Simple Gifts

By fromskilledhands ( January 7, 2008 at 5:45 pm) · Filed under Art, Clay, Collecting, Craft, creativity, Discoveries, Gifts, little Blue Santa, Toys

Gifts come in all kinds of forms and packages, from the flashy gift wrap of a high end store, to the wonderfully simple muslin marble bag of the Little Blue Santa. The gift of friendships old and new; of relationships that grow organically, without pressure or intent.

The process of the Little Blue Santa has been like that: it has grown of its own accord; pieces and parts have fallen into place, in their own way, at their own time. I am still amazed at how it has grown, and continues to do so. There is something about this little guy that touches something very deep in so many people. People have shared their stories with us: childhood memories of the traditions of family members long gone; of celebrations and of delicately crafted ornaments and decorations; of preparing and sharing food; and of the magic of the season.

One woman is the genealogist for her family. She had found a family member who had worked at the American Marble and Toy Manufacturing Company prior to the fire. Others have remembered the traditions from their Ukranian and Bavarian grandparents. People who had grown up in Germany and in Eastern Europe shared their stories and memories. Samuel Dyke’s great-grandson visited us and shared his remembrances.

Fourteen skilled hands and many more hearts have shared in the making of the Little Blue Santa. These are the true gifts, from the mostly women and children who labored in the factory so many years ago, to those of us who are passionate about the wonder of this journey, and who share this vision.

Share this!
[Bloglines] [del.icio.us] [Digg] [Facebook] [Google] [kirtsy] [LinkedIn] [Reddit] [Squidoo] [StumbleUpon] [Technorati] [Twitter] [Yahoo!] More »
Powered by Bookmarkify™

9 comments »

  1. Larramie said,

    January 7, 2008 @ 9:19 pm

    Debra, you and Steve and your family certainly have been catalysts to a Christmas Miracle that will become part of Little Blue Santa’s legendary history. What a gift!

  2. Mary said,

    January 8, 2008 @ 11:24 am

    What a wonderful gift for your family and the community.

  3. Lisa Kenney said,

    January 8, 2008 @ 9:59 pm

    It’s so wonderful to know that something that had been lost to the world has been rediscovered and reintroduced. Viva La Blue Santa!

  4. Cathy said,

    January 10, 2008 @ 10:54 am

    It’s so wonderful how Blue Santa has come alive again! I think he was just waiting for the right moment and to meet the right people!! He is making us smile.

  5. fromskilledhands said,

    January 10, 2008 @ 9:40 pm

    Larramie–the entire experience has been a gift–one we are delighted to share!

    Thank you for your kind words, Mary. We are incredibly blessed.

    Lisa and Cathy–Viva La Blue Santa indeed!! Your Santa’s were mailed today. Let me know when you get them :-)

  6. Kris said,

    January 11, 2008 @ 5:59 pm

    these are wonderful! I somehow missed this during the holidays, but will aim to remember Blue Santa for NEXT year.

  7. fromskilledhands said,

    January 11, 2008 @ 10:40 pm

    Kris– Good to see you here. We’re continuing to make the Little Blue Santa’s and will be working on a Little Green Santa for next year as well. Traditionally, Santa’s wore both green and blue robes. You could order them now for next year (we don’t charge extra to ship to Hawaii :-)

  8. Larramie said,

    January 12, 2008 @ 8:14 pm

    The Elements Gallery is going green, LOVE it!!! :D

  9. Cathy said,

    January 13, 2008 @ 7:21 pm

    Santa has landed! Thank you! He’s a very fine fellow, I must say, and seems already to be right at home. We think he can stay out all year round—he makes us smile!!

RSS feed for comments on this post · TrackBack URI

Leave a Comment

CAPTCHA Image
*
All content is copyrighted. Use only with permission.