I Had All the Intentions...

...of calling on a magical musical forest creature to play for us the violin...or was it the cello? But, instead, I heard a little voice calling me. She was persistent this one. It was a tiny voice that I initially ignored. But, then, she made herself heard. And so, we have this little wee one. Yes, she's small. But, oh, you should hear the music she can play!

She was about to debut today. But, then she told me that I had forgotten a few things which I shouldn't have. And then she insisted that she needed her favorite coat, her lucky hat and she says she needs shoes. I guess she's right. It is cold outside and she can't, not in a million years, perform at a concert without bringing her favorite coat and her lucky hat. How unlucky would that be?

Twelve

This is the 12th day of December. Round the corner is Christmas. To be precise, 12 days. Twelve also happens to be the 12 Days of Christmas dolls that I had intended to put in the shop. After much consideration, I thought it wiser for me to stop after 8 Christmas dolls. International orders will take at least 10 days to reach home. So, after Monday, there is no guarantee that orders will arrive by Christmas time for those who are ordering from abroad, unless the shipment is done by express mail. Additionally, I wish to spend some time making my family some things for Christmas and there is still much to do to make that wish happen around here.

With that said, Ivor was given on "the 7th Day of Christmas." This means that there is one more being waiting to be created. I cannot help it. There are thousands of ideas floating in my head for characters that will come about. If only there were more hours in the day! But, all of those dreams and adventures will have to wait until the bright new year is here. For the time being, music moves my soul and Christmas time brings about many beings made from magic. So, she is there...waiting for her time...

The 8th and final Christmas creation....

Little Ivor had a car...

...E-I-E-I-O. And on his car he had some wheels. E-I-E-I-O. With a wheel, wheel here and a wheel, wheel there. Here a wheel, there a wheel, everywhere a wheel, wheel. Little Ivor had a car, E-I-E-I-O.

He's been obsessed with them since the age of 9 months. Where the attraction, the intuition to gravitate toward them came from, his parents know not. Perhaps it's the wheels, round and black. They say black and white are the colors babies see most clearly early on. Perhaps it's their mobility, their ability to move and roll fast and faster. Perhaps he was simply born to love cars and there is no other explanation needed. Whatever may be the reason, Ivor LOVES cars. Always in each hand is a car. It doesn't matter if the car is big or small, green or red, wood or metal, runs or not. He loves them all. He even loves sharing them with his sister or anyone who is willing to sit and roll them back and forth, back and forth, back and forth with him for hours on end.

You won't find Ivor going anywhere without one of his cars. He goes for naps with them, he goes for meals with them, he goes to the park with them, he goes for car rides with them. On cold winter days, when he takes his sister for sleigh rides, he even takes his cars along.

Ivor tells his mummy and daddy that when he grows up, he wants to race them or fix them or both. He's a strong-willed, keen little boy who has always known what he wants. That's Ivor...small, stubborn, bright, creative, outgoing, playful, inquisitive.

Ivor was inspired by the little man in my life, the big man in my life and a talented British auto mechanic nearest and dearest to our hearts, Mr. J.R.

Ivor is a Wee-Bee Mini Elfcup. He stands less than 6" (15 cm) tall. He is made with all natural materials. His doll skin is made with premium quality cotton jersey imported from Europe. He is firmly stuffed with bio-wool made in Oregon.  His seams are sewn twice for reinforcement.  His hair is made of mohair yarn. He has embroidered facial features. 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.  He also has a belly button and a bum.

Ivor comes wearing a hand knit beanie made with Cascade Heritage yarn, a 75% merino wool/25% nylon blended yarn. His houndstooth scarf is hand knit with Isager 100% alpaca yarn. He wears a blue and white striped cotton shirt. He has on scarlet linen pants. His boots are hand knit with Cascade Heritage yarn, a 75% merino wool/25% nylon blended yarn.

Ivor comes with a wooden hand painted sled. The sled measures about 8" long (20 cm) and 1" (2.5 cm) tall. And of course, Ivor must have his car along with him. The car is needle felted with 100% wool roving and measures about 2" (5 cm) long and 1" (2.5 cm) tall.

Ivor is recommended for ages 4+ due to the nature of his delicate design and the small parts on him that may pose as choking hazards for children who still enjoy exploring with their mouths. If you are interested in bringing Ivor home, he is now available in the Etsy shop.

I Know of a Little Boy Who Loves Cars

Maelewano

means Harmony in Kiswahili.

Her name makes you wonder if she was born in Africa. Her eyes, deep dark blue, makes you ask if she has Scandinavian genes. Her hair, black and silky, makes you think that she is of Hispanic, Asian or Latino descent. The answer reveals that she is all this and more. In her, we can each identify our heritage. And no matter whether North or South of the equator, East or West in longitude, we are one....a world in Harmony...a world encapsulated in Maelewano.

She is a wish for the world...a world in conflict, a sea of humanity struggling to find it's identity as it goes to war with itself and the supporting life system surrounding it. This is a wish in magnitude ill proportionate to a small soul who stands a mere 6 inches tall and with feet no larger than half a grown thumb. Though the weight of the world is on her itty-bitty shoulders, she seems not to notice at all the burden. Look into her joyful eyes and notice her round chubby cheeks and you shall see nothing but playfulness and delight....an indication of innocence.

Today, as I frolicked around the house fretting over the state of the world, she followed at my feet asking only of things that are big and important, "can she swing on an ornament? will I push her higher and higher please?"

"do I think she can roll this ball all over the house using just her belly, no hands or feet?"

"can I help her roll the big ball around? it's too big for her to push herself."

And when she got tired of playing, she stretched up her arms and asked "if I can pick YOU up."

And when I had to disappoint her and say "no, I have a lot of things to make happen since it's Christmas time and all and can she just go play or find something else to do by herself?" she just sprawled on the floor and paid me no further mind.

Later, I came back and found her standing at the window, looking out into the world, musing at the rain and a cold, gray sky. To her, the world is in harmony when there is rain and the winds move through to unsettle the leaves that dangle by a last thread as winter sets its course and makes the seasons go round as it should.

Maelewano is a Wee-Bee Mini Elfcup. She stands less than 6" (15 cm) tall. She is made with all natural materials. Her doll skin is made with premium quality cotton jersey imported from Europe. She is firmly stuffed with bio-wool made in Oregon.  Her seams are sewn twice for reinforcement.  Her dark mane is made of wefted Suri alpaca, a luxurious, ultra-soft and silky fiber.  Suri alpaca has natural crimps and waves in the fiber, hence giving Maelewano a full bodied, yet wispy and silky hair. Her hair can can be tied and styled lightly. She has embroidered facial features and a happy go-lucky expression. Her facial structure is slightly sculpted.  Her cheeks, nose and various body parts 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 and a bum.

Maelewano comes wearing a cotton black and white striped dress with lace trim. Her dress opens fully on the back with nickel-free hand-sewn snaps. Her scarlet bonnet and Mary Janes are hand knit using Isager 100% alpaca yarn.

Maelewano comes with her favorite toy...a felted wool, black and white spiral ball, made into a Christmas tree ornament with a ribbon securely attached. The ornament ball measures 13 inches (33 cm) in circumference and 4 inches (10 cm) tall. Her ball will keep her entertained for hours as she swings on it, lays on it, rolls on it, under it, round and about.

Maelewano is recommended for ages 4+ due to the nature of her delicate design and the small parts on her that may pose as choking hazards for children who still enjoy exploring with their mouths. If you are interested in bringing Maelewano home, she is now available in the Etsy shop.

On The 6th Day of Christmas...

...a wish for the world...MAELEWANO.

Beannacht

On the day when
the weight deadens
on your shoulders
and you stumble,
may the clay dance
to balance you.
And when your eyes
freeze behind
the grey window
and the ghost of loss
gets in to you,
may a flock of colours,
indigo, red, green,
and azure blue
come to awaken in you
a meadow of delight.

When the canvas frays
in the currach of thought
and a stain of ocean
blackens beneath you,
may there come across the waters
a path of yellow moonlight
to bring you safely home.

May the nourishment of the earth be yours,
may the clarity of light be yours,
may the fluency of the ocean be yours,
may the protection of the ancestors be yours.
And so may a slow
wind work these words
of love around you,
an invisible cloak
to mind your life.

-John Donohue

Legend has it that a butterfly floats free across time and space and dimensions unknown to us. The butterfly's metamorphosis from pupa represents immortality as it dies in one stage of life to be resurrected as something eternally beautiful and blissfully free. Irish mythology, along with a number of cultures, believe that the butterfly is the bearer of a soul crossing time, space and lifetimes.

She is a Pixie from an other world, guardian to the one thing that creates LIFE...the HEART. Behold, in her small dainty hands, a box. Inside, an eternal flame blazes with life setting free a boundless number of souls. 

She is the gate keeper of the heart that beats from within and lights the flame that frees the soul. Her name is SERENDIPITY.

Serendipity is a Pixie of Irish descent. Her eyes are of the most beautiful deep green, her hair the most beautiful red of reds. She stands less than 6" (15 cm) tall. She is made with all natural materials. Her doll skin is made with premium quality cotton jersey imported from Europe. She is firmly stuffed with bio-wool made in Oregon.  Her seams are sewn twice for reinforcement.  Her hair is made of natural mohair yarn tied into two pigtails.  She has an embroidered and simple facial expression.  Her cheeks, nose and various body parts 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 and a bum.

Serendipity comes wearing a soft pink cotton dress with lace trim for the straps. Her dress has a soft brown tulle underneath for added support. The dress is sewn closed at the back. Her Pixie hat is hand knit with Rowan kidsilk haze yarn, a mohair-silk blended yarn. She comes with a pair of hand knit pixie boots also made from Rowan kidsilk haze yarn.

Serendipity's eternal box and flock of butterflies is made from paper. The idea of the butterfly flock was inspired by the work of one of my favorite paper sculptors, Su Blackwell. The heart that lies within is needle felted with 100% wool roving.

To K: Thank you for bringing friendship, beauty and Serendipity into my life. I am eternally grateful that our butterflies crossed paths. May Serendipity always keep your heart safe and your soul beautiful and free.

A Fall Meditation