ULLABENULLA

Swan Girl by Bjorn Wiinblad

Image Link

Snowflake Wonders...

Perfectly lovely winter decor inspiration from the ever creative Emma Cassi!

Japanese Perfection...

The art and jewelry by Japanese born Shinji Nakaba makes me weep with its pure perfection...  Using a variety of materials including classic gold, silver and gemstones but also beer cans and plastic water bottles, Shinji's pieces appear to be plucked from an otherworldly garden of delights!  Pure Perfection and Total Wonder!!!  Be sure and check out his Blog HERE for more wonderful images of his work, his inspiration and his process.

 

Folk Art From England...

I absolutely adore the folk-art style painting of English artist Anna Pugh!  Her attention to details, love of nature and ability to tell stories within a frame are amazing!   Her enchanting artwork mesmerizes and demands a second look.  ENJOY!

Welcoming the New Season, and Playing Catch Up!

Where does the time go???  I've been overwhelmed with classes, events and projects, and seem to have neglected my blog.  I'm so sorry!  I promise to catch you all up as soon as I get some more rest.  Yesterday and last night was the CASTLE'S Christmas Transformation .  I was the first to arrive at 9:30 am, but not the last to leave!  At 11:30 pm, 14 hours later for me, I had to head home, and leave the rest of the Castle Christmas Magic up to the remaining elves...  Do come and visit soon!!!

Illustration above by Theodor Kittelsen of Norway.

BELOW:  A peek at our 'Christmas' Window (using antique Chinese Theatre Puppets) created by the ever talented John McRae!

Make Your Own 'Miniature Winter Wonderland' Scene - Tutorial!

As I alluded to in my LAST POST, making these tiny little miniature 'Winter Wonderland' scenes is truly addicting and wonderfully fun!  They are easy to create and make me want to do a whole table-scape full of little mountains!!!

Heres what you will need:

Foil, Cotton Batting, Scissors, Moss and natural bits, DAS paper clay (for little houses), Fabric Stiffener (I used Aleene's), Stiffen Quik (Aleene's), Spray on Snow, Glitter and Mica and Hot Glue Gun.

Step one is to decide how big you want your scene to be.  We were limited to the inner circumference of our glass domes, (about 3 inches) but you can use any size you'd like.  Take a length of heavy duty foil ( about 2 feet or so) and crumple up a preliminary shape to work with.  Pinch out peeks, and pay attention to height.

  

Step two:  Cut a piece of creamy white cotton batting big enough that it will cover you foil on all sides when it drapes over.  Lay your batting flat on the table and pour some 'Fabric Stiffener' onto the batting and work into the batting with your fingers. You want the batting to be moist and tacky on both sides, but not 'drippy'!  Drape batting over your foil, and begin forming it.  Use your fingers to create peaks, and let the batting drape dramatically to form mountain ridges along the sides. Press the batting flat to the table along the outside edges. Have fun with this part!  When happy with the mountains, set aside to dry. 

Step Three:  While your mountains are drying you can make some tiny houses out of paper clay or even cut pieces of foam core.  I made mine of DAS paper clay, and then painted them different shades of red and pink and glued cotton batting onto the roof tops to give a snow topped roof effect.  When your mountains are fairly dry you can cut the edges of the cotton batting to fit what ever size and shape you are aiming for.  

Step four:  Make trees and bushes from tiny pieces of moss.  I cut triangular shapes from pieces of thick moss to simulate conifer trees.  Trees often grow in clusters, and even up on the hillsides, but rarely on mountain peeks.  Use your imagination...  Hot glue trees, and houses in place as desired. 

Step five:  The Snow!  First I sprayed a light dusting of 'Spray Snow'.  Be sure to test this before you spray your piece, as a little goes a long way.  A heavy spray of snow gives a very different but equally lovely effect as a light spraying.  If you wish, you can add a sprinkle of glitter on top of the Spray Snow now.  Or you can wait for the snow to dry.  Once dry, use the 'Stiffen Quik' as a spray glue, and lightly spray again applying glitter or mica where desired.  I found that a small sprinkling of Mica on the peeks gave the impression of 'sunlight on the mountains, and a dusting of finer glitter over the countryside made the lower areas look as if a light snow had just happened.  If you can't find a 'Spray Snow', I suggest using the Stiffen Quik and sprinkling on 'fake snow' or glitter.  

A couple of my students in the Mother Winter Workshop added crystals and other miniatures with great effect!  The skies the limit here, just keep scale in mind when you add things. We also thought about how fun it would be to add mini lights onto our hills.  I hope someone will take this project and really go wild with it!!!  I know I will be making more of these little worlds soon and hope you will too. ENJOY!!!

Fairy Chatelaine's At The Castle

Four Lovely Women joined me on Tuesday to create 'Fairy Chatelaine's'!  Little treasures were encased in clay, glittered, shaped and formed into enchanting charms any fairy would be proud to wear!  The first one below, was created by one of the students for "a friend who just lost her Mother", filled with personal symbols and meaning...  Truly Wonderful Day!!!

Another Spider Web Love!

Must be the season, I find myself so attracted to spider web designs.  Link

Moody Seasons...

Something about these photos by Billy & Hells strike a chord with me today. They seem historic, yet not. Faces boldly looking out, but also dreamy and nostalgic.  Perfect for a change of season! 

Link via Lobster and Swan!

 

Swedish Folklore Textile Designs

My Husbands Grandparents came from Dalarna when they were young.  We have a large collection of wooden Dalarna Horses to prove it!  I have always been fond of Scandinavian folk art, and recently discovered the site for Jobs Handtryck.  These fabrics have been entirely printed by hand since 1944. Patterns created years ago are as modern today as they were yesterday!  Hand-printed means expensive, at around $140.00 a yard, but its hard to resist these patterns!  You can also buy their fabric made up into handbags, pillows and shoes among other goodies.  I just love the pumpkin print above, wouldn't it make a wonderful Autumn tablecloth? Or how about the beautiful chestnut print below, perfect for a woodland party!

Available statewide through Magdalena York Collection  

 

This Sounds Like My Kind Of Neighborhood...

How wonderful to have an address on 'Spider Web Lane'!  Book available on a pdf format (so clever!) Here!

Woodland Splendors...

Isn't this acorn necklace by Sarah Hood delightful?  The perfect thing to wear to a forest ball!  Sarah's line uses both organic materials and metals to create master pieces of woodland treasures...

Link via Fold and Fairy!

Fridays Goal...

 Link!

Autumn Sunset Wings...

These wings remind me of the gentle rain drops that have been visiting us the past few days. Not quite heavy enough for winter storms, and crystal like with sun beams peeking through them.  Autumn treasures...

 Link

Glasgow Fairytales...

I adore the illustration work of Jessie Marion King who was a Glasgow painter and children's book illustrator.  Her Art Nouveau illustrations are charming, detailed and lyrical!

Hans My Hedgehog...

A wealthy but childless merchant wishes he had a child, even a hedgehog, and comes home to find that his wife has given birth to a baby boy that is a hedgehog from the waist up.

After eight years, the merchant goes to a fair and asks everyone in the household what they want. Hans My Hedgehog asks for bagpipes, and when he receives them, asks his father to have the cock shod so he can ride off to seek his fortune.

When he gets them, he goes off into the woods and watches over his donkeys and pigs. A king, lost in the woods, hears him playing the bagpipes, and Hans My Hedgehog promises to show him the way home in return for whatever first meets him when he returns. The king promises, but writes down instead that Hans My Hedgehog should not have it, which he is glad of when he returns and it is his daughter; she is glad of it, too. A second king is also lost, and he does write down the promise, and his daughter, on hearing of it, gives her promise that she will obey.

In time, Hans My Hedgehog goes to claim his promises. The first king attempts to withhold his daughter, but Hans forces him to yield her, and then takes her off, forces her to take off her clothing, pierces her all over until she bleeds, and sends her back to her father. The second king agrees to the marriage, the princess holds herself bound by her promise, and Hans My Hedgehog promises her that his prickles will not harm her. Then he tells the king on their wedding night, he should build a big fire, and when Hans takes off his hedgehog skin, he should have four servants burn it. They do this, and Hans My Hedgehog becomes a handsome young man.

Grimm indeed!

Image above LINK

Photo below, Google

Mouse House...

This miniature 'Mausehaus' was created by Rita Pillmann in Germany.  Inspired by the ever charming Brambly Hedge Characters, here the 'Apple Family' is enjoying play time in their winter kitchen! I could move right in - couldn't you???

More images HERE!

Stepping On A Forest Floor...

Isn't this rug by Angela Adams delightful?  I love the tactile quality it has, and can only imagine how it feels under foot...

Fairy Fashions for Fall!

I adore these fairy fashions by Joanne May!  What will your fairy wear this fall???

Now Here Is A Book I'd Love To See Translated!