Natures Whispers

2011-10-04T05:34:00.000-07:00

Hey there blog friends. I've had real problems getting access to my blog for the past couple of months. I was frozen out of it but today I thought I'd try again.

Now that blogger has accepted my mobile number I'm hoping I will be able to give little picture updates from time to time.

I've missed you and visiting your blogs. Hope you are all doing well xxxJ

Spring Oak Leaf Wine

2011-05-21T12:08:00.000-07:00

Recipe

1 gallon of oak leaves (Spring or Autumn)

4 oranges*

1 lemon*

4lbs sugar

Wine yeast

Wash the leaves in cold water removing all woody stalks, damaged leaves, caterpillars and other hedgerow stow aways (I found several green caterpillars and a black and red caterpillar of the White Ermine Moth). Place the prepared oak leaves into a gallon brewing bucket, cover in boiling water and leave over night.

Strain and separate the leaves from the fluid. The leaves can now be composted.

Add the liquid to a large pan, preferably stainless steel. If like me, you do not have a pan large enough, split the liquid between two pans and ensure that you spread the ingredients equally between the two pots.

Add sugar, juice of lemons and oranges, and thin peel. It is important to make sure that there is no white pith on the peel so I grated the white side of the peel until the pith has been removed and the peel is very thin.

Place some dried wine yeast into a glass with a little water that has been allowed to cool until hand hot from boiling. This activates the yeast.

Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes. When cool pour the liquid through a muslin cloth into a demi John and add the yeast and water. Top up the demi john with cooled boiled water until almost full. Add air lock and bung.

Leave to ferment. When all fermentation has ceased rack off into wine bottles and leave for 6 months. The longer you can leave the wine the better it will taste.

When ready to drink reserve one bottle to enjoy with friends at a solstice celebration. Enjoy!

The same recipe can be found widely over the web and in hedgerow wine books. I used a 1970 copy of the Farmers Weekly Collection.

* When making I did not have any oranges so instead used 3 satsumas and 2 lemons. I'm sure it will still taste great!

Spring

2011-04-27T07:08:00.001-07:00

A wee bit more...

2011-04-23T11:23:00.000-07:00

Thank you for all that have left comments the past few days. I will answer all very soon. The sun has been out to play and I have a lot of friends and family visiting the island. Happy days :))

Inspirational Forests

2011-04-19T15:02:00.000-07:00

Stepping into a forest

Stepping into a dream

Reflecting lakes

Textures of moss, lichen and bark

Enchanting birdsong

A breath of life

This months Festival of the Trees is being hosted by Suzi of Spirit Whispers

To enter a post please email your posts weblink to:

suziscribbles [at] yahoo [dot] co [dot] uk

Slow Progress

2011-04-17T06:23:00.000-07:00

Alexanders

2011-04-14T01:15:00.000-07:00

A couple of posts ago I showed a picture of what I know by the name of wild Welsh Angelica. I posted the same picture onto a foraging homepage asking for more information. I now know that this plant is known as Alexanders or Roman Parsley. Like Angelica, it is not native to the UK, instead it was introduced by the Romans and has naturalised over the years and now grows like a common weed all over Britain. Especially near the coastline.

The entire plant is edible. The young reddish stalks are meant to taste beautiful gently sauted in butter having an asparagus like taste. The older stems can be used in a similar fashion to angelica stalks. The leaves and flowers are edible in salads and the roots can be eaten like parsnips.

I found a recipe for Pickled Alexanders Buds on the Eat Weeds Blogs and have made up a jar. Will let you know how they taste when I open them :)

Thatching with Heather

2011-04-12T08:23:00.000-07:00

Heather

2011-04-09T04:35:00.001-07:00

The coastline of Anglesey is abundant with heather and gorse. Wild angelica is starting to line every country lane and wayside, the brambles a creeping forth and wild vervain (not to be confused with the medicinal vervain) is starting to sprout. Anglesey is a joy to behold in Springtime.

Right now, the heather tops are a glorious green, ideal for dyeing wool. I've been doing a lot of research into the uses of heather and stumbled across the below wool dyeing recipe whilst looking into methods for heather thatching. Click on the link below to see wealth of knowledge and lore collated by Electric Scotland.

A Traditional Recipe for the Dying of Wool

Gather the tops of the (Barr An Fhraoich) Heather. Gather when they are young and green, and growing in a shady place. Place a layer of wool and heather alternately on the bottom of the pot until the pot is filled. Then add as much water as the pot will hold. Put on the fire to boil, but do not allow to boil dry. The wool will dye a lovely yellow colour which is a good basis for green when indigo is added. If a moss green is require, add gall apples and iron mordant towards the end of dying. Purple and brown tints can be obtained by using old heather tops.

If wanted for winter use, the tips of the heather plant should be picked just before they come into flower. If it is to be used fresh, it can be gathered as long as the flower is in bloom.

The resultant dye is a mordant dye which means the fibre requires special preparation before it can absorb the colour. The treatment is 4oz alum and 2oz cream of tartar to every 1 lb of wool.

I've been out collecting heather for thatching my aunt's gazebo with. I have a feeling I am going to be collecting heather for quite some time. I don't mind though, collecting heather or gorse or other free food and dyepot materials is always an enjoyable task.

Its too early to collect heather for wine or tea but I think I'll have a go at making a besom :)

My uncle made this gazebo himself. Its beautiful isn't it. Can't wait to see it with its heather thatch. I'll post more pictures as the project progresses.

Here is a picture of Welsh Angelica. I have some of the garden variety North American Angelica growing in my garden. Its a lot bigger than the Welsh Angelica and has not yet come into flower. I have plans to harvest it later in the year and make some into Angelica Liqueur. I'm trying to find out if this wild Welsh Angelica is edible too. Maybe it can be used in a dyepot? I'm going to look into it as it grows so freely around here I'd love to think of it having a culinary or dyepot use. I recently found an article on the Wild Colour website explaining how rhubarb leaves can be used as a mordant. I'm not very scientific so don't know the botanic make up of rhubarb, maybe angelica will work on the same principles?

I've been noticing lots of these round balls growing all over the oaks. My granddad calls these 'oak apples'. Can anyone tell me if these 'oak apples' are also 'oak galls'. I've been reading about dyeing with oak galls so am keen to give it a try.

The past week or so I have been noticing dandelions springing up all over the place. I read somewhere that St Georges day is the traditional date for collecting dandelions. There are so many culinary, healing and dyepot uses for the dandelion. I think I'm going to have a go at making dandelion wine and using some roots for the dyepot. I have read that dandelion roots can give a red/purple colour in the dyepot but also that this is a debatable fact. There's no harm in giving it a try to see what happens.

I tried solar dyeing with the beautiful wild vervain last year. I didn't get a very vivid colour, but I will try again this year. There are so many techniques for dyeing I'm not going to be put off by one failure. Above you can see the vervain just beginning to surface. In a few weeks these plants will be waist height and displaying the most magnificent red and cerise flowers.

I hope to have more to show you soon xJ

A Wakeful Green

2011-04-04T11:24:00.000-07:00

Forests have seasons all of their own. Today, wandering through the forest I listened to the call of the sparrowhawk, I heard the wind rustling through the trees and watched the tall slender saplings bending and swaying to a rythmic dance.

My two favourite seasons are Spring and Autumn and today I felt I was walking with each side by side. Gold and rust coloured leaves littered the floor and my eyes rested upon the russet hues of last years bracken while all the while leaves are unfurling, the brambles are tentatively marking out their territory and ferns are still enchanting with their fossil like curls. So much is happening.

I miss this forest feel. I spent so much time gazing at the dreamcatcher/medicine wheel like patterns to the log rings whilst my friend could not help noticing the runic symbols scattering the forest floor. Newborough Forest lies at the other side of the Island to me and I get the impression that large forests are not natural to the isle of Anglesey. Anglesey is essentially a small island known for its farming history and 200 miles of magnificent coastline. I am blessed with miles of hedgerows, gorse and heather lined fields and coastal paths, wildflowers and alpines unique to Anglesey with unusual healing properties.

Having so much outdoor beauty to focus on I find that I have not been creating art or pieces of felt but instead have been occupied with creating willow domes, tending to my garden, going on long walks and getting inspired by foraging. I have been adding gorse flowers o my salads and have made the gorse flower cordial, which is delicious, and dyed wool in gorse. I have plans to flower pound gorse flowers through a stencil. I quite like the idea of making a CND stencil to pound through, and later in the year if i am feeling more adventurous I think making stencils of peace symbols with a rainbow of different pounded flowers.

Next, I think I will be making a study of heather. I am going to help my aunt and uncle create a heather thatch roof for their pagoda, I think I'll make a heather besom, some heather tea for my mam to use as offerings at her Buddhist Centre, some heather wine and of course use heather as a natural dye.

I'll keep you posted with lots of pictures. Until then enjoy your spring and thanks for sticking with me during my silent unproductive months xJ

Tunnel

2011-03-29T03:44:00.001-07:00

The dome has begun to green up a little and I have been planting out lots of bulbs seeds and seedlings around the entrance to the dome. I' ve even divided and taken cuttings from some of my herbs and flowers so when my little girl is playing in her dome she will be surrounded by colour and fragrance. A lot of the plants are good companion plants for a vegetable plot and some are culinary, sources of natural dye and healing too. There is sweet pea, sunflower ,enula, borage, cornflower, marigold, iris, sweet cicely, nasturgeons, daffodil, fennel, oxeye daisy and chocolate mint. Next I will have to hang the pirate bunting on the inside of the dome and the Jolly Roger flag to the wall behind the swing.

I managed to squeeze in a little time to finish off the tunnel yesterday. I wanted to create a sensation like climbing down the rabbit hole when entering the tunnel for the willow dome. The tunnel is curved and taller at the entrance and considerably smaller at the point which it meets the dome.

Dunes & Texture

2011-03-24T13:31:00.000-07:00

Getting Started

2011-02-20T08:38:00.000-08:00

I've been spending a lot of time outdoors this year. Taking long walks, collecting gorse flowers for the dye pot and for culinary uses. I've found recipes for gorse flower cordial and for using the flowers in salads but so far the call of the dye pot has been strongest. The gorse gives the wool a lovely buttery hue but I do have a feeling that I may achieve a vibrant ochre if I use a higher ratio of flowers and less water. I'll have a play about and show you the results when I have done some more dye pots.

Today we started the willow dome that we are building for Naomi. Naomi helped out marking the size and shape out with finger paints.

The living willow structure is at the bottom of the garden at the end of the path. The plan is that she will have to crawl through a tunnel to get to the door. Then she can enter the dome and exit by a back door that leads to the swing. She likes her secret areas of the garden best :~)

Here is a picture of the dome half done. I have made the basic structure, added 2 doors and one window. Tomorrow, I will make the tunnel; leading up to the door, strengthen the roof and weave around the base. When its all finished we will line the base with bark chippings and eventually plant runner beans, nasturtions and marigolds around the dome to brighten it up.

Last month I planted lots of willow cuttings. Its nice to see that they have settled in and are sprouting nicely :)

Stepping Out

2011-01-23T08:02:00.000-08:00

Dreaming Tree Shapes

2011-01-09T04:08:00.000-08:00

Hosting the January edition of Festival of the Trees has been so inspiring for me. Reading through so many blog posts of science, environment, word play and arts has awoken something that has been sleeping inside of me for so long.

One of the submissions to the Festival of the Trees was a collaborative project in which a Willow yurt was constructed and felted with raw fleece during a festival and the summer solstice. The yurt has caught my imagination so vividly. I have been pricing willow for planting in my garden, researching willow structures and daydreaming all kinds of magic for the making. Did you know that willow can be at full height within 4 years and that a 3"x3" area planted with Willow will produce enough fire wood for one household for an entire year? Such a great way to nurture the environment, wildlife, and self sustainability ideologies as well as creating materials for crafting and play. I do however have to remember to stay grounded and centre myself. When I see video clips of elven style structures as the one above my imagination runs wild. The possibilities!

Living, breathing, art! For more tree candy visit the Grand Master Tree Shapers of Pooktre. You won't be disappointed.

Trees refresh the soul, clean the air we breath, inspire, calm, nurture. They shelter, feed, warm, heal, give colour, and provide hours, days, lifetimes of pleasure.

What would we do without them?

Wrapt Trees

2011-01-08T08:33:00.001-08:00

Continuing with the Theme of United Nations International Year of the Forests and feeling very inspired by the posts contributed to the January edition of Festival of the Trees, I have decided to wrap some of the trees in my back garden and let nature and time work their magic. This type of eco art is a game of patience. I have been very inspired by Martine's collaborative project and just had to give it a try.

Above, you can see a Sycamore wrapped in an old cotton sheet. I mordanted the sheet and wrapped the tree in it while it was still wet.

This Sycamore seemed a natural choice of tree to wrap. When I met this tree was tightly bound with ivy. I cut the ivy down, revealing deep grooves and notches where the ivy had constricted around the trunk. This species grows so quickly you can see the mischief that a simple washing line had caused this tree. I have hopes of interesting patterns and eco prints emerging from this wrap. Under some of the layers I placed leaves from what I think may be a Rhododendron at the bottom of the garden.

I also wrapped two Holly trees that are growing out of the dry stone wall at the edge of my veg patch. When I first moved here we also removed ivy that had wound like rope as thick as your arm all the way up the tree and the crown was being suffocated. Despite our efforts there is evidence that the ivy is taking a hold once more. I have wrapped some of the Holly and the Ivy between the layers of the cotton on these trees. Holly is very sappy and I expect that the wrappers will be explored by many insects. Who knows what patterns or colouration will be born from these trees.

Lastly, I wrapped an Elder covered in moss and Lichens.

It will be interesting to see how the passing seasons will decorate these cottons. Will they weave as much intrigue and character into my cotton as she did to the bark of the trees? I wonder what the different species will offer?

Patience!

Festival of the Trees 55 - 2011 UN International Year of Forests

2011-01-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

Yule, the Oak King gives way to the young Holly King
Used with the kind permission of artist Cherrie Button

Welcome to Festival of the Trees 55 and to 2011, The United Nations International Year of Forests. It is exciting to know that all over the world increased energies will be channelled into creating, maintaining and celebrating forests. Awareness will be raised on behalf of our forests and young and old alike will have love kindled and warm memories forged.

The forests need our help every bit as much as the earth needs our forests. With global economic collapse, recession and changes in political power, charities, humanitarian projects, wildlife and forests are under threat. In the United Kingdom, the Conservative Party plan on selling ALL of our ancient forests. Once they are gone, they cannot be redeemed. In order to carry out these environmentally unpopular sales, the government is rewriting laws written in The Magna Carta that have protected woodlands and ancient forests since 1215.

The forests, beauty spots and wildlife of this shared earth belong to us all and we have the shared right to take an interest in the environmental impact such atrocious action will have on our trees, wildlife and planet whether you live in the UK or not. I ask you all to show support by signing an online petition opposing the sale of Britain's ancient forests for once they have been sold they cannot be restored. I ask you all to raise awareness on your blogs websites, facebook and twitter pages of the threat to Britain's ancient woodlands and/or other woodlands across the globe that are in need of immediate help. Hands off our Forests!

Snow beautiful (part one) by Ash of Treeblog

But this is not the first political, or natural threat to our forests. Stella reminds us of the fires of Athens of 2009 bringing back clear memories of the national outrage of the destruction of Greek heritage in the name of development. The fires of Athens brought about such high feeling both within and outside of Greece that new legislation was proposed to on 27 October 2009. This legislation would suspend all construction activity on burned forestland in Attica and other parts of Greece until authorities draw up comprehensive forest maps.

Nature has always had setbacks and hurdles to tackle yet we need only to look to the desert to see the remarkable resilience and ability to cope in even the most water starved of locations. Deserts and Beyond show the aftermath of the recent Desert Palm Oasis fire. Desert South West shows us the beauty of desert trees and Barb teaches us about the art of Xeriscaping and the wonder of the Smoke Tree.

Via Negativa reminds us that 'It’s easy to get depressed and forget that whatever happens, however stark a desert we make, it will still be beautiful.'

Glenveagh National Park in Donegal by Silverlodg Gems

Growing with Science tells how some losses wound us more deeply than others whilst remaining optimistic and sharing her knowledge of how to plant a Pecan from seed. Vicky shares Lessons from Nature, the deep involvement and persistence needed to save a species of tree and exactly why love of nature takes its honoured place in her wedding celebrations. Long may your American Chestnut thrive!

Anybody Seen My Focus shows us beautiful images of snow in the field. Oxygen Grows on Trees invites us to monitor the progress of the 11 year old Forest that he planted back in 1999. Robert Barnes shows us his contribution to the National Register of Big Trees. Notes from Sun Rising share experiences of Tree Planting in the Snow and reminds us of the wildlife that lives around trees in Trees and Tracks. Valerianna enchants us with the magical tracks she encounters on a Winter Walk, and Stories in the Snow.

A DC Birding Blog considers the debate of a real Christmas tree and the benefits to the environment. Jules shares pictures of her favourite trees.

For the children and young at heart we have Oak Leaf Ice Flags from Inanna Shamaya and Oak Leaf Mobile's by Marghanita. Raph enthralls with the adventures of Giraffes in Trees and Gaiamoon teaches how to draw power from Trees. Lucky Dip Lisa delights us by making gifts of nature from natures gifts and generously shares her New Years Treesolutions.

Trees, textiles and art feature strongly in my New Years Resolutions. I draw so much inspiration from Mother Nature and the mediums she offers. In 2011 I intend plant and tend trees, explore natural dyes from bark, bloom, fruit, leaf, root and twig of tree. I would like to spend more time Wild Food Foraging. Making, jams, chutney's, wine s and cordials from the fruits and berries of trees. In doing so I wish to observe, to learn from the hedgerows and wildlife across the seasons learning how best to honour the birds, trees and natural wonders that I see. I would like to teach my little girl the names of as many trees and techniques of natural crafts as she has the patience for. I endeavour to know the magnificent trees of my new home, partake in the Ancient Tree Hunt, learn the identifying hallmarks of ancient trees and register as many trees for protection as possible.

Tree Spirit by Sara Lechner

With this in mind you can see how enthralled I have been with the inspiring posts presented in this edition of the Festival of The Trees. We are blessed with more offerings of beautiful textile collages from La Dolce Vita, perfection from Kayla Koo, Knowledge from Growing Colour Tyfu Lliw, we learn the art of patience from Wrapt Trees, Dorie says Thanks to her Whispering Willow and we are offered a delightful Peace Angel Cloth by Art4Moi.

Below you can see a yurt felted over a frame of willow shoots. during the Salixsli nger festival. There was a wood fire stove inside, you can see the chimney sticking through the roof. The yurt holds enough room to sit about 20 people. Ludy Feyen, Petra v/d Bergi and friends made the yurt during a three day show which was performed during the midsummer solstice.

Greenwhisper gives Trees and words of inspiration. The talented Indigenous Dialogues writes of Freezing Nights and and Indifference. Moving Poems shares An Elm we Lost by Marvin Bell. Irish Gumbo shares haiku and thoughts of yuletide love.

Finally I leave you with a magical felted bird box crafted by CorNit. I love this bird box because it is felted, because it is beautiful, because it is functional and designed with nature in mind and because it reminds me of the playful innocence of Edward Lear's 'The Quangle Wangle's Hat' and the parallels to a tree canopy and the life it emanates. Thank you all for your wonderful submissions, for sharing your love, knowledge and talent with us. May 2011 be good to you all and kind to our forests!

On the top of the Crumpetty Tree
The Quangle Wangle sat,
But his face you could not see,
On account of his Beaver Hat.
For his hat was a hundred and two feet wide,
With ribbons and bibbons on every side
And bells, and buttons, and loops, and lace,
So that nobody ever could see the face
Of the Quangle Wangle Quee.

The Quangle Wangle said
To himself on the Crumpetty Tree,--
'Jam; and jelly; and bread;
'Are the best food for me!
'But the longer I live on this Crumpetty Tree
'The plainer that ever it seems to me
'That very few people come this way
'And that life on the whole is far from gay!'
Said the Quangle Wangle Quee.

But there came to the Crumpetty Tree,
Mr. and Mrs. Canary;
And they said, -- 'Did you ever see
'Any spot so charmingly airy?
'May we build a nest on your lovely Hat?
Mr. Quangle Wangle, grant us that!
'O please let us come and build a nest
'Of whatever material suits you best,
'Mr. Quangle Wangle Quee!'

And besides, to the Crumetty Tree
Came the Stork, the Duck, and the Owl;
The Snail, and the Bumble-Bee,
The Frog, and theFimble Fowl;
(The Fimble Fowl, with a Corkscrew leg;)
And all of them said, -- We humblyy beg,
'We may build our homes on your lovely Hat,--
'Mr. Quangle Wangle, grant us that!
'Mr. Quangle Wangle Quee!'

And the Golden Grouse came there,
And the Pobble who has no toes,--
And the small Olympian bear,--
And the Dong with a luminous nose.
And the Blue Babboon, who played the flute,--
And the Orient Calf from the Land of Tute,--
And the Attery Squash, and the Bisky Bat,--
All came and built on the lovely Hat
Of the Quangle Wangle Quee.

And the Quangle Wangle said
To himself on the Crumpetty Tree,--
'When all these creatures move
'What a wonderful noise there'll be!'
And at night by the light of the Mulberry moon
They danced to the flute of the Blue Babboon,
On the broad green leaves of the Crumpetty Tree,
And all were as happy as happy could be,
With the Quangle Wangle Quee.

HANDS OFF OUR FOREST OF DEAN: Public Bodies Bill, a guide

2011-01-01T14:29:00.000-08:00

Yuletide Blessings

2010-12-24T13:18:00.000-08:00

Happy Yuletide and post Solstice Blessings.

I have been snowed in on my tiny coastal Island that has not seen snow like this in more than 30 years.

The birds have been desperate and I have found many new visitors to my garden including Willow Tit, Pied Wagtail, and Long Tail Tit. So beautiful. I have found myself raiding the baking supplies and making fatballs out of marzipan, cherries, cranberries and so many other ingredients.

As my cupboards empty with no chance of shopping I worry more about the birds. Every night of this extreme weather they lose 10% of their body weight and need to eat 40% of their body weight each day to survive the evening.

Luckily for the birds, my freezer broke and I have been giving them all they care to eat from potato waffles to boil in the bag fish. It is all thankfully welcomed. Yet still, they grow thin.

Spare a thought for the wild birds of your gardens this Yule and reward their presence with food. But please be aware, that turkey fat can kill many garden birds (don't ask me how i read this on the RSPB website) so refrain from giving them the Christmas dinner scraps.

I will be hosting the January 2011 Festival of the Trees. The Theme will be the UN 2011 International Year of the Forest. Do you have any tree related New Years Resolutions? Do you have plans to plant trees in 2011. Do trees dominate your art and writing? If so email me a weblink or leave it in the comments box below.

I will be delighted to receive all offerings. Maybe you have some tree centred art, poetry, textile or writing that was created in 2010? If so share the link. This is the season to reflect.

Until then, Stay warm and safe and may your days be filled with love and inspiration xJ

Thank You Lisa x

2010-11-19T03:22:00.001-08:00

This morning the post man delivered this beautiful fabric collage. Lucky Dip Lisa of New Zealand made this collage for Blog Action Day 2010 to the theme of Water. My gift also included a beautiful batik tree which was found in a charity shop and a card reading;

war is not healthy for your children and other living things

Lisa's blog is beautiful and has a green ethos that I find heart warming. Please pay Lisa a visit, you will like what you see :)

Recycled/repurposed tea towel, ladies handkerchief (clean!) silk scarf,net curtain, 

fabric scraps, second-hand shop lace and ribbon, cotton doilie, white beads from an old necklace,

second-hand blue beads and netting. Hand stitched and attached to a piece of heavy cardboard recovered from an old book.

Thank you Lisa
I feel blessed this morning x

Sharing Treasure #3 Burial Chambers and Iron Age Hill Forts

2010-11-16T03:00:00.000-08:00

Bryn Celli Ddu Burial Chamber

Bryn Celli Ddu is one of the most spectacular burial chambers that I have come across. Most, if not all, burial chambers would have been mounded over like this one. The burial chambers that you see showing the exposed stones and top caps like in Bodwyr below have been excavated and would have been hill like originally.

Bryn Celli Dddu is one of the most exciting and pleasing burial chambers that I have ever visited. Not just because the mound like hill covers it, or because you can walk (standing) right into it or that you can see straight through one side to the other, or because my friend found a love letter to a departed soul saying how much they were missed and how sorry they could not be all that was needed during the period of illness before departing or that because when you lie with your feet at the top of the mound and your head above the door plinth you feel like you are going to slide down the hill so quickly you could be on a sledge in snow. I love this burial ground for all of those reasons, and many more besides. Its one of those places that you just HAVE to visit, and once you have, you will want to again and again.

This burial ground may be Britain's oldest sundial. It was originally a henge and then the burial chamber was added later. There is an area a few yards away from the entrance of the door for ox burial. Bryn Celli Ddu was built before Stone Henge and is 500 hundred years older than the Pyramids of Egypt. Historians have film footage of the internal chamber flooding with light at sunrise on the morning of the summer solstice. It is thought that may have been to warm the bones of the buried. This film is now exhibited at the National Museum Cardiff.

In the picture above you can see a free standing stone outside of the entrance to the chamber. This stone is a replica as the original (below) is now exhibited in The National Museum Cardiff.

Photo by National Museum Wales where the stone is now exhibited

The stone has amazing carvings on it. There are other carvings in the burial chamber, but none so spectacular as this one. Maybe you have noticed the grooves cut into the plinth of the doorway on the first photo? I'm not sure what they signify but I do have a feeling that they are not random.

image by Ray The Mapman of The Megalithic Portal

Above you can see a diagram of the carvings on the original standing stone. Beautiful aren't they. They would make amazing designs for felt. I know after having tried that I am not skilled enough to do Celtic knot work yet. Maybe if I practice some more? But there is something so appealing to me about stone art and cave paintings that makes me want to work with that style. Dorie of Fibre Fusing has already made some outstanding felt based on some of the French cave art, i'd just love to make an Eco dyed Welsh equivalent. Mind you she is one very talented lady i have a very long way to go to catch up!

Do you love this chamber? I know I do :)

Bodowyr Burial Chamber

Bodwyr is a neolithic communal burial chamber dating from the region of 4000-2000bc. its small and quite cute. As always with sites like this, I searched the web for folklore and mythology connecting to it. Rhiannon, contributor to The Modern Antiquarian website, tells that this is one of the sites associated as being the final resting place of Branwen.

Branwen is known in both Welsh Mythology as a Goddess and in Literature as daughter of a High King of Britain. The tale of Branwen goes that Mathwlych, King of Ireland consulted Bran (Branwens brother) with ideas of marriage. Branwen married Mathwlych but after 3 years Mathwlych tired of Branwen and sent her to work in the kitchens. Branwen spent the next 3 years rearing and training a stag whom she later charged to swim across the Irish Sea and carry a message to her brother Bran. On receiving the message, Bran sent an army to rescue Branwen and a bloody battle ensued leaving many killed or injured. the tale can be found the medieval Red Book of Hergest and White Book of Rhydderch.

In the distance you can see the Snowdonia Mountain Range that lies across the Menai Straits. The Menai Straits is a SSSI with a wealth of marine life including Puffins, Seals, and even Dolphins.

Caer Leb

Caer Leb is an iron aged hill fort dating back to 200 BC. There is not much to look at here. The site was excavated in 1865 revealing a stone hut dating from 400ad indicating that this site has been occupied over many centuries similar to Din Lligwy. I like the feeling of continuation to these settlements. Established roots meaning that the site was a good one and people found what they needed to live safely and hopefully happily.

The settlement is the shape of a slice of bread and is double walled due to being built on marsh land. We visited in the last week of October. There had been some rainfall that week so we needed walking boots. It was quite boggy in places but definitely worth a visit. The sun was shining brightly and their was a wonderful feeling of peace to site . I felt content ambling around the site skimming through mole hills looking for naturally upturned artifacts (a tip from an archaeologist friend who has found pottery this way).

Caer Leb is very close to Bodowyr Burial Chamber and Bryn Celli Ddu and we managed to fit all three sites and Beaumauris Castle into one morning, although I could have happily spent the entire day at all four sites if time had allowed it.

Bwrdd Arthur (Din Sylwy) Hill Fort

We stumbled across Bwrdd Arthur whilst trying to find another site on the way to Penmon Priory. We hadn't intended to visit this site, but well if you pass it, you may as well stop and visit right? The Hill fort is on top of a very steep hill and feeling invigorated by the glorious weather we decided to completely ignore the gently winding footpath and took the direct approach in a vertical line up the hill. Phew, I certainly felt a sense of achievement when I got to the top!

We had been looking for remains of walls or other signs of a hill fort (as the name may indicate) and did find lots of stones, but nothing that screamed hill fort at us. Later I looked the site up and found that the name (as Arthur would indicate) is said to be Arthur's table and if you look you can see where the table had been and a stone for each seat. I suppose it helps to know what you are looking at when you visit places like this. I will happily return again though to check this out. The views are second to none, and yes, as the pictures show, even four year olds love this kind of outing. Hills, walls to climb on, burial chambers to climb in and picnic's! What could be better? I've begun to notice that four year olds are very much like hobbits. They crave breakfast, second breakfast, elevenses, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and supper. Although to my knowledge most halflings do not like mushrooms!

The first two pictures show views out to the Irish Sea and the Snowdonia Mountain range. The third shows views across to Red Wharf Bay. The views are so spectacular up here that I could easily spend an entire day in good weather, maybe with a mini easel or a sketch book. It is just so stunning, and again as with so many sites here on Ynys Mon (The Isle of Anglesey/Mother of Wales) the feeling of sanctuary, of bright spirits and peace are mesmerizing.

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Please join in the fun by sharing pictures, poems, stories or any other form of creative media about a place local to you and close to your heart. Add your post to Mr Linky below :)

Sharing Treasure

2010-11-10T10:03:00.000-08:00

My computer came back from repair today. It is so refreshing to be able to switch it on and read emails again. It is weeks since it caught the Malware Virus.

While I've been away from the computer, I've not had much time to express myself creatively. I'm missing art more than I did the computer. I have however been blessed with house guest after house guest and had some wonderful trips around the Island visiting burial chambers, castles, iron age hill forts, Celtic wells and sites of outstanding natural beauty. I will be writing about one or more of the places I have visited in Shared Treasure #3.

I will write a post on Monday and add the Mr Linky Widget. Please join me by writing about a favourite location in your area. I know its hard to get the day trips in when its so cold outside so by all means take this opportunity to tell us about somewhere you visited in the past. Drag out those snap shots, or take the time to make a piece of art or creative writing/poetry about a place close to your heart.

Until then, I will be slowly making my way round your blogs and catching up with you all xJ

Hello

2010-11-06T11:09:00.000-07:00

Hello, Just a quick note to say thank you to all that have sent emails asking where I am. I have had a lot of computer problems and find myself using a laptop which will only allow me access to facebook. My computer is being repaired and I hope to have it back very soon. I have not been able to see your sites either so apologies for not visiting.

I hope to see you all very soon xJ

Water

2010-10-15T01:33:00.000-07:00

Water
Cooling, Refreshing
Quenching, Cleansing, H2O
Sustaining LIFE, Creating Life, Water
Wonderful, Gurgling, WATER. Babbling
Hydrating, Trickling, Raining, Precipitating,
Life,Perspiring, Irrigating, Bathing, Swimming,
Washing, WATER. Droplets, Tears, Saline, Serum,
Drinking, Sustaining, Watering, Soothing, Water
Flowing, Tidal, Salt Bodies of Water, Brooks, Seas
Streams, Rivers, Oceans, Estuaries, Reservoirs
Canals, Ponds, Lakes, Transport, Sport, LIFE,
Sustaining Water, Monsoons, Kissing the
Soul, Nurturing, Life Giving Water
LIFE Begins With Fresh
Water

Anupam Mishra: The ancient ingenuity of water harvesting | Video on TED.com

Blog Action Day 2010 - Water

Peace Felt

2010-10-14T09:54:00.000-07:00

Here is the Peace Felt that I received from mixed media Fibre Artist Sharen Eninger. I love the hessian and different textures. Thank you Sharen.

If you wanted to know what happened to the Peace Flags that I made, then please visit Robin Joy Andreae and her amazing needle felted animals.

A Crown of Autumn Leaves

2010-10-08T03:55:00.000-07:00

When autumn gathers, the tree

That the leaves sang

Reddens dark slowly, then, suddenly free,

Turns like a key,

Opening air where they hang

Felt by Yvette Cals
Poetry by Annie Finch

Peace Felt

2010-09-27T04:04:00.000-07:00

"I have learned silence from the talkative, tolerance from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet strangely, I am ungrateful to these teachers"

Khalil Gibran

"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing or rightdoing, there is a field.
I will meet you there"

Jalal Ad-Din Rumi

"We may have different religions, different languages, different coloured skin,
but we all belong to one human race"

Kofi Annan

"Non-violence leads to the highest ethics,which is the goal of all evolution.Until we stop harming all other living beings , we are still savages."

- Thomas A. Edison

"End each day with thoughts of peace. Begin each day with thoughts of peace. Continue thinking thoughts of peace throughout your precious day and happiness will be yours."

"A smile is the beginning of peace."

Mother Theresa

Peace Felt

Exciting Times

2010-09-25T19:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the Druid Network were granted charitable status under the religious heading.

This means that Druidry is recognised as a religion under UK law. This is the first time that any form of Paganism has been legally recognised in UK law.

Druidry is one of many many paths of Paganism. To some, Paganism may be Wicca, Shamanism, Anarchy, Nature Based Spirituality, Celtic Identity or so much more.

It is such a shame that our sociological driven society feels the need to label us, split and divide us. For so long, Pagans have been made to feel like the immature children, the juvenile, the thorns in the side. So many of my fellow blog friends have a pseudonyms so they can speak honestly and freely with Pagan expression.

The world still fears and shuns that which it does not understand. Earlier this week, I visited some land on which a medicine wheel was built. The land is to become a place of healing, to the land, the animals the people and the trees. As I entered the site, I heard that peace flags had been hung over the field gate earlier in the day, had been stolen. I heard, that prayers that had been attached to trees, and pebbles placed in a well, had been removed, and continued to be removed, by others in the area that do not understand Pagan ways. Why is this so? How can peace flags upset anyone? How can a ribbon in a tree offend? Why does the presence of semi precious stones in an ancient Celtic well threaten? And why should we, Pagans, Druids, Shamans, Witches and so much more feel that we must stay hidden?

Last autumn, I received a letter from my daughters nursery. It asked of religious views, dietary requirements, medical info. You know the sort. Foolishly, I wrote Pagan next to religion. Its not that I want to indoctrinate my little girl, or make her believe my ways, it more that until she decides for herself I will teach her the ways of nature, the changing of the seasons, the elements, respect for life. Do you know how many times I had members of the nursery staff ask me if I danced around bonfires naked? I felt afraid, and as if my declaration of my own spiritual path would cause discrimination to my child. I had made it clear that my little girl could learn of other religions and cultures but it was to be respected that she had her own path. They tried to make her pray and say the lords prayer each day. Is it just me, or is respecting other religions and being made to participate in other religions prayer two very different things?

In my little girls new school, I have not felt so brave. I am proud of my Pagan beliefs, but do not want my daughter to be ostracised or marginalised. I want her to be happy, and free to play with whoever she likes, to invite the friends that she plays with home, and not just those that have the same spiritual path as her parents.

There is room for us all in this world.

Especially those that walk in PEACE, and HARM NONE!

With that said, I am sure you can see just how momentous an occasion it is that the Druids have received recognised religious status within the UK. I am thankful for their hard work!

Now, its time for you all to stand up and be counted. Fill in the Pagan Census today. Be proud of who you are.

xOx

Mabon, the Full Moon and a Medicine Wheel

2010-09-23T15:29:00.000-07:00

Today is Mabon, the Autumn Equinox

A day of equal light and dark

A Harvest Moon

The first time in 20 years that the first day of Autumn has occurred on the same day as a full moon

Lets us not forget that this year was also guided in by a blue moon

This is a year for looking upwards
To greet the sky
Feel the wind on our cheeks
The rain kiss the lids of our eyes
The stars twinkle with joy

Embrace these precious moments

To mark this special occasion I entered into a Mabon Swap with the ethereal 'Faerwillow'

My gifts arrived, lovingly packaged with hand crafted items
Filling me with Excitement

Photographs of nature, a paper doll, tissue leaves, hand made tags
A clay leaf, and the softest woolen cowl

I feel blessed!

Look how at home they feel on my alter!

Thank you Faerwillow x

Feeling energised by the magic of the equinox, I set out to a gathering of new friends where we created a medicine wheel out of rocks and stones.

My new friends wish to heal the earth, and those that walk it. The acts of creation, ceremony, and ritualistic drumming were invigorating.

And, because life is for living, and some things should just 'be experienced' I did not stop to take pictures. All I can show you of this occasion is a picture of a tepee in which we all sat, shared food, and supped oak leaf wine.

Happy Autumn Equinox x

Sharing Treasure # 2 - LLigwy

2010-09-21T11:27:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Sharing Treasure # 2. This month I have 3 sites to share with you. Lligwy Cromlech, Din Lligwy and Hen Capel Lligwy. All within close walking distance of each other.

Lligwy Cromlech

Lligwy Cromlech, a neolithic burial chamber. Cromlech is a word used to describe a burial mound or Dolmon from Welsh, from crom, feminine of crwm bent, arched + llech flat stone. In France, the word Cromlech is used to describe a stone circle, so maybe it is not accidental that the symbol for pi resembles some burial chambers.

Lligwy Cromlech has also been known as Coetan Arthur, Din Lligwy Burial Chamber and Arthur's Quoit. The Cromlech is said to be built upon a natural fissure in the limestone, rather than being dug out.

The site has a peaceful feeling to it. So much so that my 4 year old daughter instantly climbed inside it and lay down on the protruding stone whilst exclaiming that it was her new house and that is her sofa! I could have happily spent much longer here, and plan to return again very soon.

I did a little research into Lligwy Cromlech, looking for history and folklore. Rhiannon, contributor to 'The Modern Antiquarian' kindly shares a tale of a wild stormy night where a fisherman stumbles across a fair maiden struggling to reach the safety of the shore. He wades into the water and pulls the maiden to safety. After taking the maiden (at her request) to Arthur's Quoit he discovers that she is a witch that has been cast overboard and disguised herself to increase her chances of rescue. Afraid to be in the presence of a witch in a known haunted site the fisherman finds himself rewarded with a ball. The witch cautions the fisherman to keep the snakeskin ball safe, and secret from all and good fortune will be his. He shall only take out the ball from its hiding place once a year to bathe it in the sea, and then return it to hiding. If this is not done bad luck will follow. Please visit 'The Modern Antiquarian' to read the full story and see other pictures and accounts of visits to Lligwy Burial Chamber.

Din Lligwy

Din Lligwy is a settlement that is thought to have been built by natives to Anglesey during the Roman occupation. Din refers to 'defensive walls. It is thought that the site was a farming community and may even date back to the iron age. In the picture to the bottom right hand corner below, you can see the walls for one of the round rooms at Din LLigwy. It certainly 'fits' that the settlement dates back to the iron age, as it is very close to Parys Mountain which was mined for copper and other ores since the copper age 3500 years ago. Also, round houses were considered a symbol of status. The Celts and farming communities continued to use round houses until around 200 ad when they began adopting the Roman shaped houses.

Din Lligwy is known to have been occupied by the Romans until around 400ad. The round houses are thought to have been living quarters and the oblong rooms were workshops for iron working and animal shelters.

Hen Capel Lligwy

Hen Capel Lligwy is a wonderful example of medieval history.

The things that intrigue me most about church sites is their connection to sites of pagan worship, ley lines and trees. The church, pictured above, is very small but the trees alongside it are very large for their species.

The Hawthorn below is very large. I felt very attracted by her energy and found myself spending most of my time at this site beside this tree.

When I got home, I researched methods of aging trees without harming them. The Woodland Trust have a lovely tree hugging guide to aging trees of different species.

A Hawthorn only needs an elbow hug, whatever that may be, to qualify as ancient. I think this tree is more than an 'elbow hug' and displays some hallmarks of an ancient tree so I have registered it with The Woodland Trust to verify its age.

The Woodland Trust believe that ancient trees are living relics of incredible age that inspire in us feelings of awe and mystery. We reveal what makes a tree truly ancient, unlock a few of the fascinating secrets and stories associated with them and help you discover why they can sustain such a wide variety of wildlife. 'The Ancient Tree Hunt' is a project that invites members of the public to register trees that may be ancient or veteran with the Woodland Trust. Some of these trees may then be be granted a 'protected' status depending upon what its needs are. So, next time you are out walking and see an inspirational tree, why not give it a hug?

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If you have a treasure on your doorstep that you would like to share, please add your web link to Mr Linky below.

All are welcome :)

Sharing Treasure #2

2010-09-12T09:53:00.000-07:00

Next Sunday I will be posting another story about Anglesey and some of its historical treasures. I will place the Mr Linky box at the bottom of the post and invite you all to add your own web link for your own posts introducing us to the magical wonders on your doorstep.

Sharing Treasure is a place where we can share the magic and wonders of our local history, folklore, ancestry, customs and nature with each other and rekindle the appreciation of our own environ. Anyone can join in by adding their blog link and name to Mr Linky. The posts can be as long or as short as you like and expressed in poetry, creative writing, art, textiles, photography or other creative media. The important thing is to enjoy unlocking the treasures of this shared journey.

To view Sharing Treasure #1 please click HERE.

Nuno Felt and Solar Dye

2010-09-08T02:33:00.000-07:00

My washing line shows projects that I have had on a back burner for quite a while now. To the left is a solar dyed silk that I created in the Spring before moving house. To the right you can see a large nuno felt that I have made with tussah silk and Blue Faced Leicester curls detail.

I have really liked the textured detail that can be created when using curls in nuno felt and thought that it would be a great effect for a net curtain/blind for a window.

I live in a traditional cottage with low ceilings and big black beams. The windows are cut out of 3ft thick stone walls so not much natural light gets through. Even if it did, the view onto the street is not so attractive and the weather to come will be wet and windy.

I thought plain nuno blinds would offer a warm comforting feel to the room, while still allowing natural light to diffuse into the room. I like both the curly and the silk side so this fabric offers a versatility to suit different looks and moods.

Initially I had planned to make the blinds out of the solar dyed silks, but I late felt that the patterns would make the room feel too crowded (it is a very small room).

Back in the spring my camellia tree blessed me with so many flowers. The picture to the left shows the colour the camellia's gave. It was very surprising to see such a deep purple come out of these red/pink flowers. The colour was initially much deeper than this, a rich violet, but it degraded so quickly. I left the fibres in too long. Next Spring, I intend to put the fibres and silks into the dye solution and take them out within ten minutes in order to capture this wonderful colour. I won't know how fast the colour will be, but even if I only have it for a short while before it fades I will be one very happy bunny.

The second picture shows the wet petal pulp remains from the dye pot being laid out onto silk before being rolled into a bundle, popped in a jar and left for a month to solar dye on the window sill. I much prefer this method of solar dyeing bundles to the filling the jar with water. I find the watery solution grows mouldy very quickly and gives a terrible smell and the results aren't as good as this. But I have seen other artists achieve wonderful things with their wet solar dye bundles so I will give it another go soon.

The picture to the left above shows the rust and purple tones of the silk and the picture to the right hand side shows the solar dyed silk being held in front of the white nuno to give a better idea of how the colours will mute if nuno felted. I think I will make something with double layers of silk over lapping for contrast. Watch this space :)

Celebrating 10 years of Woods on your Doorstep across the UK

2010-09-06T04:08:00.000-07:00

This morning has been busy and exciting for me. One of my favourite charities, 'The Woodland Trust' is celebrating the tenth birthday of their 'Woods on your Doorstep' Campaign. The campaign is actually 15 years old but it is 10 years since the campaigns first woods were planted.

To celebrate the 10th birthday of the campaigns community woods, the Woodland Trust are giving away 250 packs of trees to schools and community groups across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Sounds fantastic doesn't it? An opportunity too good to let slip by. So after first running the idea past some friends and family in the area I wrote to Anglesey Council and North Wales Wildlife Trust to ask if they could spare some land in which a community can plant a woodland and Sacred Grove on.

The North Wales Wildlife Trust were the first to get back to me offering contact names within the council and suggesting other organisations that may be interested in helping out. Aren't they wonderful! So after resending my original email to the named contact within the council , I called a lady at Mentor Mon who was very helpful and has offered to discuss the proposal with Anglesey Council to see if a suitable piece of land can be found. If land can be found, Mentor Mon will see if they can assist the project too.

Feeling very optimistic about the matter, I then decided to call the local school to see if they would be interested in helping plant a community woodland if 1) an appropriate piece of land can be secured for planting the trees on, and 2) we are successful in an application to the Woodland Trust. The school are very interested in getting involved.

So, now that the first tentative steps have been made into securing land for the creation of a community woodland and securing support from vital members of the community I am waiting with baited breath to see if we will be able to make an application to The Woodland Trust for one of their free packs of trees. Here is a list of the information required by the Woodland Trust which should be included on all applications:

* Where you are planting your trees - public / private land?
* What arrangement you have with the landowner - short-term / long-term lease? Please do not apply unless you have the landowner's permission.
* How many people will you involve in your project?
* How will you care for your trees in the long-term?
* A FULL grid reference (or full postcode) showing where the trees will be planted. Identifying your planting location is critical for us to process your application.

Right now, I don't know if this project will be given the green light or not, but it is exciting that it is being considered and we have community interest in the idea. Wish us luck!

If you are interested in creating a community woodland why not make an application to The Woodland Trust yourself? All applications must reach The Woodland Trust by the 30th September 2010. Good luck!

Apples

2010-09-03T11:50:00.000-07:00

Green apples, poured full

of density, of crispness, float unmoved

under leaves on the slope. Brown

fallen apples nest

in secret whorls of grass. The apple tree:

alone in so much space. And below

in the woods by the water

a sweet dead branch

cracks lightly

in the shadow in the wind.

Taken from 'One With The Sun' by 'A. F. Moritz'

I have this marvelous apple tree. It may even be an Anglesey Apple Tree, which according to Gardeners Question Time is one of the four original apples and has a strong gene pool making it hardy and high yielding. This apple tree is full of fruit. I'm not sure how to tell when they are ready to pick.

The apple tree is weather damaged and has been neglected. It is suffering from storm damage where a limb was cruelly ripped from the trunk leaving the tree rotten and spongy in parts. I don't think there is anything that I can do to prevent the rot from spreading, but would very much like to assist this tree in which ever way I can.

Can anyone advise the best way to prune this beautiful tree or provide other tips to help this tree on the way to recovery? Can I take cuttings?

All advice is greatly appreciated x0x

*fairy/red star angel tag by Lynne Hoppe*

Cobweb Shawl

2010-09-02T07:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the perfect day. The sun shone, the wind was out of town and I made felt in the garden before visiting Cemlyn Beach where the tide was in and people waded up to their waists in the sea.

I had intended the above piece to be nuno felted and then to dye it with blackberries ready to be made into a dress for my little girl, but I experimented with some silk like fabrics that I bought in a sari shop back in Birmingham. The fabric nuno felted just fine but felt so synthetic that I was not happy with it at all. I peeled off the silky layer which took a while but was worth it. I was left with a very thin felted shawl which I manipulated holes into the thinnest parts in a cobweb effect. I really like it so will leave it white for a while. Lets hope this Indian summer is here to stay and I get many more breeze free days ideal for setting up in the garden. I still want to make a dress for my little girl, and have ideas for nuno felted, solar dyed blind/curtains for the windows.

The Season of Change

2010-08-31T12:53:00.000-07:00

Today, I collected 3 of my felt paintings which had been on display at the Ucheldre Centre in Holyhead for the past 5 weeks.

I did not win any prizes in the 'Art for All' competition or sell any work, but it feels like a big step forward to actually enter competitions and display work at an exhibition.

My pieces were the only felted items at the exhibition. I'm not really sure how well my work was received as I was unable to attend the opening evening.

There were over 600 entrants to the exhibition and some of the work was outstanding.

Tomorrow is the last day of the summer holidays and I will be preparing my little girl for starting her first day at school. In many ways, we will all be returning to education. Me, P and my granddad will all be learning conversational Welsh at the school in the evenings, and my daughter will be taught entirely in Welsh by the end of the school year.

I have also enrolled on some part time art courses at Bangor University so will have a lot to occupy my time these next few months, and hopefully, a lot more to share with you here than I have had this summer.

My Granddad will be joining me on a short 'writing with intent' course hosted by Bangor University. It will be fun discussing and sharing homework with him. As it will be learning Welsh from my daughter who will inevitably pick up Welsh at a faster pace than us.

September has always felt like a time to renew energy, to stimulate the mind and learn new skills. Who knows what is in store for me on this new adventure!

Sharing Treasure #1

2010-08-25T08:37:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Sharing Treasure #1. Sharing Treasure is a place where we can share the magic and wonders of our local history, folklore, ancestry, customs and nature with each other and rekindle the appreciation of our own environ. Anyone can join in by adding their blog link and name to Mr Linky below. The posts can be as long or as short as you like and expressed in poetry, creative writing, art, textiles, photography or other creative media. The important thing is to enjoy unlocking the treasures of this shared journey.

The first place I wanted to share with you today is Cemlyn Nature Reserve on The Isle of Anglesey (Ynys Mon). Cemlyn is an 'Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty'. The history of this nature reserve is unusual and a living chronicle of one mans life work to create a haven for birds. A wealthy eccentric man, Captain Vivian Hewitt had a passion for wildfowl, and all other birds. He created the first ever dam in the weir of Cemlyn to create a lagoon as refuge for wildfowl. Inside the large walled gardens of his ominous house, he created a woodland for small birds, using the imposing walled gardens as wind breaks to shelter the birds. When Captain Vivian Hewitt died he left everything to his house keepers who subsequently sold the land to The National Trust to continue with Hewitt's work.

It is funny how local stories often differ from the real history of a place. Locally, Hewitt is known as 'The Reluctant Millionaire' and it is rumoured that he was the first man from Wales to fly to France. It is also said that Hewitt would buy all sorts of machinery that he did not understand and would take it to pieces, put it together again and then store it in sheds behind those huge wall. Who knows if any of of this is true. The only thing that I know is that Hewitt has created something fantastic and his services to nature make him a hero.

Today, Cemlyn Nature Reserve is a SSSI of geological importance, an important breeding site for Terns and other sea birds and rich in wildflowers and butterflies. Next month, I will need to watch my step for all of the big red and black caterpillars that will be carpeting the earth. I need to find a good field guide to help me identify them and the butterflies of this place. It would be a delight to understand and know all of the wildflowers here. Yesterday, as I walked along these shores for the second time this week, I noticed orchid like flowers, sea kale, land cress and sea radish.

On one visit, a geologist friend broke open some of the beaches pebbles with a hammer to identify the minerals in the stones. We found quartz, iron pyrite, red sandstone and more. So beautiful. I could collect pebbles and gaze at their purple,pink, red, green, grey , white and orange hues all day.

As I walked along to the oyster catchers anvil collecting shells with holes in them to string into wind chimes, I gazed out over the Irish sea looking towards Skerries Isles, watching the sun sparkle over the waves. I could hear the far off wolf like howl of the wind, the crashing of the waves and the barking of the nearby seals that could be seen glistening with silver and grey on the rocks. If only my camera could show you what I could see. I felt so calm and contented in that wild environment, reminding me of a different experience during a visit to The Farne Isles where I wrote this poem last May:

Air raid attack with a rattle clack-clack
Dive bombing Terns on maternal crack

Flapping hands, scuttling feet

Running for cover from the pointy beak

Nesting Terns under feet

Cache of eggs, indiscreet

Quickly pass by, run and hide

Best not tinker with mother's pride

Feeling overpowered by hormonal souse

Seeking refuge by an old light house

Safe at last, exhale and sigh

Sun beats down from a cloud free sky

Puffin mysteriously weaving about

Up and down from burrows,bustling in and out

Grey Seal beaching or bobbing along

To the whoosh and the swish of the ocean song

Igneous rock yielding natures display

The Farne Isles breeding seasons finest array

Puffin, Guillemot, Razorbill and Shag

Gracefully adorning these crags

On the way back home we stopped off at Nanner Farm for a 'Full Monty'. The full Monty is a cake tray to match the best cheese board. The home made ginger cake with rhubarb jam is the best I have ever tasted, the cream scones and Bara Brith (recipe HERE) were the perfect victual treat to draw a close to a wonderful afternoon.

Whilst looking around the Nanner Farm shop I got chatting to the bee keeper. The farm, once 117 hives strong is now down to 7 hives. Most bee keepers are experiencing the same levels of losses as a result of pesticides. It is not the pesticides that kill the bees, the pesticides wipe out the bees immune systems which then leave the bees vulnerable to grubs, and disease.

Hopefully, this farm is turning the corner as the 7 remaining hives seem strong. We can only wish them luck and remember to support our own local beekeepers by buying their honey and produce. Not only is locally produced honey good for fending off hay fever and boosting the immune system, but by buying the honey, we are helping the bee keepers bridge their financial losses and doing what we can to help them protect the endangered honey bee.

Birmingham Mail - News - Top Stories - Birmingham grandfather saved paradise from parking lot

2010-08-15T09:42:00.000-07:00

Birmingham Mail - News - Top Stories - Birmingham grandfather saved paradise from parking lot

A local newspaper printed a story about my grandfather this week.

Click on the link to read the story.

Sharing Treasure

2010-08-13T02:53:00.001-07:00

I've not had much time for blogging lately. We have moved to a magical little Island, steeped in history and folklore. The sun - shining, the shores - beckoning, wildlife - enchanting and loved ones - visiting. I have been blessed with all the ingredients of a wonderful summer.

I've not had much time for art and crafts. Often, I'm in a spin, with barely a moment to catch up with myself. Life is good.

I've been exploring the treasures of this wonderful Island, my new home, and while I've been doing this I have often thought about sharing them with you.

Right now, I am putting together a post about Llanbadrig Church, the oldest church in Wales, which has a fascinating history.

I'd like to make a regular feature of sharing the wonders of this magical Island: the history, mythology, ancestry, spirituality, nature and customs.

I'd also like to hear more about the magic of your own locale. I've been toying with the idea of holding a monthly posting using Mr Linky. I would write about the treasures of Anglesey and would invite you to share your local treasures with me and the other participants. There would be no obligation to contribute each month. The posts can be as short or long as you like and can be expressed in writing, art, poetry, literature, photography or any other format that feels comfortable to you.

Who's in?

Edit - For those of you that are interested I will post Mr Linky on Monday 23rd August. All contributors can enter the link for their post then. I have chosen this week so that we don't clash with the deadline for The Festival of the Trees.

Thank you to Elizabeth and Cheryl for joining in :)

Face Plant Challenge

2010-07-26T04:48:00.000-07:00

Joining in the fun with the Face Plant Challenge over at Artspark Theatre.

Practicing Contentment

2010-07-23T12:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I travelled to the Lakes District to see my mam at Manjushri after a ceremony in which she was ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist Nun. She has now been given the new name 'Kelsang Minche' which means 'Fortunate one who ripens Buddha Nature'.

I travelled to Manjushri with my daughter, meeting my sister on route and finally meeting with two uncles and two aunts that I have not seen for a very long time. It was a beautiful and happy family reunion. We all wish my mam much happiness and contentment on her new journey as a nun.

To honour the occasion we have bought some Bodhi seeds for my mam and the Buddhist centre in which she lives. According to Buddhist tradition, Buddha is said to have sat under the Bodhi Tree the night he attained enlightenment.

I now leave you with the beautiful 'Tara' prayer that I am used to hearing my little girl singing to my mam.

Canolfan Ucheldre Centre

2010-07-17T11:57:00.000-07:00

My grandparents have encouraged me to enter an art competition and exhibition.

Three of my needle felt paintings will be on display from Friday 23rd of July to 30th August at the Canolfan Ucheldre Centre in Holyhead. Its my first exhibition so its pretty nerve racking.

I won't be able to attend the opening night where the winners of the competition are announced as I have a pretty exciting engagement to attend in the Lakes District next week.

I will be back with more to show next week end. Until then, may the sun shine brightly through the days and the rain kiss your gardens at night.

xOx

Y Tylwyth Teg (The Fair Family)

2010-07-13T12:48:00.000-07:00

Anglesey is steeped in history, myth and magic. Keen to find out more, I have been reading 'Rumours and Oddities from North Wales' a selection of folklore, myths and ghost stories by Meirion and Wayne Evans.

In Wales, the Fae Folk are known as Y Tylwyth Teg (The Fair Family) and can appear as small as a rose petal, large as an adult or anywhere in between. According to Anglesey legend, a woman living in the Holy Land (Holyhead) during the time of Jesus Christ was ashamed that she had twenty children. One day, when Christ approached her house she decided to pretend she only had ten children and hid half of her children away. The hidden children disappeared and are said to have become the ancestors of the Tylwyth Teg.

Reading this folklore, you can imagine how happy I was to find the above picture sitting on my door step this morning. A house warming gift from the lovely Ruthie.

Thank you Ruthie xx

Saving the Spinach

2010-07-10T11:18:00.000-07:00

We have many beautiful feathered garden friends.
They love my vegetable patch!

Going for Green

2010-07-08T03:34:00.000-07:00

With this piece, I was aiming for texture. I am happy with the Nowegian curls and how they have bonded with the silk. I tried to dye this felt green using red onion skins and alum. I'm not sure about the shade. Maybe a little too mustardy? I am finding green a tricky shade to achieve, it seems that there is a need to over dye blue with yellow, or yellow with blue. I have some indigo seedlings on my window sill. We shall see what the summer has in store.

I hope that your summer is bringing you joy xJ

A Gentle Stroll

2010-07-03T12:34:00.000-07:00

We have been blessed with glorious weather and lots of house guests since moving to Anglesey. Today, we decided to explore the foot paths close to my home.

Here is a picture looking down onto Dulus Estuary and one of its ship wrecks.

When I first moved to Anglesey I was excited to hear that William Morris and his brothers were born and raised in Dulus which is only two miles down the road from me. After a little research, i find that it is true that William Morris lived here, but not the same one that is famed for his tiles and textile designs. The Morris brothers of Dulus were cartographers, translated a bible into Welsh and have written books about the Celts. They lived in the 18th Century. I will have to research them some more.

The point where our footpath met the sea.

Revealing this secret bay,

which could only be accessed by climbing down these steps.

Which led to a beautiful private beach with views over to the Snowdonia Mountains and a little lighthouse on an island.

We really are having such a wonderful summer.

The Solstice Give Away Winner

2010-06-30T06:47:00.000-07:00

And the winner is... Dorie of Fiberfusing.

Congratulations Dorie, I will have fun making something for you. Please let me know your address i will get your surprise solstice gift off to you in the next few days.

Solstice Blessings

2010-06-21T01:47:00.000-07:00

I am slowly getting unpacked and settling into my new home. The hamlet is very small and friendly and already I know so many neighbours. It is fun getting to know the community.

It won't be too long before we are completely unpacked and I can weatherproof and paint the stone outhouse and turn it into a studio. A neighbour has already offered me 9 sheep fleeces of cross breed wool. The fleeces are a mixture of Doll Suffulk and Welsh so it will be interesting to see the colours and texture of this wool.

In celebration of the solstice and my new beginnings I would like to have a small give away. I am not sure what it will be yet but am sure I will have fun making it.

To enter, all you need to do is leave a comment below telling me about your favourite solstice moments and magical sunrise experiences. I will anounce the winner on the last day of June.

Happy Solstice and Midsummer fun to you all x

New Beginnings

2010-06-14T11:19:00.001-07:00

I have now moved to Anglesey. Its been a busy time.

I have spent more time in the garden planting vegetables and herbs than unpacking boxes. Its my first vegetable patch so I am really excited. So far, I have globe artichoke, rhubarb, strawberry, butternut squash, black kale, purple broccoli, spinach, onion, spring onion, potatoes, Roma tomato and gardeners delight tomato. I still need to plant the beetroot, chard and horseradish before moving onto the seeds for carrots, cabbage, pak Choi and whatever else I have picked up along the way. I think I may have a glut!

Here are some beautiful aqualegia's that I found at the bottom of the garden.

Below, you can see one of Lynne Hoppe's muslin book marks. I have hung from an apple tree. I think it is very happy there, thank you Lynne.

I have had so little time to myself with all of the moving and shaking that has been going on.

I did however get to spend a very pleasant day with Susan of Artspark Theatre in Bristol while she was visiting England.

We took in some galleries, did a boat trip, and found some Banksy in the streets.

I love the police man firing paint ball pellets at the 'other man' dangling from the window.

We found more Banksy in the gallery. I guess Bristol is very proud of their subvertising stencil dude. Its fun to see.

It will be a little while before I am fully unpacked and have a studio/workshop set up so posts will be few over the next week or two but I will be back with a vengeance and a summer solstice give away. I had a birthday last week and realised that natures whispers is now a year old!

It has been fun getting to know you xJ

Wales

2010-05-25T08:49:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for the good wishes. My house hunting in Wales was very successful. I have found a wonderful traditional cottage with a huge garden, and have been to enrol my little girl at the local school this morning.

My time will not be my own for the next few weeks while we pack and move and unpack. A time of change and excitement. A renewal in energy.

I will be back to visit you all once I am settled. Until then, take care xJ

Onions

2010-05-21T10:30:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to say thank you all for your well wishes with my house hunting. Sorry I have not time to reply to you all individually.

Here are some pictures of my latest nuno felted scarf embroidered using some of the eastern techniques. The silk was solar dyed with onion skins with the exception of a little silk layering at the ends which was dyed in a bath of daffodils. The merino wool was dyed in onion skins. The chocolate coloured spots are the natural tones of vicuna fibre.

Have a wonderful week end and enjoy the heat wave xJ

Sunshine, Good Fortune and New Beginnings

2010-05-20T02:55:00.000-07:00

Today, it feels like my birthday. The sun is shining, my garden is blooming and the postman loves me. Or at least it feels that way with all of the wonderful mail I have received the past couple of days, and not a red letter amongst it!

A month ago, I signed up to Nicola's Flickr group Spring inspired 'Clasheen Crafty Swap'. It is a really nice swap group and has been so much fun taking part. Not only do we make our swap partner a gift, but we send recipes, craft tips, tea, coffee, sweets and a small gift. It is so much fun making up the hampers to send, and waiting excitedly to receive my own mystery parcel. You can see some of the other swap parcels by visiting the link above. Thank you Nicola for organising this seasonal event. I have really enjoyed it.

A few weeks ago Lisa Achison of 'A Touch of Glass Designs' showed some interest in buying one of my scarves. I love Lisa's work so quickly seized the opportunity to suggest a trade instead of a sale.

The two pictures that you can see show the front and reverse of each bead. I was only expecting one bead so you can imagine how blessed I am feeling right now to have received two beautiful beads. Lisa's work is very inspired by nature, right down to the curves, colours and themes she uses. One bead, has a tree and full moon on it and a real leaf electrofoiled onto the back. I can't describe how exquisite her work is. Quite extraordinary. Thank you Lisa, your work is unique.

Yesterday, this beautiful card with Momo Luna 's art print on it arrived. Momo is an amazing artist who works the patterns of the natural world into her art. She has some wonderful organic patterns. If you do not know Momo already, please pay her a visit. Thank you Momo.
I also wanted to show you some of the books I have been collecting. So much inspiration here! The Jenny Dean book of natural dye techniques that you can see on the bottom left hand side of the picture is a bargain at £3.60. If you have any interest in eco dye snap this book up while you can. What I really like about this book is that Jenny gives a colour chart of each dye she uses and the variations depending upon which mordant was used. It is laid out in such a user friendly fashion that I think it will be my constant companion this summer.

I won't have much time for blogging for a while. I am in the process of trying to find a new place to live which is that little bit harder as i am planning on leaving England to begin a new rural life in Wales. Exciting. I will also be meeting up with Susan 'Artsparker' while she is visiting relatives in England.

So, not much time for the computer or crafts for the immediate future, but know that I am happy, and thankful and will visit you all soon. Until then, enjoy the sunshine xx

An Eco Dyed 'Slow Cloth'

2010-05-15T12:36:00.000-07:00

This scarf is nuno felted and embroidered on both sides of the silk. The silk nuno gauze was pre-dyed with onion skins using the solar dyeing method. At each end of the scarf, you will find additional nuno silk which has been naturally coloured in a dye bath of daffodils.

In many ways, this scarf was experimental for me. I have not tried layering nuno gauze prior to nuno felting before. It is the first time that I have laid wool and fibres both beneath the silk and on top of the silk prior to nuno felting and it is also the first time that I have tried to embroider on both sides of the felt.

I really love the variation of tones given by the onion skin dyed materials. The silk, where exposed, looks very pinkish brown like the rich fertile clay of the earth. The lilac dyed wool looks like a pale antique gold when laid out against the onion dyed wool.

I loved the scarf as it was, but have been reading a new book called 'Embroidery Techniques from East & West' by Munni Srivastava, and was desperate to try some of the ideas out. If, like for me, stitching has been limited to added an occasional bead or following a cross stitch pattern, then this book is perfect for you. It gives step by step instructions for simple, yet beautiful Indian embroidery techniques that can be used to compliment our own sewing skills. The book also gives a fascinating history of some of the origins of the techniques. I have been feeling very inspired by the shisha mirror work.

Shisha became very popular with the rise of the glass industry in the 17th century. Initially, shisha mirror work was developed by Mumtaz Begum, wife of Shah Jahan, who built the Taj Mahal in her memory. Mirrors and glass were auspicious and considered a protection against the 'evil eye'.

Today, shisha mirror work is very popular again both within and external to India. Cooperatives have formed which provide the women with the raw materials and design suggestions and buys the shisha work that the women are able to produce. This gives the women an economic freedom they have seldom had before and allows them to buy things for their kitchens and their daughters to make their lives less of a 'drudge'. Some of these cooperatives act as a support system for the women helping them with the costs of illness or debt.

It is really encouraging to know that if we buy good quality shisha mirror work, we are in some way helping improve the lives of women in India, allowing them to be the bread winners and take a little control of their own lives and destiny that they were previously unable to do.

I've thoroughly enjoyed this book and practicing the eastern embroidery techniques. Stitching onto felt is so gorgeous and gives me a great excuse to keep touching the softness of the fibres. I think I will continue further with this piece before listing it for sale.

Have a great week end xJ

Thinking Yellow

2010-05-11T17:55:00.001-07:00

Hello. It seems like I have little to show of my own work of late. Maybe that is because my own work is slow, and takes a while to mature into fruition.

I have been busy with natural dye baths. Firstly, I dried out almost spent daffodils then boiled them into a dye pot using an alum mordant. Initially I had dyed angora, bamboo, merino, silk nuno gauze and silk tussah. The colours were very vibrant and enriching. However when I tried making nuno felt, it just did not work. After three failed attempts I started to doubt my own ability to make felt. I thought I had had time off and just lost the knack. Do you ever feel that way? It was a real crisis of confidence.

I had also tried dyeing barberry bark with the same alum mordant. Again, the colour had come out fantastically, but attempts to nuno felt were less than successful.

I had a Spring crafty swap with Nicola from Clasheen so I really had to put aside my felting doubts and create something that was spring inspired.

I created this nuno felted scarf using white nuno gauze, angora, lilac dyed merino, daffodil dyed bamboo and silk tussah.

I had recently bought some embroidery books. One, taught me how to use shisha mirrors. The mirrors seemed perfect for Spring, the dew, and the April showers.

Yellow can be such a gentle, yet inspiring colour.

And a wee while ago, I bought this limited edition print for my little girl from Joanne May. Isn't it magical! It really does radiate sunlight and cheer the soul. Thank you Jo x

And the Beauty Flows

2010-05-09T04:48:00.001-07:00

Yesterday when the post arrived I was delighted to see a package from Spirithelpers' Tammie Lee. Tammie is a friend that I have come to know and admire over these past months of sharing my adventures with felt and dyes and reading Tammie's inspiring poetry accompanied by the most beautiful reflections of nature.

We had agreed to do a little exchange between friends and Tammie generously let me pick a couple of prints. I chose orchids. Aren't they exquisite!

To my surprise Tammie has also included some greeting cards with two additional pictures of orchids, dancing harebells and a wonderful leaf resting on rocks.

Many of you will know Tammie, and that she has used this picture for her profile in the past. What you may not know is just how wonderful the picture is close up. I had not realised that the leaf in Tammie's picture was covered with droplets of rain that shine like jewels on a bed of the golden leaf. A heartwarming vision evoking images of my favourite season, Autumn.

Please visit Tammie at Spirithelpers, her new art blog Beauty Flows and Etsy.

Thank you Tammie xx

I have also been wanting to post a big THANK YOU to Suzi of Spirit Whispers. Last month I received this wonderful calligraphy canvas in the post. I have really enjoyed getting to know Suzi these past months and reading her tender observations of nature and love for trees. I have also just discovered that Suzi has another blog and a website in which she showcases her work that is for sale. I know I am going to enjoy exploring them as much as I have enjoyed Spirit Whispers. Please visit Suzi at Healing Whispers and Suzi's Scribbles.

Today, as Spring illuminates our lives, like the ever changing of seasons. I find that not only are the flowers and trees of the gardens and wayside beginning to blossom. So are the friendships we make with those across the land and over the seas. The connections we make that enrich and bless our lives. For this, I thank you all x

The Bonzo Dog Band - No Matter Who You Vote For...

2010-05-07T05:39:00.000-07:00

The Government Always Gets in!

Yesterday we had a general election in The United Kingdom. Some polling offices closed the doors at 10 pm turning a way hundreds of people who had queued for over an hour to vote. Despite this, there is no clear winner. So today we have a Hung Parliament.

Pink

2010-05-06T04:45:00.000-07:00

I know that you have seen it here before but I have been obsessively up cycling old packaging to store things in and also to contain gifts that I have been posting out. It all started with the flower pounding, and then the daffodil dye baths. The petal pulp that was left over from the pounding and dye baths were calling out to be used, so they decorated containers. Soon, flowers of any description were no longer safe. Its so addictive even my little girl has been having a go.

The boxes have mostly pink flowers attached, the red pink of the camellia, pink roses and carnations, deep cerise and pale purple pink of the giant daisy. They all dry out into a pale golden colour in the end. The rose looks particularly good, almost like a leaf skeleton.

The other day an old lady stopped me in the supermarket and asked me if I had heard the expression 'pink to make the boys wink'. She seemed lonely and in need of human contact so I stayed to talk a while. I told her about something I heard on the radio recently. Pink was once a colour worn by men. It could show status as achieving the colour was more difficult than other colours at the time. I don't know how true that it is but it made me think of the psychology of colour and that pink is on the spectrum of the power colour red. If it is true, it is now interesting that women wear pink and have more status than at any other time in history.

Please visit my friends at Theme Thursday to see their interpretations of pink.

The Festival of The Trees 47

2010-05-01T00:30:00.000-07:00

May Day, Beltane & The Tree of Life

The Festival of the Trees n0.47 is upon us leaping joyously into the month of May and Beltane. As Samhain marked the beginning of the Celtic year and the death of summer, Beltane is the celebration of renewed life after the long winter. Everywhere there are signs of life, renewal in energy and inspiration. Lambs, calves and foals can be seen in the fields. The earth is waking and sending up shoots and sprouts. Our gardens and embankments are awash with blooms. Nesting birds enchant us with their song and the trees tenderly uncurl their leaves showing us reassurance and promises of splendour to come. Spring is here!

It is no wonder that the magical changes of season, the stepping out from the dark into the light inspire us so. Robert Frost describes the early leaf as 'a flower', Shakespeare writes 'When proud-pied April, dressed in all his trim, Hath put a spirit of youth in every thing'. Robert Louis Stevenson speaks happily about 'The fallows and the leafless trees, And all my spirit tingled', and Phillip Larkin captures the essence of the fertility of this time exuberantly in his poem 'The Trees'.

The trees are coming into leaf
Like something almost being said;
The recent buds relax and spread,
Their greenness is a kind of grief.

Is it that they are born again
And we grow old? No, they die too,
Their yearly trick of looking new
Is written down in rings of grain.

Yet still the unresting castles thresh
In fullgrown thickness every May.
Last year is dead, they seem to say,
Begin afresh, afresh, afresh.

This month we have some wonderful participants generously sharing their love of nature and trees. Spirthelpers offers inspirational poetry and pictures of breathtaking beauty in posts celebrating Earth Day, and the Festival of the Trees. Seabrooke Leckie enthralls us with the remarkable tree climbing porcupine. Leaves and Bloom gives us the 'scentsational' Mimosa Tree. The Honest Hypocrite shares with us an explosion of colour wit his pictures of Cherry Trees and Magnolia's. Mille Fiori Favoriti explores the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and Prairie Walker also shows us the beauty of the Magnolia tree and that:

'Trees remind us that there is always hope for a rebirth,
a refreshed spirit, and a renewal of life'.

Above you can see Lynne Hoppe's own special way of honoring the trees. Stay a while and watch Lynne's enchanting film about her 'Green Shrine Tree'. T takes us walking through the bush to visit the Fungi Tree. Cheryl Dolby shares her magical tree inspired paper dolls in her collection of 'Grandmother Trees'. Below you can see a draft of 'The Tree of Life' by the esteemed artist Patricia Ariel. Ariel has worked on this piece for many months and it has evolved in many ways since this picture was taken. The work is rich in symbolism and a delight to behold if yet still incomplete. You can follow the progress of this painting at 'Mesmerised by the Sirens'.

Tales from the land of Oz share the experiences of 'Autumn in Oz'. 'Saving our Trees' are 'Mad about Fig Trees'. Faerie Moon Creations post twinkles with magic as the blue jay moves into her Lilac Tree. Lois Wakeman sows us her springtime blossoms. Ash Krafton tells of the distracting nature of trees in her humorous post 'grabbing gold'. Autumn Belle writes:

"We can learn a lot from the trees - they are always grounded, but never stop reaching heaven wards.... ~ Everett Manor "

Garden writer Carol shares offerings for Blo om Day and her adventures in Lob's Wood. Joan shares her poem 'Dulwich Woods' while poet Elizabeth Rimmer presents her poem, 'Birch Tree Englyn' below.

Seed tree, weed tree, the shining silver birch
grows in the waste places.
Pioneer on the peat hags –
forest trees root in its wake.

Aleph so carefully catches the elemental beauty of nature mingled with art and dressed with the words of Conrad Aitkin in her post 'Tree'. Suzi of Spirit Whispers generously shares her gentle observations of the unfurling trees, the ladybirds that live on the trees, the buds of the Ash and the Elm, feathers in the breeze and in 'Wise Woman Elder' Suzi echo's our thoughts.

'Trees talk... if you're prepared to listen.... to sit in silence.... and hear. Not just the sound of of leaves or branches in the breeze... but a voice from deep within...'

A thought that evokes the poem 'A Murmur in the Trees' by Emily Dickinson:

A Murmur in the Trees -- to note --
Not loud enough -- for Wind --
A Star -- not far enough to seek --
Nor near enough --

A Hazy Moon flows with beauty in posts 'Wet Woods', 'Sun on the Gums ' and 'Koala Update'. Shine the Divine and 'Woodland Things' show us the graceful art of Haiku. Below, Indiaphagme shows us different kind of 'Arbre De Vie - Tree of Life'.

Nature Blogger Matthew Wills educates us with his beautiful insights of Apple Cedar Rust and encounters of the destructive nature of the the earth worm on the Northern Hardwood Forests. Noelle explains how 'large trees with little leaves' survive hot dry conditions. Roberta shares with us her 'mystery seed' and the delights of the Redwood Forests. Robin spends her Independence Day with friends and trees. Joan shows us the beauty of the Serviceberry. Ash of Treeblog shares magical visions in the post Loch Tay and the Falls of Acharn. and Arati offers us 'Images from the Tree Park', 'Pink' trees, and Lavender trees reminding me of the poem 'City Lilacs' by Helen Dunmore.

Lilac, like love, makes no distinction.
It will open for anyone.
Even before love knows that it is love
Lilac knows that it must blossom.

Above, Susan Sanford share her Grandfather Tree. Lisa Atchison works trees and leaves into her glass beads. Jim Moffat shows us just how much trees influence each of his paintings in his 'WaterColor Digest'. Ester Wilson shares her organic tree and plant sketches in her Daily Drawings and Nick Gulley teaches the delights of looking up. The Silver Lodge treats us with creative displays of nature and tree inspired Jewelry. 'Recovery in Art' highlights the magical healing qualities of nature and trees in her post about the Celtic Tree of life.

'The Celtic Tree of Life. One of the most spiritual symbol of the Celts, intertwining begin and end, each drawing experience and strength from each other'.

Lastly, the very talented Debrina made the film clip above as part of her contribution to the Pulp Redux collaboration . You can read more about the making of this tree inspired altered book HERE.

So now, this May Festival draws to a close and I thank each and every participant for all of the enjoyable posts I have read these past days. I offer thanks to all that take the time to read this post and visit the links.The June edition of The Festival of the Trees will be hosted by Wandering Owl Outside, http://wanderingowloutside.wordpress.com/. The deadline is May 30th. The Theme for the June festival is: The relationship betwen trees and game animals/birds, or any environmental benefits of trees. Please email all submissions to: cjharn [at] gmail [dot] com.

It is now time to go and celebrate Beltane festivities. I leave you all with a Maypole Dance of Glastonbury.

Happy Beltane!

When in the springtime of the year
When the trees are crowned with leaves
When the ash and oak, and the birch and yew
Are dressed in ribbons fair...

-- Loreena McKennitt

Last chance to enter submissions for the 'Festival of The Trees' May edition

2010-04-28T13:40:00.000-07:00

Image borrowed from Flickr.

Please click on the image to visit the photographer.

Submissions for the May edition of 'Festival of The Trees' were due today but I am happy to accept any submissions before 1st May. The theme is Maypole and Beltane but any tree inspired post will be considered.

All are welcome xJ

Erosion Bundle (Part II)

2010-04-16T03:51:00.000-07:00

My erosion bundle has rested in this hedge since I collected it from my dad's garden a couple of days ago.

You can imagine my disappointment when I found it, seemingly unchanged, tucked into the heart of this bay tree. It serves me right for not trusting myself to keep it suspended from a tree in my own garden. The temptation to peek or meddle would have been too much for me.

The gentleman's napkin that wrapped my little bundle, revealed things that I forgotten all about. Pine cones, heather, ears of barley, all damp from the rain.

Natural paper, and beech leaves, they seem so right together don't they?

A mixture of natural fibres. Wool of natural colour, or dyed with natural dyes. A small selection of pre-dyed wool that was given to me as a gift.

The heather has changed a lot. softer, less vivid in hue, mingled with alpaca wool.

A felted heart resting on some green cotton nuno gauze. I'm looking forward to playing with these.

And at the centre, another bundle with an acorn cup peaking out.

I enjoyed unrolling this nuno silk so much. Magical oak leaves...

Leaving their enchanting prints.

A label for the first felt kit I ever bought. A reminder of the artist who introduced me to felt, and made the shroud that I buried my baby girl in a year ago today.

Its funny how things turn out. I look back now, and find myself a changed person with new outlooks and skills. I marvel at some of my inspirational blogging friends that have also endured a lot. Who smile, create beauty, and share kind words.

You have all been a blessing in my life and today, I am feeling fine, optimistic.

I see so much potential for this bundle, and am thrilled with my silk prints.

Have a wonderful week end xJ

The First Rule of Flower Club

2010-04-13T07:56:00.000-07:00

Is never talk about Flower Club...

Its a messy job, but I'll give it a go.

I've wanted to do this since I saw Sharon of Wildflower House writing about it last August. Sharon has done a much neater job than me, but it is so much fun. I have a feeling I will be doing this again very soon.

I love some of the gentler patterns. Makes me think it is time I learned how to use my sewing machine.

Spring Dye Baths

2010-04-12T03:14:00.000-07:00

We have been having some wonderful Spring days this past week. I have managed to tidy up my garden. I have a had a slow cooker gently simmering away on the patio for 3 whole days and have so many plans for more dye baths and dye pot experiments.

This is a picture of my St Johns Wort dye bath which was taken a couple of days ago. It looks very different now but I am going to keep it going for as long as the weather permits. I cocked it up a bit. I misread the instructions, mistaking the part that said soak the St Johns Wort (entire plant) in alcohol for soaking the wool in alcohol. When I realised I began topping the water level up with the alcohol/water solution each morning and i can now see that the red is drawing to the bark. I think had i have soaked the St John's Wort in alcohol overnight, then boiled the plant pieces to extract the colour I would have had a speedier, more successful result, however, St Johns Wort is noxious and I only have a tiny kitchen so using the slow cooker in the garden was the only sensible option available to me. There are gradual changes happening so I think it is worth persevering with.

India Flint writes in her book that she only uses the flowers of St Johns Wort, where Pioneer Thinking website says to use the whole plant so it will be interesting to try both methods, I will have to wait to try a flower bath. India also writes that a deep red can be achieved but if alum is added to the brew then the dye will turn green. I am keen to give this a try too.

Here are two colours achieved using onion skins for the dye. I did not pre-soak the fool in any fixatives. The pale yellow to the left is dyed without a mordant. The orange shade to the right is using the same ingredients for the dye bath with the addition of a chrome plated tin added to the bottom of the pan. Its really interesting for me to see just how much difference a flattened piece of metal can make to the colour.

Here you can see some excess water from the onion skin dye pot being stored in a recycled bottle, and also in a glass jar to solar dye a piece of silk. My next plan is to save up more onion skins then solar dye a bundle. In the jug, you can see Lilac twigs soaking in a solution of alcohol and water.

I did two dye pots yesterday, Lilac twigs, and half a butternut squash.

The wool to the left is from the butternut squash seeds and husks and the wool to the right is from the Lilac twigs. For both dye pots, I prepared the wool in vinegar prior to dyeing and used chrome in dye pot. This picture does not really show how pretty these shades are. I am very pleased with them.

I am now saving up spent daffodils to use in a dye pot and am eagerly awaiting the lilac blooms which are said to give a green dye. We usually have blooms on our lilac tree by now but we are only just starting to see the leaves appear.

Until then you can read my guest blogger post at Luchair, and I am still taking submissions for the May Day edition of The Festival of The Trees.

I wish you all a wonderful week x

Eco Dyes and Egg Decorations

2010-04-04T10:10:00.000-07:00

This week end I have really been doing the Easter thing for my little girl. We hid chocolate all around the house for her to find. We then went on an Easter Egg hunt at the Botanical Gardens, did face painting and made an Easter Bonnet.

When we returned, my little girl helped me wrap eggs in flowers, herbs and onion skins to Dye Latvian style as explained by India Flint in her book Eco Colour.

An egg about to be wrapped in skins, petals, leaves and silk

My egg bundles simmering away

Dyed hard boiled eggs rubbed with a little butter

I have also done a lot of natural dyeing this weekend. I brought a huge bag of seaweed back with me from Wales. I have been boiling and simmering wool in seaweed dye for 2 full days. The smell is not for the faint hearted :)

The first of the three pictures shows some merino after simmering for around 10 hours and then being left to rest in the excess dye solution overnight. The third picture shows the other half of the wool batch after a further 10 hours simmering. It is difficult to see in these pictures but the second batch is slightly darker by maybe 2-3 shades.

The iodine in the seaweed has produced a very nice pale amber colour.

I did not use any mordant as was unsure which one to use.

I think I will have to make some felt with this wool and experiment with starch. Traditionally, starch and iodine combined will produce a blue black colour but I don't know if this principle will still apply after the iodine has been through the dye pot process. I will have fun finding out though :)

We have had wonderful sunshine today. It has been very energising.

I hope you have all had a good week end xJ

Spring Projects

2010-04-02T06:05:00.000-07:00

Thank you for all of your well wishes for my Nan. My Nan was discharged from hospital last Friday and seems to be doing very well at home now.

I returned from Wales to find a thank you present from Lisa Atchison of a Touch of Glass Designs. If you are not familiar with Lisa's work, please pay her a visit. Lisa has this magical ability to fashion leaves into the glass or to create a moonlit tree scape into her beads. Lisa's work is really enchanting.

I also found my copy of Susan Sanford's new book waiting for me when I returned. I love Susan's work and am looking forward to sitting down and reading through this book properly. You can preview Dreaming Alice by Susan Sanford by clicking HERE.

I didn't manage to create anything at all in March but have had a lot of fun making Easter cards and baskets, sleepy bunny's etc with my little girl. I have a lot of plans and projects planned for April and look forward to sharing a lot of new creations with you.

I have written an article for Elizabeth M Rimmer, a poet who kindly asked me to be a guest blogger for her Luchair project. You should be ale to read the article in the next few days. Elizabeth is a published poet who is deeply concerned about environmental issues. I feel honoured to have been invited to be part of this project which has a wealth of guests lined up including wildlife photographers and poet Juliet Wilson (Crafty Green Poet). Juliet is a published poet who was published in an anthology of poetry which included poetry from Carol Anne Duffy, the first female poet laureate. You can visit the Luchair website by clicking on the Luchair button on my sidebar or by visiting the Luchair Blog.

I will also be hosting the May edition of 'Festival of The Trees' which will be published on May the 1st. The May theme will be May Day. The Festival of the Trees is a nature blog which has a wealth of contributions from scientists but welcomes submissions from artists, poets, creative writers, jewelry makers textile and fibre artists. If you have anything tree themed i would be interested in receiving your contributions on or before 27th April 2010. Any questions please do not hesitate to drop me an email or leave a comment.

I would also like to thank Juliet of Crafty Green Poet and Fairwillow of Serendipity for my blog awards. Please accept my apologies on having had time to pass them on yet.

For those of you looking for fun Easter projects, Fairwillow has written a wonderful Blown Ostara Egg tutorial.

I look forward to visiting you all again over the next few days.

Anglesey

2010-03-16T08:51:00.000-07:00

Apologies to my blogging friends for not being around much lately. I probably won't be blogging much for another week or two either.

My grandmother has been very ill and spent 3 hours in surgery yesterday. The operation was successful but she will be kept in hospital for a further two weeks to recover. I will be travelling up to Wales tomorrow to help out.

I look forward to visiting you all again in a couple of weeks. Take care xJ

Green

2010-03-04T04:42:00.001-08:00

My Magic Carpet Ride (Part 2)

2010-02-27T14:16:00.000-08:00

I have been really busy this week making accessories, brooches, hair slides, earrings, scarfs, and experimenting with new ideas and fibres. The necklace you can see to the top left is a nuno felted bohemian shabby vintage style, if that style exists. It fastens with antique mother of pearl buttons dated from the 1930's, glass seed beads and swarovski crystals. The scarfette to the bottom right was nuno felted with linen noil, bamboo, angora, cashmere, vicuna, possum, merino and tussah silk. I wanted to try out all of the new fibres on one piece so that i could test how they work with nuno felting. It is a lovely scarfette. I will take better pictures in the morning and list the items in the Bazaar.

The rest of my One World One Heart prizes arrived. The felted cushion (which is much more beautiful than the photo shows) was made by Gabriella of Threadheads Anonymous. The cushion was Gabriella's first felt project and she has done a wonderful job. The art cards were a gift from Barbara at Barbs Garden, and the mushroom guide, heart brooch and paper doll were a gift from Emily of the Edge Gallery. Thank you all, I will be popping all of my thank you cards in the post tomorrow :)

My daughter really loved the doll and the brooch and has spent all week end making her own (with a little assistance from her grown up helpers).

I would like to quickly introduce you to some of the other wonderful blogs I that have encountered on my carpet ride. Click on the images to visit the blogs.

Shayna Prentice of Needle Woven Studio

Cheryl Dolby of Healing Woman

Julie Mitchell of When the Spirit Moves Me

Slow Cloth and Long Cloth

2010-02-24T06:09:00.000-08:00

Today, I received a gift from friend Susan Sanford of Artspark Theatre. The little Prince long cloth that you see in the first picture was hand stitched and embroidered by Susan. Isn't gorgeous!

Susan was inspired to make this piece after reading the article 'undone' on Spirit Cloth. Jude's work is very inspiring. My own response to the slow cloths and hand stitching impetus kindled by Jude and other textile artists has been making these felt brooches. It has been a lovely project really, and very addictive. The felt is so tactile.

The natural coloured brooches that you can see are felt made from silk noil, merino, alpaca and silk. I only wish you could touch the felt, it is the softest I have ever made, pictures really don't do it any justice.

Thank you Susan. I am feeling so fortunate this week xxx

Bluebell Woods

2010-02-21T11:04:00.000-08:00

This picture of nuno felted bluebell woods is my February submission for 'The Festival of The Trees'. For those of you that are unfamiliar with 'The Festival of the Trees', the festival is a monthly wordpress magazine celebrating trees. I find the festival very educational and inspirational. Each month there are articles written by aborealists, ecologists, botanists, professional photographer's, artists, poets and creative writers. Sometimes there is a theme underneath the broader canopy of trees, but mostly, anything tree like is accepted.

This months deadline is 26/2/10 and March edition of the festival will be released on the 1st March. Why not join in the fun?

I am also submitting this picture to 'Ideas of Inspiration' which is a collaboration of artists who respond to a theme prompt twice a month. Right now, the theme is 'B'.

My Magic Carpet Ride (part 1)

2010-02-18T11:14:00.001-08:00

Today I posted off the felt necklaces to my two One World One Heart give away winners. I have been very lucky on this magic carpet ride. I have had some wins, but most importantly I have discovered some inspirational blogs and made new friends. Too many to list here in one post so I have decided to do a sequence of posts introducing different types of blogs that I have met, such as textiles, fibre art, fine art, art dolls, jewelry, lamp work and more.

The beautiful Lapis Lazuli and Turquoise (my favourite stones) earrings that you can see in the picture above are a gift from Fiona of Tizduster whom you can see dressed as a pantomime baddie in the form of Beatrix the Sorceress in this stage picture. Click on the image to visit Fiona's blog.

I have also won one of the most desirable necklaces that I have seen in a very long time from Jackie of Silvelodge Gems (click on the picture to visit Jackie's blog).

Isn't it stunning! It is made from pink opal, onyx and a fossil pendant. Jackie's jewelry is so beautiful and she is also having a gigantic sale in her Internet shop right now so if you have any birthdays or anniversary presents to pick up Silverlodge Gems may be a good place to look.

I have also won a mystery prize that travel writer Carol of 'Where will you Journey to?', will buy for me on her next trip to Cambodia, I am so excited. When I was in Thailand I desperately wanted to cross the borders and visit Anka Wat but just did not have the time.

You can imagine how lucky I am feeling right now! I won some other delightful gifts too so I started to feel a little guilty for having all of this good fortune and not sharing it. I asked some of the blogs how they would feel about donating the items to Made4Aid? A couple of blogs agreed to this, aren't they wonderful!

Beth of Three trees Art makes lovely jewelry with words of affirmation and positive sentiments. She has agreed to donate this felt jewelry pouch that she made to made4aid. I am a huge fan of the Silver Birch, and I don't need to tell you my feelings for felt :) This wonderful pouch (or one like it) will be up for auction at Made4Aid in the next few weeks. I love it! Thank you Beth x

Amanda of Maygreen Fairies has also agreed to send her give away item to Made4Aid. It is a gorgeous Vintage Shabby Scented Sachet to line a lingerie draw. Such Luxury! I love the whimsical feel of the Victorian lady on the trapeze swing. This item will also be listed for auction at Made4Aid in the next couple of weeks.

It has been lovely getting to know Amanda over the past few days. I feel like I have met a kindred spirit. Amanda's art is full of magic that leaves you with a light heart. Amanda volunteers in her local Oxfam shop and organised a craft fair at her Oxfam shop with donated arts and crafts to raise money for Haiti.

One of the blogs that I have discovered on the carpet ride is the very inspiring Annette of 'The Hare Preservation Trust' in Scotland and 'Dragon House of Yuen'. Annette is very creative and her passion for wildlife and domestic animals shines through her art making it sparkle.

Another new friend that I am so glad to have met is Jules of 'Adventures in Thread'. Jules shares a love for the great outdoors, textiles and TREES. Jule's nature photography is wonderful and her knit work and embroidery is beautiful. Look at her hare below, isn't it stunning!

To finish this post I want to introduce you to a friend that I met before the OWOH carpet ride. Elizabeth Rimmer has a passion for poetry and the environment. Elizabeth has set up a new project called 'Luchair' where she hopes to bring artists, poets, and photographers together to celebrate nature and discuss how they each tackle environmental issues in their daily lives and in their creativity.

Elizabeth first noticed that the human race was living beyond its ecological means back in the Energy Crisis of the seventies and learned how not to handle the situation. Today, the mission of Luchair is to to find a new way of tackling the environmental issues we face, that won't involve playing off jobs against environment, the human against the wild, the rich against the poor. She hopes to find joy, community, insight as she goes and hopes that others will too.

Please visit Elizabeth at her Luchair Website, blog or at Burned Thumb. If you think you have something to contribute, please email Elizabeth. She will be happy to hear from you. You can find a link to Luchair on my sidebar.

Theme Thursday - Bell

2010-02-17T12:25:00.000-08:00

Distances

Swifts turn in the heights of the air;
higher still turn the invisible stars.
When day withdraws to the ends of the earth
their fires shine on a dark expanse of sand.

We live in a world of motion and distance.
The heart flies from tree to bird,
from bird to distant star,
from star to love; and love grows
in the quiet house, turning and working,
servant of thought, a lamp held in one hand.

~ Philippe Jaccottet ~

This week Theme Thursday's Theme is Bells. I am a little early, c'est la vie!

I have always been an environmetalist at heart but not necessarily very good at it. I am conscientious about what I do not buy, and try to recycle as much as I can. Making the switch over from plastic bags at shops to canvas bags really made me notice how one action by one household can make such a difference. The recent Indian Winter series of documentaries on the BBC which focused on the slums of Mumbai and how entire families will work a whole day on the recycling dumps for the rest of the world, for a single meal has driven it home to me that recycling really is not enough. Most of these places do not have any sanitation or running water and infections are high. The families working in these conditions would probably be better off in a sweat shop where at least they would take home a wage and have use of a bathroom. I am opposed to sweat shops and a supporter of 'worker behind the label'.

The connection to Bells is that my favourite objects to upcycle right now are whiskey boxes. They have the best size and shape although I have been upcycling anything I can get my hands on from cocoa tins to pringle tubes. Often, I do these projects in front of the telly when I am too tired to make felt or read a book. I like to write poetry on some of these tubes. Above you will see one of the tubes has been inscribed with the mesmorising verses of Philippe Jaccottet. All in all, I don't worry too much about these projects being a piece of art. Aesthetic is good enough for me. I find the verse, colour and patterns that evolve meditatitive.

To see other interpretations of this theme please visit my friends at Theme Thursday.

The One Love Challenge

2010-02-15T11:33:00.000-08:00

I took some pictures of my collage responses to Susan's Valentine Challenge today. I live inbetween two parks. In one direction I can walk to Warely Woods which joins with Bearwood Park and these woods are patroned by Julie Walters. I have gone there since I was a little girl .

In the other direction, the park is in a very deprived area. The park itself, is better for children, more slides and climbing frames., but I feel very unsafe there. I don't know why as I do not feel unsafe in the streets around it, and I do the majority of my shopping in this end of town , however there is a very threatening and oppressive feeling here that I always feel everytime I step foot inside this park.

Today, I decided to visit this park instead of the prettier, safe park. I thought if I was going to decorate a tree with valentine love and spread goodwill, this park needs it the most.

To visit other responses to the valentine challenge please visit Susan at Artspark Theatre.