Aurora

Aurora...as in Cithaerias aurorina...one of my favorite types of butterflies...the glass-winged butterfly. So lucid, yet so transparent, ethereal, delicate, light and fluttery yet so magnificent...truly a gift from Mother Nature herself.

Aurora is her name and her very being was inspired by the one and only Cithaerias aurorina, a sub-species of Cithaerias phantoma (a blushing phantom, glass-winged butterfly)...so tender a piece of glass that beholds our realm of nature.

Aurora is a custom creation for a wonderful lady I met over a year ago through Scarlet Elfcup. From the moment I met T, her candidness, her sensitive soul, her passionate spirit and her inner strength shone through immediately. The first custom creation I made for her inspired me to step beyond my boundaries and push for making something very different and more challenging than anything I had made up to that point. As a result, a sweet Valentina and her ballerina were born. In the ballerina was the tiniest doll (a mere 3 inches tall) I had ever created and the most different...clothing made from embroidery thread and hair needle felted from wool roving. I do so love that little ballerina and her Valentina up to this day. But, what is most important to point out was that this creation was inspired by hardship in T's life at that time. Yet, the theme of the creation was really focused much on love and hope. 

Once again, as T came back to request a second custom this year, I was delighted and excited to make something for her which would represent the changes that we all face in life. For those of us who are mothers, that change comes with the tide and rude awakening of children who are heading off and away from the nest. As a mother, my heart is heavy with sympathy for all mothers who come face to face with this moment in life. My very own two little hearts are still very much at home. And even so, this year, my first went off to kindergarten and I tell you I've been a wreck for the past week. It's as if life as I knew it...the days of napping together, the days of waking up with no schedule, the days of staying inside under my wings where I know I can keep them close and safe...those days have ended so abruptly, leaving me to wonder how it had happened with the blink of an eye. So, I can't really fathom what it feels like to face the reality of your hearts packing up their belongings and going off to college...away...far off, out of sight, out of a hug's reach....a constant wondering of 'are they ok'....and now, how in the world do we face the empty house that we must go back to, the empty bedroom that used to be filled with laughs, cries, chatter, giggles, noise...a space that once was filled with our hearts floating all about is now a space that is filled with the dreadful sound of silence. I'll tell you how...with great inner strength that we did not know existed until that moment when we need it most. Because, in truth, we know deep in our hearts that we must let them go in order for them to change and transform into the fully grown and beautiful human being that they were meant to be. The metaphor for this change lies in the very essential stage of metamorphosis for the caterpillar into butterfly. As such, when T and I talked about the creation in the Spring, we agreed that the butterfly would be the perfect representation. And hence, butterflies have been floating about my house for months now. And how lovely it has been.

Similar to the previous custom that I created for T, she allowed me a great amount of freedom to create whatever my heart desired. However, I'll tell you that with such freedom, my heart tends to run wild or my mind seeks for such perfection that it stalls the process. When this happens, I have to remind myself to let go of perfection because it doesn't exist and to reign in the imagination for when it goes wild, focus is gone. So, when I do this, often times, I get a bit lost for a while because there is no 'ideal' to grasp for. It is when I must sit on my hands, quiet my mind and calm my heart and then listen real close. It is when I must let all the expectations go and let things take it's own course. And always, in this moment, it is when the hands are able to move more easily into making and then things begin to flow more naturally in the process of creation. Unfortunately, this isn't a process that happens overnight, which is why I've just now completed a custom that was allotted for completion in April. I will tell you that every step of the process is an intentional decision making process and there are no accidentals in the making of a custom creation.

The Blushing Phantom (Cithaerias phantoma) was chosen for this custom because of it's ethereal, delicate, blush pink, transparent wings....all the characteristics that are nothing short of heavenly. 

Aurora is created from Scarlet Elfcup's 8" Le Petite Elfcup doll pattern. She is made with all natural materials. Her doll skin is made with 100% cotton interlock imported from the Netherlands. She is firmly stuffed with bio-wool made in the USA.  Her seams are sewn twice for reinforcement.  She has embroidered facial features. Her facial structure is lightly sculpted giving her a sweet little face with round chubby cheeks and deeper set eyes. Her nose, cheeks and various body parts are blushed with red beeswax.  Aurora's beautiful locks are made of 100% suri alpaca. She is a sitting doll.  She also has a belly button and a bum.

Aurora comes wearing a fairy princess dress made from the most delicate fibers and colors. The dress is lined with a 100% rose cotton fabric and layered on top with tulle and the most delicate and pretty vintage lace trim made of 100% French cotton. It opens fully on the back with nickel-plated brass snaps. Underneath her fairy dress she wears a pair of cotton bloomers made from a matching cotton fabric.

Aurora is wrapped on head and toes with hand knitted cap and tiny shoes made from a 100% mohair/silk yarn...light, fluffy and delicate.

Aurora's wing was a piece of work that took over 20 hours to complete. In order to produce transparency, her wings were hand embroidered over tulle...a most treacherous and thrilling journey, I tell you. The wing is embroidered with hand-dyed 100% silk French-made embroidery thread. The wing is removable by straps made from a 100% cotton vintage lace made in France.  

Aurora...a beautiful and dainty fairy guardian of a delicate and loving soul....one Ms. T. Thank you for coming back into my life and inspiring yet another beautiful creation and mostly for giving me the gift of friendship through sharing both the wonderful parts of life and also the hard and treacherous bits...both of which are beautiful and to be embraced. I am so grateful for your presence and for our paths crossing, not so much in physical nature, but in spirit.

A Meeting in the woods

Over hill, over dale,
Through bush, through brier,
Over park, over pale,
Through flood, through fire!
I do wander everywhere,
Swifter than the moon's sphere;
And I serve the Fairy Queen,
To dew her orbs upon the green;
The cowslips tall her pensioners be;
In their gold coats spots you see;
Those be rubies, fairy favours;
In those freckles live their savours;
I must go seek some dewdrops here,
And hang a pearl in every cowslip's ear.

- A Fairy Song, William Shakespeare

It has been a while, hasn't it? Spring sprung off somewhere and here we are amidst a rapidly approaching Summer. In this small corner of the world, life is happening at a fast and furious pace and it makes me yearn for the clock to stall and stand still a minute. For the time being, I am back from travels and adventures with my family. It won't be long before we go again. But, for now, I relish in this time to enjoy some moments with a few woodland friends that I found lying in wait on my work table.

Fairy, fauna or flora...who they be, we shall see. One thing is for sure. They are inspiring the beginning of my very first herbarium. Now, for the magic of letting them tell me how, who, when and where things will go from here. This is the beauty of the creative process that makes the hands and the heart and the soul blissful. I bid you a good weekend filled with rest and relaxation...til we meet again next week.

Rupert and Delia

If you feel up for chasing two wee ones around and trying to get them dressed and off to the outside for running in the rain and hunting for dandelions...read on.

To read more about the inspiration behind the creation of Delia and Rupert, please visit the blog post Raindrops and Dandelions.

Delia and Rupert hope to be home just in time for Mother's Day. If you are interested, they are ready to bring you a bouquet of dandelions. You can find them waiting in the Etsy shop. Thank you for visiting the blog. Have a wonderful evening/day.

Raindrops and Dandelions

Right now, my life is pretty full. It's full of family, full of activities, full of memorable moments, full of inspiration and creativity. My days are filled to the brim with play, music, reading, climbing, house work, laundry, groceries, preschool, family events, schedules. It's full of happy and it's a pretty lucky place to be in. That's not to say that everything is perfect. It's not. Some days can feel very full and it's important for me to take pause and balance the fullness with just being in the moment.

There have been some of the most memorable and happiest times I've had in recent months. Those were the days spent just being with my children...the days of walking in the rain with no purpose except to walk in the rain. In those moments, my children showed me a world filled with the simplest, yet most beautiful delights...hunting for rain puddles, stomping in them, looking deep into reflections, watching for dandelions.

Focusing on the things that make my life full and joyful provides me with all the inspiration for my creative world. So, naturally, from time to time I like to share a glimpse of our life on my blog. Here's to my tiny little man who recently discovered that he loves rain puddles and dandelions and hence brought both worlds of this magic into our lives. Mister Riley is his name. He is a tad over three and his recently developed obsession has taken us outside on all the rainy days to hunt for both puddles and white fluffy wishing wands. Any chance that he gets, he brings home small bouquets of dandelions for me. And through him, I too have taken to an obsession with the magic of raindrops and dandelions.

I am currently working to finish a pair of siblings, inspired by my two very own little hearts...the ones that showed me the way back into the magical world of childhood where small wonders rule the universe. For my little Miss Claire and little Mister Riley, who loves rain and dandelions.

A boy and a girl who carry with them memories of both raindrops and dandelions will come to life in the week ahead. So, stay tuned.

Embracing the Changes in Life

The evolution of life is a remarkable thing! Each and every day experiences shape and mold us into the person we are today. While each experience may or may not be monumental, they all add up to impact and change us in ways we never imagined. The most spectacular and simultaneously the most difficult may be that of parenthood...perhaps, even more specifically, that of motherhood.

Although I don't remember very clearly, as I was recuperating from the intensity of labor during our first child's birth, but, I was told that the first words to come from holding my baby for the first time was, "I never knew this kind of love existed." Those words stand true to this day. There is nothing to compare to the love that we have for our children. And until we have children, we never really know this kind of love...the kind that takes your breathe away each time you hold and hug and kiss the little ones that you love most, the kind that makes you know what it feels like to have your heart walking outside of your body, the kind that makes you marvel at the beauty and magnificence of life as you watch them learn and grow, fumble and fly. Each stage of development brings within us both joy and sadness...joy because they have mastered a skill, an ability, a piece of knowledge that will add to their life long repertoire of tools to becoming a fully independent and functional part of society and sadness because one step forward means one step further away from us they move.

Perhaps what most beautifully encapsulates human growth and development is that which is the butterfly...a life species that starts off slow moving, relatively sedentary, so completely dependent and vulnerable suddenly transforms into one of the most graceful, beautiful, independent and amazing creations on earth. The butterfly, not so unlike us, must be set free so that it can fly and BE beautiful. These creations of nature are very sensitive to changes and will be the first to perish from an imbalanced ecosystem. For what good is a butterfly who is sad and held back from fluttering freely in the wind and the air that breathes into them life.

And so, it is the same with our children. We must, at some point, allow them to fly and be free so that they may shine with all their brightness and beauty. And in turn, they will leave a mark on us that would never have formed if they did not come into our lives. This is called the love of life. So, tell me, do you know of this kind of love? And if you do, you know that embracing the changes in life can mean heartbreak, heartache and everything sorrowful at the same time that it means beautiful, magical and remarkable. These are the sentiments that encapsulate the inspiration for my next custom creation.

Elise

Hello there! Whatever it is you are doing this weekend, my hope is that you are having a fantastic time. I'm sorry to have come back here so late. But, our day was full with music, play and friends. The weather was perfect as perfect gets...sunny and mild, clear skies, cool breeze, the scent of Spring fills the air as the flowers blossom and the bees and the birds were out singing. On this weekend, Spring is in full swing and it inspired the awakening of this young lady....

ELISE...

Her name came to me for a reason that was not quite clear initially. For me, naming a creation or a doll comes in one of three ways...1.) for a doll, very intentionally and with a lot of thought and consideration, 2.) for a critter, not always, but often times, whimsically, playfully and sometimes without too much logic or deep connection to any particular idea, and 3.) with strong inexplicable intuition. In past creations, Willow Mae, Aoife and Mochta, Serendipity (Seren), and Peigi fell in the last category. And each of them turned out to have an uncanny connection to something that was meaningful to the persons for whom I created those dolls.

Category 3 is how Elise received her name. Her name came to me out of the blues, very suddenly and with inexplicable certainty. When this happens, I take a momentary pause to ponder just a bit why the name came to mind and always I am not able to answer my own question, but rather shrug and say to myself, "Ok...it sounds wonderful." And always, each time unexpectedly, the answer unveils itself at a later time.

Today, as I was preparing to write this blog, I looked up the meaning and history of the name Elise. Turns out Elise means "oath of God" or "pledged to God." I take this as an uncanny coincidence to Easter weekend. She was to be presented today as the 5th gift of the week. So, I think she chose her name well, with full knowledge and intention. 

Elise, the final gift of the week, sums up everything that is the essence of this past week and this weekend....a celebration of Easter, a celebration of Spring, a celebration of new beginnings and hence the reason that Scarlet Elfcup was introduced to the world at this time two years past.

The colors on Elise, her shoes and the hand embroidered flowers on her dress were inspired by colors and florals in my garden. Everything is so green, fragrant, fresh and beautiful. 

Elise is created from Scarlet Elfcup's 8" Le Petite Elfcup doll pattern. She stands 8" (20 cm) tall. She is made with all natural materials. Her doll skin is made with 100% cotton jersey made in the USA. She is firmly stuffed with bio-wool also made in the USA.  Her seams are sewn twice for reinforcement.  She has embroidered facial features. Her facial structure is sculpted giving her a sweet little face with an itty-bitty chin, round chubby cheeks, and deeper set eyes. Her nose, cheeks and various body parts are blushed with red beeswax.  Elise's full mane is made of 100% suri alpaca crocheted onto a mohair wig cap. She is a sitting doll.  She also has a belly button and a bum.

Elise comes wearing a simple 100% cotton dress. The dress is detailed with a beautiful hand embroidered floral motif that I sketched and embroidered. In tiny stitches, the motif was inspired by things that grow in my garden at this time of year...dandelions, tiny mushrooms and one of my favorites, the forget-me-nots.

Elise's dress has tiny capped sleeves and opens fully on the back with two nickel-plated snap buttons. Underneath she wears a matching cotton bloomer.

Elise's shoes are hand knit with 100% alpaca, the color of brilliant forest green...one of my favorite shades of green and a green that can be seen all in our garden at this time of year, especially this year, after we've had a decently wet and luscious rainy winter. Elise also comes wearing a fanciful beret slouch hat made from pre-washed, clean, repurposed 100% cashmere.

Here she be...the last gift of the week...from Scarlet Elfcup. Thank you for being here to celebrate two years of dreams and adventures with us!

Elise is being given away as this week's 5th and last gift. To enter your name for the drawing, please join Scarlet Elfcup on Facebook...simply be a fan of the page, like the photo and link of Elise and share the post. Entry deadline is being extended because I was late in getting back here today. Entries will close on Sunday, March 27, 2016 at 12:00 PM (PST). Announcement of winners will occur sometime Sunday evening.

Thank you for stopping in to say 'hello.' And good luck to you in the drawing!

The old doll said,

"I wonder who will come for me this time. Someone will come. Someone always comes. Who will it be?"

"I don't care if anyone comes for me, " said Edward.

"But that's dreadful," said the old doll. "There's no point in going on if you feel that way. No point at all. You must be filled with expectancy. You must be awash in hope. You must wonder who will love you, whom you will love next."

                                    The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, Kate DiCamillo

In her heart she always knew this....that someone will come for her. She was a firm believer, born an optimist. She was never worried. It was I who fretted for her. It was I who took a peek in the shop each day to see that she's ok, to see if anyone has come for her. It was I that worried for her, wondered if her spirits were worn down from the waiting. Yes, sure....there were always inquiries, interested persons....but, at the end of the day none ever came to fruition. But, SHE knew...in her heart she knew that there is one person meant for her and that for whom she was meant to be with. And she was right.

It is always sad when I have to say good-bye to a little one. But, it is particularly hard to say good-bye to the ones that have been around for a bit. For these are the ones that I get to know very well....their temperaments, their likes and dislikes, their idiosyncracies.....Emma, Tootles and Pinkerbell, Cosette. 

This time, it is Liberty. For many reasons, Liberty is one of my personal favorites. (I know....those words ought never be spoken from the lips of a maker. Just like motherhood, there ought never to be favoritism. But, this isn't so much about favoritism as it is about relating differently.) Liberty is my first, and thus far my only jointed doll. And because she is jointed, she is a whole lot of fun to hold, coddle and dance with for she can bend every which way without the restrictions of a non-jointed doll. So carefree, you see? Liberty is also quite unique in that she's my only freckled creation and my how I love those freckles. Those are the freckles of youth and innocence. And best of all is her facial expression. I cannot quite describe what it is about her face that makes me feel so much love in my heart for her....perhaps it is the calm, yet knowing but vulnerable look found in the faces of my young children at times when things are not quite clear to them or at times when they are observing something new or something startling to them....it's the expressionless look of innocence. Or perhaps it is her eyes...the eyes that are so soulful, comforting, non-judging, unassuming and kind. I can't quite place my finger on it, but there is something in that face that brings forth so much love from my heart.

With that said, it is going to be a very hard good-bye for me. For her, she knows that she is going home, where she belongs....home, to a mama who was meant for her and for whom she was meant to be with. So, she is overjoyed, though she's not letting off at all that she is overjoyed. She doesn't want to hurt our feelings. She's a sensitive and considerate one, this doll. Nonetheless, today we spent the day with her as she comforted us and reassured us that our lives will continue on as usual. I told her that our lives will continue on, but perhaps not quite as usual.

Liberty

Hello there! It's been quiet around Scarlet Elfcup for some days now. But, don't mistake the silence for lack of activity. There is one little girl who has been on travel with me for the past week or so and she has been celebrating day after day. Here on an island she's been busy rock climbing, snorkeling, swimming in the ocean, laying in the sun, hiking, attending many big family gatherings in preparation for a big family wedding. And now, she awaits the finale...a July 4th weekend celebration for the United States and a July 1st weekend celebration for Canada Day!

Meet Liberty!

The name Liberty was chosen for this little girl because she represents just that...a doll created in honor and in celebration of Independence Day (July 4) and Canada Day (July 1).

Liberty is Scarlet Elfcup's very first jointed doll. She is a Le Petite Elfcup doll. She stands less than 8" (20 cm) tall. She is made with all natural materials. Her doll skin is made with premium quality cotton interlock made in the USA. She is firmly stuffed with bio-wool also made in the USA.  Her seams are sewn twice for reinforcement.  She has embroidered facial features. Her facial structure is sculpted giving her a sweet little face with an itty-bitty chin, round chubby cheeks, and deeper set eyes. Her cheeks are decorated with tiny freckles and blushed with red beeswax. Her nose and various body parts are also blushed with red beeswax.  Liberty's hair is made of mohair yarn and tied into two sweet pigtails. She is a sitting jointed doll.  Her knees, legs and elbows are sewn joints and her shoulders are string jointed. She also has a belly button and a bum.

Liberty's jointed knees, legs, elbows and shoulders allow her to be very playful. She can be set and posed in a number of ways that are not possible with an unjointed doll. The imagination is left up to you. Be precautioned that although her shoulders are string jointed, they are not to be bent beyond 90 degrees or twisted and turned beyond a 90 degree angle for this will put stress and strain on the string and it will eventually break. She, like us, does not like to withstand the pain of having her shoulders bent beyond a reasonable point. So, withhold from rough play with little Liberty.

Liberty comes wearing a white 100% cotton summer dress. Her dress is lined with a 100% cotton fabric and opens fully on the back with two nickel-plated snap buttons. Underneath she wears white cotton bloomers decorated with pink elastic lace. She brings along with her an extra change of clothes...a grey summer dress made of 100% cotton and Liberty of London fabric printed with Su Blackwell's floral art design. The dress is decorated with a hand knit capped sleeve made with 100% alpaca and a hemline adorned with soft grey tulle. The dress opens fully on the back with two nickel-plated snap buttons. Liberty's shoes are hand knit with 100% alpaca and embellished with two red buttons. Liberty also comes prepared with a button down, hand knit mustard cardigan made with a 75% merino wool/25% nylon blended yarn.

To top it all off (no pun intended), Liberty comes wearing a celebratory top hat made of the colors red and white to represent colors present in both the Canadian and the American flag and to honor the celebration of freedom for both countries. Her top hat is made of 100% cotton and linen and lined with a firm stabilizer.

Liberty is recommended for ages 8+ due to the nature of her delicate design (her shoulder joints are string jointed and very moveable, but they will not withstand rough play) and the many buttons and fasteners on her clothing that pose as choking hazards for young children.

Liberty will be available for 24 hours via The Northern Collective upload in Hyena Cart on Tuesday, July 7, 2015 at 2100 hours (9:00 PM EST). This is a good opportunity to bring Liberty home for a discounted price. If she is still available after July 7, she will be placed in Scarlet Elfcup's Etsy shop at retail value....a good opportunity for those who are interested but don't have an account with Hyena Cart.

The Northern Collective is a Canadian handmade market place specializing in a diverse array of goods including dolls, clothing, hand spun yarn, knitted and crocheted goods, stuffed toys, felted arts and crafts and quilted items. Please visit The Northern Collective's blog and Facebook page to learn more about them and to preview the upcoming July 7th collection of beautiful hand made items by this talented group of makers.

I would like to send many thanks to Jaime Lynda and everyone at The Northern Collective for inviting Scarlet Elfcup to join as a guest in this week's grand celebration of Independence Day and Canada Day. I am deeply grateful for this opportunity to be a part of such a talented and fun group. I can't wait to see all the beautiful hand made items that will be available on July 7th.