Victorian Valentine's Day And Romance Illustrations From The Harper's Young People Illustrations Book From 1889

Nothing speaks Valentine's Day more than Cupid.  And, what Cupid is more charming than the one in the illustration above that appeared in the March 16, 1889 weekly in the Harper's Young People Illustrated book on page 273.  The illustration above was entitled " Love's Valentine" and was drawn by Jessie Shepherd (Jessie Curtis Shepherd).

As a child I can remember getting little paper Valentines on Valentine's Day - can't you?  I can also remember my mother telling me that I could participate but I would need to give a Valentine to every student in the class.  When I asked her why I had to give one to everyone she simply smiled and said: "So no one is left out."  Given I was in the first grade back then I didn't understand the significance of that.  I certainly do now.

The illustration above was in the March 16, 1889 weekly of the Harper's Young People Illustrated book on page 285 and was entitled "Where Cupid Took His Valentine."  It wasn't signed so I don't know who drew it but I find it totally charming and hope you do too.

There are three little illustrations contained within this picture as well as a totally charming poem to go along with the drawings.

"I'm getting sick of Valentines" 

Said Cupid to his brother.

"And do you know I almost think

 I'll never send another.

I carried one a year ago,

 To little Rosebud May,

And found that twenty more or less, 

Had come for her that day.

Now when you send a Valentine 

"Said Cupid," what's the fun.

Of knowing that it simply counts

As "number twenty-one."

I know a child," his brother said

"A little friend of mine,

Who never yet in all her life

Has had a Valentine."

"I'll take her one," cried Cupid,

Springing lightly to his feet,

"Tell me the number of her house,

And kindly name the street."

And only waiting to be told

The best and shortest way

He spread his shining silver wings, 

And flew without delay.

He found the little girl and stood

Before her in surprise

For shabby gowns and ragged cloaks

Were strange to Cupid's eyes.

This lassie had a sweet round face

A dimple in her chin,

But ah, alas! her shoes were worn,

Her dress was old and thin.

One moment Cupid stood amazed

Then with a bow as fine

As any ever seen at court

He gave the Valentine.

"For me!" the little maiden cried

Her eye alight with joy.

"I never had one in my life

Oh, thank you little boy!"

"The thanks are mine," said Cupid,

Still bowing very low

I'll always be your Valentine

If you will have it so."

"Oh dear, how nice!" then with a blush,

"I'm very poor you know."

"Oh that's no matter," Cupid cried,

And smiling turned to go.

Now every year that little lass,

Whose dress is poor and old

Receives the prettiest Valentine

That can be bought for gold.

And Cupid tells his brother,

When e'er they chance to meet,

That rich or poor it matter not

When a little girl is sweet.

Can't you just picture the little maiden above crying: "For me!" I certainly can and love the expression on her face as well as the poem.

Sometimes  you can just feel the love even from a simple illustration, like the one above which appeared in a story about a sea captain in the May 11, 1889 weekly of the Harper's Young People Illustrated book on page 404.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone.

Old Man Winter Illustrations From The Harper's Young People Illustrations Book From 1889

For someone who doesn't like winter and snow I don't mind making snowmen or looking at Victorian winter illustrations like the illustration above which was in the December 8, 1888 weekly in the Harper's Young People Illustrated Book on page 61.  It was entitled "Such a Heavy Load."

The illustration above was in the November 2, 1889 weekly in the Harper's Young People Illustrated Book on page 814.  It was entitled "Our Champion Climbers."

I just love the look on the little girl and little boy's face.  She looks like she's say, "This is not fun!" He looks like he's saying, "See, I told you we could do this."

The illustration above was in the December 1, 1888 weekly in the Harper's Young People Illustrated Book on page 41. It was drawn by E.J. Meeker.

I just love the old man winter image in the sky and the saying:

King winter rules o'er hill and plain,

And shrill the north wind whistles.

While snow-flakes white, a fairy train,

Fall soft as floating thistles.

For look, a painter grey and old,

Above the storm abiding,

With stars and spheres and crystals cold,

The bare brown earth is hiding.

I hope you enjoyed seeing the Victorian old man winter illustrations.

My Victorian Images, Ephemera and Vintage Images and Victorian Doll & Craft Tutorials, Shabby Chic & Vintage Tutorials, Video's, Pictures & How-To's Pinterest Boards

It is no secret that everything and anything Victorian is my passion. I just can't get enough of Victorian dresses, Victorian crafts, Victorian history, and Victorian images. I absolutely LOVE it all. And, I absolutely want to make everything I find.

I look at the beautiful Victorian dresses display on all the museum websites and find myself wanting to make a miniature version for a doll of mine. There are so many beautiful Victorian dresses out there it would be nearly impossible to make them all. That doesn't stop me from dreaming about it.

I also love Victorian images and saving all the Victorian images that I find on different websites that are sharing images in the public domain on my Pinterest board. Here, too I find myself dreaming of beautiful mixed media crafts I could make with them. I wish I could use each and every one of them. Use them all - I can't. Collect them on Pinterest - that I can do.

Victorian Images, Ephemera and Vintage Images

I just LOVE Victorian images, ephemera and vintage pictures - especially Victorian images that I can use with my mixed media creations and pictures of flowers or little girls and their dolls. Here's a few of my favorites.

If you love my Victorian Images, Ephemera and Vintage Images board please follow my board by clicking on the link above.

I also love searching the web for all the wonderful tutorials, patterns, articles, how-to's and printables there are for making Victorian arts and crafts. Some I have tried to make. Some are on my wish list. But, they are all fabulous and I want to make them all.

Again, this is impossible but I can continue to collect them on my Pinterest board. When I dream of Victorian crafts and want to see beautiful Victorian eye candy I can always visit my boards.

Victorian Doll & Craft Tutorials, Shabby Chic & Vintage Tutorials, Videos, Pictures & How-To's

I just LOVE everything and anything Victorian, Vintage, Shabby Chic or Cottage. I especially love watching video's, reading tutorials, patterns, articles, and how-to's on making Victorian dolls & crafts. I hope you like some of the ones I've found.

If you love my Victorian Doll & Craft Tutorials, Shabby Chic & Vintage Tutorials, Video's, Pictures & How-To's board please follow my board by clicking on the link above.

Victorian Bride picture courtesy of The Graphics Fairy

Gotta Love Fall Dolls

Fall is my favorite season of the year. There's just something about the Fall that makes me want to create something. Maybe it's all the vivid colors or all the holidays and the decorations you can make for all of them.

Whatever it is I LOVE the Fall.  So, of course, I love creating dolls with Fall themes, Fall colored clothing, etc.

Here's some of the Fall and Colonial dolls I created this Spring::

My Queen Anne House Cross-Stitch Picture

When trying to decide on which small cross-stitch kits I wanted to try last year I knew I wanted to cover several holidays and seasons. To cover the Christmas holiday season and the winter season I choose the counted cross-stitch and bead design from Mill Hill - -Buttons &  Beads Series #MH14-7301 Queen Anne House. I, of course, just love Victorian Houses so this was a simple choice for me!

Like the other Mill Hill  - Buttons & Beads Series patterns I had bought the Queen Anne House kit included the pattern, embroidery thread, perforated paper, beads, 2 needles and instructions.

The Queen Anne House pattern uses full counted cross-stitch and outline stitching as well as beads for emphasis and depth. The pattern also calls for certain areas of the perforated paper to be left untouched as the background.

Given the experience I had with my "Spirit of Quilting Angel Counted Cross Stitch Project" and the fragile nature of perforated paper I decided to add wide masking tape to the back of my perforated paper before I started cross-stitching. I also decided to utilize the rectangular wood frame jig that my darling husband built for me that I could tape the edges of my perforated paper to. The wood frame jig was a rectangular embroidery hoop of sorts, but without bending the paper. He made it out of 1/2" x 1" pine wood strips. It also had an adjustable center strip that I used for this 5 x 5 square design.

I also decided this time that I needed to draw diagonal lines to locate the exact center of the perforated paper as in the Gather Together  cross-stitch picture I was slightly off center by a few holes which caused a problem with inserting the needles in the holes along one of the edges of my frame. So, I drew a diagonal line across each corner to get the center point of the perforated paper.

I had also run into a slight problem with the beads along the edge of the Gather Together  cross-stitch picture I had done when framing it so this time I also drew squares on the perforated paper to show me where the 5" x 5" square was and where a 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" square would be. The reason for the latter was because one of the frames I was considering for this while 5" x 5" only displayed 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" in the glass window. So, I wanted to make sure that I was okay as far as the design and beads were concerned along the edges were I to use this frame. Ten to one I was going to use the shadowbox frame like I had done for my Gather Together  cross-stitch picture so this wouldn't be a problem. But, just in case I didn't I wanted to be prepared.

While the end results of this design were wonderful some things in the kit and in the instructions could be improved upon. I'd like to offer the following constructive suggestions:

The cross-stitch chart was in black and white as was the floss color code and symbol key. Both were easy to read and very clear. While I had no problem with the chart and keys I did have a problem with the way the DMC floss was presented. All of the floss was tied together in one big knot so you had to separate the floss pieces yourself, sort them, and try to interpret which color belonged to which floss # and symbol key on the color chart.  If you only have a few colors to deal with this isn't a problem. However, if you have several different colors of say green to choose from that are close in color then interpreting the chart can be tricky. You may assign the wrong color to the wrong symbol if the colors are too closely aligned.

As I have done with other cross-stitch kits I've completed I had to design my own thread color sorter and symbol key. I took a piece of thin cardboard and cut a 1" x 9" long rectangular piece out to use as a thread sorter. I then punched 20 holes in my cardboard strip in which to tie each of the different colors. Just above the hole I wrote the DMC floss # and just below the hole I added the respective cross-stitch symbol. I then inserted the floss threads that went with that # and symbol through the hole and tied them in a loose knot. This kit could be much improved if a thread sorter with respective #'s and symbols was provided.

The beads were contained within two small ziploc bags which was fine. However, several different color beads were contained within each bag without any indication as to what bead numbers were included within the respective bag. If you only had one color bead to choose from in a bag this wouldn't have been a problem. However if there were multiple green beads within one bag or one bag contained green beads and the other bag contained green beads then you were left to interpret which color green bead the color chart was referring to. Labeling the ziploc bags as to which bead number they contained would enhance this kit.

I love using beads in cross-stitch designs as I think they really enhance the designs, as was the case with this kit. However, I had a tough time trying to thread the really tiny needle that came in this kit for beading purposes. I know the head of the needle has to fit through the tiny bead openings, but these needles were really, really difficult to thread and trying to do so was not only frustrating, but time consuming.

The pattern called for certain areas of the perforated paper to be left untouched as the background like the picture shown below:

My Victorian Dolls - Abigail - Victorian Snowlady To The Core and Chester - Victorian Snowman To The Core

Several years ago I found two patterns from Tenderberry Stitches for making two adorable Victorian snow people and, of course, fell in love with both of them.  I named them  Abigail - Victorian Snowlady To The Core and Chester - Victorian Snowman To The Core and they are shown in the picture below.

Abigail and Chester are an unusual pair of Victorians. They may happen to be snowmen (or should we say snowman and snowlady), but they are also Victorians to the core and gardeners to the core. You could say they are Victorian, snowpeople, and gardening lovers to the core.

Like a lot of Victorians they love their country cottages and love the ivy growing all over outside walls of their cottage homes. It grows in the spring, summer, winter, or fall. As a result they can be seen during any season attending to it. Since today was such a beautiful sunny day they decided to transplant a few new vines. The problem is that sometimes in doing so they get entangled in them

"Abigail - Victorian Snowlady To The Core" is a 25" self-standing wood and felt cloth snowlady with an embroidered and blushed face with black bead eyes and carrot resin nose. She has wool roving hair and bangs and is wearing her favorite lined wool bonnet that is adorned with ivy.

Her favorite burgundy colored wool coat has teal fringed band along the bottom edge and the front edges.  It has cuffed sleeves and is teal fringed collar.  A matching fringed teal scarf is wrapped around her neck and matching teal fringed shawl is wrapped around her arms and shoulders.  She is carrying her favorite draw string lined purse in her left hand and ivy transplant in her right hand.  Ivy also adorns the bottom of her body.

"Abigail - Victorian Snowlady To The Core" just loves being in the garden, especially if Chester is helping her.  She loves her Victorian cottage house adorned with ivy and hopes her new ivy transplants will take.

"Chester - Victorian Snowman To The Core" is a 25" self-standing wood and felt cloth snowman with an embroidered and blushed face with black bead eyes and carrot resin nose. He has wool roving hair and bangs and is wearing his favorite lined wool derby hat that is adorned with ivy.  Ivy also adorns the bottom of his body.

He is also wearing his favorite navy and brown colored tweed wool coat.  It has cuffed sleeves and is gathered at the collar.  A burgundy scar with teal fringe edges fringed  is double wrapped around his neck.  He is carrying his favorite broom adorned with ivy to sweep the soil away from the walkways.

 "Chester - Victorian Snowman To The Core" just loves being in the garden, too, especially if Abigail is there.  He loves his Victorian cottage home, but really loves it because Abigail does.  And, anything she loves - well, he loves it too.  Even the ivy which he often gets tangled up in.

Both dolls were made based upon a Tenderberry Stitches pattern.

Brr....It's Cold Outside, Bruce! He Just Loves To Skate! - Victorian Snowman Doll

"Brr...Why Is It So Cold, Laura! " is a very unusual snow-lady. You see, she really doesn't like the cold weather. She's much rather stay inside her finely decorated "pink lady" Victorian house than be outside in the cold. However, she promised her son, "Brr... It's Cold Outside, Bruce!" that she'd take him to the Victorian skating party at Regency Park this weekend.

Bruce just loves to skate and is getting quite good at it. In fact, he's won several figure skating trophies which his mother has displayed on the living room mantle. But, he doesn't just love figure skating. He loves ice hockey too and is also very accomplished at that sport as well. So much so that everyone wants him on their team.

"Brr...It's Cold Outside, Bruce!" is a 9" three-tiered self-standing Victorian snowman warm & natural cloth doll. He has an embroidered face with X-crossed eyes, resin carrot nose, X-crossed embroidered mouth, and blushed cheeks. He has a full head of straight mohair hair which is barely controlled under his flannel Sculley cap. He is wearing his favorite lined and coordinated Victorian jacket with top stitching, and cuffed sleeves. His jacket is secured in the front with three buttons. A fringed flannel scarf is wrapped around his neck and tied in a knot in the front. His skates are flung over his shoulder and he is carrying his newspaper sack. He figured he might as well deliver his papers on the way to the skating party.

Bruce is looking forward to the skating party at Regency Park. Laura would much rather stay inside where it's warm.

Designer - Linda Walsh of Linda Walsh Originals

Brr... Why Is It So Cold, Laura! - She'd Much Rather Stay Inside! - Victorian Snow-lady Doll

"Brr... Why Is It So Cold, Laura!" is a very unusual snow-lady. You see, she really doesn't like the cold weather. She's much rather stay inside her finely decorated "pink lady" Victorian house than be outside in the cold. However, she promised her son, "Brr... It's Cold Outside, Bruce!" that she'd take him to the Victorian skating party at Regency Park this weekend.

Bruce just loves to skate and is getting quite good at it. In fact, he's won several figure skating trophies which his mother has displayed on the living room mantle. But, he doesn't just love figure skating. He loves ice hockey too and is also very accomplished at that sport as well. So much so that everyone wants him on their team.

"Brr... Why Is It So Cold, Laura!" is a 9" three-tiered self-standing Victorian snow-lady warm & natural cloth doll. She has an embroidered face with X-crossed eyes, resin carrot nose, X-crossed embroidered mouth, and blushed cheeks. She has curly white yarn hair on the top of her head. Her coordinated Victorian lined bonnet has a center band, gathered bonnet and bonnet brim with ear flaps. It sits wonderfully on the top and back of her head. She is wearing her favorite lined and coordinated Victorian jacket with front and back darts, and cuffed sleeves. Her jacket is secured in the front with two buttons and a lined jacket tie is wrapped tightly around her waist and knotted in the back. She is also wearing a coordinated and lined cape and a fringed flannel scarf is wrapped around her neck and tied in a knot in the front. Her skates are flung over her shoulder and she is carrying a tiny Victorian gathered purse. Her hands are being kept warm inside her fur puff.

Bruce is looking forward to the skating party at Regency Park. Laura would much rather stay inside where it's warm.

Designer - Linda Walsh of Linda Walsh Originals

Doug, The Handy Dandy Gentleman - He Can Make Anything! - Victorian Snowman Doll

"Petronella, The Birdhouse Lady!" is very concerned about her bird friends and their survival over the long, cold winter months. In fact she is so concerned she asked her husband, "Doug, The Handy Dandy Gentleman!" to make her several birdhouses that she could put in the yarn to help her feathered friends. The problem is that Petronella doesn't want just any birdhouses. She wants fancy Victorian birdhouses, with style and class. Lots of details and intricate molding.

Doug, on the other hand, doesn't want to invest so much time in making birdhouses that are just going to be destroyed by Petronella's fine feathered friends. He doesn't want to make them, but he loves to please Petronella.

"Doug, The Handy Dandy Gentleman!" is a 13" squared bottomed self-standing Victorian snowman warm & natural cloth doll. He has an embroidered face with black bead eyes, resin carrot nose, outline embroidered mouth, and blushed cheeks. He also sports a cute wool fleece mustache. Doug a full head of straight white mohair hair that is barely controlled under his lined felt top hat. He is wearing his favorite felt jacket with white piping along all the edges, a left side breast pocket, and two front pockets. His jacket is secured in the front with three buttons and two large fringed scarves are tied around his neck and then in a knot in the front. He also has two felt earmuffs over his ears to keep him warm and being the gentleman that he is he's carrying a handkerchief in his breast pocket.  He just never knows when his wife, Petronella, will need it.

"Doug, The Handy Dandy Gentleman!" knows how much Petronella's fine feathered friends mean to her and has no problem making them birdhouses. It's just that to have to make finely crafted and delicately featured Victorian birdhouses for "the birds" is really going overboard.

Designer - Linda Walsh of Linda Walsh Originals

Petronella, The Birdhouse Lady! - Don't Get Between Her and Her Birds! - Victorian Snow-lady Doll

"Petronella, The Birdhouse Lady!" is very concerned about her bird friends and their survival over the long, cold winter months. In fact she is so concerned she asked her husband, "Doug, The Handy Dandy Gentleman!" to make her several birdhouses that she could put in the yarn to help her feathered friends. The problem is that Petronella doesn't want just any birdhouses. She wants fancy Victorian birdhouses, with style and class. Lots of details and intricate molding.

Doug, on the other hand, doesn't want to invest so much time in making birdhouses that are just going to be destroyed by Petronella's fine feathered friends. He doesn't want to make them, but he loves to please Petronella.

"Petronella, The Birdhouse Lady!" is a 13" squared bottomed self-standing Victorian snow-lady warm & natural cloth doll. She has an embroidered face with black bead eyes, resin carrot nose, outline embroidered mouth, and blushed cheeks. She has a full head of curly white mohair hair that is barely controlled under her lace trimmed and gathered bonnet. She is wearing her favorite felt jacket with top stitching along all the edges, lined and bow decorated front pockets, and lace trimmed front panel edges. Her jacket is secured in the front with four buttons and two large fringed scarves are tied around her neck and then in a knot in the front. She is also wearing a coordinated two tier lined cape with lined and raised collar.

"Petronella, The Birdhouse Lady!" knows how to take care of her feathered friends. Her problem is that she loves everything and anything Victorian and wants everything Doug makes to be of the finest material and finest workmanship. Even if it's only going to be used for her fine, feathered friends. They deserve quality, too!

Designer - Linda Walsh of Linda Walsh Originals

A Refined Scarecrow, Jimmy! Victorian Scarecrow Doll

Despite his name "I'm A Refined Scarecrow, Jimmy!" is not very refined - at least, according to his sister "I'm A Proper Scarecrow, Nancy!"

Nancy's hoping she can help her brother, Jimmy and turn him into a right proper and respectable Victorian. The problem is he is a boy and a scarecrow to boot! But, Nancy thinks that doesn't mean he can't be Victorian and can't be the proper gentleman at all times.

After all, Victorian males are also well known for their manners and etiquette and since Nancy has plenty of that she figures she can transform Jimmy.

Nancy knows that she has been well trained and has no doubt she can teach her brother how to behave in a mannerly fashion. She is so confident of her skills that she is even willing to teach him how to dance. And, if you've ever taught your brother how to dance - well, you know how that goes!

Jimmy is willing to give all this a try. He loves his sister - after all and will do his best to see that she doesn't fail. He knows he can do it and also secretly knows that he really is every bit as refined and proper as Nancy is. But, he can't let her know that. He has to have a little fun - after all he is a boy and a scarecrow.

"I'm A Refined Scarecrow, Jimmy!" is a 12" Victorian scarecrow doll. Jimmy is a self-standing scarecrow cloth doll. He has an embroidered and watercolor pencil painted face. He is wearing a multi colored and coordinating shirt with gathered sleeves, a lined and coordinating jacket with pockets, flaps, lapels, collar and cuffs. He's also sporting a lined and coordinating Sculley cap. He has a full head of wonderful string hair that just his demeanor.

He is definitely refined - and, quite proud of himself. I hope you like "I'm A Refined Scarecrow, Jimmy!" His sister "The Proper Scarecrow, Nancy!" was released yesterday. Nancy's got her work cut out for her to get Jimmy ready for all the social events of the season. She thinks he's just not as refined as he needs to be - at least, not yet! Jimmy, on the other hand, knows better. They just don't get much more refined than Jimmy! Just don't tell Nancy!

Designer - Linda Walsh of Linda Walsh Originals

The Proper Scarecrow, Nancy! Victorian Scarecrow Doll

"The Proper Scarecrow, Nancy!" knows she is a scarecrow, but that doesn't mean she can't be Victorian and can't be the proper lady at all times. After all, Victorians are well known for their manners and etiquette and Nancy has plenty of that. She is always correcting her brother, "A Refined Scarecrow, Jimmy!" His manners are atrocious and his language skills - well, let's just say he has a lot to learn.

Nancy knows that she has been well trained and has no doubt she can teach her brother how to behave in a mannerly fashion. She is so confident she is even willing to teach him how to dance. And, if you've ever taught your brother how to dance - well, you know how that goes!

"The Proper Scarecrow, Nancy" is a 12" Victorian scarecrow from our new seasonal Victorian line. Nancy is a self-standing scarecrow cloth doll. She has an embroidered and watercolor pencil painted face. She is wearing a cotton slip with multiple layers of lace trim, a lace trimmed blouse, Multiple panel skirt with multiple layers of lace trim and gatherings, lace trimmed and lined felt jacket with a collar and cuffs, and a lined and lace trimmed felt bonnet with bows. She has a full head of wonderful string hair that just matches her outfit to the tee. She is definitely right proud of her appearance.

Nancy knows that when she is out in public she always has to look her best. You just never know when your picture is going to be taken and Nancy, the proper scarecrow, always wants to look her best. After all, she does have a reputation for class and elegance to maintain.

I hope you like "The Proper Scarecrow, Nancy!" Her brother "I'm a Refined Scarecrow, Jimmy!" will be released tomorrow. Nancy's got her work cut out for her to get him ready. He's just not as refined as he needs to be - at least, according to Nancy! Of course, her standards are a bit high!

Designer - Linda Walsh of Linda Walsh Originals

Who Doesn't Love Bunnies?

Who doesn't love cute, cuddly bunnies. Crafters and doll makers certainly do. When a crafter thinks of Easter or Spring they generally think bunnies and eggs. They've become a staple of Easter and Spring.

Why? Because like many other items crafters can do so many things with them. They can be Victorian, Primitive, Country, even Shabby Chic. They can be made of fur, cloth, wood, metal, just about anything. They can be colorful or bleak. They can have clothes or no clothes. They can be cuddly or firm. They can be standing, sitting, even hopping. They can be toys, dolls, knick-knacks, graphics, cartoons, candy, signs, pictures, etc. Just about anything you can imagine. The sky's the limit.

So, where did all the fascination and tradition of bunnies being associated with Easter and Spring begin. As with a lot of our traditions bunnies (or really, hares) have their origins in pre-Christian or pagan folklore. They served as symbols of abundant new life in the Spring. It was decided that Easter would always be the first Sunday following a full moon. So, since the moon was used to determine the date for Easter and the hare was the Egyptian symbol for the moon, hares became associated with Easter. Hares are nocturnal like the moon and carry their young for a month before giving birth, which is like the changing moon with its monthly full moon. It was also believed that the hare always kept its eyes open, watching the moon.

According to some pagan folklore, the Easter bunny was originally a large bird belonging to the goddess Eostre. To entertain her children she magically changed her favorite pet bird into a hare, which immediately laid colorful and magical eggs. So, because the Easter bunny was really a bird at heart he continued to build a straw nest and fill it with eggs.

Eggs were dyed and eaten during the Spring festivals in ancient Egypt, Greece, Persia, and Rome and were given as gifts to celebrate the coming of Spring. In all cultures the egg symbolizes the beginning of life or the universe. The early Christians didn't feel that the pagan custom of coloring eggs was harmful so they kept that pagan tradition and applied it to their own festivities. Some speculate that missionaries or Knights of the Crusades were responsible for bringing the coloring of eggs westward.

The earliest known reference to a modern Easter Bunny appears in German writings in 16th century Germany. In medieval times eggs were traditionally given at Easter to the servants. The first edible Easter bunnies were made in Germany during the early 1800's and were made of pastry and sugar.

In the 18Th century, German settlers brought the Easter Bunny tradition to America. The white Easter Bunny was called "Oschter Haws" or "Osterhase" and brought gifts of chocolate candy to good children. The children believed that if they were good the "Oschter Haws" would lay colorful eggs for them in a nest the children had built, which was usually a hat or bonnet that was placed in a secluded place like the barn or the garden.

Placing the hats or bonnets in secluded places eventually lead to the Easter Hunts. On Easter morning the children of the house would join together in a search for the eggs that the Easter Bunny had hidden while they were asleep.

By the 19Th century the Easter Hare became the Easter Rabbit. Plastic Easter eggs made their debut in the early 1960's with more than 1 million plastic eggs being purchased each year for Easter. American families would later change the tradition of the nest into using baskets and giving chocolate as well as money. And, today, we know how commercial all of this has become. Easter baskets are no longer just filled with candy eggs. It's amazing how a simple tradition has become such a commercial affair.

In any event, now you know why bunnies are associated with Easter and Spring. I suspect that crafters will continue with their love affair with bunnies for a long time to come. They're just so versatile. Besides, how can you not love a bunny? They're just so cute, so cuddly, so fuzzy, so warm, so....

Oh, here comes Peter Cottontail!
Hopping down the bunny trail,
Hippity hoppity, Happy Easter Day!"

Graphic courtesy of Becky at www.primsandstems.com

Snow, Snow! Go Away! Don't Return Another Day!

It's hard to believe that we are already at the time of year when it will be snowing once again. In fact, it has already snowed an inch here and they are predicting snow for Thanksgiving Day. The good news is that it will melt quickly. The bad news is we're just at the start of the season. Oh, joy!

Something has happened to me over the years. Aging has definitely changed my attitude towards snow. When I was a kid I LOVED the snow, mainly because it meant no school. I loved playing in it, making snow angels all over the lawn, building forts at the end of our driveway, making snowmen, throwing snowballs, etc. To me there was always something magical and mystical about snowflakes and snow.

Of course, snow also meant shoveling the driveway, which I hated. It wasn't the act of shoveling that bothered me. It was the fact that I had to help my brother shovel the driveway when his chores were outside and mine were inside the house. This was a long time ago when women had household chores inside the house and the men had household chores outside the house. My brother didn't help me with the laundry, dusting, washing the dishes, etc. Why did I have to help him shovel, rake the leaves, mow the lawn, etc.?

When I questioned this , my Mother would say, "Just help your brother!" I'd reply, "Aw, MA!!!" She'd look at me with one of those Mother looks (you know what I mean) and say, "Linda, just do it!" So, being the dutiful daughter that I was, I did it. However, just because I did it, it didn't mean I liked it or agreed with it.

I'm always getting side tracked, aren't I? In any event, back to the aging! I think that as you get older, and older, and older (like me) you prefer looking at pictures of snow in a magazine, not at snowflakes falling on your lawn, or on your driveway. An accumulation of 189" of snowflakes in a winters season can change ones childhood view of snowflakes being magical and mystical. With age snow becomes much more of a nuisance. It's hard to walk in, hard to drive in, and, most certainly, a pain to shovel. Isn't aging grand? To quote Doug Larson, "The aging process has you firmly in its grasp if you never get the urge to throw a snowball."

But, it's not just what I have to do with the snow, it's even annoying with regards to my wonderful dog. Don't get me wrong. He just loves the snow. In fact his middle name is "Snow Doggie!" He just loves to run and jump in it. He could stay out for hours. It's baffling that he just loves the snow, for he HATES the rain with a passion. That is truly mystifying because in both instances he gets wet. What's the difference between being wet with snow and wet with rain?Must be a doggie thing!

In any event, the problem with the snow is that after he's had all his fun he comes back in the house with snowballs all frozen and caught in his fur. The snowballs get all over the floor and the furniture. Ah, man! You have to drag out the "doggie blow-dryer" (of course he has his own blow dryer!) to melt the snowballs and dry his fur (which, of course, he just LOVES!!!) And, all the time all you can think about is "Snow, snow! Go away! Don't return another day!"

So, given that aging has dampered my childhood love of snow, you might wonder how can I possibly love snowmen and snowladies as much as I do? Why would you want to design a doll based on something that, in it's natural state, is so annoying to me? Well, possibly because snowmen and snowladies are dolls (which we all know I love) and as dolls they don't make a mess. They can't melt all over your floor. You don't have to shovel them and throw your back out. They just sit there very lovely, allowing you to enjoy them, and to recall your wonderful childhood memories of mystical snowflakes and magical snowmen, snow angels, and snow castles.

So, like most crafters I just adore making snowmen and snowladies. Why? Because you can do so much with them. They can be Victorian, primitive, modern, grungy, raggedy, shabby chic, etc. They can be made of cloth, Styrofoam, Warm & Natural, felt, wool, terry cloth, cotton, corduroy, wood, clay, terra cotta, etc. Just about anything. They can be happy. They can be sad. They can be partially melting or three levels full. They can be skinny or fat. Large or small. Ornaments or full size dolls. They can be added to wreaths or hung from garland. The possibilities are endless. How could you not love them so?

If you've never made a snowman, you should. They're so enjoyable to make and such a pleasure to display. You can display just one or a whole bunch together, or various clusters all around the house. Just let you imagination be your guide. Display them inside, all around, or upside down. Put then on your door, on your walls, on your shelves. Put them inside, put them outside, put them anywhere. Make them, decorate them, and then relax and enjoy them. For to be sure. In a few short weeks they may be watching you as you bend your knees, lift and throw (there goes my back!) all that snow. SNOW, SNOW! GO AWAY! DON'T RETURN ANOTHER DAY!


Here's a few "snowman" riddles for you:

Q. What is a snowman's favorite lunch?
A. An Iceberger!

Q. What does a snowman take when he's sick?
A. A Chill Pill!

Q. What kind of hat does a snowman wear?
A. An Ice Cap!

Q. What do you call a snow party?
A. A Snow Ball!

And the best snowman riddle:

Q. What happened when the snowlady got angry at the snowman?
A. She gave him the cold shoulder!

A Teddy Bear As A Scarecrow!

You can't be a doll designer or doll pattern designer and not have one, two, three, four or more scarecrow dolls. They can be primitive, classic, scary, well-dressed, tattered, large or small bodied, cheerful, scary, etc. It doesn't matter. They're a staple of every crafter. Why is that? Why are we so enthralled with them? I'm not sure, but I'd like to find out.

That got to me thinking about scarecrows and their history. Oh, boy! Another research project. For all my blog readers you know how I HATE research projects!

The definition of a scarecrow is 1) an object for scaring birds away (i.e. an object in the shape of a person dressed in old clothes, set up in a field to scare birds away), 2) a poorly dressed person (i.e. somebody who wears ragged clothes) , and 3) something frightening, but not dangerous.

They say that farmers have been making scarecrows for more than 3,000 years with the earliest know written fact being written in 1592. In the 1700's the farmers in the American colonies needed more and more grain. The farmers decided that neither they nor the scarecrows were sufficiently protecting the crops so the towns started to offer bounties for dead crows. Well, things went too far (which is what usually happens) and so many crows were killed that in the 1800's the colonies had a severe problem with an over population of worms and insects that had previously been eaten by the crows. The worms and insects were destroying more crops than the crows had (that figures). So the farmers took to making scarecrows again.

While they have traditionally been known as scarecrows they have had several names and have taken on several forms. In Pennsylvania the German farmers built human looking scarecrows called "bootzamon" or bogeyman. The "Bootzamon's" body was a wooden cross and his head was a broom, mop top, or piece of cloth stuffed with straw. He usually wore old overalls, shirt, straw hat, and red handkerchief around his neck. Sometimes more than one was built (everybody needs a little company, even scarecrows). The German farmers even had a "bootzafrau" or bogeywife. After all, every scarecrow needs a partner, don't they? The "bootzafrau" was usually dressed in a long dress or coat, wearing a hat or sunbonnet, and was placed in the opposite end of the field. So, you had a "bootzamon" on one end and a "bootzafrau" on the other end. Wonder which one really wore the pants in that family!

During the Middle Ages the German farmers made wooden witches and put them in the fields at the end of the winter. They believed that the witches would draw the evil spirit of winter into their bodies (which is why they were so ugly) so spring would come.

In Egypt, scarecrows were used to protect the fields along the Nile River from quail. The farmers would put wooden frames up with nets and would hide in the fields to scare the quail in to the nets. Once captured they, of course, would take them home and eat them.

They say that in Greece 2,500 years ago that wooden scarecrows were made to look like Priapus, the son of the god Dionysus and the goddess Aphrodite. According to legend Priapus lived with vineyard keepers and was very ugly. When he played in the fields he was so ugly the birds were frightened away. Maybe it's me, but if Priapus was the son of Aphrodite (wasn't she the goddess of love and beauty) I would think the crows would have flocked to him.

Japanese farmers hung old rags, meat, fish bones, etc. from bamboo poles in their rice fields. They named their scarecrows "kakashis" which means smells badly because they would set the sticks on fire and the smell was so bad that it drove the birds away. Of course, it probably drove the neighbors away, but that's a different story.

In Medieval Britain the scarecrows known as "bird shooers" were live boys 9 years old or older. I bet you're thinking I'm going to tell you that they were tied to the wooden crosses and hung in the fields. The young boys patrolled the fields carrying bags of stones which they would throw at the birds to chase them away. After the Great Plague in 1348, when approximately half the population was killed, the farmers started to stuff sacks with straw and hung these in the fields as there were not enough little boys around to scare the birds away. They would stuff the sacks with straw and make carved heads out of gourds.

Most of the Native American Indian scarecrows were adult men. They would sit on raised platforms and would howl and shout at the crows if they came near the corn. Creek Indian families actually moved into huts within the corn fields during the growing season to protect the crops from birds and other prey. In New York, the Seneca Indians soaked their corn seeds in a poisonous herb mixture that would make the crows fly around like crazy and scare the other birds away. It's been reported that one of the scarecrows used by the Navajo took the form of a teddy bear, which was hung from the top of a pole. That's a new one for me. A teddy bear as a scarecrow. You'd think the crows would want to cuddle the bear not fly away from it. Could be a new doll line. Hmmm.

In any event, the scarecrow has clearly been around a very long time and clearly has taken many forms. Whether you believe in the tradition or not scarecrows are loved by artists, crafters, writers, and children the world over. For doll designers and crafters we just can't have enough of them. I know, I can't.

For crafters it really doesn't matter whether you are a crafter of primitive crafts, Victorian crafts, country crafts, etc. No matter what type of crafter or designer you are we all still have one thing in common: we are all still in love with scarecrows. I know I am and I suspect you are as well.