Sometimes you just have one of those days...or weeks...

Anyone got a handkersniff?
We're running out here...
Well it has been a real downer this past few weeks in our Mountain Hovel...
My eldest son brought a right rotter of a bug back with him and then 0h-so generously gave it to his siblings who then passed it around, like a parcel, but no fun opening it ;o) then we all caught another one straight afterwards! :o(

Never mind though...at least it means you get to just 'sit' for a while...none of this awfully disgusting stuff like 'cleaning' or 'ironing' *shudder*...can't do any of that nonsense with a bug ;o)

This charcoal study looks quite a bit like the way I'm feeling at the moment...
You know that feeling you get when you have just gotten over a bug and another one is fast approaching ready to kick you when you're looking the other way?
Why can't they just visit you with a nice chocolate cake instead?
Much more friendly!

I've also had some time to do some painting though, so I can't grumble (too much) and I'll show some of them soon...as soon as I get some more hankies...

Have you all been enjoying yourselves now the weather is being more agreeable?
It's warm here but the high wind keeps whipping up and taking the electrics with it...I know last time it fried all of the computers so we all run to switch everything off when we hear the howling approach!
It's all very 'Wuthering Heights' and terribly dramatic when it whistles round the house!
Although a friend in Ohio tells me that her roof was blown off recently!!!
Wow...that makes ours seem so trivial!

Good thing the houses up the Welsh mountains were built by hand, from rocks dug up out of the surrounding fields (no machinery in those days)...our walls are two feet thick so I think those 'primitive' folks knew a thing or two about strength in high places...they were certainly built to last up here...even though it does mean the houses are all like a reversed Tardis...big on the outside and pokey inside...and the gaps between the stones allow critters to tunnel through the walls and appear in all sorts of places!
I can honestly say now that I am an hexpert ;o) at catching mice!
If you ever need to catch mice (humanely of course) they LOVE peanut butter!
And chocolate...so all of that stuff about cheese is a load of rubbish!
I have even seen a tiny mouse drag a huge chocolate biscuit off...
We have been visited, courtesy of our stone walls and their gaps, by bank voles, shrews (all kinds), field mice, wood mice, giant spiders which are the size of voles! and all manner of lovely things.

At the moment the bats are enjoying all of the moths and flies outside and we have already been visited by the cuckoos, who have come an awfully long way just to fob their offspring off on some poor little bird (they are either very cruel or rather clever, I'm not sure which)
And don't get me started on rats!
Thankfully they all live in the far away fields by the streams!
The moles were very busy through the winter piling up lots of little hills everywhere, so there is absolutely no way you could be 'lawn proud' here, but we scoop up the hills and use them for compost, so we don't mind the visits from the 'Little Gentlemen in Velvet Waistcoats'
Last year was very bad for the swallows, so I'm hoping that they're okay and some make it back...no sign yet though...
We also have adders, which frightened the wits out of me at first... but now I just stand and watch them winding their way through the plants and don't imagine them digging their sharp fangs into everyone you love! ;o) though now the children are older I'm a little less worried as I've read that a bite from an adder is very unlikely to kill an adult (just small children and pets!) and you are more likely to die from being hit by lightning than from being bitten by a snake!
That is SO comforting...;o( and anyway....we are all like lightning rods up here!
We are the first things it goes for...we can watch it move over the sky and see it land over on the other mountains!

Now aren't you all glad you don't live in a run-down old farmhouse in Wales? he he he
Oh dear...I've written a book about it all now haven't I?

Sorry folks...pass me a hankie and I'll be on my way...;o)

Let Sleeping Faeries Lie...

If I sneak in while everyone's looking the other way...no one will be able to moan at me for going AWOL again ;o)...not that anyone would ever do that to a poor old Fae...
I know you are all lovely kind folks deep down and missed me terribly didn't you ?;o)

So...here we are again...how've you all been?
My 'puter is still having the odd problem (or two) and groans when I do anything strenuous, bit like me really, so I know not to push too hard...hence my absence...
Still...it gives me more time to paint...or to try to sort out my stash of projects...
You know the classic image of a crazy painter...with paper, canvas and paints sprawled over every surface?
Me :o)
The ones who slide everything off a table to make room for a meagre snack of bread and cheese?
That's me :o)
The ones who everyone moves away from if they get too close, as they have paint under all of their nails and in their hair...the ones with paintbrushes sticking out of their ears?
Me again :o)
If you have any OCD problems and need to be neat and tidy...you would hate me, truly, madly, deeply!
Everyone here is so used to me they kind of just get on with it and work around me, (granted they have no choice), but it must drive them mad!
Hang on though...I tread on Lego all of the time (and it really hurts!)...and I let them pile their toys into teetering towers all over the place too...and spread games and cards and all sorts of 'educational' things everywhere!
And my musician son has been breeding instruments all over this house so the 'parlour' (ha) has become a recording studio of sorts with wires everywhere (and me on a 'puter) and deafens us all!
You try typing with a 'session' going on!
So...thinking about it...I now do not feel so guilty about my art stuff littering everywhere...
At least it's quiet...well...most of the time ;o)

This painting of a Sleeping Fae was done a while ago...but got lost under things, hence me tidying up!
She has a story to go with her but I won't bore you all with that (just yet!) it's a little sad and I really do not feel like being in sad mood today...there's a beautiful full moon and I'm off to howl at it...right down my musician son's ears...payback time...
Revenge can be oh-so-sweet!
(Oh yes, she's a watercolour in case you were at all interested)
See you all soon...if I can climb over all of this Oh-so-useful-really-necessary-art equipment!

Introducing...Ms Cassandra and Miss Rowan

Ms Cassandra and Miss Rowan (Take a walk in the Dark Woods)

Don’t be scared sweetheart,
You know it isn’t real,
It’s just the shadows in the wood
Which gives the creepy feel.

Don’t be shy my baby,
Don’t hide your little face,
It’s just the whistle of the wind
Which haunts this lovely place.

Don’t you fret my darling,
Your mummy has you tight,
I’ll chase away the spooky things
Upon this moonlit night.

Don’t you worry honey,
Don’t listen to their plea,
I’ll keep you safe from all things scary;
Bug-eyed Monsters, spiders hairy,
Ghosts and Ghouls and Goblin Faery
Do not frighten me!

This creation came about after thinking how much our children rely on 'Mummy' to be a big, strong, safe image.
I love the way which very young children see their parents...as though they are invincible, that they are never afraid of anything…that they will always be able to protect them.
Although as they grow older, sadly they realise that this is not always so…

This creation is my offering for the March EHAG Emporium...if you would like to see more of the artists of EHAG do pop over to their site...it's always Halloween there...what more could you want? ;o)

Ms Cassandra stands at 5 1/2 inches to the top of her head and 6 1/2 inches to the top of her pointy hat.
Although it is difficult to see Miss Rowan (she's hiding), I can assure you that she does have a full face and both her eyes are there! (Even though I then hid one on Mummy's shoulder)
I also thought it would be cute to dress Rowan in bright colours as a contrast to the more sombre garments which adults (witches ;o)) prefer.
Although most of my figures can be gently posed, because of the nature of this pose I have fixed the two figures together...they are, therefore, not pose-able and Mummy can keep hold of Rowan forever...that's love for you...
These figures are completely One-of-a-kind and no moulds have been used or taken from them (so you will have the only ones ;o))

Sorry folks if this sounds like a sales pitch...I'm not after your money...I'm just trying to promote my EHAG friends :o)

And look at me...two posts in two days!
I must be feeling ill ;o)
He he he he he