Memorial Day 2012

 My father, Roy Lee Jeffery - 1945 Navy

  Let us keep in our hearts those individuals that have
served to encourage freedom and peace in our world

Oh! you who sleep in Flanders Fields, Sleep sweet - to rise anew! We caught the torch you threw And holding high, we keep the Faith With All who died.

We cherish, too, the poppy red That grows on fields where valor led; It seems to signal to the skies That blood of heroes never dies, But lends a lustre to the red Of the flower that blooms above the dead In Flanders Fields.

And now the Torch and Poppy Red We wear in honor of our dead. Fear not that ye have died for naught; We'll teach the lesson that ye wrought In Flanders Fields. In Flanders Fields we fought

 Moina Michael

  
 

Approaching 2012 and Why Kronos?

Many time clocks and payroll systems are under the name of Kronos. Have you ever wondered why?

Kronos also known as Saturn in Greek Mythology is identified as the Father of Time.  

He was once the leader of the Titans.  The Titans existed before the Greek Gods.  Kronos married his sister Rhea and they had many children.  Kronos was foretold his children would overthrow him.  Fearing his children, Kronos swallowed each child as they were born.   

When Zeus was born his mother Rhea hid him and tricked Kronos into swallowing a stone instead.  Over the years Rhea convinced Kronos to release the children he had swallowed.  The released children joined with Zeus to fight and defeat their father and the Titans. 

Kronos was later exiled to roam the earth and harvest the ground to survive.  It is said Kronos understood the wrong he had done to his children and roamed the earth in grief.  Images of Kronos depict him carrying a sickle or scythe.  

The sickle symbolizes the destruction of an old crop to make room for a new crop - the end of the Titan reign.  It is shaped like a crescent moon- cycling from one period of time into another.  The idea of harvest can also be associated with death, the end of a growing season.  In a poetic sense, Kronos eating his children represents that time devours all things and nothing lasts forever.   

Since the early 1900s, the image of Kronos with his sickle has been used in advertising and greeting cards to usher in a 

Happy New Year.     

Kronos through out history has often been used as the name or reference to time keeping.

May you have a healthy, happy & prosperous 

New Year!

Holiday Gift Creations

I managed to create a few Christmas gifts before the early December interruption of foundation repairs to our home 

Do you like them?

2011 Evening Star Button Club Holiday Party

On December 19th, Evening Star Button Club held their holiday party at my home.  We had a wonderful afternoon full of good food, friendship and craft time.

Everyone looks fairly into their own thing in this photo and we were as we were opening handmade gifts from one another.  

I missed capturing the oohs and aahs.

Here are the handmade items exchanged

Lee gave a foam pad used for beading & button work.  This is a great work tool to keep beads & buttons from rolling away & helps to protect them.  Lee is an avid beader and does beautiful work.  She also created for us a handmade bead & button bookmarker

 Linda created Bitsy Bunny Button Book and used buttons as the book jackets - it opens and closes like an accordion and has its own keeping box!

Linda also created a folding fan from playing cards - How clever!

 Dana creates beautiful fabric & button pins from vintage and designer fabrics & buttons.  I now have four of her creations and they are LOVELY.

Can you guess what this is?

Tara created for us a Post note keeper using paper, ribbon & a button... note the darling button paper on the jacket.  Practical and adorable!

Lori's charming & clever 'old truck seat springs' button Christmas tree

This photo does not do justice for Pam's CUTIE PATOOTIE Holiday Nesting Bird - I adore him!

Jennifer was not able to share a created gift as she sewed her thumb with her sewing machine, Ouch!

With the chaos of our foundation repairs I did not have time to create anything. 

Awesome handmade gifts aren't they?

After we ate and did our gift exchange, I turned my kitchen into a craft room.  We created art tags, greeting cards and paper wreaths.  

Dana

Lori

Jennifer (foreground)

Linda (Background)

 Lee

Here's my art tag

We often take note around the holidays the special blessings of family & friends... I am so blessed to have this group of amazing women as friends in my life!

I hope your holiday season is blessed with the love of family & friends!

Snow Girls

Happy Holidays!

I missed wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving - I hope your Thanksgiving was filled with many BLESSINGS.

We held our local Evening Star Button Club holiday party at my home on November 19th.  I was a lousy photographer that day, so I need to see if anyone else has any photos I can share.  

Our holiday party was wonderfully filled with dear friends, good food and a few hours of thankful time spent together. 

I recently set up my Etsy shop Somerset Lane, but it is currently 'Closed' as my energies are now focused on preparing for major foundation repairs to our home.  Packing & boxing up fragile items, etc.

 I mentioned in a prior post about my interest in glass & silver vintage salt & pepper shakers for my Snow Girls.  So, I thought I would share some of my Snow Girls...

My Snow Girls are created using porcelain clay for their heads and vintage silver, silver plate or glass salt & pepper shakers for their bodies which are adorned with jewelry, buttons, lace, etc.

They just seem to fill my heart with a whimsical smile - I hope they bring a smile to you as well!

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween

Our sons are now 24 and 22 years old...

Remembering past Halloweens....

with Grandma Clarita - 1992

 1993

1994

Fun childhood memories!