Inspiration

have been fascinated with gnomes since I was a little girl. Believe it or not, a Gnome paid a visit to my twin sister and I once upon a time. In short, Gnome left us honey candies inside our Mary-Janes which we hanged from the rails of our toddler beds. To tell you the truth, it was this magical experience that, years later, was my inspiration for creating the Gnomes Ornaments Collection. And my inspiration for creating this Pinecone Gnome ornament, the first one in this collection. But here is more of the story.

A House for Gnome

After his first visit, my twin sister and I built a house for Gnome. In fact, we were hoping we could catch a glimpse of our friend so we built the house by the foot of the Pomarosa tree—Rose Apple tree—that grew in our backyard. We made the house walls from sticks and leaves stuck together with mud. Then, we used twigs and bark for the roof. Also, we added several layers of thick Pomarosa leaves glued together with plenty of mud.

After the house was built, we furnished it with a tiny table and a chair that we made from bark and twigs. We made a comfy bed from bark and shredded leaves for a mattress and placed it on a corner. Afterwards, we placed Barbie china and silverware on the table. And we filled the plates and saucers with an array of fern leaves and Morning Glory berries. We did not know what gnomes ate, but this seemed an appropriate menu for Gnome.

Sighting Gnome

We took turns watching Gnome’s house. When I was spying intently, I thought I saw a little pinecone person flashing in and out the house. Surprisingly, as I looked closer, I noticed some disturbance on the table. Indeed, the plates were half empty. For sure it must have been Gnome who had eaten the berries. We never saw him again, but every morning we had to replenish the berries. Like many children, Gnome was not fond of greens.

Pinecone Gnome Ornament Design Process

So, countless years later, I created Gnome from mini pinecones. Just like I remembered him that one day when I was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of him. I gave Gnome, a colorful felt hat to keep his head warm. Also, I added a long scarf to keep him warm at nights. In my dreams, I envisioned Gnome carrying the berries and ferns out of his house. Thus, to complete his character, I gave him something to carry. Depending on what I have available, he may carry flowers, bugs, berries, stars, snowflakes, and whatnots.