Limited Edition Annual Ornament

Two Turtle Doves Selected as the
League of NH Craftsmen’s 2010 Annual Ornament

Peggy Roth's handmade miniature mobile, Two Turtle Doves, has been selected as the League of NH Craftsmen's Annual Ornament for 2010. The three-dimensional wood mobile features two authentic cream-colored turtle doves with moveable wings, facing each other in a nest and surrounded by an arbor of green leaves and little red berries. This is Peggy's second Annual Ornament for the League. Two Turtle Doves is the sequel to her 2007 Annual Ornament, A Partridge in a Pear Tree.

"I am inspired by the lovely birds that visit the bird feeder in the bushes outside my window, particularly the turtle doves," said Peggy. "One morning I saw a pair of them eating the red berries and huddling together to keep warm in a nest hidden deep inside the bushes. The fact that they were turtle doves made me think of the holiday season and the warmth and love that are part of it."

Peggy and her husband Rich are proprietors of Flappers and Floppers, a small craft business in Dublin, NH. Peggy, a juried member of the League of NH Craftsmen since 1993, has created more than 115 mobile designs, representing a wide variety of birds, animals, and creatures, both real and imaginary. Each mobile is made with furniture-grade birch plywood, detailed with woodburning, and hand-painted with enamel paint and oil stain. "All of my designs feature moveable parts, such as wings, that are suspended from a hanging assembly and carefully balanced so that a tug on the body or a gentle breeze will cause the wings to flap," said Peggy.

Peggy holds a Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts in art education from the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY. She worked in jewelry design at the Jewelry Exchange in New York City for two years, and then moved to New England to start a family. As a stay-at-home mom living in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and finally, New Hampshire, she continued to do arts and crafts by volunteering her time at her children's school and the local girl scouts organization.

Her inspiration for her craft began after purchasing a Canada Goose mobile and a push toy. "I was intrigued by the way both pieces were made, so I decided to create my own mobiles and push toys. I loved the great flopping sounds the toy made when you pushed it, so I called my versions ‘flappers and floppers." One of her push toy designs (a puffin) was a Yankee Magazine contest winner in 1984. She eventually dropped the push toys and concentrated on making mobiles. "Working on these pieces is very satisfying from a creative standpoint," said Peggy. "Every year I keep adding new creations, all of them requests.What started out as five original designs in 1984 has grown to well over 150, including miniatures and displays. And in all this time, I've never stopped loving what I do." Her husband Rich works with her and manages the "non-artistic" side of the business.

Since becoming a juried member of the League in 1993, Peggy really appreciates having venues such as the League's retail galleries and the Annual Craftsmen's Fair to sell her craft and to meet customers. Says Peggy, "Being a member of the League has really taken my craft to a whole new level of quality and pride." She will be demonstrating how she made the Annual Ornament at the 77th Annual League of NH Craftsmen's Fair, which will be held August 7-15 at Mount Sunapee Resort in Newbury, NH.

The League's annual ornament selection, now in its 23rd year, is open to all juried League craftspeople. The ornament is selected by the managers of the seven League of New Hampshire Craftsmen Retail Galleries, which are located in Center Sandwich, Concord, Hanover, Littleton, Meredith, North Conway, and Wolfeboro.

Two Turtle Doves ornaments are sold exclusively by the Retail Galleries, and at the League of NH Craftsmen's Fair, August 7-15, 2010. Each ornament is signed by Peggy, dated 2010, and numbered as one of a limited edition. The ornament comes beautifully gift-boxed and sells for $21.50. Major credit cards are accepted for ordering the ornament by telephone from The League of New Hampshire Concord League Retail Gallery. The ornament will be available for purchase May 2010.