Deb Trotter, Cowboy's Sweetheart

I’m a bit behind on my postings for the 12 Days of Christmas. You know how it is – this season is always so full of festive occasions that it’s hard to find a minute to sit down. Now for the goodies…

Day 7 – From Fiona Mortimore

Fiona gifted us with wonderful miniature art quilts! Don’t you LOVE this? So colorful and clever! The little boy in the middle reminds me of a fledgling cowboy!

Day 8 – Arlene Travnik

We received 4 inches of snow lastnight, and if the wind wasn’t whistling around so I would take this little beauty outside and photograph it so it would feel right at home. Arlene has created a snowy white marvel of a little journal. It is so pristine and perfect that I am almost afraid to use it.

Day 9 – Trudy Mclauchlan

Trudy’s sweet little lavendar filled pillow is an artist’s delight. The little figure she embroidered so beautifully is such a testiment to the naivite’ of folk art. So clever! (Now, to find the perfect home for it, far away from the eager jaws of Arwen, our Wirehaired Pointing Griffon!)

Day 10 – Liz Smith

OMG, Liz! This cowgirl is stompin’ the floor with glee! What an adorable little book, accented by a "Yee Ha" charm and little tin star – and inside are all these wonderful pages with all manner of tags, tickets, and mementos! What a treasure! This is perfect to carry around and jot down those ideas from out of the blue, or sketch something that just begs to be recorded.

Thank you, one and all!

And just think – only three more gifts to go!

Yee Ha!

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~12 Days of Christmas #6 – by Pilar Pollock~

Look! It’s PIPpy Longstocking! ( I know, I know, it’s silly already, using the play on Pilar’s name…it’s just that I’m crazy over this stripe-stockinged shady lady). But no, I will come up with a better name, for this doll bears no resemblance to that freckle faced imp from a little girl’s book.

On this sixth day of Christmas I opened Pilar’s beautiful hand made paper (click on the link to learn how to make your own) and was greeted by this intriguing, beguiling creature.

She’s a little bit Richard Gorey, a little bit Nightmare Before Christmas, with a touch of grunge-seductress. This lady has a sad, slightly macabre expression that will serve me well on Christmas Eve as I dream of sugarplum fairies in black and white striped stockings and Princess Leia hair-do’s.

Hmmm. Black and White Sugarplums? Princess Leia hair from a science fiction movie like Star Wars? That’s IT! I’ve named her:  She’s Leia, the Nightmare Fairy!

Thank you, Pilar! Although I am sure my interpretation must be far from what you intended, (I’m kind of weird that way) she makes a hell of a studio companion. I am off to find the branch from which she will sprinkle Nightmare Pixie Dust and keep Jabba the Hut away – at least until New Years!

Number six has been opened…can #7 be far behind?

Stay tuned, pardner.

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On the 5th day of Christmas dear Kristen gave to me …

A felted treasure, sewn with care, see?

OMG! I love this little bag! It’s almost too pretty to use. I’m thinking I will put my money in it and use it as a purse, simply to show it off every time I buy something!

The combination of textures and the red against the white background! Simply luscious, and oh, so Christmasy! ( Christmasy? Is there such a word? Well, if the shoe fits…)

Thanks, Kristen! You’ve given us all a very special Day #5! 

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~"Twelve Days of Chritmas Blog" Handmade Stationery Set by Barbara Atwell~

Yee Ha! Some clever little elves have been at work making art gifts for their friends, and I am lucky enough to be on the receiving end.

I opened my #3 gift from Barbara Atwell yesterday, but was too busy to post until today.

Barbara’s gift was amazing – some wonderful papers made into all types of stationery. Whimsical and fun, this gift will offer me all sorts of possibilities – I’ll have unique pieces to use all year long! I am especially fond of the tag and the stationery of the little boy paper doll with the outfits – see the Indian headdress? I love it!

I hung Barbara’s beribboned bell on my Christmas tree. Thank you, Barbara!

Day #4 was pretty darned fantastic as well. Here’s my gift from Kathy Strittmater…

How much do I LOVE this ATC with the sweet little polymer clay heart, and sitting on a diminuitive easel made from a FORK!

How Kathy did this, I’ll never know – but I’m tickled more ‘un a whiskey soaked polecat beneath a snow covered sagebrush!

Thank you, ladies! This exchange is indeed THE BEST!

Tomorrow brings Gift #5.

I CAN HARDLY WAIT!

Come back tomorrow to see more.

Happy Trails.

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John & Me – 1985

Ah, those glorious days of youth! Was I ever that thin? And how did John’s hair become so gray overnight?

I normally don’t post 2 things on one day, but …

Today is our 22nd anniversary.

We plan on going out for a quiet dinner (notice I didn’t say "romantic," and that’s because nowhere around here is there a restaurant with that kind of atmosphere – unless you consider mounted heads of elk and guns romantic! But, hey, you know I can’t help but love it!). Hopefully we’ll have a chance to talk and reminisce. Have a glass of wine. Talk about where we’ve been and where we’re headed. What we’ll do for the rest of our lives.

Maybe we’ll talk about our honeymoon. We went to London and spent a whole week between Christmas and New Year’s soaking up our love of England and each other. The lights of London were magical. The people were charming – thrilled to meet newlyweds – especially the saleman at Harrod’s, where we bought some additional pieces to add to our wedding china, and were treated like royalty. We were served high tea from antique silver and 200 year old bone china, and we were on top of the world.

Then there was New Year’s Eve. We went to see Les Miserables on opening night. Yes – the first ever showing, way before it was a hit and came to the states. We were both moved to tears with each and every song, and we understood that we were somehow uniquely tied to something that was at once magical, as well as historical on a theatrical scale. We had reservations afterwards at some swanky restaurant, but wandered around aimlessly trying to find it. We never did. And everything, everywhere, was booked solid. (Basically, there was "no room at the inn.") Until, magically, we came across some tiny pub in the middle of a little neighborhood amid cobblestone streets. We reached the top of the stairs just at the moment the owner was closing the door for "a private party."

John asked if he knew anywhere we might go. It was our honeymoon, and we were lost and couldn’t find our restaurant OR a taxi OR the subway, and could he suggest something – anything? The man stood back. Grinned. Turned to the people inside the tavern and yelled, "Hey, Blokes! We seem to have some young honeymooners here who are lost and with no place to go. You wouldn’t want to send them away, now, would you?" And amidst cheers and the stompin of feet, we were ushered in and invited to sit down as honored guests of the private party.

We were toasted. We were prodded for stories of how we met. Asked about our favorite times since we had been to the magic city of London. We were celebrities somehow and we had stars in our eyes and the magic has somehow never quite disappeared.

Yes, I know. When it comes to my art, I complain that "he just doesn’t get it."

But I don’t always "get it" when it comes to his thrill of bird hunting either.

What we do "get" is this wonderful thing called LOVE. And that is why he supports my need to create and I support his need to hunt.

And that is why tonight will be special, despite (or because of) the mundane atmosphere of a local Yee Ha kind of restaurant.

Happy Anniversary, Honey. It’s been a good life, hasn’t it? Let’s shoot for more!

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