I Wish

I wish that I could cause the sun to warm the world with love

Remove the clouds a moment to reveal the stars above
I wish that I could wipe that tear from the corner of your eye

Bring happiness for your sorrow bring a smile for your sigh
I wish that I could better things put hope within your heart

Make today the best you've had right from its' very start
I wish that I were able to make your dream come true

I wish I could - I wish I could do all these things for you

Spice Up Your Life!!

I love to sit down some nights and trawl through images I have of old advertisements to find new inspiration to create. These two little gems are created using old Spice Advertisements, as soon as I came across them I just had to use them. The one above "Paprika" has gorgeous silky smooth butterfly wings that I created using silk paper, I adore the colours in this piece.

In true Maygreen Fairies style, I used acetate wings on Nutmeg above, however, I raised her slightly from the background and had the wings stick out slightly for a nice 3D type effect.

Alice In Wonderland Pendants

Since my last jewellery post last week I promised to upload my Alice In Wonderland Pendants once they were all ready, so here they are.

I am hoping to have my Etsy Shop up and running by the end of the Summer and will have these pendants available in the shop.

A Dahling Award......

I want to say a HUGE THANKYOU to the multi talented Lola of Lola Enchanted for this wonderful award, I am so honoured to receive it from such a talented lady, please take a moment to check out Lola's gorgeous blog. Now I need to pass this award on, so here goes....

1: The Artful Paper Doll

2: Angela Harris

3: Girl from Standup Tubland

4: Johanna Parker Design

5: Windlewood

My Tribute to the Wonderful Dita Von Teese

I am a huge fan of Dita Von Teese for her style, beauty and stunning burlesque performances, and this is what inspired me to have some fun with some of my favourite images of her. So anytime I had a quiet day I picked an image and waited for inspiration to come.....

Obviously they all needed to involve wings!!! You know me by now lol!! But the rest of the designs were just what took my mood at the time of making them. Suffice to say, I had lots of fun with two of my passions.... creating and Dita!! Have a good day! x

Vintage Inspired Jewellery

When I take the odd break from paper crafting I like to dabble in jewellery making. I really enjoy creating vintage style pieces and then taking old boxes and altering them to bring them back to life and provide a decorative home from my jewellery.

Over the past year I have added some of my jewellery alongside my paper crafts at craft events I have attended, and to my surprise my jewellery has proved quite popular.

I love working with old looking brass findings, I think this style works well with the little photo's I add to the pieces. These few here are particular favourites of mine.

I am currently working on some Alice in Wonderland necklaces and pendants and these will soon be available in the new Etsy Store I am opening. I'll keep you posted as to when they will be available.

My English Country Garden

Welcome to my little English Country Garden!! It was such a lovely warm sunny day today that my kids, husband and I spent the day pottering about the garden, and I thought I'd take a few piccies and share them with my lovely readers.... Firstly, below are my two little cheeky monkeys (note the sign in the background "Beware of the Children")... it always gets a laugh when family and friends visit!!

I love to create lots of little fairy nooks in my garden and here is one.... The gorgeous toadstools were a gift to me from my parents earlier this year, I adore them and just love the way they look as different plants and flowers grow up around them at the different times of the year.

The statue below is beautiful, I purchased it from Ebay several years ago and it can actually be set up to have water trickling out of the large leaf she is holding, it's something we keep meaning to get sorted but just haven't gotten round to yet. I think the sound of trickling water in a garden is so tranquil so it is a job we must try and do ready for next year (hope hubby is reading this... oopps another job for him!).

On the wall surrounding the front door of my home I like to display some of my favourite garden finds, the art nouveau style planter below is one of them, her face is so pretty I adore her.

Below.... little pink fairy umbrella's waiting to be plucked on a rainy day! I've got several of these beauties dotted all over the garden... the fairies love them don't you know!

We have a stunning pick rambling rose growing all over the front and side of our home, and at this time of year it is breathtaking, the roses are the most gorgeous pink and it is currently flowering in abundance.

Another whimsical favourite that adorns the wall to the side of my front door, waiting to welcome you to Maygreen House.

We're planning to set up a little vegetable patch for the kids next year, but until then they are content with their strawberry plant.... they had a good ol' nibble on a couple of the strawberries today.... they tasted wonderful, so juicy and sweet.

And after a busy day pottering about the garden the kids flaked out on the lawn........

Pretty Paper Weights

I was rummaging through my Art Archives this afternoon and I came across these photos of some Paper weights that I created last year.... I'd forgotten all about them!! lol!!

They were very easy to make and yet produced really pretty results, so I'm off to Ebay now to get me some more blank glass weights to make some more!

A Love for Lace

I have trimming boxes packed with old and new lace trim which I have collected over the years and I adore using it in my collage work, I think it really brings some of my work to life and adds a sense of realism to my art.

I find it very satisfying using vintage lace on these vintage images, it's as if it's meant to be. The lace itself is so delicate and it transfers this delicate feel to my art, in particular the piece above entitled "All Love is Sweet".

It can be pretty fiddly trying to trim delicate pieces of lace into a shape that you require for a particular piece of art, but perseverance is the key and it's well worth it for the wonderful finished results.

So Ladies (and Gents) the moral of this post..... "Love Your Lace" lol!! x

Traveling Paper Art Doll Symposium

You may remember a few weeks ago I posted details on a Paper Doll Project I was taking part in. To briefly recap, it was set up by the very talented Kitty Kellie; Paper Doll Artist, Kitty put together several paper dolls and blank journals that she was to send around the world to artists who are participating in this project for them to design an outfit and journal entry for the doll.

The doll that I received has already been to one location in the USA for a makeover and then it made it's way to me here in the UK. Kitty has decided to set a theme for this particular Doll and Journal and the theme was PARIS!

As I am a huge fan of the Follies, Bluebell Girls, Burlesque etc... I really wanted to design my page around the Moulin Rouge. So when Kitty the Doll arrived with me I set about designing her dress first. It had to be something sexy, but also elegant so I came up with a corset bodice adorned with black lace and a centre piece jewel. The skirt was then made from real peacock feathers..... and to Kitty's delight she squealed "Who says feathers are just for birds!" The look was then topped off with a feather fan to dance with.

The Moulin Rouge Stage background was created using a pretty pale cardstock backing paper upon which was dressed with a vintage music score scrap and a Moulin Rouge Sign altered to spell out the words "Presenting Kitty" and hung from the sign was a shadow cut-out of a naked lady on a swing. The curtain was raised away from the back of the card to add depth to the piece and was also edged in green frill trim. The Art Nouveau front stage lighting bulbs were also raised from the background to allow the Kitty Doll to be placed behind them when dressed in her Follies outfit, this would also add depth to the piece.

The page above is the journal page and as I had so many lovely bits and pieces to display I didn't write as much as I had hoped but I think I wrote enough to give a flavour of what Kitty the Doll experienced with this Moulin Rouge visit. Again, a vintage style cardstock was used as the backing paper for this page with various elements then added on top such as the Art Nouveau "La Corsetiere" scrap which holds the fan when not in use; Mademoiselle and Eiffel Tower stamps; the beautiful brass effect swallow that holds the dress into place when not being worn; the handwritten journal entry and the chorus line of Bluebell girls.

This is such a fun project to be a part of, I can't wait to see what the other participants come up with as the Dolls make their journeys to each destination. If you want to follow the Dolls or just find out more about the Traveling Paper Doll Symposium please visit Kitty's Blog The Artful Paper Doll

Why Women Cry

A little boy asked his Mum "why are you crying"? "Because I'm a woman" she told him;
"I don't understand" he said; His Mum just hugged him and said "and you never will"

Later the little boy asked his Dad; “Why does Mum seem to cry for no reason"?
All his Dad could say was "all women cry for no reason"


The little boy grew up and became a man, still wondering why women cry - finally he put in a call to God - when God got on the phone he asked "God - why do women cry so easily"?
God said - "When I made the woman she had to be special; I made her shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the world, yet gentle enough to give comfort; I gave her an inner strength to endure childbirth and the rejection that many times comes from her children; I gave her a hardness that allows her to keep going when everyone else gives up, and take care of her family through sickness and fatigue without complaining…

I gave her the sensitivity to love her children under any and all circumstances even when her child has hurt her very badly; I gave her strength to carry her husband through his faults and fashioned her from his rib to protect his heart; I gave her wisdom to know that a good husband never hurts his wife, but sometimes tests her strengths and her resolve to stand beside him unfalteringly…

Any finally, I gave her a tear to shed - this is hers exclusively to use whenever it is needed - you see the beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carried, or the way she combs her hair - the beauty of a woman must be seen in her eyes - because that is the doorway to her heart - the place where love resides.

Fairy Frolics

Well those Maygreen Fairies have been out this half term playing about with my boys.. Here is the latest photo of one of my twin boys; Cameron watching a Fairy flitting about in the Maygreen House Garden, he needs to keep an eye on his biscuit cause that's what I think she's really after!!

A Short Sea Trip

A BOAT beneath a sunny sky, Lingering onward dreamily in an evening of July;
Children three that nestle near, eager eye and willing ear, pleased a simple tale to hear;
Long has paled that sunny sky, echoes fade and memories die, Autumn frosts have slain July;
Still she haunts me, phantomwise, Alice moving under skies, Never seen by waking eyes;
Children yet, the tale to hear, eager eye and willing ear, lovingly shall nestle near;
In a Wonderland they lie, dreaming as the days go by, dreaming as the summers die;
Ever drifting down the stream, lingering in the golden dream, Life, what is it but a dream?

Poem by Lewis Carroll