~ Red Sails In The SunSet ~ In a Dream you are never Eighty or Fifty~Five

"Red Sails in the Sunset ~ The Fairytale Boat  "The Singhalese " Original Annabelle 2012 ~ Art Sea Life Vintage Bottle 

Luv the silhouette , never intended to take the pic this way but oh such an enchanting discovery when i started the shoot this morning : )

 .......Wish i knew more about photography....must take that course!

In a dream you are never eighty .......or fifty five. 

Anne Sexton's first part of this quote resonates so true with me, in mind, mind you, I really do not feel my age, never did and I truly hope and pray I never will. 

I hope I'll still be in pretty good health to continue on my way down the oak lined country lane. 

It is only now I realize that time has in a way been my friend and allowed me to continue growing, gathering wisdom and truth although there was a period when I had thought differently, only negatively towards it but Time was and still is an ally and foe; it weathers and wears and tatters and tears but in the end it has been always a friend.

I have lived in my soul's dark cottage for all of my life until only recently I discovered in living that I always possessed some form of artist resource well hidden secretly within . 

The cottage I live in now is a 1920's craftsman english cottage on a hilly mountaintop over looking the deep blue sea where the early morning sun streams within the creamy walls and casts them in a light pink glow and it is here where I create magical worlds of enchantment.

The soul's dark cottage, battered and decayed,
Lets in new light through chinks that time hath made.
~Edmund Waller

I'm an Artist, there I said it!

I have always admired art and some just takes my breath away.

All Artists are inspired by life, wild, tame or both; consistently I am initially inspired by the wild side and then quickly given sustenance by the tame. The art that originally grows from the natural world later is adorned by an amenable earthly realm. When securely fused or in many cases of my art work, soldered, the art I believe, becomes an energy source giving life to a void and empty space.

We are all artists, some born with more resources than others but the secret lies in the artist who knows well  how to use them to their greatest possible potential. I am no master of the arts and wish I could play a piano or organ beautifully and enchant myself but because I can't play i am constantly swept into a dreamy Disneyland by others who can. 

When it comes to staying young, a mind-lift beats a face-lift any day.  ~Marty Bucella

You are never too old to learn  and if ...........

How far away the stars seem, and how far is our first kiss, and ah, how old my heart.  ~William Butler Yeats...

Never feel the skipping beat of your aging heart........ 

Oh! weep not that our beauty wears
Beneath the wings of Time;
That age o'erclouds the brow with cares
That once was raised sublime...
But mourn the inward wreck we feel
As hoary years depart,
And Time's effacing fingers steal
Young feelings from the heart!
~Robert Montgomery, "Lost Feelings," March 1828

But Never let Time steal away your unmeasurable love for Never~ Ending FairyTales❤

Red Sails in the Sunset , Way out on the sea

Oh, carry my loved one home safely to me.

She sailed at the dawning, all day I've been blue,

Red sails in the Sunset, I'm trusting in you.

"Red Sails in the Sunset ~ The Fairytale Boat  "The Singhalese " Original Annabelle 2012 ~ Art Sea Life Vintage Bottle 

Inspiration taken from the wild sea, 60's arts and crafts walnut mice boats ( Christmas tree ornaments we made when the kids were little ) and Florida shell boats, music and especially from the gorgeous Twilight and Night Sea Paintings of Romantic Movement Russian /Armenian Artist Ivan Aivazousky 1858

Materials... North American Pressed Glass (NAPG) in a pink hue with daisy pattern...look like stars to me : ) 

Solder, shells, coral, copper wire and metal for sail.

German glitter ,crystal beads for inside and outside of bottle. 

Hope you like this latest art piece. Available on Etsy very soon.

Remember .......Old age ain't no place for sissies.  ~Bette Davis

NOTE BENE: A huge thank you to the music artists and DISNEY that allow me to play their enchanting music on my blog: AL BOWLY, ONE REPUBLIC AND THE PIERCES ; IN TURN I HOPE I OPEN THE DOORS TO YOUR WONDERFUL WORK TO OTHERS : ) 

The Portrait ~ The Secret of the Haunted Lover's Eye ~

The year was 1786. King George IV had the artist Richard Cosway paint the eye of his secret lover , Maria Fitzherbert ; only he and his inamorata knew the secret.

   Lover's Eye ❤ ~ A charming, whimsical and mysterious Love Token popularized by London High Society during late 1700's

The exquisite and rare weird beauty of a unique Lover's Eye is truly only one of a kind  ❤

 The Lover's Eye became popular during the reign of King George IV when he commissioned an artist to depict a rendering of his secret lover's eye to wear in a locket secretly keeping her identity unknown.

Love, in many cases of marriage was non existent and therefore affairs of the heart were conducted in obscurity and concealment from the public eye. To keep one's love a secret and close to their heart, they wore an affectionate reminder, in this case the eyes of their paramour inside a secret locket.

Clandestine Lover's Eye Love Tokens were all the rage in 18th and 19th century. And why not , they were the perfect secret love keepers. They were virtually impossible to ever give the secret identity of the lover away!

And so here is another one of my Lover's Eye I've made. The eye isn't really a secret anymore, it belongs to my mother. Because of my undying adoration for eyes , spiders, webs, Victorian Gothic Ghostly Tales , eDGAR aLLAN pOE and black I dreamed up this Secret Lover's Eye, actually a Haunted Secret Lover's Eye.



The Lover's Eye, an elusive Antique Georgian Jewellery collectible dating back to the late 1700"s is not surprisingly a much imitated piece of antiquarian jewellery of the few remaining originals in existence today. As with any coveted Treasure that is much sought after, the more the Charming, Whimsical and Mysterious it becomes to the passionate collector of Lover's Eyes.Their allure completely mesmerizes one into a Romantic Gothic Tale of their own making.



Who was she and why was this portrait left behind in the old mysterious mansion???

Flipping through the pages of a book on Antique Jewellery I learned about the Secret Lover's Eye.

To hold within one's grasp .......real love  ❤

Maybe once upon a time she had a secret admirer, a lover who she had shared a real love with and her portrait was cherished and treasured by him always but then one day it was left behind,  here to fray and decay and be completely forgotten?

But she knew the secret.........

"I told my love,
 I told her all my heart,
 Trembling, cold, in ghastly fears ~
 Ah, she doth depart.


                                 ~ William Blake

 Note Bene "The Portrait " will be for sale on Etsy shortly

Secrets ~So I'm gonna give all my secrets away, well maybe one ~ Fairy's Wings & A FairyTale Pumpkin ~

Time .....


Sometimes I feel that life is passing me by, not slowly either, but with ropes of steam and spark-spattered wheels and a hoarse roar of power or terror. It's passing, yet I'm the one who's doing all the moving. ~Martin Amis, Money



It's been a while I've had any interaction with blogging friends and art groups, mainly because I have been racing against time.

Many obligations, too many to say the least and if I dare tried to cancel a few on my lengthy list my conscious would get the better of me. Besides the motherly duties, wifely duties , daughterly duties that one must abide with if you are in my opinion, a good person with a soul, then you must take heed and confront them head on rather than ignore them completely, they will return to haunt you , believe me, I know!


I have been quite overwhelmed, mentally that is. So much to contemplate and ponder on and not surprisingly in the long run it eventually got the better of me physically. Thankfully my son has started me on a diet these past few weeks and I've taken a personal initiative to fit in a daily walk with my Gracie; can't believe just by doing those few changes how better I feel these days. It really does curb the negative mind and that is a key secret to over coming many obstacles, not all but a good some.


And just when things were going hunky dory, it had to get a little messy once again. Where oh where shall we soon be moving to, that is the ? Too old to really be adventurous but none the less the spirit is willing to ride the warm seas, rid of arthritic knees and snow for a short while and hopefully that will be one of the options but truthfully, I can't foresee myself living anywhere colder than where I am presently living with the exception of NFLD, CA.....haha !!!

No doubt , the clock is ticking, not the biological baby timer mind you but kick the bucket timer...haha : ) Time is simply much too short and my measuring tape is nearing the 85; need to keep some of that time for me.


And some of that time has been used working on my art........





Once Upon a FairyTale  Pumpkin





Charlotte the Spider also took the time to smell the FAIRYTALE.....PUMPKIN






Charlotte the Spider









Charlotte seems quite content to spend some of her precious sprinkling hours in the garden among the FAIRYTALE PUMPKINS


Always a charming way to spend some perfect moments creating and indulging in some fun with my mind, makes for true sanity and well being, at least for me , it works ! ; )


p.s. Oh , I almost forgot. That walk I took this morning after the rain was perfect weather for taking some pics with my camera. Trying to fit a little time into learning the darn thing!!!!


"Fairy's Wings" ~ Love the way these turned out 

So now I'm on a mission to untangle the lovely web and what I can't break free of , hopefully.......

 Time will heal what reason cannot ~ Seneca.....I sure hope so!!!

Remember, in the end


Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils. ~Louis Hector Berlioz

So if you really want to keep this Treasure close to your heart and never lost take a moment to read this....


Affirmation of Time ~ by Jeffery Cannon





A Little Secret Shared ; ) ❤

Once Upon a Pumpkin Fairytale ~ Halloween yet ?

A few Halloweens ago I made this FairyTale Pumpkin ( a real one ) for Halloween .

"Cinderella's Haunted Ride " was a blast to create and my Antique collectible Victorian picture frames  suited the Ancient gourd nicely in creating the carriage's whimsical windows and door.

If you want to try your hand at growing these Very Old French Heirloom Cinderella Whimsical Pumpkins, I suggest buying the seeds from this organic grower in the states. I recently found them on Etsy...Kenyon Organics FairyTale Pumpkin Seeds ..... I will soon be ordering some for myself to grow next year. 

And now for a different take on Whimsical Pumpkins that last a little longer than the real thing, that's if you can't wait for their return in Autumn. Myself I luv them both, especially the real ones ; )

Fairytale Pumpkins are Magical and Whimsical and perfect for any decor in my mind especially when created in worn tattered vintage fabrics like I have done here.

Last Autumn I asked a local pumpkin farmer for the remaining pumpkin stems lying out in his field and lucky me I just got hold of him before he was turning them over that afternoon.
I made a few pumpkins and the rest of the stems I stashed away for a later time.

 Well, it seems Harvest and Halloween isn't too far from my mind these days and the month of August would seem ideal time to get started on this particular home decor but alas I'm afraid I am running late and out of time for you see I have a date to meet this coming October. I have been asked to have a showing at my town's library.I had one this past January but since much of my work has some sort of magic element to it the committee thought it would be perfect for an Autumn show.
And so I am busily getting ready for it and conjuring up some magic .....

Double Double Toil and Trouble
Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble!!!!

Yes, double toil....... and trouble following me along the way.
Too many side tracks interrupting the flow of artistic endeavours, NOT TO MENTION THE HEAT.....NO AC...HAHA : ( Well at least I had a reprieve from the heat yesterday after getting caught in the down pour as we were picking up cut grass. I was so covered in the green stuff and it felt icky so I quickly rinsed myself off partially in my bird bath...but it too was almost like a cauldron :) I spotted the blocked spout of the roof and took a shower underneath it....ahhhhhh relief and so much cooler, I felt better : ) and was abled to carry on with my agenda.....hooray!!!

It has been many months since I participated in Paint Party Friday and terribly miss the interaction with my fellow artists. The warm seasons here in Canada aren't to be taken for granted and when we have such beautiful weather there is nothing else to do but to enjoy the outdoors; in my case early mornings and evenings when it is cool and because of the weather much has taken a back seat for the season....no regrets.
So now needless to say, I am behind schedule and must double my work load, still within certain restrictions; a good work can't be rushed!

Fairytale Pumpkins have been around for many , many years and in many shapes and forms and probably the tomatoe pin cushion is a smaller version of the stuffed pumpkins of today.
I have a book titled "Two ~ Hour No Sew Decorating " by Diana Dunkley.
In it, she has a section titled "Autumn Harvest" with whimsical pumpkins you can create. She doesn't sew hers and I probably would have done it her way if I didn't know how to sew a few stitches but I gathered the patience and learned to sew and now throughly enjoy the total process.
It is a matter of trying something out first before turning your back to it, or you'll never know what you missed if you didn't give a try.

So here now is one of my whimsical pumpkins.
Cottage country, whimsical, enchanting, romantic, no matter the style, it is after all a FairyTale Pumpkin that welcomes all upon entering the threshold of a house to think "There's No Place Like Home "; )

Some more pictures to enjoy....

Hand dyed seam binding

Boiled Wool handmade roses and hearts

Vintage Antique tea dyed lace with embroidered swallows and posies  and vintage millenary cream  flowers...can you spot the butterfly?

Tiny heart made from boiled wool and tea dyed seam binding bow...adore it's whimsy

Many Tiny Hearts.. for more pumpkins in the works

If you are interested in purchasing this pumpkin please see here: FairyTale Pumpkin

NOTE BENE : IF INTERESTED IN A "FAIRYTALE PUMPKIN TUTORIAL" PLEASE ASK AND IF ENOUGH REQUESTS ARE RECEIVED I'LL MAKE ONE

~ Dream Stone Castle of Thunder Bay ~ Art Bottle

~ DREAM STONE CASTLE of THUNDER BAY ~

In a MidSummer's Night Dream a princess deeply sleeps in the sweetest slumber she ever knew; her body veiled in the softest Egyptian sheets, as if she was wearing nothing.

The Amethyst crystals she placed by the window that evening next to the climbing white and purple Wisteria outside her oriel glistened and almost seemed to her that the flowers had reached their vines inside the room and embraced the crystal stones affectionately.The Twilight night had turned beyond Magical! Once Upon her Dream she was lost in the night, living her most treasured thoughts in a 
Mysterious Moonlight Garden.
It had been so long the princess could't embrace a good night's sleep but after her wish she had made on Bubbles the Seahorse, magically the stones appeared in her room with a very old note telling her to place them by the window in her room.The crystalline crystals of shades of purple, lilac and mauve were her precious .....The Dream Stone would never leave her room!!!

And so now she called her castle "Dream Stone Castle of Thunder Bay".

~ Bubbles the Fairy's Seahorse ~

Group of Bottles ...some done and some in the works.

This Precious Amethyst Crystal Induces Sweet Slumber 

A Castle is always Magical in A MidSummer's Night Dream or any Dream!
I adore creating magical art with a story, even if just an itsy bitsy teenie weenie tiny little story. I also quickly weary of duplicates therefore I am a huge aficionado of ooak...one ~of ~a ~ kind art work.


As some of you may already know if you are a Canadian or adore Amethyst crystals that Thunder Bay Ontario has an Amethyst Mine " Amethyst Mine Panorama".


The Amethyst Stone is also the gemstone of Ontario Canada.

 For some fun facts visit the mine site here:


Thunder Bay Mine

From unearthing old relics , weathered and worn, tattered and torn, I create something magical and whimsical, romantic and unforgettable embodying it with spirit and love , hoping in the end I have achieved in capturing one's heart.

This Amethyst glass vintage bottle has been lovingly wrapped in copper wire holding onto a beautiful Amethyst crystal drop with three small gorgeous swarvoski Amethyst crystals at it's tip.

The refractions of light emitted from the gorgeous Amethyst crystals in day's sunlight keep positivity and health in the home and by night by the light of the full moon the purple hued crystals will keep all that dwell within the home serenely calm.

All of it crafted with care and thought , from designing it to adhering the Spoontiques collectible castle c 1989 with swarvoski crystal on it's pinnacle with sculpted solder and then cleaned throughly and waxed for many years of enjoyment.

Height of art bottle is approximate 9.2 inches tall and about 11/2 inches in diameter.

Hope you like it......another Annabelle creation ; )

~ MossHill Lighthouse at SeaMist Cove ~ new art work

Latest art work in my Art Bottle Series



~ MossHill Lighthouse and Bubbles the SeaHorse ~

If by chance you happen to anchor your boat by a lovely bay covered in velvet green, you know you have arrived at SeaMist Cove.
High up it's highest cliff is perched a lonely majestic stone turret lighthouse, many, many ages old, MossHill Lighthouse.

Every evening when the sea is cloaked in a zillion stars MossHill Lighthouse sends out illuminating rays of light creating a magical display of twinkling lights as if it is Christmas in July
and the moss rose that grows wild at it's foot climbs eagerly up the rocky facade of it's tower intoxicating the night air with it's sweet perfume , greeting the happy traveller of the sea safely into it's Cove.

SeaMist Cove holds a secret, a well kept secret. 
A magical place such as this , covered in a mossy coat, is a perfect veil to obscure view of a very precious treasure that it holds or should I say resides there.......Bubbles the fairy's seahorse.
Lucky is the one that lays their eyes upon it's iridescent bubbles in the sea green froth since rarely does a seahorse venture to the top of the water.But when one does catch glimpse of it's tiny, tiny bubbles of rainbow colors one must quickly make a wish and it has been told by the lucky few who've seen him,  that their wishes did come true.

I adore creating magical art with a story, even if just an itsy bitsy teenie weenie tiny little story. I also quickly weary of duplicates therefore I am a huge aficionado of ooak...one ~of ~a ~ kind art work.

From unearthing old relics , weathered and worn, tattered and torn, I create something magical and whimsical, romantic and unforgettable embodying it with spirit and love , hoping in the end I have achieved in capturing one's heart.

This sea green glass vintage bottle has been lovingly wrapped in copper wire and encased with swarovski crystal beads to evoke the beautiful sea.The refractions of light from the morning sunlight make this gorgeous bottle twinkle it's own starry sea. All of it crafted with care and thought , from designing it to adhering the lighthouse on it's pinnacle with sculpted solder and then cleaned throughly and waxed for many years of enjoyment.




Approximate measurements : Height 10" x 4" at widest point
Hope you like ~ MossHill Lighthouse and Bubbles the Seahorse ~

Annabelle : )

Tid Bit : How Bubbles the Fairy's Seahorse's name came about.....Bubbles was M.J."s pet monkey ~ Bubbles ( the seahorse or sea monkey : )

https://www.etsy.com/listing/105912680/vintage-green-seaglass-bottle-with

An Etsy Exclusive ~ Shop here

                       ~ Moss Hill Lighthouse and Bubbles the Fairy's Seahorse Art Vintage Bottle ~

Back of Lighthouse

"Bubbles" the Fairy's Seahorse

Handmade glass bubble bead with wild moss rose

Sea grass and Swarvoski crystal beads encased inside bottle

Sea Grass against a beautiful green 

******* Notice *******

MORE NEW ART WORK WILL BE POSTED SHORTLY....LIKE TOMORROW : )

The Wild Wild West.......A Student's Summer Work Adventure

Sometimes, one should be very careful what they wish for........
Adventure somewhere in an exotic and wild land.
Different and exciting, eliminating boredom.

Well M, I think you are probably not so bored any more but as for adventure , you may have got more than you bargained for in the short period of time you have been there.....haha!

And so M looked out the window and saw this.........mom on the other side of the cell didn't think it was so bad....think again ; )

This Funnel cloud- possible developing Tornado was on one side of my husband and daughter's work camp. Two different Funnel clouds sandwiched the camp ; essentially if they touched down, there was no place to run.



Talk about experiencing exciting new things in life...... in the Wild Wild West - " Land of the Living Skies " M ......... lol .

So glad those Funnel clouds weren't too fond of "Lanigan" and decided to move on.

Sunnier days coming your way....Talk to you soon...luv mom

p.s. A tiny post to remember your awesome adventure !

gROW UP sWEETLY, gROW UP Strong

Face the music, face the truth
Chase that fleet sweet bird of youth
Grow up sweetly, grow up strong
Hear the heartbeat, in my song..........


Well M , it's been a little less than three days that you've left on your Wild West Adventure. Not a very exciting beginning I must say , you probably would like to forget it but it's all part of the trip, makes for great story telling later in life. Anyway, I haven't forgotten what you asked for....pictures of your pets, they seem to be the more important fellas in your life at the moment .... ; ) I totally understand, furry is easier to cuddle, even in a pic.
So I thought I post them on my blog , that way you can pick the ones you want and I can slowly get back to playing on my blogs and get my work back on tract.


Hope these are okay. I'll look for some more in the mean time. Hope all is well in Saskatchewan and that your job isn't too boring and will make the time fly swiftly.Mean while your brother Ty is patiently waiting for his call.....then I'll be all alone ....with the furry kids...; )


Love you and miss you terribly,
Love Mom xxxooo


P.S. Dad just called..... going on Skype

Grace

Karson

The number # 13 ~ Paint Party Friday Week #5~ year 2

All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream...

Is the #13 your lucky number or your scary #?

I happen to think it is lucky, after all I was brought up in Italy, I have a horseshoe charm with the number #13 inside it given to me by my mom.

I even found this little vintage bird with the number #13 on it's base, most probably someone who thought differently from me....haha!


In Italy, the number #13 is looked upon as a lucky number but I do from time to time have a little fun with it , like now; I thought it had a perfect place on my tree.

One can think of it as they wish, after all an art piece should give thought and question to the viewer, all in good fun I say ; )

That's it for this week, busy with other projects.

Until next time ,
Annabelle

p.s. Don't forget to visit the artists participating in this week's party on Paint Party Friday