Birds of a Feather....

I have signed up for a online workshop called Magic Fairy Wool. I am really looking forward to this and my lovely bag of rainbow wool all the way from Australia is ready and waiting. Very recently I read the list of supplies required for the course and I have most all of them except for two, a wool needle and the feathers you need to make the little birds shown in the post linked above.

Now craft shop feathers of the sort you can buy in the supermarket tend to be very bright and garish. Certainly not light and fluffy. To get nicer feathers I would need to go into town, find someone with birds or find some feathers. As I sat in work I considered that someone upstairs sometimes brings in eggs....

Still considering I went off to lunch and wtahced my magpies, and fed them as normal. The book has helped me understand better what is going on and what to pay attention to. I know the long bank used to be all one territory but now, after many ceremonial gatherings - a social device used by pairs with no territory to edge their way in, the bank is now divided in two. I feed the birds and one end and sometimes watch the birds at the other.

There is a baby bird, probably male because he is larger. He has fluffy feathers interspersed in his plummage and often sits low to the ground and fluffs himself up. There is Mummy bird is smaller and sleaker. Mummy and baby are less bold. Baby does not often stick around if Daddy turns up. Daddy is big and bold and clever. It is Daddy who sussed me out and comes and asks for food and comes the closest to get it. Often being scolded into sharing by Mummy, who did not dare to come so close.

Baby and Mummy often watch me for food and I reckon they let Daddy know when it has turned up. Then Baby goes off to do whatever Baby does....

So today I fed them. Baby vanished and Daddy turned up and got the food Mummy had been to scared to get. I saw her with some so he must have shared it to. I had a stale corn cake from yesterday so I was being quite generous. The two birds were just taking off with a piece of corn cake in beak each when four or five seagulls swopped down. One went for one of the magpies - it all happened so quick I don't know who. The magpie swopped off, still with food, leaving a puff of little feathers behind.

I felt pretty outraged.

No way was I going to feed those seagulls and they knew it and quickly left. I had time to feed the magpies again before the end of my break and I am glad to say I saw Mummy and Daddy and both seemed fine. I guess I know now why Baby goes and hides when the food comes out... For the gulls would surely go for him...

When I left the car I could see little fluffy feathers caught on the bank in the grass. I picked up those I could see, that had not been swept away by the wind. Little beautiful pieces of fluff, soft downy underfeathers. Nine of them. Mostly black but all but a couple have white ends, some more white than others.

A gift from the Univers. From my totem. very unexpected. very appreciated. very useful.

but I so hope that the magpie was not injured and is going to be fine. I know feathers regrow...

If I could have had any feathers for my little wooly birds, then of course, magpie feathers would have the most meaning for me. I have never been gifted with magpie feathers before, ever. Years of watching them. But here they are, just when my own little bird creations need their own wings....

Lack-a-Saturday

We were good today. We took a load of junk from around the house and went, via a truck stop for a fry up, to the tip. First time in ages we have done something useful like this together of a weekend. All was going well....

But then I realised that F is working rather a lot.... I thought he was just doing day shifts but no, he went to work this afternoon and will not be home till Monday morning.

And then I read the essay that a internet friend sent him to be corrected for English and I volunteered me for. Pages and pages about a High School massacre in the US. Well written but not guaranteed for laughs...

So by the time he actually went to work, I wasn't feeling motivated to do anything at all. Still not feeling motivated. or overly cheery.

***

I have recently joined a lovely social network, a home for creative sorts of any and all disciplines. There are some truly lovely folk over there and a lot of talent... Some of it is too much for me. I am just a tad to logical to quite get some of the writers works. I know they are good and wonderful and creative and I know very much so, that some random part of my brain just doesn't quite allow me to get it.

I have lacks in other areas to. Some people at work had been raving about a comedy series and this afternoon I watched a couple of episodes.... and well... I just don't get why it is funny. Not the first time for me, not by a long stretch.

I know there is a lot out in the world I just don't get, but by the same token, there is a lot I do, some of it stuff others struggle with. I have too much logic so some of the more lateral connections of art and humour slip by me. I can see them and I know that I am not getting stuff and it is good stuff.... but I still don't get it....

The other thing about the network is that some people are just sooooo talented! It can be daunting.... but nicely being cross - discipline, it means there is room for everything and everyone....

***

Now despite being logical and a science geek, I know there is more in this world than can be explained by science and I have faith. So I am no disbeliever in the possibility that all is not as commonly believed. In my 'real life' though this sometimes sits uncomfortably though, because it is not always being two opposites at the same time (the joys of being a Libra through and through, soooo many planets cluster there for me).

This week i found myself in a conversation which started off as an innocent chat about acquaintances, prgressed to government conspiracy (I have no doubt governments get up to all sorts they keep secret from us, the real story is cunningly hidden) and from their alien control of the Earth crept in... and at that point I started to get uncomfortable...

But one interesting thing was the mention of current news. The events in Egypt as a precursor to events of 2012. The Solstice was odd, and things have been odd ever since..... Strange weather. I didn't mention the Solstice, or the odd weather. Mostly during the conversation I just listened. Is that cowardly? Or is it fine that I keep my doubts out of public? Is it a good thing to not engage the fanatic whose views go just a little (or a lot) to far but are quite interesting......?

Day 5 and Seeing Stars....

I was inspired by Rowenna's glittery stars and I thought some would look nice dangling from some strig hanging from our mantlepiece. I soon found some pre-cut stars upstairs in my craft stash. I had forgotten all about them.

We have a shop down here called Trago Millsand they buy bankrupt stock etc from all over the place. Some of their stock is so ancient, while other stuff is so new.... You never know what you are going to find. One time they had some little plastic draw units stuffed full of random craft stuff. They were going pretty cheap so I got one even though I had no idea what was in it...

It was jam packed with card kits, stickers, glitter, a big jar of embossing powder, brads, finishing bits... endless things.... and some little packs of pre-cut shapes that never ever inspired me. So I had never touched them. So I had a pack of maybe a hundred stars, with one side white and the other green, blue, pink, yellow or lilac.

I began by paitning them all with irridescent paint on both sides. Then I painted some of them with interference paint in blue, green or violet on both sides. Then I used my glue pen and started sprinkling glitter..... silver, blue and white.... Then I started punching little holes for white cotton. I have a length of silver stuff for them to dangle off. I had planned to do all this today but to be honest, I have gotten a bit bored! Time to have a break and do something else for a bit.....

I had hoped for a complete project each day but I don't think that is so very likely!

Christmas Creativity Catchup

OK, I found my lead so here we have some very, very bad pictures of my creativity.

Day 2

Firstly we have the bracelet I finished off for my Mum. Hex beads in purple, green and blue in a herringbone pattern. I bought a hammered silver catch which needed sewing on.



Next we have millefiori beads, three for each earring, each placed on a headpin - although some of the heads were chopped off and turned into hooks instead. I had a whole string of these beads and they are all sorts of colours so although I tried to select beads that match, the two earrings are different....


Day 3

Five spherical labradorite beads separated by silver matte double delicas. I used thread for these so at the bottom there are three tiny silver matte delicas forming a picot.



Day 4

A very simple pair the beads are amber glass with a band of gold and silver foil. They are threaded on head pins with little silver spherical beads.

If Excuses were Little Dogs

Another pair of earrings tonight for day 3 of the Christmas challenge... and still no cord.

Part of this is the fault of Little Dog. I need to sort through the assorted hobby stuff by the sofa where I sit. I slouch there covered in duvet and the duvet tends to drape itself generously on the floor next to the sofa. And tonight, for the first time in weeks, Little Dog came and joined me.

Before the fireworks she would come snooze on my legs every evening. Then when I went to bed, she would go and sleep on the duvet on the floor in the room where F plays on the pc. She likes to share herself between the pair of us. Then when F comes to bed, she comes to and snuggles up with us. Well unless F is taking too long, then she comes to bed early.

But the fireworks terrify her and she goes and hides. And then for weeks after, she hides, waiting for them to come back again. At about 9ish she decides it is past time and she comes out of hiding and slinks off somewhere to sleep, normally under the stairs, where she has one of those big plastic beds, full of old wooly blankets. Under the stairs is safe from draughts and right opposite a radiator and a very good place for a snooze.

So tonight, F and I got a Chinese and we ate together and there was no spare room on the sofa but she decided to come and join us anyway. She flopped on the overflowing duvet, and when F left to play on the pc, she never left. And after so many weeks, I was not willing to move and risk having her leave.

Luckily, I keep various things next to the sofa, including my lap tray with beading things on it but I wasn't prepared to rifle through it all again to try and find the cord. So how's that for an excuse for no photos? *laugh*

I will find the cord tomorrow and post catchup photos.

Todays earrings are made using spherical labradorite beads with matte silver grey double delicas inbetween threaded onto some silver coloured thread attahced to the ear wires via a wire guardian. Oh and at the other end of the drop are three little delicas in a picot to hold all the beads on.

Soooo tomorrow..... Sleep well and dream happily.

Snippets

OK - so I finished off the bracelet for my Mum. I sewed on the clasp and finished all the knots. Then I figured I had time for a pair of earrings - three square millefori beads threaded onto head pins with added hooks and dangled from ear wires. I even took photos. But the cable has vanished - and I only had it last night and it was right here! So creativity photo catch up tomorrow - or the weekend if the cable still won't give itself up!

Unfortunately I am out of time - my bed calls. My only remaining decision, given that F is not working over night, tonight, is whether or not hot water bottles would be too much with him in the bed as well. They were soooo lovely last night. Socks to protect me from the lovely stone one by my feet and Oswald the cuddly croc protecting me from the second one and snuggling me all night long.

I didn't really remember my dreams from last night - no drama, no big messages. A peaceful night. A small snippet that was heavily influenced by the TV show Fringe and featured two schoolgirls is about all I awoke with. More along the theme of shadows with a sprinkling of duality? Not enough to do anything with really.... Let's see what dreams come tonight!

BIG is progressing. The background to my last painting during BIG is done. I added some details tonight - then the phone went. Tomorrow night I have some details to add over the top. Then I might scrawl with my pastels and then the final finishing touches.... I have learnt soooo much about paint by playing within BIG.

I am looking forward to reclaiming the space my BIG painting has been occupying because this is where I shall put the tree at the weekend. Always a fun job!

Anyway, I am sat here yawning my head off! Night night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite!

The First Day of Christmas Creativity

I signed up for Rowena's 25 Days of Creativity for Christmas and I found myself a little short of time tonight... I just had to pick up the paint brush and slap some readymix around for BIG! This weeks painting is now drying because I want to add further layers as the week progresses.

I have a bracelet I was going to finish - put the catch on and sort the threads but my niece called for a chat. Instead I made one of the pairs of earrings I have planned for my Sister. They took about five minutes...

My camera is awful at close up photo's but these earrings are made using two large black beads with silver scribbles on them. They have been placed on head pins with a small spherical silver bead at each end. I used my round nosed pliers to make a hook at the end and connected the head pins to the ear wires with a split ring.

Expect to see more earrings on evenings when I do not have time to do much else! My Sister asked for earrings and earrings she will get!

See the picture on my blog for a link to the challenge!