owls

Owls have become really popular again, I say again, because 42 years ago, my mom was really in to owls. Well maybe she wasn't, but she showed interest in owls, and suddenly she had a collection. She had beautifully carved owls in stone and wood, metal and plaster castings, and this. When I was 6, I made this pathetic owl in school for her. It consists of 2 styrofoam balls wrapped in tin foil and a few felt pieces stuck on with straight pins. It has a sash across its chest and 2 sad little ribbon wings stuck on with pins in the back. To add insult to injury, it has a white pipe cleaner jammed in its head. Now the cool thing about it is that my mom LOVED this sad little creature enough to save it from year to year and put it on her Christmas tree. As I got older, I was able to hide it discretely in the center or back of the tree and threatened to toss it out regularly, but after the holidays she still carefully wrapped it in tissue like she did with all the "real" ornaments, then proudly displayed it the following year. It came into my possession a few years back, and although the years of threats to destroy it beckoned me to do just that, the reminder of how much my mother loved it won't allow me to do so. It hangs year round in my walk in closet, and I smile at its charm, innocence, and sad little face daily.


Now, my sister, Ellen McCarthy, http://www.stampinwithellen.blogspot.com/, made this beautiful owl and the breakdown of how she completed it, all with Stampin' Up! punches. She's super talented, and I think it's one of the prettiest owls I've seen.