Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Sing, Cardstock & Cigar Boxes


I have a collection of collections.

My porch is the type that has not one wind chime, but a symphony of chimes made from elephant ears and bullets, tin cans & hand-tuned pipes, seashells & taps, crystal & spoons ...
I have the worlds tiniest dice. I have them made of plastic, wood, clay & bone.
I have bowls, drawers, boxes & dishes tucked full of old marbles, mis-shaped & dinged, that I have found around this old house & yard.

I have heart-shaped rocks, stones, crystals, jars, bottles, drawer pulls, necklaces & dishes.

But my biggest collection has always been my boxes.

They are made of wood(my favorite) & steel, clay & resin, china & silver, lacquer & leather, cardboard & tin.

My old photo ID's are in a cigar box from the 1950's.

My band-aids are kept in a small wooden box that housed cigars some 20+ years ago.

Scissors, tape, pens, buttons, batteries, CD's, paint & paint brushes ... all accommodated by boxes.

My eyes are conditioned to know what goes where...

My Sister Sing said she might like a new palette...something different from the 8.5" x 11" cardstock she doodles on.
We decided that it would be most cost effective (we're always broke, never poor) if she just cut that 8.5" x 11" paper up into different sizes and shapes.

Without having to dip into my private collection, the leprechauns found me the mother-load of wooden cigar boxes... Interiors, and exteriors where she wants, to become a resting spot for all of Sweet Sings newly sized & shaped cardstock ;)



Artwork is 'The Wedding Box' by Sister Artist Singleton ILYSVM

26 comments:

eric1313 said...

How beautiful it is--your gifts and the relationship you two have.

I get along with my sister, but only to a point. She would agree. Maybe it's maturity that makes the difference.

I'm flat out amazed to be the first to comment on this!

Anonymous said...

A collection of collections ... that sounds lovely. I used to have a collection of dragons. My cats broke most of them. I had a collection of angels. My cats broke most of them. Now I have a collection of dust. I wish I still had cats.

;) Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Me said...

I'm a bit of a collector myself, but not of boxes. Thats not to say I don't like the smell of a used cigar box. I hope that made sense because it did in my head.

Love the little peace sign, is that the .ico you were talking about?

singleton said...

sweet sister child......"You done good" baggin' up those goodies! oh, I wish I had been there last night to wallow in boxes with you! But then I know, we would have built a leggo archway....and named it.....and once named, it would have to stand forever, in it's place.....because! ILYSVVM!

Mel said...

*sigh*

........boxes and hearts and marbles.....

Collector of hearts.
How appropriate, eh?

*hugs*

Slip said...

Back in the day I kept my stash in a cigar box! It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Not really a good thing to be 18 in 1968 with a draft lottery number of 41, but being a long haired hippie freak with a brand new motorcycle was the bomb.

Shrinky said...

I have a very special collection of pebbles I keep, all hand-selected from my thinking spot, the beach.

There are so many precious things money can't buy.

Smile.

SHE said...

... so fun to look at.. collections to delight any artist

and art inspiring new collections

and love this line: (broke but never poor) my whole family can toast to that

"to you!" much love, ~s.

Scott from Oregon said...

I collected beer bottles when young. Before I was eighteen, I had something like 180 different varieties, all lined up aound my room (a garage converted, so it had a neat little "shelf" along the bottom of the wall...)

One day I got bored with them all so I took them out back and shot them with a gun, one by one...

skinnylittleblonde said...

Eric...lol, perhaps maturity does have something to do with it with you & your sister. I am very close with my siblings...always have been. Miles apart & all together! We're all kindred spirits bound, not by blood nor obligation, but by a circle.

Quilly...Lol, I imagine taht when you had cats breaking your collections of dragons & angels, that you also had a collection of fur. ;)

Orhan...Well, maybe one day I will send you a robust cigar box! Lol, as you can see... I have got 'em. No, that's not the ico. Looks similar though...that is just html. ;)

Sing... If you were here...we would get No Sleep! We would be up all night, doing Lord only knows what... but it would be fun & it would be good. ILYSVM

skinnylittleblonde said...

Mel... Lol, yes but the hearts I collect are mainly made of rock & stone ;) Quite beautiful, very heavy & all natural ;)

Slip... I imagine cigar boxes have been the stash boxes for many a soul! Lol, they are perfect for it. The boxes just outlast the stash. Lol...I love how 'cigar boxes' took you to private stashes, Vietnam & motorcycles. Your mind & mine travel alike...forward, back, down, over & under again.

Shrinky... I love it. Spadoman once turned me on to the term 'grandfathers' with reference to the rocks we have an affinity towards. He said they carry the wisdom of life before us & as we hold them, that wisdom is shared with us & likewise, it soaks up some of our own.

She...I work retail and we have many high-end collectibles there. it is amazing to see the great variety of valuables that folks collect. I imagine that they are banking on them going up in value in the outside world. But most of my favorite collections only have value in my little world.

Scott...Lol...well then you got to enjoy each one of those 180 beer cans immensely. Once when you drank, the whole span that you had & again when you shot 'em. Can't beat that Scott!

JustRun said...

Aww, I always adore that picture of the pups!

eric1313 said...

Oh, we're close. We just don't always get along! But we always keep up with each other, and I see her every week, inspite of moving around so much.

But she will argue with a rock sometimes, I swear! But I love her, and I'm glad she is deffinitely not the type to ever let anyone walk all over her. It's a good thing to see her so strong.

eric1313 said...

Not that you girls don't exude your own elegant strengths. You two a pillars of strength and support for one another and for everyone else who shares in your lives.

Peace and love, friend.

Talk to you later!

And by the way, lets porch party over at sexilicious' nettleweed palace! I missed you girls by three minutes!

Arghhh!

skinnylittleblonde said...

JustRun...Lol, Me Too (as if you can't tell:) The only way to get all five of them facing the camera at once was to keep a screen door between them & the camera! A wonderful collection of muttya spirits!

Eric...Lol, we took it to the virtual wires & there, we danced in laughter & profanities. P&L

~Babs said...

And a loving collector of people, as well,,,,you & Sing.
No mildew on you two Steel Magnolias!
And a great idea,,,,the new sized art!

skinnylittleblonde said...

Servidores...My Apologies, as I will NOT link you...Sorry. Mumbo-jumbo.

Wilsonsart...Lol, yes you know all about different sizes art, as well as a variety of textures & tools. Must come see you!

The CEO said...

The enduring love and memories are far more valuable than any collectable or money I know of. I love the gorgeous cigar boxes!

Momentary Madness said...

I'M A COLLECTION OF PERSONALITIES YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE, and paying a long over due visit has afforded me an outward look at without/within myself.

skinnylittleblonde said...

CEO...No wonder you are the CEO, you are right on the money with that one. It's funny how a rock or a bottle of sand can mean so much. The cigar boxes...lol, oh my! I have to ship them...it is a mountain inside my living room! There is a fellow tenant in my plaza that runs a cigar shop... so I have the connection. Out of this load, I have only laid claim to one...to keep my 2008 receipts in. Since I haven't done 07 taxes yet, I haven't been able to put them in that box. Lol...handy little boogers!

Paddy... Hahaha, I'm with you there! Just yesterday I was talking with someone about how conservative & how liberal, how rational & how whacky, how serious & how silly we can be. It's a collusion of conflict that gives balance. peace & love, spit & fire.

Sandy Kessler said...

ever so cool - especially the memories

eric1313 said...

Well, I missed you both then, what can I say. I'll just have to fill in the blanks with my own lines.

Have a happy Easter, friend.

p&l

singleton said...

Wake up and check the ham!

skinnylittleblonde said...

Sandy...lol, yes and the memories yet to be!

Eric...Happy Easter to you , my friend!

Singleton...Lol, Girl I was nibbling on ham at midnight!

John-Michael said...

Many years ago, my Youngest said (with that endearingsigh of exasperation) "Daaad, do you haaave to tell everybody that you get that stuff off of peoples trash piles as you deliver newspapers in the morning?!"

"No I don't! From now on I will simply say that I found these treasures in my 'Favorite Second-Hand Shop. And that will still be 'basically' true."

And I sit here now surrounded by scores of hand-woven baskets (all sizes, materials, colors, and shapes) hanging from the ceiling, on the walls, and restin wherever they can find space on the floor.

Another aspect of YOU to adore and cherish! Fantastic!

Bobby D. said...

What wonderful collections!