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IRMA'S SETTEE
2008

My good friend Irma was a counselor for many years at the high school where I taught, and to me was always the real soul of that school. I cannot emphasize enough how much she helped me and my students when I was teaching, and what a great friend and dear person she is.

This little dome scene was a token of my appreciation for the continuing friendship of a truly lovely woman.

A circle of acid free scrapbook card was cut to fit the dome's wood base and, instead of a carpet, I decided to use the front of an old fashioned Christmas card.

For the setting I wanted to use the Bombay Furniture settee and coffee table. The card's design of soft red, pink and cream roses worked well with the taupe of the settee.However, I didn't like the size of the glued-tightly-in-place bolster pillows, but despite my best efforts could not get them prized loose without messing up the fabric. So, I decided to disguise their size as best I could.

I had purchased a bag of antique lace and crochet scraps at the Santa Fe Art Doll Show a couple years before, and while rummaging among the pieces I found hand crocheted rose medallions that tied in well with the old doily which I planned to use as a throw. I snipped the medallions from the larger lace piece and glued them to the ends of the bolsters. But ....

I experimented with tucking another scrap around the bolsters but it still didn't look right, and time was short, so I took the easy way out.

One bolster was almost completely covered by a pillow, and the other was hidden by the crocheted throw! A Department 56 bear and a Christmas package finished the settee.

See what I mean? The only visible part of the bolster suggests that it is much larger than it actually is. The gift package is wrapped with a gold foil liner from a Christmas card, and is tied with pink silk ribbon. The card was cut from another real Christmas card, and has a personal message to Irma. The arrangement is made of silk roses, gilded real cedar sprigs and some tiny artificial white spikes. The candle is Chrysnbon; its holder is jewelry findings.

The little Madonna and Child figure is contrived from beads and findings, and tiny gold sequins form their haloes. Her cloak is made from silver grosgrain ribbon.

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Unfortunately, the day of our Christmas party I was suffering from the after-effects of a terrible cold, so I was only able to dress, drive to the Country Club, deliver the dome - and leave before I started another coughing jag. Who would want to celebrate a holiday luncheon at a beautiful place like that while listening to somebody cough?

 

 

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