The lucky recipient

My next door neighbor, Charlotte, has been a good friend of ours since we bought this house back in 2004. Her house is a piece of art, and we've learned a lot from her over the years when it comes to design and remodeling that we've done. In her spare time (very funny) she makes Santa's and witches. She travels all over the country to various arts and crafts shows to sell them, and it takes her working on them nearly every day all year long to make them fast enough to keep up with the demand. I've admired her art for years.

Last night she participated in one of our local art shows, so the kids and I headed down to show her our support. Just after we arrived the weather took a turn for the worse, the wind picked up drastically and it started to drizzle. The kids and I quickly helped her get the Santa's and witches to her car, get the tent down and everything stored for the next day.

When we got home Sean came to the front door (he wasn't with us) and told me to follow him to my bedroom. He opened the door and there stood this witch that I had been admiring at the craft fair before it started to storm. Charlotte brought her over to me as a gift. She said that she knew I had been wanting one, but she didn't know which one. Watching me admire this one at the show gave her the answer that she needed.

This witch is amazing. She stands about 3.5 feet tall, and there is so much detail throughout the entire piece. Every since piece is custom made by Charlotte, down to the detailed painting of the face. There are jewels on the fingers, a strand of skeleton bones hanging from her arm, a black spider sitting on her hand, and so many other neat little things that I just keep looking her over. I've been wanting one for years to put right next to the door during Halloween, and now I've got her!

If you are ever in the market for a unique piece for Halloween or Christmas, let me know and I'll put you in touch with Charlotte or take pictures of the others that she has. Her Santa's are absolutely amazing-complete with sheep fur that she has sent to her from a sheep farm in North Carolina that is used for the beard and hair of Santa. It's used for the hair of many of the witches, too. When Charlotte receives the fur she has to completely clean and prepare it for use. No two pieces are alike, and so much time and workmanship is spent on them that it's amazing she doesn't charge a lot more than she does for them.