Mine Now

As you can see from the small picture with my name on it, I painted this in 1997. At that time, I was part of a group of crafty women that I enjoyed very much. Most but not all of us worked as teacher's aides with the Title 1 program at an elementary school. We rotated the home we met at once a month. I have lost touch with those ladies over the years, and I miss that. 

One of the crafts we did together was tole or folk art painting. A couple of us, including me had scroll saws to cut out the wood we painted. So, I got this pattern from a book, cut and prepared the wood and then painted the design.

I gave this to my mother after it was finished. For all the years after, except on holidays when she had other decorations, it hung at her home just outside the front door. Her porch was shaded and protected from the weather so it has held up very well.

When she passed away, I took it back to bring to my home. It now hangs on my front door. I took these pictures of it at her house 2 years ago today. The house has been sold and it it my understanding that the new family is updating the kitchen, which is needed, before they move in. I hope they build a beautiful life there creating many fond memories like we did.

I want to keep it in good condition so I will need to keep an eye on it. I hope the Arizona heat and sun aren't too damaging to it. What I know so far is that I need a way to anchor it better to my front door. When the wind blows it bangs on the door a bit reacting to the gusts. That should be simple enough.

So my questions today if you choose to comment...

So, do you have anything in your home that comes from the home of a loved one that has passed away? Do you keep it in a place you can see it everyday to bring you comfort? All relevant comment are treasured and very welcome. Or just say hello, I'd love to hear from you.

Back with more again soon. 

Take care and stay cozy! 

Huichol Bead Art

I mentioned in a previous post that we went on a cruise just after the first of the year. The trip was described as a visit to the Mexican Riviera. We had a lovely time and I may tell you more about the cruise and the cities we visited in a later post.

Today I want to share with you 2 of the souvenirs we brought home with us. These are known as Huichol Folk Art. The bead work we bought is just one form of crafts done by the Huichol people. The other type of folk art they do is known as yarn painting and you can learn more about all of this in a great Wiki article.

Jim fell in love with the vibrance of these designs and had to have a couple pieces. We watched as new pieces were being created in several shops in Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta. The process starts with a section of a form covered with a thin layer of beeswax. Before the wax hardens the seed beads are applied one at a time and pressed into the wax. Each of the designs on the elephant have a meaning and those and more are found on many objects.

Things like our small pieces and the little turtle are certainly cute and an affordable item to bring home to remind you of your trip. The birds below were very large and definitely in my mind masterpieces. Impressive, right?

Back with more again soon.
Take care and stay cozy!