HOLIDAY SAMPLER : The crisp feel of starched, white linens, the sound of voices exclaiming over holiday decorations, the sight of a package cleverly wrapped--these are some of the sensory joys of this time of year. : Dolled Up
Lynn West of Irvine is an artisan for whom the holidays hold a special meaning. In fact, she works all year to create her Santas, elves, faeries, gnomes and other fantasy creatures.
West has two collections. Some of her creations are reproduced at Amaranth Productions by artisans who have worked with West for years. Signed and numbered, they range from $280 to $3,700.
The other line, Lynn West Collections, is made up of limited editions ranging from one-of-a-kind to no more than 30 in a series.
Each creation is designed by West and is very detailed. From 13 inches tall to larger-than-life-size, they are made from materials such as silk or velvet.
Jockamo, pictured here, has a cold-pour compound face and movable body and is wearing silk pants and shirt. Thirty inches high when sitting on his mirror ball, he is also a music box and retails for $700. Prices go up to $12,000 for a 7-foot tall Victorian Santa Claus. Call (714) 966-9434.
Stocking From Afar
Among the holiday items at the Bowers Museum of Cultural Art gallery store in Santa Ana are stockings made in India from Banjara fabric. The stockings, priced at $45, are made of hand-sewn cloth that the Banjara Gypsies have used on the backs of their donkeys as they travel from town to town. The old, worn fabric used to create the decorative stockings was made into sacks for transporting household goods and even small animals, such as a baby lamb too young to walk with the herd. Call 714 567-3643.
Figurine Lights
Steve Kelsay of Aliso Viejo looks forward each Christmas to decorating his tree and home with strings of his special milk glass figural lights.
“I started collecting them in 1970. The lights were originally made between 1918 and 1954 and were made one at a time. They were hand-blown using a glass tube that resembled a thick glass straw. The tube formed a glass bubble until it was the size of the metal, hinged mold it would fit in. When it was in the mold, an incandescent filament was inserted by hand, then they evacuated the air in the lamp with a vacuum pump. After that, each bulb was hand-painted.” The bulbs sold for 25 cents in 1925, a bargain even in those days.
“Some of the bulbs I have still work,” Kelsay said. The bulbs were mainly made in the shapes of comic book characters such as Little Jack Horner, Betty Boop, Little Orphan Annie and Dick Tracy, as well as Santa Claus.
Today these milk glass lights are very rare and collectible. A single bulb can run from $10 to $250 depending on the rarity and condition.
In the Bag
Gift-wrapping artist Judy Marinelli of Yorba Linda gives talks on wrapping all over the country, yet she doesn’t know how to tie a bow. She makes her bows by cutting half a dozen 8-by-4-inch rectangles of Mylar tissue and laying them in a stack. Rectangles of netting, wide ribbon or clear cellophane can also be layered with the Mylar.
“I then pinch the stack in the middle and tie it on the box with narrow ribbon, leaving long ends. I then fluff the bow,” she said. The last step is to put shredded ribbon or a special trinket in the center, such as silver bells or an ornament.
Among Marinelli’s creations is the fan-topped treat bag made from a brown paper lunch sack. The first step in this design is to fold the bag from the top down “fan” style with five or six folds. The first fold goes toward the back. At this point, reopen the bag and place the gift inside.
Next, refold the fan and bend in the middle so the ends come up and meet. Staple the top ends closed. Thread two or three narrow ribbons through the opening in the center of the fan, around the bottom of the bag and tie in front. Add the bow and accessories. Variations include using colored bags and adding stickers to the bag to give it more glitz. For more detailed instructions, Marinelli has self-published a book called “Open It, Open It” ($7.25, including tax and postage). Call (714) 777-4096.
Airing Linens
Jeanette Price of Costa Mesa developed her love for fine linens growing up in England. “Even when I was a little girl, I got the feeling that pieces of linen were like little works of art. I could visualize the people creating them and the amount of time it took to make them.”
Price visits Great Britain at least once a year and brings back antique linens to restore. She sells the linens at antique shows and uses them in her high tea catering business. Price also restores linens locally, turning a limp, faded tablecloth, table runner, napkin or doily into a new looking, white, starched piece that can be used both on special occasions and daily.
“My restoration work developed as my way of encouraging people to dig out their old linens and use them. People are afraid to use them, but you can get as much wear out of them now as people did years ago.”
Price uses Persil soap from England (available locally at specialty stores) to hand-wash the linens in cold water, then she dries them outdoors in the sun, never in a dryer. She uses powder starch from England because she does many at once, but for just one or two items she recommends spray sizing. “Never ever store linens with starch in them,” she cautions. “That will permanently crease them.” For information, call (714) 548-8289.
Mixed, Not Matched
When it’s time to set the table, don’t worry about everything matching, advises Electa Anderson, who uses 12 different Christmas place settings that have been given to her through the years by her mother.
Most are in traditional holiday colors of green, red and gold, but Anderson said she wouldn’t mind if they weren’t. “I use a solid green tablecloth underneath to reflect all the different patterns without being too busy,” said Anderson, director of special events at Roger’s Gardens in Corona del Mar.
“I use place cards for dinner, so people are always surprised to see which dishes they get to eat on that year.” She also has 12 different champagne glasses that are both pretty and practical, because a guest knows immediately which glass is his or hers.
Nosing Around
If you can’t manage to have an apple pie just coming out of the oven at all times, try putting a handful of cloves and some cinnamon sticks into boiling water to give the house a spicy, welcoming aroma.