkdfrent. Fashionable for kiddos and grown-ups...anywho.

From week to week I'll try to apprise you of my progress (or lack thereof)...both girls will be in school this year, as Mags is starting pre-school--whatever shall I do with myself??? Make Christmas gifts! And yes, the early start is necessary because of allll the orders, shows, auctions, and everything else that keeps me so very, very, busy! But hopefully, my early start will "plant a seed" and inspire you to begin your own homemade handmade list...and we can burn the midnight oil together, come December!

blessings,

meg

Confections, at Collins Gifts...

2008-08-01T22:15:00.001-06:00

A lovely group of bears and 'keepers have recently left the nest--and they are all to be found in New Hampshire, at Collins Gifts!

And, you are all cordially invited to the web show which begins one hour after the artists signing...

The web show will go "live" at 11am EDT on Sunday, August 3rd--

***************************************************************************

*Aunt Tutty*

One of a Kind, 12"

CARE AND FEEDING:

Aunt Tutty is especially proud of her dress she's made to wear to Wendy's party!! It reminds her of coconut cream pie...and everyone knows that is Aunt Tutty's favorite lunch...breakfast...dinner, er, tea--snack! (In fact, that's all she really eats. You'll want to make two and freeze one...)

When Aunt Tutty's not eating pie, she likes to Jitterbug and take naps.

****************************************************************************

Cousin Johnny

One of a Kind, 14"

CARE & FEEDING:

Cousin Johnny is used to being quite spoiled by all of his auntie bears--he will expect--and sometimes, demand--a sweet treat made especially for him at about 10 o'clock each Tuesday.

NOTE: Cousin Johnny is most comfortable at bedtime with a feather pillow and night light--otherwise, he'll wait until the household is asleep and eat all of the Cheerios!!

***********************************************************************

Aunt Lemmy Pie

14", One of a Kind

CARE & FEEDING:

Aunt Lemmy Pie is known for exactly that!--her most excellent lemon pie...and, as you can see, she also enjoys dressing up. Lemmy is quite fond of her little paper shoes, & she will NOT take them off, under any circumstance. Strangely, Aunt Lemmy does not eat the pies she makes...she prefers green beans and cantaloupe.

NOTE: Very partial to Katharine Hepburn movies...

********************************************************************

And, finally, a party of pinkeepers!!

*Sunny the Sewing Bear*

*Oma's Pinkeeper*

*Pink Ele' Blossom*

*Blossom Duck--Ellie*

*Angel Bun'*

*Chickie's First Tea!*

Thank you all for your consideration--...now, you are sooooo disappointed aren't you??? I mean, a whole, entire, blog entry without one bit of looniness!! What's up with that?

Alright. I relent. And i'll share with you my very favorite dog haiku:

Dig under fence -- why?

Because it's there. Because it's

There. Because it's there.

Or is it this one....???

I sound the alarm!

Mailman Fiend -- come to kill all --

Look! Look! Look! Look! Look!

Or is it...okay. g'night gracie.

blessings,

meg

It was the best of times...

2008-06-30T15:44:00.000-06:00

...it was the best of times.

We have just returned from our annual foray to Grand Lake Colorado--the 2008 expedition topped 'em all!! Were it not for my ripening tomatoes, my spot on the couch 'neath a fancy ol' lamp, my favorite jeans that i couldn't-possibly- wear-one-more-time without washing, were it not for ice cream and old epsiodes of "law & order"--were it not for those little "homey" things you don't miss before you're away from them--were it not for all that, i'd be yearnin' for a dirt nap due to geographical depression. Simply put, we had a blast. This was the view from the "back porch":

Our first evening, gathered around the table, I excitedly told 6 other people who really didn't care that our house on the lake reminded me of Stephen King's BEST story EVER--Bag of Bones. And sure enough....look what was right outside our little veranda/deck thing??!!

That's right, sister. An owl decoy!!!

Do I remember anything about the owl decoys in the book? Nope. Could i find a reference on wikipedia to explain the spine-tingling penny-in-yer-mouth-taste fear that rippled up my twacked spine? Not at all. Could i be mistaken? sure....i'll have to read up on it. But, i knew we were in for a good time! I mean, any house that reminds you of your favorite Stephen King is just a sure bet for entertainment!!

We stayed at ____________. Now, i could tell you where it was, but the thing is...we might be felons. We are not "fishermen"...not even "fisherwomyns", or "fisherpersons". No, no. We are fishkillers. My children tell everyone: We killed a FISH!!! (sigh) Our lake was "catch and release"--which meant any and all of us could fish, without a license, but we couldn't keep our...quarry? I dunno. Upon reflection, maybe there's a reason people have to have a license for all that. Instead of catch-and-release, it was...catch-and.....and....this was kind of how it went...

JOE: where's that thing??? MEGAN: what thing???JOE: in-the-box-in-the-box-in-the-box!!!! MEGAN: Where's the CAMERA!!! It's her first FISH!!! (like this is any sort of "rite of passage" for Wommacks???)JOE:...did my mug go in the lake?MEGAN: (muttering) ooooohhhh! hope-hope!!!
SUSAN: Put those dogs AWAY!!!
MAGGIE: AAA-eeeeee!!!! aaaa-EEEEEEE!!! (Maggie made this strange high keening sound...the whole time there was a fish out of the water....it was a "happy" sound...just very, very, weird...)
CHLOE: Get MY picture!!! MOM!! Here...here's my fish picture...(with enormous toothless smile...)
SUSAN: JOHN! WILL YOU COME HERE?????
DANIEL: wow. you caught (read: killed) another one. great. (he was the fish-cleaner...)JOHN: (sotto voice) I think we should STOP FISHING!!

But we couldn't. It was a compulsion...a slimy scaled addiction we could not "kick". We could not admit we were powerless in the face of such mad, crazy, fun...poles came apart, worms pooped, lines tangled, dogs snorted lake water and ate weird stuff...and we all screamed with glee at each slip-slapping trout we stealthily landed. Except me. I can't catch poop-for-applesauce in the trout dept. So, I rescued the fish...catch-and-release-and-a-little-fishy-CPR. I would canoe or pontoon (sort of...it's hard to describe what i did...)...float out to the fish we'd nearly killed, and gently run them through the water...I revived 3 in this compassionate, floating, manner. I am a trout-whisperer.

And what else did we do??? hmmmmmmmmmm....let me seeeee....Made pancakes:

One of us lost another tooth!!

Saw "nature stuff":

And every now and then....when we absolutely had to...we finally.....slept. :)

We were chatting in the garden with our neighbors today...and i said, "Maggie...can you tell them what happened when we were camping?" (because i'm just sure she'll proudly brag about her 14" trout she caught....)

MAGGIE: CHLOE THREW UP IN THE CAR.

Until next time...remember:

"God doesn't close a door without throwing you out the window."

E.P., 2000

Blessings,

Meg

PS--owl decoys really are creepy...SK or no.

PPS--Guess what Maggie says before she plants zucchini seeds?

"Alllllriiight, ladies. Hold onto yer' hats!"

Primitive Rug Hooking...

2008-06-15T12:05:00.000-06:00

...a fine old tradition, that's as "old as the hills"~~but new to me! My buddy, Sherry Kristoff, can tell you that I've been longing to hook a primitive style rug for years now...several attempts didn't pan out~~wrong supplies, a possible wool allergy (not the case, thank goodness!!)...a little bit o' operator error...(sigh)

A little over a year ago my friends on the PRHG chat board were discussing Magdalena Briner...and it was diagnosable/official. I had been bit by the bug! I made this dollie~~"Maggie"~~who'd holding a Magdalena design...i needle punched the dollie's rug...

("Maggie" lives with Rochelle Fugate these days...be sure to check out her dollies! Rochelle is one of my favoritest doll artisans...she makes "the list" with the likes of Scott Radke & Akira Blount~~)

But, i digress....(maybe i'm feeling a bit dolly-making-ish???? hmmmmmmmmmm....)

Anywho. I am hooked. and whenever i come across something new (to me), i devour anything and everything i can find on the subject...books, sites, and other artist's knowledge...

My first completed rug is here, on the Primitive Rug Hooker's Group blog...a gift, for my husband, for father's day...a daddy robin with 2 little eggs. It is nice to have something in our home that i have made, myself (a rarity...). As some of you know, these past few weeks~~heck, even months!~~have been stressful, sad...it's a season, i know, and will pass in time...and i must tell you. Pulling strips of wool up through a linen burlap backing is the best therapy i have found thus far! Easy on the hands, lovely on the eyes...and Maggie, who is 4, is enchanted with the wool "worms". (which does not bode well for my stash, I can tell you!) She was at my side for most of this rugs creation (you may visit it on eBay June 15th-21st 6pm MST):

This rug is included in a pattern book that my daughter Chloe and i have created together~~i can tell you, her folk designs are MUCH better than mine. They are primitive and whimsical in the purest sense of both words...nothing contrived, everything honest. She's quite the little artist!! We both have little poems in the book, along with 16 charts to hook or punch...this poem is companion to the above hooked rug:

*Ain't a 'Fraidy Cat!*

I ain't afraid o' Halloween,
not skeered o' haint or witch~~
I ain't afraid o' Hallow's Eve,
it's just a merry stitch!!

I ain't afraid o' Halloween~~
I'll wrastle boo or bat!I ain't afraid o' twelve o'clock,
I ain't a 'fraidy cat!

Megan Wommack ©2008

Until next time~~

blessings,

Meg

"Nothing gold can stay..."

2008-06-05T10:37:00.000-06:00

Nothing Gold Can Stay

Nature's first green is gold,

Her hardest hue to hold.

Her early leaf's a flower;

But only so an hour.

Then leaf subsides to leaf.

So Eden sank to grief,

So dawn goes down to day.

Nothing gold can stay.

Robert Frost~~

Frances May Arnold

May 1st 1927 ~ June 4th 2008

Banned from most K-Marts in Weld County...wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt...and friend. Such a wonderful list of credentials to carry away with you!

Grampa Francie will be so missed~~

...and her memory lives on in the sparkling eyes of her grandchildren~~

Frances was a firecracker. Absolutely. Her strength, character, and personality were exactly like the beautiful flashes of flower shaped sparks that light up summer skies in early July--I'm sure she's still that way. I am certain.

Now, the little gal in the green sweater (above left) is Maggie and she is 4. She is Francie's great-granddaughter. While Frances was passing, beginning her journey, Maggie was blocks away at a play date with her buddies...and one little fella she didn't quite "take to". She would sweetly tell the little boy,

"okay...that's enough....

OKAY...THAT'S ENOUGH!

OKAY!!! THAT'S. ENOUGH!!"

Francie lives on...in so many ways. :)

I could be a complete milk-toast, and still raise strong, beautiful, daughters. It’s genetically destined.

It rained here all day yesterday. It's still raining...it's grey and cold and dismal outside....but when Frances passed, it was in a room filled with light, with peace. A room filled with love as she was surrounded by her family...

It was airy, the light seemed a very pure, pale, blue...the back-drop for a rainbow's promise.

A few moments after, I found my husband and his uncle in a small coffee-kitchen in our hospice. The three of us just stood there, looking out a picture window at the grey and stormy sky....Uncle Gino noted that this was not the sky that Grandma Francie was seeing...her sky is blue and full of beautiful white clouds...no more storms of pain, no more grey. We stood looking at the sky....and then, there was this vibrant, powerful flash of lightening...the kind that's pure light...the sort of lightening that illuminates the entire world...

...at that moment, I knew all was well and as it should be. I turned to Joe and said:

"She just got there."

I have only known Francie for about 9 years--while I admired her strength, her humor, her spirit, I did not know her as well as I would have wished. My sorrow is, mostly, for her wonderful family. A family that is becoming my own, over the years, as we share in the joy of birth and celebration--and now, share the grief of death. The emotions in my "heart" today are a perfect mixture of grief and joy. Francie is cutting a rug on a carpet of clouds, while we all sit here--quite blue--on a cold and lonely earth. How well we know~~nothing gold can stay.

The one thing, a memory, I have gone over and over again these past few weeks, is when Francie and Duane came to see our new little house, years ago. I had planted "just a bit" of mint in the flower beds. Francie told me that I'd better dig it up, pot it, and re-plant it in the pots...otherwise it would spread everywhere. I was 20-something, so what did she know? A lot, as it turns out. That freakitin' mint is everywhere. And now, it's wonderful nuisance-of-a-memory....Francie was right, she always is...

With the single exception of the song, “yellow bird”, which Harry Belafonte did not record…but I know Harry did sing that song...somewhere, somehow—my abundant mint is proof.

You can probably tell what she thought of me:

goodbye, "Grampa Francie"~~

your are loved and missed, quite dearly.

Blessings,

Meg

The scariest fun I ever had...

2008-05-02T12:45:00.000-06:00

...that I remember. I went through this phase in the mid to late 90s where I absolutely had to climb on buildings, high roofs, etc... and I'm sure I must of had fun if I kept doing it, I just don't particularly remember... but a few weeks back, we had the most scary fun ever, and it has been emblazoned upon my inner noggin, for all time....i went...4-wheeling...with my husband and kids!... that's "Pa", in his jeep, ahead of ours as we drove into "Carnage" (big red flag!!) in Left Hand Canyon near Boulder Colorado.

As some of you know, I did not have a driver's license until I was 25 years old. I only got one then because we were months away from Chloe, our first daughter. (I am only 4"11" and was soooo pregnant I looked like an alien pod when I went to the exam. Oh yeah, baby, I played the pregnant-girl card...at one point, Joe could see the test guy yelling at me and waving his arms as we drove by the DMV.) Anyway. I don't drive well, I don't really enjoy driving (not much creative license), and I fail to understand why you would make your journey more "interesting" by driving over big rocks to get to your destination. However, I'm quite certain that my husband doesn't understand my newest fascination--rug hooking, my latest thing I want to know everything about--perma-culture, or why I really must wear red shoes. But he's so swell, he does a passable job of feigning interest!! So...I thought that a family outing, a foray into all things jeep, would be a lovely gesture of returned, feigned, interest.

See this is what I mean. Do you see those 2 areas on either side of the jeep where you could just drive on through, slick as a whistle??? (sigh)

Now, I searched My Playlist for that song...is it "Sugar High"? From Empire Records...because on the way to Carnage, Pa gave Chloe and Maggie one whole dollar each to spend at the gas station!!! And lo and behold, they had bags of candy...2 for $1!!! (yeah...can't post that song on this family blog...not nearly as bad as the Italian Leather Sofa blog entry...but it was a close call.)

So that set the, uh, "physiological tone" for the day.

Maggie road in the jeep for a few...yards...and then it was "scary!" (no kidding!!!)

The key to understanding the experience is to note the scale of the picture. That little guy driving over that big rock is my husband. And that tiny woman in the passenger seat is me...the wee tots in the back, our precious children.

I really like Maggie's HUGE eyeball in this pic.! LOL (she's right behind her Dad...)

The girls and I got out and walked.

Chloe the Fearless was fine, of course--the kid has no sense of mortality...but I think us girls were all missing the little river spot where the boys had done "stuff" to their jeeps before we started into the canyon...

It was the sweetest little mountain nook...a tiny river, picnic table, pretty river rocks and this beautiful little tuft of moss... the girls got to sit on a rock in the river! That was pretty cool, of course.

Doesn't the moss look like a little faerie seat? It had these tiny little yellow star shapes...

...the girls and I walked up the canyon to the side of the line of jeeps going up with, and behind, our jeep...a few moments later, Joe got stuck on 2 really big rocks. It was absolutely dreadful and amazing, all at the same time. And I did not get a picture!...the moment I raised the camera and zeroed in was exactly when he crashed to the earth, un-scathed of course...

Those jeep fellas (and gals too!) are an interesting community...you end up in a sort of caravan, and if the ride behind you is stuck, you don't go forward until they're free, out of courtesy. They do the same for you. When Joe was on the 2 big rocks, we ended up with a whole group of people standing around watching, taking pictures and video. Now, you'd think that seeing my husband do that would discourage others from taking "that line"...but oh no. Pa did the exact same thing, on purpose, a few days later. Just to see. It ends up being this whole geometry thing, with figuring out the angles, etc. etc. Which I do find fascinating--it's the same with drafting a new bear pattern--I am just much more invested in the "math" of it if I am safely observing. Who knew I'd grow up to be such a sissy??? It's true, I am no longer "Megan the Fearless"--and no need to be, as I have Chloe. :)

And speaking of drafting patterns--another, flawless, segue! Look what I made!!!

This 7" mushroom is sewn from wool felt, with needle felted details...it's a little pinkeeper that will be home to a couple of owlies I'm working on. But I just might offer this as an ePattern, with a 5" and 3.5" version too...that is, if I can brave the 40mph winds to go borrow a scanner! I needed something to show the scale of it...because it seems larger to me than 7", but it really does measure to that. Now, I told you last post that Joe's helping run the biz now...and so, we arrived at his first helpful task:

Please don't mind the blackness on the wall behind his head...it's really not a big squashed spider--it's Maggie's art...she hasn't decided on a specific medium yet--it's between murals or tattoos, at present. (sigh)

What a guy, huh? And guess what? I've had a crush on him for 10 years. :)

New work in a few days...a new bear design--1930s style, a Mother's Day pinkeeper, and my FIRST Halloween offering of 2008!! I can't wait! Be sure to vote on our new poll...

Blessings,

Meg

"You are NOT flighty...

2008-04-27T17:47:00.000-06:00

...you're just learning to fly."

That was only one of the incredibly sweet things said to me this past week...thank you all so much for your support, surprise goodies in the mail, and the many good thoughts and prayers that have been heading my way...

I guess this blog post could also be entitled: "Entirely toooo much information" (that's your hint, turn back now!) As most of you know, I have MS and have kind of "taken a turn" in the last few years--the last few months have been incredibly difficult, trying to figure out different medications and realizing that I am not responding quite as well as I'd hoped to different treatments... Things were looking up--just a bit--only to come down with a hideous cold that moved to my chest and turned into a sinus infection...and I get intensely grouchy when there's anything wrong with me, aside from my usual diseases.

Today, with this cold, I kind of look like this:

(If you steal this image, I shall wish warts and wrinkles upon you...general bad luck and crisis of every kind...unless you'd like to pick me up for licensing...then we'll just chat...)

But, I digress--I always do. Thank you, everyone...everything's shipped or shipping tomorrow--now I actually did get some shipping done, but thus far no one's actually received their shipments...I mean, surely someone has received the packages? Just not the folks that actually ordered stuff. So. That's what ya get when the shipping gal has a brain that looks like swiss cheese. Life is so unfair. I am actually quite partial to Havarti...!

You know, I watched Walk the Line the other night (for the second time) and was just incredibly heartened--I mean, who knew? You can pop pills, drink like a fish, not share chili fries with Elvis, smash a perfectly good guitar...all of that can happen to you (or you can plunge right into it!)...all of that life can storm around you and through you...and you can still end up "okay". You can ditch the pills, the booze, meet the love of your life (while married, of course...)--you can somehow make it through all of that and still be able to "make music"...no matter how big the storm is, when the wind finally dies down...you just notice it's blown away the dead leaves that were covering up the beauty of spring's first crocus. The storm took away nothing that was needed. (Unless, of course, the wind snatched yer breezies!)

And I guess I never knew that Johnny passed only 4 short months after June...(so if I pull a Heath Ledger--it was ALL prescribed! Joe, set your watch....). I watched that and just remembered so, so, much...all the grief, all the blessings--it really is a big cycle. And when the wheel comes "back around", it's just that much sweeter...that much finer.

The next few months will bring a lot of changes to our nest--and to the business. The Bears will have their very own digs--new etsy shoppe and new eBay id--as my husband and I begin to run that new business together...so far we've established that he is great at supervising and has a surprising amount of opinions regarding names, etc. (I hope he doesn't get beat up at work over this...) As far as the design resources and patterns--those will all be converted into pdf files and my paper patterns are being retired...so you'll all be able to re-sell them for exorbitant prices on eBay, simply because they are OOP (hmmmmmmmm....where's that snarky eBay id I had????).

I don't anticipate much difficulty during this business transition, as no one's buying poop-for-applesauce anyway (oh yeah, except all of you waiting on orders. SIGH!) Might I add that eBay taking away most of every one's feedback as of May 1st could be wonderful timing?! :) So please...go leave it now!! Anywho--we're finally to the point where we must actively make some changes to de-stress and manage things a bit better. And my ideas are slightly twacked, as you all probably know...there's that completely cheesy "Something Worth Leaving Behind" song--do you know it? Will you admit if you do?? :)

"Hey Monalisa, who was Leonardo?
Was he Andy Warhol?
Were you Marilyn Monroe
Hey Mozart, what kind of name is Amadeus
It's kinda like Elvis
You gotta die to be famous
I may not go down in history
I just want someone to remember me
I'll probably never hold a brush
that paints a masterpiece
Probably never find a pen
that writes a symphony
But if I will love then I will find
That I have touched another life
And that's something
Something worth leaving behind..."
Lee Ann Womack
(one "m")

Thank you all so much--you know I'll keep you posted on the new changes...the next issue of Create and Decorate will continue with Summer's Heart and Home~~and then! THEN...Autumn and Halloween! Yippeee!! :)

Blessings,

Meg

PS..."twacked", "snarky", "breezies", and "etsy" are not in spell-check...and I don't know if I will EVER learn how to spell "recieve". Even if it is "after 'c'"...

How I de-stress and live healthier...

2008-04-20T18:05:00.000-06:00

I just threw away a teflon pan instead of washing it.

(And by the way...be very, very, careful if you search for this:

"free vintage photo+housewife"...in fact, just skip it altogether. Seriously. Trust me on this one. Who knew?!)

Also, humor and cheer are always healthful...and so....

Chloe's Favorite knock-knock joke this week:

Chloe: Knock-knock.

Me: Who's there?

Chloe: Interrupting cow.

Me: Interrupting cow who?

Chloe: wait-wait-wait...knock-knock

Me: Who's there? (sigh)

Chloe: Interrupting...............cow.

Me: Interrupting cow wh----

Chloe: MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Maggie's favorite joke (this week):

Maggie: Why didn't the Christmas tree cross the road?

Me: Why????

Maggie: Because he doesn't have any legs.

What's your favorite knock-knock joke?

blessings,

Meg

Annie & the Nest...

2008-04-06T21:09:00.000-06:00

"The robin is the one

That, speechless from her nest,

Submits that home and certainty

And sanctity are best...."

Emily Dickinson

*Annie & the Nest* are currently in my etsy shoppe~~do stop by and pay her a visit!

Blessings,

Meg

What's in a name???

2008-04-05T11:36:00.000-06:00

NOTE: There's a semi-naughty word in the first track of my muzack. I mean, it's kind of naughty. The first half of it is in the Bible. And it belonged to Balaam.... But lots of things are in the Bible that you really shouldn't say/do to one another.... Anywho.

Well. Betty has tagged me! I'm supposed to chat about my biz. name. How, why, etc. Which is mildly interesting as I changed it about a year ago? Anyway. My first name was "Magdalenz Harper Dolls", which I really, really, loved...except...no one could remember how to spell it, knew what it meant, remembered it, and I make a LOT of other things besides dollies...with my needle punch designs "taking off", it seemed time to change it up a bit.

I love Magpies--and "Magpie/Megpie/Pie" was one of my many childhood nick-names. And I love nests. So there you go...Magpies "collect" many things...they are constantly stealing bits of stuff to line their nests--just look at this sweet poem/song!

"...For the magpie's nest

It is a cottage neat and clean

It stands 'longside the Shannon

Where the meadows they are green

But I never met a colleen

With such beauties blest

Like the little Irish fairy

In the magpie's nest

For I have wandered all through Kerry

I have wandered all through Clare

From Dublin down to Galway

From there to God knows where

But I never met a colleen

With such beauties blest

Like the little Irish fairyIn the magpie's nest..."

Can't really determine exactly where that passage is from...but I found it while looking up bits about magpies...and, sweet Jenny of Hearthside Cottage helped me with thinking of it (and I know all about her name...it's really cool, and I will tag her, I think...) As Jenny and I were "Rose" and "Chrissy" in Dancing at Lughnasa, it just seemed sweeter. (The whole irish thing). Anyway. Upon changing my name, I discovered that oh, say, 83 other people had the same name--which I somehow didn't discover until I'd changed. So. I could change again to, "The 84th Magpie", or something like that...I actually like my blog name best--"Magpie Feathers", and I suppose I could use that for everything...but then you reach the point in time when you really don't want to be more of a flighty, fickle, gal than you already are...so i guess it's here to stay? Eh, who knows.

I will tag Jenny to tell us all about her name. Then she'll have to blog!!

Now...for some news. As some of you have surmised, eBay stinks. There's a primitve artist, Holly Tree Primitives, who sums it up best. Beginning May 1st, artists are no longer allowed to use "Primitive" in their auction titles. The new fee structure really does target "the little gal", and any product that is digitally delivered is outlawed, starting May 1st. (I discovered that one after converting 14 of my designs to ePattern!!). So, no eBooks, ePatterns, selling templates....I personally think that they have made this change to gradually break from "self-hosted" auction pictures. That saves me soooo much money--I can't imagine how much eBay "loses" because of this. I have to do this really ridiculous listing thing to sell my ePatterns on eBay. It's just silly--and there are many digital artists who have suffered HUGE losses because they can no longer sell templates (which are delivered in digitial form). It's quite sad. I can't imagine starting out as a Folk Artist on eBay and not being allowed to use "primitive" in my title! The true irony is that several years ago, the primitive doll artists asked eBay for a primitive category!!! Anyway. I said all that to say--

Beginning May 1st a good portion of my business will be moved to etsy. It's just a no-brainer. I know that many of you don't shop on etsy, as we've tried before! :) But that's just the way it must be...etsy opperates with a great deal of integrity, supports "hand-made", and it is sooooo much less expensive!

The Primitive Rug Hookers group is already there, and the Best Loved Early Stytches in Tyme gals will be soon. This is a scarey time for eBay Folk and Prim artists, really ALL eBay artists--the combinations of eBay fees and "Big Brother" mentality, combined with our failing economy, add up to disaster. Sales are horrid and eBay's new rules are crippling our businesses...I think you will see more and more of your favorite folks on etsy.

As life would have it, I'm in the position of being able to work less and actually make things that I want to make...so, once again, I'm trying to turn all of this into a "blessing"--and hoping things will turn out for my friends who rely on their income as artists.

Sooooo...whew! I guess that's it! That was a mighty long post! I hope to post a little bit, helpful links, etc. about buying and selling on etsy in the next few days.

Blessings,

Meg

2008-04-04T10:25:00.000-06:00

Hope is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul,

And sings the tune--without the words,

And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;

And sore must be the storm

That could abash the little bird

That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chillest land,

And on the strangest sea;

Yet, never, in extremity,

It asked a crumb of me.

~~Emily Dickinson~~

Create and Decorate, April 2008!

2008-02-06T17:10:00.001-07:00

In stores now....the April issue of Create and Decorate! (just click above to visit their site...)

I have 2 projects in this issue~~the Spring installment of "Heart and Home", as well as these sweetie Bunny Pocket dolls:

Easy to make from scraps and snippets~~mine are sewn from recycled linen clothing, quilter's cotton, and vintage hankies...then the little pocket can hold needfuls, sweet annie (for that wonderful garden-ish fragrance!), or a memento or keepsake...be sure to pick up your issue, as both patterns are only offered through Create and Decorate. I did notice that here in Colorado, you may stop by The Wool Basket, a wonderful store for rug hooking and fiber folk artists...

(Oh, by the way...that music you hear? It IS from my own horn.)

Until next time,

Blessings,

Meg

5 things....

2008-01-24T13:37:00.000-07:00

Looooong, long, ago, Joee of Cart Before the Horse "tagged"me...to tell you 5 things about myself!! And so...here's 5 things about me...and a picture!

I wear aprons, every day, all day long...lots of folks think I'm kinda weird for doing this, but I just don't care. I am a BIG Mary Jane's Farm fan, and was very impressed with her Artists in Aprons issue....women in aprons mean serious business! I like that an apron is feminine, handy (though my vintage aprons are a bit flustered at the cell phone riding in the pocket!), and most important~~it says you're a gal with purpose. Which I am. :)
I love to sew things by hand...I have an old book of embroidery stitches that I am slowly working through...can you imagine a time when, if you wanted an embellishment or decoration, you had to make it yourself?!
Of all of the things I've ever made, mediums I've tried, etc. etc.....I love making bears the very most of all.
I didn't know how to drive or have a license until I was 25 years old.
My name is Megan Sue and when I was a little girl my cousin Spencer thought my name was "Bacon Soup". I thought his name was "Splinter". He was a little hard of hearing and I was...well. Hmmmmmm....

OK. Now to tag 5 people who haven't been tagged...which may be difficult since I waited sooooo long to play....hmmmmmmmmm...how about:

Until next time,

Blessings,

Meg

2008-01-07T12:53:00.000-07:00

Happy Valentine's Day!!

We have been quite busy in our tiny nest, as you will see...I have sewn some lovely whimsies for you~~all made from the finest materials and trimmed in vintage trinkets~~

****************************************************************************

*Red Lovebird Pinkeeper*

5" Pinkeeper

~~made from wool felt and hand-dyed skirt weight wool...vintage style trims be-deck this sweet birdie's nest! Stuffed with wool and weighted with crushed walnut shells...

$84.00 (includes priority travel fare)

Sold! (thank you)

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*Pink Lovebird Pinkeeper*

5" Pinkeeper

Made in the same fashion~~

$84.00 (includes priority travel fare)

Sold! (thank you)

************************************************************************
*Kisses*

5" pinkeeper

Cushion is made from 100% as-is and over-dyed wools., stuffed with wool and crushed walnut shells..this sweet, wee, elephant is made from hand-dyed mohair and looks so loved and worn! A tiny vintage bird charm is pinned to her velvet neck ribbon. There is so much hand stitching on this piece!! Appliqued wool hearts and cross-stitches at each seam...of course her name is *Kisses*!

$105 (includes priority travel fare)

Sold! (thank you)

******************************************************************************

*Hugs*

5" Pinkeeper

Cushion is made from 100% wool felt...with so many careful embroidery stitches! The top heart is stuffed with sheep's wool, the bottom with crushed walnut shells...The ellie is made from hand-dyed mohair, patchy and worn...sweet blue flowered ric-rac and vintage charms complete this vintage-styled whimsical piece! *Hugs* will keep careful watch o'er your pins and needles...

SOLD! (thank you...)

******************************************************************************
*Sweet William*

12"

William is waiting for his sweetheart! Made in magpie-fashion...hand-dyed mohair that's been carefully aged, stuffed with excelsior and sand...loosely 5-way jointed~~and of course, antique, shoe-button eyes! William's body is sewn from vintage-reproduction quilter's cotton, and his ears are lined with the same...pads and eye accents are 100% wool. I have pinned a grand bow to him with vintage charms, and 2 vintage beads trim out his suit. He comes with a vintage paper shoe pinkeep that I have restored and embellished with ephemers...a tiny, giggling, angel! William is quite "distressed"~~"mended" here and there and he feels soooo very old! He would be right at home on a shelf of antique toys...

SOLD~~thanks!

**************************************************************

*Red and Yellow Pandy*

12"

Made in the same fashion as "William" (above), this fellow is absolutely grand! He sports a beautiful blue velvet bow pinned with vintage beads~~and he has William's other shoe! But his has the sweetest little boy on it, cut out in a heart shape...in fact, this dandy pandy and the boy on the shoe seem to have the same little smile. :)

SOLD! (thank you...)

************************************************************************

*Strawberry Sue*

12"

I love this gal's colors~! And I enjoy the reds and pinks of Valentine's so much, for they lead us into the warmer days of spring, slowly but surely...Made in Magpie-fashion, this gal is stuffed with a bit of wool as well...I have sewn her a strawberry emery...100% wool felt, stuffed with crushed walnut shells. It is pinned to the grand green bow that is pinned to her...such a sweet-pea she is!

on ebay!!

*************************************************************************

And that, my friends, is that! Thank you kindly for peeking into the nest...

Blessings,

Meg

PS~~I spell-checked, and find nothing but the usual argument of "pinkeeper" and "ric-rac"...seems too good to be true that I typed so well!! So. If you should find a hideous mistake, just know that I tried, my sweet friends...

You are cordially invited...

2008-01-02T18:12:00.000-07:00

...to attend a Valentine's Celebration!

The Elephants have donned party hats~~

the Annies preen in their sweetest vintage finery...

Bears don jackets and skirts,

with the most whimsical embroidered motifs!!

Small birds atop woolen pinkeepers....

For there is just a hint of spring...

small, pale green buds...nestled in frosty snow...

Won't you join us?

Monday, January 7th, 2008

6:00pm MST

Blessings,

Meg

Happy New Year~!!

2007-12-30T10:05:00.000-07:00

Wow. I didn't blog at all in December~! My, my...I fear I am not too great at the whole blog-community thing anyway...anywho.

I hope you all are having a lovely Holiday...we had a great Christmas and this picture is my favorite, I think. You can't always get what you want, indeed! That's my 3 year old (who's not normally such an ungrateful pill...)--she'd just opened a Thomas train and was much amazed...shocked...appalled...you get the idea. She does not truck with the boys' toys, no pun intended. Though the train pictured is a girl, it took actually playing with the track, etc. to convince her of the fun she was having. Really.

So where I have I been? Busy creating and playing, school concerts and parties, and the 101 places we go to every Christmas...and we do have a lot of fun! So, please forgive my Christmas Break!! Here's just a bit of the fun we've had...

A box of goodies to take to the school party for teachers and friends...

We made these cool bird magnets from Somerset Studio...I made a project designed by Jeanette Janson a bit more kid-friendly...paper and wood instead of metal, etc. and we came up with some really pretty little magnets (which my photo doesn't do justice!)

At the school party, I fell in love...with a children's book that I'd never seen before!! "Rain Makes Applesauce" ...anyone? It's sooooo wonderful! And I am blessed with such good friends that I think I'm getting 2 copies of it, from 2 different wonderful pals!! How cool is that? 1 to read, and 1 to put away...

It may have been a sign, of sorts...I really, really, want to get into more illustrative work...and then, I'm told, once you have all that underway it's much easier to break in with your own little book...which I want to do as well. We'll see. Maybe when I retire? Though my husband maintains that artists do not retire, they just die. Which I think is true, as I can't imagine a life without making something. :)

And now...the really big news. I am so pleased to tell you that I am in the current issue of Create and Decorate, on newsstands now...my project is "Heart and Home", and is the first of a seasonal series of 4...plus, I have a dollie too in the next issue!! I am really happy be working with them and my kid (6) thinks I'm very cool...which, while not necessary, is nice. Can you imagine? I'm cool again!!

Anyway...that's all for this evening...new work is on the way, Glitter and Grunge and The Humble Arts...plus my own blog upload on the 7th of January....2008?! Wow.

Thank you all for your friendship,

and your interest in my work,

(as the case may be)

Blessings,

Meg

Snow Party!

2007-11-28T10:19:00.000-07:00

It's a blizzard of dollies 'round here...the last of the ornaments are packing up to go to Minnesota, but I have made extras to offer to you! (Yes, you!) I have 3 snowfolk ornaments to offer you...each is made from antiqued, painted, muslin that has sweet snow eyes drawn and painted on and tiny bead mouths...each snow person has a wee wool felt hat, a ribbon collar or scarf, all trimmed in sparklie silver ribbon with little accents and frosty hangers...each are about 7" high, and the 2 with silver collars can sit...Frosty can sit if his scarf hangs over a ledge...

*Top Hat Frosty*

Sold Out~ Thank you...

*Sugar Plum*

Sold Out~~!!

*Winter Sky Snowman*

Sold Out~~!!

*Snow flakes*

I counted till they danced so
Their slippers leaped the town,
And then I took a pencil
To note the rebels down.
And then they grew so jolly
I did resign the prig,
And ten of my once stately toes
Are marshalled for a jig!
Stay Warm & Cozy,
Blessings,
Meg

Candy Children

2007-11-27T12:08:00.000-07:00

Here they are! And thank you so much for all of the interest & emails...bless you! These 3 are available today, and a very limited number of orders will be taken...

As I said Monday, this is a 2005 design...but just a bit sweeter! These wee tree dollies are 8" high, and made of antiqued, painted, muslin, with my signature hand-drawn face. Each is a little different, and they are trimmed in fancy novelty yarn and sparklie miniature ornaments... Their little noses and bead joints look like tiny gumdrops! And yes, the arms move a bit, so they can nibble their goodies or show you their treasures...

*Snowflake*

$28.00, includes travel fare

Sold~~available to order! (thank you...)

*Peppermint*

$28.00, includes travel fare

Sold!~~available to order...

*Chocolate Mint*

$28.00, includes travel fare

Sold!~~available to order

email me with your preference or order!

And I can certainly take specific requests...pale green mint and chocolate, pink cupcake sprinkles, fruit cake...hmmmmmmmmm.....what else do I like to eat?

Blessings,

Meg

Santa Ornament

2007-11-26T11:36:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to offer a dollie noggin to you~!! I seem to be "back in the saddle", at least for the moment, and will be offering ornament goodies all week long...

*Santa Ornament*

This fella is a whopping 8" high...from the bottom of his sheep's wool beard to the top of his folded hat...he is really like an entire dollie head. Which is a bit morbid, so let's not dwell...

His hat is hand-dyed wool with a rusty jingle bell and sparklie berries at the tip...His face is hand-drawn on painted muslin~~really a wonderful blend of both mediums. I have needle felted his beard out of Cloth Doll Supply sheep's wool, and his hat is trimmed in real sheepskin.

Truly a grand ol' fella to grace your tree!

Sold Out~~Thank you!

And now for a special sneak preview:

*Candy Children*

These are adapted from a 2005 design, strange little peppermint folks that whacked reindeer with their scepters....in the interest of peace and goodwill, which should be foremost during the holidays, this design has grown sweeter...sweet as candy, in fact! This gang is off to Krista Artista Gallery in Minnesota:

They are made of painted muslin, with hand-drawn faces...then trimmed out in all manner of dime-store Christmas nonsense! (My favorite...) They have a very vintage appeal, and I will have 3 of them to offer you tomorrow...

Until then,

Blessings,

Meg

Will you please wear the hat????

2007-11-16T12:45:00.000-07:00

BEAR: Absolutely not.
ARTIST: But it's a lovely hat...so sweet...
Undignified.
Well, maybe...but that's a good thing in my work, isn't it?
A lack of dignity?!
No, no, no....just a lack of, well. No. Not a lack, per. say...an addition. An addition of fun, of whimsy, of---
And a SUBTRACTION of "hat".
(sigh)

The following monologue is per. Bobby the Bear with mild to vehement objections from the artist (me!) interjected throughout, but not specifically noted due to time limitations and a distinct lack of typing skill:

I mean, last Sunday's Bun' was all very well and good, but she is, was, just a bunny, you know? Bears require a certain...understated elegance, a dignity equivocal to their place in nature. Exacting, appropriate garments. And I do believe that I, Robert, represent the very finest of such...nature's specimens of elegant beast. I mean, really, that sums me up I think. Might I add that I have admirably relented to wearing this BLASTED sweater, not to mention the silly button (I don't care how "old" it is! Since when is age a GOOD thing, anyhow???) But, Mrs. Wommack, I digress. To state my intentions, my wishes, my...well, my responsibility to the rest of the bear world, to bears everywhere....quite simply: No hats, for such bears as I! I am, well, I'm a bear of dignity, if nothing else....

Whatever. There's no way I'm calling you Robert~! (Though I could run with the David Mamet qualities for a bit....).

"Bobbie and Fritz"

Made in Magpie fashion, will you please consider Bobbie and His little giraffe, Fritz? These 2 are carefully created in celebration of old toys...precious treasures carefully stored on the window seat in the nursery.... Picture taking is terrible today, so I will have to tell you about Bobbie's wonderful fur that I have dyed...it is lighter on the top of his head, and on this outer limbs and very subtly contrasts with he rest of his figure...like he's been faded by sunshine over the wonderful and many years! And then there's that HUGE red button fastened to his felted wool cardigan...it is quite old and garnished with a vintage cabochon that has a little gentleman bear upon it...Fritz is also made from hand-dyed wool, trimmed like Bobbie, with glass eyes and vintage trimmings...the pair is quite, quite, sweet, hat or no.

Bobbie is OOAK & 17" high, Fritz is 11"

sold! thank you!

email me to purchase

*Gilly and Peppermint*

A mother should never have favorites, but I must tell you that Gilly the Elephant is quite easier to get along with than Bobbie!!

Gilly was soooo charming, she ended up having a little dress sewn especially for her! (I loathe dress-making....!!!) It is trimmed in satin ribbon and pink ric-rac~~Gillie and Peppermint have little duckie cabochons...cute! There. I said it. Actually called my own work CUTE!? What's the world coming to???

Peppermint is made of white wool, with glass eyes...and Gilly's eyes are German glass, just a little different than my usual. :) BUT~~still the same dyed and aged mohair and wobbly 5-way jointing, wool paw pads, and excelsior & wool stuffin' (that's the Magpie fashion, you know...)

*Gillie* is a OOAK 14" and

*Peppermint* stands at 5" or so + 8" long...

sold! (thank you...)

email me to purchase

And that's all she wrote, uh, stitched!

Until we meet again...

Blessings,

Meg

What a Sunday!

2007-11-11T19:23:00.000-07:00

ummmm....I mean "Sundae"!

Hopefully, you see a really nifty, snowy, slide show up above...hopefully. Or, you may just see a camera-swirly icon that does not load...only time will tell. :)

As you can see (or not), we had a grand little soiree this aft' when I finished up *Sundae Bunny*. Everyone turned out! From the old metal elephant to the baby in pink, yellow bear, brown bear, and Andy....and of course Mecki was there!! We had such grand time, sipping pink flowered tea from the little vintage charm on the Sundae pin keep...ah, so nice to visit and catch up with friends~~both old & new! Our little cottage was rattling with the chatter of an early winter tea, as the winds turn and (hopefully!) the snow blows in...

But. In other areas of our wee domicile it was rather quiet. Too quiet....know what I mean? In other rooms things were going awry...running amuck (sp), if you will.

Did you ever read Little Mouse Biddle Mouse by David Kirk? Of course you have, being the genteel and literary acquaintance that you are! Welll...you know the part where Little Mouse gets a bit piggy and eats all his family's food? And it goes something like:

"Little Mouse Biddle Mouse, what have you done? You've eaten the food now your family has none!" That was Chloe's favorite book when she was four, and we continually heard: "What did you done?!", as she scrambled after her toddling sister's general chaos and destruction...well. We had a "what did you done?!" moment this evening. You know all of those polynesian fellers with the tattoos??? Go ahead. Scroll down. I'll spare you the gory details, but I have a 3 year old who looks something like. Nekkid and all. She's now scrubbed semi-clean (it was a brown archival marker, so she looks a bit tan), but I do have a lasting memento from the incident. My pillow. That I sleep on.:

Ask any mama of little (or big!) ones and she'll tell you that pillow is a precious, precious, thing...I guess I have a Polynesian pillow?

*Sundae Bunny*

Made in my usual fashion :) and I love her wobbly old joints! She's wearing a hand embroidered little wool vest, trimmed in vintage charms and flower beads...there's a little copper bird! A green wool scarf and vintage hankie skirt...antique shoe button eyes...Her feet are stitched and One thread is coming un-done (but not "for reals")...she is SWEET and I am so excited to make some more...a snow bunny...a bunny in a bonnet...a bunny with a chicken...a bunny with archival brown ink body tattoos....but, I digress.

She has a sweet sundae pin keeper, embroidered wool and all manner of vintage whimsies are pinned to the sundae...candy-looking beads, a tea-cup pin with a doily, and of course a big vintage "cherry" bead...yum!! *Sundae* is a wobbly 12" high (including ears), and about 9" seated...she is sitting on a high shelf, as she is quite enchanting to some little girl! (And some tiny Polynesian kid who lives here...)

Sold! Thank you kindly...

(includes travel fare...)

email me to purchase

Blessings,

Meg

PS~~put your markers on the high shelf, along with your bunnies....

Christmas Chocolate

2007-11-09T13:04:00.000-07:00

First of all....I am so sorry that i haven't had a freebie pattern up for November...my scanner completely, absolutely, died. It was a sudden death--quite unexpected for a scanner so young, and 2 hours with various consultants has led to no resurrection of said scanner. (sigh) So, when I have the foresight to drop off a freebie with a scannered friend, have her email it to me, etc. etc. I will have a new, fun, pattern for you...I'm thinking stockings! :) Or at least a tutorial on this week's pinkeepers accompanying the bears...

Now, for the bears...both have mugs or cups of "chocolate"--a rich, beautiful, brown, wool from Skip to my Ewe. I do believe it is my personal goal to make anything BUT a hooked rug with Tammy's wool...(and I'm saving hooked rugs for retirement). And here we go:

*Mr. Bennett's Christmas Chocolate*

This fella's name is directly inspired by "Pride and Prejudice", but not the new one! Indeed, I find the A&E version far better than the newer release! You must check it out...

Mr. B. is made in the usual Magpie fashion...distressed, over-dyed, and gently aged mohair...loosely jointed...stuffed with sand and excelsior to feel much like very old toys. I work very hard to age bears appropriately and realistically! ...his fur is this wonderful rusty pumpkin color...as "rich" as his cocoa!

I have sewn a sage green colored vest for him, embroidered 'round with blanket stitching and french knots and daisy stitches compose a pine cone on the right front vest panel. It is pinned on with crochet lace, a gingerbread man charm, and new and vintage sparklie beads...the teacup is printed with a pastoral scene is a shade that "just suits" Mr. B.

An extra special "touch" to both mugs of chocolate is a dollop of white wool "whipped cream", carefully filled with sand, to sharpen your pins and needles--such a yummy emery! And then each is topped off with a vintage bead that looks precisely like a peppermint...

Mr. B has a satin neck ribbon, is 10" high, and would be most delighted if you will join him for a cup of Christmas Chocolate!

SOLD!

(thank you kindly...)

email me to purchase...

*Cocoa for Santa*

Baby bear is trying so very hard to wait up for Santa! And she has been so sweet...not one sip of chocolate, you know! Baby is wearing a nightgown and nightcap made from a very fragile, very old, linen hankie...I have used the crocheted hem to accent the dress and cap appropriately, and added-to are tiny little "yo-yo's" sewn from red and white ruffled ribbon~! Baby's little mug is a Santa mug, and it's a wee 3" high, even with the whipped cream emery! Baby has an itty bitty 3" wool felt bear to keep her company as she waits, and she is 9" high herself (but quite plump!).

SOLD

(thank you kindly)

email me to purchase...

Thank you all so much for your interest in my work,

and for your consideration~~

Blessings,

Meg

Christmas Folk Angel

2007-11-04T18:55:00.000-07:00

*The golden moments in the stream of life rush past us and we see nothing but sand; the angels come to visit us, and we only know them when they are gone. *

George Elliot

At last! A dollie! And a Christmas Angel at that....*Christmas Folk Angel* is 18" high and her wings span 16"...she is sewn from osnaburg, her body stuffed with rags (arms and legs are poly stuffed). She is painted, penciled, and faded as time might have done...she looks and feels so old! Her folky silhouette is an idea I've been playing with...I like to think she's taking a walk. Her hair is just a bit of sheep's wool sewn on, and her wings are sewn from a Vintage quilt top. I like to imagine she began only with her wings, and gathered her dress and trims along the way...a vintage button and antique tatted lace, pinned on...bits of tinsel and sparklie "berries" one Christmas...some baby's breath and sweet annie tucked into her treat cone from the garden. And somewhere, along the way, little bells were sewn to her toes...they have rusted with the years. And a sweet mouth stitched on when her painted lips faded in the sun...she is a tattered bit of sweetness and whimsey~~*Christmas Folk Angel*is Sold! (Thank you...)Pattern to create her yourself,with detailed methods and instructions:$10.50Free travel fare for either...email me to purchase

Blessings,

Meg

Nutcracker Suite on The Humble Arts....

2007-10-31T22:23:00.000-06:00

As usual, I was running terribly behind for my HARTS upload! (sigh) But hey, when costumes go from Charlie Brown-to-a ROCKIES Baseball Player-to-Miss Potter-to-Dorothy and Toto...it happens. And then, there was Maned Wolf-to-Butterfly-to-Little Red Riding Hood-to-Broccoli-to-Little Red Riding Hood-to-Broccoli-to....well. Frankly, Halloween really might be the devil.

I volunteered for the class party, of course, with my BFF...our kiddos were in a Lutheran Pre-School together, and now, first grade...I finally realized why the craft table was so, um, intense. Twice as many of the little darlings and hardly any acted like they love Jesus...let alone their neighbor with the glitter glue. But, I digress...if I would of been on time, this would have been on The Humble Arts...which you must visit this month. Directly. Go now!!

Are you back? Alright, let's go...

Welcome! Thank you for visiting my page within *The Humble Arts*~~ I bet you’ve gathered by now that we have a “Nutcracker Suite” them this month!! And I did manage to carry it over into my Mohair creations…and no, it’s not the Rat King (or whatever he is)…I would love for you to meet

*Sugarplum & Clara the Bun’*

a 14’’, One-of-a-Kind Ele’

and her constant companion

a 6” Bunny

Perhaps an unlikely pair…perhaps not! I mean, their names are just enchanting…to be named for a fairy tale ballet! Oh my! Sugarplum and Clara have seen many, many, Christmases…they first met under the tree, and that was years ago! Since both are so old, of course they are stuffed with excelsior, poly-wool, and sand…like olden bears! (And look at Sugarplum’s antique button eyes!...Clara’s are black glass… ) Both are stitched from over-dyed mohair (Sugar-plum’s bodice is hand-dyed wool), both are loosely 5-way jointed…I love how these two feel…you would think them directly off the toy shelf at the antique store!

I have used only the finest materials, new and vintage trims…this set is truly splendid with lots of details and plenty of sweetness.

However…I suppose I should mention…a disclaimer, of sorts: these are terrible gossips!

*Sugarplum & Clara the Bun’* SOLD! Thank you...
(includes travel fare)
email me to purchase
*Ginny Brown Bear*
a 13’’, One-of-a-Kind Bear

A more helpful and courteous bear you will never find! Of that, I assure you…Ginny is made from mohair that has been carefully aged~~ and her nose is stitched on, roughly, with dark brown pearl cotton. She is loosely 5-way jointed, and those pretty eyes are wool felt and antique boot buttons. Her little jacket is sewn from vintage cloth that my friend Jenny gave me…(Hey?! You don’t think Ginny is named for Jen---…naahhhh. Could it be?!) Ginny’s felt are shaped like a prim dollie’s, Jenny’s feet are about a 7? And Jenny has long red hair, while Ginny’s is light brown… Enough. Vintage and modern trims…a wonderful, humble, bear who does NOT gossip.

“Ginny Brown Bear” SOLD! Thank you...
(includes travel fare)
email me to purchase
I hope you enjoy this month's offerings as much as I have their creation…
~~ please take a moment to visit my blog to apprise yourself on happenin’s in the nest (ummmmm....yeah, ignore that part. 'cause yer here!!)…and if you would like to be added to my mailing list please let me know…

Blessings,
Meg

And I think that's all she wrote! We had a wonderful evening...lots of laughs and fun, and I took plenty of pictures. I'm sure I'll share with you as I find time. (right) :) I love this time of year...the weather is cold, the air is crisp, and Thanksgiving is on the way. I really, really, dig Thanksgiving. A lot. And this year I have some new recipes to try...yum! If pigs fly, I might share those with you too~!

Thanks for your time,

& Blessings,

Meg

'Twas Halloween...

2007-10-31T11:59:00.000-06:00

Have a Happy, Safe, Halloween!

Blessings,

Meg

Bears in Chairs...

2007-10-15T11:36:00.000-06:00

Please will you meet:

*Netty and Bip*

*Netty* is a loosely 5-way jointed 12" bear...9" seated. Her violet colored mohair is hand-dyed and very gently aged...stuffed with excelsior, weighted with steel shot, she has hand sewn pearl-cotton features. Netty's eyes are antique boot buttons, mounted on just enough 100% yellow wool felt to give a bit of a vintage feel...her sweet, sweet, jacket is sewn from a vintage handkerchief...hand sewn crochet lace for trim, and fastened with the same lace, a cream antique-replica button, silk flower, and vintage locket full of memories...now, *Bip* (sigh). Well, Bip is rather irreverent...and made from Mr. Funky's Super Crochet Wonderful, it's no wonder! (BTW, this little book is fun, fun, fun!!!) *Bip* is 7" high, made from wool yarn and stuffed with wool...her claim to fame is those glass google eyes...! *Netty & Bip* come with the little blue chair (7"high) and it is hand-painted and crackled~~looks quit old...Netty's jacket is fully removable...anything I've missed just email your questions!SOLD! (Thank you)~email me to purchase~*************************************************************************************
*Scarlet 'n' Andy*

Another 12" OOAK bear (and her little friend!)*Scarlet* is 12", and made in the same fashion as *Netty*...but, to be fair, she is a bit more "nosey"...! Her dolly friend *Andy* is sewn from muslin, hand-painted and gently aged for a vintage appeal...his scarf is crochet lace, and his hat is white wool, pinned on with a sweet red heart pin...he has glass googly eyes like *Bip*...Scarlet's pinny is so very cute...it is a wonderful print that looks quite a bit like a Vintage Children's Book...the panel I used features Mama bear giving a little boy bear a spoonful of medicine...fun! Scarlet has a bunch of baubles pinned to her red neck-bow...a little flapper button, beads that spell "dollie"...vintage red beads and little red dice...this set is whimsical and fun, and the little polka-dot crackled hand-painted chair is included too! So many ways to display~~and the pinny is fully removable...SOLD! (thank you!)~email me to purchase~

Well, I do believe that that's all for today....however~~I do have many more bears "in the works", as well as more styles of pin keepers, and those should be ready on Thursday evening...also, I hope to debut my first embroidery designs! (for tea-towels, children's clothing, your clothing, etc.!) Functional art....aahhhh!

I'll have a new bear form to show you too, inspired by my friend Jenny of Hearthside Cottage...hurry up and treat yourself to her yummy Halloween Buttons! And I hear that Christmas Goodies are on the way....

Until we meet again~~

Blessings,

Meg

I am a smarty pants....

2007-10-13T11:05:00.000-06:00

....maybe. We'll see if this works~! I am, hopefully, creating a page of my patterns that are available...we shall see~!! :)

The Magpie Nest

PATTERNS

each needle punch pattern is offered with instructions for 6-strand punch on a Cameo Ultra Punch with the height setting of "3" (or sometimes 4). All floss is DMC, or DMC Senso fingerweight in some cases...my thread designs are "large", and range from 5"X7", up to 8"X 10" in some cases...you may enlarge or reduce my patterns, use whatever materials you're comforatable with, alter away, and sell for fun and small profit, as long as you credit me, Megan Wommack, as the designer...

***************************************************************
*Christmas Town*
a little book for needleworkers

... a collection of designs for you to punch, hook, stitch, paint...whatever suits your fancy...and here's the scoop, regarding these little books...a FAQs if you will:this book has 6 pages, plus the cover design...the above 5 pictures/charts? Those are all from the cover design...and then there's little borders, on other pages...and you can "flip and repeat" seperate motifs to suit your fancy...so when folks wonder "how many designs", etc....yeah. No idear. But if you are hideously disappointed upon recieving your little book, we can chat.
I absolutely love little houses tucked in with blankets of snow...snuggled in, cozy~~ that feeling you get, when you wake up in the morning and you can just tell...by the light or something, that it's snowed all night long! And then I immediately begin plotting pots of soup, baked breads...and isn't it fun to go foraging for the necessary supplies...the things we NEED! LOL Like popcorn, hot chocolate, and waxy donuts. And maybe a good movie or 2, a certain shade of floss, should the storm be on its way again...better stock up! OK I digress. But I do enjoy snow days...!
...my vision is that this little book is sort of a group of "puzzles"~~ you may break any element of one design and snap it into another giving you infinite possibilities! (Okay, not exactly infinite...but a BUNCH). Also, there are several borders you may pair up with your own compositions...or, of course, you can work them just as I've presented.
No dollies, these are all charts for punch, hooking, or even penny rug designs with notes and titles in the margins...
*****************************************************

*Fear and the Wolf*

*Fear makes the wolf bigger than he is...*~~a German Proverb, that has inspired this bit of folk-ish fancy~~a 4" by 7" Primitive style needle punch pattern~~the rectangle shape is approximate...a bit "sketched" here and there...~~the finished piece has such a primitive feel to it! Can you imagine a hooked rug from this design?! Oh my!! I include a reversed and regular image for you to reduce or enlarge as you wish, a high-quality color photo, and a suggested palette and general instructions~~with this design, you will recieve an enlarged image too...so, a photo plus 2 charts. ...this piece is a bit tricky, but easily simplified. I finished my piece with a neato-mosquito collage...

$8.40

email me to purchase

*************************************************

*Ol' Joe the Mistelcrow*

...what could be more fun to work up on a blustery evening? This fancy ol' crow is quite a charmer! I turned mine into a treat bag... The actual punched piece size is 5.5" X 6.5"...

$8.40

email me to purchase

************************************************************

*Woodland Santa*

You'll recieve two 8" by 8" images of this pattern....those of you familiar with my patterns know that they are thorough, and that I always send the image reversed for punch, as well as the regular image...and of course a full-color picture as well as instructions...also included~~a suggested palette of threads and fibers. (This pattern uses a finger-weight wool sock yarn for the background!)
You will receive a paper pattern, very thorough, with 2 high quality photos…

$8.40

email me to purchase

************************************************************************************

*Snow Angel*

...I must admit that I am excited to make up a few of these little angel poppets!~~here's one of my best-sellers, pattern AND finished goods, from Holiday 2006:
This sweet gal is easy-peasy to make with just a bit of sewing experience...she is carefully styled after a Colonial silouette, and will be a great addition to your winter decorations...she is quite magical! I the enduring quality of this gal…here in Colorado you could take her out in September and leave her out ‘til late April!! J

*Snow Angel* ends up being a bit over 12” or so…her noggin is punched (front and back) and her arms and legs are made from soft, white, flannel…you could certainly embroider this gal’s face as well and sew her body from wool felt…endless options!

You will receive a paper pattern, very thorough, with 2 high quality photos…
$10.50email me to purchase**************************************************************************************

How much is that doggie in the window?

2007-10-06T21:35:00.000-06:00

*Doggie Pinkeepers*

available for special order at

$42.00 each

just email me with you order!

These are just too fun!! They are hand-sewn from wool felts~~ doggie is stuffed with sheep's wool, as well as the top pillow or top half of the cushion, then the bottom is filled with crushed walnut shells to keep your pins and needles nice and pointy...! You may request color schemes, and "approximate" breeds :) I'll do my best! Each measures between 5 & 6" high, depending on the style of cushion...each doggie will come with modern and vintage charms, pins, and buttons...very sweet, each puppy is sure to protect your pins precisely!

Did you ever see such a pair?! These two, my friends, are my last bit of self-shopping before Christmas...that wonderful vintage doggie pinkeep and the adorable Stieff Mecki Hedgehog...The Bear Garden says:

"Steiff has had exclusive rights to the manufacture of Mecki hedgehog dolls since 1951. Mecki is a German cartoon character who first becam popular in the early 1950s when he appeared in the TV magazine HORZU. He has been loved now by several generations and he is still carried as a companion or talisman in Germany today. Mucki M is the young girl featured in the series, she stands at 5 inches / 12cm tall. "

She is delightful...you may have noticed that a few days ago, Natalie Merchant was crooning "Jealousy" on the blog (...um, yes, I've been meaning to blog for quite some time!)...this little tune was tribute to Mucki, and my daughter Chloe...when I showed her my new dollie she had the most inscrutable little face...like she might vomit. You know that face, parents? That un-readable pensive paleness that suddenly launches into/onto....well. Chloe had a face like that. And I said, "Sweety!? What's wrong???" And Chloe said, "Nothing. Your doll's great. Really. I'm happy for you." Then she stalked away, as only Chloe can do...thus, the blog tune "Jealousy", to write about sweet Mucki. (And I didn't change the song just because Susan hated it! Really!)...which brings up the topic of blog music. Quite neatly, I might add.

Okay. Maybe I should ditch the play-list. I mean, I am the girl that mixed up about 35 minutes of jamming folk tunes and the such, back in the mid-nineties, and then plunked Nazareth's "Love Hurts" into the middle of it all like a shriveled, cold, baked potato with no shiny jacket...yes, friends, I am her. So admittedly, I am not the best DJ. But this latest foe-pass. Oh my...

You see, I also listened to "Cake". And I wanted to put this Cake song about a piano on my blog...and somehow, someway, that translated into "Italian Leather Sofa". Ever heard it? Well. Okay...I'll just out with it. Are you ready? Hmmmmm??? Thinking I won't confess?! Welllllll....the song talks about:

boobies

Is that dreadful or what? On a business-building, family-connecting, G-rated, fun-lovin' blog. I mean, granted, once you're a Mom, boobies turn into this whole other milk (or lack thereof) sort of thing....I remember so well visiting my local lactation nazis...sitting bare-breasted with all of the other milk-less mommies...secretly checking out each other's babies' cutie gap onesies (thought I was going to say boobies, didn't you?!)

I remember the day I exploded from the boobies clinic with such glee, such joy...I hope my shirt was buttoned, I was so happy~~ so free...skipping with 10 pounds of plastic slapping against my...chest...! My lactation loo-loo had come up with just the thing for my baby and her milk-less mommy....we could nurse! We could bond! It was going to be okay!!!

IT was this amazing/grotesque contraption that had tubes, a rubber disc to fit over said booby, and a little drip bottle of formula...baby gets fed, boob gets "expressed" (though there was no milk), and of course my little darling wouldn't know that a tangle of tubes and discs and the neck thingy it hung off of was not a real booby. No, no. She would be fooled and so would I. This contraption would be our saving grace....

My poor, sweet, tired, loving, husband just stared....at my boobs...in a whole new way, twice over....utilitarian AND plastic? Wow.

We never went back to the clinic.

I don't know where the contraption is either, for that matter.

When my 2nd daughter was born, the exact same lactation guru walked into my room with some hapless trainee following behind, obviously hanging on the woman's every word...the guru said:

"Oh, hello...we'll try just like last time and see...", and then she fled. My boobs are bad for business. Which brings me to another point...

Mommies, you rock. Don't let anyone tell you different. I spoke just today with friend who is sometimes concerned about others' perception of her...that she works a lot, does a lot activity and committment-wise...folks might not know that her kids are with her every step of the way...so they judge. (Of course, you aren't like that! :) ) So here's the thing...we need to all be sweet to each other...ease up on each other. It isn't easy being a Mommy....if you do it right, it's freakitin' exhausting, now and then...you deal with the unexpected...
You walk into a room and things are not as they should be...(like little plastic babies, floating in the fish tank!) Or you walk into an elementary school, that you've walked into a hundred times before, and you go into lock-down....something about a man with a gun? In the "surrounding area" (please define!!)??? And you crouch in the dark and drink a whole soda with your baby...while your bigger baby is in her classroom, which is a million miles or a few yards away, depending on how you look at it. And you wait, in the dark. And you don't cry, no matter what...and it finally doesn't matter one whit that you couldn't nurse, that you haven't done everything perfect, and furthermore~~ that no one else does everything perfect either. NO ONE. Nothing matters except that the three of you get out of the school and get home to tell Dad all about it...you just save what needs saving...scoop it up, fish it out...just what's important....and then... you have it. None of the rest matters.

And you'll never, ever, again forget that you have it.

Okay...I'll confess. We kept the contraption...we clean the fish tank with it.

Until we meet again...

Don't throw the baby out with the fish-water.

Blessings,
Meg

Tildy, Franny, and Pippa!

2007-09-23T13:52:00.000-06:00

I have been asked to tell you, just right off, that Pippa! (she's the tiny bear) must have a "!" after her name...regardless if you are speaking of her or writing about her, it is her personal requirement. (There! Now that's done, eh?! Oh, no! I'm doing it too!!)

Just look at that fine bunch! And I have soooooo much to tell you about them! Now, that Annie (who is NOT for sale!) used to belong to my dear buddy, Sherry Kristoff. She is a sweet, sweet, friend, who has entrusted me with her Annie collection...is that nice or what? And she also made the hooked flowers that are sitting on the larger bear and ele's head...Sherry has such an amazing talent, and I have learned so much from her! From how to hook rugs (or not to, as the case may be), to "breezies", Sherry is an invaluable resource... I am so very blessed to call her my friend and fellow artist... now, on to the gang for this week!!(sold! thank you!)*Franny & Pippa*

Awww....! Can I tell you how much I want to keep this pair? And how fun Pippa! was to make...really a treat. Frannie is 8" seated, and would be 11" standing (if she could, which she can't...!) Aged and over-dyed mohair, loosely jointed, stuffed like the old time bears~~excelsior, sand, and wool...there's too many details to name them all! Lots of "old" lace, trinkets & treasures, new and old...Frannie and 4" Pippa! are a delight...SOLD! (thank you)*Tildy*

Who's that sweet pink Ele' with the bunch of daisies?! It's Tildy! She has a fancy hooked flower bonnet, too...(these are pinned on, by the by)...and I have crocheted her a sweet little scarf to keep away the chill. :) Tildy's body/"suit" is sewn from a 1930's quilt block that I've lined with muslin...I carefully cut out the shapes to correspond with the quilting pattern, and the effect is quite charming!She too is 11", and about 7" seated...made from over-dyed, aged and "worn" mohair and stuffed in the same way as Franny...her noggin is a bit different than most elephants...it is an altered combination of a Japanese craft book and vintage chickie pattern! Huh. And after all that fuss, I imagine there won't be another quite like her! LOLTildy has yummy little trims as well...plus a locket full of secrets...shhhhh! Don't tell!contact me to purchase!

"My friends are my estate."Emily Dickinson

Blessings,

Meg

A Family Thing...

2007-09-20T20:59:00.000-06:00

Well here's a free pattern for September...

...from Chloe, age 6! I am so proud! :)

She does have the coolest little drawings...they are profuse and profound...and of course you know that's a little squirrel reaching up for a bunch of acorns...right?!

We are talking about doing a little book or something...

I want to surprise her with this drawing embroidered/appliqued on a t-shirt! I'll keep ya posted...

And here's my squirrel :)

I think he's just awoken some very sleepy acorns! This chart is named for that freaky rain-stick sound that squirrels make when trotting around trees (as only squirrels can do...)

Megan Wommack

My next update will be on Saturday evening, September 22nd...please check back then for new work! :) And I think (maybe) it's the last shout for Halloween...I'd like to do a bit of Thanksgiving, and then it's on to Guy Fawkes day (kidding...but you really should watch V for Vendetta).

Blessings,

Meg

Hannah and Tillman...

2007-09-12T17:03:00.001-06:00

Good Afternoon~!

It is sooooo busy here in the nest!...school, girl scouts, cooking and baking...and of course, bear making! I have a trio of bears to show you, and Rochelle's doll is window dressing...she is NOT for sale!

Well here's Tillman and little Hannah...

Tillman is quite the largest bear I've made and he is so grand~! He is 16" and made of mohair with antique boot button eyes...stuffed with excelsior, wool, and sand & loosely 5-way jointed. His nose is stitched on in a scruffy fashion...his paw pads are beautiful wool fabric from Skip to my Ewe. (Thanks Tammy!)

I crocheted him a scarf with wool and linen blend yarn...I've pinned an antique brass apple charm, brown velvet ribbon, and a small, "old", key to the scarf...He is hand-shaded, a bit "snarfy"...

SOLD (thank you!!)

email me to purchase

And then there's Hannah...it was quite a production getting her all ready! I hold her absolutely responsible for any delays or interruptions in today's programming....

...she gossiped with the dollies and got into things...

...planned her Halloween costume...

...argued with Tillman, who was quite annoyed...(sigh)

Hannah is 5-way jointed, made of mohair and stuffed with wool, excelsior, and sand...her snapping black eyes are antique shoe buttons, and her nose and ears are stitched with brown thread. After much discussion, I allowed her to dress herself. Hannah is wearing a vintage handkerchief skirt "fastened" with a green vintage button, and some strange sort of scarf made from ric-rac, lace, and part of an old locket necklace...it has an "H" inside and some pink roses...

SOLD (thank you!!)

email me to purchase...

Pandy from last week is still available...

SOLD (thank you!!)

Well, that's all for this evening...I must away to dinner before the bears eat all the soup!

Blessings,

Meg

M my name is Megan Sue...

2007-09-03T20:11:00.000-06:00

I have so much to tell and to show!! Oh my!! Here's a Bear, hot off the nest...(hee-heeee)

She's on eBay...just click the pic. to visit...

I've been tagged by Tammy of Skip To My Ewe, who was tagged by Primitive Betty's...so~~

"To play the game...... you must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had. When you are tagged you need to write your own blog post containing your own middle name game facts. At the end of your blog post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog...."

Well. My middle name is "Sue", and here goes nothin'!!

*S* is for sure...sure of my faith and sure of my family.

*U* is for unpredictable...I myself never know exactly what medium I will try next! And the jury's still out as to whether this is a good thing...! LOL I've been reflecting upon making myself stick to one particular medium for an undetermined amount of time. I might be able to handle that. (snicker)

*E* is for ethereal....KIDDING!

*E* is for egocentric...but I'm working on it...at least I'm not egregious or emetic...and I shall continue to loath the esoteric majority.

Now....who to TAG?! hmmmmmmmmmmmm..........

Of course I know who's first...

Rochelle!!! of the garbage goose...ya gotta dig that Titus lovin' chickie...

Karen of Countryfolk Keepsakes...This gal is soooo talented AND sweet...

and Annie of Chickadee Primitives...you must take a gander at her naive portraits...oh my! (and she is part of etsyFOLK with Rochellie and I...and me?...hmmmm, idunno.)

OK so that's that...almost...I also got an award for being a DOLL! :) From 2 other artists! Such a nice surprise!! Nena Crouch of Nanny's Cottage and Sharon aka Greeneyez2 think I'm a doll! So neener-neener-boo-boo to you!

Hah~! (I'm also ironic.)

Anywho, anyone who's anyone on the folky part of the web knows about the gal I'm going to tag...and I'm sure she's been called a dollie before! Blondie Spence of Vintage Primitives is organizing this amazing charity auction for Ava Grace, a little baby girl who was born with Pfieffer's Symdrome. This poor sweetie has already undergone many surgeries and has so many more to go...in today's world, it can be a scary thing to rely upon the kindness of strangers...medical bills, multiple surgeries, the never-ending "unknown"...what an incredible burden for this little gal and her family to bear!! We who are participating in the auction are trying to ease this family's load, just a little...please, please, attend our silent auction Sept. 16th through the 22nd....

Ava Grace...

I'll be reminding my mailing list and of course, I'll keep you updated as the auction progresses. I am thankful to be able to be involved...to give back just a tiny bit of what has been given to me.

Blessings,

Meg

Emily's November Owl a gift for you

2007-08-26T18:32:00.000-06:00

Right click to save, then print....I hope!! :)

November

Besides the autumn poets sing,

A few prosaic days

A little this side of the snow

And that side of the haze.

A few incisive mornings,

A few ascetic eyes,

--Gone Mr. Bryant's golden-rod,

And Mr. Thomson's sheaves.

Still is the bustle in the brook,

Sealed are the spicy valves;

Mesmeric fingers softly touch

The eyes of many elves.

Perhaps a squirrel may remain,

My sentiments to share.

Grant me, O Lord, a sunny mind,

Thy windy will to bear!

Emily Dickinson, November....

And I am too lazy to go look up the year. :)

Please enjoy this free owlie, 'tis only fair to give you since I normally indulge in shameless self-promotion within these pages~!! So to compensate, I'm sharing a scrap of sketchbook with you...PLEASE make and sell from this design (giving credit where it's due, of course.)

And what else? Well. School is underway and our annual trip to Grand Lake is over...and we had such a lovely time at Mountain Lakes Lodge! (Even though we have to drive over Trail Ridge Road to get there...yikes!) Scarey roads--or rather, the lack thereof--or no, Rocky Mountain National Park is just awesome, and we had a wonderful holiday. But it is good to be back in the nest...

Blessings,

Meg

"Peace - that was the other name for home."

~Kathleen Norris

Happy Einschulung!

2007-08-08T18:52:00.000-06:00

In Germany, Einschulung is the first day of school...which is exactly one week from today, here in Northern Colorado! So, I thought I would *celebrate* (though it's kind of sad!), with a few "Back to School Bears"

(...except one's a monkey. Okay...here we go!! )

*Zoe Bananas!*

SOLD!

thank you!

May I introduce you to Zoe? She's wearing her new back-to-school polka-dot dress and holding a zuckertuete ~~a treat cone that German children might recieve on their first day of school! (Except this treat cone is a needle emery...!)

Zoe is quite the cute little monkey and is sitting pretty on a sweet pin cushion (made from banana print fabric!! In fact, all fabric used in this piece is Moda's 5 Funky Monkies...FUN!). Zoe is bead & thread jointed, her noggin jointed by cotter pin...these are both very old ways of joining teddies!

Oh yes, Zoe...we see you!

Her green glass eyes are just beautiful...look at those tiny lids and dotty lashes!! Her face, sculpted hands and feet, and her ears, are all made from 100% wool felt that I have over-dyed to get just the right shade... Zoe is made from mohair, stuffed with wool and weighted with steel shot। (Her pin keep is stuffed and weighted the same)। Zoe's features are enhanced with needle felting, and she is hand-shaded.

Zoe's treat cone/emery contains 3 functional pins that are trimmed in vintage tid-bits, just like the cone flowers...I like that *peppermint* bead as it reminds me of the candy probably spilling from those sugary cones...

Zoe sits sweetly at 4" high (seated measurement), and on her pinkeep the entire piece is a bit over 6". Please contact me if you have any questions...there are many little details and I may have left something out!!

*Zoe Bananas* is OOAK &

SOLD!

(thank you!)

(includes priority travel fare)

email me to purchase

While making this piece, our little family had a brief discussion of things German...

CHLOE: Am I a German kid?
JOE & MEGAN: No. (pause)

CHLOE: hmmmmm....good thing that I can write poems!

(?)

*Lucy Bear Back-to-School*

SOLD!

(thank you!)

Lucy is a bitty thing...only 5" high! Can you believe she's big enough to start the first grade?! I can't. :(

But there she is, none the less! All ready with her brand new wool felt scarf and messenger bag (it has A-B-C beads sewn on!!), and her vintage hankie skirt is quite trendy, as it buttons at the side...

Lucy is made of mohair, stuffed with wool and weighted with steel shot...she is hand shaded and her features are enhanced with needle felting. She is 5-way jointed, arms and legs with old-style thread jonting and her head via cotter pin. She is quite poseable! Her eyes are glass...

Now, Lucy Bear keep insisting that she can walk to school on her own...this will not be happening! Big-girl-back-pack or no, a Mommy must take you when you are only 5" high!

*Lucy Bear* is OOAK &

SOLD!

(thank you!)

(includes priority travel fare)

email me to purchase

And who remembers poor ol' Harold?! Well, he's on sale...Harold has become quite grouchy, truth be told, and we're eager to be shut of him!

He's on the ol' etsy....

And what else have we been up to here at The Magpie Nest? Welllll....we have yet another new baby! Chloe's Uncle stopped by with this most delightful horned toad... he is just tiny! The sweetest thing...we have a little nursery for him and feed him ants every few hours, throughout the day:

I am thrilled to tell you he sleeps throught the night...even though he's only a bit over an inch long and doesn't weigh enough to be weighed on our postal scale!! Such a tiny wonder...I've grown quite attached.

And then there's Homer Wommack, the most patient dog in the world:

The sweetest doggie in the world, AND he looks smashing in a petticoat!!

Blessings,

Meg

October Chick~!!

2007-07-24T21:37:00.000-06:00

Wellll...I didn't accomplish nearly as less as I usually wouldn't, having previously said I would have an update. Still, I wish I had more to show you. I took a break and watched "This Family Robertson" (Chloe, 6). Anywho...

I did manage to finish this chicken...and boy oh boy, she is a beauty!

*October Chick*

pin keeper

The entire height is 6", and the bottom egg cushion is about 5+" long. Chickie is made from Helmbold Mohair that I have hand-dyed, and is stuffed with wool...around the green glass eyes I have needle felted a bit. Tiny beak and feet are 100% wool felt. (And the feet have a neato pleat and dart construction which just isn't showing up in the pictures...) The chick is made from a vintage pattern and has 3 gussets in all...very detailed little gal!

Fun, delightful, trim and green ric-rac and velvet ribbon are sewed all around this whimsy~~ the orange plastic flowers you see are vintage, and I have turned them into functional pins...the costume's flowers are the same and secured with tiny green glass beads...and oh yes, the sweetest Moda pumpkin print lines the wings, you just can't see...it matches the Moda flannel of the bottom egg, the striped egg is made from quilt shop quality fabric as well.

This pin keeper is gently weighted with fine gravel and steel shot...it sits quite nicely and is decorative AND functional...how nice is that?!

SOLD

(thank you!)

I suppose it could be just for the Autumn season, but were it mine, it would stay out year 'round! (But I just put away a Christmas Cat about 2 weeks ago...so...)

In the works? All of the things I didn't get done, and I'm working on some tiny, itty bitty, teensy, owl pins. And a baby crow. And a squirrel. And some schematic drawings I'm supposed to do that, frankly, make my teeth hurt (snap!). But I will finish them, oh yes I will. Anyway, these little owls will be black and white, brown...all different, and the eyes are only 2mm!!! Very tiny! There's a little pin back, and I might pop some onto etsy in the next few days...

Thank you so much for your consideration of my work...thanks to all you folks at home, I have the coolest job(s) ever: a work-at-mom. Even when it's hot and sweaty and cranky and fighty, the wonderful outweighs it all...

Blessings,

Meg

Luisa and her tiny dollie...

2007-07-22T18:08:00.001-06:00

..."Lorinda". Which, at our house, is the most beautiful name in the world! ( So far we've had 3 dollies and 2 snails named Lorinda...just within a week's time...!!!) Anywho...this sweet 7" Bun' and her 3" Dollie are on eBay this week. Please visit their auction if you have a few moments~~

New work will be posted here on

Tuesday evening...crows, pumpkins, peeps and poppets! I do believe it's time for Halloween themed offerings...

Blessings,

Meg

Prettier in Pink...

2007-07-17T08:54:00.000-06:00

Well...

No one is more surprised than myself that I actually have an upload on the day I said I would have an upload! I'm faint, and a bit shocked to be totally honest with you...but here's the gang I've got for this Tuesday...and keep scrolling down...the best if for last!

(Just click on the sale prices of the piece(s) you're interested in purchasing...it will generate an email to me, and I will send you a paypal invoice~~sale prices are at the bottom of the descriptions.)

For Sale~!! :)

SOLD!!! (thanks!)
*Bun' in the Garden*

Pincushion

A lovely sewing helper that is sure to brighten your day when threads are snapping and pins are poking..
Bun' is barely 2" high if you count her ears, and a wee 2.5" long. Entire cushion is barely 3" high, and almost 9" 'round. Sewn from re-cycled pink wool (used to be Chloe's dress!)...ric-rac trim is sewn around and I have made flower pins from the wool, yummy vintage-looking sequins, and pearl pins. An excellent addition your sewing nook!!

$37.50

(includes priority shipping)

**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~**~~**

SOLD!!! (thanks!)

*Cindi Bear Sews*

a One of a Kind Bear

Everyone knows that Cindi is an excellent seamstress....
Though a wee 7" high (not free-standing), she is quite efficient and is most reliable...to say that she is "sought after" to mend blankies and the such is an under-statement!

Cindi is 5-way jointed and made of helmbold mohair. Her muzzle is hand-shaded. Her paws are made from the same pink re-cycled wool...her skirt is sewn from a vintage hankie and her eyes are antique shoe buttons...so many lovely old things make up this bear!
To assist Cindi, she travels with a strawberry emery mounted on a vintage thread spool...it's 2.5" high, and is covered in dainty pale green beads...a heart shaped pin and wool leaves and silk petals complete this sweet addition.

$63.00

(includes priority shipping)

**~~**~~**~~**~~*~~**~~**~~**

SOLD!!! (thanks!)

*Sarah Sails*

a One of a Kind Bear

I am so happy with how this Bear turned out! I have had a tiny bit of her dress fabric in my stash for a few years, and finally made something special enough to use it up!~~it's a 40s looking polka-dot print, with tiny stars scattered over the back-ground and a crescent moon and anchor on each polka-dot...tiny crochet lace trims the dress perfectly...

Sarah is 8" high, 5-way jointed and made of sparse Helmbold mohair...her muzzle and paws are hand-shaded and her eyes are antique shoe buttons. (Paws and pads are 100% wool felt...) She's stuffed with polyfill, excelsior, and steel shot.
I have crocheted a hat especially for Sarah~~ it even has a hole cut into it to fit 'round her right ear!! It's made of wool yarn and has a ribbon woven through the edging...felted a bit for fitting, and then a vintage button (pinned on) makes the hat "just so". Bear, dress, and hat have been carefully aged and antiqued..Sarah's details are carefully recorded onto an Americana tag created by Lori, of Vintage Palette.

Sarah has been made to look as if she's very old (she assures me this is not "an act")...we were discussing how loose her right leg is...Sarah was simply appalled at the idea that I would tighten or mend anything about her bearish person! She informed me that there is a specific reason that her right leg is as it is...

...it seems she was carried by it most of the time. These were some of her dearest memories (as she could sit right side up upon arrival...), journies she would take with her girl. Sarah sweetly explained that quite often things are not as they seem~~ while I had assumed she would like her leg to be tightened up, in fact she would not as it reminds her of her girl and their adventures.

Sarah has a story about her hat, her dress...even the button pinned onto her hat ribbon...and she will tell you each of them upon her arrival, at your convenience!

$98.00
(includes priority shipping)

**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**

Dollies and Bears for Sale...

2007-07-13T18:01:00.000-06:00

...on Tuesday, July 17th. I will update this page for your shopping pleasure! :) You can certainly subscribe to my blog, so that you know the exact moment in time, and of course I'll do the ol' email list.

With rising costs and looming deadlines of just about every selling venue (besides etsy), more and more artists are beginning to take control of their own destinies~!! And so shall I...

Blessings,

Meg

S is for Squirrel!

2007-07-08T10:01:00.000-06:00

Well, it's here! My super-dee-dooper newest Needle Punch Pattern, and the next in the alphabet series...So far there's P & O...T never really took off, so there'll be a whole new one o' those.

Today I am introducing the Letter S...*S is for Squirrel!!*

Available on etsy and eBay, or you can buy it right here...

$8.40, Free shipping (as always)

This one comes with the punch pattern (that you can hook, too), and it also has a wee acorn-shaped pinkeeper to make up...would make a cute ornament too!

The Red oak leaves that "frame" Mr. Squirrel are made from 3 strands variegated, 3 strands solid, and 1 strand of thread, for a very subtle and beautiful effect...I kept thinking of how amazing Autumn leaves really are with their different dappled colors...I fear I have not done them justice!

And I'm planning to have every single-pattern-ever in my etsy store within the week. Plus, more in the Alphabet series, as well as more Punch Poppets...

I often am inspired by Emily Dickinson...I remember falling in love with her poems at our community college here, and seeking solace within the pages of borrowed paperback collections...Emily spoke to me at a peculiar time in my life, and I remain enchanted. I especially love her images of autumn, and frankly, when the summer weather is so horribley hot, I love to make Autumn Offerings of Art and to read Emily's thoughts on cooler seasons...

The morns are meeker than they were,

The nuts are getting brown —

The berry's cheek is plumper,

The rose is out of town.

The maple wears a gayer scarf,

The field a scarlet gown.

Lest I should be old-fashioned,

I'll put a trinket on.

~ Emily Dickinson

Until next time,

Blessings,

Meg

A day in the nest...

I'm good...

Guess what I have?

A note for my daughters...

Editing is for sissies...

The Inevitable Need for Groceries...

Waking up...

i know the words....

Mornings with Maggie....

the business of art....and a puzzle

*Izannah Little Red*

twilight

*The Paper Poppet*

just a note to say....

Unexpected music....

Fairy Tales....Hansel & Gretel

*Fast away the old year passes....*

a wee goblin....

*They sailed away for a year & a day....*

Rabid Hedgehogs & Christmas Whimsies...

In Christmas Forest...

*Jolly Holly Snowman*

hope won

VOTE!!

Home again, home again....

Primitive Halloween...

Crafty Christmas Challenge...

Wicked Talent...

Pin Cushions & An Award!!

Homemade, Handmade, Christmas...

*Confections*, at Collins Gifts...

It was the best of times...

Primitive Rug Hooking...

"Nothing gold can stay..."

The scariest fun I ever had...

"You are NOT flighty...

How I de-stress and live healthier...

Annie & the Nest...

What's in a name???

Create and Decorate, April 2008!

5 things....

You are cordially invited...

Happy New Year~!!

*Snow Party!*

*Candy Children*

*Santa Ornament*

Will you please wear the hat????

What a Sunday!

*Christmas Chocolate*

*Christmas Folk Angel*

Nutcracker Suite on The Humble Arts....

'Twas Halloween...

Bears in Chairs...

I am a smarty pants....

How much is that doggie in the window?

Tildy, Franny, and Pippa!

A Family Thing...

Hannah and Tillman...

*M* my name is Megan Sue...

*Emily's November Owl* ~~a gift for you~~

Happy Einschulung!

October Chick~!!

Luisa and her tiny dollie...

Prettier in Pink...

Dollies and Bears for Sale...

S is for Squirrel!

Izannah Little Red

The Paper Poppet

Fast away the old year passes....

They sailed away for a year & a day....

Jolly Holly Snowman

Confections, at Collins Gifts...

Snow Party!

Candy Children

Santa Ornament

Christmas Chocolate

Christmas Folk Angel

M my name is Megan Sue...

Emily's November Owl a gift for you