Turtle Tchotchke Tuesday

Let's start another round of turtles that showed up around Christmastime.

First up, a set of kissing salt and pepper shakers. These were a Christmas present from Ray and Cathy.

Turtle Tchotchke Tuesday

A pitcher from Taos.

Turtle Tchotchke Tuesday

A drum. This was a present from Bobbers.

Turtle Tchotchke Tuesday

My retired friend Ray brought me souvenirs from the National Aquarium.

A stone turtle.

A postcard.

Turtle Tchotchke Tuesday

A tile picked up in Madrid last month. The upper left one...you've seen the other two already.

Turtle Tchotchke Tuesday

Peggy arranged for us to visit Randy Chitto in his studio while Jerry and I were in New Mexico last month. Randy showed us works in progress, pieces that broke while being fired and a few pieces that are ready to be sold. He's enjoying the business model he's using now that Packards has closed. He doesn't have to work in production mode. He can take his time and produce works that don't have to be made to keep the gallery stocked.

When he unwrapped one piece he was working on, both Jerry and I immediately knew that it was one we wanted. If it survived the firing and finishing, Randy said that Jerry and I could have the first opportunity to take it.

It survived and we took it.

Turtle Tchotchke Tuesday

A bell by Ty Minton. We got this (the black one on the right) last month in Taos. We got the one on the left some years ago, also at Taos Blue gallery.

Symbolism:
          A Hanging Bell: Connection between heaven and earth
          Turtle: Longevity, silence, safety, endurance, strength

Turtle Tchotchke Tuesday

Another turtle from Africa and Beyond.

It's a puppet from Mali. When we were in a gallery in Taos the person working the shop was telling us of the Malian puppets they have for sale. She was thrilled to hear that we had gotten one already.

Turtle Tchotchke Tuesday

This is a stoneware turtle we got from Africa and Beyond a few weeks ago.

I can't remember what part of Africa it came from.

Nathan Begaye Mug

We picked up a mug made by Nathan Begaye from the Robert Nichols Gallery on our recent trip to New Mexico.

Tempting as it might be, we won't be drinking from it!

Cohen the Violinist, 2014

And now the moment you've been waiting for...Cohen the Violinist's Celebration of her accomplishments, 2014 edition!

We didn't do any special projects this year.

Everyone should visit her at her various performance venues. There's always her appearance at the Oceanside Sunset Market on the first Thursday of the month.

Turtle Tchotchke Tuesday

A mermaid by Mexican artist Vico.

Turtle Tchotchke Tuesday

A paperweight.

Turtle Tchotchke Tuesday

A buffalo and turtle by Molly Heizer.

The underside of the buffalo tells their stories.

The note that came with them tells more:

Respect the Earth

The Buffalo and the turtle teach us to respect the Earth and what she offers us or we may loose it. 

The Buffalo holds the power to bring cold weather, good health, good crops and a plentiful harvest. He teaches us to honor what we have. He teaches us to honor what we have or we may loose it. He shows us to let nature flow at her own pace. He is a symbol of prosperity and plenty. 

The Turtle teaches us to slow down and take time to appreciate the world. He shows us that we cannot walk away from what we do to the Earth just as the turtle cannot walk away from her shell. He is a symbol of strength, patience, endurance, stability and protection from war.

You might remember another turtle we have by Molly Heizer.

Turtle Tchotchke Tuesday

Some hooks from Poss (thanks, Poss!).

I still need to figure out a place to put them.

Turtle Tchotchke Tuesday

A tile by DeeDee Coppedge from the San Diego Potters' Guild shop in Balboa Park's Spanish Village.

(The brown one on top...the green one you've seen before!)

Turtle Tchotchke Tuesday

A mask from Indonesia.

From the gift shop in the United Nations Building in Balboa Park.

Turtle Tchotchke Tuesday

A turtle within a turtle from India.

You can see the inside turtle's eye peeking out but you can't really see that it is attached to another turtle.

So, I thought and animated view of the turtles might let you see inside (much like seeing the other side of a picket fence as you're driving past it). But it doesn't help. But here it is anyway!

Turtle Tchotchke Tuesday

An apron from Peggy and Michele.

Turtle Tchotchke Tuesday

A blanket brought by Poss and the girls on an earlier visit.

Jerry got it out for Poss and Mei last week. I had forgotten about it.

Turtle Tchotchke Tuesday

A steel turtle we got at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park gift shop.

Today is the sixth anniversary of the first Turtle Tchotchke Tuesday. That means I've shown more than 313 turtles over the years. It's getting tougher to find turtles that haven't been shown before. They're there but it's taking more work to make sure that I've found one that's not been seen. I guess I could make sure to go out and get new turtles each week but that's a lot of work, too. We'll see if I can keep this up for another year. It'll be tough.

Turtle Tchotchke Tuesday

I think this is snowflake obsidian.

Turtle Tchotchke Tuesday

You've seen Tchotchkie featured as a Turtle Tchotchke Tuesday before but we had a fun event with him so here he is again!

They say Russian tortoises recognize their people. Apparently that is true.

Tchotchkie was in his burrow with his head sticking out a bit. I brought him some zucchini. When I opened the lid to his enclosure, he saw me, scampered out and strolled over toward me. I held a piece of the zucchini in front of him and he started chowing down.

Jerry got out his phone and made a movie of it.

Here's a still picture of the event.

Why hadn't I tried this before?

Turtle Tchotchke Tuesday

A cheesy souvenir made of seashells.

Cute cheesy!

Turtle Tchotchke Tuesday

A stepping stone (not being stepped on by our favorite Kitty who had to see what I was up to) from the defunct Hans Sumpf Co.

Turtle Tchotchke Tuesday

Every time we're in Santa Fe, we visit Folk Arts of Poland. I've especially admired their wood sculptures. One year, I commented how I very much liked one of their Noah's Arks. The person behind the counter told me the man sitting by the window carving some wood was the artist. I don't speak Polish and the artist doesn't speak much English so we just smiled at each other. I left empty handed.

In subsequent visits we kept considering getting a Noah's Ark but kept putting it off.

Last year, we were admiring the various Arks on display and I somehow mentioned that we collect turtles. The artist, Tadeusz Kacalak, again was there and we were told that he does commissions. We had an interesting and fun time coming up with a commission. He doesn't speak English and the man who runs the store doesn't speak a lot of Polish. With the help of a Polish/English dictionary we came up with a plan.

We, of course, wanted turtles. Mr. Kacalak said he could put some in the waves beneath the Ark. And we needed to a have a Kitty (what would the world be without kitties being saved?). And, since Kitty likes bunnies, we wanted a rabbit. We decided we'd rather have more species in the limited space in the front of the ark so we didn't need to have everything on deck paired up. Even Mrs. Noah should be below deck. He'd put in Noah and whatever animals he could fit in.

We ordered it in August and he said it would be ready in March. Unfortunately, he had an operation that put him out of commission for a time so it took longer than expected. That didn't matter. I had been admiring them for years so a little delay just added to the excitement of getting it.

It was worth the wait!

The snakes were a delightful surprise!

Here's his signature (and snakes peeking over the side of the boat).

Isn't it great?

Turtle Tchotchke Tuesday

A picture we picked up at the ArtWalk a couple of days ago.

Star Turtle
by
Doug Roy

Closer look

Turtle Tchoctchke Tuesday

A turtle made of bits of hardware.

Turtle Tchotchke Tuesday

A bottle opener (doubles as a refrigerator magnet).

Turtle Tchotchke Tuesday

A bronze turtle "with tiger penshell inlay."

Turtle Tchotchke Tuesday

An enameled pendant.

Carapace

Plastron

I'm guessing this was a gift from Poss (but I could be wrong).

Turtle Tchotchke Tuesday

A tea light holder.

Along with some you've already seen.

Turtle Tchotchke Tuesday

A little turtle hanging onto the edge of a pot.

Turtle Tchotchke Tuesday

The Travel Memento Book™

Here's the description that came with it:

So far, it hasn't traveled.

Turtle Tchotchke Tuesday

I don't know the story of this guy. Is he a children's story character?

Turtle Tchotchke Tuesday

A picture frame with a picture of our escaped box turtle, Boxy.

Turtle Tchotchke Tuesday

A Shinwa miter square.

Close-up on the turtle.

Turtle Tchotchke Tuesday

A cookie jar.

Timmy the Tortoise
McCoy #271

Turtle Tchotchke Tuesday

A little purse.

We can carry this in it!