A Rather Strange Gathering.....

Let me take you with me,
On a little journey,
Forward in time,
To the very last day of October,

Several spins of little Hobbits Time Turner should do the trick.... *
* * *

October 31st, Samhain, All Hallows Eve otherwise known as Halloween, when strange happenings can take place.
Sometimes right under your own nose.

In the half light, a buttery milk moon glowed above the trees.

Moon shadows and the gentle rustlings of leaves on the path hid whisperings in the stillness.
Was that hushed talk near by.

I Peeped through the shed keyhole, but saw nothing.

Did the key hole remarkably resemble an owls eye? Or was this strange night playing tricks?
I walked around the back of the shed and look what I saw!....

I crept closer keeping in the shadows, so as not to be seen.

There were creatures, a meeting, a party? Some kind of gathering.

An owl...

Fairy folk of of old...

Tree spirits...
And a hare that was reading a book....

On the table there were bottles with what looked like potions or lotions.
Leaves and seeds and berries that were as red as cherries.


As I watched the hare began to read from the book....
A charm, an incantation, enchantment or spell....

It seemed to be directed at the horse chestnut!?

Just at the moment when things began to take on a strange illuminating glow...


I stepped back onto a twig that snapped!
I was heard and the spell was broken.
I'm sure they didn't see me as I ran away quickly, but they looked.

I know they did, as I felt them watching.
Alchemists?... but what were they up to?

As I walked back up the garden path in the moonlight. I spun the time turner once more, forward one hour.

And look what was waiting on my doorstep when I got there...


Hmmm... Could this have once been a horse chestnut do you suppose? ;)


(Why not go and have some fun reading more Halloween posts. A full list of everyone taking part in this event is.......... here)

Illustration Friday Flying

Today I had another go at some tiny work.
Here is another ACEO this time painted on watercolour paper, for Illustration Friday's theme Flying.

Magic And A Strange Spider

At twilight now, I can smell the scent of woodsmoke in the air and when darkness falls, the sky is indigo and the moon so bright I have felt that I wanted to go outside and capture extra hours in the day.Everywhere you look there seems to be hints of magic....

Mother nature weaves her spells with a wave of her wand.

I stole some of this magic, and brewed it....

into a little book that I decorated and will now fill with all things that are magic to me...

There has been more wood cutting and having a go at some very small aceo sized October'y' pictures.....

Conkers.....

And the strangest of spiders discovered......

Misty Mornings And Mr and Mrs

Mornings have been misty, days quiet.
Things are winding down in preparation for colder days.


There has been fruit collecting and conker stringing. The cupboard is now home to sloe gin. There are blackberries in the freezer, plum wine fermenting in the kitchen, apples, still to be dealt with. :)

The ladybirds are back again. Even if we don't think its cold yet. Nature knows when its time to come in and hibernate.

Hmmmm....I'm sure others would hibernate if they could!....


I've been busy cutting wood and creating creatures. More bears, toadstools,magpie,whale and hearts you might have seen, have all been recently added to my Etsy shop. And there are more to come!

But for now... I would like to introduce you to Mr and Mrs.....

I don't know what there surname is, so I just thought I'd stick with Mr & Mrs?


They will be sold together. I mean, how could I tear them apart!? She is offering her heart....
Or has she stolen his?....

See you soon! x

The Secret -- Planet Earth

Three minutes of something beautiful and uplifting, just the thing for a Monday.

Old And New Brown

I love the colour brown.
Brown polished leather shoes, horses saddles, beeswaxed wood, tree bark, chestnuts, speckled bird feathers, seed pods and of course Autumns leaves as they age on the earths carpet.


Times past, I used to paint much darker. I used a lot of brown in my paintings and the paintings themselves had a much darker feel to them.
This picture below was painted by me many many moons ago. I have a soft spot for it as it gained me an award of 'Best Student Illustrator' at the Benson and Hedges Gold Awards. It also won me £1000 for myself and £1000 for my college at the time.

It was based on the theme of 'Magic' for Angela Carters book The Magic Toyshop.
I have decided to make this available as a print in my Etsy shop for anyone that likes slightly darker things.

So, was it because I'd been looking at this old painting or that Autumn has arrived here, that my palette took a turn to brown once again this week?.....

Autumn inspired scene painted on a wooden heart...

Soon to be for sale in my Etsy shop!

Sorry I'm a little late this week posting this.
I blame it on blackberrying!

Let There Be Light

As the sun begins to sit lower in the sky with the ageing year. Its been a most welcome guest this week peeping into our dim rooms. Things had grown wild and overgrown outside the kitchen window, so the hedge was treated to a long overdue haircut. Now the morning sun can wake us up while we make our tea and toast.

Indeed, there is alot more trimming back to do....

Little hobbit can only open one window at the moment due to the ramblings of a very pretty pink clematis and honeysuckle. This will be a ladder job sometime soon. By next year her room will be covered like sleeping beauty's room if we leave it! ( Which yes would be lovely, but somewhat dark!)
I've made a start at Autumn tidying. This is the view from the living room. There is a big window seat and I like to sit with a coffee here....

I love these old leaded fairytale windows. We only have three like this. This house is a bit of a hotch potch, split into Three eras. 17th century,1920's and 1970's.

As well as cutting back overgrown things this week, I've also been cutting out and painting more wooden creatures which I will have to show you soon and there will be new items being added to the Etsy shop hopefully on a daily basis.

If you haven't already seen them, I also have postcards listed.....


A set of five blank backed with envelopes.
I hope you didn't mind seeing lots of windows in this post ? :)
I do have abit of a thing for them, and doors too ;) Remember here

With Bells On Her Toes

September today and already an Autumn wind has arrived to begin shaking the yellowing leaves off of the old cherry tree's branches.
I have been lately enjoying the last book in the Inkheart trilogy by Cornelia Funke... 'Inkdeath'

As its pages unfold I've become lost in an Inkworld alongside blue fairies nesting in trees, tiny men made of glass and the adventures of Meggie, Resa, Fenoglio, Farid and Mo, now the Bluejay. In the books, Mo (Silvertongue) has the ability to read characters and creatures out of the pages of books. This week I have felt a little bit like Mo, bringing some of my own characters from paintings to life in wood.....Remember the painting I did a few weeks back......'The Keeper Of Time'


Well these owls have flown out of that painting.....

And the fox....

Her name is Luna and she has music wherever she goes, as she has tiny faerie bells on her toes, or should I say paws!.....

These will be for sale on Etsy very soon.
And so will these..........

Happy September to you all!

Two beautiful things

Sat out on the front doorstep enjoying the late summer sun with a mug of tea I spied this beautiful beetle, busy in a hurry somewhere....

The colour and sheen were amazing. I've no idea what type it is, but had a nosey around and hope it could be a Tansy beetle? According to the article they are only found in Yorkshire though and I'm miles away in Wiltshire??????? If anyone has any idea what it is, please say so????


Isn't it amazing what you see if you just take the time to stop and sit still for a moment.


I let it carry on its journey towards the doormat.

My children know that I'm always looking for 'nature' so yesterday my son presented me with this which he had found dead in the garden....


Dragonflies, such faerie like creatures.... I was sad that it was dead, but it was wonderful to really look at it closely in the flesh, which is not something that comes along often.

The wings remind me of old leaded glass and silver sequinned faded lace.




You hail from Dream-land, Dragon-fly?
A stranger hither? So am I,
And (sooth to say) I wonder why
We either of us came!

Agnes M.F.R. Darmesteter "To a Dragon-fly"