Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Introducing my beautiful Snowbird Nest...

Imagine~
a wintry forest, 
  trees laden with snow and ice,
     sunlight filters through the dense woods
         casting glittery shadows all around...

 in the hush of the frozen forest~
the little Snowbird sings
her song...

Inspiration is a funny thing,
you never know when it will come to you,
and most always..
 it comes from a place
that you never expected...

 my inspiration for this beautiful
 "Snowbird" nest
came from one of my most favorite books,
by Paul Gallico

a hauntingly beautiful tale..
it is a tribute to the human spirit,
and the bonds that hold us together~ 
~
it is a story of love, bravery, loneliness,
and the healing of a beautiful
wounded Snow Goose..
   a wonderful heart-warming parable 
about love, friendship and loyalty 
during one of the hardest times in the world's history - WWII.
~
 a young girl brings the snow goose with a broken wing 
to a lonely and disappointed man...
 thus begins
 a very special friendship 
between the three. 
a couple of years ago,
while sorting through my books,
some of them going to charity,
keeping only a few of my
very favorites...
~
this beautiful book crept out from among the stacks..
it once again captivated me
and I sat down to reread 
the story...

~
from the minute that I first opened the book, 
seeing the soft and shadowy illustrations,
reliving the story through the beautiful prose...
I knew that I wanted to create
a beautiful icy nest...
 a place 
where a little 
winter bird might live..
 In my dreams...
this is where she lives...


this little book was first published in 1941...
 telling a sentimental story that happened 
on the Essex coast of England
 from 1930 to 1940. 

The "Snow Goose" is a short story 
about unexpected love--
wild love~
of an alienated, tender soul, Philip,
 a Canadian Snow Goose,
 and a beautiful young
 Saxon girl. 
in this beautiful wintry tale...
 every sentence seems to shiver with the salt-laden 
chill of the desolate landscape 
in which it is set~
The "Snow Goose"
was originally published as a short story
 in the Saturday Evening Post in the 9 November 1940 edition.
 A year later, it was released as a novella 
and won honorable mention in the 
O. Henry Memorial Prize 
competition. 
The "Snow Goose" was made into a special television movie...
the Hallmark Hall of Fame television production 
of this story in 1971
 was a priceless gift to those viewers 
lucky enough to have seen it. 
the program was run at least twice in the '70s 
but is now "lost" to the public --- 
no VHS, no DVD copies are available... 

but of course,
I found it for you...
if you wish, you can watch 
the entire 
Hallmark Hall of Fame production
via U-tube from this link
(scroll down to the bottom of the page for the link)
it is shown in 5 parts -- 10 minutes each,
they flow together smoothly from one part to the other..
you'll need tissues -- trust me on this!
those of you who purchase
this beautiful nest,
will find inside your package
a little gift from me...
a glittery glass
snowbird for your own little
nest...
~
(there are 2 variations of the little birds,
yours will be a surprise..
they are both lovely...) 


one of the most beautiful embellishments 
on this lovely nest
are the tiny crochet snowflakes
created by my friend Karen.
~
tiny, exquisite little snowflakes...
 they were generously donated
by dear Karen to grace this beautiful nest..
(you can find  her amazing artistic creations at her
own beautiful blog...Todolwen)
Thank you dear Karen
for your amazing, precious little gifts..
xoxo 

 Presentation is everything--
and I want you to say "WOW"
the minute that you open your box...
Your nest will be beautifully wrapped
with the lovliest tissue and tags
created by my talented friend
Sue Kosec.
(you can visit Sue at her blog by clicking the link above)


this beautiful "Snow Bird" nest
has been over two years in the making...
~
perhaps I could tell you
 a little bit about the making of a nest in my
"Designer series"...

~once the decision is made to create a themed nest
for the series...
the shopping is non stop for at least 2-3 years,
flea markets, antique stores,
yard sales,.... everywhere imaginable--
looking for the perfect vintage embellishments
for these nests.  
~
my craft room closet is full of tubs
that hold vintage treasures,
 designated for a special nest...
waiting to be brought to life sometime in
the future...
it. takes. years.
~
just in case you thought I might just say--
"lets make a Snowbird nest"--
and then magically, perhaps 3 months later,
30 of these little nests appear all
pretty and ready to come live with you...
that's just not how it happens in real life.
 once production actually starts on these nests...
it is a full year from start to finish
to make a 30 count series
of a themed nest.
~
And -- I can't do it alone.  
my (BFF) Mary is an integral part of this
"nesting" team....
(I simply could NOT do this without her help!!)
(a million thanks to my dear friend
for all the hours that she has
devoted to this amazing
project)
xoxo
We have both worked diligently all year to
produce this beautiful "Snowbird"nest...
(in between living our busy lives, grandbabies, travels,
and... did I forget to tell you that I still
work full time as a Neonatal nurse....) 
 the creation of these nests is a true 
and absolute passion for me...
I love bringing them to life,
using exquisite yarns and embellishments...
~
I love sharing each of their stories
 with you all...
 knowing that these nests
make you so happy 
and that they
serve a greater good... 
  as always,
my Designer nest series is linked to 
a charitable organization...
~
a few weeks ago,
was conducting an auction on her own blog
to raise money for 
several of the animal rescue centers
near her home in France.
(please do visit my friend Liz at her beautiful blog) 
she is continuing her charitable work for the animal shelters
by creating the most beautiful Lavender hearts 
to be sold at auction, benefiting
the animal shelters near her home.
~
I was so touched by her efforts to help
some of God's little 4 legged creatures
that I wanted to do the same... 
~
Winter
 is a terrible time to
be a stray dog or cat without
a warm and loving home,...
I know that our local shelters are full
 and overflowing
right now...
charitable funds
from the sale of these 
"Snowbird" nests
will be donated to local
animal shelters near my home.
~
your purchase of this beautiful nest
will help to care for desperately
needy and lost dogs and cats
through this winter
while they wait to find
their own forever
 homes...
Those of you who 
RESERVED your nests
will find them listed here in my ETSY shop...
~
all but 4 of these nests were RESERVED when I posted
about this nest last January...
(click the link above to see the beautiful Preview post from last January) 
~~~
If you would like to give a home to one of the
remaining little nests...
and in return...
 know that your donation
will go towards helping desperate
creatures this winter,
please visit my ETSY shop
here 
(please be sure to purchase a nest listing
that says "NOT RESERVED"
 thank you
for allowing my to live my creative dreams
and bring these beautiful nests
 to life...
~
I hope you have enjoyed the story
 of how this special nest came to be
and the hauntingly beautiful book
that inspired me to create
this nest...
xoxoxo
Vicki 
~~~~~
ps--
although the original book,"The Snow Goose"
is no longer in print production,
you may still be able to secure a copy
for  yourself from a vintage book seller.
I found some for you here... 
~
you can find later productions of the book 
here.... (but this is not the same version of the book
 that has the beautiful illustrations found
in the original printing of the book.
My copy is the original, first edition
printing of the book.... 
hold out for the original version if you can...

I thought you might like to see
how my "Snowbird" nest is displayed
in my house...
My "Snow Goose" book is resting on top of a
glass cake plate and my beautiful nest
is sitting on top of the book...

22 comments:

gracie said...

Amazing

lynn cockrell said...

Your latest nest is breathtakingly beautiful, Vicki!

Christina Paul said...

How beautiful! Your work captures the story perfectly
I read that it ages ago and was captivated by it- will have to revisit it
and t's so wonderful you are donating to pets in need

Magpie's Mumblings said...

I dream of one day owning one of your beautiful nests, but alas my budget won't stretch that far. I can always hope for a lottery win! You create the most marvelous things that anybody would love to own and I know your latest creation will be snapped up in the blink of an eye. Blessings on you for all you do for the world, four-legged and otherwise.

Julia said...

These nest are your most beautiful and I think that you took this nest building to a new height. So much time and gathering to prepare.
Such a great cause to raise money for. Good luck with this project.
Hugs,
JB

Julie said...

Delightful and so very delicately adorned by the lovely Snowbird.

Karen B. said...

My dearest friend Vicki,
your newest nest is so beautiful and stunning and I love that the story of 'The Snow Goose'inspired you to make this enchanting creation. I feel honoured to be a tiny part of it, thank you for letting me do this. You are such an amazing artist and such an amazing person and I am happy you are in my life.
Many hugs and much love,
Karen B. ~ Todolwen

Ariadne said...

Very beautiful!AriadnefromGreece!

Andrea Ostapovitch said...

Incredibly beautiful Vicki! A feast for the eyes.

Dorthe said...

Oh Vicki, you totally caught me here, both your stunning nests, they are like fairytales, and magic winter adventures, Filled with so much beauty, and with wonderful gifts also from your friends. It could also have been a part of the fairytale the snowqueen, but your inspiration from that wonderful book, made me go directly to order one from Amazon.UK -I so hope it is the right one, this have the girl and the goose on the front cover ,she holding it in her arms. I hope it is equal to yours as I wanted to see the illustrations you tells about !!
The nests will be wonders of glittery winter, icy nature and the little glass birds will find warmth and love in your stunning nests.
Thank you for this amazing post with your gorgeous photos and the wonderful story about how your nests are born.
Hug from Dorthe

Julie Marie said...

Dearest Vicki... you have woven the Winter Nest and your tale about it so beautifully, I am just sighing... so much love you put into each one... from your beautiful heart... and loving hands... this post is so enchanting... I have read it all three times now... so breathtaking... and precious you... donating your proceeds to help God's precious little creatures we both love so much... I love you too sweet friend, thank you for making this world a beautiful place with your creations, xoxo... Julie Marie

Unknown said...

hello old friend...these nests are beyond stunning! Adore them! I hope you are well....many blessings...:)

Shirley said...

Your Snowbird nest is absolutely awesome and I enjoyed reading how it came to life. People need to understand some things take time and don't happen overnight, I enjoyed catching up with you here in blogland. I need to go out and clean my car off again to get ready for the next go round of snow. We got more then they said, but my driveway and steps are cleared. Take care, Hugs and prayers from your Missouri Friend Shirley

Tanya said...

These left me breathless, my friend...another successful and beautiful "nesting". I know your heart is beautiful, because there isn't anything that comes from your hands that isn't stunning, as well! XOXOXOXO

Sue Kosec said...

Just beautiful. I knew how long those take from idea to completion. Good things come to those who wait. I know that the owners of these beauties will be enamored!!!!!!!

xo
SuZeQ

Seawashed said...

I think every nest you design is full of its own magic. The story behind this one is heartwarming. Your heart woven into each one.

And thank you for the surprise gift of homemade jams. Oh my was it a lovely surprise. I have still been battling the flu. One day I think I am well and the next I am feeling poorly again. So it was a nice gift to find on my door step. Thank you so much xx

Terry said...

Vicki,

I can't wait until mine arrives! I will savor every moment of unwrapping this precious gift. Every time I walk past it I will say a prayer for all the animals waiting for a forever home. You are an inspiration.

With abundant gratitude,
Terry

PS: Last weekend was Vogue Knitting Live in NYC. I hope some day you will attend and we can meet and sit and chat.

Anne's Attic - Design said...

Dear Vicki, I believe that your Snowbird nest is my favorite. The love and thought that you put into them are what makes them so special and beautiful. Winter is my favorite time of year, I love the beauty that it brings. I'm sure that's why I live in Utah. Love the snow. I so enjoy seeing your posts come into my email box. Have a wonderful day, and never stop creating. xx Jo

Eugenia Maru http://lulurulitos.blogspot.com said...

Maravilloso post. Bellísimas fotos y siempre tu forma de relatarlos.
Un beso.
Maru

Fat Dormouse said...

Your Snow Goose nests are beautiful. It is interesting to read how your nests come into being and the love and care that goes into them.

I love the book too - I remember when I first read it as a young adult. I fell in love with Phillip Rhyader! I have never seen the film, so that will be a treat to come in the coming weeks. Do you know the album The Snow Goose by Camel, based on the story? If you like "prog rock" you might well like this. Here's a link to the YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eg75nFifO90

Marlynne said...

Oh what a beautiful post! Your telling of the story of The Snowbird" is so emotionally told I can feel the story thru your words. How interesting to hear how your theme came about and how long it takes to gather the right pieces for the nest and how long it takes to create them all! Breathtakingly Beautiful They Are! God Bless You for such beauty and kindness in the use of their profit! Amen and Amen

Maya said...

You impressed me by your attitude to pets. It shows that you are really kind person. These nests and birds look like something magical.