| still alive! |
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| 08:42am 10/07/2009 |
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Just a quick note to you all :)
I am alive, and doing fine! We're nearing completion on the extension of my workshop, and today the neighbour is going to come over and plaster the walls. After that, all that needs to be done is painting and the sink.
I can't wait for this to be all finished! :D
All is well (so far), and pictures and stories of the recent week will soon follow.
This weekend.... bonfire night :/ ...and I'm working in the pub that night as well. After that, Orange-marching season start and needles to say the 'light and senseless troubles' have already started. Catholic churches paint-bombed along with Orange halls and the likes.. it's all so useless and senseless.
Blah. |
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Read 3 - Post |
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| Happy songs of Death |
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| 02:37pm 01/07/2009 |
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After much work, the cover is finally completed. Talk about wildly different! Think Dia de los muertos, but different.
In the back, we have a crowd going wild, vellum texture and goofy gradients. 'Framing the title' we have two heads on a stick, one looking at the musicians, one looking at the title. Our musicians are... well.. dead. They're ghosts, surrounded by a Otherworldy glow and their blue colour.
In the front, a dead guy.. already missing an eye (blasted crows!). Rotting away with his decay resembling an eerie smile.
From the back;
"Happy Songs of Death" is a joyful juxtaposition of the morbid and the comic that celebrates murder ballads, the Black Death and starving to death. Celtic songs, American songs - and notably several of Marc Gunn's original compositions all affirm that death is just the other side of life! Artists through the centuries have found inspiration in these same themes. Join Marc Gunn in a fresh look at all things mortal.
"Life does not cease to be funny when people die anymore than it ceases to be serious when people laugh." - G. B. Shaw
Pre-order yours today! Click Here!
(And yes, the colours of my cover are wrong on the sample on that website. The colours shown here are the correct ones) |
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Read 6 - Post |
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| Great Irish Game Fair |
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| 12:43pm 29/06/2009 |
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Well, after weeks of hectic preparation for the Great Irish Game Fair at Shane's Castle it is finally over and done with. And I had a grand time!
The very first day of the fair we arrived around about 9am, and set up stall. It turned out nothing but the wooden table was provided, and I didn't feel too good about putting my work on a bare wooden table. Not very... professional.
Luckily there was the artist David Prescott, and he had a spare horse blanket. It was made of fleece, and green in colour, and he told me he used it for sleeping when on the move.. no horse had actually ever worn it! So the was the table sorted.
Inside the big magazine stall where three others with me. The magazine stand itself, Ramrod Antiques, and the 'Dog Guru' Keith Mathews . The guy running Ramrod Antiques was also named David, and he was hilarious. Sadly, during the span of the weekend, he didn't do too well financially, but he took it well and provided us with great commentary and laughter.
One screamer was provided when Keith Mathews made a brief appearance inside the tent. We hardly saw him at his stand inside the entire weekend, but I'm sure he had other things to do or was needed elsewhere. Much giggling ensued when Keith's kids were inside our tent, and running about the place. I didn't get the full details of what was happening, as I was sunk into my own work, but apparently Keith tried to get them to settle... with no luck. David's comment was; "So I take it you are better with dogs", which had my da and the magazine stand woman giggling like mad. Per usual I had to be informed later on the going-ons.
On Saturday I did a demonstration on a red-led partridge. I started around 10am, and pretty much spend the entire day putting it together and preening it until all the feather were in the right position. I was pulled away briefly for a tv-interview, but work soon resumed. There was LOADS of interest in what I was doing, and it felt great to get some recognition. There was another big taxidermy stand at the front of the fair, and I spoke to the owner briefly, complimenting her on her nice display. She had made an entire habitat, with pond and trees and .. well.. everything! Her work wasn't bad either, though it did (to me) miss that 'sparkle'.
Throughout the day I received comments on how good my work was compared to 'others', and how open I was about my work. Anything they want to know I'd answer. People asked for tanning lotions, and then laughed saying; "but you're not going to tell me where you get them is that it?". I answered where I got mine, and even gave them addresses where they could get their materials from. I've also received a LOT of interest in the classes I'll be giving later this year.. so fingers crossed :)
While working away, a couple took a great interest in my Blue Breasted Kingfisher... the only real exotic I had on my table, as the rest was all native. The man told me he collected taxidermy items, but only of the highest standards. He was working on a kingfisher display, and didn't have the one I had on display. It was sold, but left on the table while they went for walks across the fair grounds. It was only a couple of hours later, when he gave me his card that I realized his 'collection' was actually the natural history museum of Inishowen in Donegal!
Blue breasted Kingfisher, now in a museum :)
The second day I worked on a Kestrel from start to finish, and again there was loads of interest from all age groups. The biggest compliment came when a rather well dressed gentlemen walked by, gave a glance, and said in a rather posh voice; "Finally! Someone that knows what they're doing". To me, it was one of the biggest compliments I received during the fair, along with; "There are a lot of 'stuffers' in Ireland, but few true taxidermists that can bring the animals back to life."
In all I sold only 3 pieces. The red squirrel, the two teal and the blue breasted kingfisher. I would have sold my bohemian waxwing as well, if I was able to accept credit cards :/ Bummer.. But what can I say? I didn't except to sell anything. I sat there to get my NAME out there, and the get people to notice my work, and how it's done. To show just how much time, respect and patience goes into a well made piece. And I did just that! I have over a hundred people that will be in touch with things they still have in the freezer, and in the meantime I'm just going to keep spreading the word about my work.
In all, a wonderful and VERY successful fair!
Bohemian Waxwing
The ever so beautiful Magpie
The Red Squirrel
Pair of Teal
The woodcock |
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Read 34 - Post |
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| -.- |
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| 09:48am 25/06/2009 |
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So.... busy....
Sorry for lack of contact my friends.. I'm just up to my eyes in work at the moment. This weekend is the big date.. hopefully the hard work will pay off
Wish me loads and loads of luck! |
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Read 6 - Post |
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| Phew... help is on the way |
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| 03:23pm 18/06/2009 |
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Well, the Great Irish Game Fair is approaching fast. Their newest addition to the pages include a little blurb about Houwers Taxidermy (Yay!);
Taxidermy - how do they do it? Well, here's the answer: come along and see taxidermist Ingrid Houwers in action - actually preparing and mounting some specimens. A unique demonstration for any fair and never seen before in Ireland.
Ingrid is busy with commissions for private individuals, museums, schools and more. She is perhaps best known for recreating an animal's expression and her work has won international awards in Europe.
So, if you're in search of a standard shoulder mount or a full custom project, Houwers Taxidermy has the answer. Whether its a regular commission or a championship piece, it's treated with the same respect and attention to detail. A specialist in custom jewelry Ingrid also creates unique pieces, combining silver work with natural items such as teeth and claws.
And maybe, we’ll have a surprise or two on the stand. Why not call and see.
Needless to say I've been enjoying my last few days of freedom with my hiking friends.. knowing full well that the coming week is going to be hectic. Finishing up all the stands I have made for the game fair, as well as some commissions... the feature piece might not even be dry yet by that time. It's a male red-tailed hawk, and the first bird the owner and creator of the Northern Ireland School of Falconry had. First time around the process didn't go well, and I had almost given up on the skin. But luckily I decided against my better judgement, and to remove the skin from the form and re-freeze to try again another day. Second time around it did work out, and the bird has now been restored to it's former glory. But since it was only yesterday that I finished the piece it may not be ready for next week.
Tonight my folks will arrive, and with my da I'll be finishing what work remains on my workshop. In short, everything that's being worked on needs to be moved inside the house, while we try to get everything sorted inside. Luckily my mother will be able to work away to her heart's content, as we won't be able to stop her while we're trying to finish up. There is a good thing about this though... nothing beats a dinner being ready when you've spend the day with hard labour.
But in the few days of freedom I've had up to now I did have a lot of fun. On Sunday we went 'Touristing' around the North Coastal area. We visited the Carrick-a-rede rope bridge, Giant's Causeway, Bushmills Distillery and after some searching we found the Dark Hedges as our finale.
Many pictures were taken, but most haven't even be processed because of lack of time :/ I do have two pictures to show though;
View from Carrick-a-Rede;
Much like the Giant's Causeway, the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge is again a well-known and well-photographed item of the National Trust locations. But something even more breathtaking than the walk over the wobbly rope bridge that dangles dangerously between the two cliffs is the views and the birds.
Many rarities breed on the former salmon fishery island, including Puffin, Razor-Billed Auk and the Northern Fulmar, which can be seen flying away to sea in this photo
Giant's Causeway;
A side shot upwards of the main formations.
If you know of the Giant's Causeway you'll have undoubtedly seen the shape of the rocks by now, but very few photos show their actual pillars from the side. |
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Read 4 - Post |
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| Shirt Discount Codes! |
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| 07:21pm 13/06/2009 |
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It's time to cover your nakedness and of course the best thing to cover yourself with is one of our great shirts. We want to help too, by giving you a chance to save money by using one of the following coupon codes at checkout between Sunday, June 14 to June 21:
COVERYOURNAKEDNESS - SAVE $5 on orders over $25
COVERYOURFRIENDS - SAVE $10 on orders over $50
COVERTHEWHOLEFAMILY - SAVE $20 on orders over $100
Just click on the link below to be re-directed to our apparel stores, and enjoy this GREAT discount promo! And don't forget the great new t-shirt released of the Morrígan and Clefdagh!
The usual fine print:
You must enter coupon code COVERYOURNAKEDNESS, COVERYOURFRIENDS, or COVERTHEWHOLEFAMILY before completing checkout. Your subtotal must meet the minimum to receive the discount. Discount is only applied to the subtotal and does not include shipping, taxes, or additional charges. Offer valid from 06/14/09 to 06/21/09 11:59 PM MST. This offer may not be combined with any other Printfection promotional or discount offers. Orders placed with this discount may be delayed beyond normal estimated ship dates, no refunds or discounts will be given for orders delayed under this promotion. |
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Read 3 - Post |
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| Mourne Mountain - Slieve Binnian Climb |
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| 03:44pm 11/06/2009 |
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 Well, on Monday we headed out towards the Mournes and although the morning greeted us with some cloud cover the news had promised us clear skies later on. In short, perfect day for our climb!
Mr. Richardson dropped me off at my friends in Greyabbey, where their holiday cottage was located. At first they didn't seem to be inside, but we soon heard voices from around the back of the cottages. Robert came to greet us with a bunch of flyers on which we could vote for our favourite green farmer. Turns out that the farmer that owns all the cottages does a lot of 'green' farming, and does tons of stuff to support local flora and fauna, so he was nominated for the Yellowhammer award. Fantastic!
We soon were on our way, and Mr. Richardson had declined the umpteenth offer to come along. He wouldn't survive the hike, as he was in no shape. So instead, Mr. Richardson would go about his business and leave us to do the tracking.
Our drive towards the Mournes was great! We took it easy, and went the long way around to enjoy the views. We ran across a sign for a holy well, but when we went to find it we couldn't locate it. Ah well.. We arrived in Newcastle (County Down) around 2pm I think, and we walked around and explored some shops there before heading around the main mountains towards Slieve Binnian.
We parked the car on the first car park on Head Road, where we were greeted by giggling schoolgirls, that were being prepared for a long hike. They had their backpacks with them, along with sleeping mats, tents and simple cooking gear. Hopefully they'll take the time to enjoy the view, rather than constantly whine about wanting to go home.
We set out on a rocky farm roads of Carrick Little towards the base of the mountain. After about 1km with a gradual climb we all confessed that we started to feel our legs, but we soon got into a rhythm. At the end of the road was a stile and after crossing it we continued our track inland, along the wall, rather than following the walking path along Annalong Wood and into the valley. Why? Well, we arrived rather late in Newcastle, and it'd be a 5 1/2 hour hike without breaks to do the 11km walk. We decided that instead we'd just go up the mountain and back again in a relaxed pace.
After a short walk, we all felt our tummies, and sat down to have a bite to eat. On our first break we saw the school girls in the distance making their way along the Annalong path. Some were already staying behind at the stile, while others pushed on. We watched them with Peter's binoculars.
We soon continued upwards again with Peter setting the pace in the front. Soon after he changed to such an intense hiking pace that neither myself or Robert could follow. I'm used to hiking, even at a great pace, but the pace he had set (and uphill) was too much to get in rhythm with. From then on we decided to refer to Peter as 'the mountain goat', and set our own pace.
Where our upward wall walk met the wall coming from the side we had another wee rest. I snuck behind to get a nice picture of Robert and his son before joining in on the rest and having a bit of water to drink. Judging by the map we weren't even half-way there, but we couldn't tell exactly where we were on the map since it wasn't very detailed. Looking upwards we saw a lot of rubble, and thinking it was a quarry or something Robert sent his son out to go and check it out. He told us there was nothing there, but said that scaling the heather was a lot easier and that he could see to summit.
So, thinking we're smart, we decided to climb the 8 foot high Mourne Wall, and cross over the hill ourselves. This was beyond strenuous, but we pushed on thinking the summit couldn't be too far off. We were now trying to short-cut upwards on a 60º degree angled hill. Pure murder. Once we saw the tors we were relieved, but I had our Donard climb in mind, and I set myself into thinking this wouldn't be the summit.
Peter told us it was.. and so we pushed on, and as we reached the top I could see another big boulder rising above the view. It looked nearby, and not that much higher, but as we reached the top we could see that we had another LONG time to go, as the rocks in front were in fact the REAL summit of Binnian, at 747m high. We, in our 'short-cut', had made a miscalculation, and ended up too far South... climbing Wee Binnian at 460m.
We paused at the summit of Wee Binnian, but when I heard Robert say that a picture of the summit might do just as fine I started walking again. With Peter soon following and taking the lead we were all on the move again. First downwards, down the slope of Wee Binnion, and the upwards. The last climb of Binnian was hard. Very hard. But once a tiny glimpse of viewing 'the other side' comes into play all is forgotten and gone. You are instantly revitalized with the view you are giving, while at the same time you begin to feel smaller and smaller as you're nearing the top.
Below us, in the air-space above Silent Valley, two Ravens were dancing on the wind, making cute noises.
Resting in the sun, sheltered behind one of the rocks of the summit Tor, we took the time to take it all in. Thinking back on our Donard climb two years ago, this climb was far more difficult, and the views were all the more stunning as we looked out on every single mountain of the Mournes.
Slieve Binnian, the third highest summit of the Mournes at 747m.. but definitely the most gorgeous.
( Pictures behind the cut. Including the summit panorama. ) |
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Read 16 - Post |
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| Mournes here we come! |
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| 01:42pm 07/06/2009 |
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My hiking buddy Robert and this time his son, instead of his wife, have returned to our Northern shores. It was smashing to see them stumble into the pub while I was working! Robert didn't even see me at first, it was his son that recognized me. It's been two years since I've last seen Robert, two years since we wandered the Mournes, and conquered Slieve Donard. Two years... it's been too long really!
 Me having a wee rest at the Mourne Wall, right before
reaching the summit. Robert took this picture.
Him and his son have come over for the Hedgelink conference. Hedgelaying is a forgotten art I guess... and yet, so many pastures and fields are bordered by them. Most of them are 'maintained' by heavy machinery, so there is no quality control on this art. To put it bluntly, the government couldn't care less if you took a massive grinder to a hedge rather then the proper tools. As long as someone has tinkered with it it's been 'maintained'.
So yes, on Thursday and Friday they'll be doing their speech about their own hedgelaying society back on mainland Europe. We went over their PowerPoint presentation last night to pick out any spelling errors and things that didn't roll well verbally, and they're now all ready for it :)
But lucky for me, they booked a couple of days extra, and we've already plotted out a set of hiking dates. Tomorrow we'll be returning to the Mournes, and we'll be passing through Silent Valley, and up to Slieve Commedagh and it's rock formations;
 Rock formations on top of Slieve Commedagh (image by Geological Survey of Ireland)
Or Slieve Binnian on the other side... haven't decided yet!
And yes, many pictures will follow! I still remember our previous climb... all cloudy and grey, not to mention the winds! And then, as we reached the summit, the sky broke open and sharp rays of sunlight tickled the mountains...
The stuff of Magic |
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Read 10 - Post |
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| By popular request ;) |
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| 05:57pm 06/06/2009 |
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Hey everyone!
Just a quick wee update to tell you all that the designs of 'Clefdagh' and 'Morrígan' have been added to our apparel collection at Imbas Creations, so be sure to get yours for this summer!
A portrait of Morrígan.
A portrait loosely based on the bronze mask-brooch find from Czechoslovakia dating back to mid-4th century BC.
She's often seen as a war deity, fore-telling deaths, but with her association to cattle she can also be considered as a deity of sovereignty, wealth and fertility
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 'Clefdagh' - For the love of music
Combining the traditional Claddagh design, with two bass clef symbols joined together to form the heart. For all those Irish music lovers out there.
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And loads of people have been asking about more 'fashionable' cuts for the shirt designs, so we've opened up a second store just for those design. Please note that Imbas Creations cannot vouch for Zazzle's quality.
Morrígan apparel on Zazzle, click here
Clefdagh apparel on Zazzle, click here |
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| OMG SUN! |
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| 04:07pm 02/06/2009 |
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Well.. it was a bit over the top.. but wow.. we're actually having sunny summer weather over here :) Amazing!
Last year the summer lasted a whopping 1-4 days, the rest of the summer was cool and cloudy with the occasional drizzle. My kind of summer to be honest. This year seems to be giving us a good kick in the head to remind us what a summer really is. Hopefully it'll keep up the good weather, but I do hope it doesn't get any warmer. Like I said, I prefer the cooler summers. Plus I don't want my mushroom logs to suffer badly.
Yesterday we went to Castle Espie, one of the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust areas of conservation. It was the perfect day for it, and we saw tons of rarities, including Nēnē geese!. Captive bred mind you, but it was the first time I've ever encountered a living Nēnē!
Castle Espie has won a £2 million grant, which it's using to build new educational buildings as well as a couple of new wetland areas. It's going to look smashing! I tried to get in touch with the director of the 'park', to see if my taxidermy services might be required... afterall, it would make a good addition to any educational facilities, but sadly he was busy and running about outside. I did get a phone number though.
After the Castle Espie visit we went to Scrabo Tower where we climbed all the way to the top to have a good look around. It was a stunning view of a perfect day, though Strangford Lough looked really weird with the tide WAAAAY out.
We sat on the rocks around the tower for a while, before heading back to check up on Oscar.. as ferrets don't hadnle the heat very well. When we got him we found him sleeping in his towel, and luckily all was well. Silly thing :)
Today we've been taking it easy. In the morning Oscar woke us up, and starting the usual ritual of dooking and bouncing on the covers until we'd get up and feed him his mouse. Mr. Richardson is back at his shop, preparing for his big convention and I've done some more work for the Great Irish Game Fair at the nd of this month. I've also called the director of Castle Espie. Understandably they're up to their necks in work at the moment, and he couldn't see where my line of work would fit in at this very moment, but he did tell me he wanted to get some work done next year and to call me back in a couple of months time so that we could meet up and discuss things over. So, I'm not out of luck on that one yet! Keep those fingers crossed people!
Tonight it's working at the pub again... let's see if more gutsy people come in requesting 'Fields of Athenry', and manage to sing it with such an amazing voice as last weeks' visitor! Either way, I hope it'll be a quiet night so we can close early... I could do with a good night sleep. |
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Read 7 - Post |
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| The Fields of Athenry |
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| 09:27am 27/05/2009 |
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The last week has been spend completely immersed in work. Which is a good thing, but sadly one that won't bare it's fruit until the end of June... and we still have to wait and see if business will pick up at all after our big show.
Five days back we went out to the wood to gather some driftwood from the beach and some other bits and bobs from the forest for the spring altar. We got a good few pieces of decorative branches and the likes, thanks to my trusty stick hunters Mr. Richardson and Oscar. Upon arrival home I baked these pieces of wood to ensure no bugs would continue to eat away at them and nearly burned the house down doing so!. A combination of tree resin, and old oven bits were a combustible combination at around 200 degrees centigrade. Plus side? Every roast done now has that smoked wood flavour ;)
So far I finished 8 grey squirrel, one magpie in flight, a bohemian waxwing and a pair of teal. I still have to do a red tailed hawk and a red squirrel, which are both commissions and need to be finished before the big day, but those shouldn't be a problem. I'm still debating on what to do for my demonstration on the day itself... I have a giant pheasant, which we found along the roadside on our way to the school of falconry, that was so fresh it probably got hit by the car in front of us. But I have no idea what the weather will do, and don't want to risk prime skins. Woodcock aplenty, and some partridge.
The meat from the teal has been filleted and saved, and looks delicious! I have two more teal in the freezer, so I'll wait until those two are done and dusted before making a dinner out of it. Oscar has already had a small piece of leg, but didn't seem too chuffed with duck, he IS spoiled with his mice.
Two days ago we went for another stick-hunting trip into Crawfordsburn, and it was a gorgeous evening. Subtle hints of rain in the air, and not long after a mild trickle started. I commented on how lovely it was, felt and sounded.. and Mr. Richardson said that he wouldn't mind as long as it didn't start pouring out of the heavens. And of course, by the time we reached the waterfall it was pissing out of those said heavens. Oscar made the discovery that he didn't like rain after all, and started gunning it back to the car (a good 15-20 minute run). Half way there we ran into a jogger going the other way, and he stopped to give Oscar a wee scritch, well enchanted with the speed the little guy was going at!
With 10 minutes remaining on the run to the car Oscar gave up. He demanded to be held, and crawled/nestled into Mr. Richardson's jumper, which was well soaked by now. And Mr. Richardson? Well, he (much like myself) was LOVING it. Even though we were soaked down to our underwear, it felt WONDERFUL.
Work has been steady, but very hard. And to boot, I had to do the night shift down at Jenny Watts last night. It was fairly busy near the end, and some of the customers even got up on stage to sing with Paul McAree. It happens every now and then, and usually it's nothing special aside from the good craic, but this man was nothing short of impressive. He started singing the 'Fields of Athenry', and there was SO much emotion put into it. His voice was amazing, and along with Paul they made a great couple. Definitely the high-light of the evening.
In other news, some estates have already started gearing up for the 12th of July. May hasn't even reached it's end yet, and some of the bonfire piles are already getting big, namely Kilcooley. I love a big fire just as the next person.. hate the pollution that comes with them.. but the one thing I hate about the fires of the 12th is the tension and the HATE.
Luckily car tires (and tractor, trunk and anything else) aren't allowed anymore, but that doesn't keep them from getting gigantic none-the-less. To give an idea, it's not uncommon for windows of nearby houses to crack with the intense heat of the fires. And the worst thing is the day after, the Orange marches... hopefully this year will pass quietly, and I pray to the gods I'm not working. I prefer sitting in the safety of.. well.. home during these nights!
EDIT:
Also.. since I've been suffering from Swine flu (not really... just a nasty cold) I'd like to share this wee image with you all. The BEST neck warmer ever;
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Read 14 - Post |
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| The senility of a mustelid keeper |
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| 12:38pm 20/05/2009 |
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I've finally be assured that I haven't lost my sanity when it comes to getting dressed in the morning...
Every morning, I bring this neatly folded package of fresh clothing to the bathroom. Pants at the bottom, followed by my top, my underwear and bra and on top a fresh pair of socks. Or atleast, that's what I thought I did each morning. It's been oft that when I came out of the shower I found my neatly packed package to be missing the top part... my socks. Usually I just shrugged it off as I have no trouble walking about bare-foot.
But two nights ago I went for a long steam/scented milk bath, and as I was relaxing without the lights on I hear the tiny pitter patter of Oscar feet. I carefully turned in the bath, to spy on the little mink, without making a sound.. making sure he wouldn't notice me.
He stepped into the bathroom, raised his head to sniff the air, then he turned and climbed the woven reed basket, to reach my pile of clothing. Skillfully he grabbed the socks, and ran off at great speed! Only to be followed by the same thing a few minutes later, this time stealing my intimates.. followed by the stealing of my top... followed by the last thing around, my pants.
After a good soak I got out of the bath, and followed the trail of clothing left behind in the hallway, leading towards the bedroom. I followed my sock, which was just visible from underneath the bed... and as I looked underneath the bed I found my stash of hidden socks.
I wasn't losing my mind! *celebrates*
Next to the missing items of garments, I also found various bits and pieces from various festive altars.. *sighs*
But seriously, who could stay mad at a face like this;
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Read 37 - Post |
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| Great Irish Gamefairs |
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| 04:09pm 15/05/2009 |
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Great gods, busy time is upon me indeed. I've been up to my neck in preparations for the great Irish game fair. I've got tons of items skinned, including a gorgeous red-tailed hawk, and so much still to be brought 'back to life'. The hawk I mentioned was the very first hawk that the owner of the school of falconry had flown, and so it'll be a special stand for him.
Also trying to find a good use for...
All the squeamish people please skip to the next paragraph
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Ahem, also trying to find good use for all the squirrel meat I've gathered. It felt sinful to just throw the remains out, and so I kept all the good meats for later. I think I'll have a wee tinker with some of it tonight, and see what comes of it. If it's good we'll keep it, if it doesn't taste nice we'll give it to our wee man Oscar, who seems enchanted by it.
In other news, Jenny Watts now has a new website. A lot of people like to hear about the pub where I work part-time, so this is a great opportunity to have a look around. Plus, it's got a wee video up of Paul McAree and his music on the tuesday night. It's a small blurb, but it'll give some of you a better idea;
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Read 7 - Post |
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| The Bealtaine rollercoaster |
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| 03:53pm 09/05/2009 |
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Well, yesterday was our day of celebration for Bealtaine. The night before I slept rather bad, so as Mr. Richardson puttered about downstairs getting Oscar's mouse ready for the little man I decided to crawl into bed for a couple of more hours to catch up on some sleep.
It wasn not long, possibly half an hour or so later, when I heard the nudging of what sounded to be Oscar's foodbowl in his cage. Sometimes Mr. Richardson will put Oscar and his freshly thawed out prey inside the cage, so Oscar doesn't go about hiding it somewhere else. We'll leave the lock of the cage open, but for some reason it still registers with him as 'closed', and he'll start whacking things about to let us know he wants out.
I decided to get out of bed and let him out, but upon coming around the corner of the office I noticed the cage was wide open, and no Oscar inside. I looked back into the bedroom, and to a warm bed, but couldn't locate Oscar. Looked into the bathroom, no Oscar. Went to the guestroom to look for him and... SWEET BRIGHID OSCAR!!!
Turns out we had left the window open, and that 'foodbowl' sound I heard was one of the rocks on the windowsill. And Oscar? He was on the OUTSIDE of the second floor, walking on the window-ledge while it was blowing gales outside. I called him, he turned around on the window-ledge, walked to the window and popped his head inside with a 'Yes?' expression. I carefully walked up, and SNAGGED him in his scruff the moment I safely could.
No rest for the wicked apparently.
The rest of the day was okay. Oscar's adventure took it's toll, and he snoozed throughout most of the day and the afternoon. During the day I tried to make my apple and nutmeg foam-pie with fresh whipped cream. It all went well, until I checked on the foam two hours later only to find out it wasn't setting. Bummer :( I tried to viciously beat the cream again, and see if it would set at all later, but it wasn't looking good.
Cleaned out our hearth from top to bottom and set everything up for the night. Everything was made ready for later, and soon our wee dinner was being cooked. When Mr. Richardson came home we set down for our dinner, and afterwards we lit the candles and waited for twilight/sundown.
With the sky turning reddish, and there finally being a break in the cloud from rain, I set up my two pillar candles as our 'bonfires' outside. I made Bushmill's Caudle, and got the bread and the knife for the hawthorn ready.
Called Mr. Richardson to wake up wee Oscar, and we went outside. We each stood infront of one of our 'bonfires' with our backs facing them, and cast the bread over our shoulder towards our trees and shrubs. After that we each took a sip of our caudle, and got the third share ready for offering. I passed through the fires, and Mr. Richardson handed me Oscar, whom was now well enchanted with it all. Not long after, Mr. Richardson himself passed through the fire. I walked into our shrubs, to gently remove two blossom branches off our Hawthorn. Once cut, I gave my thanks and left our caudle offering at the base of the tree.
The blossom twigs were bound with a red thread each, and as we passed back through our fires to go inside I gathered up our 'fires' and our cups, and put them on the kitchen window ledge. Back inside we got the pins above the kitchen door and the front door ready. We hung our Hawthorn charms with a wee chant of prayer, and as we closed the doors underneath the charms I took our 'fire' back inside through the kitchen window and shut it.
I put each of the pillar candles on a side of our hearth, while the fire was being lid. Once the fire sparked, I held the pillar candles inside, blew them out and caught the new fire from our hearth. With the newly lid pillar candles I lid all the candles in our living room. It looked very warm, welcoming.. safe.
Oscar also finally settled down and joined us on the sofa to relax. I eventually fell asleep with Oscar curled up in the sweater in front of me.
In all a grand night indeed. |
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Read 4 - Post |
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| Dear Queen of England, |
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| 10:22am 07/05/2009 |
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Could we please have our streets back?
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So the English Queen decided to pay Bangor a visit today, after her Enniskillen and Derry visits the day before. And per usual, all streets around the town center are locked off, no cars allowed, and imposing army people everywhere all decked out and 'fully loaded' with weaponry. Utter rurr if you ask me.. what a money wasting circus.
Mr. Richardson phoned me up and told me about this, and that it reminded him of 'the good olde days of the Troubles'... I just replied 'so, you won't be too busy today?'.
As for myself, I'll have a fabulous date with Claire Golemboski, with whom I'll walk around the garden and fire ideas back and forth with. I want to know her rates, and her options. I'm a very picky person, and have already noted her that if possible I only want to be using native plant/tree species in the garden. I'll also be needing a fire pit for ritual purposes, and food/vegetable/fruit areas. I want it all to look wild. Bring on the gorgeous and delicious Dandelions! Bring on the Gorse!
IF she's in our price-range I'll be hoping to work with her on my dream garden design. The sooner my little haven gets finished the better.
More updates to follow! :)
And for our Bealtaine celebrations tomorrow we'll be making a apple and cinnamon cake ^.^ The rest of our 'feast' still has to be planned.. but it's going to be delish! |
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Read 2 - Post |
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| Bealtaine & work |
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| 01:31pm 05/05/2009 |
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Since the flowers are starting to show through the buds of our Hawthorn I've decided to hold our Bealtaine celebrations this friday. Hopefully the weather will be well for the walk down to the beach for some offerings, but either way the blossoms of our Hawthorn should be open and ready to be brought inside.
Slowly working through commissions, whilst taking care of the house and Oscar. During breaks I'm reading 'The Táin', a translation by Ciaran Carson, which is a pretty decent translation if you ask me.
The other book that came in the mail the other day; The Magic of Irish Nature: The Celtic culture and its mythology by Patrick O'Sullivan, was a bit.. well.. I wouldn't say shite since it wasn't -that- bad. Ack, it was pleasant enough.
Pub work tonight, accompanied by our folk musician Paul. Good thing he's a charmer with a bodhrán, and his guitar play is amazing, as it'll make the night pass faster. I get the feeling tonight is going to be a fairly dead night. |
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Read 1 - Post |
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| Lá Bealtaine |
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| 01:38pm 02/05/2009 |
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While the May Day bank holiday is coming into full swing, I'm still waiting on our Hawthorns to blossom before the 'official' celebrations break loose here. Personally I'm feeling a wee bit down at the moment, but I'm sure it'll all spark up again real soon. Just a bit stuck.
Last week was spend working on the preparations for the country lifestyle & game fair, days spend skinning, and filleting the remains for our own consumption as I don't want to waste that which has given it's life.
In other short news a wee book from ReadIreland has arrived; The Magic of Irish Nature: The Celtic culture and its mythology by Patrick O'Sullivan. It's small and thin... so it should prove itself to be a good read on tea-breaks and such.
Working tonight in Jenny Watts again. We'll see how busy it is and if people will be in a more 'giving' mood this May day.
'Clefdagh' - For the love of music
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Read 6 - Post |
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| Celtic Animals - Sale on Ebay! |
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| 09:24am 28/04/2009 |
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Hey everyone!
Whilst doing a wee search online about my stuff I came across this wonderful Ebay store that is stocking all my Celtic Animal pendants! And not only that, but they're selling them at an AMAZINGLY low price!
Next to that, for those that have been curious, but struggling with the metric measurements, there's an inch ruler next to the pendant images so it'll give you a fair idea on their size!
So, if you've been thinking of getting one of these meaningfull animals for yourself or someone else, be sure to go with this great deal! Simply click on the button below;
And if you want to read about the Myth and Meaning of these animals along with what they can mean to you, go here; About the Celtic Animals |
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Read 4 - Post |
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| Sleepless night.. |
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| 01:25pm 25/04/2009 |
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Last night was busy at work. The boss and many other people went on their bus-tour to the Ravenhill rugby, where Ulster was playing. Sadly Ulster lost by two points, and as soon as the crowd came back the mood just dropped. Few drinks were ordered, no tips, and everyone seemed to be in a bit of a downer. Next to that I had to fess up to my boss I made a mistake. Some guy came to the bar asking for a bottle of Chardonnay. No problem, handed it to him and told him the price. He said that wasn't right, as he always gets his wine half-price. I verified with the supervisor of the night, and she said that was correct.
I showed him the bottle, stated the new price and he then said to me that is not the bottle he normally gets. I got out the other Chardonnay we have, showed it, and he told me that was it.
Turns out he NEVER gets THAT bottle for half price. He weaseled his way into getting me to give him a £15 bottle of wine for $7,50. Needles to say, breaking that news after Ulster lost the rugby really didn't do me any favors with the boss. Bummer.
The make the night worse, while getting a lift back from one of the other staff members I was deep in thought, when suddenly he said "Do you want me to stop for that dog so you can stuff it?". I was sitting in the back, turned and looked onto the road, only to see a dead collie dog laying there. I felt sick and wanted to cry. Nothing gets to me more than dogs by the road side.
Upon arrival home I just felt horrible. Woke up Mr. Richardson at 2am, asking "what do you call for a dead dog in the road?". Apparently he thought it was a joke as in the "What do you call such-and-such", as he started making sleepy guesses to the answer. Not helping.
The night was spend feeling horribly, combined with nightmares. Today I just don't feel like going out :(
On the bright side, there is plenty to do around the house, and I'm heavily amused by reading through the digi-file of "Gaelic names of beasts (mammalia), birds, fishes, insects, reptiles".. as there are such treasures in there..
EDIT:
Speaking of loads of things to do around the house, this has just been finished....
Ón ghealach na Faolchon - Of the Wolfmoon
As described on the image itself, this was a very special commission for Wolfmoon. She commissioned me for two pendants, one for herself and one for her husband. Both of which had to somehow integrate the triquetra symbol, as it meant a lot to the both of them.
I went with a very early design for the wolf head, and only one of the heads has a lower jaw, which doubles as the bail for the necklace. They both have a different stone; one carries a Emerald in the center, the other a Sapphire.
Wolfmoon is also the person the did all the hard work for our new website Imbas Creations. If you are looking to get a professional website made, please go to her website; http://www.adrenaline-graphics.se/ |
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| For the long-haired amongst us.. |
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| 04:31pm 24/04/2009 |
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For Imbas Creations we now have new fancy ponytail cover that is suitable for everyone, regardless how thin or thick their hair is. If you can tie yourself a pony-tail you'll be able to put on these unique hair covers!
They fasten easily, with a hair band that is secured to the inside of these metal 'tubes'. Simply hold back the tail-cover, tie the band, and once finished you can turn the cover to slip over the pony-tail.
They look good on everybody, men, women or children!
And for the shorter-haired amongst us, yet another reason to grow your hair long! ;) |
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Read 14 - Post |
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