Nature's First Green is Gold

Here is my entry for this weeks Gothic Arch Challenge theme of 'Gold'. I have choosen a poem by Robert Frost titled "Nature's First Green". I remember being 12 and my Mum (being an English teacher) brought home the movie 'The Outsiders'. I must have watched this film about 35 times over the two weeks that Mum was using it for her year 9's. I have never forgotten this poem and I often recite it to myself whenever I'm up early enough to see the sun rise.

A Title at last!

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Milady the Most Honourable Genevieve the Sanguine of Porton Down Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

and

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Lord Steven the Saturnine of Heffton St Mallet Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

I always thought that Sir Steven and Lady Genevieve sounded good but these titles are even better. I think I'll go and get some for some friends of mine as well...

Wednesday Stamper - ATC Tryptich

Here's my piece for the Wednesday Stamper Challenge - ATC Tryptich. This weeks challenge has been set by the very talented and uber lovely Carmel Trigwell, a lady who I have had the pleasure of meeting on several occasions. My theme was inspired by an ATC swap that I am participating in with the theme of 'Something I Love'. I love dragonflies, Stampers Anonymous stamps, Tim Holtz Distress Inks and Flourishes! This tryptich has all these elements. The definition and bug stamps are by Lost Coast Designs. Thanks for coming over to look. Cheers!

Gothic Arch Challenge - Family

Here's my entry for this weeks Gothic Arch Challenge - Family. The family in the picture is actually ancestors of mine that I found lurking in a old photo album at my Mum's house. The album was rescued from my Granmother (on my Dad's side) many years ago. As the story goes, my Dad's Great, Great Aunt was a Lady in Waiting to Queen Victoria and travelled the world with the Royal Family. Some of the albums that my Dad remembered seeing in the attic had photos of the entire Royal Party with Massai Warriors. Also in the Attic were sheilds and spears from this tour of Africa. Now my Granny, not being of sound mind, threw most of this stuff on to a bonfire! Some of it was rescued including some of the larger albums and the one my Mum is now in possession of. Almost makes you want to cry.....

Gothic Arches and the Moon

After visting a few blogs including Nat B'sI wandered over to a new challenge blog by Nancy James. The above Gothic Arch is my first which ended up becoming a door. I've used a scrap piece of cardstock that I had embossed with one of my Cuttlebug embossing plates. I then used several paints including Payne's Grey, Cerulean Blue, Metallic Antique Copper, Metallic Peridot and Metallic Silver Stirling Acrylics to create the aged look. I added a Collectionslock and a die cut piece again from Cuttlebug, all having the same treatment as the main piece. Where to with this piece now....hmmm...it may sit on the shelf awaiting a new home or inspiration to open.

The Enchantress of the Moon was my second piece that I created with the Gothic Arches blog challenge directly in mind. I don't often paint, rather using stamped images or collage, but I felt the need for a bit of painting this arvo. Thanks for coming over to look at my art. Cheers!

More flowers and a little Art

This is a cousin of the Pale Sundew, similar in habitat but with a beautiful pink flower. Couldn't tell if it had a perfume as I have a charming cold!! As do both my children - so I've prescribed a day of rest for all!!.

And now for some of those great little houses from JVO. I created a little family from some Victorian era Calling Cards of my relatives that I found lurking in a leather bound album at my Mum's. You'll be seeing more of these guys that's for sure!

Pale Sundew in Flower

I noticed this morning that the Pale Sundew that I photographed the other day (see last post) had flowered, so I stopped by and snapped this. One thing I hadn't noticed before was the delicate perfume this flower has. I love this planet of ours, full of wonder and surprises. I truely believe that this planet is Heaven and that if only more people realiesed it (and stopped dying to get there) that we'd look after this truely magnificent planet better than we do. Don't forget to tell your Father that you love him.

Early Mornings and a Spring Flowers

I've been getting up early (read 5.30am) the past few mornings, too many ideas wanting to get on to the page and out of my head. I thought I'd share this photo of the view from my craft room. Most of our 50 acre block looks like this (without the fence of course). We are so privilaged to live here and be able to share the most wonderful wildlife and wildflowers. So far we have seen a regular group of Western Grey Kangaroos with white markings on their heads, an emu that wanders through every now and then, echidnas, Brush Tailed Wallabies, bobtail skinks, carpet python (he measured over 6ft!), possums and the most wonderful assortment of birds. White Tailed Black Cockatoos, Red Tailed Cockatoos, 28's, Kookaburras, Scarlet Robins, Splendid Fairy Wrens.

I believe that this flower is a Isopogon dubius or pink coneflower. I often take the camera when going for walks on the block. Just going to get the post is a treat as our driveway is 600m long! and on the way back it's all up hill!!!

This one is Drosera pallida or Pale Sundew. These plants have a sticky residue on the leaves and a beautiful white flower. However, my all time favourite Western Australian Wildflowers are the Nodding Lily and Fringed Lily. So beautiful and delicate and they flower right through the hot summer months!

Thysanotus multiflorus or Fringed Lily
Dichopogon capillipes or Nodding Lily