Sketchbook runes...

Now that I have completed all the drawings (156!) for my Tarot colouring book with Red Wheel/Weiser, I have a chance to experiment with my sketchbook again. It does seem odd not to be working on the Tarot book after spending so much time with it since last July but I continue to play with images for another even more ancient system of meditation/divination, the fascinating elder futhark runes...

sowilo

algiz

mannaz

dagaz

hagalaz

A magazine article on my miniatures work in DollsHouse and Miniature Scene

A lovely new interview and article (with lots of photos) on my miniatures work in natural materials appears in the current March issue of  DollsHouse and Miniature Scene! Paper or digital copies of the magazine can be ordered here: www.dollshouseandminiaturescene.co.uk
Many thanks to DollsHouse and Miniature Scene and especially to Carl Golder, editor, for his interest in my work! 
Here's the cover with a photo of my work in the upper right corner of the page.

Tarot Color and Learn Book by Diana

Coming soon... My tarot color and learn book from Red Wheel/Weiser publishing...I sent the manuscript off to my editor, the wonderful Judika Illes, earlier this week! What a big but enjoyable work it has been! Here is a small preview of some of the major arcana images for coloring.

Spring details...

I was recently commissioned to make a larger (than my normal fae scale) twig spinning wheel for wedding table decor. It measures about ten inches or 25 centimeters high and was an interesting change from the rather persnickety work I normally do with very tiny pieces! It made me long to make human scale furniture again but that will have to wait until I have a larger work space and materials storage. At any rate, this larger scale (although still miniature) spinning wheel could also be an interesting accessory for Blythe dolls and their kin--- or perhaps even Barbie might learn to enjoy some of the old craft!

Some details from the lovely Jardin des plantes de Nantes, where spring unfolds more wonders at an astonishing pace...

quince blossoms

German iris bud

buglosse/alkanet/anchusa officianalis

some most friendly young ducks!

poppy and primroses

salix alba/white willow

quince in the rain

tulip interior

A Fae Chateau

A house and theatre of birch bark and pine cone scales, twigs and magic, seashells and old lace is near its finish and a long voyage to another land.

And though they are often shy of cameras the residents have agreed to appear here... relaxing, sky gazing and carriage riding...

 

(The fae carriage before the addition of the all important wheels...)

Faery Crowns

  

Thought I'd share a bit of what I've been making lately with natural materials...
Recently, for the first time, I've tried my hand at faery crown making. Here are some photos of the first two crowns I made. They are available as custom orders on my Pandora Jane shop and I've sold several already! They are quite sturdy so they can actually be securely worn for faery festivals, Rennaissance fests, parties and creative weddings. The crowns also look quite nice displayed on a shelf or in a cabinet of collectibles.
Here is the first one I made:

Kindly modeled by my lovely daughter

The second crown was a request from a friend, who asked for something a little more compact and with a bit of her favourite colour included. (Yes, it can be annoying if one is always getting wings and crowns snarled up in the household furnishings or poking one's friends whilst giving a hug!) So this one is a bit smaller---12 centimeters across the base---and is made from twigs, seashells and soft pink flamingo feathers I picked up on one of my sojourns in the South of France.

For some time now I had contemplated making a fae sized gramophone record player, maybe because I am in love with the human size version and only wish they weren't so pricey. The idea of listening to all those scratchy old discs with no need for electricity seems perfect for a picnic in the country and some impromptu waltzing beneath the trees, togged up in lovely Edwardian style.

Then there was a faery kitchen table that emerged, all ready for tea-time. The chair has a lovely green, velvety wisteria pod as its back panel and a tiny walnut shell basket sits nearby.

And lastly a faery girl, all in natural materials at the request of one of my regular customers on Pandora Jane.

If you'd like to see more please stop by for a visit at my Pandora Jane shop on Etsy. There are lots and lots of different photos of fae items both for sale and under the archive of sold pieces, which you can click to view in the shop's sidebar. (To go to my shop from here just click on the blog's sidebar link to the right under "Diana's etsy shops"--for some reason I'm having trouble making a clickable link today).