Just came back from great trip to the East and visited a great gift shop where our snowmen and papier mache creations can be found; the Red Lion Inn, in Stockbridge Mass.  They are in the process of putting out their winter items right now.  If you are in the area stop in to see this beautiful and historic Inn for a great dinner, drink on the veranda and an overnight stay.

The Start of It All

I started working again at my santas, should have started earlier but...there's always a reason to postpone the start, but anyway I found one of my original old santas from way back in 1992.  That along with an older Uncle Sam were both in a box with some santas I have left over from last year 2012 vintage.

The santas have changed considerably.  

Worked a bit today finishing 6 snowmen that I have had started for several months now.  Have to finish them so I can start sculpting again.  

Now to finish the last 3 or 4.  

Oh and in the middle of all that, I found an ornament that Marge did last year and gave me for my tree so I thought I would share that as well.  The santa face is awesome.  I love how it's finished off with a dusting of glitter.  

August 2013

This has been quite an experiment with this blog for us and it continues even now.  I noticed that the main page of the blog was becoming very long, long long and I worried that it would take so long for folks to load that they would give up before all the photos of our LoveKins showed up.  I hope this pages thing solves that and keeps things a bit neater and tidier for all.

I found some great photos on my google account and hopefully I can post a few of them here as well.

First up is Sparkle

Sparkle is a 2012 Snowman and was sold in December of 2012

Next up is WideBody Snowman the first of his kind. 

Widebody was designed and sold in 2010.  Since the first widebody I have sculpted several more but this one will always be my favorite I think.  Maybe it's the head tilt.

These next 2 widebodies were designed in 2011 and sold in 2011.  In 2012 I did a couple of widebodies but most of the snowmen were taller and thinner than these guys.   All of these were sold in 2012.  

Do we sell all our snowmen every year?  Noooo sometimes they hang around for a year or two or end up at a relatives as a present.  And, some like this guy end up back home with momma and they make me so happy.  

In the beginning Marge and I tried to take photos of each and every santa or snowman we made, but as we continued in this craft we either failed to take a photo or lost the photo in an unexpected computer crash. 

For whatever reason we failed to continue the photo thing and after time *I* we forget designs.  So I was delighted to rehome this next snowman.  I think I have to designs a few more like this.  

I still have a few my workshop that I am finishing up, they will be available in 2013 including "Dare 2 be Different."

Today's LoveKins

Santa Ornament

I took some photos of one of last year's Santa ornaments that ended up at my daughter's house.  These ornaments were some of our most popular designs.  I know both Marge and myself wanted Christmas trees with these...I have some photos of a tree with our ornaments on the tree.  In fact the page background is one of the photos but neither one of us has enough to fill a tree.  Anyway here are more photos from my new cell phone.  I know I made these ornaments on a trip to Texas one year and Marge worked on them as well during trips to NY.  Who knew you could sculpt while riding in a car cross country???  

This santas hat is painted a winter blue.  Love the color!  

More Snowmen and Some Early Santas

Woohoo!  Got an email from Marge with some of her snowmen attached.  Also I took a few new photos of my new found snowman this afternoon in my messy workroom.  I HAVE got to clean it up!!!

This little guy is melting.....so sad.  

This little guy is enjoying some wine.  Love it!

Here is one of Marge's scarecrows.  

This is my newly found snowman...he's on the worktable with multiple paint jars, glue, brushes and unfinished snowmen.  

It really is a mess down there.  I have lots to do...

....and I need to finish this guy.  Yes indeed it's a square snowman.

He will have a little sign that says Dare to be Different.  

Some of our Santas!  I think my brother has the one with the goose or duck.

Look What I Found

Oh my gosh, look what I found hiding in my mother's closet.  She told me to take him home so after leaving him there for a couple of weeks, I brought him home so I could make another.  Haven't done that yet but I wanted to share him here anyway.  This is what happens when you don't take photos of everything you make!  And, I mean everything!!!! 

 

I had totally forgotten this guy.  I'm so glad I gave him to my mother because he ended up back with me and now I will probably make a couple more of this design because I do love the smile on this one a lot!  These photos were taken with my cell phone so they're not the best but I still had to post them. 

 

I also had some time this morning.  The grands are sleeping in.....so I am tiptoeing around and had time to read the beginning of this blog and realized that I never quite got around to finishing the story of how Marge and I got started.  That's the one thing about blogs, you are always reading from the end.  LOL  So I really should tell the rest of the story but not this time.  I will leave that for tomorrow.