From memory to journal to fabric
Monday, August 30, 2010
Memories are part of the fabric of who we have become. The sweetness of yesterday always makes me feel joyful when I reflect, especially on those Once Upon A Time days when my girls were little.
I remember sitting on the steps in front of our little townhome in a place called Repulse Bay in Hong Kong. This was what our townhomes looked like at Burnside Estates.
I was poking around the Internet trying to find a great site to share Hong Kong, I found and amazing site called China Odyssey Tours. I am not associated in any way, but gee they have a fabulous site truly capturing the essence of China and Hong Kong.
Sarah has eight and Ashley was six.
Typically Halloween is something that is not celebrated by many cultures, but was celebrated then because there were so many ex-pats living there. We wanted our little ones to celebrate our traditions from back home.
Pumpkins were lit with candles, and we all gathered in our little community pretending we were back home on the other side of the world.
Ashley wanted to be Casper the Ghost and Sarah wanted to be a witch. Costumes in Hong Kong cost the price of a first born child, so I decided to make their costumes.
The kids were so cute, and we had so many trick or treaters
that I completely forgot for an evening that we were still in Hong Kong.
Later when the girls had counted all of their candy and hung their costumes for another day, I stayed up into the wee hours of the morning painting my little witch.
The year was 1996 and I had started a calligraphy journal, with keepsakes.
I have since turned this design into prints, cards and a host of things. More recently I took the design and created this fabric. If you click on this image below you can see what it will look like as fabric.
You might be thinking Halloween already? But I know that there might be crafters out there creating something for Halloween for their little witches.
Memories are the fabric or who we are, and I still feel so excited to turn my memory pieces into actual fabric. This way I can have my memories on wall hangings as reminders, hung from the windows in curtains, the table set on my memory tablecloths and glancing at throw pillows of memories, decorating my life.
oday is Mosaic Monday, and Mary from Little Red House, is hosting this this lovely Monday. Please stop by and view all the beautiful mosaics that blogger create. The song for this post is from good old Charlie Brown...The Great Pumpkin!
What fun, Bobbi stopped by and told me about Spooky Monday, hosted by Wendy's Adventures in Wonderland. Now that was Serendipity! Stop by and she has some really fun music too.
This is a sweet little post and I love the artwork. It brought back so many memories of when my girls were little, too. I used to order their costumes from catalogs in September so nothing would be sold out. I disliked the flimsy costumes at the stores and I didn't sew. The girls were as pretty and proud as those with handmade costumes.
I have a little card from you with a sweet pumpkin on it that you sent me along with some prints I ordered last fall. It will go right up on my mantel with the rest of my fall decorations!!
xoxo
Jane
Karen, this is a sweet memory and the little witch is darling. This is the way I like to think of witches! LOL
Thanks for sharing the inspiration. ~ Sarah
Beautiful memories. How highly talented you are.
Wonderful post, Karen. I love your little witch, her pumpkins and the cat! Love the material and need to go shopping!!!!!
I love the fabric, what a wonderful print. The painting of the witch is beautiful. Have a terrific week.
Dearest Karen, what better way is there to preserve such memories than in a quilt of some kind, a tapestry....these are just beautiful. AND...I was thinking about the scripted fabric....how is that coming along? Anita
Hi Karen, fantastic Halloween things! Gosh you should join in for Spooky Monday along with Mary's Mosaic Monday. Your post today would have been perfect! If you want to find out more info about it just stop at my blog and I have it on my right hand side bar, also my post today for Mosaic Monday is also a post for Spooky Monday.
I hope that you have a wonderful rest of your day!
hugs...
Bobbi
I love your Halloween imagine! Wow! They are really wonderful! I love the way you combine images for the mosaics, too! Very nice! ♥
gorgeous! your journal is just so
sweet and now in fabric, too!
your little ones must have been
in heaven each halloween.
love,
lea
Oh, Karen! Forgive me for getting stuck, which happens to me all the time on this computer. I found this story about the process of creating very interesting. What I love about it is that nothing is wasted and that things can pop up from our delightful past and play a part in our today.
Loved your story and the cute little witch pictures! Halloween -here we come!
What a sweet post! I love your blog and have it on my favorites. Though I don't create the same things, it really makes inspires me so much!
Thank you.
Fondly,
Suz Reaney
Katsui
Lovely Karen! Another beautiful and fun-spirited post...gorgeous treasures! Happy Spooky Monday!
Kiki~
Great job, Karen! have a wonderful week!
Hi Karen,
Love your sweet memory of your little girls, trick or treating in Hong Kong.
The artwork is so lovely, how all witches should look like.
Isn't Hong Kong a wonderful place.
Happy week
Hugs
Carolyn
Thank you Karen so much for coming by and lifting up my Kaci in prayer. I can not begin to tell you how much that means to me.
Your post is absolutely too wonderful...you just have to do a Blogazine post on my site and share your talent.
I so love your work
Thanks honey for sharing this and think about doing the Blogazine post
Love
Maggie
What a darling witch! I loved reading about you sharing the traditions of back home with your daughters. I bet that WAS fun!
-Blanche
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