Gerta the Dish Witch

For ages, I've lived with my husband and son loading dirty dishes into the clean dishes.  Our dishwasher isn't magnetic so I couldn't use one of those "The Dishes Are Clean" magnets, and they seemed to have trouble with the concept of picking up a coffee cup to see if there were still signs of coffee in the bottom.  So when I made a little paper standing sign, half out of frustration, and half in jest, I started wondering if I could design a doll for the purpose. 
Initially, I was imagining something along the lines of a mortis board sign, but I wasn't quite sure what I wanted.  I'm really not even sure what the hold-up was; I guess Gerta just wasn't ready yet.  But finally one night as I lay in bed, I knew it was time to start.  The next day I looked around my Nest trying to decide what to use for her body, something besides wire, something stable enough to withstand being whacked by a cat's tail, or the sleeve of a shirt.  And then I spotted some miniature flower pots.  YEP!  That's it.

Now, at this point, Gerta hadn't given me her name, only that she was ready to be made.  Once I had the flower pot, an image began to form in my mind.  I decided she needed some big sagging bosoms, and used more of my cotton stash that I pilfered from the woods across the street.  Well, they don't really sag as much as I'd intended, and one boob is bigger than the other, which gives her a natural look, right? 

From there, I went to work on her head, and once that was finished, I had fallen in love.  It was the next morning, just as I was waking up, that she told me her name.  Gerta.  I like it, kind of German sounding, or Dutch? 

Somewhere along the line, I decided she needed feet as well.  Initially, I was thinking of big shoes, but for some reason that just didn't feel right, so i went for feet instead.  Where that came from I've no idea, since I've never tried to make feet or hands before.  That must have been Gerta whispering in my ear.  So, she got big feet.  And with big feet, she HAD to have some hands as well.  So much for my vow that I'd never attempt hands or feet!

Time to dress her.  Initially, I tried some fancy beautiful brown tafeta fabric with rouching for her dress.  But not only did I butcher the dress, but it was WAY too fancy for a barefoot dishwasher.  So, instead, I gave her a simple ecru dress with trim.  She loved that fabric choice.  And then I decided she needed a big rump to go with her big bosom.  Once that was finished, all that was left was her sign:  The DISHES ARE CLEAN. I'm flying with the girls!"  Today I'm going to give her a sign on the back side that says, "Don't bug me.  I've got DIRTY DISHES to wash!" 

Hope you enjoy!

The Standing One

A rainy weekend, so I've enjoyed working in my Nest.  I'm not sure why I love rainy days, but I've always suspected it has to do with my mom.  She's an artist, and when I was a kid, she used art projects to keep her three daughters occupied on rainy days.  I still have the rock paperweight I made once with a tiger decal on it.  And then there's the thunder and lightening that I LOVE.  I love to sit on the front porch and just enjoy the winds and the voices of the sky.

For the past week, maybe two, I've been honoring my physical spirit by working out every day, and my emotional spirit by reconnecting with my journal.  This has been good.  One day a couple of weeks ago, on a walk at the edge of the woods, I found a piece of bark that spoke to me.  I brought it home and gave it a place of honor on my wobbly work table.  Several times I picked it up thinking to use it, but could never figure out what to do with it.  And then today, it stepped forward and said, "it's time."  The result is The Standing One, pictured here.  I wish she had more of a Native American looking face, but I don't mean to question my Spirit Guide. Now I'm trying to figure out how to make her stand, or should she just hang on the wall?  I'm considering attaching her to a stone, combining the Standing One with one of the Stone People.  We'll see if one presents itself.