Christmas Tradition/Christmas Creatures

For about the last 10 years...I really haven't kept count of the years, I have been making my husband what I call Christmas Creatures. They are quirky little creatures made from seeds, and seed pods. In the fall I begin looking for whatever has fallen from the trees, and dried up seed pods on plants and bushes. I keep a large bowl on my kitchen counter, and when I return from my walk, whatever I've gathered goes in the bowl. Then, usually on Christmas Eve, nothing like waiting until the last minute, I take all that I've gathered, and begin playing. What amazes me is that each and every year, a new creature comes to life. Below is a number of the creatures that I've made. They are all made out of the same things, and yet, they are all unique.

  

Meet the newest addition to the group :)

He's a happy little guy with 1 ski up in the air, his wings furling in the wind.

The little seed pods that I used for his tail were found on a tree that I had never noticed before.

Last year, I found a cabinet to house all of the little creatures. Last year's creature is quite large, so he sits on top of the cabinet.

I've been approached about making the creatures for art galleries. Quite the compliment, but not something I want to do. They seem all the more special being one of a kind :) 

Making the little creatures was something I never realized I had in me. Truly little creatures created from my heart. 

Christmas Traditions, Christmas Creatures

We all have traditions, especially when it comes to celebrations. When my husband and I married, a BIG bunch of years ago, I began giving him a ski related ornament (he LOVES to ski) for Christmas. Each year I would try and find something truly special. And, each year as I would lay out all of his ornaments, I would ask which was his favorite. Without thinking, he would always choose a crazy little skier that had been made with clothespins. I will admit that it is very cute. But...it had been given to him by an old girlfriend, and I felt the need to trump her gift. I finally realized that what he loved was the quirky, handmade aspect of the ornament. So began a new tradition.

I love seeds of any kind, and have quite the collection. Whenever I am out in the woods, my eyes are always on the lookout for something I don't have, or have never seen before. I like to take the seeds and make balls that I then decorate with them during the fall.  

The first ornament I made was the crazy guy with the red hat in the picture below. Since I already have quite the collection of seeds and seed pods, he came together very easily. When my husband opened the package, he was elated! I had finally trumped the clothespin ornament :) And so began a new tradition. 

Below is the gang. What's interesting to me is that although they are all made from basically the same thing, they all are so very different. What I also find interesting is how they come together, it's as if they tell me what they want to be. 

This year, I ended up doing 2. 

This guy holds a lot of memories for me. He's quite large. Before my aunt died, she and I were out for a drive. I saw all of these huge pinecones laying in a yard. I jumped out of the car and raced over to pick up a bunch. My aunt was yelling at me to "get-back-in-the-car!!!" Obviously, I didn't listen ;) The big "horns" on his head, and his skis were found at a roadside park where my husband and I had stopped to walk the dogs while on a road trip. I don't know if he is a moose, or a cow, or what. I guess he's just a creature :) 

When my husband opened up his package and saw this guy, he was so very happy. He could not believe how it all came together. 

This is the second little guy. I had found the pinecone that I used for his head while on a hike in Colorado. What struck me was how the cone had opened. The back had stayed together and the top portion had formed kind of a nose. The branch was also still attached and I saw it to be a neck. 
  

Here are the 2 together. You can see how large the moose/cow guy is. They will now happily join the rest of the gang :)

Each year as I pull out my seeds and seed pods, I always feel that there is nothing new that I will be able to create. And then, as if by magic, a new little creature comes to life. 

I was asked by the owner of an art shop in Colorado to create a line of these creatures. What an honor it was to have someone see the art of the creatures, but I declined. They are one of a kind little creatures, all made with love :)