Ideas
The topic for the final outing of the Loose Bloggers Consortium in 2011 was chosen by Will.
Ideas
Back in January 2009 I was complaining about the hike in heating oil prices. At that time they ranged between £311.00 to £349.65 for 900 Litres. Fiddlesticks. What was I complaining about? Right now we are talking £527.00 to £554.44 for 900 Litres. Pay by credit card and that lower price jumps to £534.90. Many of the lower priced companies do not deliver to my area. 
Back in that post I sought suggestions about how to raise the funds for oil. I even contemplated sending my Art work to Sotherby’s.
My online friends were quick to offer their advice.
Magpie 11 said
“I think we should appeal to the nations so that it can be kept in its place…..I mean to say it’s a lot newer than those ones from the Bridgewater connection…they’re about 400 years old aren’t they? We cannot let art like that go abroad……..I’m rather impressed that one so young should have been aware of sunspots.”
Nick said
“Goodness, I hope it’s well insured. Such consummate brushwork and flawless composition will push it over the £million mark straightaway.”
kenju said
“How could you even think of selling such great art!!?? Better to freeze and keep it, I think.”
With advice like that, I decided that I should sleep on the idea for a week or two, before parting with my special art treasure.
I am so glad I listened. Sometimes fools rush in where…. etc etc!
Now sit down and pay attention!
With the magic and wonder of Christmas, my art came to life! I mean it. No. I have not been over indulging on the Vino & Gin, or hallucinating. The proof is here:
Photo by Elly
I need to take you back to last September, I was having a Chat with Elly
E: you know those drawings of mine as a child where they have no arms?
GM: yes, one drawing of our family
E: yeah, do you have a copy of it around?
GM: real or on my computer? I have both
E: a scan is fine was trying to describe it to Sue, easier to show her
GM: want it today?
E: if it suits, no rush
GM: grand
E: thx
GM: try here
E: excellent, I thought it was on the blog somewhere, but I couldn’t find it.
GM: Looking at that ‘artwork’ again… you were meticulous in your detail. The left leg of Jack’s trousers was shorter than the right!!
E: lol
My Elly had something up her sleeve and was planning and plotting unbeknownst to me. That angelic Sue was in on it too, and never breathed a word to me!
Somewhere on the ‘net’ Elly came across this little snippet:
“The child’s drawing, a wonderful expression of childhood, is the starting point of the collaborative project. Details and colour choices are reproduced as closely as possible so that the stuffed toy that arrives in the mail is immediately recognizable to the child who designed it. It’s a fun, rewarding process, and kids love seeing their drawings come alive.”
Thus began another conversation
E: Hiya, I just found out about the toys that you make, and I was wondering if you would ship to Ireland? I realise that it would cost extra. Attached is the picture I would be hoping to recreate in 3 toys…..
W: Thank you for your enquiry.
Are they wearing earmuffs? I would charge….. If you are interested, just let me know, thanks for your interest in Child’s Own Studio
WendyE: No I think they are ears, not earmuffs - although it’s nearly 2 decades since I drew it, so I’m not 100% sure!
My Dad was older than my mum, so his hair is grey (I don’t think I had a grey pen). He also had a war wound, so one of his legs should be slightly shorter than the other (mum always commented on how accurate that part of the drawing was). I never drew arms as a child, and when mum asked why I always said that their hands were behind their backs; so being that these will be 3D, I would love to put the arms on so that they are only visible from the back. I’d like to go ahead with the order please.
Dolls with hands behind their backs
There were more questions and answers along the way….
“How much shorter was his leg, I’m curious. I like these drawings and your description; I’m looking forward to working on them. How old were you when you drew this picture”?
“Dad was injured in WWII. His leg would only have been fractionally shorter in real life, maybe a centimetre or two.
I was 5 when I drew the picture (my drawing skills haven’t improved much since either!).”
Elly;s Dad was injured in WWII and they used bone from his hip to re-sculpt his thigh bone. Due to being in plaster (from chest to ankle) for 14 months, he was unable to bend his left knee after this, but taught himself to walk & drive again. His left leg would only have been 1 inch shorter and he mastered the limp by taking a full stride followed by a half one on the injured leg.
W: I’m working on your dolls right now, and I have a couple of questions for you:
1) In your drawing, the child’s (your) hair looks reddish. Shall I stay close to the colour or do you prefer light brown?
2) Your father’s shoes/feet weren’t coloured in…What colour should I make them…red? white? black?E: Light Brown for my hair and black for Dad’s shoes please. He was a demon for polishing them all the time.
W: Well, he was in the military…
♥+♥+♥
So on Christmas Eve I was gob-smacked. Not alone had I Elly, George and Miss Buffy for the day, I had this precious unique gift, I heard the fascinating background story of how it came about
Proof after all these years!
Then I was introduced to:
If you know Eleanor, don’t tell her mother about her Christmas gift.
Elly takes after her dad - look at her legs!!
How many of you have drawings or paintings by your children or grandchildren stuck on the fridge right now? Maybe they are stored in a box in the loft?
What a great idea to bring them to life.
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Time now to go check out what ideas the other active members of the Loose Bloggers Consortium have for us to close out the year:- Conrad, Delirious, Maria/Gaelikaa, Magpie 11, Maria SilverFox, OCD writer, Padmum, Paul,Ramana, Rohit, Will Knott.
Rummuser said,
December 30, 2011 at 1:42 pm
What a magnificent story. Words fail me!
Padmini Natarajan said,
December 30, 2011 at 2:43 pm
I love the dolls..Grannymar I really think you are a leprechaun who lives many lives.
Amazing the stories that you relate….this one on a scale of 1 to 10 takes 12!!
Delirious said,
December 30, 2011 at 4:37 pm
Those dolls are absolutely precious! That is a treasure to keep for a lifetime, and then pass on! What a great idea! I actually think I have the skill to do this myself, but sadly, I don’t have a picture like that.
Great post for the “ideas” topic!
wisewebwoman said,
December 30, 2011 at 7:17 pm
Oh I so love this, GM, absolutely brill. How thoughtful is Elly???
XO
WWW
Grannymar said,
December 30, 2011 at 7:19 pm
Ramana - You lost for words? Try the dictionary…… If that doesn’t work call a Doctor!
Padmini - There are many days when I feel I lived more than one life!
Grannymar said,
December 30, 2011 at 8:01 pm
Delirious - I kept that drawing for twenty eight years, and now suddenly it has come to life… and just at the right time for this topic!
WWW - They came all the way from Vancouver.
blackwatertown said,
December 31, 2011 at 12:10 am
Brilliant idea. I love it.
Alice said,
December 31, 2011 at 1:26 am
I can’t think of a nicer, more thoughtful thing for Elly to do! Bless her heart!
Conrad said,
December 31, 2011 at 1:48 am
Ah, GM, this is an entry as only you can make them! I love it.
But, I have to pick a bone with you on one point. You said definitively that you were not hallucinating. Well, if you ARE hallucinating, might you not also be hallucinating that you are NOT hallucinating.
Your honor, I rest my case!
Ursula said,
December 31, 2011 at 9:40 am
Grannymar, what a discovery! Thank you so very much for that link. I bow to the artist’s extraordinary original idea and her detailed execution. Never heard anything like it. It’s brilliant, absolutely brilliant. As is Elly’s idea to have your family fashioned for you in that way. So moving I could cry. One day I’ll show you the drawing the Angel made of me, many many years ago. He called it: “Mama in the morning”. I hope it’ll make you smile.
Happy New Year,
Ursula
Maria from 'gaelikaa's diary' said,
December 31, 2011 at 12:03 pm
Fantastic!
Great idea, I love it.
I also like the idea of recycling comments in blog posts. I’ve done it many times.
Grannymar said,
December 31, 2011 at 1:17 pm
BWT - I thought so.
Alice - When Elly was small and spending pocket money for buying gifts, I tried to teach her not to be distracted by ’shiny’ or items that she herself liked. It was more important to get inside the head of the person she was buying for. This time she got it spot on!
Conrad - Now I am feeling giddy. I sure am NOT hallucinating about hallucinating, that I might be hallucinating that I am NOT hallucinating! Get it?
Grannymar said,
December 31, 2011 at 1:26 pm
Ursula - Why not open the new year on your blog with “Mama in the morning”. Then you could follow it up with all the posts you say (on other blogs) that you are going to write about. Have you ever written one of them?
Maria/gaelikaa - I am sure you have some of your children’s artwork that you could bring to life.
Ursula said,
December 31, 2011 at 5:20 pm
Please don’t, Grannymar. I know I know I know. What did I say the other day: I am the Queen of empty promises.
Fact is, and it’s not an excuse by any stretch of my overblown imagination: It’s all too much. My intentions are good, firmly in place and then I fall at the hurdle we call “time”. Or I plain scratch my head and ask myself what possessed me in the first place. Or I lose interest. Or whatever. Truth is I need someone to whip me back into the shape I was once instead of just drifting along like a leaf in the autumn wind. See? I am doing it again: A lot of words, little action.
Anyway, you are quite right. It’s only 1714 hrs GMT, so I have a few hours till midnight to start 2012 as I mean to go on. And why not with “Mama in the morning”? In absence of the Angel I shall now challenge my technological ineptitude and try and connect the scanner. The things you make me do, Grannymar. Please don’t hold it against me should I not materialise “in the morning”. I’ll try, I promise.
U
speccy said,
December 31, 2011 at 6:17 pm
These are fabulous! (a word I know I over-use, but it’s entirely appropriate here) Like ursula, I’m really moved- you must have been stunned!
Congratulations, Elly, on your magnificent present buying
Grannymar said,
December 31, 2011 at 7:03 pm
speccy - The girl did well!
Conrad said,
January 1, 2012 at 2:21 am
Got it, GM! Happy New Year!!!!
Grannymar said,
January 1, 2012 at 11:20 am
Conrad - You got there eventually! We are already half way through the year!
Elly Parker said,
January 1, 2012 at 1:46 pm
Thanks all, I’m just delighted that Mum loved the dolls!
Conrad said,
January 1, 2012 at 5:31 pm
Half way through the year already? I must be Rip VanHakle!
Grannymar said,
January 1, 2012 at 6:52 pm
Conrad - You are definitely Rip Van Something! I have to move through the year fast since I am older than you!