A Watery Week

"Can you hear it? It breathes, as you breathe.

I want you to hear the whole island-as it is now,at this very moment. There is the sea's stirring,always. But also, there are many sounds on Parla which are more than the waves, more than the stones being moved by them. The sheep bleat throatily. A wooden gate squeaks open. There are tiny bells on a piece of string which dance, and call out sing-sing-sing. In a house with herbs on its windowsill a kettle is boiling- its metal lid is starting to rattle, and there are footsteps coming to it and a woman is saying I'm here,I'm here....to the kettle,as if the kettle understands her...."  

Extract from 'The Silver Dark Sea' By Susan Fletcher

For the past couple of weeks I've been reading into the quiet hours past midnight, enchanted with the words of Susan Fletcher's latest book The 'Silver Dark Sea'. Submerged in nightly bathwater, I've been captivated by a watery tale of an island and a fish man.  

I just love how she writes. You may remember last year I shared another of her books 'Witchlight' which has become one of my all time favourites. I've put the link to this book on the Amazon widget  (further down on the right hand side bar)  if you are interested in taking a look.

The book and the very wet weather that we have had lately must surely have contributed to my inspiration for a new grey seal/selkie  hanger design. 

It has rained and rained and again there was not enough room in the river, so the fields have been turned into lakes that glisten in moonlight when the rain has a rest from falling.

So much water. Beneath, the grass has turned into swaying water nymph hair.

We are lucky as we live on a hill, but I feel so very sorry for everyone that has been flooded.

~*~ 

It's been extremely busy here. Between packing orders, answering emails and numerous trips to the post office it has been hard fitting in any new work and many things I had planned to do, have been put back for now.  But, it's all wonderful and I'm so very grateful to anyone that has bought from me, recently or in the past. Without you, I wouldn't be able to have the time to indulge and 'create' as a job. So here's a big X for you!  ;) 

These hares below are the one's I told you that I was working on in my last post. Blackberry, hazel, hawthorn and  oak. These have already been added to my shop and have already sold, but I thought I'd share anyway.  

Have a good week and stay dry if you can. 

 ~*~

New Cards

This photograph taken the other day, is to me, just what I always imagine a typical November day to look like. I love days like this.

Misty, quiet, sheep peaceful, rook chatter, the smell of bonfire. So different to last week when we had our first hard frost. I love days like this too.

It was wonderful again to see the frosted branches. I've missed them.

Later the sky was clear and the remaining hazel leaves shone in the lowering Autumn sun.

So pretty.
                                                                            ****
I've been having a digital play about with some of my small Aceo paintings. Adding some words and making them into cards.

I've already added some to my Etsy shop, but they sold out pretty quickly, so will be making more.
I also made these too, which haven't been digitally played with.

Now I'm working on more hares (soon to be revealed) and here are what I like to call my helpers or watchers because they overlook my desk. 

The egg is the dragon egg made of moonlight that I mentioned in my last post. 

Here's a closer look...

I think I might leave it on the windowsill in the moonlight one night, it may need recharging of magic? ;)

                                                                             ***

Oh before I go...one more thing!  Remember back, not so long ago. When the roses scented the path and the corn flowers danced in the breeze I was working on some illustrations for a book. Well that book, Madeline, Maddy And Midge, Positive Thinking For Children, is now available to buy here and also here 

  :-) 

                                                                              ***

A little Of What I've been Up To

I wrote this last night as the rain fell. It was a very dark 31st October. We had pumpkins reflecting  their light out of the window down our puddle strewn path. Only two lots of children ventured out in the rain for trick or treating. The basket is still filled with shiny boiled sweets and chocolate eclair toffees. The fire was lit, candles flickered and the sweet smell of treacle tart hung about in the kitchen. Not home made I'm ashamed to say. Everything was a bit of a rush, so a thanks to Mr Kipling for the treacle tart and the Halloween french fancies. I hope you had a good one, however you celebrated it.

I've been busy with making stock for my Etsy shop which I'll show you in a bit...
Time has been zooming by and  half term seemed to arrive here just hours after school had returned from the summer!
I've been out and about quite a bit. My very bestest old friend from college days came to stay. :-) We had a lovely time catching up and wandered around Avebury  in the rain.

We breathed the salty misted sea air at Lyme Regis.

And met a lovely cat.

I bought a tiny egg in the fossil shop, that looks like a dragon or phoenix egg. It also looks as if it is made of moonlight. I will show you another day.
Talking of magical things, I saw amethyst in the hedgerow the other day.

And more magic....
This time at Warner Bros Leavesdon  Film Studios, to see the Harrry Potter studio tour.

It's a wonderful place to go for a Harry Potter fan. All the detail that has gone into everything is a joy to see. A lot of it made, because it was in the books but only glimpsed for seconds on screen in the films.

Below, the Leaky cauldron.

 And the attention to detail that brought it even more to life.

We had a butter beer, brought home a chocolate frog and got a Dumbledore wizard card!

So, back to the here and now and my new creations. Which are all about to be listed in my Etsy shop.

                                                   ~Sleepy Woodland Pendants~

                                                                          ~Hearts ~

                                                                    A few hares...

And there is still lots to do, to get things in the shop in time for Christmas, so I'd best get on then.
Take care. x

Landscapes Of Your Soul Blog Tour

Today I have the great pleasure of being host for day 7 of the Virtual Blog Tour, for Landscapes of Your Soul, a beautiful and inspirational e book created by Essence of Wild.
Blog tours are not really a thing that I've participated in much, (only two previous) but I felt I wanted to be part of this one, as 'our connection' to the earth which Jackie Stewart and Jason Smalley are encouraging, is something I would like all people to feel.
Yesterday the blog tour visited Karina's Inner Space  Please go and visit if you have the time.

Do you know the landscape of your soul?

I've always loved the outdoors. I grew up playing in fields that sloped down to a winding stream. A fallen willow was our bridge to the other side. We built cabins (dens) and swung on homemade swings attached to huge dying elms. Our meeting place was the lightening tree. We wandered in woods, peeped into birds nests, jumped across the old weir, filled carrier bags to the brim with hazelnuts and strung bunches of primroses and violets with wool on a stick to carry home. We cooked outside on fires that we made ourselves and came in at dark with charred remains of jacket potato in our teeth. We were chased by the farmer for climbing on haystacks and building palaces with the bales. We grew up with the seasons, collected conkers, picked blackberries, mushrooms, and gooseberries that grew wild in the hedge. We walked with cats, dog and a goat. We climbed trees and came in late our clothes mud stained and grass stained. We rolled down hills, sledged down slopes, fell in stinging nettles, rubbed the stings with dock leaves and played on. This was the landscape of my childhood and it's woven into my soul. A landscape that has helped mold me into who I am today.
                                                                      ~*~
  'To touch the earth is to have harmony with nature'~ Sioux
                                                       
I believe our soul landscape goes deeper than childhood. It is our very connection to the Earth. Sometimes when we walk in ancient, and wild places we experience a strange feeling, a pull to something that we can't quite explain. Sometimes on nights when the wind howls and the rain lashes down, there is a stirring of feeling of something that has been lost. Something forgotten. Have you ever felt it? When you are still and quiet in nature, listen, it is there..... it is ancient. A golden thread entwined with our heart strings. An energy, an earth magic that resides in all of us. You know this, because you have felt it pull. You and it are stitched together. It surrounds your soul with a wise embrace that feels like home.
 At this time on Earth, when often things look dark and bleak, it's more important than ever to have this connection. It encourages wonder, appreciation, love, respect, and compassion of everything that we share this planet with.
                                                                    ***
If you would like to deepen your connection with the landscapes of YOUR soul. Landscapes of your Soul is available to buy as an instant download here.  It includes the most gorgeous guided meditation  journey that I'm sure you will enjoy as much as I did.

                                                      And while I stood there
                                                     I saw more than I can tell,
                                            And I understood more than I saw;
                                              For I was seeing in a sacred manner
                                                the shapes of things in the spirit,
                                         and the shapes of all shapes as they must
                                                       live together as one being.
                                                                      ~
                                                   Black Elk, Black Elk Speaks

Butterflies And Enchanted Forests

I always knew there was an advantage to not cleaning your windows very often. Look what has decided to attach itself to the frame.

There are 3 of them, and I think they will probably emerge as cabbage white butterflies? I love cabbage whites. How wonderful!
But, there was a problem.... Painters are due to arrive any day to scrape woodwork down and give everything a lick of paint before winter. Our landlord has a rota and it gets done every three years.  So, emergency 'rescue cabbage white pods' was launched. Very delicately with a small paintbrush, I removed them from the window frame. It was quite difficult as the sticky stuff that they attach themselves with is surprisingly strong. It seemed quite similar to spiders thread.  Anyway I successfully removed all three and have them here now.

 I'm keeping them on a cool windowsill and hopefully they will be ok and hatch in the spring?
                                                                       ~*~
The weather has turned and Autumn is making her presence known. The mornings have been misty and the days drizzly. Last week though I captured this beauty showing off for me on the ivy.

What a gorgeous creature the red admiral.

They absolutely love ivy. I also spotted a comma and masses of other insects. Please remember to leave some in your garden, it's brilliant for wildlife.
                                                                      ***
The sketches that I shared with you have been turned into paintings now. Here they are....
'The Light Between' and 'The Path'

  And 'Theatre In the Woods'               

I painted these for the  'Enchanted Forests Exhibition' at The Green Tree Gallery in West Sussex.
If you live nearby do go a long and see. It runs from the 13th October until the 4th November.

 Here they are, framed and all ready to go.

                                                       Have a good week! x