A Trip to Northampton * Webs

Tuesday brought a trip to Northampton to go to Webs,
America's Yarn Store,
with my youngest daughter.
We just happen to hit their end of the year sale which allowed access to their warehouse.
It was all a bit overwhelming.
After much perusing we made our purchases and
headed downtown for lunch at Jake's
where we both had a delicious Turkey Ruben Sandwich.

A Trip to Northhampton * Ana Brahms Window Display

Dolls by Ana Brahms

Window display at the Don Muller Gallery in Northampton, MA.

When my daughter asked if I wanted to go Webs, the yarn shop in Northampton,
I knew that we would have make a stop to see the window display at the Don Muller Gallery.
This year's display was the "Story of Cinderella".

Ana Brahms began making dolls from Fimo in 1978 when Fimo was new to the market.
Her dolls have been exhibited world wide.
She lives in Massachusetts and this is the third year that her dolls have been displayed in the window of the Don Muller Gallery at Christmas time. Her dolls are are between 12 and 35 inches tall. Their bodies are made of cotton on a metal armature. The heads and limbs are formed of clay, fimo, prosculpt, paper-mache',wood and plaster and painted with acrylic paint. The hair is goat's hair or silk threads and the eyes are glass. Her work is just amazing.

Blizzard of 2010

Christmas Around The House

Christmas Around The House

Snowflake Ornament

Teddy Bear Christmas Tea

It was another Teddy Bear Tea at the Florence Griswold Museum.
And this time the Princess went with Grammy and Grandma
which caused a lot of excitement.

There were projects, and stories...

and looking at the decorated trees.

The highlight of the event is Miss Florence's Tree.
Miss Florence’s Artist Tree is back for its seventh year with additional painted palettes, bringing the count to 120 artists from across the country who have donated works to this one-of-a-kind tradition. The 12-foot tree has become a holiday icon for the region. The idea of artists painting on palettes relates directly to the Museum’s history as the center for the Lyme Art Colony, and alludes to the doors and wooden wall panels the artists painted throughout Miss Florence's house over a hundred years ago. The palette artists’ styles and subject matter are as varied as the individuals. Oils, acrylics, watercolors, ceramics, collage, and even glass are used to transform the palettes into traditional holiday scenes, delightful landscapes, and more than a few surprises!

The Princess is looking for the palette that matches the picture
of a part of a palette. Binoculars were provided to help in the search.

A close up of the tree.

Other trees on exhibit were...

The Old Lyme Tree,

the Needlework Tree,

The Liberty Tree,

and The Knitter's Tree.

More trees were displayed in the gift shop.

Making Bahtoos

Many years ago, when Princess Buttercup was a small tyke, there was a toy turtle that said,
"Bahtoo, Bahtoo, Bahtoo, as it walked and hence forth turtles became known as "Bahtoo".
Shortly before Thanksgiving, Grampy woke up in the middle of the night with the idea to make turkeys out of styrofoam balls and assorted other objects. Then a few nights later, it was the idea to make Bahtoos out of styrofoam eggs. Who knows what he will think of next??

Christmas Wrapping

When you don't have enough wrapping paper what can you do? Paint!
Princess Buttercup helped me paint the cardboard box containing her parents Christmas present.
I just thought we would do a tree, but she wanted to add a Santa, and then walls and floor. The next time she is here, she wants to paint Mother, Father and kids in bed waiting for Santa on the other side of the box.