It's the spring chicken's move (or is it the old sock's) - from Dean Marks

[Marie Wintzer]

 

I don't even know where to start to explain the geniusness of this piece. First of all, although hard to tell from the picture, it is completely en relief, 3D and everything, and shipped as it is without envelope. Dean got the idea for this after a comment on one of his blogs where I said that I was not a poulet de printemps anymore (direct french translation for spring chicken). To which he replied une vieille chaussette alors? (directly translated to are you an old sock then?). Anyway... it's a long story of funny direct translations which made him start this piece. A few days later I would leave IUOMA, and you'll see where this is going. What he sent is a (fantastic) replica of a japanese game called dobutsu shogi (animal chess), which introduces kids to the rules of chess. This is what the real game looks like:

 

 

In English it is called "Catch the Lion", so the aim is to catch the opponent's lion. The dots on a given tile indicate in which direction(s) the tile can be moved. The lion here is Dean, of course. And there is also elephant-Erni and Giraffe-Val. And me, I'm the baby spring chicken. According to the rules of the game, once the spring chicken reaches the other side of the board it transforms into a hen! :-)))
The wordplay on it's your move= your turn to play = you leaving IUOMA = you moving out (déménagement, french) = your movement (japanese) etc.. is absolutely priceless. I don't know how he comes up with such things! The back of the card is also very funny, with the too-dangerous-for-3-year-olds-Cheryl-Penn-piece which can move in all possible and impossible directions! :-))) I can't stop laughing. Honestly, Dean....

 

 

And a few days later, the socks :-)) good old socks with holes. I wanted to wear them but they are irreversibly glued onto the paper, so you won't see the extent of the damage. Too bad. This silver technology for fresh feet was worth testing, I think. If it's the socks that make the man, will these socks make a Super Man? Somehow I doubt it...
Well well, the spring chicken will stay with smelly feet, but she has made her move (back) (in) (I don't know anymore)
:-)
Thank you Dean!

[Marie Wintzer]

If by any chance you see my missing bit could you please send it back home? I miss it.

[cheryl penn]

Yes, for sure we do - except its a satellite village. All the missing bits of socks live there.  I haven't spotted any missing toes there luckily :-) X

[Dean aka Artist in Seine]

Just by chance is the capital city of your planet called Toe cutta?  I may be spelt in one word, I'm not sure.

[cheryl penn]

OF COURSE ITS A REAL WORD!!!

I made it up! :-)) - Therefore it is real. Here, where I live (when I'm lucky), a cogombulatormatariztrafing is powered by a fristitchmodyule. Run if you see one of those - they're scary. 

[Marie Wintzer]

But on planet Penn. You know, the fruitful one.

[Dean aka Artist in Seine]

For culture and information, if you google "cogombulatormatariztrafing" you will find that it is not a real word.  Well at least not on this world!

[Marie Wintzer]

Hmm, Katerina is right to worry, it looks like the toe is the only part that didn't make it. But what can you expect from an old sock like that. 

[Dean aka Artist in Seine]

Great, so if I understand you correctly, the toe part arrived safely as well?  Katerina will be happy to know that as she was worried that the toe is still in a machine somewhere in Singapore or Toe cutta.

[Marie Wintzer]

You will do well as a giraffe, Val. It's funny how Dean captured the exact essence of Cheryl. I'm amazed.

:-)))

[cheryl penn]

ViZma - you're a cracker :-)))! I wish! But when I find my cogombulatormatariztrafing I'll be able to again. I tend to loose it periodically :-(  X