Christmas on the brain

I've been thinking about Christmas for a while now.

I'll be doing a show in the gallery at Impresario Artisan Market for the month of December with sugar plum fairies, twinkly lights and all that good magical stuff. More details to come...

BUT what kicked off the whole 'Yule-brain' this year was my Graphic 45 CHA assignment to create a layout with 12 Days of Christmas.

It should be said here: I am not a scrapbooker. Those of you who are, well, you have my respect because it seems scrapbooking and knitting are my crafting kryptonite. :) Still onward I charged...

The 12 Days of Christmas collection is so lovely. It reminds me of British yuletide celebrations with plum puddings and paper crackers. I hope this layout reflects a quirky English Christmas complete with strange relatives, funny hats and handmade buntings. P.S. I don't think it would be possible for me to love Petaloo flowers any more. They are sooooo beautiful to work with.

 

Hop over to the Graphic 45 blog today to see more layouts by the always amazing Romy Veul and super talented Arlene Cuevas

Materials List:

12 Days of Christmas

Swans a Swimming

My True Love

Christmas Rose

Calling Birds

Holly and Ivy

Joyeux Noel

Graphic 45 Staples

Ornate Metal Label Holder

Ornate Metal Key Holes

Ornate Metal Keys

Petaloo Flowers

May Arts Ribbon

Silver jingle bells

Vintage photos

Wool
Red craft thread

Small metal brads

 

Four Days of Solitude

Today marks the day that I return to making proper messes and escape to the solitude of my studio for hours on end.

Today is the first day of school and the house is MINE! ALL MINE! once more.

Well, it's mine for the next four days because we have a special guest coming for a visit...

My granny! (AKA Nan Whit AKA The Queen) We're all a-twitter with excitement for her royal visit.

Last night I had the urge to create and was feeling sort of stuck so thought I'd get in some layout practice with this photo, which is one of my favourite snaps of her royal highness. Isn't she just the cutest?

To be honest, I've been struggling with 12" layouts but I think I've finally found my groove using 8". Here I've used mostly Graphic 45: A Secret Garden with a dash of other collections and vintage buttons for good measure. There is a complete supply list at the end of this post. 

 

Material List:
Graphic 45 Papers
A Secret Garden > Pretty Primrose
A Secret Garden > Posy Patch
Secret Garden Flowers
Secret Garden Chipboard 1
Secret Garden Chipboard 2
Place in Time 8x8 Paper Pads
Olde Curiosity Shoppe > Butterfly Specifics

Graphic 45 Staples
Stamped Metal Brads
Ornate Metal Keys

Vintage Buttons
Brass Brads
May Arts Ribbon

Late Summer Garden

First, I just wanted to say 'thanks' for all of the lovely and supportive things that people have said over the past few days. Rest assured that I am fine and dandy :) You're all the bees knees and I love and adore each and every one of you. xoxo

NOW... on to the garden.

Today it is quite wet outside. The air is thick with it. The mozzies are having a grand time buzzing about, flying in my face and attempting to nip me before I squash them. I'm not a big fan of mosquitoes but I do like cool, damp, end-of-summer days. They make the world seem clean again.

There are very few flowers out at the moment but our vegetable garden has exploded. I'm not entirely sure how some of the plants are remaining upright there are so many goodies hanging from them. Just look at all of the peppers on this little plant!

Our tomatoes are doing nicely too. We grow several types, some of them heirloom varieties, some of them just because they are fun. Each of them is so delicious that I do wonder if the tomatoes they sell at the grocery store are really tomatoes at all.

 

Besides tomatoes and peppers we also have eggplants, squash, melons, cabbage, carrots, chard, beets, cucumbers, brussel sprouts, beans, onions... LOTS of things! Anything that can be canned, frozen or otherwise kept will see us through the winter.

This year we are seeing fruit on our young fruit trees for the first time!

Our pears and plums are looking mighty fine. I hope the deer and other critters steer clear of them and that there'll be enough for a bit of baking. 

 

And I'll leave with this one last photo from today's walk through the garden...

I said there were few flowers blooming at the mo' but our small patch of lavender is showing off some sweet blossoms. The buzzy things are having a tremendous love affair them ;)

Here's to gardens and bees and sweet scented things.

To Be Perfectly Clear

I often wonder what goes on inside an adult mind for them to spout streams of negativity towards posts that are only meant to make the viewer feel good.

Then one of those comments appeared on my page.

I was showing off a beautiful 'thank you' card with a handwritten note from one of my littlest visitors. Some 'grown-up' decided to over look the sentiment, good will and fine manners with which it was sent, and made an incredibly rude and insensitive remark.

When I suggested that a little bit of etiquette was in order I was told I was over reacting.

No. 

Nope. 

Not even a bit.

Not one little smidge.

Now, I've had a rough week. I'm feeling down and a little grumpy BUT even if my heart was filled with buttercups and candyfloss this would have set me off. This is not over reacting. This is being fed up to >>HERE<< with the complete lack of tact and common kindness some people display.

How on earth does someone find fault with a child being taught grace and manners? In what sort of mind is it okay to belittle a child expressing gratitude in their own words and pictures?

Can you fathom someone coming into your house and insulting the child of one of your guests? In my house that person would be removed immediately. Same goes for my page. 

Please consider the following when posting...

• If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.

• Think before you speak.

• Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?

• What would Jesus (or other divine being of choice) do?

I want you, my 'guest', to feel like you are in a positive environment and this sort of behaviour shouldn't be a concern. I cross my heart that I will do my best to keep the place clear of this sort of beast, and I will always 'over react' when thoughtlessness is directed at little people. 

Just to be perfectly clear... This particular brand of insensitivity and overall rudeness may fly elsewhere but not with me and not on my page. You want to have a laugh at a child's expense or make rude flippant remarks? Go crawl into some dark corner of the web and laugh it up with the other cretins, giggle and rant with your friends, scream it into your pillow... just keep it off of my page. 

Fire and Spoons and Homecomings

Seasoned potters will look at this gathering of bits and bobs and cringe... but I am rather proud of this lot. Unsightly as it may be ;)

I've been playing with clay and trying my hand at pit firing. Pit firing is a primitive method of firing clay/pottery. I've still got a long way to go but it's been fun and I'm really looking forward learning more and creating better pieces. I don't expect to be making any vases, cups or teacups (pottery is incredibly hard and a true skill!) but if I can manage a few rustic bits inspired by faerie folk I'll be pleased as punch.

Pixie Hill has some of the nicest neighbours. A couple of weeks ago one of them dropped off a handful of wooden spoons for me to play with. Here's the results...

Spoon wands of course! For those who are new to my blog... One day, quite a few years ago now, a lady wrote to me asking my witchy opinion of her child using a spoon as a wand. I told her children have the very best ideas and I thought it was brilliant. To stir magic with a lowly spoon, clockwise to bring good tidings, counter-clockwise for removing the unwanted... it makes perfect sense.

So I've been making spoon wands ever since. Wands for making wishes, banishing monsters and bringing lovely dreams. Each one made with a purpose in mind. Here's a better look at one which is  particularly good for gardeners, earth lovers and working magic barefoot in secret gardens.

Lastly... I'm excited to retrieve the Pixie Hill faerie houses from "The Gates" this evening. I've missed them, and the place just doesn't seem right without them here. We'll be celebrating their homecoming by extending the studio hours this weekend.

LABOUR DAY WEEKEND

'Welcome Home' Extended Hours

Friday 1pm - 5pm

Saturday and Sunday 11am to 4 pm

If you'd like faerie mail waiting for you, please email [email protected] by THURSDAY at NOON with details.

Faerie Cubby

I love all of the magnificent cubby boxes I've been seeing lately. When I spied these little boxes on the cheap I picked up a few and set to work. I've filled mine with mosses and shells gathered from the beach, buttons and other nice things.

Here's a list of supplies from Alpha Stamps that are included in this box... just in case you want to create your own :)

Closed Red Tiny Rose Buds
Old Fashioned Roses
White Roses with Heart Shaped Petals
Antique 3D Gold Crowns
Embossed Paper Oak Leaves
Embossed Paper Elm Leaves 
Purple Iris Paper Flowers
Sheet Moss
Just Wings Collage Sheet
Garden Insect Cutouts

AND there's a loverly giveaway on the Alpha Stamps blog where you could win a nice fat prize pack so hop on over!

Spreading the Mess

A few weeks ago I noticed a slew of messages that went something like "I wish I knew how to do x properly." The thing is, generally speaking, the right way is whatever it takes to achieve the results you're looking for.

Toss out those notions of 'proper' and 'right'.

Now, it took me a very long time to embrace this in my own work, but once I learned to 'play' again my work improved by leaps and bounds. Learning to explore and experiment, taking chances and valuing the process of making (without fear of failure) truly frees the creative spirit.

I want to encourage this sense of creative freedom in others so I've cooked up a plan. It's  filled with messy fingers, celebrations of beauty and challenges to help anyone who wants move beyond the notion of 'doing things properly'.

I'm starting off simple with some Mess Making Journals. The first viddy show my process preparing the pages that will be used as the base of the book. Easy, messy, with very pretty results.

Take a gander, join in the fun, and let the mess spread :)