Happy Halloween !!!

Just a quick word to say, Happy Halloween everybody !!

Have great fun in your costumes and enjoy your treats !

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Practice what you preach :)

Whats happening with our parcels ?????

I hate to be a moaning minnie , but today I feel so frustrated with my postal system, I am having so many parcels not reach destination, or being returned :(

Now dont get me wrong I love my local postie like nothing else, but the problem seems to be when the packages go off to be sorted etc.

Its gotten so bad, that now I have to send everything out by recorded delivery- signed for service, which makes it very expensive, even though second classe is expensive before we start !

Is this a cunning plan by royal mail, to make me spend more and send them this way ?? I am joking, but in reality I am not , as these last to months, about 60 percent of my parcels sent out have had to be replaced or still havent landed :(

I am therefore thinking of investing in my own team of sturdy ravens for small packages, and then using horse and carts, pegasus and a husky team to get the larger stuff out as this would appear to be more reliable.

moan, moan, winge, winge, moan and sigh........

The End   ;)

The winner is.................

And the winner of this super snail in my latest giveaway is Ms Jess von Wilson,

it is going to keep her company in her story telling wagon,

so what a lucky new home.

My next giveaway will be announced next friday and its for a mohair piggy :)

Just make sure you are following me on blogger, or on fb or in my circles for a chance to win him,

Have a great weekend,

love and kisses

x o x

The first Buster Bunny making workshop ...........

I am happy to report that last weekends workshop was a great and happy success :)

possibly due to all the lovely cakes and refreshments on offer there, during the course of the day...

Everyone happily having fun and sewing away.......

and here are some of the wonderful bunnies that my fabulous pupils have made !!

The girls were all brilliant --it was such great fun and I look very forwards to another one this sunday,

feel free to email me on darlingdeborah@rocketmail.com

for future workshops and booking details.

xxx

Work , rest and play !!

Have a great weekend, and dont forget to spoil yourself a little....

A few sewing birds in process on my worktable...........

and last nights sun setting......

Have a great weekend !!

Cathy Cullis--- our best British Folk Artist

I am so honoured that Cathy Cullis has featured one of my bears on her mid week mosaic, I consider this quite an gift, Cathy is our best british folk artist in my opinion. Her work is sensitive, beautiful,delicate and strong, do go and check out her blogg , her shops too.

Here I am :) above in her flkr mosaic. She does these mid week mosaics every wednesday.

Cathy paints with great effect, I find her work both very moving and beautiful.  She is also a very skilled writer and poet, do check out her poetry blog too.

Her textile pieces are really very special, her work is still very affordable and I believe a great investment.

Here are her links , the blogg http://cathycullis.blogspot.co.uk/

her big cartel shop , http://cathycullis.bigcartel.com/

her etsy shop, https://www.etsy.com/shop/cathycullis

and her very beautiful poetry blog , http://neveringpoetry.blogspot.co.uk/

Workshops...... for october in derbyshire....

Things are getting on track here again, I have workshops available throughout october in derbyshire...

I am also available for childrens birthday parties, for something a little different .... just email me for prices, options and dates

I have one workshop in beginners sculpture , using the female form as our inspiration..

Also cosy ones in knitting, one in learning to knit for the beginner and also one on how to knit modules, as featured below--very addictive !

Also two workshops in how to make this Buster bunny .....

and a very special workshop where I teach you how to turn your ideas into an actual pattern design of your very own.

All these workshops take place in beautiful surroundings and include nibbles and drinks, beautiful food infact :)

Also I have two very special workshops taking place in my Chapel in the forest of dean, in late november, very christmas feel to those, another mohair toymaking one and the long awaited Queen Anne workshop--so hold on to your hats :)

Please email me with your thoughts to darlingdeborah@rocketmail.com

Happy Creating !

Lets Keep Buying Handmade Art and Craft, and vintage, and support one another.....

Its nearly here the xmas purchasing time we all rush at, but lets take time to think about where we buy from and lets support our artisans and buy handmade.

You will also be helping to keep traditions going and support our community of artisans, as well as providing your loved ones with beautiful and unique gifts :)

So lets support one another and buy handmade.

Please go and take a peep at my dear friends blogg where she is doing the same and running a series on handmakers, she has very kindly featured me on there. But her blogg is filled with allsorts of wonderfulness for you to see.

http://alovelylittledeer.blogspot.co.uk/

Lets be inspired by ............................. Mermaids.

This is the first of my series of lets be inspired by, today I will be looking at the many different forms of the mermaid. Quite a magical and mystical character, that has been depicted in many forms, lets have a look see.....

Here we have her used in advertising on the bases of fishing line, I think.

Here we have her with two tails and up to mischief  :)

The Lovely Miranda film above with Glynis Jones, playing the perfect mermaid ( these are super funny and brilliant films, even by todays standards, still available on dvd )

Heres a sketch, almost like a coat of arms of some sort.

Here we have some beautiful modern art, where the photographer has captured a marine biologist at her work, quite beautiful and also mermaid like :)

A rare appearance of a male merman, and rather handsome he is too!

Beautiful art nouveau style here with a bevvie of beauties .

A rather fantastic old black and white photograph, gorgeous !

A nice medievil depiction here.

A very stylish oriental interpretation .

 More of the wonderful very nautical black and whites.

John Waterhouse's masterpiece, which I have seen in the flesh and is stunning !

and a beautiful more modern drawing here.

and my favourite of them all ,Woman Fish, rather folk art and whimsical.

Next week, I shall choose something else to be inspired by,

thanks for tuning in,

Deborah xxx

Ruth Brown "If I Can't Sell It..." live television appearance 1989

What a fantastic song , sent to me by a dear friend, you all will enjoy this, soo good, great Ruth Brown :)