This year…

… is full of dreams and goals.

    as it should be.

Currently working on setting up my Etsy store, researching cameras, re-organizing the downstairs home studio, planning, re-grouping from the holidays, searching for the best cinnamon bun recipe, uploading images from the 2010 Olive Sparrow Children and clothes…

                and dreaming. (and resisting to sneak the last of the cookies that a dear friend is still waiting for — good thing they are in the freezer)..

I will talk with you more this year through this wonderful place… another goal.

 

 

The Olive Sparrow Child — Meg (short for Megan)

A child has flown the nest, her name is Meg (short for Megan) and she is about 50 cm tall. Her new mom will be Juliana and it is her Birthday today!

Emily-sitting-pretty

 

Emily-portrait

Emily-pants-shoes

Emily-booths

Emily-pirate

Emily-pirate-2

Emily-pirate-3

There are also other children in the works and clothing and goodies, as the Olive Sparrow will be a vendor at the Waldorf Academy Winterfair in Toronto on December 4th. So exciting and loving the rush of creation.

 

Each doll is made up of the following materials.

Skin: 100% cotton (Swiss-made to Öko-Tex-Standard 100)
Stuffing 100% “green-processed” wool batt
Hair: 100% Wool, or a Mohair/Wool Blend
Clothing: 100% natural fibres (linen, cotton, silk)
Shoes: Recycled felted wool sweaters, or pure leather
Face: 100% cotton Embroidery Thread

Workmanship:
Each doll is created individually by artist Monika Aebischer, the proprietor of The Olive Sparrow. She sources and uses only the highest quality materials in her creations – swiss-made skin fabric, north-eastern-Ontario green processed wool stuffing, her own hand-dyed wool/mohair for the dolls hair.

She uses up-cycled vintage and clothing fabrics, in either pure linen, cotton or silk. Up-cycled fabric is wonderful for doll clothes, as the cloth has been washed soft, gentle and free of textile manufacturing products. Monika also felts used woolen sweaters to use for doll shoes and clothing. She knits the doll’s hats out of prime quality knitting wool. Each seam on the doll’s body is sewn twice to allow your child to fiercely love their Olive Sparrow Child. Clothing is sewn with French seams and some are fully reversible. 

All Olive Sparrow Children’s hair is made from a crochet cap that is sewn to the head, allowing for replacement should it ever become necessary (although most children will object to this, as it changes their doll dramatically). The hair of each doll is made from wool or mohair yarns.

 

Rainbows in the Garden

Mother Nature, or as Huxley has started to call it Mr. Planet (gotta work on that.. grin), has been starting in on her swan song…

Tomato-rainbow
 

A perfect sprig of cherry tomatoes getting ready for harvesting, caught at dusk.

Dusk it also seems to be for LoHa, our little hamster, as she is nearing the end of her time with us. She is about two and a half, which we have been told is very old for a hamster. I'm sad to see her now, and hope she finds peace very soon. Sadly there is no assistance to aide her with, except to keep her cage very clean and keep her comfortable. 

Soaked…

This past weekend was my birthday present  – spending time with my family on the Bruce Peninsula, a place where I have lost part of my soul but also found it in the first place. The last time I was up there was in 2002 when Richard and I still had a very new relationship. We both remembered walking along the trail just after climbing back out of the the grotto looking at each other and saying almost simultaneously "this is why we would love to have a child – to show this to her/him". It took us only 8 years to go back. But this year we made it happen.  

The most memorable events this time was all three of us getting soaked…

Singing-huxley

Singing-huxley2
 Huxley at Singing Sands

Fathom-five-huxley

Huxley at Fathom Five Look-out

Fathom-five-richard
The shot just before it got Richard at Fathom Five.. he heard it coming but was not fast enough… (giggle)…

Half-log-monika
And I of course got the biggest and best one… soaked my clothes through and through.. ah, the forces of nature. 

Today, a day of celebration for me, as it is my Birthday. The plan, already partially realized: reading in bed after awakening, breakfast outside prepared by hubby, snuggles with Huxley on the couch (his request). Now, off to the market to buy peaches to put up, then to the studio to get some work done (while Huxley will work on a spear for himself), lunch with my boy, home in the afternoon and another piece of Birthday cake. Why another piece you might ask… well… having been born at 1:45am in Switzerland, we traditionally have some festivities starting at 6:45pm on the 23rd… ) nothing beats a 30 hour birthday party… Right….