Folksy Friday, Green for Go!

Get Set - GO!

Green is for Go!

Following my Seeing Red and Steady Amber blogs, of course I need to complete the set with a Green for Go blog!

So here are a large selection of wonderful greens from my Folksy friends in the April Artisans daily listing club.

As you can see there was lots to choose from, hence the slightly larger gallery than the previous two blogs, but I could have quadrupled the number featured, so apologies to those not included.

I find green such a restful yet vibrant colour, it is after all the colour of life on our planet, green plants, with their life giving oxygen, without which we would all not go very far at all!

So please 'go' to the shops featured by simply clicking on the photos, where you will be green with envy at the wonderful creative talents of the Artisans, but if you see something you like, pop it quickly into your basket, as I'm sure these items are set to 'rev their engines' and 'speed out' of their shops soon.

  

          

    

I hope you have enjoyed my green gallery today.

Steady Amber!

Having recently posted a Seeing Red Blog, I thought we'd follow the 'signals' and go with a Steady Amber blog today!

Whilst you have popped across here to check out this blog, and are sitting at 'idle', take some time to 'ready' yourself and view these items with amber tones as the 'traffic' of life flows on.

Well I think that is enough traffic signal analogies for today, but please just click on the photograph to 'gear' into action and 'alight' onto the item in question!  

Sorry could not resist!

I hope you have enjoyed my amber toned items today and will take it steady and view the items at leisure.

Seeing Red!

But in a very welcome way!

Some gorgeous red items from the April Artisan's for you to enjoy, chosen for no other reason than their glorious colour and how beautifully they all looked together.

I hope you take some time to 'stop' at these red items, 'be aware' of their craftsmanship and be 'warned' that they may not be around for long, as they are too wonderful to sit idle in shops, I am sure they'll be racing to a new home soon.

Red Gallery!

Please just click on the pictures to be taken to more wonderful pictures in situ in their home shop.

I hope you have enjoyed seeing red with me today!

Folksy Friday - St George!

St George's Day!

St George's Day is celebrated by several nations, kingdoms, countries and cities of which Saint George is the Patron Saint, but for English peeps, he is most commonly associated as an English Patron Saint, slaying the dragon.  According to legend, he was a soldier in the Roman army, who killed a dragon, saving a Princess and releasing the people from the dragons threat. 

St Georges Day is celebrated on the 23rd of April.

In Brief!

A bit of history, it is believed that Saint George was born around the year 280 in what is now Turkey, he was a soldier in the Roman army, who rose through the ranks, eventually becoming a personal guard to the Emperor Diocletian.

He was executed for being a Christian on April 23rd 303 and  is buried in the town of Lod in Israel!

Saint George is renowned for slaying a dragon, according to legend, a town, Silene, was guarded by a dragon, who controlled access to the peoples water supplies, in order to get water, the towns folk had to offer a human sacrifice every day, this person was chosen by lots, on the day that Saint George visited the town, it was a Princess who had been selected to be sacrificed, but Saint George killed the dragon, not only saving the Princess, but giving the people of the town free access to their water once more.

In gratitude, the towns people converted to Christianity.

How Saint George became associated with England is a mix of politics and romantic legend, in 1190 the then King of England started paying the powerful Doge of Genoa to protect England's shipping sailing in the Mediterranean and the maritime Republic of Genoa had the recognisable red cross of St George on a white background as their flag.  And  during the Crusades, the Knights Templar used the flag as part of their uniform, so Saint George and his Cross have been symbols associated with England for Centuries.

St George Related Gallery!

The Folksy artisans have decided to dedicate April to St George and challenged each other to create items to symbolise the month, here are a few of my favourites, although there are many other gorgeous items I could have featured too.

Please click on the items pictured, to wing your way across to the shops in question, for more beautiful photographs that will slay you, fire your imagination and make you reach for your purse, hopefully without seeing red, as they are so reasonably priced.

I do hope you have enjoyed my St George gallery and will Fly the Flag proudly in the 23rd of April!

Folksy Friday! Lighthouses!

Lighthouses!

Guiding sea travellers home from long journeys and a welcome landmarks on our rugged coastlines, the light houses have had a long and valued service in our communities, which may be short lived, as we develop into a more mechanised and electronic community, the lighthouse  is seen as a relic that is longer of viable service, almost all are now unmanned, except for those at a tourist venue, and the hardy men and women that lived and worked in the harsh environment, are sadly a thing of the past.

I love a good light house, maybe as I too am a relic of the past, but as a beacon of light to welcome home travellers, I think there can be no better sight.

Lighthouse Gallery!

I am obviously not alone in loving the humble lighthouse, as there are many to be found on Folksy, here are just a few in my Beacon-tastic gallery!  

Please just click on the picture, to find your way lit to more wonderful aspects of these gorgeous lighthouses!

I hope you have found my Folksy Friday illuminating!

Thank you!

Art Commission!

Wonderful Results!

I recently posted in the Folksy forum, if anyone would be willing to attempting an art commission for me and it has come to fruition with wonderful results!

My husband is a Police Dog handler and so far in his career, has had four wonderful dogs, all German Shepherds and all have been such characters and wonderful partners for my husband during a long and successful service.

Therefore, I thought wouldn't it be a wonderful gift to have a painting done, with all four dog in a companionable group, which of course would never happen, as they never met each other, but even so, this would be a wonderful tribute to them all and of course to my husband.

So the call went out and the lovely Janice of WellyDog Studio & Workshops offered to take up the challenge!

Not only did she do a wonderful job, but in double quick time, I did not have a time frame in mind, but Janice set to the task and my lovely painting arrived with me this morning, so will be giving it to my Husband for our wedding anniversary in a few days time, what could be more perfect.

So let me introduce you to the dogs that are the subjects of this lovely painting.

Raider.

Tess.

Conan.

And the baby of the group ...

Khan.

I sent Janice a selection of pictures, so she could see the dogs from many angles and she was kind enough to send me sketches at various stages, so I could see how things were progressing and make any suggestions, which were not really necessary, as Janice had everything perfectly under control.

Stage One ... the rough outline.

Stage Two.

Stage Three ... adding some detail!

Almost finished! 

Finished Painting!

Janice concentrated the fine detail on their lovely faces, so that your eye is drawn to them!  

Don't you think she did a wonderful job?  

She has captured all their characters beautifully and I am especially pleased to have Tess central, she was my husband's longest serving dog and when she retired, she came to live with us, where she became my dog, Janice did not have this information, but placed Tess where she thought she looked best, it really made my day and warmed my heart.

I have no doubt my husband is going to be moved by this picture and it feels right to give it to him for our anniversary, as it is something we are both going to enjoy looking at.

Now just to find the perfect frame to set it off.

I can whole heartedly recommend Janice and her amazing painting skills to all, a wonderful, personal service and I do hope you visit her website on the link above, or just for good measure, here it is again!

www.wellydog.co.uk

Thank you Janice!  

xxx

Hello to April Artisans

Hello April Artisans, Fond Farewell to March Makers!

Well we have come to the end of another month, unseasonably warm, which may have had many people out side enjoying the sunshine, instead of in front of their computers and who can blame them, but even so, the brave souls of the March Makers ploughed on listing and promoting daily and achieved a very impressive 407 collective sales, given the economic climate, let alone the warm weather, I think is a very decent result for their endeavours.

So now in the month of April, we fools have decided to attempt to list daily yet again and have welcomed some new crafters and artisans to our merry band.

The name most voted for was April Artisans, April Cools came a close second, so we cool crafters are no ones fools and will be listing and supporting each other as much as possible, to see if our efforts raise awareness, bring in new visitors to our shops, and hopefully some sales along the way too.

April Artisan Gallery!

So to start off my promotion of my fellow Artisans, here are just a few of the wonderful items listed today, to give you some idea as to the wonders available from our daily listing challenge club.

Please just click on the item to be transported to the shop in question.

I hope to show case more crafters and artisans during the month, but hope you agree that these few look lovely together in the gallery today.

Thank you!