A Quest for Santa

It must have been 4 years ago now.

I was googling images as I usually do.

This time for "Santa Cookie Jar"

I needed one at the time.

Amongst all the ho hum Santa cookie jars

one image jumped out at me.

I was like OMG I love it!

The picture was just that, a picture.
On "Flickr" photographed by Tiffybunny.
She gave it the title  
"The cutest cookie jar ever made"

with no more information than that.

I thought I just had to have one
and began searching the web like crazy.

I used terms like "cartoon Santa"

"Santa ceramic" and "retro Santa"

and BINGO I hit on it.

This was indeed a line called just simply

"Retro Santa" 

Designed by an Alabama artist named Becky Denny

source
This picture of her was from her page on 

PictureBook  a directory of children's illustration.

and this was her original Retro Santa design.

from which the line was based.

I just love the whimsy.

My search continued to find other great Retro Santa pieces

...the Retro Santa platter

...the Retro Santa plate

...the Retro Santa dip spreader

...the Retro Santa hot pad

... the Retro Santa candle holder

...the Retro Santa candy dish (this one's mine)

...the Retro Santa mug

 ...even Retro Santa dish towels.

I know there was a cake stand too 

but I can't find pictures of it.

But I digress, all this searching still didn't lead

me to a place to buy the charming little cookie jar.

It just wasn't available.
I'd guessed the design had been out for a while
and pieces were running out.

My next thought,
(and this is leading into obsessed stocker territory)

was to email Becky Denny herself 

and ask where I could buy her terrific

Retro Santa Cookie Jar.

To my suprise she answered back!!!
From her company Ceranima Home.

Here is my letter to her:
01/28/2009

Dear Ms. Denny,
I think your retro Santa collection is a delight, very whimsical and uber charming!!!
You are a talented designer, and It is an honor to have your designs in my collection!
I bought the retro Santa dip bowl with the candy cane spreader this Christmas,

and my wife fell in love with its tiny feet!  

Then I got the retro Santa candy dish, I love the stars inside the dish.
I am now in search of the elusive retro Santa cookie jar.  Someone posted a picture of it on "flicker" as the world's cutest cookie jar, and I whole heartedly agree!

The only place I could find it on line was a website store that is no longer in business,

they just have a picture of it.
Do you by any chance know where I could get your retro Santa cookie jar?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Your fan, Adam

Here is her response:

Dear Adam,
How much fun to receive your email! I meant to email you earlier today, but got so distracted by far less pleasant tasks, that I just sat down again. It has made a great end to another day to read your email again tonight.

YES, I believe we do have some Retro Santa Cookie Jars around here. I sent Zade, my studio assistant a text this morning to be diligent in looking so that we can immediately respond to Adam, our new best friend who has cheered us up on an otherwise dreary Alabama day.

Zade will email you tomorrow (is there a number where she can reach you?). How great to know that someone out there loves what I do—means an awful lot to me, it really does.
Your fan too,
Becky

Becky Denny

President and Creative Director

becky@ceranima.com

Wasn't that delightful? 

I soon recieved an email from Zade 
 she was ready to have the cookie jar sent
to her from the warehouse.

All I had to do was pay for shipping

for her to send it to me. 

I asked, if it would be possible,

if just maybe,
Becky Denny might sign it for me?

Zade responded that she would be delighted too!

She said that she would put it on her mom's desk

for her to sign and send.

Well days turned into weeks and Zade emailed

that her mom couldn't find her ceramic pen

but it wouldn't be much longer.

Then a few months passed.

I noticed that the Ceranima website was

starting to shut down,
my emails and calls to Zade went unanswered.

I had lost my chance,

Ceranima had gone out of business.

But Becky Denny being a creative soul was not out.

She had started a site where she designed

mixed media portraits with vintage paper images.

source
This is her work.

That's a young picture of Zade in the green dress.

More of Becky Denny's paintings can be found

on her page here
at "The Ephemera Network" 

I recently saw that Becky Denny

had joined the "LinkedIn" network

she is running "Denny Design Works"

I wish her well
I asked her to link to me in the network.

And, here's hoping....

I also mentioned

the Retro Santa cookie jar.

UPDATE 2013:
Read more about Becky Denny

Photo by Jerry Siegel

HERE

Becky Denny and Zade Denny