My handmade dollhouse, front view
I spent about 15 years of my young life building a dollhouse and all its contents by hand. It has a Swiss-like stone exterior, and an early American interior. I called it Idylwild. continue reading
Oma’s Stepping Stones
Oma moved out of her house this weekend to a retirement village. We had to sort through and give up many treasures stored in her house and barn for over thirty years. The question arose what to do with Oma’s stepping stones? Her grandchildren had each personally handmade a stone, and decorated them with their hand prints and footprints, many years ago. We were in a great hurry and all the cars were full already of furniture. At the very last minute, I saved them from the dump heap, as I just could not bare to lose them!
Stepping stones are easy to make and great yard art. I recommend you try to make a stepping stone, at least once.
How to Make Stepping Stones
Irene sitting in a tree making daisy pop top chains. 1977
In the seventies, we used to clean up our campgrounds by taking all the discarded soda pop top tabs we could find on the ground, and turning them into chains. We called this pop-top daisy chains (as shown in these historical pictures).
Irene at the Maker Fair.
My name is Irene and I love arts and crafts. As a child I loved to camp with my large family, make things from scraps, paint pictures and write stories.
Growing up in Albany, California, I saw the Emeryville mudflat sculptures almost every day from the freeway. These whimsical, wooden things mystified and inspired me. I thought about making one myself, but I was too little. In school, we often made things from scraps, like decorated crowns out of construction paper, papier-mâché puppets out of newspapers strips, and wooden baskets out of popsicle sticks. continue reading
This photo of a butterfly with broken wings, with blue and green glass and pebbles, is by my friend Cathy Weibel.