A mermaids tail

Making a mermaids tail has been an exciting project for me. Did I really have time to do it? No! But I couldn't let that stop me. The thought of making a wearable piece of fantasy art was just too tempting.

The tail is for a calendar to raise money for Jubilee Pool in Penzance that got damaged by all the storms over the winter. It's much loved by locals and deserves to continue to be an iconic facility.

Once I had made my mind up I had a quick trawl on ebay to see what I could use and ended up buying a white pair of jogging bottoms, a pack of doilies and a mish mash of crochet table mats. 

I cut the doilies in half and sewed them onto the jogging bottoms. I did most of the work in the car so that Tabitha wouldn't start pulling at it and hurt herself on pins. I simply layered it up, started at the bottom and worked round and round till I used up my pack.

I was pretty happy when the crochet arrived as I needed it to cover up the top half. The amount I had was perfect for filling in the gap.

I used some distress inks and some glitter to add a bit more layering to it. I thought that it was looking a bit too bridal! Lovely though! Made me think of my wedding dress! 

Fairy oracle Friday

When I was about 15 I was given some crystals with a fortune telling kit and I think that that was one of the things that hooked me into all things magical. I loved the way certain crystals seemed to leap out of my hand and fix themselves firmly on the velvet cloth.

I got my first tarot pack not long after and spent hours reading about the meanings, trying to dedicate it all to memory. I learnt about the Major and Minor Arcana, how to read different layouts and generally how to tap into something that just whispered at the edge of my consciousness. 

I can't remember the name of this pack, but it used Greek mythology as part of its imagery and I enjoyed the way that each suit followed a logical story, making the message of the cards easy to remember.

I wrapped these cards in black silk as you are supposed to do and packed them carefully away during times of non use. For years I kept them in a box. Too precious to throw away, to personal to pass on.

I was lucky enough to win my Brian Froud deck. I remember decorating the envelope with a mushroom and glitter! I'm pretty sure it helped! The book is even signed by Mr Froud himself.

This deck is beautiful and an art form to read! The explanations in the book are a joy to read and are really insightful on their own. Full of fairy wisdom, topsy turvy logic and a sense of deep spirituality. I love it. 

The book is really useful in learning how to read the cards. You could read them just with intuition, but there would be a lot of depth missed that way. The lady that wrote the meanings spent hours meditating on each one and I have not put that level of work in!

The fairy oracle by Doreen Virtue was a present from my sister and is perfect for a one card reading. The cards are self explanatory on their own, but the booklet goes a bit deeper and includes affirmations.

This I great when you you just fancy a little guidance without having to get yourself in a meditative zone.

I'm not sure what made me pull down my box of cards the other day (the fairies must have been tugging at my sleeve!) but it's been nice to reacquaint myself with a bit of fairy magic. 

There was a time when I pulled a card a day and I thought that other people might like the odd fairy card read here and there. I am going to do a Fairy Oracle Friday, from now on, so just get in touch and ask! I'd be really happy to help the fairies pass on their wisdom. Xxx