Voyage to the Summer Stars

In Caitlin Matthews book, 'The Celtic Spirit' (Hodder & Stoughton, 1999), she has an entry entitled 'Voyage to the Summer Stars' for July 30th. The following has been taken from, what I believe to be, one of Robin Williamson's songs 'Seasons They Change':

Come let us build the ship of the future

In an ancient pattern that journeys far.

Come let us sail for the always islands,

Through seas of leaving to the Summer Stars.

This small verse triggers my imagination.  There are stories and images within it. I like to write things down for those barren days when you want to be creative but ideas and inspiration are hard to conjure. Unfortunately, I have many notebooks in all sorts of hidden places and all the words contained that would prompt the return of the muse are never where I think they are.

I should make a large, special book and keep it in a prominent place so that I would always be able to find it. It is strange though that words that were once filled with magic and possibilities can seem dry and uninteresting at a later date.  Every day lived has its own atmosphere and theme and sometimes small things can determine how your day shapes itself.  We cannot always repeat how we feel about a piece of writing or a work of art if our mood has altered since we first experienced it.

Devon Altered Book Project

We seem to have become quite relaxed with our altered book project as deadlines seem to have been abandoned.  I am way behind with my latest book but I have lots of work to do at the moment with commissions, setting up my on-line shops and an exhibition to prepare for.  Also, the book that I am having to work on next belongs to one of my daughters and I want to make it as nice as I can. I have some pictures to share of my efforts on the last book that I had which belongs to one of my younger daughters who has bravely organised the whole project. The theme was 'Strange/Magical Places':

This was influenced by the drawings of Truda Lane. My lovely Mum and I had a wonderful day in Totnes and met two of my beautiful girls. We ate lunch, drank tea and raided the craft and vintage shops. I bought a copy of 'Lifelines', published by Green Books, and immersed myself in Truda's lovely drawings on the way home on the train.

'Falling with a thousand stars, down the milky way to Mars', words by Vashti Bunyan.

Poppy Seed Head houses.

I had been watching the inspirational Satish Kumar's 'Natural World' DVD about Dartmoor. It reminded me of how much I love and miss the moor with its Tors and the River Dart. When I was a child the moor unlocked my imagination and I would be lost in the stories inside my head. I long for its wildness and mystery when I'm away and this was a little tribute to it.

Dulcimer Day

Tomorrow I shall take the dulcimer out of its case, dust it and tune it. I shall probably gaze at the beauty of it before I put it across my lap and really begin to take the playing of it seriously.  For too long I have had a dulcimer that one day I would learn to play.

I shall find my flute and polish it, practice some jigs and reels and try to find that connection that I once had with the instrument.

I shall take the lid off the sheet music box and find all my favourite songs.  It is time to sing again. Time for the music to return, to dance to the rhythms of Summer before the harvest begins.

The Eagle-stone

I should like to find an eagle-stone. It is a type of iron ore with a concentric construction.  Of far more interest to me is the legend that eagle-stones are hatched in eagle's nests and they prevent their own eggs from rotting. Now I'm sure that there must be a painting in there somewhere. I can see the images forming already and words are flying in on the wings of eagles and just waiting to be written. I love how the world of the imagination can transform a dull day into a vision of colour and inspiration.

If the myth of the eagle-stone inspires you, please share your creations.  I would love to see. We all dream and imagine differently upon the diverging paths that we walk.

Saturday morning sadness

Thinking of Norway this morning. So much sorrow.

Thinking of Somalia this morning. So much despair.

Trying to send more love and light out into the world. More hope and peace.

Can I work here please?

Maybe we will be picked soon for the Etsy shop.

Lulu Tonks and Tom Bones wait with anticipation for the arrival of the 'Edie & May' department of the 'Angels & Magpies' Etsy shop where designs for children young and old will be found.

Etsy Shop Opens

Angels & Magpies, my Etsy shop, is now open and is rapidly filling with colourful songbird brooches. Why the name Angels & Magpies? It is part of my history. The name of my primary school was 'Guardian Angels' and the name of my Grammar School magazine was the 'Magpie' Our uniforms were black, white and royal blue and I often wonder if they chose those colours because of the large number of magpies that lived in the grounds. So, there you are, that is where the name came from.

I hope that you will come along and take a look.  There will be lots of new items in the shop this week as I input all of my current stock. Here is a sneaky peek:

A Word and its Meaning

Exosculate: To kiss heartily.
                                           -Nathaniel Bailey's 'Etymological English Dictionary', 1749


In this month in 1439, a kissing prohibition was ordered by the English parliament in order to prevent the further spread of the plague.


I wonder who can drop the word 'exosculate' into the conversation tomorrow!

Words locked inside

I have been reading one of my favourite blogs: 'Moonlight and Hares' and I can empathise with the writer's latest post.  Sometimes words and ideas are locked inside and it feels as if inspiration is hidden deep down in our caverns of consciousness.  I do have plenty of work at the moment including a commission for dolls, fine art pieces for a September exhibition and fun items for a run of Christmas craft fairs that I am booking.  I am enjoying everything that I am doing but I am missing that spark, that motivating fire that you experience when the muse is with you.  I need that energy to really get into the creative zone where ideas fly and you feel that you are being fed by the inspirational force that is passing through. I am content though, happily getting on with the work that I have.  It would be too exhausting to be burning with inspiration all the time. I need time to develop the ideas that come, to design and make. A time to breathe and prepare for the dreams that may come next.

I am content to wait.