Just Being At Home

The light summer evenings are beginning to fade now as August gently slips away.


So too are the flowers, but even 'faded' are still beautiful. Different, but equally as worthy in their beauty as Autumn will be.



Seeds as light as fairy wing are waiting for September winds to take them high across open fields.

We are enjoying just being at home....


Sometimes cooking our tea outside. Jacket potatoes with butter, baked bananas and toasted marshmallows.


Tommorow we have plans for another fairyhouse. And hopefully I might cut a few hangers out?

Oh yes, by the way, I've been meaning to say...
Thankyou so much to everyone that pops into my little world here and reads this blog.
I can't believe I have 132 followers now! I really appreciate it :) x

Sand Between My Toes

Each day for the past eight days my feet have spent time submerged in the Atlantic ocean.
I have ridden the wild unicorn waves with feathery manes on a body board and let them leap over my head.


Peered into silent secret caves that are only exposed when the tide goes out, and felt there was something else in there?.......


Seen faces hidden in stone.
Can you see the old man bending over? ... King Neptune perhaps?


Felt that things are not always as they appear to be.
Could a mermaid lay fast asleep beneath this?...


I Captured sunlight ripples on water....

And whitewashed snails on sea holly prickles....

But most of all, I just gazed and gazed with sand between my toes....

White Fox

Before I blow away as thistle down on the wind, to a place by the sea.....
The painting...



I had to finish it before I went, as I wanted to come back and start something new.
It would have bugged me otherwise ;)
Hope the sun shines for you wherever you are!
See you soon! x

Time Travel

Friday brought the last day of the school term, the beginning of our summer holidays, and the end of my daughters time at Primary school forever.
Its hard to believe how fast the wheel of time turns and how quickly our children grow up.
I will be making the most of spending the days with my two these holidays, which will mean I might not be around as much to update here and visit other blogs for a short while.
We are off to be near the sea for a little bit. Hopefully the sun will shine and the days will be merrie. And I will be taking my sketchbook and camera of course!
I have always been fascinated with time and if given a 'super power' apart from the ability to fly, the other one I would choose would be to be able to travel back in time.
A few weeks ago, my Dad found a bag in his attic filled with old pictures drawn by my sisters and I when we were very young. I enjoyed a sense of travelling back in time, remembering some of the pictures I had made....

Its interesting to see that I liked drawing animals way back then...
And to see foxes, lions and birds included...

But most of all I drew horses!

Infact nearly all of the pictures had a horse in!

Two Small WhiteThings

Here is a small canvas, a work in progress at the moment...

I often consider these small paintings as snapshots from my mind and characters that have already or will play parts in future bigger paintings and stories. ( hopefully) I'm still trying to get used to doing 'small' as my paintings in the past have been much larger and sometimes very detailed. This white fox has wanted to escape from my head for ages. There will be more in this composition yet, probably a moth?
I know I keep rattling on about moths alot lately, but its just I seem to see them everywhere! Whether I'm just noticing them more, or is it an exceptional year for them. I don't know? .....
Look at this one in our kitchen window. How amazing! ....





Yes, I know the windows need cleaning, but sssshhh......thats boring ;)

The Keeper Of Time

Wandering down to where the willow herb grows, in the early evening, would I catch a glimpse of my moth?
This is the direction it flew on that morning not so long ago. I've also read that they can be found wherever the plant flourishes.

I found a stripy tired snail.


There are more chrysalis in the green house. Small and black and protected by white woven web.I've no idea what type of moth they will be. They have a long sleep over winter until they transform.



I finished the little owl painting and have named it .........The Keeper Of Time




Some special moments captured this week .....


Now I'm off to the greenhouse to give it a much needed tidy up.
An excuse to get in the warm as its chilly inside today.
xxx

Like a squirrel in Autumn

Swept along on a tide of busyness its easy to bury who we really are. Our hopes and dreams treasures are hidden away and sometimes forgotton in the box of 'times past' or 'for another day'. Through others eyes we are perceived and presumed to be...

Its a different view though when you are on the inside of the mirror and looking out...


I've been busy with jobs that sometimes get in the way but have to be done. The varnishing of floors can be tedious and painting of window frames a little mind numbing but I have fitted in some drawings for new hangers and paintings and have been storing ideas like ripe hazelnuts, as a squirrel does in Autumn.

Through a lens and a looking glass

I've been trying to use my camera more often and get into the habit of keeping it with me. There have been times when I so wished I'd had it with me and a special moment has slipped through my fingers.
So,through the lens this week.....








I think I've captured a little magic .....?

Unicorns of the sea

For no particular reason I decided to sketch a narwhal....

And then I painted a small canvas depicting these mysterious magical creatures...

You can read a little or a lot about these unicorns of the sea 'here'
I'm planning a Wooden Narwhal hanger now. Not sure how I will do such a fine delicate horn yet though?

A little while ago I kindly received an award from Joanne. If you have a moment, go and take a peep at her blog, she creates the most delightful fairyworld illustrations.
I was also tagged by Andrea. to play this question and answer game......


What is your current obsession?
I'm not really an obsessive type of person, but at the moment I'm really fascinated by moths.

What is your weirdest obsession
Hmm.. I wouldn't call it weird :) but I have to have my coffee un stirred. I hate drinking it if its been stirred. Actually that does sound a bit weird now!
What are you wearing today?
Old comfy Jeans and Next khaki embroidered T shirt
What’s for dinner ?
Tikka masala
What would you eat for your last meal ?
That would depend on what I fancied at the time. I don't think I have a favourite food? There would probably be strawberries and raspberries for dessert though.
What’s the last thing you bought ?
Strawberry hubba bubba bubble gum for my daughter about an hour ago.
What are you listening to right now ?
Joanna Newsom 'The sprout and the bean'
What is your favorite ice-cream flavour ?
I used to be icecream crazy as a child, and could eat bowlful after bowlful. I think I must have overdosed on it, as I no longer like it! I am partial to a magnum continental though very occasionally.
What do you think of the person who tagged you ?
Andrea is a very talented lady in tune with whats important in life and the beauty of nature around her.
If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be ?
Probably somewhere in Scandanavia. A wooden log cabin
If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go ?

Whale watching
Which language do you want to learn ?
Elvish ;) or latin
What’s your favorite quote (for now) ?
'We hope that their will still be fireflies and glowworms at night to guide you and butterflies in the hedges and forests to greet you' ...... Gerald Durrell
What is your favorite colour ?
Turquoise blue
What is one of your favorite daily/weekly rituals ?

Visiting charity shops or car boot sales.

If you had $100 now, what would you spend it on ?
A bag from Fairysteps
Favourite designer ?
I'm not at all a designer type dresser. If I see something which catches my eye and I like it I will get it regardless of who it is made by. (If I have the pennies of course)


Do you admire any one’s style ?
I admire people that are individual and wear what they want and feel comfortable with. And people that don't follow fashion obsessively.
Describe your personal style ?
Casual and comfortable.

What are you going to do after this ?
Go and cook tea.
What are your favourite films ?
Into the West, with Gabriel Byrne. Amelie, Chocolat, Its a wonderful Life, Harry Potter series and Lord of the Rings. There are so many I could go on and on......
What’s your favourite fruit ?
Strawberries and raspberries.
What inspires you ?
The magic of Nature all around us. Hares, the moon, stars , music and stories.

What is on the walls in your bedroom ?
Not alot at the moment as we are in the process of finishing decorating it. Should have been done ages ago, but there are much more interesting things to do! ;)
We have a few photos.

Your favorite book ?
Probably Lord of the rings?
Do you collect something ?
Shells, unusual pieces of twisted wood, hares, things I feel have a magical quality about them.
What is one of your pet peeves ?

I hate Litter, and get really annoyed by people that think they can just leave it lying around.
If you could be an animal , what would you be?
A bird.

...........................................
Phew, that took a while! being probably one of the worlds slowest typers. If you’d like to play along (no pressure) I tag :
Jessie
Ren
Lizzie
Danielle
JuliaGretel
Kathleen

The rules :
1. Respond and rework ; answer the questions on your blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your invention or add one more question of your own.
2. Tag eight other people.

(Sorry for all the changes in size on the font! My computer or blogger seems to be acting up)

Transported to another place and time

This week has flown by in a surreal whirl. The hobbits and I have been 'extras' in a BBC drama Christmas special and were transported back to the 1860's to a rather popular Cheshire town......

We were the poorer townsfolk, so didn't get to buy any of the latest fabrics in this shop...

Luckily we behaved, so didn't get locked up in here for the night.....
Above is my youngest relaxing on set, and below is my boy doing his bit alongside one of the stars ;)


Whilst I've been busy doing such extravagant things, the chicks have been growing bigger everyday. We have had more hatch and now infact have six.

And the poppies have bloomed without me having a moment to notice them....

Now its back down to earth. There is a mountain of blog reading to climb and lots of paintings and hangers to plan , and wheelbarrows full of weeds to tackle.
Oh yes.... and sleep to catch up on.

Playing with blue ink

I've been in the garden alot recently, (blame the good weather! ;-) so not much art work to show. I found this set of beautiful ink pens in a charity shop with a bottle of the most bluest of blue ink. Just right for a play in my sketchbook. The silver attachments keep reminding me of the hand that Voldermort gave to Wormtail in The Goblet of Fire....


The Lion I doodled has nothing to do with Harry Potter though....


All the names for the blog giveaway were put into a pot and the winner drawn out for the goody bag prize is.......... Andrea
And the lucky person who gets to dissect the two owl pellets is................Annette

Congratulations to you both! I will get items sent off to you both as soon as I can, sometime this week.