Lately I've Been Thinking........

about how much I LOVE dolls!!! All kinds of dolls!! Well, mostly cloth based.....and old or made to look 100 years old. I have always loved dolls, in fact I was 13 when I got my last doll..it was a Madame Alexander Doll......Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm...I still have her and she is all dressed in her pink satin bonnet and pink gingham dress.....but my tastes have changed some over the years. I love the dolls that were lovingly made by somebodies "momma". Dolls made from scraps of old dresses and carefully stuffed by the light of the fireplace while "Pa"

read a story to the young ones. About 24 years ago, I decided to jump into the world of cloth dolls. I developed a series of dolls called Willow Creek Cousins. My dolls were made out of cloth and I dressed them in vintage clothing and vintage leather shoes. I had a special formula I used to prep their cloth faces so I could paint them with oil paints in the primitive portrait style. I often used flax for their hair which I bought from a weaver that lived in my town. I loved creating each one, some in very primitive clothing with slat bonnets and some wearing a fancier fare that was more victorian.....I have a wonderful collection of shoes even to this day. My wonderful mother lived in North Carolina at the time and attended all of the flea markets and sales and found some precious treasures......I have boxes of petticoats, dresses, vintage calico's and shoes........I'm beginning to think that the bug might just be biting again........(by the way....Willow Creek Cousins were sold all over the US...out east, south and midwest...I even had 2 go to the Museum of American Folk Art in New York City!!! How exciting is that!) but along came my own wonderful children and life has been busy....I have enjoyed dressing them up just like I enjoyed dressing my dolls.....but my "living" dolls are priceless! They are now 23,19 and almost 15 so I have a few more hours in my week. I think I feel the doll bug biting again and so maybe it is time to open up those boxes, dust off those shoes and think about creating a whole new group of "cousins"........hum........think I'll just head out to the studio and do a little sketching.....I'll keep you posted and until then.....

Blessings and Peace to each of you dear friends,

Sarah

The Primitive Gathering First Anniversary!

Hi Folks,
Just wanted to update you about an exciting event happening over at
The primitive gathering. It is our First Birthday and YOU get the presents!
Now, thats my kind of party!!
Simply go to www.theprimitivegathering.com and follow the instructions
to sign up for some wonderful folk art prizes!!! Deena has done an amazing
job this last year and we look forward to many more years of offering up
one of a kind, original folk art!!! Thanks for all your support of my
work this past year!! Its been a blast!!!
Blessings,
Sarah

Serendipity!!!!

ser·en·dip·i·ty

–noun
1.
an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident.
2.
good fortune; luck: the serendipity of getting the first job she applied for.




This is Websters definition of serendipity but I have another!!!


For me, serendipity is what happened to me yesterday when I walked in from work and saw my sons "carry on" bag sitting in the entry way!! Not long after I heard the wonderful sound of his voice that makes my heart sing!! Our middle son, Graham, had suprised us and caught a ride home from Chicago where he is in school at Roosevelt University!! An unexpected but very welcomed visit!!! So I thought I would take this opportunity to introduce you to one of my 3 children!! As moms, we always want to talk about our kids don't we?? Graham is child #2 and has always been a real sweetheart! He is a very talented musician and loves all kinds of literature!! He is a "thinker" as well as a "doer" which I love! He has a great heart for people, especially those that would fall into the catagory of "less fortunate." We named Graham after the evangelist Billy Graham, praying from the time of his birth that he too would have an impact on the world for Christ just as his namesake has so effectively done. Graham had the opportunity to travel to Zambia, Africa the summer of 2006 and fell in love with the Zambian people! After a 32 hour plane ride to get back to the states, Grahams first comments after getting off the plane were, "I have never met a people who have so little, I mean nothing, that are so joyful!"


His experience in Zambia actually led him to pursue a degree in Social Justice at Roosevelt University in Chicago. His goal is to be successful enough in his music career that he can set up a non-profit organization and start making a difference in the lives of people living in 3rd world countries! Our prayer is that God would honor his desires and that someday Graham will have a huge impact for Christ all across the world!! But for now, he plays and studies and volunteers whenever he can. We are loving having him home for the weekend and what a beautiful weekend it is shaping up to be!!! Lots of sun and warmer temp!! Yeah, maybe Spring is here!!


I hope you are able to get outside and look for signs of new birth! Nests being built, flowers peeking up through the ground, buds on the trees waiting for a few warm days before they burst forth......the birds are singing and maybe even this week I will be able to hang the laundry out on the line!!! Now that's livin'!!! Well, I 've got to run......Graham is about to pull out his guitar and the singing is about to begin.........


Serendipity....ahh


God is Good!!


Blessings,


Sarah

Ah, Tis Spring!!!

Well, we are back from our trip during Easter break!

What a great time we had....first went to VA to visit mom and dad ( some of you already know that my mom is also my business partner...she puts together our wonderful wool jackets and is the most perfect embroiderer I've ever seen...all that at age 83!! She is an amazing women but that's another blog!) as well as spent 4 days in beautiful Savannah, Georgia!! I had to post a couple of pictures of the fabulous flowers we were able to enjoy....now picture this.....the day we left Michigan to drive down we got 7 inches of snow....so you can only imagine how absolutely breath-taking it was for us to:

1. See the sun!!!

2. Feel temperatures over the freezing mark!

3. Real flowers that were in bloom and just showing off their radiance!!!

4.Wear flip flops!!

It always amazes me how a little dose of sunshine and flowers can perk up ones spirit!!

We just wanted to be outside 24/7!! It also gives us hope that Spring will indeed come to our cold, dreary Michigan and once again the birds will sing, the flowers will peek their little heads up from the warm earth and the grass will turn emerald green.......and begin to grow.......and need to be mowed............and weeds will need to be picked and flowers watered and fertilized and vegetables to be planted and.....oh my, there is a price to be paid for all that beauty!!!

But you know.....I say, "bring on Spring!".....I am ready to be outdoors!!!

Blessings friends....until next time.......

Sarah