Mud Turtle

When I was a kid I loved to play in the mud. I remember making mud pies and other creative creations for many hours. I would make special mud pies for my cats and kittens, too. The neighborhood kids, my brother and I would dig holes and fill them up with water and play in the mud. Who knew that this would become an expensive spa treatment in later years! We would also cover the mud holes with leaves and sticks and try to trick each other into falling into them. I'm sure our parents didn't appreciate the mess that we made or the muddy clothes that had to be washed, but wow did we have fun. I still enjoy playing in the dirt to this day, but I don't make mud pies anymore. Maybe I should. Maybe everyone should become a mud turtle for a day and rediscover the simple joys of playing in the mud!

Memories of playing in the mud and the colors of fall were my inspiration for this basket. I used natural brown and dyed dark brown, light brown and rust colored Long Leaf pine needles, dark brown artificial sinew, a mud turtle pottery base made by Pamela Zimmerman and leopardskin jasper chip beads around the rim to make this basket.  Enjoy!