New work for Craft Boston Holiday Dec. 7-9

Nothing like a baby shower and an upcoming show to get the
creative juices flowing.  When trying to make a mom's journal
cover for a friend about to give birth, my eyes fell on this funky
stitched  patch from Panama in my studio. I also found the small
beautifully  stitched Hmong piece below. Both seemed perfect
for small journals.

I know new moms don't have much time for writing, but having
a place to jot down notes, fun images, or brief reflections is
always welcome. We all write on computers, but somehow
seeing something in the handwriting of our moms or Grandmoms
is always precious.  I have kept a journal for each of our
grandchildren begun on the day they were born, or soon before.
(Of course,  it might take a code breaker to decipher my hand
writing.) Each time we are together I try to write something.
or as they have gotten bigger, have them draw or write
something in the book themselves. I believe the most
valuable things we have to pass down to future generations
are our stories.

After making the two journals above, I looked around and found
more textiles that had been waiting and created a group of
journals to bring along to Craft Boston Holiday  this weekend.

These two have more pieces from Panama:

I

This stitched rooster is from an Oboe remnant left over when

a dress was being made for my mother. 

I couldn't think of  going to a show without plenty of dragons,
so I sculpted a dragon on the cover of this leather journal:

And speaking of dragons...There is a shy guy in my studio
who finally decided it was time to let me finish him. You may
remember seeing him in beginning stages in one October blog post.
His name is Terus,the Timid.  He used to try to be terrifying,
terrible or taunting, but has finally accepted himself for the
gentle, timid  creature he is. He asked that I show you his
fancy  beaded anklets before letting you see all of him:

And finally here he is to say hello:

He is about 3 feet long and 24 inches tall with rawhide wings...and
has a snout  made from a stone I picked up during our wanderings
in ancient walled  cities in  Italy.  His belly is another beautifully
stitched piece made by the Hmong, gifted to me by a friend.

I look forward to seeing whom I'll discover at 
Craft Boston Holiday this year...and to see how Terus fares
in public! If you are in the Boston area, please come by.  
I'll be in booth # 611 with  creatures waiting to greet you
and plenty of luscious, fun leather accessories to keep
creative energies stirring.

My best to everyone for great story-filled holidays.

Adventure on!  Wendy