Blog cos you want to: Still Life Free Choice

My friend, Sian, runs the "Blog Cos You Want To" Club where she suggests some easy ways to create blog posts. Recently, she suggested simply posting a photograph of a craft project without worrying about coming up with words to go with your photo. She suggests that you might just end up with an interesting post. And I think she's on to something. . . 
I've been meaning to photograph these embroidered cat pillows. I did the embroidery when I was quite young. They are, from what I can remember, my very first craft projects ever. They make me smile whenever I look at them, partly because I remember the joy of completing the embroidery and partly because they are one example of what a great gift-giver my mother was. You see, although I completed the stitching on these cats, I never actually made them into pillows. My mom did that and then gave them to me for Christmas one year when I was in my 20's. She had found the stitched samplers and knew I would appreciate receiving them in a more functional form. And she was right, as witnessed by the fact that I have kept them safe and secure for another thirty years.
When the Frugal Still Life Photography class posted a "free choice" subject for the final week of class at the same time that I read Sian's club inspiration, I decided to try to create still lifes using these pillows. 
And here's what I came up with:

I think this is a much better way to photograph the red cat pillow than simply by its lonesome. 

And then there's this:

 

{thanks to Deb Turtle for the bird}

I'm unaccountably happy with this second effort. There's something homey and whimsical about it, but it suggests a story as well. It's my selection for the "free choice" still life. 

And, finally, here's one last photograph. It's a project, and I'm not explaining it.

Because Sian said that I didn't have to . . .

Are you bloggin' cos you want to?