Mom

Anyone who knows my mother knows she's oozing with creativity and is very good at the artsy things she takes on.  She's so generous with her gift-- most of the things she makes she gives away.  My dad too.  Her work, like my dad's, requires a lot of patience.  She's actually painted scenes inside of Emu eggs.  I don't have any pictures of that, but I do have a picture of the puppets she made me for a halloween story I wrote involving bullies.

The troll and bowls were made by my father and my mother made the Red Hat Lady sitting on my Serger.  She, herself, is a member of the Red Hat Society.  They have the best time getting together for dinner, riding in parades, and dressing in purple and red.  The poem below is what the Red Hat Society is based on. 

                                                                                                                  

Trolls

When the temperature begins to drop and the holidays draw near, I think of my family in Minnesota.  I go on a Sentimental Journey you might say.  The Buche de Noel reminded me of my dad because I do believe he used to actually have a Yule Log for the Christmas fire when he was young. 

These trolls are hand carved by my Norwegian father.  Silly me-- I thought I'd have the patience for sculpting and bought a little tool kit with different types of blades, found a small block of soft wood  (after trying a harder wood) and discovered that this carving stuff wasn't all that easy.  When I cut my finger, I decided it wasn't fun and set the tools aside.  Anyway, after that, I had an even greater appreciation for what my dad did/does.  Did you notice all the trolls have fish on their lines?  Yep, dad's a fisherman.  They live on a lake connected to a chain of lakes so his summers are spent doing what he loves.  If he's not on the lake, he's in the garden working with rich black soil.  They have many flowers and fruit bearing plants/trees.  I love where they live.  The side of their house facing the lake has a large window.  It's very scenic and peaceful.

Buche De Noel

                                                                                                                                                           Aimee Blume, a very talented friend of mine, made this Buche De Noel to teach those who attended her Kitchen Affairs class how to do it.

This cake is inspired by the Yule logs that were traditionally burned on Christmas Eve.  Aimee did a great job making the color and texture of the cake look natural--ready for the fireplace.  She has mushrooms, fungus, leaves, and moss (all yummy) to make it real interesting to look at.  Aimee is going to make a Buche de Noel for our Christmas party as a hostess gift! How sweet is that?!

                                                                  

Holiday Cards and Party Invitations

Such a grey day out today! The perfect day to work on designs and build up inventory! Zazzle has a great sale that you may want to take advantage of, 50% off all cards and free shipping too! Apply Code ZAZZLECARD50 at checkout. Nov. 16th last day for the sale! Now that's a good deal! The party invitations and cards are all customizable. Above you'll find a small selection of some of my favourite Christmas cards and invites. To view more stop by my store Designs by Shell

Winter and Snow Themed Gifts

Well it feels cold enough out to snow but hopefully we won't see that for awhile. I love to look at snowy scenes and think about romantic walks on a snow covered trail or even sitting curled up by the fireplace on a snowy evening with your favourite book. I've designed some really cute winter scenes featuring little birdies perched on a signpost with a snowy background. Also some sweet snowmen with Christmas trees and gifts around him. If you love scenes with snowy night skys and pretty snowflakes stop by my store to view some cool items. Designs by Shell

Cancer Article, Book: A Case For Adventures by Katie Kerr

Janine Perkett, Lola Perkett, Cary Pallin, Bruce Perkett, and Eric Pallin

The woman in the blue is Cary Pallin, a Radiologist from Kenosha, Wisconsin.  What great person!  I have always admired her strength, intelligence, love of life, and sense of humor. Our kids used to play together when they were young. She's always been an inspiration, but I've been thinking about her more lately because of the recent article I did for the Evansville Courier & Press on a program called ConKerr Cancer.  It made me reflect on her job--what important work she (and her husband) take on!   One of their kids plans on following in their footsteps-- that child had an interesting internship in Tanzania.  I can't imagine...

The article I wrote was the cover article for the Warrick (the county I live in) Tab in the Courier.  The boy pictured, Ryan Kerr,  had bone cancer.  His mother started making cheery pillow cases for her son and others in the hospital when he had to be there for treatment. He has passed on, but people like Shirley Stephan, the local woman pictured above, continue to sew for other children with cancer and life threatening diseases, keeping his memory alive.  To find out more about how the program was inspired and has spread, go to http://www.conkerrcancer.com/.

The young woman holding the book is Ryan Kerr's sister, Katie.  She wrote a book A Case For Adventures to help children understand what it's like for a classmate or friend to go back to school after having treatment.  I haven't read it, but I do want  to order that book and encourage people to donate her book to hospitals with children facing this problem.

Wreaths Are Elegant Holiday Decorations

Wreaths are an elegant decoration for the holiday season. They can be hung on front doors, in windows, over mirrors and on walls. They add a nice touch to many areas of the home. Items featuring wreath decor have been my focus for the last few days as I've been designing for my store. Several items like postage, greeting cards, mugs, t-shirts and magnets have these fun holiday wreath designs added to them. Wreaths can be done in several styles and themes. Everyone likes something just a little different so it's nice to have a variety of types. Here is a little article I did on Ideas for Decorating Christmas Wreaths. Above you'll see some of my recent designs, to see more stop by my store Designs by Shell