This week the sun and rain seem to be playing games with each other. Neither one can make their mind up to stay. The Sun has been fickle with her golden rays, likewise has the rain, showering short bursts here and there with her diamond droplets of precious water.I suppose the rhyme does say...
"Hot July brings cooling showers, apricots and gilly flowers"
Well I don't have apricots growing here, but I do have flowers.
Talking of flowers I want to share with you this pretty one that has popped up in the garden and down near our vegetable patch. Most people would consider it a weed but seeing as there is no such thing as a weed really, it's all personal choice, we decided to let it thrive. After all who are we to judge that this plant with it's delicate sweet scent has no place in a garden? It's called Hawkweed, but is also known as other names my favourite being 'Fox And Cubs'. :-)
In between watching the showers and looking for rainbows I've been gradually making way through my pile of work.
Various birds, hares and pendants. There is also another whale, a couple more toadstools and another Narwhal that are still on the desk not quite ready yet.
These will all be listed over the course of today in my Etsy shop if you are interested in any of them.
I also just had to create this snowy owl. What with the last film being released, Harry Potter magic is in the air again!
(He'll also be listed in the shop)
I haven't seen the film yet, but will be this weekend. I must remember to take plenty of tissues as I know there will be tears. It's an end of an era and I'd like to thank JK Rowling for the Magic and all those clever film people for bringing it to life on screen. I loved each and every book and every film too. If like me you are yet to see it here's a taster. ;-)
Giveaway Time!
Last time I was here I said I'd be be back with a summer giveaway. A little celebration as this is my 200th post! When I began this blog I'm not sure I thought I'd get to 100 posts let alone 200! So, because I have Harry Potter on the brain at the moment, I thought it would be fun to include a little HP in the giveaway.
Below I've collected together a few items that have a 'magical' feel to them. There are some HP postcards, a candle, a couple of moon scented incense sticks, some sparkly stones that you could use for craft or jewellery making and a couple of other stones, one which looks a little like the philosophers stone I thought? I will also throw in a couple of my postcards too! ;-)
Just leave me a comment if you'd like to be included. If you can't comment due to blogger access etc, as I know it plays up sometimes. You can also comment on my facebook page or if you are on Twitter, Tweet this post on and then let me know and I'll enter you in the draw too. I will choose a winner in a couple of weeks time.
Happy Harry Potter watching! x
July has arrived and I haven't blogged. So here I am with a new painting.
Waking The Ghosts
It seems words have ran away again. They have hidden underneath moth wing and clover leaves. This time last year they did the same thing... I've been a hermit shut away in my workspace. Four paintings on the go and a stack of wooden things to paint. Until they are ready here are some things I've been dreaming and humming to.
Jackie Morris lead me to the bewitching voice of Emily Portman and I was lucky a couple of weeks ago to hear her sing locally on a wonderful apple journey. A magical hour and a bit, well spent indeed.
Another lovely song below is beckoning me to the sea again. And I will be journeying twice next month. One of which will be to my sister's wedding.
This last week the days have been a little rain washed. By the evening though the sun comes out and we've followed the itch in our feet to walk by the river. I captured some magic along the way.
On our way home we glimpsed fox, heron, swan, duck, rabbit, wood pigeon and a white horse that secretly I think was a unicorn in hiding.
The new painting can be found as a print in my Etsy shop.
Have a great weekend everyone. I shall be back soon with a summer giveaway! x
“Through the dancing poppies stole, a breeze most softly lulling to my soul.”
John Keats
I could quite easily have laid down in these poppies and fallen asleep as Dorothy did in the Wizard Of Oz. I didn't though. Luckily these poppies didn't have a magic spell put on them. Well not a sleepy one anyway. I think the spell Mother nature put on these is more a hypnotising enchantment because I just couldn't take my eyes off them! The bees and butterflies coudn't either although you can't really see in the pictures.
Everywhere I look at the moment there are flowers, so it's not surprising I felt the urge to paint some.
Latest scraps of wood turned into flowery pendants.
No poppies here, but I'm sure they will find a way to sneak into my work somewhere, on something at sometime?
Hopefully next year there will be some in our little meadow area, that has come on well this year.
If you are interested in the pendants they will be heading over to here very shortly. Enjoy the sunshine and flowers. x
Look what I found... A toad with golden eyes stepped straight out of a fairytale into my garden. Isn't she gorgeous!...
I'm here to show you the painting finished.
( Been umming and ahhing over the name of this piece, so for now it is unnamed.)
And more magpies, this time in a small 5x5 canvas which I've named.... 'Indigo Wood'
Both paintings will be scanned shortly and made available as prints.
I've been watching magpies out of the window this week. They've been hopping about in the garden. I think they have a nest nearby as I saw them chase a blackbird off and a grey squirrel. What characters they are! Did anyone see the beautiful raven on BBC Springwatch? Chester was his name and wasn't he handsome and so clever.
Hmmm... someone else has had their eye on birds too. Luckily without any success.
Other news... I've listed some more cards in the Etsy shop.
Pendants and postcards and more designs coming soon, as I still have plenty of scraps of wood!
And what a treat arrived in the post the other day.
My complimentary copy of next years 2012 ' Earth Pathways Diary' I was so pleased to hear that my painting 'Wearing A Robe Of Gold' had been included. :-)
It really is a beautiful diary, filled with wise words and stunning pictures. Pop across to here and snap one up, as I believe they disappear quicker than the queen of hearts jam tarts!
Saved and freed one tiny mouse hiding underneath a shoe in the kitchen, from the clutches of one tabby cat.
Picked armfuls of the sweetest sweet williams.
Ate fairy sized strawberries and gathered rose petals.
Spied a grass snake.
Help rescue the dearest little lamb from the river and dried it with a towel. :-)
Bought the 'one ring' at the local carboot sale. ;-)
Watched the sun set lilac, purple, and pink.
A perfect end to the first day of June.
It's been peaceful at my desk surrounded by the sounds and scents of the garden.
The baby birds have flown and now I can hear them cheeping in the apple tree, whilst Mummy bird carries on helping them to feed. Today summer truly arrived. The sun was hot, the sky blue and the orange blossom perfume, the smell of bliss.
As you can see on my desk in the photo above, I've been busy with some more wooden birds. Here they are finished...
I also thought I'd share with you a WIP ( work in progress) that I've been working on. A painting that's been on the easel for a few weeks now. It's been left and put aside for various other things that had to be completed first, but today I did a bit more.
Hopefully this will be finished soon?
Have a magical weekend everyone.
x
A few days ago I had a day off from doing creative things.We didn't go far, just a few miles away from home.
View of Silbury hill
Moon daisies ( Ox eye) danced to the gentle scented breeze and skylark song surrounded the ancient West Kennet Long Barrow. A burial mound 5,000 years old.
As I leaned against the stone it felt warm, no hint of the usual coldness of stone.
Roundway hill was quiet. The blue butteflies fluttered upon tiny yellow flowers of Tom thumb undisturbed, happy to have reclaimed the land.
On July 13th 1643 it would have looked a rather different scene here. A site of a battle
Looking down this hill above I caught a fleeting glimpse of a hare before it disappeared beneath the bush.
I have been visiting this hill for many years and whenever I do I always remember our school day out years back when we spent the day on the hill with other Wiltshire schools reinacting the battle. We made our costumes and were only allowed to bring food that would have been available in 1643. I remember having a small bag made out of sack to carry my lunch in and to conceal my waterbottle which held blackcurrant juice. ( pretend wine!) Our class were Roundheads, on Oliver Cromwells side. I dug up an old photo of us, ready for our journey up the hill before battle commenced. :-)
Sitting on the hill and near the barrow I felt content and at home. It made me think about a recent and interesting post by Christina on her blog 'A mermaid in the Attic'. She recently did a post called 'Meditations on home' How sometimes we can feel disconnected and feel as though we don't truly belong if our ancestors have come from another place/country. I feel very lucky to feel connected with this land and feel that I am in the right place. My husband on the other hand feels the same as Christina. Being born and raised in Zimbabwe but having ancestors from Ireland, Scotland, Italy and maybe even a pirate from Portugal! He doesn't know where his roots really are? Maybe he never will?
The feeling I have is hard to put into words. It's a deep connection, a sharing? It's not always felt, sometimes it only shows itself when you return from a far away place and step foot on home ground. .... Of course I could be competely wrong and I may well originate from Vikings? Just 3 miles away from my home they did DNA testing and found a group of Viking descendants! However I'm not that tall ( 5ft 6) and I was born with very dark brown hair and blue eyes, so perhaps not. ...Although I do have a strong pull /urge drawing me to Scandanavia?....... ;)
Please do go and read Christina's post on the link above, as it's a wonderful piece of writing.
After our day out, the rest of the week was busy, not as busy as this Mother or Father, who I've been watching put so much hard work into feeding chicks. We have a nest in a crack in the wall above the dining room. Photo's courtesy of my Dad who had his 'good' camera with him the other day. x
I'm sure what I've been busy with is not as important as raising beautiful chicks, but I'll show you anyway.....
Forgetmenot Hare
Star Hare
Harebell hare
And two more Oaky hares ....
Pop across to my Etsy shop and take a look .
And enjoy the May bank holiday whatever you are up to?
x
From January 2021 I decided to give blogging a break. and since then have only been posting videos. I may come back to it at some point, (a new one though, as this site has too many glitches) but in the meantime do come and follow me on Youtube. x
I paint pictures and make creatures with wood.
Earth and animal lover, magic seeker.
Welcome to my place where I share things I am working on, things that inspire and other odds and ends.
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