7-Imp’s 7 Kicks #259: Featuring
One Very Possible and Very Festive
2011 Holiday Illustration Before Breakfast #7
December 11th, 2011 by jules
(Click to enlarge)
Welcome to 7-Imp’s 7 Kicks, a weekly meeting ground for taking some time to reflect on Seven(ish) Exceptionally Fabulous, Beautiful, Interesting, Hilarious, or Otherwise Positive Noteworthy Things from the past week, whether book-related or not, that happened to you.
I’m feeling under the weather this weekend, so even though I most certainly noted this week’s kicks in my mind, I’m not going to include them here. Since it still aches to be upright, I’m going to share today’s illustration and then get right back to being horizontal again. Sorry for this truncated post, but please do tell me your kicks. How about this: My one big kick is that I don’t feel like this all the time. There we go. I’m extremely grateful for that. (Oh, I also spent an exciting Tuesday morning with a whole host of very smart second-graders and teachers studying picture books and illustration, but maybe I’ll hold that for next week.)
Do you remember this July post, in which I featured Katherine Paterson’s Brother Sun, Sister Moon, illustrated by Pamela Dalton? Remember those intricate paper cuts? As a reminder (and as I wrote in that July post), Dalton uses the craft of Schereschnitte, which means simply “scissor cutting” in German, a method which was popular in early 19th-century Pennsylvania German communities. It involves paper-folding (lots), a heavy use of symmetry, and many craft knife blades. As I understand it, after cutting pieces for this book, Pamela laid her paper on large pieces of glass and completely covered them in coffee, which softens the contours and the watercolors she’s painted on the papercuts. The pieces are then ironed many times to smooth out wrinkles and paper-buckling.
In this holiday book, released in November from Chronicle/Handprint Books, Dalton is back, having rendered the illustrations for the Christmas story as told in the King James Bible. If you saw Paterson’s book, then you might believe me when I say that this book, The Story of Christmas, is a delight, no matter your faith (or even lack thereof). That is, if you’re an illustration junkie, this artwork is simply a wonder to take in.
And, wow, both books were published in 2011. Dalton did a lot of paper-cutting this year. (Er, well, I’m sure she did it all before 2011, but you know what I mean.)
Okay, back to my pillow. It so gently calls my name. Sorry so brief. What are your kicks from this week?
THE STORY OF CHRISTMAS. Illustrations © 2011 by Pamela Dalton. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Handprint Books, an imprint of Chronicle Books, San Francisco.
What a gorgeous book. Papercutting, so much patience.
Jules, I am sorry you are under the weather. Thank you for mustering up the energy to put up a post. Sleep and get well.
My kicks:
1. Coming here each week.
2. Sparkly lights on my drive home.
3. Helping a firned with a garage sale in the bitter cold yesterday.
4. Dinner with friends.
5. Finished Bigger than a Breadbox with 5th graders this week.
6. Kindergartener: “You look like Mrs. Claus.” I was wearing a Santa hat.
7. Finished A Dog’s Purpose for bookclub tonight.
Have a great week.
Mrs. Claus, I’m at least upright for a second here. Sounds like you had a week of good reading and good friends. Isn’t your holiday break coming up soon? The girls have just this week, and then they’re off (in more ways than one).
Hope you feel much, much better soon, Jules! I am a tiny bit under the weather and even that is NOT fun.
My kicks:
1. Putting together a piece for the blog this week on my daughter’s “books under the tree” tradition that included this Dalton book…indeed it is SO special. http://bit.ly/tyDPaG
Poor Jules! I’ve brought you some green tea, and here, you may borrow my Pooh blanket. Oh, and some peanut butter chocolate chip cookies for when you’re feeling better.
Pamela’s work is simply gorgeous! I have Brother Sun, Sister Moon, but had no idea she had another Christmas book out this year, too. Looks exquisite.
I haven’t shared kicks in awhile, so these are from the last two weeks or so.
1. Safe trip to and from Hawai’i, where I celebrated Thanksgiving with my family for the first time in YEARS. Also, my Dad turned 97!
2. Done with Christmas shopping, now cookie baking can commence!
3. Saw “The Descendants.” George Clooney = swoon. Had fun trying to figure out where they shot certain scenes.
4. Excited about going to see Lyle Lovett this week. First time seeing him live.
5. Finally reading Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and loving every word.
6. After 12 years of living in our current home, we finally have a lawn! Could never get the grass to grow with so many trees, so we finally hired someone to sod it. Keep your fingers crossed it’ll survive come Spring.
7. Started a “list” on FB (a la Jeannine Atkins), which I’ll continue here: Today is clear blue skies, writing Christmas cards, dressing bears in holiday finery, words, dumplings, chili, the uplifting scent of evergreen.
Happy Holidays, everyone! And Feel Better Soon, Jules. ♥
STARTING OVER TO PUT FULL POST TOGETHER!
Hope you feel much, much better soon, Jules! I am a tiny bit under the weather and even that is NOT fun.
My kicks:
1. Putting together a piece for the blog this week on my daughter’s “books under the tree” tradition that included this Dalton book…indeed it is SO special. http://bit.ly/tyDPaG
2. An unexpected mention in Nick Kristof’s column in NYTimes last week created some nice and unexecpted giving by generous persons.
3. A holiday potluck luncheon on Friday that was so much fun with the RIF staff, what a great group of dedicated people!
4. Receiving pictures of my grandsons with Santa and in their Christmas PJ’s!
5. Seeing the absolutely biggest full moon I have ever witnessed in my life this week…WOW!
6. Learning of a friend’s upcoming move to Germany with a special invitation to come visit…
7. Biggest kick: knowing I have only until Thursday and I go back to Arkansas for the holidays. 2 1/2 year old William has invited me to come this early to go to his pre-“school singing”…”GiGi, we sing some songs and get a cookie if we BEhave!”
Have a great week, all!
Carol, I saw that post earlier. I always enjoy seeing the holidays titles that come out yearly. … You had a good week, too. Safe travels to Arkansas and have so much fun with your family and grandsons!
Jama, oh thank you for the tea and blanket and cookies. I need it. You’re going to see Lyle Lovett?!! YAY! Have so much fun. Tried to see The Descendants on Friday night, but that’s when I got sick, so we just headed home. Boo.
Back to lying down. Thanks to you all for sharing kicks …
Papercutting is better than getting a paper cut.
Jules and Carol: Sending you lots of healthy vibes.
jone: Yay for sparkly lights!
jama: Happy to hear that you spent Thanksgiving with family. Happy birthday to your father!
My kicks for the past week:
1) and 2) Audition and callback for a national commercial
3) Being notified that I have a callback for a role in a webseries
4) Conversations about casting and good books
5) This weekend’s performances
6) My new can opener
7) Standing up for myself
I still can’t get over Dalton’s amazing coffee papercuts!
Jules, I hope you feel better real, real soon. *warm hug*
My kick:
At my church’s Christmas party I had to dance as part of the program. I was front and center before more than a hundred people! My family and friends made sure to sit in the front row and it was so much fun to see them cheering me on. *heart*
Jules and Carol sorry you’re both feeling under the weather, hope you feel better soon!
Jone – dinner with friends is always such a nice kick.
Jama – so happy you had a great Thanksgiving with your family!
LW – woot woot for callbacks! and for standing up for yourself!
My kicks this week:
1) My first Christmas tree in my new home has been up now since Thursday.
2) A friend who is a neighbor who came over for 5 minutes to help me get it to stand straight. I like to be self-sufficient, but turns out putting up a 6 foot tree is a 2 person job.
3) Decorating for the holidays.
4) Had 4 friends over for dinner on Friday. Having people over really fills my house and my heart.
5) We all cooked something, I made homemade pizzas, the carmelized onions in a tequila reduction with chicken and jalapenos was a big hit.
6) Lots of wine and laughter.
7) I have a new roommate for a few months. Skittles is the 15 year old kitty of a friend that would otherwise be outside all winter due to one of their family members’ asthma and allergies. She’s staying with me for the winter and will go home in the warmer spring. So far she seems to be settling in nicely.
That’s it for me – have a great week everyone! Stay warm and well!
Oh, and the book is beautiful too!
Little Willow, break a leg with those callbacks and your auditions. You’ll have to let us know if you get the commercial. Is this your first audition for a commercial?
Thanks to you and to Tarie for the well-wishes. Congrats on your dance, Tarie!
Rachel, what good timing for Skittles to in your home after your losses this year. I’m glad she’s settling in well. Your home-made pizza sounds so good, too. Mmm. It even sounds good when one is sick!
Hope you feel better soon.
My kick this week was having my five grandchildren over to decorate my tree, cookies and the gingerbread house. Fun times!
Hi, Pam. That sounds fun, and I hope you spoiled ’em with lots of cookies and gingerbread.
I am a day late and a few kicks short this week- not really. It was a good week but it sounded funny and I am too tired to write kicks 🙂 but I did want to send healing thoughts your way! Hope by now, you’re feeling all better!!
I can hardly wait to get my hands on both of Dalton’s books. (Can you all keep a secret? Everyone on the internet who reads this? Okay, here goes: for Christmas this year, my daughter is getting a book about paper-cutting, plus a ream of black paper.) I’m sorry you’ve been poorly, but am glad to hear that today (Monday) you are on the recovery end. Here are my belated kicks:
1. I received a beautiful gift from a friend today.
2. My teacher’s goals for my daughter are 2 of the same ones I have for my daughter.
3. The storytelling gig yesterday went well.
4. A friend of mine hosted a little early St. Lucia gathering for my daughter and her children. They dressed up and brought saffron buns to the neighbors.
5. I ate amazing gingerbread and stollen recently.
6. I have some ideas for new dolls.
7. I am looking forward to pre-holiday down-time after next week: no school lunches to pack or homework to supervise (oh, I hope). I’m planning to take my daughter on the holiday carousel.
Happy St. Lucia Day everyone! It’s on the 13th.
6.
Hi, Stacey! Yes, I feel better now. Many thanks for the well-wishes.
Farida, boy howdy do I relate to kick #7 at this point. I love all your other happy kicks, too.
Rachel (rm): Thank you! Congrats on placing your first tree in your new house. Your tree is a foot taller than I am! Please hug Skittles for me. Glad that you are able to cat-sit for her.
Jules: Thanks! I’ve auditioned for commercials before. How are you feeling?
Pam: Awww.
Stacey: Hope you have an even better week this week.
Farida: Hola to your awesome daughter. Yay, carousel!
Little Willow, I was feeling better but now the gunk in my head is trying to come out (sorry to be gross), so my head is throbbing.
Again, I’m just grateful I don’t feel like this all the time. I have friends with chronic pain and I don’t know how they do it. I don’t mean to whine. I know I’m lucky to be a healthy person, on the whole.