Wednesday, September 30, 2009

To Celebrate Fall –

I have a friend who decorates her home for the seasons and it is always lovely and charming. I visited last week and she already had her Fall decorations underway. She put together this table display of Piece Parade bears from her collection. I think they are living the life at her house. And just so you know, my house looks nothing like this. Nope, not a bit. I do have parts of bears here and there, but it’s just not quite the same.

Here’s another photo from another spot with other artists bears.

And one more.

Her Christmas teddy bear decorations are amazing. When she has them ready, maybe I’ll get a few photos and post them here. Happy Fall y’all!

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Object: Clippings

I haven’t done one of these object posts in a while but it occurred to me that there might be someone else out there who has a thing for clippings – those things from cut from various places like newspapers, magazines, brochures, or wherever.

Honestly, I can’t remember when I first clipped and saved something. It might have been a comic strip or valuable advice from a columnist. It could have been a recipe or a recommendation. Although if I was very young, I don’t think it would have been a recipe. I was more interested in licking the bowl than sorting out what went into it.

I came across this old clipping when I was going through a box over the summer. (By the way, where did all those summer days go now that it’s already almost October? If you’ve got any insight, it would be warmly welcomed!)



I cut the above out from our hometown newspaper ages ago when I was a teenager. I was big into sewing my own clothes and when I saw the drawing of the girl at the sewing machine, I’m sure it resonated with me. Now I am looking at the copy below the drawing and thinking about the advice; trying to sort out how to make the best use of the time I have left before the show I heading to in just a few short weeks. Eeek!


Monday, September 28, 2009

Is it because it’s Monday?

To understand fully my appreciation for this day, I have to tell you what the last few days here have been like weather-wise. Rainy. Yep. One word is sufficient to describe the last several days here. I guess I could add overcast and dreary and I wouldn’t be overstating it but . . .

today I pulled back the curtains and opened the windows to this beautiful sky. It is one of the few we may have that is just an absolutely perfect day (so far):



So I went for a walk around the neighborhood and breathed in the fresh autumn air.

When I returned, I took off my walking shoes and because the windows were open and there was a slight breeze, I put on something to keep my feet warm. I never would have bought these if I didn’t have a really good reason. And my really good reason was a teddy bear show where I was required to wear them.



I had just sat down to work on this teddy bear in progress



when I heard some voices behind me having a rather ardent discussion which went like this:

Little Mack: I told her last time. I’m not telling her this time.
Holcombe: I think Jojo should tell her. It’s his turn.
Jojo: I’m not telling her. I’m going to go hide.
Little Mack: He might be in your hiding place.
Holcombe: Yeah! What if he’s in there?! He might get you!
Jojo: Okay. Okay. I’ll tell her but it’s not because you all scared me. I’m telling her because I think she should know.
Little Mack: Whatever you say, Jojo.
Holcombe (snickering): Of course, Jojo. Now go on and tell her.

Soon, I felt a tapping on my leg and when I looked down, there stood Jojo acting a little bit timid.

Me: Yes, Jojo. What is it?
Jojo: I don’t want you to be upset or anything, but all us guys thought you should know.
Me: You didn’t spill the chocolate syrup again, did you?
Jojo: No, it’s nothing like that!
Me: You didn’t lose the screws that hold the swing set together, did you?
Jojo: No, we counted them. They are all there. Please, ma’am. This is infinitely much more important.
Me: Okay. Tell me.
Jojo: There is a little man living somewhere in the house. We haven’t seen him yet, but we know he’s around somewhere. We have evidence.
Me: A little man?
Jojo: Yes, and he’s doing laundry too.
Me: A little man is living here in our house and doing his laundry?
Jojo: I know it sounds odd. But he’s bigger than us but smaller than you guys.
Me: O-k-a-a-a-y.

It occurs to me that this could be the strangest conversation I have had with the bears, but then I shouldn’t be surprised. Something strange is always going on around here. Still, I knew that if I was to get anything done today, I had to investigate.

Me: So how do you know there is a little man living here doing his laundry?
Jojo: Well, me and the guys – you know Little Mac and Holcombe – were in the laundry room, uh, checking things out when we came across the evidence.
Me: In other words, you were climbing the washing machine while it was spinning so you could get all shook up and you saw ‘the eveidence’?
Jojo: Just come with me and have a look. You’ll see. There is a little man living here, I’m sure of it.

We traipsed downstairs together. I was in front naturally because they were so ‘brave’. I took a look and this is what they saw:



And yes, it does kinda look like a little man is doing his laundry.  The real story isn’t quite so interesting, but I had to play along because I’ve got a mischievous streak in me too.

Me: Oh my! You guys are right. There is a little man living somewhere around here. If he’s doing his laundry, I wonder what he’s wearing now. Why don’t you guys go look for him?

Then there was a bunch of scrambling and all I saw was a blur of fur dashing back up the stairs. A little man’s laundry, indeed!



P.S. There is something really good about hearing someone say, “Really?! I won?! I never win anything.”

Friday, September 25, 2009

Silver Anniversary Giveaway 3 Winner Announced!



It may be difficult to imagine, but my husband and I get so very nervous when we get to the point of pushing that random number generator button. It’s such a simple act but we were both on pins and needles. Let me tell you, each and every name represented someone to whom I would be delighted to send Peeka Boo!

And since these giveaways really are all about gratitude, I can let this opportunity pass by without again saying Thank you to each of you who have either:
  • adopted my bears
  • been a good friend
  • read my blog
  • encouraged me through the years
  • commented on my posts
  • become a follower or subscriber
  • or any number of other wonderful things that make this world a bit nicer place to be
Having said that –

The winner of the giveaway is number 83 – which means that Peeka BOO! will be going to live with Cheryl in Michigan here in the USA. I hope he won’t play too many tricks on her on Halloween! Congratulations Cheryl! Enjoy your new friend. He’ll be on his way before the sun sets again.

As for those of you who entered and didn’t win, your chances will increase if you enter my next giveaway. Like I said last time, I’m just crazy that way. I appreciated all the kind comments that you sent my way and value each of them. It was so much fun!

Now it’s time for me to go and pack a very tiny suitcase!


Thursday, September 24, 2009

Peeka BOO! says “It’s time to say Goodbye!”

I had no idea that teddy bears were so savvy. When I had my first giveaway, I let the little bunny take over my blog for a moment so she could say goodbye in her own way. Then, of course, Posy thought if it was good enough for the bunny, certainly she was entitled to do the same. Now they don’t bother to ask me if it’s okay if take over, they just ask me when I’ll be done so they can get on. And I’m just a wee bit too tired to argue with fuzzy little faces tonight. Therefore, I’m turning this over to Peeka BOO! now. Good luck to all of those who signed up for the giveaway! Thank you for entering.


Farewell, Adiόs, Au revoir, Vaarwel, Auf Wiedersehen, до свидания, and Goodbye




Wednesday, September 23, 2009

What Lurks Inside?

My silver anniversary giveaway will take place very, very soon. Until then, I thought I would fill in a few holes here and there. Remember the post that had no name? Now I am happy that I can tell you what it was supposed to be. I was going to call it “Come into the laboratory!” I thought it was appropriate for visitors to my studio who never know exactly what they will find. My husband loves to tell people, “Yeah, I walk in there sometimes and there’s a head here and an arm there.” But of course, they are teddy heads or teddy arms. Occasionally, there is a kitty, elephant, or bunny head, too.

This project that was begging to be made comes just in time for Halloween. Remember I started with this box.



So, come on in. Come into the laboratory! This is the front. What lurks inside?



It’s the interior of the laboratory of the most legendary mad scientist around. I’m not certain of his name. He wants to remain famously anonymous.



Here we have his pharmacy with all the potions and ingredients he thinks are necessary for a successful enterprise.



Over here we have the sewing department where you can view his experiments, tools . . .



and also his most notable creation – his own lab assistant. I have it on good authority that when the scientist leaves his lab for the night, he takes teddy home with him. After all, everyone needs a good hug now and then – some more than others!



You are the first to know that I will add this piece to the available bears section of my website later this evening. I will have additional photos there for anyone who would like to have their very own mad scientist laboratory with which they can entertain their dearest friends.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

I’m Pretty Sure It’s a Teddy Bear

Every weekend there is a flea market here – for now. I say that because when the State Fair arrives the Flea Market shuts downs temporarily. And it’s almost time for the State Fair so we’ve only one more flea market weekend before they close the doors so to speak. I do miss it when it’s gone especially when we can occasionally luck into an unusual treasure like this.



The gentleman selling this photo album had gotten it from an estate sale earlier. He had loads of interesting stuff and I wondered what he had found that he wasn’t selling. It must have been a great one.

I was turning this album page by page after we had purchased it and found all kinds of extraordinary photos from the 1900’s. Children, women fashionably dressed, a costume party, a day at the beach – it was fascinating.

I wondered if I might be lucky enough to find a photo of a teddy bear among its pages. Do you agree that is young woman is holding a teddy bear?



Here she is again with a couple of other people. I am wondering if they were putting on a play. Look at the woman with the lasso and the woman in the Oriental kimono-style dress.



I also thought you might enjoy this one of a baby and her baby doll. Do you think these folks were wealthy?



Or this portrait of these women dressed for some special occasion. I do wonder what they were thinking and where they were going. Some of these photos were taken in New York from what I can gather.



I especially like this one that shows a group of women going swimming.



I think what intrigues me about these photos is that they show life as it was. Most of the time when I see old photos at the flea market, they are portraits taken in a studio. And while they are somewhat interesting, they seldom tell you much about the life the person lived. In this album, the photos show a house being built, vacations, interiors of a home and a shop, the occasional car, and family pets.



Now this is when my special superpower would be very exciting. Miss that post?  You can check it out here.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Why Does This Dog Have Red Paws?



As one of the few four-legged creatures in attendance at the Street Painting Festival, he managed to get some of the pastel chalks on his feet. He had a street level view of the artwork too.



This event is one that we like to visit every year if we can because it is always amazing to me what creative folk can do in just a few short hours with an idea and a box of pastels.



I don’t know how many of you have ever been to one of these types of events but this one is free and the energy there is great. You see all kinds of artistic styles.



We had this idea of going up to the top level of a nearby parking deck to get a bird’s eye view of the artwork. It was absolutely amazing! I wish you could have been there.



I snapped a few photos of some of the pieces that were nearly complete while we were there.



Water will eventually wash away all these pictures but for a couple of days, this downtown street will look like a patchwork quilt of art.


Friday, September 18, 2009

Blast from the Past

I was browsing through some photos and came across some of my 'bears&boxes' pieces that I had almost forgotten about. You wouldn’t think that they would be something you could forget after laboring so much over them, but I think I was helping plan my son’s wedding when I was working on this particular one. Actually, it’s one of my favorites. How do you forget a favorite, I wonder?  The name of this one is TeaTime.

I like it because it appears relatively, and deceptively, simple. The front was quite the experiment with the textured background and imbedded watch parts. I think I began with the idea of the teacups inside the “T” and went from there. Ah, now I remember – I had to paint all those teacups in coordinating colors. I think they were originally primary colors. Not a good match for the color scheme. And I thought my insanity was just a recent thing . . .



The inside was fun too. Trying to get the quote to wrap from the front across the inside shelves in a coherent manner was an interesting exercise in patience. The little tea cup the bear sits in? It was the reason for the colors I chose. Yeah, I think I miss this little guy.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Fifteen Miinutes of Fame


Lush green grass
thick
each blade
flawlessly trimmed
a silent goal
to blend in
unobtrusively
and be a part of the crowd
no cameras please
no photos
it will be the end
of me
my perfect cover
blown
by fifteen minutes
of fame.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Follow-up to Yesterday's Cryptic Post

In an effort to clarify yesterday’s post, I am returning with more photos. But first, I’d like to tie up a few loose ends.

The friends that visited saw the studio redo and were also able to get a glimpse of the little bits of stuff stored here and there – some of which belong to various projects but not to the one that inspired the title. It was in another location due to paint. (I very rarely have paint near the bears. I’m just not coordinated enough not to spill it. Thus, I keep them very far apart if I can.)

I picked out a few miscellaneous bits they pointed out to share with you. Some of them may or may not be a part of the current project and stating that, I’m not trying to be mysterious. I’m saying sometimes I make it up as I go along so even I don’t know what’s what on occasion. (Just ask my husband. He wants to know too!) What seems like perfect inspiration at the beginning can be a really bad idea as the idea takes shape. Am I the only one who works like this? Oh, maybe you shouldn’t answer that question. It’s so pleasant here at the moment – let’s not disturb the equilibrium, shall we?

Also, you all were the first to see the studio redo. I figured if you had read through the carpet and paint and moving saga, you should at least be in on the end results. If you missed seeing the redo, you can check out Tour Part One here and Tour Part Two here. You can check out the before photos here and here.

If you don’t already know, I’ve tried very hard to stay on task with my current teddy bears in progress but sometimes another bear idea comes along and draws me away - especially if it looks like fun . . . That doesn’t mean I have completely abandoned each and every project. Rather it means that instead of a peaceful existence of creating and working on one thing, I have quite a few in various stages of evolution. (I thought that sounded rather good, don’t you agree? Evolution rather than saying nothing’s finished yet and there are bits and pieces of stuff everywhere you turn and we have to eat in the dining room on uncomfortable chairs because I’ve got the kitchen table covered with glue, glitter, paint, paper and other questionable substances.)

Here are a few photos. Not very exciting so far. Hopefully it will get better.
Now it’s back to the salt mines for me . . .

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

The reason this post has no title . . .

is because . . . well, because . . . it’s kinda, sorta, connected to the current piece I am working on. It all happened like this:

The other night we had some good friends over. While they were here and chatting away, my husband says, “You really need to see the redone studio.” So, of course, if my husband is enthusiastic about it, it’s usually worth investigating. I hadn’t really planned to be tour central but my philosophy is along the lines of ‘love me, love my mess’ and because I admire anyone who willingly submits themselves to the unknown, I invited them to see what we had done. Up the stairs they came – I can just imagine the theme to Jaws playing - (Hold that thought.)

Then today while in the middle of this current piece, I’m wracking my brain (yes, there’s a little one up there) and trying to figure out what to do. Then I thought about the other night and vwalah! – problem solved. But the thing is it was a really good title to this post but I can’t yet reveal that because I’m still working out the details. Having said all that, I will share with you the title of this post and the piece I am working on all at the same time. Soon. I think. If all goes well.

(Now you can stop holding that thought. I know your hands were getting tired.)

– and these are snippets of what they saw.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Less than two weeks left . . .


Yes, there are less than two weeks left before we draw the name of the lucky winner for Peeka BOO! We’ve added a countdown ticker in the right column that will tell us when it’s time to see where the little clown will live. Thank you to all of you who have signed up to be followers of this blog. I hope that when you visit you will find something to make you smile, giggle, or at least pause for a moment. To everyone who visits, even if you have stumbled here by accident, thank you for stopping by. I’m also hoping that in the next few weeks I can plan out another event. I hope you’ll return and be a part of the fun. In the meantime, it is getting just a wee bit cooler here in North Carolina. I know in other parts of the world, you might be looking at warmer weather. I don’t like being really, really cold but I do enjoy the things that cooler weather brings. Changing leaves, festivals and fairs, and getting together with good friends over a cup of something hot – although, we haven’t really needed an excuse all summer. I hope you have a great weekend and enjoy your fall or spring - whatever it happens to be wherever you are.
 

Friday, September 11, 2009

Just for Fun Friday

I haven’t been goofing around. Really. I’ve been busy. Yes, busy. Busy working. I promise. Yes, that’s right. I have not been goofing around but I have been busy working on really, really important stuff. And I thought that you being such a loyal sort might enjoy a break from your busy important stuff too. So, just to prove that I have been productive and to have a little fun at the same time, I thought we’d play a game. Oh you thought it was all fun and games didn’t you? Well, it’s not. It’s very, very serious stuff. But we’ll set all that aside for now and play for just a moment. The game is: “What has Ginger been up to lately?” If you guess correctly, you get this:


 A Gold Star

So here’s the first clue. Got any ideas?



How about now?



Oh, you are getting warmer - or should I say colder? Surely you have an idea.


Now you see it. It’s . . . it’s . . . snowflakes! Snowflakes and glitter!


Okay, okay. I know. It was sort of a silly game but hey, it got you out of what you were supposed to be doing for at least . . .oh . . . say at least one or two minutes. AND you got  a gold star  out of it too!
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