Bridget Zinn Auction Closed

The auction for Bridget Zinn closed yesterday and raised over $2500.00. Way to go, Kidlitosphere! I'm just thrilled that the little sunflower root child doll I made brought in $50.00.

I didn't mention it at the time, but I had wanted to make something bigger and spendier for the auction but didn't have the time to do so, and wanted to get something in. The sunflower child happened to be what I had just completed when I contacted Jone about donating a doll to the auction. I'm thrilled that the doll went for over twice the valued amount. The high bidder is Adrienne of What Adrienne Thinks About That. Congratulations, Adrienne! In addition to the Sunflower Root Child doll, the wee gift I promised is a basket akin to the ones that accompany the Strawberry and Blueberry children:



I believe there will be enough room in the basket to hold a few sunflower seeds.

Crafty Thursday: Featuring Ginkgo and Meadow Fairy

My new, two-sided mini-business cards came today! I'm encouraging people to use them as bookmarks:



Today, I listed two new dolls in the shop. The first one is an autumn-themed ginkgo root child:



Up until now, my autumn dolls have been pretty sparse, probably because I started making nature-themed dolls in late October. I've been a fan of ginkgo leaves (though not the stink of the seeds!) ever since Lucia found at the library Fall Leaves Fall by by Zoe Hall and Sheri Halpern. It was the first book she ever chose for herself. Lucia's obsession with ginkgo leaves has abated a bit since two years ago. We both still appreciate the leaf shapes, and I love it that the tree is considered to be a living fossil.

The second doll I listed is a meadow fairy, the first small doll for the shop that has 1. wings 2. arms. This doll wasn't planned, but I had the basic form cut out of scrap felt, and I wanted to see what would happen. This is what happened:



Sales have been going well this week. I'm pleased to report that the sales I've made this month have paid for all of my materials. Thank you so much! After a friend commissioned a white rose, I went on a rose kick, and made 5 more, including a "goth Waldorf" black rose. Guess what kind of rose I'm going to make next! (Hint: Elaine Magliaro is one of seven.)

On my Etsy admiration wishlist this week are three necklaces: TARDIS (in space, as opposed to flight ready or full power, which are also neat), silver pomegranate and kite depictions. The funny thing is that even though I admire jewelry, I don't wear much of it these days besides my wedding rings and a super-light watch that was inexpensive and on sale. I try to remember to wear earrings for gigs, but it's a far cry from the days in high school when my mother would remark, "You know, you only have one neck."

I've finished the Blueberry Child who is a companion for the Strawberry Child I mentioned last week. I haven't listed either of them yet, as I want to hold on to them for a little while longer before they go out into the world.

My cousin the ophthalmologist

My aunt sent me a video of a news segment that highlights my cousin, Dr. Monica Dweck, an opthalmologist who could work anywhere in the country but chooses to practice at Downstate Medical University in Brooklyn, New York, where she did her residency. Years ago, when Bede and I found out that our nine-month old daughter had a condition called Persistent Hyperplastic Primary Vitreous (PHPV), and were quietly freaking out (especially since Lucia's first pediatric opthalmologist left something to be desired when relating to patients), Monica calmly talked me through the possible options and helped me realize that we could deal with whatever we had to deal with.

Here's the video:

NY PIX 11 Morning News Blog WPIX-TV

I know what I wrote a few days ago about people being famous, but I'm fine with Monica being more famous if that means more people will know what great work she's doing. As my grandmother would say, I'm kvelling.

On Foot

In the New York Times online, I was interested to read an article by Nicolai Ouroussoff that a stretch of streets in New York City between 42nd -47th were now closed to traffic in order to shape a more pedestrian-friendly Times Square. What I found most poignant was the last paragraph:

What’s most encouraging about [transportation commissioner, Janette Sadik-Khan's]vision is that it reasserts the positive role government can play in shaping the public realm after decades of sitting by and watching private interests take over. Now she has to prove that she can be as nimble in her design choices as she is at imposing her ideas on a skeptical city.

Years ago, Downtown Seattle had a section of Pine Street by Westlake Center closed to traffic. I lived in Seattle during that time, as it was my "gap year" between college and graduate school when I worked as an assistant teacher in a daycare center for children of homeless parents. At the risk of sounding overly nostalgic, these were the days before the Convention Center blocked the view of Elliot Bay and the Pike Place Market Sign. Since then, some decrepid buildings have been torn down, but so have a number of beautiful old houses to make way for tall, expensive townhomes.

In 1994, I appreciated the fact that there was one street where cars could not go. It was easy to meander around the plaza and listen to busking musicians. I was only there for a year and therefore not eligible to vote in 1995 against Nordstrom opening up that street. Nordstrom basically said that if they couldn't open up that street, they wouldn't take over the former Fredrick & Nelson building.

From the beginning of its Westward Expansion history, Seattle has rarely taken the long-range view of anything. People who participate in the infamous Underground Tour learn that lesson pretty quickly. I was going to recount some of the high points (or rather, low points), but I decided to link to this article instead where you can read about some of the mishaps and mistakes. For those who don't want to follow the link, I'll give you a cryptic summary of one of the historical vignettes: "exploding toilet syndrome."

Given our history, it's highly unlikely that Seattle will ever again close a stretch of street for pedestrian use. We can't even agree on what to do about the Alaskan Way viaduct, a stretch of highway that will most definitely not survive the next major earthquake. After voting 4 times in favor of a monorail, the city has said, "No monorail" and "Sorry, we can't give you back your monorail tax money because we already spent it." Our bus system has gone from being one of the best in the country to something really subpar because people voted on a flat-rate license tab renewal fee that took money away from public transportation.

One of the reasons why the House of Glee continues to live where we live is because currently, we can make it work to have just one car. We live on a busy street with a major bus-line, and we can walk to grocery stores and banks within a two mile radius. It would be a long walk, but we could in theory walk to Lucia's school, as it's two miles away. Our local library is six blocks away. If we were to move to a quieter part of town (for a moment, I'll pretend we can afford to do this) or I were to expand my storytelling business, we would definitely need a second car.

The Sad Stories

A few weeks ago, Lucia wanted me to tell her a sad story. I spun out a story of a couple who wanted a child, couldn't have a child, and then had the spirit of the child who was supposed to be theirs appear before them in the woods as the couple was cooking over a camp-fire. The child said, "Oh, how I wish I could have been your child," and disappeared. I filled it out with a lot of "and they cried, and they cried, 'Oh how we wish we had a child.'" (Dear Spinnerets, I don't know what had gotten into me except that as far as the four humors go, I have a melancholy nature. I wish I were sanguine, but I'm not.) Lucia was enjoying the story. However, I couldn't bear the couple's sorrow, and I had them find a child in a basket outside their door the next morning with a note that said, "I am your child."

Lucia was put out that I gave the story a happy ending.

A few days ago, when Bede was driving Lucia home from school, he told her a story of a woodcutter who found a stump in the forest and decided in fun that he would dress the stump, feed the stump lunch and pretend the stump was a child. Of course, one day the stump turned into a child.

Lucia demanded, "What are the sad parts of the story?"

My First Treasury on Etsy

Treasuries are member-selected collections of neat items that fit either a general or specific theme. They're meant to be generous, not self-promotional, and treasury makers are asked not to list more than one of their own items. There are only so many treasuries allotted at a time, and one has to be quick to nab one. Today at 4:30 pm, I finally got my shot. I grabbed a treasury slot, named it "A Story, A Story" (after the book by Gail E. Haley) and selected 12 favorite listings plus 4 alternates. You can view the treasury here until Saturday morning at 9:49 am (either Etsy's Eastern Standard Time or my Pacific Standard Time). I also have a screen shot:


Click on the photo to view it larger

I met my personal goal of 2 sales a week with three sales so far: Hellebore, Galadriel Fuchsia and Crocus. Believe it or not, Galadriel Fuchsia is an actual name of a Fuchsia, and not my coy attempt to cash in on the Lord of the Rings. I wanted to contribute a prize to MotherReader's 48 Hour Book Challenge that was somehow book-related, and so I sent MR a similiar-but-different Galadriel Fuchsia sister.

My latest listing is a Buttercup Root Child from a friend who sent me a "wishlist" note (by which people can recommend dolls without committing to custom orders). I don't often make blonde-haired dolls, but yellow hair was fitting for this one. I completed my Strawberry Child and am currently at work on the companion Blueberry Child. These dolls are a little bit bigger, more intricately embroidered, and will end up costing just a tiny bit more. However, they come with baskets filled with fruit. It's pretend fruit, but I trust you to use your imaginations effectively. I know. For those prices you expect real fruit. Here is your exclusive sneak peak, as Strawberry Child has not yet been listed:



Thank you for your continued encouragement and support.

I'm So Glad You're Not Famous

When I picked up Neil Gaiman's picture-book called Blueberry Girl, I read through it and thought, "It's nice enough, but it doesn't grab me." Then I listened to Gaiman read the poem for the book's animated trailer, and the words began to circulate in my mind:

Ladies of light, and ladies of darkness
And ladies of never-you-mind
This is a prayer for a blueberry girl.
First, may you ladies be kind...

As I began stitching a Blueberry Girl doll as a companion to a Strawberry Girl doll, I started thinking about how cool Gaiman is, not so much because I enjoy his writing (I do) but because how kind and thoughtful he has been with his fans. Like many others, I wish we were friends, but he is now way too famous for me even to show up at a booksigning to chat. It's not that Gaiman wouldn't want to chat with everyone who showed up, but that the lines are so very, very long.

I suddenly remember now how I would show up for the book-readings of the author Jane Hamilton, who was a college friend of my aunt's. I didn't really care for books in Hamilton's genre, but she was such a splendid person to talk with that I wished everyone else would go away. I would wait while people got their books signed so I could have Jane to myself for 45 minutes after. She reminded me of my aunt, who was not famous but seemed to be equally busy with all of her commitments.

As a child, I assumed that everyone I loved who came to visit was coming specifically to spend time with me--remember, we were living in a remote location, and there were long stretches of time when we didn't get any visitors. Our nearest neighbors were an elderly couple who lived 1/2 a mile away, and they were wonderful, loving people who understood how much I craved undivided attention. When our visitors came to stay, I was incredulous when they would want to spend time talking to my parents instead of playing with ME. As I got older, I had to learn to pretend to realize that most of the time I wasn't going to be the center of attention. By the time I was an adult, I didn't want to be the center of attention at all unless I was presenting a storytime. Even now, it's not so much that I want you to pay attention to me as much as I want you to enjoy my stories and songs. But I digress....

There are those of you who are not famous but yet you are "micro-famous" or otherwise sought after by a bunch of people. I would love to have your undivided attention for a significant amount time every now and then, but when you're beloved by so many people, it's hard to have more than a quick, passing conversation with promises to sit down and talk "really soon". This is why I'm grateful for the truly wonderful, thoughtful, funny, delightful people in my life who are not famous and have time for me. Of course I wish for you to be as successful as you want to be, but selfishly, I don't want you to become famous or overly sought-after. I really appreciate those one-on-one conversations we have, and I am grateful that we can sit together in public and drink our coffee without your adoring hordes descending upon us. I'm thrilled that we can have those internet chats (which are no excuse for real, live conversations, but are better than no conversations) and when I ask, "Do you have a moment?" you respond, "For you, always." Thank you for that.

Most of all, I am grateful for my husband, who is the best friend a person could ever hope to find. I think of the line from Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are: Max grew lonely and wanted to be where he was loved best of all.... Bede is that place.

4th Annual 48 Hour Book Challenge

It's time to start thinking about MotherReader's 48 Hour Book Challenge. This is her 4th year of hosting a weekend devoted to reading. The challenge is June 5-7, and you can find all the guidelines via the link.

Crafty Thursday: Mamakopp, Mamaroots, Pidoodle and me, Alkelda

I've decided that Thursday will be the designated "Etsy Day" on my blog. This is the day of the week in which I'll highlight items from sellers I've found, report any neat updates, etc. That way, I'll know how to pace things and not worry that I'm talking too much about my new cottage industry and associates. It's been a great two weeks, with repeat customers and commissions for new dolls. One person is using a commissioned Sand Elemental for sand tray or sand table therapy, and another person is using the Fuchsia, Ladybug Girl, Ladybug Gnomes and Moonshadow Sunflower dolls in her Waldorf kindergarten storytelling. I enjoyed making this Marigold doll commissioned for a child's birthday present. One person commissioned a number of dolls to display on her desk throughout the seasons-- in essence, she is creating a nature table on her desk! All the while, I am slowly building up a family of Elementals of my own for storytelling. I should be done with that set by next Thursday, and will post a photo then.

In addition to sales, I've done some trades with the kind, generous woodworker Mamakopp. Yesterday, I received in the mail a package containing a grey goose and gosling set, and a Lion and the Little Red Bird set inspired by the book by Elisa Kleven. It's been cold and rainy here, and this package was a bit of warmth:


Photo by me

Mamakopp has a blog that you can visit here.

Here's an item on my ever-lengthening wishlist: a Princess in the Forest storyset by Mamaroots, inspired by the book by Sibylle von Olfers, who also wrote The Story of the Root Children:

Photo by Mamaroots
Mamaroots has a blog that you can visit here.


Last but not least, my college friend ABCGirl of the blog happy stuff has finally brought Pidoodle to Etsy with her collection of jewelry and items like bags, pillowcases and burp-cloths made with "upcycled" textiles. I'm pleased to have this colorful bag for carrying around my embroidery kit on the go plus a book or two:


Photo by Pidoodle (this is fun to say fast)

And now, I'm back to sewing before it's time to pick up my daughter from school. Iy was a good to take a break, though. Two days ago, I sewed my finger. Fortunately, there was enough callous that it was no big deal, but it was a surreal moment. My poor guitar has been neglected this week. I need to learn some French songs for an upcoming assignment. On I go....

"Please Forward" short film

Please Forward is a short film about the booming chain-mail industry, directed by William R. Coughlan, produced by Pam W. Coughlan, a.k.a. MotherReader and written by Robin Brande. This film was part of the 48 Hour Film Project. I enjoyed watching this film and laughed out loud. I also got a kick out of Chain Mail International, the joke site created for the film.

I'm sending a link of this film to all of my friends. ("I usually don't do these things, but I just couldn't resist.")

Early May Catch-Up

Here's the thing: ever since I opened my doll shop on Etsy, I've been a lot busier. Things have been going really well this first week, and I'm having to work hard to list more dolls in the shop without getting into an assembly-line mentality. All the while, I'm conscious of how far behind I am on reading blogs, and I feel badly, because you all have been so supportive. I don't want to disappear into a sea of textiles! I realize that when I catch up on blog-reading, I have to start from different places each time. If I always start out with a wrung sponge and Amish Guitar, I will never get to What Adrienne Thinks About That and Yorkshire Pudding in the same evening.

This past weekend was Lucia's 6th birthday celebration. We got to attend a mother-daughter tea on Saturday, and then celebrate her birthday on Sunday, May 10. Rather than open up presents all at once, we spread them throughout the day. When she woke up, she found this handmade princess doll from Silver Acorn.

After breakfast, Lucia went out to the playhouse where she found a snow maiden marionette her teacher made for her in trade for a daffodil nature table doll I had made last month:



After lunch, Lucia opened up the package my niece sent, which contained a book of Russian fairy tales including the "Snegurochka" snow maiden story and this dress that my niece made:



You read that right, my niece made the dress! She makes her children's costumes and sews their Easter dresses. Yes, she's awesome. Last May, when we visited the family in California, Lucia was smitten with the "exiled princess" blue and white dress of one of her cousins. This purple dress is sewn in that style.

There were other lovely presents, too, and a festive gathering later on that afternoon. It was Mother's Day yesterday, and Bede and Lucia brought me tea and toast plus a hand-made card. I got to sleep in a little, and then work to clean up the house for guests. The house has become more of a shambles in the past couple of weeks. For now, it's clean. Would that it would stay clean!

I'll close with two phtoos. One is of the shade garden in early May:



The other is of a ladybug doll I made on Saturday, was featured in a treasury of ladybug related listings, and then sold on Sunday along with the Fuchsia doll:

Eric Herman on Boing Boing

Eric Herman, children's musician and blogger of Cool Tunes for Kids, made the front page of Boing Boing. Congratulations, Eric!

Stonewall Hinkleman, Time-Traveler: The Exclusive Interview

In the past, I’ve posted performer interviews on this blog, but decided that I would not do author interviews or book reviews. However, when I found out that Stonewall Hinkleman, THE actual Stonewall Hinkleman, whose time-traveling adventures were documented by Michael Hemphill and Sam Riddleburger in Stonewall Hinkleman and the Battle of Bull Run, was willing to be interviewed for Saints and Spinners, I jumped at the chance. Some of my favorite books of all time have been “time-slip” stories like Fog Magic by Julia L. Sauer and Justice and Her Brothers by Virginia Hamilton. You can read more about other time-slip novels over at Charlotte’s Library through her Timeslip Tuesday feature. The opportunity to speak with someone who actually traveled through time was too good to miss. Sam Riddleburger (who, in the interest of full disclosure, is a blog-friend) set up the meeting.

This interview is part of the Stonewall’s Blog Tour. The master link will guide you to other parts of the tour. You can win prizes courtesy of Dial Books For Young Readers: the Stonewall Hinkleman Prize Pack contains a signed copy of Stonewall Hinkleman & The Battle of Bull Run, a t-shirt just like Stonewall wears on the cover, plus advance copies of other Dial Books for Young Readers titles. To enter, send an email to blogtour@stonewallhinkleman.com and put "Stonewall Contest" in the subject line.

The Exclusive Interview with Time-Traveler Stonewall Hinkelman

Saints and Spinners: Stonewall, thank you for sitting down with me over lunch and answering a few questions about your new memoir, Stonewall Hinkleman and the Battle of Bull Run, as told to Michael Hemphill and Sam Riddleburger. People keep telling me that the book is not a memoir but a fictitious children's book, and that you are not real. And yet, just like Snuffleupagus, here you are. Since we are at a restaurant where you can order anything you want to eat in the whole world, what will you have?

Stonewall Hinkleman: I always like to order Pibb Extreme, because the waitresses always say “You mean, Mr. Pibb?” But, Pibb Extreme IS the real name of it. They changed it. Also, a chicken filet sandwich with just mayo. No lettuce.

S&S: With the release of the book, you’ve been getting your fair share of media attention. By the way of an extraordinary bugle that’s actually a device called a Tempest, you were able to leave the scene of the Civil War reenactment site where your parents drag you every weekend and travel back in time to the Battle of Bull Run on July 21, 1861. Not only that, you had to deal with the nefarious machinations of another time traveler who tried to change the course of the Civil War so that the South would win. Along the way, you got to meet your great-great-great-great uncle Cyrus. So far, what has been the most challenging part of dealing with your subsequent fame as a result of Hemphill and Riddleburger documenting your adventure?

SH: Everybody comes up to me and is like “Wow, that must have been so cool!” Uh, it's not that cool to have a bunch of maniacs trying to kill you all day long! And it's not cool trying to figure out how to make the South lose when the Yankees are the ones trying to blow your brains out and the Southern guys are your great-great-great-great uncle and his friends. That's like the definition of “not cool.”

S&S: Since the book of your adventures came out, the media has made much of your friendship with Ashby “Ash” Dupree, a girl named after Ashby Turner, another Civil War general. Ash ended up traveling back in time with you as well and sharing your adventures. What does Ash think of the book and her role in it? Has your friendship changed as a result?

SH: I miss Ash so much! I can't believe we only spent one day together and that most of that day we were getting shot at. But I haven't seen her much since we came back, since her father is trying to kill me.

SH: Your parents named you after the Confederate General Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson. Your middle name is Traveler, after Robert E. Lee’s horse. Just out of curiosity, what are your parents’ names?

SH: See that's the thing. My dad was named after Robert E. Lee. So his name is Robert. Why coudn't he have just named me Robert? Or even Jefferson? Then I could be Jeff. My mom's name is Jennifer. They don't have any idea what it's like to have a dumb name.

S&S: What are your words of advice for other would-be time travelers?

SH: Make sure you read Ben Franklin's instructions, which are way in the back of the book.

S&S: Speaking of the back of the book, it has some fascinating end-papers that document other Tempests more powerful than your bugle. Are you tempted at all to find and use them?

Actually, what I'm tempted to do is to throw out the bugle and play some video games. But, if I absolutely have to go back in time again then I sure hope I get something better than that lousy bugle. I want the mighty Hammer!

S&S: What was it like to work with Sam Riddleburger and Michael Hemphill?

SH: They're annoying.

S&S: Do you anticipate any more time-traveling adventures? If so, do you think you will continue to visit the Civil War era or will you journey elsewhere (or should I say, “elsewhen”)?

SH: Well, the Antietam re-enactment is coming up soon.

S&S: Stonewall Hinkleman, thank you so much for taking part in this interview. I wish you much success in all your present and future endeavors.

The roundup of links on Stonewall's blog tour can be found here.

May Faire 2009

Friday, May 1, was sunny and warm. Sunday, May 3, was fairly pleasant as well. On Saturday, May 2, the day of May Faire and the May Pole dances, it rained for almost the entire day. It takes a lot to rain out a Waldorf school event, so everything went on as planned. We made garlands in the morning:



Then, each grade did their May dances. Here is a video screen capture of Lucia dancing:



I presented a story and song performance in the afternoon. Unfortunately, I can't share the video clips because there are recognizable children's faces in the video shots. For blogs, backs of heads are best. It was a wonderful storytime because the audience was so responsive. They laughed in all the right places and they sang along with all of the songs, even the ones I had made up. This was the first gig in which I've actually worn a flower crown akin to to the one I'm wearing on my website:



Lucia was wondering about books that had Maypoles in them. Just from memory, I could think of two:
Ellen Tebbits, by Beverly Cleary, in which there's a Maypole in the class play about the Pied Piper of Hamelin, and Blue Willow, by Doris Gates.

Do you know of others?

May 8 Addendum: In the comments, LoneStarMa refers to a particular picture of my childhood in which I am wearing a garland of yellow flowers. Here is a copy of that photo:

Sunflower Root Child Doll for Auction

I was going to wait until later in the week to post about my dolls because I want to tell you about stories and songs too... however, I wrote about the auction for Bridget Zinn yesterday, and today my Sunflower Root Child Doll went up for auction on that site.





There are more photos on the site, so you can see the sunflower stems, leaves and ladybugs embroidered on the doll. When the time comes, I'll ship the doll out to the winning bidder along with a wee gift.

May 28 update: As of today, the bidding is up to $50.00. Wow! Thank you, generous bidders.

Auction for the Benefit of Blog Friend Bridget Zinn

Last September, I met a young woman named Bridget Zinn at the 2nd Annual Kidlitosphere Conference in Portland, Oregon. Bridget was not only a writer for teens and a blogger but a friend of my college friend ABCGirl from happy stuff. Whenever Bridget's name came up, everyone I talked to that weekend agreed that Bridget was the kind of person you instantly liked because of a certain something that went beyond her open, calm radiance and friendly nature.

It was a shock to all of us when we found out Bridget had stage 4 colon cancer, and it had spread to other parts of her body.

Amid all of the stress and strain of hospital visits, Bridget experienced a number of blessings: she signed on with an agent to represent her first Young Adult novel and she got married to her long-time boyfriend, Barrett.

Librarian and blogger Jone Rush MacCullough of DeoWriter writes more about Bridget here. Jone had organized the 2nd Kidlitosphere conference, and now she's organized an auction to help pay for Bridget's medical expenses. Bridget has already gone through one bout of chemotherapy, and is going to go through her next bout on May 8. A number of authors and bloggers have contributed items to the Bridget Zinn Auction. It runs through May.

I know there are many people struggling with cancer. Some of them have been friends. I have rejoiced when they became survivors. I want Bridget to be one of them, and that is why I am writing about her now.

May 3 update: My Sunflower Root Child doll can be found at the auction here.

One More Book Cover

Minh Le has one more cover from our Children's Book Sequels That Never Were contest. I won't ruin any of the surprise-- go see for yourself!

Alkelda: Dolls for Storytelling and the Nature Table

Happy May Day! Alkelda is open for business. I've been working hard on getting the shop ready, and now I'm going to take a deep breath and catch up on my blog reading... right after my 10:00 am storytelling gig today. Thank you for all of your warm words of encouragement.


Flowers: Daffodil, Fuchsia, Snowdrop, Crocus


Elementals: Aether, Air, Earth, Water, Fire

I am going to miss my friends as they go out into the world. But like Lissy of Lissy's Friends by Grace Lin, I will make more.