THE MOONLIT STITCH

Wandering through etsy one day I discovered this lovely little shop called TheMoonlitStitch. I immediately connected with the imagination and craftsmanship of the pieces. There were wooden spoons dressed up as dolls, and a bedspring used for a nodding Santa Claus! I like the Zen of putting articles to new and unusual uses, especially clever uses that make me laugh, so I contacted TheMoonlitStitch and asked about her inspiration and why she does what she does:






"I've always been in love with old-fashioned things. A perfect day for me would be getting lost in an old antique shop or the attic of an old house filled with items that haven't been seen for years. Primitive crafters try to re-create the look of "days gone by" through crackling and staining their pieces."





"Long ago, people would "make do" with what they had and create things from simple items, such as a pin keep on an old candle stick (hence the term "make do"). I also like to try and see the world through the eyes of child. When you do, things seem whimsical and simplified."


















"There are not many primitive crafters in my area, so I recently joined a wonderful etsy team called "Old Farmhouse Gathering". These folks create wonderful primitive to shabby chic items. I would really like to encourage etsy artists/crafters to find a team that fits their craft style. Connecting with others who share your interests can be a very inspiring and supportive experience. The OFG team members made me feel like part of "the family" immediately. I don't feel so much like an "odd duck" now!"

"Since I work full time, often the only time I can create is during the "moonlit" hours of the night and that's why I named my shop "The Moonlit Stitch"."








You can see her shop at http://themoonlitstitch.etsy.com, and be sure to look at her team's shops, too. Thank you so much for sharing with us!

PUNKINHEAD

This is my cat, Punkinhead, aka Purrhead, Meowhead, Sillyhead and the Big Meow. I found her in a warehouse about 16 years ago. She came running out of a dark corner with one leg dangling and her left eyeball skewed out of the eye socket. I couldn't just leave her to fend for herself, so I took her home, and to a vet. He thought perhaps a dog had attacked her, grabbed her by her front left leg with a tooth in her eye socket, and shook her as animals will. There was no saving her eye, so that came out and he sewed it up, put a splint on her leg and in about 8 weeks she was fine. She was an outdoor cat, and even with her Elizabethan collar on she was hunting furry and feathered beasts. Children in the neighborhood would come up to me and say they had seen her in a tree stalking birds.







So one day she didn't come home. A couple of days later she showed up with a broken tail. No idea how that happened, but she was in a lot of pain. Again, there was no saving the tail -can't really put a splint on a tail - so we amputated it, and now she has about a 2"-3" stump. And she will use it! She waves it back and forth, or it will stand straight up, or be tucked under when she's sleeping, which is most of the time nowadays. I had to move from the house where she could go outside, and into a 2nd floor apartment. The co-op board did not approve of me letting her outside, so now she is confined to my studio space. It was hard on her to begin with, but after a year or two she became settled as an indoor cat, although I still fell guilty about curtailing her life like that. Now she explores various sleeping places and positions.









It's not easy being a cat, is it, sleepyhead? Big Purrhead. Silly little Punkinhead.

AN ETSIAN CHRISTMAS

I am a firm believer in supporting my fellow crafters/artists, and want to share with you the shops I have purchased from this year. Some of the products will be Christmas presents, others are for myself, and Teaman is for freebies that I send with my sold items, except for the chai which I hoard for myself - hahaha. I am very happy with all these fellow etsians, and recommend them to you.

http://smileymoo.etsy.com - bath and body products, jewelry
http://Ciliciacrochets.etsy.com - crocheted dishcloths and other cloths for the kitchen
http://teaman.etsy.com - assorted handblended teas - delicious!
http://GlassHouseSupplies.etsy.com - jewelry, bath products, assorted herbs
http://Larrystinsigns.etsy.com - amusing signs
http://lostriverrags.etsy.com - gorgeous soaps
http://redneckcandles.etsy.com - self explanatory
http://jenxcreations.etsy.com - wrapped silver jewelry
http://GossamerGraphics.etsy.com - graphic designs - she designed my banner, logo, business cards, etc.
http://trulyenchanted.etsy.com - jewelry

and remember our battle cry - BUY HANDMADE FOR CHRISTMAS!!!!

THANKSGIVING: APRONS AND SCRABBLE

Well folks, hope everyone had a lovely and feasting Thanksgiving day. I know I did. My sister and I went to my famous Aunt Sally's house in Connecticut, where all her huband's Harry's children and THEIR children were all carousing and having a friendly noisy party, the way a good party should be.

I brought a lot of my aprons, and when I felt the time was right, I asked the ladies to model them for me. It had gone so well last time - please see Gorgeous Georgina - I wanted to do it again. My cousin-in-law Christina was very happy to oblige:




George was happy to oblige too. What a guy!




And then everyone wanted to get in on the act:





Don't they look nice? Thank you Candace, Darol and Christina!!!!













The kids played on the sofa:





And even let the grown-ups play:




Harry carved the turkey, Blythe brought her delicious butternut squash soup, we had all the fixings, and dinner stretched out for a couple of hours.






Harry's favorite part of dinner is the blueberry pie:





After dinner the kids wanted to play scrabble! Who knew they were so literate and liked word games? My sister Nora is the family champion, so we formed two teams against her. Seth and I were the 1st team and Hannah and her father George formed the 2nd team, but soon eveybody was standing around giving advise and challenging words.




About 1 hour into the game:




James and Scott played rock 'n roll, the scrabble players danced in their chairs, Seth forgot tokeep score until we reminded him, and Nora won, of course. And a great time was had by all!

CHANGE OF SEASON

It's that time of year again when I start singing "All the leaves are brown, and the sky is gray". Farewell summer, we hardly knew ye! And now we're into the holiday season again. My famous Aunt Sally called me today to ask me my size, said she was shopping and wanted to know if a size 12 would fit.Why yes it would and thank you very much I said. I'm at home updating my pictures on my store. Guess looking at picnic spreads won't do now, so I took new pictures outdoors in the cold November weather. It was done raining, but the wind was still blowing. I used Sally's ceramic birds to hold down the corners against the backdrop of tall trees with no leaves, and the swimming pool shuttered and covered. The only green was the pachysandra. Here are new pictures of my tablecloths, taken in Sally's backyard:



This is a Laura Ashley toile in green and yellow. I have this toile in several colors and use it in different ways. I have two different toiles to border the central rural scene.






This is a lovely soft blue/green bird's nest and floral toile that was just so pretty. I'm trying to incorporate the ceramic bird into the nest in this photo. You can find this at http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24585775. Please click and copy this into your web address bar to go straight to this tablecloth.






Here is the Laura Ashley toile again, this time in green. Go to http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=26602729 for more information. Please click and copy this into your web address bar to go straight to this tablecloth.









Laura Ashley again, in black with the vine border. It is currently in a treasury on etsy http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=77221 with other "etsyfreeshippping" items. I just LOVE being included in a treasury. Thank you Meg of ME2Designs! Please click and copy this into your web address bar to go straight to this tablecloth.
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=32434109

I am offering 10% off anything and everything in my store until Jan 1, and free shipping on selected items, including all the tablecloths and aprons. Thank you very much for browsing in my store, and for any purchase you make.

And remeber our battle cry this season: BUY HANDMADE FOR CHRISTMAS!

CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT

I am inviting everyone to Ridgefield CT for a holiday show starring my aunt Sally Aldrich, cousin-in-law Christina Stankard, friend Ferne Kawahara, and MOI, me, Nancy Tuttle.

Holiday show of fine jewelry, pottery, sculpture, watercolors and fabric designs for the home on Suncday Dec 6 2009 from noon to 6pm.

Address: 135 Peaceable Ridge Rd Ridgefield CT
Phone: 203-431-9954 for directions/details

Hope you can come! Looking forward to meeting you all!!

Henry Beard

I was looking at my blog today and decided it was high-time I removed the picture of me at the beach - oh how short was summer! - and replaced it with Kitten on a Keyboard, with an excerpt from one of my favorite poets, Henry Beard. Mr. Beard is an amazingly inventive poet who takes famous poets' poems and re-writes them as that poet's cat. The excerpt caption of Kitten on a Keyboard is a play upon Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself" from "Leaves of Grass", called "Meow of Myself" from "Leaves of Catnip" included in his book "Poetry for Cats". I know, I told you he was clever. I love this little book and highly recommend it to any English major, cat lover, or poetry reader, or anyone who vaguely remembers reading poetry in school and not getting it.

Here's a take on Carl Sandberg's "Fog":

Thunderstorm by Carl Sandberg's Cat

The storm comes in
on big human feet.

It goes stomping
across harbor and city
in clumsy hipboots
and then plods on.

I considered this one for Kitten on a Keyboard, but the quote was too long:

The Love Song J. Morris Housecat
by T. S. Eliot's Cat

Let us roam then, you and I,
When the evening is splayed out across the sky
Like a kitten neutered on a laboratory slab;
Let us stray on paths through neighbor's yards
Behind the boulevards
Where raccoons scuttle in the refuse bins
Scattering cellophane and potato skins;
Paths that follow like a nagging accusation
Of a minor violation
To lead you to the ultimate reproof...
Oh do not say "Bad kitty!"
Let us go and prowl the city.





But my favorite is Shakespeare's cat's soliloquy:

Hamlet's Cat's Soliloquy from Hamlet's Cat
by Wm. Shakespeare's Cat:

To go outside, and there perchance to stay
Or to remain within: that is the question:
Whether 'tis better for a cat to suffer
The cuffs and buffets of inclement weather
That Nature rains on those who roam abroad,
Or take a nap upon a scrap of carpet,
And so by dozing melt the solid hours
That clog the clock's bright gears with sullen time
And stall the dinner bell. To sit, to stare
Outdoors, and by a stare seem to state
A wish to venture forth without delay,
Then when the portal's opened up, to stand
As if transfixed by doubt. To prowl; to sleep;
To choose not knowing when we may once more
Our readmittance gain: aye, there's the hairball...

And it goes on for the whole length of the poem, with the famous line "Thus caution doth make housecats of us all", and the ever profound humanity of

And since our choices hinge on weighty things
We pause upon the threshold of decision.

I love this man. I hope you are laughing as you read this, and want to purchase his book, too.

GORGEOUS GEORGINA

This is a family blog about a party my aunt had for a long-lost cousin from England who has been living in Florida with her mother for several years now, whom we only occassionally saw. Georgina and I share common great-grandparents - her grandfather and my grandfather were brothers, which makes us 2nd cousins. At the party there were children of her 2nd cousins, and I'm not sure if they are 3rd cousins or 2nd cousins once removed - all very confusing, but I said we were all kissing cousins, and that made everyone happy.

My Aunt Sally threw a terrific party at her house in Connecticut. There was food, wine, champagne, laughter and well-behaved children. Georgina is gorgeous, and modeled one of my new aprons:



...and so I call her Gorgeous Georgina! So long, so tall, beautiful strawberry blonde hair, nice smile, really great gal.

Aunt Sally modeled my other apron...



She is Queen of the Kitchen in her stylish bistro apron! My cousin Katy bought both of them! Hooray!




Rock on Katy!

My cousin Gillian and her husband Pete and their two children came, too. They are a lovely family, coping with jobs, a new house, a new car, and two small children. We always have a lot of fun when we're together. (By the way, those are all my pillows on the sofa behind everyone.)





That's little Miles upside-down! And Alio is eating cookies after Daddy said it was OK. Here is baby Miles by himself - big blue eyes...you know all the ladies adore him...




Here are the ladies - cousins and my Aunt Sally...




Harry carved the turkey and we partied on like troopers. There's always a ton of food - ham and turkey, asparagus with hollandiase, sweet potatoes, gravy and stuffing, with apple pie for dessert.



Ellory and Alio are cousins, too, but that's another 2nd cousins? 3rd cousins? question which I can't answer (but my brother can - he researched all this once upon a time) but they are buddies. In this picture Alio has just been told she can only have 2 cookies, and she is saying "Daadddyyy!"


















Sally is a ceramicist. This is her studio where she throws 10lb blocks of clay around on her wheel and makes beautiful bowls and sculptures. She also does watercolors, and exhibits in various galleries and in shows. Click on these pictures and you can really see her work.
Ellory and Alio played with Sally's clay. They made fruit and a bowl to put them in - that's a watermelon, not a potato:







Speaking of cats, here is Sasha. He's a big guy, 20lbs of solid muscle except for that fat waddle under his stomach. He is a fierce hunter, a terror to all the small furry beasts of the woodland.




That's a big frog Sally made. Sasha likes to lay himself around it and paw it for anything that moves.


Here are the boys of the party - my cousin Scott, Pete and Miles:





Towards the end of the party baby Miles became sleepy in Daddy's arms.




And now it's time to leave. Little Miles models my red hat. A little young for the Red Hat Society, and perhaps not the politically correct gender, but he's cute in it:



Bye Bye! Bye Bye! Bye Bye!