Saturday, August 22, 2009

Sea Monkey Mermaid


Dear Diary,

Every year, my father took my sisters and me to the Lowndes County Fair in Columbus, Mississippi. Before we could ride any of the carnival rides, it was a family tradition to go through the home economics building and look at every jam, jelly, and preserve, and all sorts of hobby, craft, or sewing project that the local 4-H or ladies’ clubs had made. We tried to hurry daddy through most of the exhibits but we always stopped reverently and stared longingly and in awe of this sock monkey. My sisters and I coveted that monkey!

Another thing we did every single year at the fair was throw horrible fits, drag our feet in the county fair dust, squall, whine, and complain about what we didn't get to do when Daddy said time to go. My poor Daddy, I don't know why he continued to take us year after year.

A few summers ago while on vacation, I found a sock shop that sold the red-heeled socks used for making sock monkeys. I could now have my own! There was another thing we fantasized about owning as children – Sea Monkeys. This doll is a combination of two fond childhood memories. I sent this one in to Art Doll Quarterly for a challenge and it was published - that was last summer and in the same issue as the Tree Sprite doll. I modified the tail when it came back because after looking at it again it looked like a bass tail! I gave that one to Leslie and made two more. Then I gave one of them to a friend I worked with at the elementary school . So now I have one. I want to make some more but what do you do with them? I've been buying some cool old fake pearls and old sea themed jewelery to put on them. I've got the goodies in a shoe box and every now and then I pull them out and look at them. What do ya'll do with all the Art stuff you make? Mine is starting to accumulate. If they were cats - the city would be after me.

9 comments:

eclectic archivist said...

Lisa this Mermaid Monkey is
TOO FUN...you are SOOOooo talented!

Anonymous said...

Lol well i would love to see them all :) This is so cute, really fab make
hugs June x

Cristine's Story said...

Lisa, I love you sock monkeys!

Leslie said...

Sea Monkey is very happy in her new home with me. :)

Judy said...

I always loved Sea Monkey.

My stuff fills drawers, shelves, and walls. I just recently decided that my creations are personal and parting with them is not easy. I love every one. You have no idea how hard it was for me to part with a fabric book recently in exchange for another grand art piece. I stalled and stalled before sending it off. But I know the recipient loved it as much as I did.

Esther said...

Lisa, your sock monkey is amazing. My sister usually ruined the trips to the Fair by her tantrums. I went for the taffey, cotton candy and photo booths - oh, and the handwriting analysis computer. I should find that...

Michele said...

Very cute sea-mermaid-sock monkey!

I think you should display the ones you have around your home. Shelves, cabinets, couches, chairs, beds etc..

That's what I'm having to do, as my collage collection is growing out of control, the only space I have to store them is on the walls. Soon that will be gone though, and then I don't know what I'll do.

Esther said...

Lisa, your sista is picking on me. Please make her stop!

House of Hullabaloo said...

Esther - Tell her she has a booger in her nose! That will drive her crazy until she can sneak off to find a mirror to check. It worked on all of us in the 60s. I swear every one of us sistas fell for it!