of Faetales, Fantasies and Family

it always feels like a luxury to just sit and write a blog post. Maia is having her nap and Llara is entertaining the Ipad, which she sneakily coveted it off her grandma for the duration of the year-end holidays. Noise pollution in the home is down to only the rumbling thunder in the distance and the pitter patter of the rain on my window. Bliss ...

i shall not contemplate too long on my luck this afternoon, for i have lots of pretties to show :)

Whence Stories Came is my first attempt at making a metal flower bud ... within that bud, lies the tiniest book, signifying the home of stories, and 3 seeds, which without, the home would be empty. they are the Seed of Passion, Seed of Imagination and the Seed of Artistry. that's how stories are born ...

after this piece, i remember taking a break for a few days before i had the vision of a dark forest, not so much omnimous, but secretive and magical. a place where the Fae live...

a place where huge moss-covered trees bear strange nuts and berries that sometimes fall on the Forest Floor.

a place where gnarled ancient vines bear enchanting Forest Offerings ... but beware, not all are sweet to the human tongue!

a place where numerous stories have been weaved for generations. Forest Tales that are too strange to believe ... but are they?

a place where humans are not really welcomed, tho if you did get lost, just follow the Faelights, and they will lead you out, but not before making you walk round the forest 3 times ...

i think i can go on and on about this ancient magical forest that i've landed myself in. but after walking round the forest 3 times ... i think i'd better cool off for a bit ;)

and so i endeavored to make something less Fae, but not necessarily less mysterious. last night, i was playing around with Barry's stash of metal, trying very hard not to cut my hands in process ... and i suddenly had this idea of rolling a piece of metal into something much like a swissroll! so, i proceeded to flatten a piece of patterned brass, and then divided it into 2 equal parts. some steel wires, rustic howlite beads and a couple of dictionary excerpts later ... Cryptex emerged.

been really enjoying myself with these few pieces, but what i loved most was this one i made. it began when i attempted to make my first birdnest with copper wires.

this, i named Born Free ...

many people have asked me why there are only 2 eggs in the nest and not the 3 that you would normally see. the answer is simple ... becoz this piece is a homage to my 2 amazing little girls Llara and Maia, and my hope that they will grow up to follow their dreams and live life with passion, compassion and freedom. Not to be shackled down by anything, but to live life to the full.

Born Free, Live Free.

"Born free, as free as the wind blows

As free as the grass grows

Born free to follow your heart

Live free and beauty surrounds you

The world still astounds you

Each time you look at a star

Stay free, where no walls divide you

You're free as the roaring tide

So there's no need to hide

Born free, and life is worth living

But only worth living

'Cause you're born free"