“He always thought of the sea as 'la mar' which is what people call her in Spanish when they love her. Sometimes those who love her say bad things of her but they are always said as though she were a woman. Some of the younger fishermen, those who used buoys as floats for their lines and had motorboats, bought when the shark livers had brought much money, spoke of her as 'el mar' which is masculine.They spoke of her as a contestant or a place or even an enemy. But the old man always thought of her as feminine and as something that gave or withheld great favours, and if she did wild or wicked things it was because she could not help them. The moon affects her as it does a woman, he thought.”
- Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway is another of my very very favorite books. Like The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery I've read The Old Man and the Sea time and again and I never tire of it. It has been long since I read the book last, but in recent months it's been on my mind a lot. Perhaps it is the summer sunshine and warmth that brings on dreams of the sand and the sea. Not only this, but a recent visit to the Bahamas and a local tidepool are the inspirations behind the creation of little Cosette, sea explorer. More about Cosette later in the blog, but for now, here are some dreamy pictures of the Bahamas.
Cosette...born of the sea, wild and free. She has flaming red hair and a personality equal in temper to the flaming hair. Her eyes are born of a green seen only in the deep wide ocean, in places where only mother Earth could create such vivid colors and beauty.
There is no one more in her element by the sea than little Cosette. She is an ocean explorer, this one.
What she loves about the sea is the smell of salt in the air, the damp of mist and dew, the plethora of textures and colors, and the ever soothing sound of the water and the waves. Only here can Cosette ever feel tamed and subdued.
A natural born explorer and curious little doll, Cosette loves to study the living creatures of the sea whether they be alive or skeletal. When she plays by the ocean, she is keen on hunting sand dollars, sea urchin skeletons, sea shells, starfish, kelp, barnacles, sea anemone, rocks of all colors and patterns. Here are some photos of that which makes Cosette happiest. May you enjoy these as much as she does.
Cosette is a 14" doll, made with natural materials and one-of-a-kind. She is made with premium quality cotton jersey imported from the Netherlands and firmly stuffed with bio-wool. Her seams are sewn twice for reinforcement. Her hair is made of wispy natural mohair yarn. She has an embroidered and simple facial expression. Her cheeks and nose are blushed with red beeswax. She is a sitting doll with sewn joints that are made flexible for easy movement and changing of clothes. She has a sweet belly button, cute little ears, and an oh so soft bummie.
She comes wearing a cotton dress that opens and closes fully on the back with snap-on buttons. The dress has colors that match that of the sand and sea...gray for the color of pebbles, coral for the color of sea plants, yellow for the color of shells, white for the color of all things that have come to pass. The dress collar is lined with bias and the dress has a simple capped sleeve. Her dress has pockets, for all sea explorers must have pockets by which to stash their treasures and findings. Her pocket has a gather that is set in place by a yellow velvet ribbon. There is also a button by which the pocket can close so that treasures and findings do not wiggle themselves out and get lost. Cosette has on simple yellow wool felt flip flops lined with printed cotton fabric that matches her dress pocket and straps that are made of velvet ribbon. Cosette comes with a small bag of sea treasures...
- a starfish made of wool felt, lightly stuffed with wool, and decorated with french knots
- a sea urchin skeleton made of needle felted wool and wool roving, then decorated with french knotted embroidery floss
- a sand dollar made of wool felt, lightly stuffed with wool, and decorated with embroidery stitches
- a sea shell made of wool felt, decorated with wool roving and then embroidery stitched
Cosette is recommended for ages 3+. If you are interested in bringing Cosette home and giving her a warm and nurturing environment, she is now available for purchase through the Etsy shop.
If you are interested in purchasing Cosette via the website, please complete and submit the form below. Her price is $165 USD. Purchases made through Scarlet Elfcup's website will be invoiced by PayPal and shipping fees will be waived. Payment should be paid and cleared within 3 days of purchase.
Form has been deleted. Cosette has found a lovely family that is welcoming her home. Thank you.