The Spider Month Of September And A Shop Update

I like to think of September as spider month because of the sheer amount that seem to be visible at this time of year. Not only are they in the house, (it's okay I'm not scared of them ;-)) outside the windows  are covered in spiders too. They love to make their webs on the panes of glass. A dark trick for the poor unsuspecting fly that thinks he will just head on into the house, but then realises there is glass between itself and the room and a deadly trap made of spun silk.  Meanwhile the sweet blue tit knows that the spiders and flies are  up to things on the window, so it's the month when I hear a tap tapping and look up to see them peeping in at me during their autumn feast.

I was happy to have captured the above picture, even if it is a little blurry as they move so fast, too speedy for my camera.
September is the month when in the morning the hedgerows, fields and  gardens are decorated with dew dropped webs. And the early morning Autumn light just makes them look as if one had stepped into another realm. Such beauty.

The garden is still filled with flowers.

 And butterflies. Every time the sun comes out, our big patch of ivy is a nectar magnet for them.

It's been a busy month behind the scenes. New Autumn cards have been designed and added to the shop. You may remember these images from my wooden hangers last year? I thought they would make cute cards in the style of a nature journal type page again. I'm selling them in a pack of 3 in the shop.

I've also been busy organising a 2018 calendar which is now available. 

The hangers have all been finally finished. Below are most of them. There are 16 in all but some are similar, so I won't share every single one here.

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The shop update will be next Monday 2nd October at 7.30pm (uk time) First come first served.

There will also be some new sets of cards in the shop. I know Christmas is still ages away (thank goodness) but because a lot of my work sells abroad I have to get the cards and things in the shop early.  Sooo... if you are not keen on looking at Winter things yet, please avert your eyes. ;) 

With October just around the corner now, it's time to get back to the sketchbook and some new paintings. My little studio has been tidied and changed about in preparation. 

Happy Autumn
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March blew away with the Dancing Daffodils

And  all of a sudden the frothy blooms of Spring arrived...

While outside the greening is in the midst of it's merrie dance, I have been busy working my way through my 2017 list of things to do. Most of March was taken up with making a new website. A job that had been years overdue and one I felt I could put off no longer. It's strange how days just float past you and merge into one another while you are so wrapped up in doing something. Before I knew it March had blown away along with the dancing daffodils. But with moments of my temper rising along with the sap outside I finally emerged from the other side and have a brand new website. The biggest change was the renaming. So instead of the old Karen Davis site, I am now officially
'Moonlight and Hares' It seemed a natural progression as many customers tell me they look for me under that name. So here it is... www.moonlightandhares.co.uk

It isn't completely finished yet, for instance I still have a shop to add. For now the shop button takes you to the Etsy shop but I do plan to get a separate one on the website as well.

Now April is here and the hedgerows are busy with birds feeding their young in secret nests. The apple blossom's divine fragrance perfumes the garden. New life is everywhere and the earth feels warm in the mild weather we have had.

The snakes head fritillaries and the sweet white violets have waved their sleepy nodding heads goodbye and now the cowslips and forgetmenots have arrived. The bugle is stretching up through the moss and ground ivy, lily of the valley, cow parsley and red campion are already blooming.
Over the Easter weekend we visited our local bluebell wood. A step into Faerie land...

It's so peaceful, no distant hum of car, just a blackbirds clear voice across the hazel tops, gentle woo wooing of wood pigeon and my own boots on last years beech leaves. Then the quiet is suddenly broken with the bark of a muntjac deer and we see it scamper lower down in the woods and a startled pheasant escapes into a clearing, fearful of who we are. The ransoms are beginning to come out. I take some leaves for a garlicky pesto for tea. In the meadow beyond there are cuckoo flower dotted in the damp patches.

Back in the garden I think I had a fleeting glimpse of a white hare, his two big long back legs showing as he leaped through the hedge. I believe he left me this... ;)

 My paint brushes haven't seen as much action this past month but I did do a couple of paintings.              'Replenishment'

A small canvas on the theme of recharging by starlight and moonlight. And...

'The Quiet Glade'

A unicorn for 'National Unicorn Day' a little while back.  Both of these images are available now as prints in the shop

Back in March whilst working on the website, I also did a little designing with my images for a set of magical nature notebooks which should be ready and in the shop quite soon.  I do love notebooks myself and have bit of a mild obsession with them and often can't resist buying another small book that I probably won't use for another year or so as I still haven't filled up my other collection of notebooks! 

It was fun designing these and I am already planning another set. 

That's all, I think, for now... I shall leave you with some raindrops on apple blossom and Mr Blackbird with his children's supper.

Don't forget for more updates in between blogposts you can find me on Facebook and Instagram. :) 

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