houseful of hedgehogs

HEDGEHOG EASTER TREASURES

My dear hedgehog friend has presented me with a beautiful, handmade Easter ornament. Better yet, it's a hedgehog Easter ornament! It was nestled in this very sweet card. Alongside the card are my two happy Easter bunny hedgehogs. Below is a closeup of the ornament she made. Hedgehog friends are the best!!!

 

I had almost forgotten about Arthur le Herisson Jardinier. I found him in Paris in 2005. He looks just as good as the day I brought him home in all his chocolateness. He hasn't melted or been nibbled on in all these years. I remember my husband saying, "You can't take that home." Well, he was wrong because Arthur is still adorable!

HEDGEHOGS FROM HERE AND THERE

I'm always amused and surprised to find hedgehogs in so many diverse places. Marshall's often has one or two. I found the wrapping paper on a shopping trip with a friend in Fort Myers, FL. Then I had to carry it home on the plane. Not such a great idea, since it wouldn't fit in the suitcase.

The tiny teeter-totter hedgehogs came from the Dollar Tree. A friend of mine has a sister who likes to find hedgehogs for me.  She sent me these pretty hedgehog house-shoe/socks which are really warm, and I have worn them this winter. I found the "Living on the Hedge" magnet in Florida at a Cracker Barrel where my husband had a meeting.  They had a huge display of hedgehog and llama gifts. I restrained myself, and came home with just the magnet. You never know when or where you'll find a hedgehog!

To finish my remaining unposted hedgehogs, I must include these Christmas gifts. My sweet husband found this hand-painted Border Fine Arts hedgehog online and ordered it for me. Unfortunately, I already have two of them.  The Scottish company has been out of business for years, and all their beautiful figurines are collectors' items. He had figured out that I already had one by the time Christmas rolled around.  I love all hedgehogs, even if I have more than one.

This funny puffer hedgehog was a gift from a friend who usually manages to find something unique. When you squeeze him, he puffs up and out. He strangely has colored lights that flash on and off when you shake him. He's a cute little toy!

HEARTS AND HEDGEHOGS VALENTINE SURPRISE

I was so thrilled to open a package from my dear hedgehog friend to find this adorable runner inside. She is a great quilter as well as being excellent in embroidery. I love all the tiny heart prints she used. She even made the hearts and hedgehogs extra special by using variegated thread. Could anything be sweeter?

That wasn't all!  She also included this cute hedgehog refrigerator notepad that she found during a quick shopping trip.  I'm so lucky to have such a wonderful hedgehog friend!

GALENA HEDGEHOGS

On what may have been our last trip to Galena, IL, I returned with two hedgehog items I thought were very cute. It's not that we want to avoid Galena, it is that our in-laws have sold their lovely vacation home there. We enjoyed so many good times there over the years, and I found a lot of hedgehogs in the many great shops along Main Street.  Just remembering makes me miss it all so much!

I saw the Wrendale card in La Vie En Rose and the Swedish Ecologie Kitchen Cloth in The Grateful Gourmet, two of my favorite shops there. I hope someday we can return to Galena for old time's sake!

HEDGEHOG CHRISTMAS 2020

2020 has sadly been a bleak year in many ways.  However, when it comes to hedgehog Christmas gifts, it was great! My son and his wife gave me the adorable "Awakening" hedgehog cushion by Wrendale Design. It even has a beautiful back displaying some of their many woodland creatures. They also gave me the precious Wrendale Christmas ornament with two hedgehogs touching noses under the mistletoe. I love them so much!

My dear hedgehog friend didn't forget me either. She cross-stitched a lovely hedgehog ornament, complete with a Christmas star button! It is proudly displayed on my new hedgehog Christmas tree. This year, my hedgehog friend found a Victorian "feather" tree, and I thought it was such a good idea that I got one too.

Last, but certainly not least, a special friend gave me the sweet, fluffy hedgehog skiing along with his blue scarf. What a cute face he has!

HEDGEHOGS FOR ALL SEASONS

The fact that I'm posting a Thanksgiving Day card in January says that I'm really behind in posting new additions to my collection. No excuses. This happy card and the jaunty felt ornament arrived as a surprise from my dear hedgehog friend! There is nothing as sweet as a homemade ornament, and it is now on my Christmas tree (which is still decorated with hedgehogs.) Again, no excuses.

This shiny, gold hedgehog tape dispenser is made by Scotch 3M. It's heavy and easy to use. I decided to give myself a Christmas gift this year, and I did use it for wrapping packages. It made Christmas gift-wrapping even more fun!

 

A WONDERFUL HEDGEHOG PACKAGE FROM VIENNA

The wonderfully generous Connie (The Hedgehog Collector) from Vienna, Austria, sent a package brimming with dinner napkins and cards. My hedgehog friend from Kansas and I each have a set. We have been having Zoom meetings with Connie, and it's a lot of fun!

Most of these images are ones I've never seen.  It seems Europeans have admired hedgehogs for decades before Americans even knew what they were.

I do love all the hedgehog cuteness! The next two pictures are cards and stationery. We can't thank Connie enough for sharing!!!

 

MORE BELATED BIRTHDAY GIFTS

We were lucky enough to have a visit from my brother-in-law and sister-in-law around the time of my birthday. She always gathers up hedgehogs when she sees them and saves them to give to me. I know the white salt and pepper hedgehogs by Creative Co-op came from the Portland Art Museum. The furry little guy with a mushroom and a big smile came from somewhere in Europe, and the tiny hedgehog with them is just cute.

When she said I probably already had this woodland hedgehog with the sticks for quills, I said I didn't but I have his mother! Now they are reunited.  They do look very much the same. She also said she thought she should cut back on giving me hedgehogs. I said that's fine.  Now we'll see if she can really do it!

 

 

BELATED BIRTHDAY HEDGEHOGS

This whimsical hedgehog billfold by Chala Handbags was a birthday gift from my son and his wife. I love the fall colors! I had a key-chain coin purse that matches it, which was a gift from my sister-in-law. I'm lucky to have such sweet and thoughtful relatives!

I don't always post cards, but these two were exceptionally great!

 

TWO BLUE HEDGEHOGS, ONE OLD AND ONE NEW

I have a wonderful sister-in-law who always finds hedgehogs for me when she travels. This cheery felt and cloth trivet came all the way from Estonia! Someday I should make a list of the various country origins that make up the history of my hedgehog collection. That sounds like fun!

BIZARRE BLUE HEDGEHOG TOY

I'm not sure what to say about this hedgehog toy, also a gift from my sister-in-law in 2013. I know she found it at a street market in a U.S. city. Recently, it has attracted some comments to the blog. It's video wasn't working anymore, but thanks to my son, it is up and running again.  You can be the judge by clicking on the link. Just don't have the volume up too loud. Imagine having to listen to it for more than a few minutes, which would be impossible for most.

OCTOBER HEDGEHOG BIRTHDAY SURPRISES

Some great things about having an October birthday are the cute fall hedgehogs. My sweet "hedgehog friend" made this beautiful candle or penny mat for my birthday. I love the colors she chose and the tiny buttons on the mushrooms! She is so talented in stitchery, quilting, and related arts. I'm truly impressed!

Another adorable birthday gift is from a dear friend who happened to see these cute, cute fall hedgehog towels while she was strolling through Kohl's. They have really brightened up my kitchen, and I smile every time I see them.

I don't know where another great friend of mine ran across this festive hedgehog, because she's not much of a shopper. The corrugated tin and the little pumpkins stuck to his sides make this such a unique and clever decoration. I'll look forward to putting him out every fall! I'm so happy to have friends who think of me with hedgehogs on my birthday.

PRECIOUS HEDGEHOG ORNAMENTS

I have a new "hedgehog friend," and I couldn't be more thrilled. We share the same love of hedgehogs, and she lives only four hours away! My husband and I went to visit her and her husband at their beautiful farm on a spectacular fall-like day. She had a lovely table set, complete with a delicious hedgehog cheese ball and my favorite German beer.

I was so surprised when she presented me with a gift! She had made the precious hedgehog ornaments at the top of the page. I can't express how much I love them! Even the backs of the ornaments are so sweet! She also made the box for the ornaments and included a beautiful card.

I know this is just the beginning of a wonderful friendship! There will be many fun times ahead and, of course, much more about hedgehogs!

HEDGEHOG GIFTS FROM GRANDCHILDREN

Even though I'm sure they had help picking them out, I did receive some hedgehog gifts from the grandchildren. I have two new books to add to my collection and an especially cute zippered bag. What makes it extra-special are their initials on the tummies of the hand-holding hedgehogs! As a background, I included some of the cheerful gift wrap that my son and daughter-in-law used to wrap one of my gifts.

ADORABLE HEDGEHOG GIFTS

I have a very sweet friend with two wonderful girls.  I was hoping to make cookies with them using this cute cookie roller they gave me, but that will have to wait for a while. (The wooden roller is made by a Polish company called Goody Woody.) We might be able to have an outdoor tea party this fall! They also gave me a bright blue hedgehog pen and this peaceful hedgehog magnet.  They know how much I love hedgehogs and always find some that make me happy!

LOVELY HEDGEHOG LAMP

I don't know what to say about this hedgehog lamp except that it's perfect and I love it! It was a gift from my son and his wife.  I needed a lamp to sit on the desk in the guestroom, and this lovely light is just what I wanted. It matches the decor and, more importantly, it's a hedgehog! I could not be happier!!!

PAIRS OF HEDGEHOGS

I feel that hedgehogs in a picture should have something with them. What is better than another hedgehog? This pretty stuffed fellow by Nat and Jules is wondering why a hedgehog would be on wheels. He was a gift from a great college friend of my husband's who appreciates my affection for hedgehogs.

Here are a fine-looking TY hedgehog "Prickles" and a scrunchy silver dog toy focusing their attention on a little crystal hedgehog that came all the way from Cartagena, Columbia, as a gift from my husband.

These two fuzzy hedgehogs look like they have a lot of personality. The larger one was a gift from a colleague many years ago. The tiny one, made in West Germany, was a gift from my mother,  also many years ago. This concludes the posting of a few hedgehogs that have been patiently waiting for their moment in the sun. I hope that I haven't left any out. Every one from this point on should be a new member of the houseful of hedgehogs.

ORGAN GRINDER MECKI AND SONIC THE HEDGEHOG

 

This is probably first hedgehog I ever saw, as a child. I remember that Captain Kangaroo had an organ grinder on his show, and I loved seeing him play.  It was Mecki! I remember the first time I went to Germany on vacation, I saw a Mecki in a shop window and recognized him as something I had seen before. It's funny the things from childhood that leave an impression on us.  Does anyone else remember the organ grinder from Captain Kangaroo?

Of course, everyone knows Sonic the Hedgehog. My husband started giving me these, and I told him one was enough.  I know he is a famous hedgehog, but he is a cartoon character to me.

 

 

ODDS AND ENDS HEDGEHOGS FROM THE PAST

When I was a little girl, I had to put all my stuffed animals in bed with me because I didn't want to leave any one out. Now I feel that all my hedgehogs should appear in a post.  It wouldn't be fair to leave any of them out either. Above are many of the tiny hedgehogs that might get lost if they weren't in a display.

Many of these little resin hedgehogs were given to me by people who saw them in shops as hedgehogs were becoming more popular here. I'm pretty sure they were copies of original resin cast hedgehogs, because so many look similar.

Here is an assortment of rubber or plastic hedgehogs that I received from various people. No matter what they are made of, hedgehogs still catch my eye when I'm in a shop glancing around.  Many years ago, I bought every hedgehog I saw, but now that they are so numerous I've had to stop that behavior!

HEDGEHOGS FOR BABIES

This baby hedgehog finger puppet book is one in a series by Chronicle Kids Books. It's such a clever idea and really entertaining for tiny children.  I found this at a great local store called The Thicket.

My niece, who finds crafty hedgehog items at art fairs near Des Moines, presented me with these sweet gifts. Here is a strap to hook onto just about anything, a picnic tea towel, and a baby bib. I love the originality crafters use to design their things with hedgehogs in mind!

HEDGEHOGS WITH PERSONALITY

I'm more than a little late posting my Christmas gifts, but here are two very sweet little faces that are livening up the blue room in the houseful of hedgehogs. This dapper hedgehog won "Best Dressed" along with several other awards according to the artist Ryan Berkley. He and his artist wife live in Portland, Oregon. My very sweet, dear friend made me so happy with this portrait!

My sister-in-law found this adorable hedgehog pillow at Society6.  I love the almost surprised look on her face and the fact that she's sticking out of a pocket on a pillow. The artist is Monica Vera. These are two fantastic hedgehog presents!