HAPPY NEW YEAR 2025 from CAROLINE ARNOLD ART AND BOOKS

Caroline, ice skating at Bottineau Park, Northeast Minneapolis, 1950.

"By New Year’s Day, the pine needles of the Christmas tree are dry and brittle. It is time to take the tree down. After the lights and ornaments are removed and boxed for next year, we take the tree outside to the roof deck, propping it up in the snow. Decorated with strings of bread cubes and cranberries, it is ready for the birds to enjoy. With the excitement of Christmas over, it is now time to write thank-you notes and to enjoy skating at Bottineau Park, sledding at the Columbia Park golf course, and other winter activities."

From Chapter 7: Family Christmas at NENH, SETTLEMENT HOUSE GIRL: Growing Up in the 1950s at North East Neighborhood House, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

I have fond memories of celebrating the holidays when I was a child in Minneapolis. Now, many years later, from my home in California, I send best wishes to you and all my faithful readers.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2025

 

 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS from CAROLINE ARNOLD ART AND BOOKS

Scheaffer family Christmas in apartment at NENH, 1950.

"On Christmas Eve, after my brothers and I are asleep, my parents arrange “Santa’s” gifts under the tree. On Christmas morning, after everyone is awake, my father turns on the tree lights and gives the signal to enter. We rush in, each going straight to our own pile. Santa’s gifts are unwrapped and it is obvious who they are for—a doll for me, a train for Steve, stacking blocks for Peter, a stuffed toy for Tom."  

From Chapter 7: Family Christmas at NENH, SETTLEMENT HOUSE GIRL: Growing Up in the 1950s at North East Neighborhood House, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

 I have fond memories of celebrating Christmas when I was a child growing up in Minneapolis. Now, many years later, from my home in California, I send best wishes to you and all my faithful readers.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

2024

 

 

BOOK ILLUSTRATION: Christmas at the General Grant Tree, Kings Canyon NP, CA

My book, The Biggest Living Thing, published in 1983 by Carolrhoda Books, was illustrated with my own art. In 2014, I turned the illustration on page 46 of the book into a Christmas card. Here's what I wrote that year in our annual family holiday letter. 

The full color cut-paper collage technique I now use is a far cry from the mostly black and white illustrations I drew in my early books. In one of those books, The Biggest Living Thing, I depicted a Christmas celebration at the General Grant tree, the huge giant sequoia that was declared to be the Nation’s Christmas Tree in 1926 by President Coolidge. Many years ago our family did a winter vacation in Sequoia National Park and experienced the wonder of seeing the huge trees in the snow. I thought of that recently as I read this quote from an early Christmas gathering at the General Grant tree: “That spirit [of America] is best expressed in the plain things of life, the love of the family circle, the simple life of the out-of-doors. The tree is a pillar that is a testimony that things of the spirit transcend those of the flesh."  (Arnold holiday letter 2014)

The tradition of celebrating Christmas at the General Grant tree continues.

With best wishes for a Happy Holiday Season 2022!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

When I was nine years old, my drama club at the Northeast Neighborhood House in Minneapolis put on a play at the annual children's Christmas party called The Littlest Angel, based on a story written by Charles Tazewell. I recently searched for this book and found that it's message is as appropriate today as it was more than fifty years ago--that the best gift does not have to be expensive but must come from the heart. Here is a passage from the book:

And what was his gift to the blessed infant? Well, there was a butterfly with golden wings, captured one bright, summer day on the hills above Jerusalem and a sky-blue egg from a bird's nest in the olive tree that stood to shade his mother's kitchen door. Yes, and two white stones, found on a muddy river bank, where he and his friends had played like small, brown beavers, and, at the bottom of the box, a limp, tooth-marked leather strap, once worn as a collar by his mongrel dog, who had died as he had lived, in absolute love and infinite devotion.

Yes, it was the perfect gift.
In remembrance of this story, I wish all of you a

Happy Holiday

 and a 

Peaceful New Year!

HOLIDAY READING: Celebrate With Books!

Some of my favorite Christmas picture books

What better way to prepare for Christmas than to read some of the special books that celebrate the themes of the season! My daughter's family gets out their collection of holiday children’s books each December when they unpack the decorations for the tree.  Their books include winter snow stories, Santa Claus tales, and retellings of the traditional nativity story. As we reread our favorites we enjoy each one all over again, and even though the grandchildren are growing older, no one ever outgrows the love of a good picture book. 

I send you good wishes for a  

Very Happy Holiday 

and a  

New Year filled with wonderful books! 

Activities: Holiday Projects at Mrs. Saint Nick's, Ann Paul's New Blog for her New Book

Hand-made gifts are the best kind of presents. For some wonderful and easy-to-make holiday gifts go to the Mrs. Saint Nick, Countdown to a Stress-Free Christmas blog post for November 4th.  Learn how to make a decoupage box with colorful paper or how to knit a simple bookmark. The blog, created by Ann Paul to promote her charming and humorous book 'Twas the Late Night of Christmas, illustrated by Nancy Hayashi, will help you plan for the holidays. And you can get a preview of the book and some of Ann's Christmas crafts in this charming video by Jane Kaczmarek.

'Twas the Late Night of Christmas is available both as a paperback and e-book.
This delightful retelling of the classic poem 'Twas the Night Before Christmas gives Mrs. Saint Nick a starring role and the recognition she deserves. Here's how the story begins:

'Twas the Late Night of Christmas and all through the house everyone was exhausted, even the mouse.
The children were whining. The house was a mess.
Mom slumped in despair from all of the stress.

This is the perfect gift for hassled parents overwhelmed by the crazy-making business of Christmas!

If you live in the LA area, Ann would love to have you join her at one of her signings in the coming weeks.  I'm planning to buy copies for all the moms (and dads) in my family!
Ann's upcoming appearances:
Friday, November 22nd  
6:00 p.m.
Reading & Book Signing
Barnes & Noble
Marina Del Rey, CA 

Saturday, November 23rd
5:30 p.m.
Reading, Signing and Sweets
Skylight Books
Los Angeles, CA

Saturday, November 30th
10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Book Signing
Once Upon a Time Bookstore
Montrose, CA

Saturday, December 21st
10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Book Signing
Chevalier's
Los Angeles, CA 

Holiday Cookies: Artistic and Delicious! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Sugar cookies ready to go into the oven

A favorite activity of the holiday season is baking cookies.  A tradition at our house has always been making sugar cookies–cut out with the cookie cutters passed down from one generation to the next and decorated with sprinkles, colored sugar, cinnamon candies and whatever else is available. This is a perfect activity to do with my grandchildren–each one has his or her own style of decorating!  And then, after all the cookies are baked, everyone enjoys eating them.

Sugar Cookies

3 cups flour
1 cup shortening (or half butter, half shortening)
2 eggs beaten with 1 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons milk
1 scant teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cut shortening into flour with pie blender.  Add remaining ingredients which have been beaten together.  Mix well.  Chill overnight.  Roll out and cut shapes.  Place on greased cookie sheet and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake at 375 degrees 8-10 minutes.

This was originally my grandmother Grandma Dorothy Scheaffer’s cookie recipe.  It is also known as Aunt Dea’s sugar cookies.  She used to make the cookies with lard.  They were a special treat made when we visited our cousins in Kenosha, Wisconsin. 

BEST WISHES FOR A VERY

HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON!

A Book is a Present You Can Open Again and Again

What could be a better gift than a book?  A book is a present you can open again and again.  I like to give books to everyone on my list, trying to find just the right one for each person.  I hope you will find books under YOUR tree and that they will engross you, entertain you, and, perhaps, even surprise you.
I send you best wishes for a Happy Holiday Season filled with good cheer and the prospect of good reading throughout the New Year!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

  and 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Settlement Houses and Holiday Popcorn Balls

My childhood, until the age of ten, was different from that of most children.  That was because my family lived in the settlement house, which my father directed, along with some of the other staff.  The settlement house was a community center, something like the YMCA.  You can read about settlement houses and their origin in the late 19th century in my book, Children of the Settlement Houses.  Settlement houses still exist, but it is no longer typical for staff to be in residence. 
      Holiday parties were always a high point of the year at settlement houses. They were a time when everyone from the neighborhood could enjoy being together. In the 1950's, when I was growing up in Minneapolis, Minnesota, I always looked forward to the children's Christmas party at the Northeast Neighborhood House (now East Side Neighborhood Services) where we lived. The auditorium was filled with fragrant evergreens and colorful decorations. We played games, sang songs, and watched the drama club put on a play. One year I was an actor and played the part of the littlest angel! At the end of the party each child always received a small gift and a popcorn ball wrapped in colored paper. I still remember their sweet and crunchy taste. Here's how you can make your own popcorn balls.

      POPCORN BALLS: Put ½ stick of butter or margerine, 6 cups of miniature marshmallows, and one 3-ounce box flavored gelatin in a microwave safe bowl and melt in microwave oven. (About two minutes. Check and continue melting if necessary.) Stir to mix. Pour over 12 cups popcorn. ( Optional, add ½ to 1 cup salted peanuts) Stir gently until evenly coated; butter your hands and shape into balls. Wrap in plastic wrap to store. Makes 16-20 medium size popcorn balls.

Sandpaper Camel Art Project

Knitted Creche from Chile

In scenes of the nativity at Christmas, the three wise men are typically shown riding on camels.  Here is a project that you can do making a picture of a camel on a piece of sandpaper.
Read about camels in my books African Animals or Camel and make a note sheet of what you have learned. Draw a picture of a camel on a piece of paper and cut it out. Trace the outline of the camel with a crayon onto a piece of very coarse sandpaper. Use crayons to fill in the outline and draw other desert plants and animals.  Place the sandpaper on a board or heavy piece of cardboard face up. Put a piece of wax paper on top of the sandpaper. Then put a piece of brown paper (shopping bag cut open) on top of the wax paper. Iron the sandpaper illustration with the heated iron so that some of the crayon beneath begins to melt into the sandpaper. The heat creates an unusual effect on the illustration. Cooled pictures may be hung for display. Students may post their note sheets beside the illustrations. (Adapted from Internet School Library Media Center) [You can look for African Animals (Morrow Junior Books, 1997) and Camel (Morrow Junior Books, 1992) in your library.]

Animal Cards for the Holidays on Etsy

Animal Cards at www.Etsy.com/shop/CarolineArnoldArt

It’s time to think of Holiday cards, and what could be more perfect than scenes of animals in winter!  If you go to my Etsy shop, CarolineArnoldArt, you can find cards with polar bears, penguins, pandas, and other animals that love the snow. Send them to your friends for the holidays! Cards are blank on the inside so you can write your own message.  Sets of cards also make perfect gifts for the animal lovers in your life.  Making the art is the first step in creating my cards. Each piece of art is a cut paper collage which I then scan to make my cards.  Each card is then printed and packaged by hand in my studio.  I use a thick 100% cotton rag paper to make gallery quality prints. If you can’t bear to send the cards, they are beautiful framed.  Happy Holidays!

Folk Art from the Czech Republic

It’s Christmas season and time to get out our creche collection. We just added a new one, a paper cut out creche from the Czech Republic. A week ago we got back from a trip to Prague and Berlin, where we spent Thanksgiving. Christmas lights were up, street stands and shops were filled with traditional Christmas foods (stollen, lebkuchen, mulled wine) and whole stores specialized in hand made decorations, including various forms of creches. I have always been fond of folk art and the simple forms, bright colors have been an influence on my own art. I look forward to cutting out the new creche with my grandchildren when we get together for Christmas.