The Copper Topped Lavender Mob

I promised, last week, to share with you some Textile Art, made by yours truly. [grins]  – So,  Ladles and Jellyspoons,  may I introduce  …  The Copper Topped Lavender Mob.

Three enchanted mushrooms mounted on a piece of aged, half round, wood which was cut and sanded smooth for me by Mr.Cobs.

The wood was treated and sealed, and then finished in a way that I love – it has a soft sheen to it and it’s as smooth as a baby’s you know what!    It has a beautiful softness and warmth about it, and picks out the various shades of natures gift.

The mushrooms began life as part wire armature, with a selection of fabrics which go through a process of:  washing,  – dying,  – staining,  –  then a lot of sewing,  followed by colouring with a type of fabric paint,  and finally, finished with whatever I felt the mushrooms needed in order to bring them to life.  Everything is sewn by hand – even the gills (on the underside) are all hand pleated and stitched into place.   Likewise the frills on the mushroom stalks are sewn and stitched in place by hand.

It’s not a quick craft, but it’s certainly one I’ve fallen deeply in love with.

The end result from all the work and an abundance of patience,  is something magical, normally seen only in The Land of the Fae.

Although they look quite solid – they actually aren’t.  They do have a gentle stiffness to them – after all, I needed them to hold their shape and be the piece of artwork I wanted them to be.  But when you touch them, they have a ‘give’ or a slight ‘bounce’ – just like the regular mushrooms you buy from the supermarket or greengrocer have.

The green stuff clambering over the wooden base …  isn’t moss…  well no actually, it is, but it’s not real moss.  But the stones and stone chippings …. well they are real.  As are the trail of teeny tiny oak tree leaves.  Yes, they really are real.  How did you harvest oak leaves so small? [I hear you ask] ….  Well, what else would you expect from the Land of Fae?   Tiny fairies,   tiny trees,  teeny tiny oak leaves.  Naturally!

The ‘Copper Tops’ aren’t real copper (of course), the fabulous colour comes from them being blessed by the Sun.  These mushrooms grow in the woodland areas of The Land of Fae, and like nothing more than stretching their necks right up, in order to catch some of the sun rays, ~  from which they get their coppery sun tan! 

Oh, and of course … as artists of the world do …  the Copper Topped Lavender Mob are signed on the underside of the base ….

…. and the Union Jack nestled in the base is there to show they are UK mushrooms, produced in the United Kingdom by a UK artist!

These photographs don’t truly show the incredibleness of this little gang of three,  the pictures don’t share their magic;  nor their extraordinary twinkles which happen when the light catches various parts of them;  neither do the photos share the unbelievable glow they have!  I roped Mr.Cobs in to see if he could capture their amazing magical glow which my camera couldn’t….

photograph by Mr. Cobs

Mr.C took the Lavender Mob outside and perched them on the bird bath, hoping that the natural light would enable photos to show exactly how lovely they are.  Sadly it didn’t work.  It would seem that only the naked eye can see these majestic little creatures in all their glory.

I had the most amazing, enjoyable pleasure making these wondersome creations and they encouraged and motivated me to continue my journey with Textile Art.

But … the next magical makes are to be shared another time, for I’ve kept you here more than long enough.

The Copper Topped Lavender Mob have already gone to their forever home.  Daughter No.2 saw them and fell in love with them, so they now live with her, and her husband, and my magical grandson, Little Cobs.  And it’s the strangest thing.  but I feel bereft.  It’s kind of like having a child leave home.  I miss their presence. 

But … now it’s time to go.  

Hmmm ,,,  – hang on –  …  there’s something I’m forgetting  … [thinks] … oh crumbs!  It’s the JOKES….

These are the Jokes Folks!

What do you call a parade of rabbits hopping backwards?

A receding hare-line!

~~~ ❤ ~~~

What rhymes with Orange?

No it doesn’t.

~~~ ❤ ~~~

Why can’t you hear a pterodactyl dinosaur go to the toilet?

Because the ‘p’ is silent.

~~~ ❤ ~~~

I’ll be back with some more Textile Art in the next blog post – only next time it will be something a little different.  Thank you so much for coming and sharing a coffee moment with me.  Have a beautiful Monday, and a truly blessed week.  

Much love and and a bunch of squidges ~ 

 

 

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Broom Pole Bird Houses.

Stood in the kitchen, a few weeks ago, I saw a movement outside the kitchen window.  Mr.Cobs was out there and up to something.  Hmmm.  [thinks to self:]  I thought I just saw him . . .   or did I?  Was that a . . . ?  Did I see him just . . .?

When he came into the house I asked him:

“Did you, by any chance, just throw a long bit of wood into the bin?” 

“Yes” came the reply, “the broom pole (handle) has broken, so I was throwing it away.  Why?”  “

“Nooooooo!” I said (wide-eyed).  “Oh, please don’t throw it away.  Can you get it back out again?”. 

“Well yes, course I can,  but why?  What the heck do you want it for?”. 

“Well, …  I don’t actually know right at this moment ….  but I will know.  At some point.  There’s something inside my brain cell which is trying to send me a message.  I know I can use that broken broom pole.  Please save it for me?  In the shed perhaps?  Can you?  Pleeeease??“  (I said in my sweetest voice).

So, bless his beautiful heart, he went and rescued the broken broom pole (for folks outside the UK – we here in the United Kingdom tend to refer to the handle of a broom as a broom pole), and put it in his shed.  Last week I finally received the message from HQ (aka: my one remaining brain cell), and the message was ….  Make Bird Houses!

I showed Mr.C a drawing and gave him a rough measurement, with the instructions:  “They don’t have to be perfect, in fact not perfect would be perfect  – but can you just cut 3 bits off the broom pole to *this* size, and once they’re cut, if you can give them to me I’ll draw where I want them cut again so that it will make the slope for the roof. Thank Yooooou!”  [said in a singy songy way with a sweet, smiling face].  And, God bless his wonderful heart, he cut the wood bits for me, gave them to me and . . .  I could tell by the look on his face that he thought (not for the first time) that I was bonkers.

However …  he now loves what I did with those three bits of chopped up broom pole.

Let me share them with you, one by one…

Broom Pole Bird Houses.  Showing you the wood stained miniature bird house, with the Red Hot Pokers growing at the base.  This bird house measures just 8.8cm – or 3.5inches.  It’s just stopped raining – and you can see the puddles of rain on the stepping-stones at the base, and rain drops on the roof of the bird house.

Each bird house stands on a ‘slice’ of dried wood, which I then decorated to give it that ‘garden’ feel.

Broom Pole Bird Houses.  A side view of the little Blue stained Bird House.  This Bird House stands 9.8cm tall (or 3.85″ inches).  It has Ivy growing up around the pole which the Bird House stands on, and the Ivy then winds its way around the black tiled roof.

Each slice of wood, which the bird houses stand on, is of a slightly different size, so that there was nothing matching about any of them, other than they were tiny bird houses, a little wonky perhaps,  but all of them were stood in a charmed, magical garden,  … somewhere.

Broom Pole Bird Houses.  A slightly angled view of all three bird houses so that you can see some of the details of the ‘ground’ on which they stand.

As I look at each of the bird houses I try to decide which one is my favourite, and I’m finding it quite difficult.  Mr.Cobs, however, says his favourite is the wood stained one, with the Red Hot Pokers growing around the base.  Right at this moment, I think my favourite is the Copper Roofed bird house – simply because I love that copper roof.

Broom Pole Bird Houses.  The Copper Roof Bird House – stands 12.2cm tall.  (which is just  4.80″inches).   This bird house stands right at the edge of a small pond in which three golden coloured fish swim happily.

The Copper Roof Bird House has its own Box Tree in the shape of a ball, stood in a teeny tiny (but real) terracotta pot.  There’s a waterfall – which aerates the water for the fish, and a rock sited within the pond which is for any passing frog to sit on and spend a little time there.  The pond is surrounded by slate stones.

I REALLY enjoyed making these delight filled little Bird Houses.  They were so much fun and yet again …. they’re in my favourite size to work with …  LITTLE!  Hope you like them too!

So … that’s the crafty bit over and done with so now it’s time for coffee . . . 

…  and  …  time for me to make you smile:

These are the jokes folks:

❤

Surely every car is a people carrier?

❤

What’s the difference between a hippo and a Zippo?   One is really heavy, the other is a little lighter.

❤

When Clowns divorce – is there a custardy battle?

❤

I usually meet my daughter at 12:59,  because I like that one-to-one time.

❤

My cat is recovering from a massive stroke. (think about it for a moment …. the penny will drop!)

❤

I have a friend whose name is Fin.  Which means it’s very hard for her to end emails without sounding pretentious. 

❤

Smilin’  now?   😀

Well that’s me done and dusted.  But what about you?  What have you been getting up to this week?  Had a birthday?  Planning a trip?  Started Christmas shopping?  Crafted something?  Feeling poorly?  Cooked something new and exciting?  Or … has someone been really lovely and/or displayed some kind of kindness towards you?

Do share with me,  and tell me what’s going on in your corner of the world.

In the meantime …  I send you my love and very best wishes.  I hope that life is treating you kindly, and that you know that everyone here cares about you very much.  

Have a truly blessed rest of your day.  Much love from me  ~

 

Little Fairy Shoes ~ once owned by Lady Lillie Fairy!

Looking through my photos on my camera I found these photos which I took ages ago and totally forgot to share them. What a dope!

These fairy shoes belonged to Lady Lillie Fairy.  She’s rather a big deal in The Land of the Fae.  She’s the Fairy equivalent of our Dame (a title bestowed only by the Queen (or who ever is the Monarch at the time) in the UK).  She’s well-respected and treated as a high-ranking Fairy among those who reside in the Land of the Fae.

She has her clothes made by Fairyland Designers, and shoes made by a Cobbler called Cobwebs.  (Yes, I know, how incredible is that?  Me=Cobwebs;  Cobwebs=Cobbler! Who woulda thunk?!).

Possibly made from the petals of a Lily which one can find only in Fairy Land.  (or they might have been made from Polymer. [cough])  Can you see the teeny tiny stamens – which don’t leave any stains on your clothes – peeping out from the insides of the inner petals of the Lily?  They’re made from the same stuff.

The decoration which you see to the front of the shoes are teeny tiny green glass beads, which are hung on copper wire.  These beads give the most delightful tinkling noise as the shoes are moved, which makes every step taken ring out in an ethereal, magical, almost imagined sound,  – but it’s not imagined, for you really can hear it  – as you would expect from a Fairy!

The copper Penny sat next to the shoes in the photographs is there for reference, so that you can get an idea of the size of the shoes.

Of course, no shoes were stolen in order to share these shoes with you.  These shoes were left under a Fairy toadstool, in a place which is clearly labelled  “Sharing the Shoes” – so that a passing Fairy might stumble upon them and try them for size, or a human, with an eye for Fairies, might find them and either add them to a collection (as I do) or might begin a collection.

 

These Fairy Lillie Shoes were brought to you by Cobwebs. 

Have a spiffing Saturday!  Be good to yourself, and be lovely to anyone you come into contact with.  The Fairies would approve.  😉

Squidges ~

 

 

Copper? Show Stopper!

One of my family members was to celebrate their 7th Wedding Anniversary and I wanted to make them an appropriate card.  I found out that the 7th Anniversary can be one of two things: The Copper Anniversary or Wool Anniversary.

For a moment it did cross and entertain my childish brain that I should do a little felting project with some wool tops, and make a couple of sheep and fix them to the front of a card,  ….  of course that would be ….  after I’d done a watercolour bit of painting to the card and done the grass;  perhaps with a stream running through the field;  some hedging;  oh and a TREE!  Obviously it would have to have a tree! …  and some birds standing in the tree;  Maybe Blue Birds of Happiness!!  And maybe I should add birds in the sky too,  and how about a farmer coming through the gate?!!

But perhaps not.  I would probably have gone over the top, [snigger]  so I decided upon Copper.  But a Copper what?  Pot?  Saucepan?  Wire?  Copper what?   I Googled and up popped copper wire, coil, strands, mines, even copper piping for plumbers,  …. and a Copper Kettle card which I loved, but felt it needed a bit of  ‘cobwebbing‘ …. so I designed a card kind of like it, but a leeetle beet different. (say that in a French accent, it sounds so perfect. lol)

tsk tsk … back to the topic Cobs! 

Copper, Improving society since the dawn of civilization!

 

I made the kettle from Copper Mirri Card and ’rounded’ it,  firstly by gently manipulating it with a bone folder, and then putting different thickness’ of foam pads so that it held the curve.

Taken from the side and slightly above, to try and show the dimension which the copper kettle has.

Although I’d printed the ‘Seven Years’ in a coppery colour underneath the Copper Kettle, I wanted it to be almost like hot coals, so with the help of an embossing pen I added some warm coppery Cosmic Shimmer Embossing Powder, embossed it,  and LOVED the way it turned out.   I embossed the handle of the kettle with another embossing powder (which I’ve had for donkeys years, and never seems to run out) in a darker shade.  Finally … I drew dots and flicks with the embossing pen, so that the ‘fire’ under the kettle threw out ‘sparks’ as it crackled with the heat.

I’d printed some ‘steam’ coming out of the spout which, if you look closely, it says  Copper…  7 years… and it’s bendy and steam like.

Copper – It’s Elemental!

 

The card looks way nicer in real life than it does in these photos.  I tried my best to get good photo’s but I failed miserably.  These are the best of about 25 photo’s.

I will never get an award for photography. 

Copper: The best jewellery to turn your skin GREEN!

But anyhoo …. that’s all there was to it!   😀

Copper: still essential

Happy Sunday!  I trust that your weekend has been throughly lovely and that you are getting as much joy out of it as you can.  I think we should all treat weekend like dirty laundry.  Our aim should be to get that laundry spotless and get every last bit of dirt out.  Likewise weekends.  Get every last bit of joy out of it.  Squeeeze  it until it’s exhausted and you’re happily tired.

Have a truly blessed rest of your day.  ~