resurrection fern

Rare Butterfly Sightings Coming to a Garden Near You

I remember being so very excited when I caught a glimpse of a beautiful large blue butterfly on a very early morning walk a few winters ago in Costa Rica. I was the only member of my family to see it. This past weekend my daughter and I spent some time between her dance schedule to spend some time with the butterflies in Niagara Falls. Deborah was amused at how much the blue morpho butterflies were attracted to me. I joked that it was because we had already met but then again maybe it was just my bright yellow cashmere sweater or the 

kjoo pin I was wearing on my jacket. 

I love the disguise these creatures have on the undersurface of their wings. It really reminds me of my fascination with making jackets that are dark or plainer on the outside but then when you see the lining you get a bright flash of color or pattern. 

We even saw some of these butterflies just completing their metamorphosis from the pupae.

They did also love Deborah's bright red track pants but she found them a little too ticklish when they landed on her almost bare foot.

This was only one of many species of butterflies we saw in the conservatory. I will share some more pictures with you later in the week. 

One of the effects of global warming that we might not initially think of as negative is that the diversity and range of butterfly species has been changing dramatically over the past decade and especially in Canada we are seeing species of butterflies that would never have ventured this far north before. This might delight us temporarily but if they are moving north continually eventually they will run out of places to go and who or what will be occupying the lands that they have left?

Like this little one in the conservatory they will not all survive.

A Poet's Birthday and a Birthday Poem

Some people are just born with certain very special talents and gifts. My son Benjamin was born on this day and at a very early age showed a very definite eloquence with the english language. Whereas at the age of two or three when you ask a child how his morning is going so far they might say a few words my son the poet would recite an original sonnet. My mom used to call him her little sunshine. I distinctly remember him really glowing when he was telling us a story. Lucky for us this happened with great frequency. 

To celebrate my son's birthday I want to share with you his latest and perhaps the most special poem he has written for me along with some photographs I have taken. Although we are separated by distance this day he is such a very important part of my life and my love.

A stone’s growth is inverse,

Time’s trials reverse its mass,

Revert

To smaller and smaller forms,

In this backwards trend there are no norms

 

The pebble all alone,

Might be the stone,

Inside your shoe,

Or a diamond in the earth,

Or a diamond set in an invulnerable alloy

To shave and mould the others of it’s kind.

 

So many stones together,

Might be the gravel on your driveway,

Lightly dusted by the heather,

Or covered in snow by winter’s weather.

Enough rocks in the right place

And you’ve got a gravel beach,

Waiting for time to teach

Every one how to be sand,

As though it were bland.

 

Turning every dull piece into a hundred thousand

Glittering particles of dust-like sand.

 

What does it take to break down

Into an indistinct sea of distinct matter?

 

Just a little bit of space and more than enough time for everyone to ponder

Think of:

The mountain that gave you the beach that you walked on last.

The stone can’t help but surrender,

To you or time, it matters little.

Happy birthday my son.

 

Over at LL&O

I hope you might visit me over at one of my favorite blogs for a very special interview. Lisa has really given so much of herself this birthday week and I am at a loss as to how to repay her for her great kindness but I am sure I will think of something :)

I think she has special magical powers because as soon as it was her birthday , bright spring flowers started blooming all around me. 

Looking for Inspiration in All the Right Places

Now that I have shed my antlers and feel almost as light as a grouping of feathers I am looking for inspiration.

I really don't have to look very far.  

It is in my nature collections.

It is in my books.

In some recent thrift store treasures like this stellar wooden duck.

it is on my shelves and contained on the inspiration boards covered with jewels from past projects and very special friends. 

It is on my walks.

it is in the creativity of my family.

It is in my vintage fabric stash.

It is in all that lives.

Enjoy your weekend my friends.

Nature Feels Environmental Art installation : Update

I revisited my nature feels installation in the secret location this past weekend for the first time since I started the project. The forest has changed so much in the past week or two that I actually had a tough time locating it. For a while as I wandered about searching I thought perhaps someone had removed it but then I noticed some familiar birch trees and soon after was reunited with my large crochet covered stone. My first observations were the increasing presence of beautiful green mosses that had been uncovered by the melted snow. The light was warm and soothing and although nothing yet had started to grow into the fiber of the lace I knew that I had placed them in a wonderful position for this to happen as they were surrounded by living green organisms. I discovered a beautiful delicate bud on a tiny branch just above the stone and other signs of life nearby in the form of fungi, grasses, lichen and ferns. The lace piece that was tucked into the curl of birch bark seems to be changing color and becoming less distinguishable from the color of the tree as if it is undergoing some sort of transformation. It is my belief that once the snow is all melted and some of the insects and small animals awaken that changes will be accelerated and I hope to visit a little more often to document the dynamics.

Understanding the materials I work with... gives me a deeper understanding of my place. And it's helped me make sense of the changes that are happening to me as I grow older. (Andy Goldsworthy)

If the Antler Fits

I have had the idea of how in one's life we often find ourselves wearing many different hats or as it happens to be in my case multiple hats at any given time of the day. I was thinking back to one of my favorite Dr Seuss stories , Thidwick the Big Hearted Moose , where if you remember Thidwick keeps inviting homeless little animals and birds to roost on his antlers until his burden becomes so heavy that he finds himself a target for the hunters because he has lost his ability to navigate his environment as he had in his lighter days. Then one day he sheds his antlers and feels light and free again. 

I actually was thinking about a light and cheerful post about antlers and some amazing things that were seen on the runway in fashion week Toronto by my daughter but some how this post turned a little allegorical on me.

I am feeling more than a little weighed down with requests and inquiries about the crochet covered stones and although I am so very happy that they are loved by so many I am feeling that after the next shop update I may take a little break from making them to focus on some new creative projects. I really need to feel light and free again to go where my inspiration leads me . 

Okay , that said I want to show you the wonderful antler inspired jewelry of Dandi Maestre and the fashion of Lucien Matis. I remembered this designer from his days on Project Runway Canada. I love this show especially when the designers have a day or two to make an outfit out of something like plants and flowers or the last episode where they had to design outfits for breast cancer survivors out of post it notes. 

I love the color, shapes and texture of antlers and the other materials Dandi works with . I really appreciate the materials description. "We believe in a return to craft and in being honest with what we do. My one of a kind oversized accessories are handmade in my studio in Toronto, Canada only from natural and recycled materials like big pieces of bull horn and bone, raw amber, natural Amazon seeds, shed antlers, reclaimed wood/driftwood and others, like not endangered shells, that stand out for its rarity and beauty. These materials come from all over the world." I have a small antler collection myself , all found by on hikes in the forest or canoe trips in Ontario. How heavy are your antlers these days? Thanks Melissa for your question about antlers. They are shed very easily by the antler adorned mammals every spring. In Canada it occurs usually just after attracting their spring mating partners. I found a good link with some great information about antlers if anyone is interested.

Birthday Party By Proxy in the Land of Forest Fern

I would love to be in Jersey today to celebrate the birthday of a very special friend, Lisa. Since I couldn't, I did the next best thing . I celebrated her birthday in the forest with some very special friends including one of her very special little bunnies or March Hares, stepping in to blow out the candle.  I have only known Lisa for a very short time but in some ways I feel like I have known her forever, she never ceases to surprise and delight me. I met her in a virtual sort of way back on December 1, 2008 brought together by Nicole of Astulabee fame. It seemed fitting to take some very special soft magical creatures to my secret tree stump that I have nicknamed the castle in the Land of Forest fern for this special day. I hiked into the forest with Marcel le Poison, the Polar fish boy, Lisa the March Hare, the forest fern woodlander and Mungo. A very special gathering it was indeed!! Of course I was there to document the occasion on film.

That's Lisa wearing the forest fern birthday crown on her very smart head. Notice a a special little guest who was being very shy sitting on the table :)

I hope you will all join me in wishing Lisa a very happy birthday today.

The Stone Diaries: Part V

Already a new installment you ask? Yes absolutely and this one is in three amazing parts. The first parcel came from Oregon and is from the very talented seamstress 

Abby and is the first time I have received stones from one person twice. I ordered a beautiful skirt/top from her wonderful etsy shop and she included two little gifts and an absolutely beautiful dark grey egg shaped stone. I think I will hold this one for a while before deciding how to cloak it. I had no idea why the kitties in the household were acting so strange with this parcel while it sat unopened on the dining room table until I unwrapped it and discovered three little gifts of handmade catnip toys for them. The wonderful herb filled fish is all mine :) Her wrapping was so beautiful I actually opened the packages at the bottom so as to not disturb the buttons.

The second parcel is from Denmark from Julie who celebrated her birthday yesterday. Happy birthday Julie.  Exciting news for her is that she just recently opened up an etsy shop with some marvelous items for sale. The stones she sent me are really unlike anything I have ever seen before. They come from an area in Denmark known as Mon's Klint with it's spectacular white chalk cliff and beach. Included in these stones are fossilized squid parts, a sea urchin and a wonderful almost heart shaped stone with a well in it. She also included a little bit of sweden in the package with the brick stone from an area that used to have a brick factory in days gone by.

I think these squid fossils are going to make amazing merfish and maybe a cuttle fish or two. 

Here we are at the last part of this installment. First I recommend you go grab a hankie before proceeding. This last parcel came from my very dear friend Rane and her darling family.  The children all helped sew , make and choose such wonderfu little gifts for me and my family. They even included special fabric for the merfish so they can pretend they are swimming. Leo handpicked some stones from his collection for me and I think he did a really amazing job. I love them all but most of all I love the amethyst crystal because that was my father's favorite stone and it was the first and only piece of jewelry he bought for me. 

I adore the mushrooms that Rane made and I really love the stickers she made of her little mushroom sketch. She is very talented in so many ways. She can juggle caring for 6 young children and still have time and energy to sew or draw. I saved the most special part for last.  

The little boy that became a tree felt so cosy, warm and so very loved under that magical little quilt. You can read about him here if you have stopped crying long enough to click with your mouse. Just writing this post has got me going again.

Off to find another hankie.

Thank you so much the Ueda family, Julie and Abby. As long as there are people like you in the world I know everything will be alright.

Dormancy is a Dynamic State

The dormant organism, by continuously monitoring the constantly-changing environmental parameters, is kept in phase with the seasons at its particular locality. The organisms ability to respond to environmental factors changes as the seasons change. Most species of snails close the mouth of the shell at this period with a membranous or calcified plate, the epiphragm. This is usually in response to winter frost or periods extreme dryness but scientists have observed this to happen for example in the Zoological Gardens in London, England to African snails even though they are being kept in an artificially warmed environment where the moisture level is constant. I think this has to do with the snail's brain deciding it needs to slow down for a little while. Maybe you thought snail's don't have brains, well time for a little snail anatomy lesson.

Translate cerebral ganglia = brain.

You might now be wondering why on earth you are getting a snail anatomy lesson of this beautiful first sunday of spring. Of course I am going to let you know. Ever since the valentine's day photoshoot my little snail friend , Fern, who lives in the gardenia pot of the second floor bathroom has been in a state of dormancy. He firmly attached himself to the inner edge of the clay pot and has not budged since. That is until the eve of the vernal equinox when I found him missing and felt sure the kitties had finally discovered his hiding spot.  Happy for me I found him taking a stroll on the bathroom tiles and we reconnected. The fact that he ended his period of dormancy on the eve of the vernal equinox was not a random event.

Reminds me of the new tile I purchased from Mister Rob Ryan.

Fern and I have some fun things planned now that we are both waking up a little and when you put two small brains together you never know what will happen. I wanted to let you know that the winner of the project rain giveaway , chosen by Rane's daughter Ella , was Abby.  Abby wanted an earth tone egg so I made one from some hand spun wool that I had from Cathy Cullis ( left over from our exchanges last year) 

Other news : the lovely Lisa has a birthday on tuesday and I am told a week of lovely birthday posts planned on her ever so delightful blog. Don't forget to stop by and send her your best birthday wishes.  I am very happy to announce the Nanou has just started posting a few pictures on flickr. Get ready to be blown away by her talent and creativity.  Her outdoor magnolia tree is already in bloom :)

One last thing , while I as away , the best front page of etsy appeared and I am really thankful to Vivienne for sending me it. It contains so many of my dearest friends in it.

Salix Caprea / Pussy Willow

I love my mom. As we were changing her decorations from St Patrick's day to Easter she was inquiring as to the derivation of the name Pussy Willow. The quick answer was that they looked like little pussy cat feet on the willow branch but I was a little puzzled as to why the latin name had more to do with goats than cats as the literal translation is Goat Willow.

I came across this little story that I will share with her on the phone today.

"According to an old Polish legend, many springtimes ago a mother cat was crying at the bank of the river in which her kittens were drowning. The willows at the river's edge longed to help her, so they swept their long graceful branches into the waters to rescue the tiny kittens who had fallen into the river while chasing butterflies. The kittens gripped on tightly to their branches and were safely brought to shore. Each springtime since, goes the legend, the willow branches sprout tiny fur-like buds at their tips where the tiny kittens once clung. "

They really do look like little paws hanging onto the willow branches.

If you live somewhere where you don't have access to fresh pussy willows you could always make some as I did last spring . All you need is some scraps of twig colored wool , small amounts of wool roving, a pipe cleaner , a needle and thread. I used a machine washed and dried piece of a vintage cashmere coat that you may have noticed in other projects last year.

1.  Cut a strip of your wool fabric about 2 cm wide and as long as your pipe cleaner. 

2.  Sew up the long edge with blanket stitch or whip stitch. 

3.  Insert the pipe cleaner inside the fabric tube and then sew up the ends.

4. Make small petal shapes out of scraps of the wool fabric and in each one place a tiny amount of roving and sew the end shut with a few little stitches. and then sew this onto the willow branch .

5. Add as many as you want to the branch using a picture of a pussy willow branch as a guide for placement.

6. These make pretty little additions to your spring baskets or gifts.