Inside the Pages of a Story and Christmas Sparkle.

Beautiful December. As the sun sets the mist soften the spaces in between.

A fairytale pink blushes in the twilight. It could be any year, any century when things are obscured and trees stand ghostly on the horizon.
I could be in 1749, 1920, or in Godrics Hollow or Brigadoon.

 Or 'in the time of swords and periwigs and full skirted coats with flowered lappets' 
Inside the pages of a story, in a little shop in Westgate street, just near College court...
In Gloucester was where I found myself last week. So how could I not revisit the 'The House of the 'Tailor of Gloucester'

Simpkin had his own stocking hung up on the fireplace but was still up to mischief it seems.

The mice were busy, measuring and stitching.

And the Mayors waistcoat was already complete.  All except of course, one cherry coloured buttonhole.

This wonderful waistcoat was recreated in 1980 by Gloucestershire Federation of Women's Institutes. 

If you are a fan of Beatrix Potter and happen to find yourself in Gloucester, then it's definitely worth popping in.

The other reason for being in Gloucester was my birthday treat that evening. To see the Mediaeval Baebes in concert at Gloucester cathedral. 

I've loved their music for a long time now, so it was a real treat to see them, especially in such a magnificent setting. They played lots of their older songs, plus nursery rhymes from their new album 'A Pocket full of Posies' and many festive songs which got me into the Christmas mood. 

Here they are below, the line up from a few years back, singing a Christmas carol.

Back home with the winter mists still surrounding the village and a lot of flood water too now, the sparkles are in abundance. I brought the unicorn down from the studio to give extra sparkle this year. 

Here's to a magical and peaceful Christmas to you!
Thank you to all that stop by here and for the continued support of my art work.
May 2020 bless the paths you travel.
See you soon x

Hares, stone, water, foxglove, fell and Hill Top.

 Two more pieces on wood, that were finished recently.
'The story within' and 'I used to be an Alchemist'

These two have joined the other smaller hanging pieces that I showed in my last post at 'The names of the hare' exhibition at the New Brewery Arts in Cirencester Gloucestershire. Do pop along if you are in the area it's a real treat for lovers of hares and features work by 28 Artists including magical work by Jackie Morris, Catherine Hyde, Hannah Willow and many other talented folk that feature hares in their work.  I visited last Saturday and would have loved to have taken much of the exhibition home to live with me, including these hares by Sophie Ryder which were just outside the gallery and would be perfect and happy living in my garden of course. ;)

 I've been quiet on here, enjoying the summertime and being outdoors as much as I can. 

A couple of weeks ago I ventured up to northern parts on a short break to the Lake District.

 It was my first visit and of course I fell in love. So much green and stone and moss. Trickling stream, waterfall, mountain and foxglove. I think we chose the right time to visit because there were foxgloves everywhere. So pretty. I wish the spleenworts would grow on my small bit of wall here, but I think it is much drier here?

We did some fell walking.

Up the 'Old man of Coniston'. We were lucky as the sun shone down on us and it was warm!

I bid a good afternoon in my best Cumbrian accent, to the local beautiful sheep...

The views at all stages were glorious. 

And finally at the top! It was incredibly windy at the top although looking at this picture, you could never tell. 

Nearby was the home of Beatrix Potter.  Hill Top  a place I've been meaning to tick off my 'to visit' list for  a long while.  What a priveledge to quietly walk around this cottage, with the fire crackling, grandfather clock slowly ticking everything left just as it was. It was a step back in time to life of a slower pace. It's a beautiful cottage inside, quite dark, but very cosy, and looks older on the inside than it appears to be from outside. The perfect place to be on a dark and rainy day.  It was so interesting to see Beatrix's things, from the odd shells that she kept and tiny dolls house treasures, china, letters and sketches on her desk to her delightful bedroom with it's original William Morris wallpaper.  There is no photography allowed inside but the pictures below show the cottage and the gate to the garden.  

Afterwards we went into the village of Hawkshead and visited the Beatrix Potter gallery and saw her original work. What a treat indeed. :)

We only had a few days in the Lake district and there is so much to see and so many places to walk. I must go back.  My toes have only just been dipped on the shore of a sea of adventure. No wonder the poets and Artists loved this place so much.   

I Think Mice Are Rather Nice

I think mice are rather nice.

Their tails are long, their faces small;

They haven't any chins at all.

Their ears are pink, their teeth are white;

They run about the house at night.

They nibble things they shouldn't touch;

And no one seems to like them much,

but I think mice are rather nice.

Rose Fyleman

This poem reminds me of when I was a child and came into my head after I bought this picture at a car boot sale at the weekend.

I could hear it whispering "buy me, buy me"  and I knew that if I didn't, then later on at home I would regret it. So I followed my instinct and paid the £3.50 (a bargain!) and brought it home with me, ignoring the odd looks from the daughter and husband. I'm so glad that I did. It looks as if it's a picture of  maybe the Royal Ballet, Beatrix Potter characters that someone has kept and put in an old heavy glass frame?
                                                                        ~*~
After a cup of tea and a loving cuddle with my new bargain mousy picture....Squeak squeak! ;)  I wandered down to a local garden, which was open  for the National gardens scheme.
Cantax house is the home of Sculptor Deborah Van Der Beek and the garden is an interesting treat.
As soon as I walked in my spirits soared  to see the beautiful wild flower cow parsley so often cut down on roadside verges left to show off it's delicate beauty.

It really set off these wonderful wood carved men folk in their wildness. 

There were enticing windows and doorways. 

And white forgetmenots. Something I don't have in my own garden, but something I must try and get growing.

The Iron man,  I think? 

I love this bird. 

I wish I'd took a few more photos of this one, as he was very thought provoking. A baby bird in his hand and his stomach had burger, fries and beer bottle tops embedded. His back had toy cars and parts of mobile phones. Do you see the hands and feet coming out of the top of his head? 

All in all an enjoyable day and the sun shone too.

Now it's back to work....

x