Airy Spirits ~ Textile Art

Continuing with my new hobby love ~ a little more Textile Art, only this time, something with wings.

During the lock-down, due to Covid 19/Coronavirus, my brain got busy and spoke to my fingers, which began conjuring up butterflies. Although textile butterflies aren’t the easiest thing I’ve ever made, they’re mighty enjoyable, and all so precious when I’ve finished them. They all seem to have their own personalities, and they make me smile for one reason or another.

The Nectar Collector

Each one I’ve made is in a different fabric, and this particular one, called: The Nectar Collector; was made from Vintage Embroidered Fabric, which I tea stained then added a little ink to give it a warm peachy effect to the fabric itself

Why is this butterfly called: The Nectar Collector? Ah, well that’s an easy one to answer….

Butterflies ‘eat’ nectar and do so by the use of their ‘tongue’ – they have a long, curled proboscis, which is like a soft drinking straw, which uncoils to sip liquid food, and then coils up again into a spiral when the butterfly isn’t feeding.

But … what happens to all the nectar which the butterflies can’t reach, or miss because they don’t notice it?

Well, *I’m reliably informed by the Fairies which live in Cobweb Wood*, that there are special butterflies whose job it is to go around foraging for all the left over nectar which can be found on flowers, and collect it in special bottles. They then take it back to ‘Nectar Central’, where each of the bottles of nectar are dated, stored on shelves and saved for use on days when it’s too cold to go out or too windy, too blustery or those rainy days when the weather isn’t suitable for delicate Butterfly wings.

*Once all this was explained to me* it totally made sense, as I’m sure it does to you too, now that I’ve explained it to you!

The underside of a Butterflys wings are just as important as the tops, but for a totally different reason. The underside of a butterfly wing is actually called ‘The Ventral Side’. This ventral (under) side is more often than not, used for camouflage so that it can avoid being dinner for some passing bird or frog.

And the importance of the Ventral Side of the wings was important to me too. After all … I don’t want some passing frog to eat the Nectar Collector! So it clearly states on the underside of it’s wings that this butterfly isn’t for chomping on – for this is a Cobwebs Butterfly!

The tops of butterfly wings are used for signalling to another butterfly that the butterfly rather likes them and would like to marry them. (*That’s how it was explained to me, anyhow*).

Before this particular butterfly takes flight and leaves me, when it’s found it’s forever home, there will be a very tiny button sewn to the underside – of a particular colour and shape, which will have a special meaning. An explanation of the meaning of that button, will be sent along with him, so that he can be treasured for the treasure he actually is.

Now before I sign off …

I want to say a HUGE THANK YOU – to all who replied and commented on my last post [<— clickable link] and who helped me – because I was near to being a big melted down mess on the floor, and BIG THANKS to those who gave me hints, tips and guidance on how to use the new block editor that WordPress have forced upon us.

As you can see, with your help, I have made a post! [a roar of cheers can be heard from all over the land].

I can’t say that I like the new editor, because I don’t. I REALLY don’t.

• It has no spellcheck;
• No ‘update’ button;
• It won’t colour selected words in a paragraph – but simply colours all the words in that paragraph. (Unless you know a trick to that … and if you do, please share it with me);
• It has pop up boxes which appear out of nowhere and block the view of what you want to see – which I’m sure are meant to be helpful, when the time is right – but they’re a darn nuisance!;
• Things are hidden behind unknown ‘terms’ and names;
• Silly symbols which mean diddly squat to regular, not unintelligent users!;
• Everything about it is so darn tiresome and seems to need an abundance of clicks to do the simplest thing–
• even changing the colour of the words isn’t the one click it used to be!

The new system is clunky, silly, old fashioned in many ways, behind the times and boringly, stupidly long winded.

It truthfully feels like the coding has been written by a junior member of staff instead of someone who knows what she/he is actually doing. It’s taken me a lot longer than I would normally have spent building a post – but . . . at least I now have a post, after lots of help from other WordPress users.

My sincere thanks to you all – for without you, I truthfully would have thrown the towel in and given up. Bless each and every one of you.

Thank you so much for coming today and sharing a coffee and some time with me, while I introduced you to the Nectar Collector – who is the first of my Airy Spirits. I love seeing you here, and love chatting with you all. So please feel welcome to leave a comment. It doesn’t have to be a huge comment, just say hello – because it’s always so nice to know who I’m chatting with.

And …. before I sign off, there HAS to be some Monday jokes:-

Q:- Where are average things manufactured?

A:- The satisfactory.

~~~ ❤ ~~~

Q:- What does Charles Dickens keep in his spice rack?

A:- The best of thymes, the worst of thymes.

~~~ ❤ ~~~

Q:- What do you call an apology written in dots and dashes?

A:- Re-Morse code.

~~~ ❤ ~~~

Q:- What do you call a rooster staring at a pile of lettuce?

A:- A chicken sees a salad.

~~~ ❤ ~~~

Just before I sign off … although I’ve been commenting on blogs over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been told by various bloggers that they’ve found my comments in their spam folders – so … please check your spam folders, as a comment or two might just be hiding there.

Have a wonderful Monday, and a truly blessed week. Sending love and squidges through the ether to you ….

* the ASTERISK * marked * statements [above] may or may not be entirely, exactly d’ twufe, d’ whole twufe and nuffin but d’ twufe. But I’m absolutely certain dere is some sort of twufe.

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 ~ 

 

 

Altered Spoons – Cobwebs Spoonie Spoons

In my last post I told The Story of the Spoons, which, if you missed it, or would like a refresh of the story,  you can find HERE.  (it will open up in a new window for you).

I shared a glimpse, at the end of The Spoon Story, of my own personal spoons which related to me and my own story, and promised that I would share each of the spoons in the photograph with you in a separate blog post — and here I am, as promised, sharing my spoons.

In the photograph above, I’ve numbered each spoon so that you can check it against which spoon you’re reading about and looking at.  There are 12 (twelve) spoons in total and each one is decorated differently than any other in the set, and each of them has a meaning to me.  I’ll give a little explanation of each spoon as I share them.  Shall we get on with it?

SPOON 1

The photo on the left shows spoon 1 and a spoon before I’ve given it a make-over.  (The purple rule at the bottom is showing measurements in centimetres).

The close up photo on the right, is the best one out of about ten that I took.  I think it’s the glitter which made this spoon difficult for the camera to know where to focus.  All that twinkling.

The spoon was coloured using Alcohol Inks, then the bowl of the spoon was treated to three different colours of glitter, and I would like to believe it looks like a magical Fairy sky would look at Sunset, with twinkles of many colours.  The crescent moon is a Tibetan Silver charm, of which:-  the moon part I covered in very fine silver glitter dust.  The bright yellow/gold, is a star.  And the Fairy Wings were given a white glitter covering.

SPOON 2

Spoon 2.  This second spoon talks of my love of Poppies. 

My mother grew some spectacular Poppies in her garden, and after she passed, Mr.Cobs collected the dried out Poppy heads so that I could grow her Poppies in our garden.  And then, after we sold our old cottage a few years ago, Mr.Cobs made sure that I had a plentiful supply of Poppy seeds from dried out Poppy heads to take 200 miles to our new cottage and we began to grow those Poppies all over again in our new garden, here in ‘Cobweb Cottage’.

The handle of the spoon is painted in the Poppies and the colours of them – red, black and yellow – using alcohol inks.  The Poppy in the bowl of the spoon is decoupaged, using printed tissue paper and Modge Podge.  The plant pot on the bowl of the spoon which the poppy is ‘growing’ out of, was made by me from clay and I ‘mossed’ it up a little to give it a bit of texture.

SPOON 3

Spoon 3:  Spoon three is about being a Spoonie – as you might have guessed by the teeny tiny spoon on the handle.  I talked about and explained what being a Spoonie was in my last post:  The Story of the Spoons (link supplied in the first paragraph of this post).  The colours of the spoon don’t quite show up as the true colours – but they represent pain, discomfort, golden days of fabulousness, and a touch of black because pain can be a real meanie.  The teeny tiny spoon on the handle basically tells you what the tea-spoon is about.  Again, the colour on the spoon are made using alcohol inks.

SPOON 4 

Spoon 4 is Butterflies.  I love butterflies.  They have a love of life which shows itself in the way they get so excited when they’re flying.  It’s as if, with every flap of their wings, they’re mind-blowing, excitedly saying, over and over,  “I’m alive!  I’m Alive!  I’M ALIVE!”.

I think it was my very first visit to a Butterfly Farm many years ago, which sealed the deal for me regarding butterflies.  I never knew there were SO many  truly  AMAZING  species of butterflies in the world,  and … I found out on that visit, that some butterflies love painted toe nails!!   One butterfly kept me captive, sat on a bench, with my leg stretched out, while it investigated the pinky red nail polish which I had on my toes.  I think it was at that moment that my heart was stolen by that butterfly and I have an allegiance to them for ever more.

Spoon 4 was created using Alcohol Inks,  and I decoupaged the bowl of the spoon.  The silver butterfly is a Tibetan silver charm, and I added those teeny tiny balls, in three colours.  There’s a name for those teeny tiny balls, and right at this moment of typing I cannot remember what the dickens they’re called.  (sigh – brain fog). If any of you can remember, do give my brain a prod in a comment, and I’ll add it here.  (Big Thank You in advance!)

MICRO BEADS!!!  They’re called Micro Beads!   I would dearly love to tell you that my brain started working again, but I won’t tell fibs.  It was the FANTABULOUS  BEVERLY PARKISON from More Ink Please who has a fully working brain and instantly knew what these brilliant beads are called.  Thank you Bev!  ❤

SPOON 5 

Spoon 5  . .  awww, I love, love, love this spoon.  It’s WAY prettier and filled with heaps more magic, than the photo’s show it to be.  It’s what I think a Galaxy should look like.  And … Magic.  I reckon every magic spell should work only after you’ve waved your wand and a flash of magic happens in the colours and ‘amazingness’ of that spoon.

The colours are all made using alcohol inks,  and I then added different types of glitters and teeny, tiny sequins to, and finished it off with some flat backed pearls on the handle.

SPOONs  6  and  7

Spoon 6  (above)  – is one of a pair.  There’s Mr.Bear (as seen on Spoon 6 above),  and there is a Mrs.Bear which is . . .  SPOON 7 (below)

These bear spoons talk about my affection for Teddy Bears.  Not all of them, but there are some bears which ‘speak’ to me and it’s those bears which I fall in love with.  I don’t collect bears though.

I still have my very first Teddy Bear which was given to me not long after I was born, and is actually older than me – (so there IS something which is older than dirt then!).  As a child I loved that bear so much and he went everywhere with me.  Many years have passed since I arrived on this planet, and I still love him (‘Teddy’ – his name is simply ‘Teddy’)  just as much now,  and there are times that I will pick him up and give him a hug – just like I used to all those years ago.

I did have another bear, bought as a Christmas gift by Mr.Cobs, some years ago.  However, one incredible little boy,  Grandson: Little Cobs,  fell in love with him and,  following an urgent phone call one night from his mummy,  I ended up driving like a speed demon, carrying a certain bear on board, to Daughter (No.2) and Son-in-laws house and taking that bear to a sobbing Little Cobs.  He apparently couldn’t continue in life without it.  Being 2 years old, as he was at the time,  is so tough.  😉

Mr and Mrs. Bear spoons were both made using alcohol inks and decoupaged with bear patterned tissue paper, and finally, some of those tiny beads (which I still can’t remember the name of).   amended to add:  They’re called Micro Beads – thank you Beverly Parkison of More Ink Please, for your brain power!

SPOON 8

Spoon 8 . . . tells of my incredulous awe of Dragonflies.  I  LOVE them! They’re the most astonishing, magical little creatures,  made by One who knows more than any artist will ever know.

Dragonfly’s are incredible insects and I am convinced that they’re magical beasts made for fairyland flight.  (hey, Goblins and the like, who have no wings,  have to get around somehow!)

Alcohol Inks were used to create the magical colours to spoon 8.

SPOON 9

Spoon 9 . . .  kind of speaks for itself.  It has a Cobweb (guess why) on the handle, and a tiny handmade (by me) Fairy House nestled in the bowl of the spoon.

I couldn’t get all the colours to shown up in the photo’s, but there’s blue, green, red, yellow, and peach – all of which were obtained using Alcohol Inks.  The bowl of the spoon is decoupaged in tissue and the tiny Fairy Home is finally attached to the bowl.

SPOON 10

Spoon 10 . . . well there had to be a ‘loving spoon’  somewhere in the mix,  because ‘love’ is what I’m all about!  Again, this spoon has some really beautiful colours to the handle, and I love the way the Alcohol Inks blended together in the forming of the pattern down the handle.

The bowl of the spoon was decoupaged with tissue, and I added a wiggly line of three different colours of glitter all around the edge of the spoon.  Finally, I fixed the pink gemstone heart, set in a rose gold colour metal bezel, to the centre of the bowl, added two gems to the handle and VOILA!  Spoon 10 was complete.

SPOON 11

Spoon 11 … is another spoon which features a Dragonfly.  But this one is flying ….and there’s a story behind it:

I once captured a dragonfly – well … I’m not really sure I ‘captured’ it or if it simply wanted me to share its beauty. . . .

It landed on the windowsill outside the dining room window, and I put my hand slowly and carefully next to it as you would if you wanted a bird to step onto your hand.  The dragonfly did that very thing, and I then got Mr.Cobs to put some leaves into a large round glass vase thing.  I offered up the big glass bowl/vase to the dragonfly and . . .  he walked in!!!  (The dragonfly walked in, not Mr.Cobs! eeek! lol).

I knew that Daughter No.2 would have loved to have seen it, but she was only (around) 8 years old at the time, and it was a school day  . . .  the school was only across the road. . .  and I was known at the school as I did some voluntary teaching there with children who had learning difficulties,  . . . so  . . .  I walked the glass vase/bowl over the road to the school, knocked on the classroom door and spoke to the teacher, showing her what I’d got.  She was thrilled to bits, and asked if perhaps I would leave it with them for the afternoon.  I did …. and then when I collected daughter No.2 at the end of the day I took the vase/bowl outside and we released the dragonfly together.  He took off and we watched him until we could see him no more.

That Dragonfly put a memory in my heart so strong and so magical, that I simply had to dedicate a spoon to it.

And finally . . . 

SPOON 12

Spoon 12. . .    the final spoon in the set of twelve spoons, and is a celebration of my love of Pearls.  I have long strings of pearls, short sets of pearls;  medium lengths of Pearls.   One strand, two strands, three strands and four strands.

I have my Grandmothers Pearls (which I got married in, despite everyone telling me that it was bad luck to wear pearls on your Wedding Day).  I’ve got Pearl Earrings – drops, studs and clips, and pearls in different colours.  I have rings with pearls in them – my oldest is a Pearl and Ruby ring bought for me for Mothers Day when our girls were little.

And I have a brand new set of Pearls, shorter than my smallest set, but they’re BIG pearls and the lustre is like they’ve been dusted in Fairy Dust.  They were bought for me as an early Christmas Present, last month.  I saw them, fell in loooooooove with them, and then discovered that they were (just for ten days) on sale at 50% off!  BARGAIN OF THE YEAR!  Mr.Cobs said ‘yes’ straight away when I mentioned them to him, and so the deal was done.

I only have one set of ‘pretend’ pearls – which I wear when I’m with Little Cobs.  Not saying that he would break them – but I would cry a lot less about those being broken than I would about any of my other pearls being broken.

BIG TIP OF THE DAY .. for all you fellow necklace of any sort wearers:  If ever you break your string of beads or pearls, and A) can’t get them re-strung for whatever reason;  and  B) don’t have the special beading string to re-string them with;  then you can use the second best thing….  Dental Floss to re-string them yourself!

Yes, I kid ye not.  Dental floss is really strong and thin enough to go through a bead/pearl and hold a whole length of beads/pearls.

And that’s it.  Cobs Spoons because she’s a spoonie.  (again, if you don’t know what that is, see the link at the top of this post and you’ll be able to read).

Of course …  you don’t have to be a Spoonie to have a set of decorated spoons.  You could have a set just to celebrate who you are.  Or maybe tell a story which is a favourite of yours or someone elses:   Maybe Christmas Bear Spoons?:  Night Before Christmas Spoons?:  Hungry Caterpillar Spoons?:  Harry Potter Spoons:  Wuthering Heights Spoons?:  Apostle Spoons?  – or any thing,  any person,  any story etc etc which means something to you.

You could make one, two, three or as many spoons as you would like, to keep or to give as a gift to someone else.  For a child.  A Wedding Couple.  Anniversary.  Birthday (maybe even give one each year).  Easter.  Christmas.   Spoons in a theme – cats;  dogs;  birds;  cars; fancy handbags;  expensive shoes;  etc.  A spoon for a nurse, your doctor, your childs teachers.  ANYONE.  Obviously, if it’s a gift you’re going to want to present it nicely,  simply wrapped in beautiful tissue and a ribbon.  But it would make such a great gift and because you were making it for a particular person, for a particular reason, it would be personal, and how much more perfect could that be?!!

Do let me know if you feel inspired to make a spoon or two.  You don’t have to spend tons of money.  Just some Tissue Paper, some Modge Podge,  maybe a little glitter or a small decoration (try looking for junk jewellery at your charity shop which  you can break apart and use some of the elements from), and that could be all you need!  Obviously you can get as decorative as you like.  But these metal spoons are a really easy project to make.  Even a total non-crafter could make these.  Truthfully.

Thank you so much for coming and spending some time with me.  It’s great to have your company. 

Wishing you a blessed rest of your day, and a truly fabulous new week . . . 

[Cobwebs:  Cleverly Disguised as an Adult]

Fairy Footprints Card ~ Fairy Cottage Pot ~ Birthday Giveaway Winners!

Thank you so much to all who entered this Birthday Giveaway in my  last post.  I love Giveaways any day of the week or time of the year, but this one was extra special for me because it was my Birthday, and so a chance to have some extra fun with some of my blogging friends.

On offer in this latest Giveaway were two items.  A Fairy Footprints Card, and a Fairy Cottage Pot.  The photographs I shared with you in the post didn’t do either of the items any justice what-so-ever.

The card is something that even I couldn’t stop looking at.  It’s filled with so much magical wonderment and sparkle.  Oh, and I totally forgot to say in my last post:

• Those fairy footprints weren’t made using a stamp; nor an impress of feet shaped tool;  nor a leather press tool or anything like that.  No footprint  ‘tool’  or  ‘implement’  nor mould of any sort made those footprints.  Cross my heart.  Pinky finger truth.  I truthfully state that NO FOOTPRINT TOOL OF ANY DESCRIPTION MADE THOSE FOOTPRINTS.

The tiny Fairy Cottage Pot looks way prettier in real life too – but because I tried to get close up shots of the Pot, it made it appear bigger and somehow lacking.  Where-as in real life, it’s very much a cute, tiny little thing of charm and sweetness, which makes you smile when holding it between your fingers.

ANYHOO …  you’re here to find out who won, and I’m here to tell you.

All entrants were allotted a number to their name, in the order of entry:

1. BCParkison
2. Susieshy
3. Soozyb2013 (Soozy, sadly, doesn’t have a blog so I can’t link to it)
4. Samanthamurdoch
5. Dinosaursdonkeysandms
6. Invisibly Me
7. Paula @ Spin a Yarn
8. Rabbitpatchdiary.com
9. Chicken Grandma
10. Nancee56

Because there are two items up for grabs, I explained in my last post:

• On the day of the Random Number Generator being asked to pick the winners, the FIRST number generated, will be the winner who will get the chance to choose which Fairy related give-a-way they would like to receive.
• The SECOND number generated will receive the other Fairy give-a-way.

So, with no further ado I’m thrilled to announce that. . . 

The FIRST number chosen, and so is in the position of choosing which Fairy item she would like to choose,  is:

. . .  Number 3 – and this number belongs to  SOOZYB2013

Soozyb …  because you don’t have a blog, I’ll try to contact you via the email address which is logged into the system every time you comment.

• In an effort to be fair and not keep winner #2 waiting for their prize gift:-   If I don’t hear from Soozyb by Friday 10th August, (next Friday) then I shall pass on the choice of item to winner No.2 so that they can choose which gift they’d like, and Soozyb will be in receipt of which ever Fairy item is left,  –  once I get her address to send the item to.

The SECOND winning number chosen by The Random Number Generator is:-

. . .  Number 1 – and this number belongs to:  BCParkison!

Who I think we all know as Bev.

Bev . . . As soon as I hear from Soozyb,  I’ll drop you a note and let you know what your Winning Gift is (unless you’d rather have a surprise)  – OR – if I don’t hear from Soozy by next Friday, I’ll drop you a note asking you to choose your Winning Gift from this Giveaway.

Many, many thanks to everyone for joining in.  Giveaways add a little fun to everyday life, and makes days ‘glisten’ just that little bit more  ~  especially when we perhaps need a bit of a glisten.

Thank you also for joining me on this beautiful (if rather too warm) Sunday.  I hope your day passes brightly and that, at the end of it,  you feel contentment wash over you.

A few gremlins may have grizzled into your moments – but that happens to us all, so never feel you’re alone in that.  The trick with these gremlins is to never give them the power over your moods, and don’t allow them to hang around either.  Kick them out.  Open the door and demand they leave.  My dear friends, you have no room in your life for gremlins.  Don’t give them room.

Stay as awesome are you are, and  –  aim for contentment.  Once you have that, everything else will magically fall into place.

Heaps of love and squidges, from me in my corner, to you in yours.  ~

 

“Happy Birthday to me, happy Birthday to me…” (well that’s a Give-a-way isn’t it!)

Did I give-a-way that it’s my Birthday today?  [gasp!]   I did?  Well shame on me.  Fancy advertising that you’re a year old than your original 7.5 years older.  Well..  I’m now 7.5 years old and well ….  it’s very strange, but I feel the exact same age as I did yesterday.  Bonus!

Talking of bonus’ . . . I come bearing a celebration of my special day, and, as we all know, a Birthday is a day associated with love and a small gift … or two.  So I’m here doing a Give-a-way to celebrate, open to all my followers.  However, not just one give-a-way,  but TWO!  My Birthday is on the 2nd so I thought that it being a 2, we should have a double Give-a-way.

BLOG POST EDITED: 5th August 2018

The ‘GIVEAWAY’ is now closed to new names being entered into the ‘hat’.  Anyone adding their name from this moment forward is, I’m afraid, too late to be included in the ‘draw’.

  The Winner of the Home Under the Dome will be announced later today; Sunday 5th August 2018.

What’s on offer…

Fairy Footprints on a little card,  and a Fairy Cottage Pot.  Each one of these Fairy goodies is included in this Birthday Giveaway!

 

On offer is what you see in the photograph above.

• One person can win the Fairy Footprints card, –
• and  –  another person can win the Cottage Pot.

 

As you might be able to see in the 2nd of the two photos (just above here) – the Cottage Pot is, in total only just over 2″(two) inches tall.

It’s a micro-sized (real) terracotta pot, in which a tiny Fairy built her home.  Now left behind,  after she found her mate and began a family – and I was lucky enough to be in the right place, at the right time, with my ‘finding eyes’ working so well that I found it!

The tiny little terracotta pot itself measures just three-quarters of an inch!

The Fairy Footprints card . . . well there’s quite a magical story behind that.

I rolled out two sorts of different clay and left it on my desk for just a matter of moments while I went and washed my hands. 

When I came back . . . there were Fairy Footprints all over both of the clays!  From very small to big (‘big’ for a Fairy), but all of them were just breathtaking.  I didn’t want to destroy the clay (obviously) but couldn’t leave it all in a ‘slab’ – as that would have been too difficult to store carefully.  So … I carefully cut the footprints out and set them aside for them to dry.  (Hoping that nothing happened to them, nor that the footprints would disappear!)

I coloured the clay so that the footprints showed up clearly…  and decided that I just couldn’t keep them for myself, and had to share.  So I attached one to a little card – (just 11.6cm square, – or roughly 4.5″ inches) and here I am doing a Give-a-way in order to share and celebrate my Birthday.

Now then …. here’s the important bit so pin back your lug holes (ears). . . 

The Give-a-way is open only to followers of the Cobweborium Emporium.

• In order to enter your name for one of these Give-a-ways you MUST  make a comment on this post, and BEGIN YOUR COMMENT WITH THE WORD:  GIVEAWAY.  This is really important because seeing that word right at the beginning of a comment is my way of instantly finding all the people who want to be included.  If it’s not at the start of your comment, then on the day when I’m counting up how many people want to be in with a chance of winning, I just might miss anyone who has put the word in the middle or the end etc.  So please begin your comment with that one word: Giveaway. (thank you!)
• On the day of the Random Number Generator being asked to pick the winners, the FIRST number generated, will be the winner who will get the chance to choose which Fairy related give-a-way they would like to receive.
• The SECOND number generated will receive the other Fairy give-a-way.

And that’s all there is to it. 🙂

BLOG POST EDITED: 5th August 2018

The ‘GIVEAWAY’ is now closed to new names being entered into the ‘hat’.  Anyone adding their name from this moment forward is, I’m afraid, too late to be included in the ‘draw’.

  The Winner of the Home Under the Dome will be announced later today; Sunday 5th August 2018.

But I repeat … this Give-a-way is open only to followers of The Cobweborium Emporium.  This is simply because it makes it fair.

Followers aren’t simply ‘followers’.  These people (and you all know who you are) are wonderful friends who make blogging such a total joy to me.

All that’s left to say is …  don’t forget: GIVEAWAY as your first word  –

But you don’t have to want to be included for a Giveaway,  to comment.

If your comment doesn’t include the magic word, then I will know you don’t feel the need to have another ‘thing’ to care for!  Just come and have a chat in that case.  (You know I love to chat with you! lol.)

Wishing you a bright, blessed Thursday.  May your day be filled with peace and contentment.  Thank you so much for coming and sharing a coffee moment with me. 

Much love ~ 

 

BLOG POST EDITED: 5th August 2018

The ‘GIVEAWAY’ is now closed to new names being entered into the ‘hat’.  Anyone adding their name from this moment forward is, I’m afraid, too late to be included in the ‘draw’.

  The Winner of the Home Under the Dome will be announced later today; Sunday 5th August 2018.

Four Fabulous Fairy Fungi, Freshly Found (and very special indeed!)

In the Realm of the Fae (Fairy Land), the Elements of the Realm are represented by various things dependant upon the area where the particular Fairy Land is located.  And …  just like us humans, Fairy Land has the same sort of set up with Woodlands, towns, villages, counties, states, and countries!

Each ‘Town/Village/Country’ [etc] has its own way of expressing things, (just as we all have our own localised languages or terminology), and within the ‘village’ of Freckled Mushroom Wood, the four Elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water, are represented by some of the most incredible mushrooms I think I’ve ever seen, and it’s some rather special specimens of these Elements that I’d like to share with you today!

All the specimens are held securely in glass test tubes, which have been sealed shut with a cork.

The test tubes you see in the photographs are all the same length:  10.2cm long – that’s 4″ (inches) to us folks who still love imperial measurements, and they’re just 1.5cm wide – which is 8/12th’s of an inch (or [roughly] just over half an inch for those who don’t do fractions).  

So they’re quite small, and getting those Elementals to be the right size, took some doing  er … searching.  I had to search high and low to find long enough, but slim enough, Elementals which would fit inside those little glass tubes.  Yes I did.  I did indeed sweat buckets trying to get the size right!  Phew.  Fairy Land gets very hot and bothersome on some days.

These are the Mushroom Elementals of Freckled Mushroom Wood, each of them embodying one of the powers of nature:  Earth;  Air;  Fire and Water.

The task of Elementals is to look after the nature kingdom.  They are responsible for the therapeutic effects you feel when outdoors amongst nature, at the beach or sea-side;  at lakes and by rivers;  in parks and nature areas.

A little bit like a Phoenix, these very special Elemental Mushrooms live for only a specific length of time but once they’ve reached their ‘age’, each of them cyclically regenerates itself and is reborn again as new.  Each of the Elemental Mushrooms not only represents an important Element of nature, but also plays its own part in the well-being of Fairy Land.

Shall we take a peep at them individually?  Let’s begin with . . .

The Fairy Mushroom Elemental: Earth

The Element of Earth shown in a Fairy Mushroom Elemental.

The Earth Elemental is responsible for creating, sustaining, and renewing life on Earth.  It helps:-

• Plants, grass, and even weeds to grow, and helps the Fairy Gardeners to grow all the food needed for the Fairies, Gnomes, Pixies and all the other occupants of the Land of the Fae.
• It encourages Trees to reach their full height and potential.  Which gives the Fairies somewhere to play hide and seek and have races with other fairies.
• It helps Children to flourish and develop in a healthy or vigorous way.  It also helps with the birth and growing of Fairy Babies.
• It is the sole purpose of all the elements, since it represents a basis for each of them.
• Earth is the element of our planet and how got its name by it too.
• The Earth Element has one very important job in Fairy land …  it helps fairies to find their way home from wherever they may be.  It’s a little bit like a satellite.  It has a certain ‘vibration’ to it, which each Fairy recognises, and so can fly home whenever they wish, be it night or day!

 The Fairy Mushroom Elemental: Air

The Air Element is important in that it connects all the other elements.  It’s invisible, but that doesn’t make it less important than any other, because, well, without it, we couldn’t exist!

The element of Air gives us

• what we need for our lungs to function
• opens our Souls 
• is important for the first breath of a new-born baby!
• Where Earth is fixed, Air is definitely a mover!
• It’s connected to the mind, spirit, wisdom and soul.
• Air is required for flight.  Not just Air-planes and the like, but for birds,  flies, insects and bats,  but also …. Fairies!  Imagine Fairies flying in the wind – tiny creatures bestowed with pure intuition who fly where ever the air whispers to them.
• The wind (and so Air) has a voice, and you have to listen carefully to it.  The wind blowing in from the South and East hints of good things.  But the wind can change direction and with that it itself predicts change – sometimes good, sometimes not so.  Listen to its voice.  Is it an angry voice, or is it gentle and soothing?  It’s what Fairies do. Perhaps we should become like Fairies now and again, so that we can see things through the eyes of the innocent and hear things in an innocent way.

The Fairies in Freckled Mushroom Wood have taught me much about the Elements – both the ones in Fairy Land, and the ones in our human realm – and I now realise that they are, in fact, very much the same things.

The Fairy Mushroom Elemental: Fire

Fire has something particularly special about it.  It’s the only element that shines.  Water can sparkle,  but only if it reflects the light created by Fire, whether a campfire or the Sun.

Of course, in the Land of the Fae the most Fire is found within the annoyance and anger of a Fairy Dragon.   However, a Dragons Fire is a much-needed and very welcomed Fire, for Fairies need it to:  Toast Apples;  Roast Chestnuts;  Cook Mushrooms;  Bake Acorns;  Warm Berries to eat and to make Fairy Jam with, and oh!,  all sorts of other things!

Note Well:  Humans won’t often find a Fairy Dragon – but if you do, treat it kindly and don’t disturb it if it’s asleep, for when baked in fire, you are crunchy, and Fairy Dragons discovered Ketchup on toasted  ‘umans works wonders!

The Fairy Mushroom Elemental: Water

The Water Elemental is the element of constant movement, moving sometimes slow and steady, and at other times rushing and a torrent;  a destructive force of almost unimaginable proportions.

Fairies need water not only to drink and use to water their flowers, but to bathe, feed the birds and to make the dew drops which will sparkle in the early morning sunlight, and add joy to the early morning chorus.

If you’re really quiet, you might come across a Fairy playing or washing her hair under the dripping water of a Mushroom Water Elemental, for the Mushroom will drip, drip, drip continually, supplying water to the earth beneath it’s feet.

It was  r.e.a.l.l.y.  difficult to capture, in a photo, the dripping water on this Mushroom Water Elemental because water is transparent,  but I share about the best shot I managed to get . . .

And that concludes our four Elementals.  However … the observant among you will have noticed that there is a 5th Glass Test Tube in the two photos at the top of this post. . . 

. . .  can you spot it?  That one right in the middle.  “What’s that?”  I hear you asking . . .

Well …  it’s a Gnome … or a Tomte . . .  or  a Nisse.  This little figure has different names depending on where in the world you find him,  and … he’s a Protector.  In this case, he’s a Fairy, Mushroom Elemental Protector.  A very important job indeedly doodly!

This Gnome / Tomte / Nisse hides himself in little places so that he won’t be spotted by anyone rambling through the woodland which he’s protecting.  This particular Gnome/Tomte/Nisse is a very special protector, for he is in charge of protecting all the Fairy, Mushroom Elementals which live in his wood.

He was almost impossible to capture a good image of him on film, because the little rascal kept moving!  He would turn or stick his nose in the air, or generally refuse to hold still just for a moment, while I captured his image on film.  You can barely see his nose … but I did manage a slightly blurred photo which kind of shows it in close up and share that with you . . .

A Gnome / Tomte / Nisse, captured (slightly blurred) in a photograph.  (Blurred because he just wouldn’t keep still!).

His beard is of the whitest white, and it twinkles like nothing else I’ve ever seen.  Again … I just couldn’t see to capture it in a photo.  It looks incredibly magical when seen with the naked eye.

I admit that taking photographs of these Test Tube Elementals was one heck of a job.  Lights bounced off the glass.  Shadows showed up where there were none before.  Patterns played across the glass from things on either side of the room and it made viewing the Mushrooms really difficult.  Aw … it’s not something I’ll undertake so lightly again.  Next time I go in for photographs of anything in a test tube, I’ll be more aware!  (probably still take a hundred rubbish photos, but I’ll be aware.  LOL).

Well…  that’s me done and dusted regarding the Fairy, Mushroom Elementals.

So …  how are you?  I trust you are well, that life is treating you kindly and that things are going in a nice direction for you.  Anything happening in life that you’d like to share?  Need some advice from someone?  Post your question in a comment and I’m sure you’ll get an answer – even if only from me!

Here in Cobweb Towers … it’s been a little cooler the last two days, and we’ve had some rain!  [doing a BIG happy dance here!].  Finally the sun has given us a couple of days break and sleep has been much more comfortable for the last two nights.  Such a blessing.  I know that Dorset holiday makers won’t be finding it a blessing, but we very much-needed some cool weather for a while and the gardens desperately needed some rainwater.

All that’s left for me to say is that I hope your Monday was a decent one, and I wish you terrific Tuesday.  May your day tomorrow begin with a smile and end with one, and may the hours in between have smiles shared and dotted throughout the day.

Sending squidges, from me in my corner, to you in yours.

 

Freshly picked Goblin Snot … and other fine produce from the Land of the Fae!

GOBLIN SNOT!  Freshly picked!

Oh yes.  you read it right.  What you’re looking at really is Goblin Snot!

Now that I have your full attention,  😀  I would like to introduce you to a few items of produce and products that can be found in the Land of the Fae  (Fairies) – but only if you’re observant; careful; quick; ready with your collecting jar, …  and . . .  only if you truly, TRULY believe.

And,  of course,  you need to know what you’re looking for.  

a handful of ‘products’ available in and from the Land of the Fae (Fairies)

Amongst many other things, you can find:

• Kisses of Mushrooms. 
• Thumbelina Thimbles
• Freshly Picked Goblin Snot
• Wild Harvested Gnome Whiskers
• Organic Dragon Soot.

Let’s deal with the Freshly Picked Goblin Snot first, shall we?  . . .

Now fresh Goblin Snot is a rare find indeed.  One has to be as quick as flash, as sly as a fox and as clever as an owl.  You have to sit about, in long grass, being very, very quiet, for  quite a long time, waiting . . . waiting  . . .  w.a.i.t.i.n.g.  … until – – –  you hear that distinctive rustle of little chubby Goblin feet, accompanied by the  sound of …. “ah, ah AHhhhh…. CHOOOO!”  (followed by a lot of snorting, sniffing and grunting).

Now it’s exactly one second before the  “CHOOOO!” part of the sneeze that you have to be super fast and get your snot collecting jar in place and ready to catch the desired, much prized, JUICE!

If you’re really lucky your JUICE might even contain ‘things’ which you might not recognise, but they’ll be the sniffed up ‘stuff’ such as pollen, leaves, grass, and all sorts of oddities from the woodland carpet of Fairy Land.

Now you’re probably asking yourself why anyone would want to collect Goblin Snot, and the answer is as wild as you might expect.  You see … Goblin Snot is magical stuff.  A tiny amount, onto the tip of your finger, will open ANY door.  If you wanted to go and see inside Buckingham Palace, then Goblin Snot would open not only the big gates at the front, but it would also open all of the locked doors you need to get through in order to go and see the Queen herself.  Or perhaps you’d like to get into The Whitehouse, or how about going midnight shopping in Tiffany’s?

Well if midnight shopping in Tiffany’s or a bank vault is your pleasure, then you’ll also need ….  Organic Dragon Soot.

Organic, Wild Harvested, Dragon Soot!

Finding Organic Dragon Soot is indeed a moment of pure magic in itself.  It’s so easy to miss it.  I mean to say ….  would you notice extra-fine soot on the floor of a Woodland area?  Probably not.  So to come across it and manage to collect it up before it magically disappears is a real stroke of good luck!

Why would you need Organic Dragon Soot from Fairy Land?  Well . . . 

• One tiny pinch of Organic Dragon Soot sprinkled over your head, will turn you invisible for precisely one hour.  Not a minute less, not a minute more.  One Hour!  Think of all the things you could do in an hour, if you were invisible.  [GASP!]  Oh, you little rascal!  I can see your mind working from here!  FORT KNOX?  Good grief, you think BIG!  Well, if you bagged yourself some Fresh Goblin Snot to open the doors, whilst invisible from using the Dragon Soot, I guess that even Fort Knox wouldn’t be that much of a challenge!

Next on our shopping list is . . .  Wild Harvested Gnome Whiskers.

Now these are a tricky one to obtain, for you first have to find your Wild Gnome.  A Wild Gnomes whiskers are stiff and prickly.  They’re not the soft, white, fluffy, cloud-like whiskers you see on Garden Gnomes.  Wild Gnomes are protectors.  They protect the perimeters of their particular area in Fairy Land.  These particular Wild Harvested Gnome Whiskers were carefully and quietly collected from a Wild Gnome who was taking a warm afternoons snooze, lent against a tree in Freckled Mushroom Wood and snoring his head off.

With the help of some Dragon Soot to make me invisible, I crept up and with my manicure scissors, I snipped a few of his whiskers and popped them into a collecting jar.

Wild Gnome Whiskers are a great addition to your potions closet because:

• They offer protection – much like putting on a suit of armour.  All you have to do is crush and grind the whiskers using a Pestle and Mortar.  Once all powdered down, you then add one tiny pinch of powdered Acorn Cup, and one Fairy Spoon of mashed Mushroom Cap from the wood where you gathered your Gnome Whiskers.  Mix it till you have a paste, and then put a tiny dab onto the middle finger of your right hand.  You will, within minutes have an invisible suit of armour.  You could be a Super Hero …. but beware … you won’t be able to fly!  (After all …. you’re not a Fairy and you don’t have Fairy Wings!)

Next on this Fairy Shopping List are ….  Thumbelina Thimbles.

 

You’ve no doubt heard the story of Thumbelina and how she was very tiny.  Well in Fairy Land, Thimbles are highly prized.  They aren’t just used for protecting your fingers when sewing, but they are a symbol of affection.  They are the Fairy equivalent of a Kiss.

Peter Pan, when Wendy Darling said she would give him a kiss, held out his hand to receive this gift.  He thought ‘a kiss’ was the thimble which Wendy had in her hand.  Wendy gave him the thimble, and from that moment on, thimbles became ‘kisses’ in the Land of the Fae.

Why would you need Thumbelina Thimbles?  Well …. they don’t offer you anything other than  the magic of love and affection.  They bring warmth into your life and a warm smile to your face when you look at them.  Just holding a tube of them in your hand can give you a warm feeling deep inside.  Right in the middle of your body.

Thumbelina’s Thimbles are made especially for Fairies (and of course for Thumbelina herself) by the Head of the Sewing Department, in Fairy Land.

I’m very privileged to know his name.  Come closer …. I shall whisper it to you ….  The Head of the Sewing Department in Fairy Land is Fineous Wizzigig.  But shhh… don’t tell anyone because it’s a secret – shared only between you and I!

If you look carefully in a Fairy Wood where you live (if you can find one) you might just find some Thumbelina Thimbles.  They are left by the young, giggly little Fairies, for the human folks to find.  It’s their way of passing on a kiss, from one realm to another.

And finally . . .  you’ve seen in some of the photographs here, a ‘Kiss of Mushrooms‘.  Another gift from Fairy Land, for Humans to find.

A Kiss of Mushrooms is something that the Fairies hope you will keep, for the spotted mushrooms are a bringer of love and luck.

I found this one last week and have mounted this Kiss of Mushrooms on a wooden block, painted red, and there it will live for ever more.  A very lucky find, indeed!

❤  ❤  ❤

Thank you so much for coming and sharing these wonderments found in my little bag, after a mid afternoon trip to Freckled Mushroom Wood.  There was no need today for my Fairy Net, for I captured things that needed no net – but I always take it with me – just in case.  Who knows when I’m going to need it!

I hope your Monday began with a stretch and a yawn, and that from there it just got better and better.  If it didn’t…  leave any troubles at the door (outside the door) and allow nature to take care of your Monday troubles.  Tomorrow is another day.  A gift, for you to choose how you want to spend it.  Grumpy, cross, annoyed.  Or …. happy, smiling and with love in your heart.

Have a wonderful tomorrow my friends.

Please note:  The stories, tales and narrative, and tales of fantasy and fable were written by me and belong to me.  Therefore copyright begins here.  Cobwebs.  23/7/2018

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GIVEAWAY ~ ‘Home Under the Dome’ ~ WINNER

Thank you all so much for joining in the fun of the GIVEAWAY for the Home Under the Dome, which I shared with you in the last blog post

I closed the Giveaway today, and then collected all the names.  Each name was allocated a number based upon the order in which they entered their name into the GIVEAWAY.

These are the names, along with their allocated numbers: (where possible, I’ve added each name as a link to their own blog, so that you can go and visit them and perhaps make a new friend!)

1. Watching the Daisies
2. BC Parkison
3. Crafty Boutique by  Tam
4. Invisibly Me
5. Susie Shy45
6. Gillyflower
7. Soozyb2013
8. Barbara Lindsey
9. Chicken Grandma
10. The Artisan Duck
11. Mrs.Craft.

I then asked Mr.Google for it’s Random Number Generator, which it duly gave me, and I asked the RNG to pick the winning number from and including No.1 –  up to and including No. 11.  I clicked the ‘Generate‘ button,  and it chose . . . 

NUMBER 1 (ONE)!

So the WINNER OF OUR Home Under the Dome is   [drumroll]. . . 

~  Watching the Daisies  ~

 

Daisies, I’m thrilled to be posting the Home Under the Dome to you.  All I now need is your snail mail address so that I can post it.

I think you and I have emailed each other once before, so I’ll have a search through my emails to see if I can find your email address, and once found, I’ll drop you a note so that you can send me your snail mail address.

Many, many thanks to everyone for joining in.  Giveaways make life just a bit more fun, and shines a bright spot in days.

There will be another Giveaway very soon …. but I won’t tell you when, or what for, or why.  So keep watching … you really won’t have to wait too long.  😉

And tomorrow …. there is a blog post heading your way – (if I can get the darn photographs taken), – which I think will not only make you smile, but possibly even make you laugh out loud, and maybe even squirm and squiggle just a little.  😀   *Cobs – tsk tsk,  that’s enough.  Don’t give it all away!!*

But, for today, this glorious Sunday which has been gifted to us all  . . .  May your day be peace filled, touched with joy, and sprinkled with happy.  May you leave any troubles outside the door until tomorrow, and may love fill your home and heart.

And …  stay as awesome as I think of you as being.  Because you truly, really are.

Much love and many squidges, from me in my corner to you in yours.

 

Home under the Dome 3 ~ MEGA DOMES!

What’s that saying  ~  “Go BIGGER or go home!”?   We’ll we’re doing both here!

Although …  not going so big that you could see a ‘Home Under the Dome’ from Space.  I might be calling them ‘Mega Domes’ – but they’re still tiny. Small enough to put in your pocket.

Take a look at the measurements…  (the purple rule is in centimetres, but I’ve done the conversion into inches to help) . . .

The Home Under the Dome in the centre (above) is the regular sized dome that you’ve seen me make before.  (you’ll  find information about this little Dome later).

The Mega Dome on the right hand side of the above photo contains something very special,  because it holds a ‘Fairy Kiss’, and, of course, a Fairy Home[under the Dome] along with some Fairy Mushrooms and a few other tiny fairy things.  The Dome on the left hand side of the above photograph contains a Fairy Wish Tree as well as not one, but TWO Fairy Homes, and a bundle of Fairy Mushrooms.  Let’s take a look at that one first, shall we?

The tree really does have a tree trunk – but try as I might I couldn’t get it to properly show up in photographs.  The trunk is made from a piece of branch which fell from the humongous protected Pine Trees which are in my garden to the rear of Cobweb Cottage.

There are two Fairy Homes, and an assortment of Fairy Mushrooms – all freshly collected from Freckled Mushroom Wood ~ which can be found near to where I live – but is only known and shown to those who truly believe and enter with a pure heart.  If you look very closely towards the top of the tree, you will see the tiniest of Fairy Bluebirds, sitting happily in the tree. Can you also spot the really tiny multi coloured, sparkly butterflies?

What you can’t see in the photos above, is that the Fairy Wishing Tree was collected when there was a low breeze, and so it is held in suspension, or ‘frozen in time’, and bends slightly,  and the foliage still looks exactly as it did when the low breeze blew it – all blown and sort of ‘leaning’ in the same direction.  It looks like there is a gentle wind blowing inside the Dome. Magical!

The other Mega Dome – well that’s a special dome and possibly my favourite.  It contains a Fairy Kiss, which holds a Fairy Home and some Magical Freckled Mushroom.

It has flowers, and some teeny tiny buttons which the Fairies had collected and were using as stepping-stones up to their house.  Knowing that the Fairies wouldn’t mind, I gathered up just two of the minuscule buttons and added them to the base of the silver Thimble Kiss.

… The Fairy Kiss – is the Thimble you see holding the Fairy home and mushrooms.

Do you remember in the story of Peter Pan, the boy who never grows up, (written by Scottish novelist J.M.Barrie), who interacts with Fairies, Mermaids and Pirates (‘think’ Captain Hook!). Wendy Darling and Peter Pan became friends and wants to give Peter a kiss – which Peter thinks is the thimble which Wendy is holding, so holds out his hand to receive it.

That thimble from the story made a huge impression on me as a child and I grew up knowing that in reality, a thimble to humans, was a ‘kiss’ to a Fairy.

When my daughters were old enough to understand and treasure things – one Christmas I gave each of them a special gift from me of a silver bracelet (one each), which I’d had one tiny, real silver thimble hung on each of the bracelets, and when they’d opened their bracelets I shook my arm and showed them that I too had a silver bracelet with a silver thimble on it, and told them that wherever they might be in the world, and if I was ever a long way away from them, they only had to look at their bracelets and would see that they would always have a kiss from me.  They loved their bracelets, and the knowledge that they would always have a kiss.

Now lets deal with that tiny little Home Under the Dome which is in the middle of the two Mega Domes, shall we ?  . . .

 This regular sized, tiny Home Under the Dome (in the centre of the above photo) is quite a special dome, and it’s up for grabs!

Edit: 22nd July 2018:

The ‘GIVEAWAY’ is now closed to new names being entered into the ‘hat’.  Anyone adding their name from this moment forward is, I’m afraid, too late to be included in the ‘draw’.

  The Winner of the Home Under the Dome will be announced later today; Sunday 22nd July 2018.

This tiny little dome is packed to over-flowing with charm and has some very special features.  There are two tiny homes under this dome, both of which speak of the quirkiness and fun of the Fairies who once inhabited the homes – for both are slightly different in that they are wiggly wobbly.  Bending and curving just slightly.   They’re …. different in a special way.

It was difficult to show you what I mean in photographs, but you can just about see in the photo above that the tallest of the two houses begins at ground level and then curves backwards and, had it been taller, you would have seen that it’s on it’s way back to curve the other way.  BUT .. if you then look at the smaller of the Fairy homes – that home also curves and in fact matches the curve of the taller house!  How do the Fairies know how to do that?!!!  [gasp!]

There are blue freckled Fairy mushrooms, and also one teeny tiny red freckled mushroom, all growing in the grass.  But … there is something very special that I haven’t included in any Dome before . . . 

. . . there – in a ‘held in a moment of time’, is a tiny blue butterfly, which landed on a freckled mushroom, and is captured forever under the Dome.  This special Dome is now the subject of a Giveaway for followers of my blog.

Edit: 22nd July 2018:

The ‘GIVEAWAY’ is now closed to new names being entered into the ‘hat’.  Anyone adding their name from this moment forward is, I’m afraid, too late to be included in the ‘draw’.

  The Winner of the Home Under the Dome will be announced later today; Sunday 22nd July 2018.

If you would like to be the custodian for this Home Under the Dome, and you are a follower, all you need to do is:-

• In a comment on this blog post, put the word  ‘GIVEAWAY’ right at the beginning of your comment.  Put it before you type any other word – this helps me to find those folk who would like to be included in the chance to be the new Home Under the Dome, guardian.

And that’s it.  That’s all you need to do.

If you can’t find the comments box, then you need to scroll all the way to the top and click on the title of this post (‘A Home under the Dome 3 ~ MEGA DOMES!’) – and that will load the blog page this time with the comments box – which will show up at the bottom of the post.  (You can also read any comments other people have put too!)

Please remember that the Giveaway is only open to followers of The Cobweborium Emporium Blog.

Edit: 22nd July 2018:

The ‘GIVEAWAY’ is now closed to new names being entered into the ‘hat’.  Anyone adding their name from this moment forward is, I’m afraid, too late to be included in the ‘draw’.

  The Winner of the Home Under the Dome will be announced later today; Sunday 22nd July 2018.

Well, crafty wise,  that’s me done and dusted.

However . . . I’ve learned some things this week that I’d like to share  . . .

1. Don’t trust that the new receptionist at your doctors has actually booked you in to see the doctor you told her you wanted to see, but instead might (accidentally) book you in to see some doctor in the practise you’ve never seen before in your life.  [sigh]
2. That although your husband/partner normally has the worst memory in the Universe, sometimes they will surprise the heck out of you and know exactly where to find a particular thing, that you know you have, but WHERE THE DICKENS IS IT?!!!
3. I’ve learned that I haven’t lost my power to bargain with stores and get a better deal than they first offer you.  SOOOO happy, and Mr.C is in awe!  (But I don’t go in for hero-worship so … ahh, no … a little hero-worship is great for the soul – so long as it’s only for a moment).
4. I’ve finally admitted that my big boy cat, [read ‘small Panther’], Alf Capone, is, quite frankly,  the nosiest cat in the world.  He likes to sit or ‘lounge’  anywhere at the front of our cottage where he can observe every single thing which goes on in the area where we live.  Any neighbour who comes or goes, doesn’t do so without being counted out and counted in again.  Any car which drives past is registered – both in colour, make and model, for future reference by him.  He’s the laziest, nosiest, most beautiful cat with the biggest personality, and he makes everyone laugh.  He’s also the biggest eater.  We’ll go bankrupt with this cat.  He can really put it away!  (But then, he is a huuuge cat – so I guess it’s understandable).
5. Finally …  I’ve learnt that ‘accidentally’ being booked in to see the wrong doctor actually might be beneficial – so don’t discount seeing someone different when the need arises, for a fresh set of eyes looking at things differently and can sometimes come up with what possibly might be the answer.

I’m sure I’ve learned more than these things, but my one brain cell can only hold so much information, and when there’s too much going in it forces the brain cell to ‘evacuate’  some older things in order to make way for the new stuff.  (But I wish that it would hang onto passwords or at the very least be organised enough to stick post it notes to the inside of my skull!)

All that’s left for me to do now is to wish you a truly wonderful week.  May reality be better than your dreams!

Have a blessed day all.  Sending you heaps of squidges and lots of love ~

Edit: 22nd July 2018:

The ‘GIVEAWAY’ is now closed to new names being entered into the ‘hat’.  Anyone adding their name from this moment forward is, I’m afraid, too late to be included in the ‘draw’.

  The Winner of the Home Under the Dome will be announced later today; Sunday 22nd July 2018.

Homes Under the Domes 2 ~ THE SEQUEL!

Hello . . .  tis I,  Cobs.  . . .  I have returned,  –  with a complaint  …  IT’S TOO DARN HOT!  People are on the beaches supposedly sunning themselves and getting a tan!  They’re really not.  Not in this heat.  They’re actually frizzling up like crispy-cooked bacon!  I can smell them. sizzle, sizzle, sizzle.

Joking aside … I’m not a Summer lover.  I love the flowers that the summer brings; the birds, the butterflies, the bees,  and love the overall happiness which Summer packs in its little suitcase and brings with it,  . . .  but I don’t like how the heat of Summer affects my body.  It’s been making me feel proper poorly. (Hence the reason I haven’t been around). 

My body is a talking package of broken rubbish,  and for some reason warm weather seems to put this package of rubbish under a microscope and blow it up to  M.E.G.A.  proportions.  It’s been the hottest day today, (Sunday evening as I type this), here  in the South of England,  and they are predicting that this weather is going to go on for some weeks to come.  I do hope not.  (crosses fingers)   We need a few days of cooler temperatures and refreshing breezes …. and some rain for the land.

So… if you happen to be reading this God, could you please turn the heating down a few notches, and turn on the rain for a few nights.  You don’t have to make it rain during the day … I don’t want to be a party pooper to holiday makers who are here having grand fun, but I would like to see the wildlife and the ground get a few nights of rain, every now and again.  Thank you, in advance.  😀  ~  me.  xxx

Aanyhooooo.…  let’s talk about crafts and  …

Homes under the Dome – The Sequel!

I’ve been able to craft on the odd day here and there (with two fans going in the craft room, and only before the sun comes round and tries to cook me at Gas mark 8!).  I wanted to make some more Homes under the Dome, and also make a Bottle of Magic.

I was asked about how to make Fairy Domes on my last post, and because I know that the Domes can be a little difficult to get hold of, I suggested that perhaps a glass bottle would be an easy project, and so I thought it would be a good idea to actually make one so that you could see what I meant.

But that will be in a few minutes … first … let’s do some Domes, shall we?

These are the Home under the Dome projects I’ve been able to make.  The numbers in the hearts, with arrows pointing to each dome, are there so that I can show you each dome closer up and you’ll know which dome you’re looking at!  Clever eh?

You can see a much closer up view like this, and still refer to the original photo to see the dome from (kind of) arms length.

Now I’m going to miss out number 3 just for a moment and go straight on to number 4….

This Home under the Dome does have a home,  it’s on the other side, but I wanted to show you the teeny tiny REAL clam shell with the bright shining pearly bead inside it.

Ok …  let’s ‘do’  the missing number three Dome, shall we? . . .

The reason I left number 3 till now is because it’s not a Home Under the Dome, but instead it’s a Gnome Under the Dome.  Look carefully and you can see his little face – his nose, eyes and a little grin going on there too!

Finally …  I made a Magic Bottle.  Blogger Susie Shy was asking about making the Domes, and since I’d suggested a bottle I thought perhaps I’d better make a bottle so that she could see what I was actually going on about. So here’s a Fairy home in a bottle.  The Fairy Home and all the Mushrooms were freshly gathered from Freckled Mushroom Wood just a few days ago  ….

As you can see, it’s  100% Pure Magic.   You won’t find purer!  Let me show you the back of this Magic Jar…

Both inside the jar, and on the wax seal around the corked top, there is evidence of Fairy Dust.  There is also evidence of Fairy Dust on my desk, on the floor of my craft room and …  even in my bathroom!  Heaven only knows what on earth the Fairies were doing in there, but my goodness, the place twinkles like stardust has been spread around freely!

Well that’s me done and dusted, craft-wise.

I’m sat here in the living room, with my little lap top, tapping away at the keyboard, and I have the ceiling fan on ‘fast and furious’  ….  a tall standard fan on ‘Blow your Brains Out’,  and  a 16″ desk fan on the floor manfully struggling on, trying to blow cold air, but actually blowing warm air around – but its trying and for that I appreciate it’s every effort.

I also have my water spray bottle from my craft room, over to my right, and every now and again I give my face a little mist from it.  It feels lovely and I highly recommend this idea to all who suffer in the heat.  (I take mine to bed with me, filled with really cold water from the fridge, and use it whenever the need arises.  It helps).

Thank you so much for coming and sharing each Home Under the Dome with me over a cup of coffee.   Hope you like them and that they gave you a smile.

Have a truly lovely Monday.  Make it amazing,  and don’t settle for anything less!

Sending many squidges and much love ~