100 YEARS | 100 ornaments

So while sitting in my crate I was thinking what could we do to celebrate her.

Then [crate]THOUGHTS came: how about creating a hundred handMADE ornaments for her birthday. I shared my musing with halfBROTHER, MOOSE, he liked my [crate]THOUGHTS and added that each of them should be signed. Then he said “signed & dated”. Then he concluded: “signed, dated & numbered. That will make them extra special.”

Then my boyFRIEND, WILBUR, woke from a sofaNAP & MOOSE growled at him. Then we shared our [crate]THOUGHTS with him and he added they should each be unique. We all agreed upon 100 unique handMADE signed ornaments.

So I took our [crate]THOUGHTS to our [crate]STYLIST and challenged him to make a hundred unique handMADE that were signed, dated and numbered. He and I decided they could each have a label that said handMADE in miltonDE for crateTHOUGHTS.com with her initials and a year of her wellLIVED lifeTIME.

So for example, he’d sign the back of each one with CC1942, his name and 2021. The process to make them was superFASCINATING.

more about 100 ornaments

Since each design is unique we decided to make them out of paper clay. It usually takes 24-48 hours to dry. Our drying time ended up being more like 3-5 days. We think it took longer because we made them in an old farmhouse that doesn't have good insulation.

We set out on a treasure hunt inside & around the farmhouse, in local shops/stores & online to get enough things to make a hundred designs. We ended up finding cookie cutters, cake frosting molds, jam jars with patterns, cookie stamps, architectural detail molds, rubber stamps & vintage cut crystal designs.

Then while we were walking around the yard and our neighborhood we found leaves, seed pods, sticks and other things that would work.

I watched him roll a small piece of clay to 1/8” thick. Sometimes he’d start by first cutting them to the final shape. Other times he’d press the design in first and then cut the final shape. That made each of them dry a little different. 

Once they were dry he used sand paper to make them smooth. Then he painted each one with chalk paint so they weren’t absorbing more moisture. There’s moisture in the paint washes and the glue he uses to adhere the various papers to make the designs.

He decorated some with pictures he’d printed out, cut out ads, tissue paper and magazines and my favorite: paper napkins. He takes designs from pretty paper napkins. He removes two plies that don’t have design on them and uses the printed one ply piece left. It’s really thin like a butterfly wing. 

Once all that dries, he carefully sands it again and seals it so it will be enjoyed for years to come on a trees, a wreaths & garlands.

So that they can hang as Christmas decorations, he put a hole into each one using a drinking straw before they were completely dry. Then he used string, yarn, ribbon or a metal ornament hanger to attach them securely. 

I hope you enjoyed learning more about making these. 

xoxo, vn:PUDDING

PS WILBUR sniffed them thoroughly and gave them a five out of five houndstooth rating. He said they are full of comfort&JOY. He should know because that’s his specialty.

more about 100 YEARS

My greatGMA was born on a farm in the Lone Star State. She was the oldest of six children. They had to move off the farm during the Great Depression. They moved to California. She married the boy next door.

They had a daughter during World War II. greatGMA did other peoples laundry/ironing and raised chickens during the war. Her daughter had a pet chicken. So we call her the chickenLADY. The chickenLADY got married and they had a girl and a boy. (That boy is Chris the [crate]STYLIST. He’s also the maker of all the ornaments.) 

When greatGMA&GPA retired they moved to southern Oregon to make that their home base. Then they traveled in their motor home to over 40 states. They volunteered their time and talents to churches, Christian campgrounds and other organizations that needed their help fixing places up and running them. When traveling became more and more difficult, they parked their motor home at the US Center for World Missions in Pasadena, CA.

In 2001 greatGPA passed away. They met when she was 14 years old, started dating at 16 years old and got married when she was 18 years old. They were married for 59 years. Christmas Eve was their anniversary. 

She still lives in southernCA close to the chickenLADY, her son-in-law and her grandDAUGHTER. (The chickenLADY is my GMA and her daughter is my auntJEN.)

[dig]IT:

depecheMOOSE