Magical summer days at last!

Finally the summer is here and the garden has suddenly been filled with a rainbow of colours.  All those rain clouds have gone for now and the water butts are full. From the second week of July the much needed sunshine has brought out the flowers and butterflies and the honeybees have been having a party on their much loved Angelica. Their queen waiting for the harvest and the happy workers to come home for the night.

While I'm tip-toeing between the delicate blooms, I catch a glimpse out of the corner of my eye, fluttering wings of the little 'flower angels' floating from lavender to rose and marigold to lily.

Inspired by the patterns, spirals and colours of the garden this year, I have painted a few pieces of art for outside. Not my usual paintings....

...a little more abstract and I'm not used to painting these at all. I loved creating these though.

The unicorn-fish was an idea from a project I was making up one day for my children, called 'The Strange and Wonderful Creatures Hiding in your Garden.  We made stories and details of how these creatures would live and how you would find them.  I hope to share with you one day.

In a few days we will be away at 'The Green Gathering' and I've painted a colourful sign for the Fairy Glade space they are having there.

Nolan and I designed and made some tables for under the huge old oak tree. Some are still in need of log legs but the table tops are painted and varnished.  I think these would look great at home on my veranda or in a conservatory.  When we are back home I will show you photos of the tables at the festival.

So, after this post we will be packing and gathering what we have made for the festival and I'm bringing along my prints and art cards to sell on a blanket pitch.  Reeling in our kiddies from the woods and park and then travelling to the other side of the country to Wales. I'll show you the magic when I get back home.

Spirit Dolls, art and painting and workshops.

As the British summer has failed to show yet and not much is growing  in the garden. I've been creating a few more ideas for textile, hand painted spirit dolls and I have found a way to decorate them as if painting on canvas.
Keeping the shapes of the dolls simple, the patterns and symbols make them into little art sculptures and  then sewing beads, crystal chips and shells onto them for glorious texture.  They are lovely to hold!
I have had commissions to make spirit dolls for people  with their positive intent , or wishes and used many different herbs for filling, such as lavender, dried rose petals, sage, jasmine with trinkets, twigs from trees of the ogham, crystals and messages have also been hidden inside. Natural wool is also used to fill out the body of the dolls.  These spirit dolls are made unique for each person. They represent the healing that the person needs at the time. Whether it is comfort, love, strength, laughter, joy, protection or transformation to be able to move forward in their life.  They make lovely gifts for friends too.  Stars and moons make perfect dolls for children's rooms made in the same way.

Here are just a few types of spirit dolls that can be made.
I will be making more for my etsy shop soon and have finally decided to teach how to make them in a new workshop.  This will be for two days, and people have the choice to come for one day or two.

This is a doll my daughter Megan made with tiny pieces of felt hearts and flowers.

Tiny maiden dolls to carry around with you.

A spirit doll can be an amulet or a talisman. Protection or to attract positive energy. Making your own spirit dolls are so much fun and wildly creative!  Magical, sweet, intuitive and inspiring.
If you would like to come to this spirit doll workshop, I can send you the details by email.

If you already make spirit dolls, I would love to hear about the positive changes and wonderful things that have happened to you.

The winners!!

Thank you everyone for taking part and leaving your favorite quotes.  All are very special to the creative kind such as ourselves.
So, after writing everyones name on pieces of paper, folding up tight and mixing them up in a bowl, I let my daughter Megan take the three that will be winning a print each.
The winners are Hannahbird  , for the print 'Trackways'
                         Donna-Q    , for the print 'Morning Dew'
          and..........Michelle Erica Green   , for The Mystic Knight'.!
Please leave me your email/ and address so I can send them to you.

Much love to you all from here and facebook.  I'm sure I will be giving away something else soon.

3 new prints to give away.

Three new paintings! ( The originals are in 'Picture Parlour' in Boscastle and they are also selling my prints). As from today until this time next week, I will be giving one print of one of these paintings as a gift to 3  followers. All you have to do is post your favourite quote or leave a comment on here or my facebook page.  I will message the 3 people that have a print as a gift on Thursday 31st May.  You can leave me your email if you wish.    Warm wishes to everyone.

Magical Trebarith Strand

Here we are again in Cornwall looking out to the valley and ocean from the beautiful cottage we found to stay in for a while.   Trebarith Strand has a beautiful beach with the best rock pools when the tide goes out.

I have found so much of my inspiration for painting here, whether I am sitting on the blue slate rocks looking out to sea, watching the turquoise waves against the evening sky. Or sitting among the wild flowers on the cliff side or looking deeply into the mysterious rock pools with wavy quarts ribbons making patterns through the granite. To me, this is one of the most perfect places to be.

Fairy Tale for a Garden

Over the Easter weekend, I was in search of climbing plants for the garden and it was so difficult to choose between a rambling rose, dozens of clematis and jasmines for our veranda. The space is really quite small and needed something to grow over the roof but not take over the house. Well I didn't mind if the whole house was covered with these plants but Nolan had other ideas!
I  love the bohemian gardens that are reminiscent of fairy tales and of course very Eco which included tiny, sparkling fairy lights, solar panelled. We brought a thousand litre water tank to collect rain from the roof. Luckily that can be hidden from view. We try to plant flowers with vegetables and have flowering herbs and wild flowers for the honey bees.  But this year I wish for loads of colour!  So I may be painting decorative  panels for the fences and walls.  ( I could always paint the house.......shhhhh!! Is Nolan in the room?). Watch this space, there may be a few photos to show later for the summer!

Here are just a few gardens I adore.

Creative Art Journals

I love creating art journals!
 After a very creative winter the first signs of spring are here!  The days are a little warmer as I gather my ideas for workshops later this year.
The very first of 2012 is an art journal workshop. I'm taking bookings for the 24th and/or 25th March, so I thought I had to show my own art journals and pages, or some of them anyway, here on my blog page.

The first to show you is a painted fabric journal with just black and white sketches inside. These pages tell of a few myths and snippets of folklore. I love the contrast between texture and colour on the cover with smooth paper, drawings and words on the inside. This journal has only eight pages but I'm hoping to add more signatures as I go along.

Here are a few more fabric journals I have made in the past.  One of these is a painted canvas journal and others are a mix of textures with fabric, mica and colourful buttons.

This is a recycled, hard backed book that I've altered for another art journal.  This has loads of pages, so many that I can't close the journal. It stands as a piece of art on a shelf with other colourful books. Here are a few of the pages inside.

The next journal to show you I finished a few weeks ago.  This has just the images inside that I plan to make into greeting cards.

I'm looking forward to teaching others how they can create their own art journals. I have been thinking of teaching for so long now, so start, I must!