Holiday Decorations in my House

Thought all of you might like to see some of the holiday decorations in my house. I have been collecting vintage holiday collectibles since 1980 at estate sales and flea markets. Most of the stuff in my house that is vintage I got before the prices soared upward. Also my mom was quite the saver and I have a lot of stuff that was her’s or my grandmother’s. I treasure those items and always put them out at Christmas.

Small tree in my dining room where I hang ornaments that I have designed and that have been produced. Unfortunately they are no longer in production.

Tabletop display in living room....I call these snowmen the Osmonds because I have so many of them and they all look alike. The snowmen are made of batted cotton from the 40’s. I paid a lot for my first one in 1988...$25.00 and then I kept finding them wherever I would go and each new one I found would be less money. The last couple were only $5.00 each. If I like something a lot, I will buy variations..I like to group collectibles in masses.

My fireplace mantel...this has some of my favorite items on it. I used an old small crib frame and put lights around it....it gives me a place to hang my chenille Santas and wreaths. The bird artwork is by Gennine..I just love her work. www.etsy.com/shop/Geninne

Old German Candy containers

Usually these shelves hold my collection of bird artwork and primitive bird art. But at Christmas I fill it with Santas and Snowmen. The vintage candles sat on my grandmother’s and mom’s mantel and the plastic Santas and Snowmen I collected over the years with my friend Sandy...we always had a big shopping day to buy new Christmas items after Sandy got her Christmas bonus.

Collection of Christmas gift boxes in my hall. My mom has given me quite a few...she used to put her extra lights, hooks, etc in them but because I liked them so much she has given them to me. Also when I go to estate sales a lot of times I will empty out a decorative box of its contents and just buy the box. The dealers look at me like I am nuts and sometimes give me the box cause they consider it trash.

Coming in the next couple of days...Christmas in my studio and bedroom.

Happy H-owlidays!

Hope all of my friends and readers have a great holiday and a wonderful new year.

The Woodland Plushes are done, now they need their outfits

Even though I have been swamped the last couple of weeks I have managed to finish up my Woodland Plushes. I have tried making them outfits but I am not sure how to create a pattern that fits around the plushes now that they are stuffed. Luckily one of my best buddies Laurie has volunteered to help me make patterns during the holidays....her grandmother was a seamstress and she taught Laurie how to make patterns. So Laurie has signed on as the Woodland Plushes pattern maker...she thinks it will be just like making patterns for troll dolls...turns out both of us liked to make outfits for our trolls.

If anyone has an animal that they think should be added to the collection let me know....there has been a small clammering for a hedgehog or a porcupine.

Truman the Beaver...when Truman came to the cookie decorating party last weekend he loved this beaver so I decided to name it after him

Fabian the Skunk

Lizzie the Chipmunk...I got the face a little lopsided on this one...she looks a little off

Stanley the Possum

Finally back to Blogging

I have been very busy finishing up with my teaching for the semester and getting ready for Christmas. I also had a large job to do for Scholastic last week and it took most of my time to get it done. I will share it with you after I get it shot tomorrow by my wonderful photographer Curt Dennison.
Here is a pic from the last day in my Licensed Image class. Since moustaches are so hot right now...the image of moustaches seems to be on everything from pillows to mugs I had my students pose with moustaches on. I thought it was a fitting end to the class.

Gary and I had a cookie decorating party with some friends last weekend. Thought I would show you the photos so you can see that I decorate cookies just like I draw stuff. My friend Sandy Zub is a creative whiz when decorating cookies...she is an art director for Nestle Purina but I think she should be the next Martha Stewart and I could come on her show.

some of Sandy’s designs...note the hula dancer at left and the chicken for our friend Linda

my bird cookies

designs from Liz, Truman and Jef’s answer to a gingerbread man

the cookie participants...from the left...Truman, Liz Sullivan, Jef Ebers,Sandy Zub..on top me and Gary

New Art on Etsy

It is the end of the fall semester at school so I am behind in my blogging. There is always a lot to juggle at the end of the semester and with the holidays fast approaching, I am always a little behind.
I decided to do some new work for my Etsy site. As I noted after seeing the trends at the Renegade Craft Fair, woodland animals are in so I decided my Etsy site www.lindasolovic.etsy.com needed some foxes, rabbits and squirrels.

So here is my new work. First up is two squirrels in a tree I call Emma and Elliot See No Evil. Ititled it this because I realized that my niece Emma and my nephew Elliot act like these two squirrels. Elliot will be peacefully doing something like in this case eating an ear of corn and Emma is always trying to annoy him in some way like bonking him on the head with an acorn. And Elliot rarely sees trouble coming.

Okay another rabbit with glasses...Bunnie and Boris Tiptoe Through the Tulips

Foxes are hot hot hot Francine and Fabian

Hillary, Henry and Hattie, When Cousins are 3 of a Kind

Henrietta

Riley

Frieda and Frannie Gary”s favorite

Silvia and Sammy