Wednesday, November 29, 2017

A Glimpse of my November

November here seems to have been filled with a continuous stream of parcel packing and constant trips to the post office. I could really do with some elf helpers! The only down side to being a one man show, is of course if you are doing one thing ,then there is not much time to do another. So at the moment there is no new art work finished to share. But it's been a fantastic month for my little shop and I'm extremely grateful to anyone that has supported it. You are awesome ! ;-)
Since I last posted here I have some new notebooks in the shop. The same Autumn designs that I had made into cards. Red Squirrel and the sleepy Hedgehog. They are A6 size  and sold individually.
Both notebooks are available to buy here. I've also added some more originals after having a bit of a sort out, so if anyone is after a special present for someone, then you can find them here
It's been quite cold so far this month, colder than this time last year and we've had more frosts.
The mornings have been beautiful.
The skies liquid gold.
And then in the evenings they transform into glorious dark and strange masterpieces which make me want to paint them (something to add to the long list) They remind me of the sky in Stranger Things that Will Byers sees in the upside down. Has anyone else enjoyed this Netflix series?
The 5th came and went in a whizz of pops and bangs and that firework, woodsmoke scent on a cold foggy evening. My children are grown up and both away at University now, but I had my own pack of sparklers and lit them beneath the moon. As I stood watching the dazzling sparkles It brought back memories of my own childhood bonfire nights... 
'Duffle coats buttoned up with toggles, gloves to hold safely sparklers at arms length. A huge bonfire on the Green, and the feeling that Christmas was not too far away. The magical packaging of fireworks, a cylindrical dark blue with white stars and snowflakes, a twist of paper at the top~Snow Storm . Pyramid shaped cone~ inside a silver fountain waiting to erupt, a strange twirly one with a nail to attach it to the washing line post~the Catherine wheel. And the rocket with its stick attached all set for its journey... That bonfire night smell, cold night, first frosts, November fog, woodsmoke and that wonderful firework smell. The next day finding the charred remains of them and their beautiful labels and where a rocket had landed, was almost as magical ' 

"November comes
And November goes,
With the last red berries
And the first white snows.

With night coming early,
And dawn coming late,
And ice in the bucket
And frost by the gate.

The fires burn
And the kettles sing,
And earth sinks to rest
Until next spring."-  Elizabeth Coatsworth


I shall leave you with a little light to brighten up your dark nights. Some magic from a lantern parade that I came across last week in the nearby town of Devizes...
 
Enjoy the last moments of November. 
X