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Fall 2005
Dear Friends,
| As I look at my
Anna, Guardian of the Comforts of Home, I can't help
thinking about all the people along the Gulf Coast who no
longer have homes after Hurricane Katrina. |
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Where is their comfort? And what
about my friends and family who are deployed far from home in
places like New Orleans or Iraq -- my cousin serving in Baghdad,
the husband of my friend from the pool, the parent of one of my
son's soccer teammates...
I look around at my own home, and I
wonder: If it were all swept away, or if I had to leave it all
behind, what comforts would I miss most?
I know for sure I'd miss the big
overstuffed armchair in the kitchen, even though it's stained and
faded from the sunlight that streams in the windows there. It's my
favorite place to curl up and read. I'd miss my garden, digging in
the dirt, watching it bloom through the seasons. I'd miss my
grandmothers' quilts and needlepoints and my photo albums. But
what I'd miss most of all are the people I spend time with here in
this house -- my family, my friends.
Is it possible that I could find
the most important comforts of home anywhere... anywhere there are
people I care about and who care about me? On the radio the other
day I heard a New Orleans family being reunited with their dog.
Listening to them laughing and the dog whimpering with joy --
there was comfort there! And the people around the country who
have opened their homes to hurricane refugees or who write to
deployed soldiers, some of them friends and family, some of them
strangers... I'll bet we all know someone who could use a reminder
that they're loved. And that's the most comforting thing of all.
Wishing you every happiness,
Winter 2004 - 2005
Dear Friends,
I answered the doorbell one day and
there on my doorstep was a singing pink gorilla. It was my
fortieth birthday, and the man in the pink gorilla suit had come
to deliver a bunch of birthday balloons and a promise from my
sisters, Erin and Kristin, that they were going to take me on a
Girls' Day Out. The husbands had even agreed to watch the kids, so
we were completely free, just like when we really were girls.
My two sisters treated me to a
manicure, shopping, and lunch. That night, while the husbands and
kids were all camped out at my house, we three went over to Erin's
house, rented a chick flick, and had a sisters' slumber party. It
was the best birthday ever, but the very best part was right after
lunch, because that was when we drove to the nearby town where
Erin went to college.
When Erin was a freshman twenty
years ago, her boyfriend George (he's her husband now) took a
picture of the three of us sitting on a bench outside a shop
downtown. Well, Erin, Kristin, and I decided we were going to
recreate that picture. But when we got there, we couldn't remember
exactly where the bench was. We roamed up and down the streets.
Every time we saw a bench in front of a shop we'd stop and hold up
the original picture in its frame. But every time we had to shake
our heads.
"Close," I said,
"but that's not it."
Kristin said, "You know, it's
entirely possible that bench doesn't even exist anymore."
And Erin said, "Hey, look in
that window! Aren't those Ingrid's new Peppermint Parade Santas?"
Sure enough, there in a store
window was a display of my Peppermint Parade decor designs that I
created for Boston Warehouse. Well, of course we had to rush
inside to take a closer look -- I may be forty on the outside, but
inside I'm still a kid when it comes to stumbling across something
I designed. It's like unexpectedly seeing someone you know on TV,
it's thrilling. But it's also terrifying, because what if nobody
likes it? So we ran inside... and saw a woman holding up one of my
Peppermint Parade trays. After a moment, she tucked it under her
arm and moved on. I felt as if she had given me a present. And
back outside a few minutes later... we found our bench at last.
We're already making plans to
recreate the picture again in another twenty years. We thought
about writing the exact location on the back so that next time it
would be easier to find. But in the end, we didn't. After all, the
search itself was half the fun. Now I'm already looking forward to
turning sixty! I hope these days bring you wonderful times of your
own to remember for years to come.
Wishing you every happiness,
Spring 2004
Dear Friends,
A very talented woman named Lisa in
the Washington, DC, area sewed a beautiful quilted square for a
fundraiser for breast cancer research. She created it using
Oklahoma Embroidery's computerized embroidery card that features
one of my angel designs. I'm so honored that she was inspired to
use my design for such a worthy cause. This is a gorgeous example
of the good things that happen when we pool our talents and
energies to make the world a better place.
Every three minutes, another woman
is diagnosed with breast cancer in America. I don't want to lose
any of my family or friends to this disease, and that means you --
I've heard from so many of you this year that I feel like I know
you all.
The best way to prevent breast
cancer is through early detection. So don't forget to do your
monthly breast exam this month! Do it for yourself and for
everyone who loves you. If you don't know how, here's a link to a
great website with step by step instructions: http://www.breastcancer.org
Hug the ones you love!
Wishing you every happiness,
Spring 2003
Dear Friends,
I'm working on a lot of new art designs inspired by my childhood
-- things like ladybugs having a tea party, pumpkin-head people
playing in the leaves, and ducks.
Erin's six-year-old daughter Lydia was recently working on an art
design of her own. She was drawing a cat (her favorite animal),
but she kept crumpling up the paper and starting over. Finally she
burst into tears.
"What's wrong?" Erin asked.
Little Lydia wailed, "I'll never be as good an artist as Aunt
Ingrid!"
Boy, do I know how she feels. Some days I look at what I'm working
on and wonder why I bother -- I'll never be as good an artist as,
say, Michaelangelo. He painted the Sistine Chapel in Rome, a
meaningful work of art that lifts the soul and makes you think
about the important things in life. And here I am, painting a
ladybug.
But then my sister Kristin reminded me, "It's not the ladybug
that's important. It's what the ladybug reminds you of. That's
what's important."
Drawing ladybugs and ducks and pumpkin-heads reminds me of happy
times when I was a child, when I just enjoyed the moment and
didn't worry about the past and future. It's fun to draw these
things. They may not be perfect, or grand, but I find myself
humming while I work. I hope my artwork does the same for you, and
helps you express how you feel about the things in life that
really matter.
Wishing you every happiness,
Winter
2002-2003
Dear
Friends,
This year,
instead of making a New Year's resolution, I made a Christmas
resolution.
Nobody
loves decorating for the holidays more than I do. I decorate till
the house practically drips with Christmas cheer. It's a lot of
work, of course, but I really enjoy it.
But this
year was different. Work was so busy and the season was so short
that as the time came to pull out all those boxes of decorations,
I was starting to feel like a big rock about to fall on me. It was
just too much! And it wouldn't leave me any time to do the things
the kids like to do, like make gingerbread people.
So I made a
resolution: Since time was short, I resolved to only put out the
decorations that meant the most to me. That included the little
paper angel my daughter cut out several years ago when she was in
preschool. She sprinkled the angel with glitter and taped a
photograph of her face on top. Then there's the pine cone my son
rolled in glitter, with a yarn stem to hang it by. And the straw
star ornaments that remind me of my grandmother. All my favorite
things used to get a little lost in past years. This year they
really stand out.
So I only
pulled out half my boxes of decorations. But they're giving me
twice the joy as I bake gingerbread with my kids.
Wishing you
every happiness,
P.S.: Nice
as this has been, I'm still planning to get out ALL the
decorations next year!
Summer/Fall
2002
Dear Friends,
It's been a
while since I last wrote you, but that's because we've been busy!
I've been busy designing, Erin's been busy working with other
companies that want to put my designs on their products, and
Kristin and Duane have been busy doing... well... I'm not sure
what they've been busy doing - all that sales and finance and
marketing stuff they do that I'd rather not know about!
Anyway, I'm
excited about my new angels (take a look at Rebecca, Michael, and
Elizabeth) and my new additions to Sweetwater Cove (check
out the Town Hall, the Sunshine Shanty, and the Corabelle Ray).
But most especially, I'm excited about Go Santa! I know
it's a little early to be thinking about Christmas, but I love
decorating for the holidays, so I've designed this line of
Christmas ornaments, Go Santa!, that captures the season's
ho ho ho factor.
I got the
idea for it one day when I asked myself: what if Santa Claus was a
tinkerer and inventor like a lot of grandfathers I know? What
would he invent? I think he'd invent different contraptions to GO
all around the world. I really had fun designing these little
guys. And then I had even more fun working with Kristin to create
stories about the adventures Santa had when he built each
contraption. We had so much fun that at one point the two of us
were standing in the middle of the office doing a little
cheerleader dance, chanting, "Go Santa! Go Santa!
Go... go... go Santa!' I hope you have as much fun with Go
Santa! as we did, no matter what time of year it may be!
Wishing you
every happiness,
Spring 2002
Dear
Friends,
It may be
2002 for everybody else, but for me it's already 2003... on my
drawing table that is. These days I'm at work on new figurine
designs for my angels and village. These designs will be
ready to make their debut about a year and a half from now.
Between now
and then I'll first picture each piece in my head and sketch it in
pencil from every angle. When I've got all the kinks worked out, I
draw it in pen, again from every angle, and then add the colors
with watercolor paints.
Then the
designs will go off to the sculptor. He sends me pictures of what
he's doing, and I send him suggestions on how to get it just
right. Then a sample is cast from the sculpted mold. After it's
been handpainted, the sample is sent to me so I can make sure it
matches what I first saw in my head.
As many
times as I've done this, it's still pretty magical when that first
sample of a new design comes out of the box. It's like seeing your
imagination come to life. My sisters gather 'round and ooh and aah...
unless of course it's a dud, like the time a new angel emerged
from the wrapping with two left feet. That time my sisters just
laughed hysterically. But once we get the samples right, then the
artisans at the factory start casting and painting YOUR pieces.
Later this
spring you'll get your first look at what I was working on last
year about this time I can't wait to hear what you think! I'll be
introducing new guardian angels, and new additions to Sweetwater
Cove. Plus, there's something absolutely and completely brand new
... the most inventive Santas you've ever seen. It's a fun new
collection called Go Santa!(tm), and I'll tell you all
about it in a couple months.
Anyway,
take care and stay creative in your own special way!
Wishing you
every happiness,
Winter 2001
Dear Friends,
In my last
letter I asked how you were dealing with these difficult times.
Now I want to pass on what some of you shared.
A friend
named Sue wrote, "I hug my children and my grandchildren and
thank God for the wonderful privilege of having them in my
life." I know what she means. When I hug my children, I'm
reminded of how fortunate I am.
Another
friend named Shelly wrote that the events of 9/11 have "made
us realize just how important life is." She went on to say,
"My way to leave the painful world ... is to write. Writing
is the window to the soul and is the doorway to all answers and
guidance." My sister Kristin says the same thing. When she
writes in her journal, just jotting down whatever comes into her
mind, sometimes she's amazed at what she finds herself writing
about. Me, I lose myself in drawing and painting. When you do
something creative, whatever it is - writing, drawing, decorating,
hairdressing - I think it makes you feel a little closer to God.
After all, God's creative!
And June
wrote that a friend of hers all the way over in Ireland had
attended a special church service in her little Irish village,
held in memory of the American victims of terrorism. It's so easy
to get busy and forget to take time to focus on the spiritual side
of life.
Now I'm
looking forward to the holidays. The holidays are the perfect time
to do all those things! Hug your family and friends, get creative
decorating and making gifts, and give thanks to God in your place
of worship. Happy holidays, everyone!
Wishing you
every happiness,
Fall 2001
Dear
Friends,
I don't
even know where to begin. All I know is that at times like this, I
feel the urge to reach out to family and friends. On September 11,
my husband Duane and sister Kristin were far away in Boston at a
trade show, surrounded by other people who were far from home,
too. As those horrible events began to unfold, everyone's first
thought was that they wanted to rush home and put their arms
around their family.
Back home
in Richmond, my daughter Anna heard about the disasters in her
second-grade class. That night she overheard my sister Erin and I
talking about the plane crashes in New York, Pennsylvania, and
Washington. She said, "Oh yes, that's where they had the big
traffic jam!" That was her understanding of what had
happened. Her childish imagination couldn't grasp something as big
and horrible as planes being used as missiles to kill people. But
the enormous traffic jams that resulted -- that she could
understand.
To tell the
truth, my imagination can't really grasp how people can commit
such horrible acts. The problems seem so big they make me feel
helpless. Forces beyond our control are affecting all our lives.
In our family, Kristin's husband, a chaplain with the Marines, has
now been deployed overseas with his battalion.
All I can
do is pray that God will give me the strength and wisdom to make
my little corner of the world a better place, even if it's just by
a little bit. I'm also reminded to cherish every day I have with
my children, my husband, and the rest of my family and friends.
They're a beautiful gift, but it's easy to get busy and forget to
give them a hug.
I would
really like to hear from you on all this. How have these tragic
events affected you? What are you doing to cope or to make a
difference? Do you have any suggestions for others? If you're
willing to share your thoughts, I'd like to post some of them here
on the website. Write to me by emailing to ingrid@nutshelldesigns.com.
In the meantime, hug someone you love. Like they say in Sweetwater
Cove, "Family and friends are the safest harbor."
Wishing you
every happiness,
Summer 2001
Dear
Friends,
Summer is a
time for vacations and family reunions. I've been doing a little
of both.
Duane and I
took the kids to the cottage my grandparents built by a lake fifty
years ago. My sisters and I spent a lot of magical summers there
when we were
growing up.
Seeing my own children playing in the water and the woods brought
back a lot of wonderful memories. That's what I hope my new Sweetwater
Cove(tm) collection will do for you - remind you of special
times or inspire you to create new ones.
We also
travelled to a collectors' show in Chicago. I spent the whole time
reuniting with old friends and meeting new ones. It felt like a
family reunion! One of the highlights was when we held a drawing
to give away copies of my children's book and artist's proofs from
Sweetwater Cove and Angels Beside Me(tm). (Artist's
proofs are the samples the artisans make from my designs, before
the factory goes into production.) Anyway, my sister Kristin
handled the announcing duties like Monty Hall. My sister Erin held
up the things we were giving away like Vanna White or Carol
Merrill - though one day Duane had to play that part, which was a
good laugh! My job was to pull the winning names out of the bowl.
It was so much fun. Especially when an angel collector won the set
of Sweetwater Cove boats, and a new Sweetwater Cove
collector won an angel - so they found each other in the crowd and
swapped! Now that's what I call a happy ending. I hope you'll all
make plans to join us in Chicago next year. The more the merrier!
Wishing you
every happiness,
Spring 2001
Dear
Friends,
My
daffodils are blooming! As many of you know, one of my goals last
fall was to get my bulbs in the ground before it froze. But what
with working, children, husband, household chores... you know how
it goes! Before I knew it, it was winter and those bulbs STILL
weren't in the ground. But one of you wrote to reassure me it
still wasn't too late to plant them - and you were right!
It's a real
little miracle, isn't it? To see those little green shoots bravely
poking up from what looks like dead earth. And then those glorious
yellow and white blooms. They remind me of the potential for new
beginnings that we all have inside us. Another friend wrote me
recently after her young daughter received one of my angels,
Rachel, Guardian of New Babies, as a gift. This friend had been
through a really difficult time with her daughter, who became
pregnant while still a teenager. Yet with God's help, she and her
daughter made it through that spiritual and emotional winter and
were reborn. Today, she's stronger and more at peace than ever
before, and her daughter is going to college on scholarship,
holding down a job, and raising a beautiful little baby. They are
truly an inspiration.
This time
of year is great for new beginnings. Me, I'm enjoying my daffodils
and looking forward to bringing out my new angels for 2002. I'm
especially excited that Sweetwater Cove will finally make its
debut this summer! May you all rejoice in your own new beginnings,
whatever they may be.
Wishing you
every happiness,
Winter
2000-2001
Dear
Friends,
My
six-year-old daughter Anna collects stuffed doggies. She loves
dogs. When she grows up, she wants to be a dog. The other night I
was helping her clean up her room before bed, packing away toys,
piling her doggies into their plastic box. But just as I was about
to seal the lid on the box, she stopped me. "Mom," she
asked, "can we leave the lid a little bit open? Just in case
the doggies come to life?" She added in a rush, "I mean,
I know they're not alive. But just in case?"
As we grow
up it's easy for us to stop believing that miracles can happen.
But the world is full of things we can't explain. For me, the
holidays always help restore my sense of wonder. This is the time
of year when all good things really do seem possible.
Some of you
have been writing to tell me that's what the angels in my Angels
Beside Me(tm) collection remind you of-life's wonderful, everyday
miracles... from the love between sisters to the birth or memory
of a special child. Some of your letters have been joyful, some
have been bittersweet. I want to thank all of you for writing.
I've really been struck by how special it's been to connect with
you. It's a lovely, unexpected miracle. Happy holidays, everyone.
Wishing you
every happiness,
Fall 2000
Dear Friends,
Sometimes I
wish I could transcend time - stop it, run it backward, or speed
it up, depending on the situation. For instance, right now I'd
like to take time and stretch it out so I can fit in all the
things I have to do. I'm looking at the stack of projects waiting
on my drawing table, the phone's ringing, the laundry's piling up,
and the long holiday season is getting underway.
Don't get
me wrong - I love my work. And I love decorating for the holidays,
pulling out all those treasured ornaments and sentimental
keepsakes. I love getting together with family and friends. But
you know how it is. There's just not enough time to do everything
that needs to be done.
But then I
pull out a box of Christmas ornaments and all of a sudden I'll
come across a star made from straw that once belonged to my German
grandmother. She died several years ago. Holding her star in my
hand I remember the special Christmas cookies she made with a drop
of jam in the middle of each one. I remember the intricate creche
she constructed each year from moss and pebbles and tiny
figurines. I remember how it felt to sit on her lap. Remembering
these things is like spending a little time with her again.
Special
things can do that for us. They can gently tug us away from our
busy lives and for a moment time stops. They can turn back the
clock by prompting memories. Or they can help the hours go by more
quickly during a difficult time. I'm sure you've experienced this
with the things you collect, too.
It's a
special joy to be able to design the things that do this for
others - the things that make you happy. In particular, my first
collection, Angels Beside Me, was designed with special
moments in mind. When you collect my creations, I hope they help
you transcend time, too.
Wishing you
every happiness,
Summer
2000
Dear Friends,
The other
day I was at my drawing table when my two-year-old son Luke
toddled in and said to me, "Bake cake!" He's on a
cake-baking kick right now.
I was in
the middle of doing something really fun-sketching out my ideas
for Sweetwater Cove's 2001 Collection. But within a few
minutes I was doing something just as fun - getting covered in
flour and icing and multi-colored sprinkles with Luke.
Meanwhile
my six-year-old, Anna, charged through the kitchen on some
important mission or other, yelling, "Save some for me!"
I feel so blessed that I can design the things that make people
happy, and do it at home near my kids.
Like
Mortimer and Dottie Swell, who run the Wholly Mackerel Family
Restaurant in Sweetwater Cove, my husband Duane and I run Nutshell
Designs together. But where Dottie's the one with the head for
business, with us it's Duane who handles that side of things. I
stick to my drawing table!
My sister
works for us, too, and we hold our weekly staff meetings over tea
in the living room. When I need models to pose as frolicking
adolescent angels, they get drafted. That way I can get the body
attitude right in my sketches - though I have to admit I
occasionally get the giggles at the sight of my thirty-something
husband frozen in place with a big grin on his face while he
daintily pretends to skip. Who else but family would do that?
But that's
what Nutshell Designs is all about, so welcome to the family!
We'll all be at the International Collectible Expo in Rosemont,
Illinois, the fourth weekend in June. I hope we get a chance to
meet you there!
Wishing you
every happiness,
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Ingrid's
Story
Ingrid
relies on her two sisters for inspiration and help running the family
design business. Growing up, they created imaginary worlds together and
put on plays for the neighborhood, so building a company together came
naturally. Ingrid's younger sister, Erin, is in charge of licensing
Ingrid's artwork, while her older sister, Kristin, handles marketing.
Ingrid
works at home with her husband and two children, Anna, age 12, and Luke,
8. Erin also has two children, and Kristin has a dog. They all take
turns with child and dog care, so business meetings are as likely to
take place in the backyard pushing a swing as in the office!
Over
the years the "family" has also grown to include everyone who
shares Ingrid's love of home and sense of humor -- friends who
express themselves with products featuring her art.
Art
has always been part of Ingrid's life. She's been drawing and sculpting
since she was a child. In college, she studied biology with a minor in
fine arts. Her children's picture book, "The Fabulous Flying
Fandinis," received the top prize from the association for
children's librarians and teachers, and was a selection of the Junior
Library Guild.
Her angel designs for Angels Beside Me®
have won a Collector Editions Award of Excellence,
nominated by industry experts and selected by the magazine's readers. She
lives in Richmond, Virginia.
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