I will keep this short and sweet and save my proper words of gratitude for tomorrow. For now, I just wanted to say that tomorrow, keep an eye out for two things: 1.) a few more of these little Yummy Tummy Baby Elfcups will be available in my Etsy shop at 4:00 PM (PST)...Sunday, April 2, 2017. 2.) winner of the Blog drawing for the anniversary gift will be announced.
"Let us be grateful...
...to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” — Marcel Proust
I'm sorry it took a while for me to get back here. Alas! Here is the last blog post for Scarlet Elfcup's 3-year anniversary celebration. If you missed the first two blogs throughout last week and would like to catch up, find them here: AND SO THE ADVENTURE BEGAN...3 YEARS IN THE MAKING and MOMENTS OF REFLECTION ON THE PATH TO A CREATIVE LIFESTYLE
Scarlet Elfcup began early on in 2014, shortly after I discovered the world of handmade dolls and toys, as a way to combine my love for knitting, sewing, reading, writing and photography hobbies. In this time, it has evolved to much more, providing not only an outlet for creativity, but a home for the gratitude I feel for all of my inspirations, and most importantly, the connections I am making with amazing people from all around the world. I invest in this endeavor not only because I love the art of weaving words and images together to tell a story, but because, in doing so, I find myself looking more deeply for the beauty in life and consequently finding it in more places. Through and through, from year to year, these sentiments come from deep within my heart and soul. By and by these are the core reasons that keep me on this path...this uncharted road going to undreamed of places.
In the three short years that I've been on this journey of discovering where an artful life might lead me, I've found nothing but beauty, kindness and friendship around each corner I've turned. Some came for a reason, some stayed for a season. Some came for a reason and stayed for lots more than a season...those have become what I call friends. Regardless of how brief or how long our paths have crossed, I owe my deepest gratitude to all those souls that entered the world of Scarlet Elfcup at some point or other and left their indelible mark here.
For Fabiola Perez of Fig & Me: How enormously Fabiola impacted my life she may never know. One thing is for certain is that I will always be so deeply grateful that the magic of Fig & Me exists and that the kindness of Fabiola is what makes things feel right in the world. Without her, my life would not be on the same path as it is in this moment. Fabs, my heart bows with the deepest of gratitude and respect for you and the amazing work produced by your hands. May you continue to sprinkle your dusts of inspiration all over the place. Make on, my friend, and let us all continue to swoon at the beauties you bring to life.
BY FIG & ME, CELIA
For all of my colleagues at Dollectable: This group of women...each so unique and amazing not only in what they make, but in who they are. Truth is, I don't know many of our makers so well (that bit of an introvert within me is to be blamed for this...it doesn't bide well for getting out there and meeting new people sometimes) except by our collective conversations on some monthly uploads. But, through their words, their creations, their blogs and websites, Facebook pages, and Instagram accounts, I am drawn into their world as mothers, creators, homeschoolers, business women and artists. And I am humbled by their talent. They are truly my source of inspiration always. I am deeply thankful for the chance to produce works of art alongside them.
For you, my readers, my friends and fans on Instagram, Facebook and beyond: Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the BEAUTY, KINDNESS and FRIENDSHIP that you brought here. Scarlet Elfcup would not be here today without you. Know how infinitely grateful I am.
As we close the week of celebrating Scarlet Elfcup's 3-year anniversary, please allow me the honor of giving you a small token of appreciation for being here to celebrate with me this week. In keeping with the tradition of giving away a few Scarlet Elfcup creations made just for the anniversary celebration, I'd like to offer you a chance to submit your name for one of the following cuties. Read on further down for details.
For the chance to bring home one of these delicious pudgy "Yummy Tummy Baby Elfcups," just in time for sneaking into an Easter basket, please read below.
Yummy Tummy Baby Elfcups are Scarlet Elfcup's Spring 2017 release. I've noticed that in passing years, Spring and Fall are the times of year that inspire the most making out of me. Spring time represents a time of big changes, new growth, metamorphosis in bloom. Fall time represents a time of colors, festivities, and harvest. Here are some of my favorite Fall and Spring time releases from previous years.
Yummy Tummy Baby Elfcups creation was inspired by the nature of Spring when fauna flourish and flora bloom. They are sweet baby cheeks dressed up in baby animal suits and they carry with them baby flowers. They are handmade with extra soft, cleaned, pre-washed and repurposed 100% merino wool or 100% cashmere and softly stuffed with clean carded wool. Their facial skin is made of European imported 100% cotton jersey or 100% cotton interlock. Their ears are lined with 100% cotton fabric or 100% wool felt. Facial features are embroidered with 100% cotton embroidery floss. They measure about 4" tall and like to be held oh so delicately in the palm of the hands or in the warmth of a pocket.
They bring you a little surprise behind their backs or they come sniffing the sweet scent of the season. The oh-so tiny flowers they carry are hand knit by me and are made from 100% alpaca yarn. The flowers shown here are two roses, one in a shade of crimson and one in a shade of pink. The brown baby bear is holding a sprig of lavender.
PLEASE NOTE THERE ARE THREE BABIES TO GIVE AWAY. ONE WILL BE GIVEN AWAY VIA INSTAGRAM, ONE VIA FACEBOOK AND ONE VIA THE FORM FOUND BELOW. THE ONE SELECTED FOR EACH RAFFLE WILL BE DONE AT RANDOM, THEREFORE DO ENTER YOUR NAME IN THE DRAWINGS WITH A FULL HEART FOR EACH BABY YOU SEE HERE. EACH BABY WILL COME ENCASED IN AN ADORABLE METAL EGG BY MAILEG AS SHOWN IN THE PICTURES BELOW.
ALSO, YOU MAY ENTER YOUR NAME FOR ALL THREE RAFFLES. BUT FOR FAIRNESS TO ALL, PLEASE DO ENTER ONLY ONE ENTRY PER FAMILY IN EACH RAFFLE. ENTRIES WILL CLOSE BY 9:00 PM (PST) ON THURSDAY, MARCH 30TH. WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED AND NOTIFIED OVER THE WEEKEND. AND BABIES WILL GO HOME BY MONDAY, APRIL 3RD.
GOOD LUCK AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE TO CELEBRATE 3 YEARS WITH SCARLET ELFCUP.
THANK YOU FOR VISITING, BEING HERE TO CELEBRATE 3-YEARS IN THE MAKING OF SCARLET ELFCUP AND FOR ENTERING YOUR NAME IN THIS DRAWING. ENTRIES ARE NOW CLOSED.
Moments of Reflection on the Path to a Creative Lifestyle
Three years in the making. Three blog posts to reflect on the journey.
If you missed Monday's blog post, please feel free to stop on over there and take a peek at the face behind these typed words or to get a bit of context for today's blog post.
Scarlet Elfcup began as a way for me to combine my love for knitting, sewing, reading, writing and photography hobbies. It was not begun because I thought I might have enough talent or skills to sustain a living out of making dolls or natural fiber arts. Far from that notion, I thought that I really wouldn't go very far with it all, but that it would be fun to try for it and to learn new things along the way...like, what it takes to run an on-line business, what it takes to bring to life figments of the imagination that will transpire into something tangible and beautiful and that provokes this emotional response on the human soul...the thing we call art.
When I see lifestyle blogs, artist's creations photographed or handmade items posted online, I immediately imagine that the maker, the person behind the scenes is tucked away in a cozy cabin warmed by a hearth of fire, drinking a hot cup of tea or sitting prettily behind a beautiful minimalist workspace, writing or creating away in the peaceful bliss of endless time and space. I envision this magical sight where one can find the peace and clarity to spill one's soul to the world from a place you call your home.
The reality is, this is likely untrue for most creatives. For me, it's been a time-fight between endless loads of laundry, piles of dishes, grocery store runs, meals to plan and make, lunch boxes to pack and clean, my children's activities and school schedules (school performances, piano and violin lessons, swim practice, outdoor hikes for toddlers), a multitude of drop-offs and pick-ups throughout the day, a number of my own activities to keep my body and mind in balance (training for the next mountain, running for fitness, yoga to stretch my body and still my mind), life responsibilities (currently a massive project to rejuvenate and repair an old house of ours in San Francisco), time with extended family and friends and the list goes on. The truth is that some days I can barely keep my head on straight much less have a moment of peace and clarity to truly bring my visions to life.
In the first two years of bringing Scarlet Elfcup to life, my working hours were from 8:00 PM (when children have been tucked in) to 2:00 or 3:00 AM. At the beginning, my children were ages 1 and 3, so the days were designated to them entirely. At night, after they went to bed was when I was most productive, most inspired, most efficient because it was a lengthy span of time when the house was quiet and I can focus without interruption and with clarity to bring to life the endless dreams floating in my head. It was the time when I can see with much clarity how to bring my ideas into something tangible...a new pattern (whether it be doll, creature, doll clothing or knitted item).
For me, working out my ideas did not come so easily. There were countless times when I spent hours sketching, cutting, mocking up a pattern and then scrapping all of it to start from square one again. Endless hours were spent in trial and error until alas those stitch lines would come together to form a body, a limb, a face, a garment that I felt proud and happy to have created. The process of bringing an idea to life, whether it be doll, creature or garment, took a lot of time. When one project was done, the process would repeat itself for the next project because I simply don't enjoy creating the same thing more than once. After two years of working by night and going on 4 hours of sleep a night, I had to adjust my lifestyle to fit in more sleep. After all, the signs from lack of sleep were starting to show in my health, my mind and emotional state. But, I'm "an all or nothing" sort of person. If I've decided to begin something, I have 100% of my best in it. I can't feel happy if I know I haven't put my best foot forward. And working nighttime hours for this duration was the only way I knew how to put my best effort and hard work toward Scarlet Elfcup.
These days, I sleep a full night's rest. After the children go to sleep, dishes cleaned and the next day's lunch boxes are packed and ready to go, I work for maybe an hour or two...that's it...my nighttime rendezvous with Scarlet Elfcup friends have all but vanished. I'm still trying to figure out how to fit in Scarlet Elfcup time in between my busy daytime responsibilities. And truth be told, a creative process isn't one that can be "picked-up and dropped-off" whimsically...it's a process that takes time, the right mood, the right ambiance, the right moment...that 'ah-ha' moment that doesn't just come magically as we will it to.
Fitting Scarlet Elfcup into my daytime hours has been a process of adjusting and readjusting my creative time with my children's ever-growing schedules and demands. But, I've learned that this is the essential process of pretty much everything we tackle in life. We tackle something. We re-evaluate. We adjust. And we continue with this process until we reach a place of comfort, control and contentment. But, we make sure not to stay too comfortable because we know that nothing lasts forever and that we must be ready to go through the process of re-evaluating and re-adjusting even when we have felt settled and content.
Below: A few of my favorite projects from the previous years.
As I move through my own journey on the road toward a creative lifestyle, I can now fully appreciate what other artists must go through. No matter how beautiful and enchanting they showcase their life as an artist, the truth is, it's really not that glamorous. It comes with blood (literally...for all those needles and barbed felting tools that jab and poke are quite merciless sometimes), sweat and tears. There have been moments in my making when I simply wanted to break down with tears of frustration...like the time I had spent nearly 10 hours completing a doll. I am on the homestretch and working to place the wig on the doll (my last step before the oh-so fun bit of making clothes for the doll). In the short span that is equivalent to the blink of an eye, a hangnail from one of my dried up fingers snags at the doll skin holding together a beautiful lip line and lo and behold, I have a beautiful doll smile with a hole next to her lip corner. Truly, the hole was equivalent to one single stitch on that jersey fabric that broke. But, unlike some mistakes that can be repaired (such as a dropped stitch in knitting), this one was not repairable. There have also been moments in my making when I simply had to step away from the project because I was not able to figure out a solution for how to stitch together an idea that I had envisioned. One such project was 'A Boy and His Gypsy Moth'. For this small boy and his gypsy moth, I had all the visions drawn and sketched. I was so ready to bring the project to life. But, after many trials of failed attempts at the gypsy moth that I wanted to create, I decided to set the project aside. Sadly, the project is still sitting untouched, but preserved like a museum piece, in a closet. Such is the life of creativity and making. It often does not go swiftly, efficiently or smoothly as we see in the beautiful online posts of Facebook and Instagram. But, I think we would have it no other way because the end result of our process (struggles and all) far exceed the pains we must hurdle to get there.
Join me on the next blog post. There I will tell you why I'm still in this and why I'm in it for the long run.
And So The Adventure Began...3 Years in the Making
Today, March 20th, 2017, is Scarlet Elfcup's 3-year anniversary. Things have been very quiet here for a long time. Life has taken it's full course and has demanded more than 100% of my time. But, I'm still here. I assure you.
An anniversary is a time to celebrate, to acknowledge the start of something good and happy and to reflect upon the road by which things have taken it's course. This week, I'd like to celebrate with you by sharing:
1.) a wee bit more about me, the maker. I realize I haven't quite made my face or much of my personal life available. I'm a bit shy around cameras and even more shy around the internet.
2.) my journey, thus far, in the world of handmade fiber arts and the things I've learned along the way.
3.) my heartfelt gratitude to all of you who are here with me now and who have been on this journey all along.
Where to begin?...Perhaps, "Hello." My name is Young. I am the maker behind Scarlet Elfcup. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area with the love of my life and my two little hearts.
It seems that this would be an appropriate time for me to reintroduce myself and Scarlet Elfcup. In line with this, I think it's time I ought to show my mug publicly for the first time in the three years since Scarlet Elfcup came to life. I'd like to preface this with the notion that I am a very private and very camera-shy person. In my personal life, particularly since becoming a mother, I try very hard to leave as little footprints as possible on the internet. I don't own a personal twitter, facebook or instagram account. I think this is in part due to my on-going journey into mindfulness and being 'present'. But, I also think it is in part due to the fact that I am very much an introvert. I am better with up-close-and-personal, one-on-one than I am via the worldwide web or in large group settings.
With that said, you...and I, myself, may wonder, "Why, then, did I start a business which requires a strong social media presence, a business by which all human contact is via the web...intangible, sometimes impersonal. It's a good question and an appropriate one to contemplate on this day.
To begin, let me take a few steps back and give you some background on how I arrived here. After all, I've learned over the last three years of growing with Scarlet Elfcup, that try as I might to separate my personal life from Scarlet Elfcup, it is quite impossible to. Hence, past, present and future, my life ties deeply to the work that I create through Scarlet Elfcup. As a result, it is only appropriate for me to take you back in time a bit and introduce you to my background.
I'd like to introduce you to me before motherhood...the me I still know and understand to the core. Growing up, I always knew I would land in the field of science and math. These were my forte. Never in my life did I ever envision involvement in the arts, in the world of creativity, imagination, sewing, knitting, crafting handmade wonders. These were not my areas of interest nor expertise. I have an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering and a graduate degree in Math and Physics Education. I worked in both fields for a number of years until a life in the Peace Corps changed my entire perspective on what I would do for the rest of my life.
Peace Corps. "The toughest job you'll ever love." Tis true.
After completing my stint in the Peace Corps serving as a secondary school math and physics teacher in a small village in Kenya, I knew a life of travel, exploring different cultures and being in the great outdoors climbing rocks and mountains are the things that make me happiest, that ground me and inspire in me the highest passion for life. There wasn't much else that mattered more than this...that is...until the love of my life and my children came along.
Climbing..."It is not the mountains we conquer, but ourselves."
"Not all those who wander are lost." Travel is what kept me grounded and happy.
It has been 6 years into the journey of parenthood. I have many days when I still ask who is it that stares back at me from a mirror. After the birth of my first child, I chose to sidestep my career. Since then, I've been on a journey to discover who it is that I've become, what it is that I'm striving for or moving toward next. My passion for travel and climbing has never died. But, the reality of life as a parent keeps me from drifting too far or too high from home. I always knew that if I had children I would want to be at home for them, to always be there for them. I adore my children and I love being home with them. But, I needed an outlet, a balancing act that would keep me on my toes.
Enter the world of handmade baby goods. Being a new mom inspired me to take to a life of less buying and more making. It began with teaching myself how to sew baby blankets. Then, learning how to crochet baby blankets. And then, an exploration into knitting made me fall hard in love with handmade things. From there, I discovered the world of handmade natural fiber dolls. It stemmed from Brandy Fortune's "Just Like Me Knits." I picked up this sweet knit book for it's adorable idea of knitting up cute matching clothes for little ones and their dollies. What I discovered took me far beyond anything I bargained for.
Upon the back pages of the book was a list of resources naming a few independent doll makers. One of these doll makers would become the pivotal influence that would bring Scarlet Elfcup to life. Her name is Fabiola Perez, maker and shaker behind the famous Fig & Me doll production. If you know of Fig & Me, you understand how beautiful Fabiola's creations are. But, do you want to know what I learned from Fabiola? I learned what it meant to have an imagination. I learned what it is like to play with dolls. Through reading her blog posts which contained endless encounters with characters small and big, wild and wondrous, beautiful and charming, naughty and daring, I was caught up in a world of magic and whimsy, a world I never knew existed in childhood nor adulthood. Also, through her blog posts, I was mesmerized by her journey in the world of doll making. Call it spellbinding or whatever it may be named, I was enchanted. I didn't grow up playing with dolls. I'm what you might label as a tomboy. I was never a doll collector and I'm still not a collector. But, oddly enough, I love the idea of creating these woolen souls. And Fabiola's dolls are so filled with life and magic and wonder. I did end up lucky enough to get my hands on one of her earlier works...a sweet little gal by the name of Celia and her itty-bitty hand knitted teddy bear.
Fabiola's work sparked a flame inside me that I never knew existed. And, still to this day, I'll never know what possessed me to pull together enough courage to dive headlong into a project I knew nothing about and have absolutely no experience in. But, forward I went, diving blind into bringing Scarlet Elfcup to life.
Stay tuned...In my next blog post, I'll share my journey thus far and the challenges as well as the joys that have come with it.
Thank you for stopping by and thank you for being here to celebrate 3-years in the making of Scarlet Elfcup.
Good night and sweet dreams. The next anniversary blog post will be up on Wednesday, March 22nd. I hope you come back to read on.
A Valentine Snail Mail
Dear Mama -
It's been a nice time here in California. I've spent the past 3 months seeing lots of new things. I can't wait to tell you all about it when I come home. But, I'm writing to tell you that I am so dreadfully homesick and I just want to come home now. It's raining here and the only thing I can think of as I watch the rain through the panes is that I miss you terribly. So, ready or not. I'm coming home and I'll be there by Valentine's Day.
Love You Best - Pip
Pip's packing list:
My new dress. Made with Liberty of London cotton. A peter pan collar graces the neckline. Three snap buttons open fully on the back. The dress is detailed at the hem and sleeves with a 100% French cotton vintage trim.
My new bloomers to match my dress.
My new sweater to brace the cold that will greet me upon arrival home...a gold vintage style sweater to suit my taste. It is hand knit with a 100% superwash merino wool yarn. The sweater is patterned with a subtle and pretty detail of leaf-like tiers on the front. The collar is left raw to showcase the wavy details that add characteristics for a vintage look.
For my head and my toes...warm, coziness made from Malabrigo and Rowan. My hat is hand knit with a 100% wool yarn. My boots are also hand knit with a Rowan felted tweed yarn composing of 50% wool, 25% alpaca and 25% viscose.
There! You see! I am prepared to brace that blizzard at home.
Oh! And also! I have very good news! The Rainbabies are awake! Yes! That's right! They have woken up from slumber. Since I've been here there has been so much rain in California. The people here are very happy because they are now no longer in a severe drought. Isn't this wonderful news? "Maker" says I'm a good luck charm and that I brought the rains.
Even more wonderful news...guess what! I found a Rainbaby and I am bringing her home with me. She will be a surprise for our Lue. So....shhh! Don't say a peep to Lue. Promise? Here's a peek of her cute, soft cuddliness. She is soft as cashmere and plump as wool.
I am coming home...a Valentine Snail Mail is coming your way...so please be patient just for a few more days, Mama. I'll be home soon and I'll be so happy to see you.
Amber Jewelle, bringing you the magic of Monarchs
Another year passes and a new year is here to offer things that have never been as well as things that are ever lasting. For us, awaiting the return of the monarch butterflies is one of those annual traditions. The monarch butterfly's migration to their roosting trees occur at the start of Fall. By November/December they are settled for overwintering in their new homes. In Northern California there are a few public places to go see this amazing phenomenon. Because Fall to the end of December is often much too hectic for us, we go visit the monarch roosting site in January. And oh!!!....the magic that beholds the eye!!!
See for yourself in the slideshow below. These are from photos I took one year on one of our visits to a local farm where the beauties were roosting for the winter. Is it not one of the most amazing pieces of work that nature has created?
Now...without further ado....let me introduce to you little Miss Amber Jewelle...inspired entirely by what I could not get off my mind in recent days as we look forward to our upcoming visit with the monarchs.
AMBER JEWELLE: 'orange beauty'
Amber Jewelle is part of a project I started in the summer of 2016 called 'A Meeting in the Woods'...a collection of tiny woodland creatures meant to come to life all at once.
However, time could not afford me the luxury to bring them to life all in one swoop. So, they have been trickling out of the woodlands slowly one by one in the past several months.
First and one of my favorites was Morselfina...created in August of 2016. Morselfina was the wee-fairy keeper of Morpho Peleideis (the blue morpho butterfly).
Then, in September 2016 came Aurora of Cithaerias Aurorina (the amazing glass butterfly)...another personal favorite. Aurora was a custom created for a dear friend. Aurora was also actually the catalyst...the great inspiration behind the creation of 'A Meeting in the Woods.'
And now...I present to you...the third of 10 from 'The Meeting in the Woods' Collection....Amber Jewelle...Bringer of Danaus Plexippus (the magical Monarch butterfly).
Amber Jewelle...she is made from 100% cotton interlock. She stands a whoppin 6 inches tall. Her face is lightly sculpted and facial features embroidered with cotton floss. Her eyes are that of a beautiful teal blue that matches a few shades in her dress. Amber Jewelle's carrot colored hair mimics the colors of the monarch and is created from mohair yarn crocheted into a wig and stitched securely to her head. Amber Jewelle is a sitting doll detailed with belly button and bum.
Amber Jewelle comes cloaked with an oversized cape and bearing a basket of tiny Monarch butterflies cut from 100% cotton. Her cape, sprinkled with bits of Monarch, is cut from 100% cotton and lined with a beautiful Liberty of London floral print. The confetti of Monarchs is individually stitched to the cloak as well as to her basket. Amber Jewelle's basket of butterflies is hand knit by me using a Kakishibu (persimmon) dyed 100% silk yarn.
Underneath the masking of the cloak, Amber Jewelle wears a delicate peasant style dress made with vintage 100% French cotton trim, Liberty of London fabric and the lightest shade of pink tulle. The dress opens fully on the back with two nickel-plated snap buttons. Underneath, she sports a pair of bloomers matching her Liberty dress.
Lastly, her tiny toes are covered with an itty-bitty pair of hand knit slippers made from 100% alpaca yarn.
For our lucky winner....Becky!....presenting Scarlet Elfcup's first creation of 2017! Congratulations, Becky! Thank you so much to all who participated in Dollectable's annual giveaway. Thank you to all who were the brave souls to enter your name into a surprise drawing. And thank you all for entering your name for a Scarlet Elfcup creation. Sending you all big hugs and best wishes for a fantastic 2017!!!
And now let us welcome the new year...
...full of things that have never been.
- Rainer Maria Rilke
Should Old Acquaintance be forgot,
and never thought upon;
The flames of Love extinguished,
and fully past and gone:
Is thy sweet Heart now grown so cold,
that loving Breast of thine;
That thou canst never once reflect
On old long syne.
- Robert Burns, 1788
In traditions old and new, come, let us venture forth into a new year and see where the road goes, whom we meet along it's path and walk until a new year dawns.
In the tradition of Dollectable, FREE giveaways will happen tomorrow, Sunday, January 1, 2017 beginning at 9:00 AM (EST). Come, let us be together to welcome the New Year.
Scarlet Elfcup will be giving away a surprise package...filled with some of my favorite things...wool, cotton, alpaca, butterflies, and lovely Liberty of London. Contents of the package will be revealed to the winner of the drawing on Monday, January 2, 2017 and shipped on Tuesday, January 3, 2017.
Thank you to all who enter. Good luck to you! I am grateful for your continuing support of handmade natural fiber arts, Dollectable and Scarlet Elfcup. Sending you and your families the best of all things in 2017.
Bram and Pickle
When you are lost and there are storms to brave alone in the deep dark shadows of the woods, it's nice to know that someone will be out looking for you and soon you will have a warm hug and a safe place to be.
Such was the case of Mr. Pickle. Little Pickle gets himself into many quandaries by which Bram must rescue him. The latest tale and adventure of these two involved curiosity almost killing a bird...until Bram brought him back. Pickle, who is the littlest of them all, being the enthusiast of fun and never wanting to be left behind followed his fellow play mates into the big back woods as they played hide and find. While all the others...chicken, rabbit, cat, fox, deer, heron and squirrel...found their way home, little Pickle found nothing except the fact that he couldn't find his way back home to Bram.
After an unbearable amount of hours during which Bram searched and searched but could not find his best friend, he came to me for help. I've been occupied with so many things lately that I told Bram he must get on without me. I'll be along with him in a while. Well, after several more hours of going on without help, he came back and made my heart swell with sadness, for he asked "if I had forgotten about him?" I immediately laid all urgent matters aside to lend him my full attention because truth is I never forget any of my little ones. That is where you found us when we last left you hanging in one of our earlier Instagram posts. Bram led me back into the woods so that we could go fetch Mr. Pickle.
So, now, you and I both know why Bram came out of the woods to fetch me. What I haven't explained is why Bram was trotting around stark naked last time. Well, turned out, in a desperate search for Pickle, he thought it wise to take off all of his articles of clothing to leave behind as a trail for Pickle to follow in case Pickle should chance upon the trail of clothing then he can find his way back to Bram. Now, that's what I call the true meaning of "giving the shirt off one's back for a friend."
Now that the whole ordeal is over and Pickle is at last home and safe with Bram, the two have decided they need not rest too long from adventures and have schemed to leave Fall behind and move on to newer pastures...whiter pastures.
Off they go, bundled in just enough to keep warm but not too much to restrict play...two little boys and a sled...off to seek new adventures.
BRAM
Bram is a Wee-Bee Mini Elfcup doll. He stands less than 6" (15 cm) tall. He is made with all natural materials. His doll skin is made with premium quality cotton interlock imported from the Netherlands. He is firmly stuffed with bio-wool made in the USA. His seams are sewn twice for reinforcement. His hair is made from the softest suri alpaca locks, trimmed with stylish long straight layers. He has beautiful blue embroidered eyes and a lightly sculpted face. His cheeks, nose and various body parts are blushed with red beeswax. He is a sitting doll with sewn joints that are made flexible for easy movement and changing of clothes. But, with some posing, he can use those sturdy legs for standing. He also has a belly button and a bum.
Bram comes wearing a simple mustard cotton shirt and striped cotton pants.
Bram comes with a collection of hand knits worthy of coveting. His warm, luxurious, soft cap is hand knit with a 100% baby alpaca yarn. His colorful houndstooth patterned scarf and elf boots were hand knit with 100% fine alpaca yarn. The colors chosen were very intentionally selected for the little daddy whom these boys are going home to. Small daddy loves the bright colors of yellow, red, blue, and green. And I think he's got some great taste.
Bram comes with a wooden sled, hand-painted with a scarlet acrylic paint. The sled handle is made from hemp twine. It is perfect play for such a wee-boy or for hanging on your Christmas tree to celebrate the season of red and green.
PICKLE
Mr. Pickle is a little house finch who stands at a mere 3 inches (7.5 cm) tall. He is densely and entirely needle-felted from 100% wool roving and clean carded wool. His eyes are made from glass beads stitched very securely to his head.
He, of course, also comes wearing some winter gear. His itty-bitty red hat is made from clean, re-purposed, pre-washed 100% cashmere. His scarf was hand knit with 100% wool yarn. As usual, all hand knits are done with the greatest of pleasure by me.
Bram and Pickle...a duo, custom made for a small boy who lives amongst one special little house finch and many other animals that he loves.
To: Mr. E! May Bram and Pickle take you on many adventures and may you be dubbed The Three Musketeers! Onward you go!
Bram and Pickle are recommended for ages 5+ due to the delicate nature of their design and the small parts that may pose as choking hazards for very young children.