December 31

Drawing assignment:  Draw a bar of soap.

For my birthday in December 2012, in anticipation of my year of origami, Rick used our big old paper cutter to cut an entire ream of white paper into 6 inch squares for practice paper.  I thought it was only appropriate to end the year with a piece made from that paper.

 365 Days of Origami and 1096 Days of Blogging

Meeko helped take the pictures

December 30

Assignment:  Draw a clock.  Rick's parents received this "Golden Hour" clock as a wedding present.  We even have picture of them in their wedding clothes in front of their gifts, and this clock is in the photo. 

Basically forever this clock sat on top of their china cabinet in the dining room.  Rick's sister Katie took the clock when we broke up their house after they both passed away two years ago.  Katie had the clock rewired and gave it to Rick for his birthday that year.  It now lives on top of teak hutch in our living room.

On a Golden Hour clock, the hands don't turn themselves.  They remain fixed on the rotating glass face.  To everyone in the family this clock was the most iconic item from Kate and Con's home.  We are very lucky to have the safe keeping of the clock....  Mary

December 29

Drawing assignment:  Draw something from your favorite hobby.  This is my favorite block in the new quilt top I'm working on....  Mary

December 28

Drawing assignment:  Free choice.  When the girls were little we would do the Twelve Days of Christmas beginning on the Dec 26.  They would get some little gift on their bedside table, a little shaped eraser, a colored pencil, something.  Then on Jan 6 we'd have a Twelfth Night party with a cake and party crackers.

Anne found crackers for us this year at World Market.  When Eileen and Warren were here on the 26th for Christmas, we popped the crackers.  They had grown up presents in them instead of children's toys:  a tiny motorcycle with sidecar, measuring spoons, and this little picture frame, and, of course, jokes and paper crowns.  It was great fun to have crackers again....  Mary

December 27

Assignment:  Draw a candle....  Mary

December 26

Drawing assignment:  Draw a pillow.  One of the geometric patterned pillows from the sofa.... Mary

December 25

Merry Christmas!  Assignment:  Draw something sentimental.  This is the yellow melamine divided vegetable dish that belonged to Rick's mom.  This dish ended up in our care and carries decades of memories of meals in Rick's family....  Mary

December 24

Assignment:  Draw a knife....  Mary

December 23

Drawing assignment:  Draw on umbrella....  Mary

December 22

Assignment:  Draw something representing a favorite hobby....  Mary

December 21

Drawing assignment:  Draw your palette or selection of colors....  Mary

December 20

Assignment:  Draw anything.... Mary

December 19

Assignment:  Draw a detail....  Mary

December 18

Drawing assignment:  Draw a fork....  Mary

December 17

Assignment:  Draw a cat, real, stuffed or other.  A lovely friend at work gave me a gift today of this little black cat, so now I have a work mascot....  Mary

December 16

Draw a bell.  Monster kindly lent me his bell that hangs from the banister on a striped ribbon.  He was napping and not using at the moment...  Mary

December 15

Drawing assignment:  Draw something made of glass.  Our family collects beach glass wherever we go.  Pieces with letters impressed in the glass are some of the most fun to find.  Eileen found this one before she left Wisconsin last summer, and it's grand!  Mary

December 14

Draw a pitcher.  This little yellow pitcher has been in our cupboard forever.  As I drew it, I noticed that my paint dabbing sample paper was reflected in its shiny glazed surface....  Mary

December 13

Draw anything.  When I was flattening an empty egg carton to put into the recycling, I realized that the squished carton looked like little piggy faces.  It's quite amusing....  Mary

December 12

Assignment:  Draw a holiday card....  Mary

December 11

Draw something made of fabric.  When the girls were little they both hated itchy tags in their clothes.  Since many of the labels were like little tapestries, I kept a coffee can on top of the dryer and would save the labels for craft projects or whatever.  We ended up with three large cans full of labels.

Our dear friend and neighbor, Judy, told me about her friend Terese's quilt of a textile worker made entirely of clothing labels.  Terese had gotten labels from people all over the world, but as the quilt grew she needed more labels for finish the background.  We were able to fill a big bag with labels for Terese.  I'm hoping some made it into the quilt.

We still have a small box of the labels, and this is one of them....  Mary

December 10

Draw an animal, real or stuffed.  Lamb Chop is the new It toy for pets: dogs, cats, everyone loves Lamb Chop.  This particular one belongs to Monster.

As they say, there is nothing new under the sun.  Half a century ago for my ninth birthday I received hand puppets of Lamb Chop, Hush Puppy, and Charlie Horse, cultural icons all....  Mary

December 9

Assignment:  Draw something blue.  This is one of three small exercise balls for strengthening hand muscles, a definite need for artists and quilters....  Mary

December 8

Drawing assignment:  Draw a bottle of water....  Mary