Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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You are here: Home / Archives for putz sheep

Day Two Hundred Seventy

December 8, 2020 at 10:11 am by Claudia

Boy, I had a bout of sadness this morning. I’d been thinking about Scoutie and Winston and Riley. Don and I were remembering how much Scoutie loved to be in on the opening of gifts and that Winston used sit in front of our San Diego fireplace staring at his stocking because he could smell the rubber/vinyl of the toys that were hidden inside. He’d sit there for an hour – staring.

Then I thought about my parents and brother and how much I missed them.

Sometimes it comes over you in a wave.

Last week, I was chatting with my favorite dealer Sydney, of Fox Run Antiques. (Source of the egg cup cubby, the vintage dollhouse in the kitchen, many butter pats and countless other things including putz sheep.) I asked her if she had any putz sheep this year and she said she did but she wasn’t going to display them because they’re fragile and people steal them. They are indeed fragile. But stealing? So sad.

She sent me some photos of them and I picked out two, which she dropped off at a local antique barn where she has a booth. I paid for them over the phone and on Friday morning, Don waited in the car while I ran into the shop, picked up the bag, said hello to the owner, and immediately ran out again. I haven’t been in an antique shop since March and oh, how I wanted to wander and look and pick up things – especially at Christmas time!

But I didn’t stay. Because that would be foolish. Sigh. Someday.

You know I love to rescue things and both of these sheep have some damage. They needed a home.

A petite putz sheep, with a little stain on the fleece, and the ubiquitous broken ears – that happens a lot with putz sheep. They can break quite easily. My friend Helga, who lives in Germany, actually repairs and replaces parts on her putz sheep. She has a large collection of them, including putz goats and black sheep!)

The other is now the tallest sheep in my collection.

He has a wonky back leg, his fleece is stained, his ears are broken, and the beautiful eye you see has worn away on the other side of his face.

Some of my sheep are in fairly pristine condition. Others are damaged and worn.

All are welcome.

I’ll try to take a panoramic photo of all of them on the mantel above my desk.

We have to do a bit of work outside today. I’m hanging our outdoor lights, we’re storing more things in the shed, and I have to empty a few more pots that now hold dead plants.

Stay safe.

Happy Tuesday.

Filed Under: Christmas, dogs, putz sheep, Riley, Scout, Winston 34 Comments

Reindeer & Putz

December 13, 2019 at 10:53 am by Claudia

My visit to two different antique shops yesterday was disappointing. One, which is one of my favorites, didn’t have what I wanted. This shop has recently opened a new ‘warehouse’ so I stopped there, as well. SO disappointing! Yes, it’s a huge warehouse, but except for a couple of booths, it’s pretty junky. Like walking into Goodwill or the Salvation Army (at least the ones around here) but arranged with a bit more style. Sigh.

Anyway, I returned home feeling as if I’d wasted three hours. My reaction to all of this seemed to be a bit too strong and sure enough, come the evening, I started to feel under the weather. So that might explain it. Today, I’m also feeling crappy, but I’m not ‘have to stay in bed crappy.’ Hopefully, this will fade away quickly.

These are my vintage celluloid deer that I found several years ago and rediscovered when I pulled out the bins in the shed to decorate the real Christmas tree. I really love them. I’m guessing they were hung from a tree at one point.

I was rearranging the putz sheep yesterday and looked a bit more closely at this one:

Do you remember my saying that this girl had everything; the bow, the cloth/wool ears, the bell?

Well, she also has Germany stamped on her leg. She’s got it all, that girl!

I did stop at Michael’s yesterday and added this little picket fence to the scene on my shelf.

It’s a gray day today but I’ll try to take a photo of the entire scene as it is…so far. Because you know I’m going to putz a bit with my putz sheep.

Happy Friday.

 

Filed Under: Christmas, decorating, putz sheep, vintage 24 Comments

The Sheep

December 12, 2019 at 10:27 am by Claudia

It’s not easy to take a photo of all the putz sheep. It’s always a bit dark in this room. I’ll try to take a better one with my big girl camera later today. I have two other sheep on this shelf, but they’re not putz sheep, so I didn’t include them in the photo.

Eventually, I want this entire shelf filled with sheep, leaving no empty space between them. I’m going to highlight some of the sheep.

First, on the far left, is a sheep that dear Judy sent me, complete with party hat.

The next sheep is my tallest – I can’t remember where I found him.

He’s one of two sheep that have the word “Germany” on their collars. His is fainter, but it’s there. And he has two broken ears, poor thing.

Next, one of the sheep I bought on Sunday – the one with the tilt to her head.

Next, my Vignettes sheep:

The owner of Vignettes in Ocean Beach, CA had a large collection of putz sheep which she was selling after having them in her home for several years and I bought one from her. (Can’t remember which one!) I visited Vignettes on a weekly basis – I bought my cherub painting from her. I’d been out there working for a couple of months in 2010 and after I got home, Lori said she was sending me something. Lori had pulled a sheep from her collection and had one of the women connected with the shop who does exquisite work with paper decorate it. She made a hat, a blanket, ruffles for the ankles, and a pack that says “Vignettes or Bust!” There’s a little Eiffel Tower hanging from the collar.

Needless to say, I was gobsmacked. It’s exquisite. It means so, so much to me.

Next to the Vignettes sheep is the sheep I purchased last week. It has a bell and is my fluffiest.

Next to her, the other sheep I purchased on Sunday.

Next to her….The Lamb with the Party Hat!

The LWTPH was my first buy. I was working out in San Diego for six months in 2009 and I drove to Country Roads Antiques in Orange, CA on my day off. I saw three little putz sheep in one of the glass displays. My sister loves sheep as well – she’s a knitter and crocheter – so I took a picture and mentioned them to her. I ended up going back for all three – two went to Mere and I kept the third.

I’d seen a blog post by a blogger showing a party hat on a much larger sheep that lived on her mantel, so I set about making a hat for my little sheep. That photo of her that is my blog logo was taken in San Diego. She’s my tiniest – only 2 inches high.

The next one I found a few years ago. She has everything: the elusive bell, a collar, wool ears, and a bow on her tush. Probably worth the most of any of the putz sheep. She might have come from Sydney’s booth a couple of years ago, but I can’t be sure.

The next is my other sheep with Germany on the collar:

Fairly fluffy, as well.

And finally, another little sheep with a pink collar. Most of the little sheep are 2 ½  – 3 inches high. Finding one with a bell is a plus. Finding one with Germany stamped on the collar or the leg is a plus. And finding wool ears is a big plus (I just read that bit of info the other day.) There are also black sheep out there, but I’ve yet to see one that’s vintage.

Many of them are well-loved. They’ve been handled, placed in scenes under a Christmas tree, loved by family members. Many of them have broken ears. Some need a bit of gentle adjusting to stand upright. That just makes them more precious.

I’m off to look at more antique shops today, hoping for another inexpensive putz house or something else that is vintage and Christmas-y.

I’m also going to change up the background for the sheep. I wanted something contrasting because they are white and the wall is off white, but this isn’t doing it for me. I have some ideas. We’ll see what I can come up with.

Thanks everyone.

Happy Thursday.

Filed Under: Christmas, collecting, putz sheep 34 Comments

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Welcome!

Welcome!

I live in a little cottage in the country with my husband. It's a sweet place, sheltered by old trees and surrounded by gardens. The inside is full of the things we love. I love to write, I love my camera, I love creating, I love gardening. My decorating style is eclectic; full of vintage and a bit of whimsy.

I've worked in the theater for more years than I can count. I'm currently a voice, speech, dialect and text coach freelancing on Broadway, off Broadway, and in regional theater.

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The Dogs

Scout & Riley. Riley left us in 2012. Scout left us in February 2016. Dearest babies. Dearest friends.

Winston - Our first dog. We miss you, sweetheart.

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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