If at First
25 September 2010
So last summer Ace Hardware had a sale on Adirondack chair kits. I quote the Prince Consort, “We do Not need adirondack chairs.” And he left for work. The boxes the chair kits came in fit nicely in my car.
The Prince Consort put them together, and I painted the chairs smiley yellow. Then because they so clearly needed something extra, I added lady bugs. dragonflies, and butterflies. And after a summer’s use the PC decided my chair needed a footstool.
Bought footstools are $$$. I hunted down a footstool pattern. The PC took the challenge. He made a footstool. Which I painted smiley yellow, and then it needed something more. A critter like the dragonflies et al, but different. This time I decided not to use stencils. So I printed out ‘how to draw’ instructions for about ten critters. And I practiced.
Turned out the only thing I could draw was mice. So mice it was. I painted two on the footstool, carefully putting them at the bottom edge so they’d show up nicely. The good news is they are recognizable. The bad news is … Uh huh. Upside down. Instead of impressing anyone approaching the chair, they stare at me from where the stool attaches to the chair.
I suppose this is a better result than the bejeweled tombstone, sort of.
But I have goals. I want to create like my friend Connie Fleming( http://cmfleming.com). She’s published a fabulous historical novel, and while she writes another and submits her latest manuscript waiting for the genius editor who will snap it up, she’s creating. Not just more of the totes so cute you can’t figure out why you ever bought a regular purse, but now Raggedy Ann and Andy type dolls. I remember the way mine made me feel so loved when I peeked at their painted hearts. Connie makes hers to order. Need a blond rag doll with a heart of gold?
And she’s working on accessories. I’m betting her Raggedy Annish doll will soon have her own fancy Halloween tote. And Andy, hmm maybe he’ll have a tool bag for all those Adirondack chairs looking to be assembled.
Kath
