the butterfly hunter

"Does there not exist a high ridge where 

the mountainside of ‘scientific’ knowledge joins 

the opposite slope of ‘artistic’ imagination?" 

~ Vladimir Nabokov

"My pleasures are the most intense known to man: 

writing and butterfly hunting."

~ Vladimir Nabokov

Images taken from the field journals of Vladimir Nabokov

and found via this post and The New York Public Library.

The Russian Author, best known for his novel ' Lolita ' was 

also a distinguished Entomologist with a particular interest in
Lepidoptera (or moths and butterflies). Parts of his butterfly

collection and other items are kept in the Nabokov Museum.

sleeping with rabbits...

Another beautiful and strange Victorian postcard.

Not another montage, but a studio photograph.

I couldn't resist purchasing this one. It's pinned 

to the inspiration board above my beautiful old deco 

worktable. How I do love these old dream-like images.

Cherry Plums

...and other adventures in preserving

The caterpillars have been feasting on those poor leaves but
we had hundreds of butterflies in our garden this Summer !

Cherry Plum Jam with Vanilla... so very delicious ! 


The Summer Harvest's been keeping us busy.

Jams, Chutneys, Pickles, sauces and more!

You can read all about it on my other blog
 A Modern Fable... if you fancy. xo

cruel world

Beci Orpin

Vienna Horses

wool and water

I love these beautiful & dark articulated dolls 

from talented papersmith Amy Earles...

↑ This duo look to me like they are straight out of ↓

{ The Black Rider } 

(click here to read more)

An incredible musical fable by Tom Waits,

William S. Burroughs and Robert Wilson,

which I was fortunate to see performed 

in English at the Sydney Festival in 2004.

You can view a version of it here on youtube

The accompanying album is fantastic

and available here from Amazon

Now, who can resist a little dancing halloween skeleton?

Simply enchanting, are they not?

You can visit the wool and water shops 

                        (click here for website)

via bigcartel and etsy

or visit the 'wool and water' blog here

for more delights and inspiration

a winter walk

                          Ari's always looking for fairies...

                 

My wonderful piano key socks are by 

Kirsten Perry from her Numero Uno range,

you can purchase your own pair here.

The decoupage bangles are of my own label

and will be available from my shop in July.

  

Recently I stumbled across this interview 

on the Craft Victoria blog where Kirsten 

talks about her art,  life and inspirations.

I met Kirsten at the Rose St. Artist's Market,

where I also sold my wares for many a year.

I bought one of her fantastic ig toys for Ari 

and I've also got a handpainted ceramic 

skull necklace which I absolutely treasure.

I really love the humour of Kirsten's work.

You can visit her fantastic blog here 

I hope you've had a wonderful weekend too!

- the little house -

The little house with the forest roof (17/4 ) reminded me

of  something else...  somewhere else...  something beautiful... 

I couldn't quite remember what that beautiful something was

...until just now

the beetle's house  

        (I believe that's Fujimori in the window)

.... like heaven on earth, no?

Too-High Tea House

The extroadinary work of japanese surrealist architect 

Fujiomori Terunobu

sorry, these were found all over the shop, not sure of links...

the lovely locket

Oh my goodness!

'Lost on the Midway'

'Little Bee'

'The Fiji Mermaid'

'Ava'

''The Beekeeper'

 Look!  At these lovely lockets from:-

{ The Black Apple }

(click here)

Aren't they delightful?

They are made to order 

with a 4-6 week turn around,

and someone sweet just

bought one for me!

Hopefully it will arrive just in time for my birthday ;)

They are available now from 

the black apple's etsy store  

(click here) 

but do hurry... 

they are sure to disappear 

before your very eyes!

cane toads and butterflies

This lovely embroidery was listed on Etsy a while ago.

It reminded me so very much of Henry Darger's work,

and it wasn't very expensive, but I just couldnt afford it.

Sigh.  It ain't easy being a struggling artist.

For more vivian girl inspired embroideries

take a look here at the work of Wendy Huhn

sehr schön

just like something out of a dream

knowing that places like this really exist, 

makes me love this world, 

all the more...

found via little lost love: also beautiful 

a fairytale world

image found via this dreamy Etsy store

Sasha who owns Astral Boutique has one
of the loveliest profiles that I have ever read.

The life she has created sounds simply beautiful,
and her home seems like the kind of earthy,
art-filled place that we hoped to create too,
when we left the big smoke behind last year.

If I lived anywhere near Grass Valley,
I should very much like to pop into Sasha's
for a cup of tea, some lovely music,
and a wander through the woodlands.

I love 'the bush', it has it's own mythical beauty,
 but a part of my spirit (perhaps the german part),
forever longs for faraway fairytale forests.

 Visit Sasha's store here for pretty bohemian vintage,
or to just take a peek into the world in which she lives.