On Fairytales

Dedication from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe:  

My Dear Lucy,

I wrote this story for you, but when I began it I had not realized that girls grow quicker than books. As a result you are already too old for fairy tales, and by the time it is printed and bound you will be older still. But some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again. You can then take it down from some upper shelf, dust it, and tell me what you think of it. I shall probably be too deaf to hear, and too old to understand, a word you say, but I shall still be
your affectionate Godfather,
C.S. Lewis

Word Garden

You know that you are in the shop of a craftsperson with a truly unique perspective when her list of favorite materials is limited to “beautiful words, images and fabrics.” And these simple materials come together miraculously in the hands of Sally Varpness and transform into delightful pillows. Each pillow seems to bring a crisp lightness and a certain j’nai se quoi that gestures to the peculiarly Parisian sensibility of her design aesthetic. Saucy quotes and French hand-written ephemera are combined with elegant black and white images and touches of cheerful color. “I have been creating, designing and decorating” says the founder of this Eagan, Minnesota-based shop, “ever since I moved into my first place...which was now a long time ago!”

Her uniquely clever chalkboard pillow (in burlap and damask) invites inveterate couch potatoes to try their hand at the written word—or at least leave a written warning that the remote has inexplicably disappeared. The literary challenge of this pillow reveals the important part that language plays for this artist:  “I am inspired by meaningful words and beautiful gardens, hence my shop name...Word Garden.” A garden of words AND a comfy pillow to rest your head on—now that is something to write home about.

To purchase an item from this shop or to learn more about it, please visit: http://www.wordgarden.etsy.com. For jewelry by Sally Varpness please visit her other shop, http://www.LivingOutLoudJewelry.etsy.com.

 (Images courtesy of Word Garden. From top: Blue Butterfly in Paris Pillow, Chalkboard Pillow on Damask, FairyTale Ending Pillow)