Checker Set from The Reign of Ellen

Is this not the cutest thing!? Ellen from The Reign of Ellen made these for her boss for Christmas. It's inspired me to make a chess or checker set of my own someday. Check out The Reign of Ellen blog. She's a stay-at-home mom and artist. I love her insights.

From The Reign of Ellen:

Feeling much better this week, I finally finished a project, during Anna's naptimes, that has been hanging over my head for years now.

About four years ago, I promised to make my boss a chess set for a Christmas present. I even let him pick out the theme. Of course, he had to go and pick something as complicated and non-girlie as World War I. Sigh. I was thinking circus-themed or Princess Bride-themed. Along those lines. Whatever. It was his choice, so I had to do it.

So basically, I've been procrastinating and researching for four years now. I mean, how in the heck do you make a WWI rook? Or even a bishop or queen, for that matter? About a month ago, I gave up and made the decision that it was becoming a checkers set and "you git what you git, and you don't throw a fit." Not a particularly jolly Christmas spirit, but at least it's finished.

Here it is, in all it's glory. I'm pretty proud of it. To solve the "kinging" dilemna, I made little gold Medals of Honor that the wee soldiers get to wear when they are kinged. I also made one of the American G.I.s look like my boss (well, he has glasses, at least.) I hope he likes it.... actually, I hope he hasn't moved to Scotland without telling me. In that case, Anna is getting a cartoon WWI checkers set for Christmas.