February  2008                Issue 12

The Peabody Ducks

I sell the Wee Peeple Dolls each February at a Woman's Conference.

This year the conference was held at the Peabody Hotel in Little Rock, Arkansas.

These may look like ordinary ducks, but they are actually celebrities.

Their home is the Peabody Hotel- and they are the Peabody Ducks.

check this out...

This is the downstairs lobby. And there they are.

In their showplace duckpond with not a speck of duck manure to be seen anywhere...

I didn't know ducks could live this clean.

Each day, twice a day,  the Peabody Ducks do their march.

This is what they are famous for-

 the March of the Peabody Ducks.

The crowd gathers to hear the DuckMaster tell a story

about the first live ducks which were placed in the public fountain

by hunters who were guests at the hotel-

it's an interesting story.

(Notice the glass elevators in the backround...)

Then the DuckMaster and an apprentice from the audience guide the ducks with canes to the steps.

The flock of ducks, four females and one male,

walk down the steps and onto the red carpet.

They march down the red carpet, around the corner and into the elevator.

The elevators are made of glass so the ducks look out the windows at the people in the lobby

who can see the ducks riding in the elevator on their way to the second floor.

...where their Duck Chariot awaits them...

and they are wheeled to the Duck Palace for the night.

After I got home I realized these were the only pictures I got of the Women's Conference!

What can I say- I just love ducks.

This is not meant to be an endorsement for the Peabody Hotel,

 but their beds were the best I have ever slept in, in my life,

and the live blues saxophone and piano on Friday night

resonated throughout the lobbies in a most hauntingly beautiful manner

 and was especially pleasant in the background during drinks and dinner.

Needless to say, it was quite an enjoyable conference.

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New Paintings

The groundhog saw his shadow

while we were in Arkansas...

it is hard to be in the mountains and not feel inspired to paint-

so I got started on a few paintings while I was there-

Seedpod

Valentine

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

:)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

GHOST GLIDES FOR THE HILLS

SO FAR, SO GOOD... no sign of the ghost in the bedroom-

Perhaps he moved on- past the distant ridge of mountains and beyond...

So, NOW...

it's time to make DOLLS again!

the new Bottle Dolls are really taking over these days.

each Bottle Doll is reinforced with a layer of cotton which is actually glued to the glass, before the dress ever goes on.

This year the open arms of the Bottle Dolls are a little longer so that they can be positioned in new ways.

You'll see - at Scarborough Faire.

Meanwhile...

The Great Crystal Cleaning Marathon continues...

We have been cleaning crystals all winter around here.

Shown here is the work table set up for dipping the crystals in the acid. That would be Oxalic Acid.

The acid has to be hot, so what you are seeing here is a pot of water with acid in it, warming on a small electric burner.

The acid takes the iron stains off of the crystals.

Then I transfer the crystals to clean water, and wash off all the acid.

I am doing all this because I prefer to see crystals standing up straight, not laying down on their sides,

so I decorate them in such a way that they stand upright.

There WILL be Decorated Crystals by spring... (we ran out of them last year)

but they will be there- shining in the Scarborough Faire sunlight.

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New Brooches 

yay.

yes brooches are back this year...(we ran out of them last year too)  

some of them even have stars in their eyes...  

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

now also...

You may have seen these...

Yarnypoof Thingys

for the hair

but I think (know) I can beat the prices you've been seeing...

They can be used as hair ties or

pin them to your hat....

sold as singles or in pairs

(these little fluffer-things are not to be confused 

with the highly wearable BeadHead Dolls,

which have heads and arms)

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Get ready for lots more TALL OPEN-ARM DOLLS 

in the Spring too!