In Celebration of Saint David's Day

Hello Friends!

Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant Hapus

Happy Saint David's Day

Today, March 1st, is Saint David's Day. David, or Dewi Sant, is the Patron Saint of Wales and today he is celebrated throughout Wales, and across the world where many Welsh communities exist.  I have written previously here and here if you would like to read more.  Typing is wearing me out these days, so I apologise for the brevity and for referring you to previous posts.

Here is a selection of photos from my library in celebration of Saint David and of being Welsh.

Two pictures of the Shrine of David, restored, at St Davids Cathedral

 

The Bishop's Blessing on the Cross Square 14th century prayer cross.  The then bishop, the Rt. Rev Wyn Evans is giving the Blessing, ably assisted by the then Dean, the Rev. Jonathan Lean, the then Mayor, Cllr. John George, and finally the then Canon Dorrien Davies who has just been consecrated as the 130th Bishop of St Davids.  This year it will be Bishop Dorrien leading the ecclesiastic celebrations. 

Two views of the Cathedral in the Valley of Roses where David established his monastery and it has been a centre for faith and pilgrimage for 1,500 years.  One only has to set foot inside the cathedral and the energy of one and a half millennia is palpable.

Various views at St Non's where David was born

Shrine of the Blessed Virgin

Healing Well said to have sprung up when David was born

Stained glass depiction of Saint Non in St Non's Chapel by the Sea

St Non's Chapel by the Sea, early 20th century chapel at St Non's Retreat

Stained glass depiction of Saint David in St Non's Chapel by the Sea

Chapel interior

Early Celtic Cross

Examples of traditional Welsh woollen tapestry, Dyffryn Mill

Tapestry cape Melin Middle Mill

Hand knitted Welsh costume doll

Tapestry floor rug Tregwynt Mill

Some Welsh souvenir textiles 

Our Dear Friend Tiny Tartan from Across the Pond also celebrating the day!

A copy of a rare treasure, the highly sought after Twr Y Felin Guide, second edition, and a vintage pamphlet on pilgrimage to St Davids

No celebration would be complete without daffodils, the national flower of Wales!

And now for tea time treats!

Bara Brith

Welsh Cakes

and finally . . . 

editing to add that two of my photos were selected for the Western Telegraph's St David's Day online edition HERE!!!

Until next time

Stay safe, stay well

Debbie xx

The Moon Shines Bright

Hello Friends

The sky is clear and cloudless on a crisply cold Winter's evening. Birds are singing cheerfully, chirruping a clarion call of hope, a promise that tells us Spring will soon be here as surely as the dawn will rise again. Sweet voices in the silence of the coming night, there's something in that sound, as it echoes across this quiet twilight corner of the Shire that stirs my spirit at it's very heart. The Snow Moon looks down and smiles, and moonbeams dance so bright and full of hope . . .

What do you see when you look up at our one and precious beautiful moon? Do you see the Man in the Moon? Did you know there are two men in the moon? Or, do you see the Hare or Rabbit in the Moon? For years I only saw the Man in the Moon, then one day I found the other one, and then I found the Rabbit! Our moon, with her many moods, is full of magic and secrets waiting to be found.

Until next time

Stay safe, stay well

Debbie xx

One Day . . .

Hello Friends!

Just playing with adding words to my photos . . .

and a gentle reminder of my book giveaway HERE.  I will be drawing it on March 1st, next Friday.  Thank you, to those who've entered so far, and Good Luck Everyone!

Until next time

Stay safe stay well

Debbie xx

Giveaway

Hello Friends!

East of the Sun and West of the Moon is a Norwegian fairy tale.  You can read about it by clicking the link, it is really too long to type it all out especially with my shaking hands.

This is my copy, illustrated by the renowned artist and writer Jackie Morris  She often exhibits locally, and I have seen the original work from which this book cover is taken.  It is a big painting, and quite beautiful and magical, as is all of her work.

My copy is signed

I have been taking lessons online mentored by another renowned and magical artist, Ida Andersen Lang, from Denmark.  Recently, one of the lessons was themed on East of the Sun, West of the Moon.  

This is one of the paintings I made under her tutelage called Lassie and the White Bear.

The first two photos do not show her face at all well.  I do struggle sometimes to get a good photo of my art.

I don't like working faces on a small scale as many of you know.  I cannot achieve the level of detail that I want to achieve.

I was quite nervous painting the White Bear {Polar Bear} but am happy how it turned out.  It's not perfect but for a first attempt it's not bad.

Giveaway Time.  I have a signed copy of East of the Sun, West of the Moon for one lucky follower to win.  All you have to do is leave me a comment.  Not affiliated with Blogger or Google etc.  The winner will be drawn on March 1st and international entries are welcome.  Good Luck!

 Until next time

Stay well, stay safe

Debbie xx

When Sleep is not Your Friend

Hello Friends!

Some nights sleep is just something you can only dream of in your waking hours. When insomnia strikes  there is nothing you can do. Well, actually, there is something you can do. On those long nights when Mr Sandman forgets to drop by and I cannot get a wink, I triy to do something constructive. When I was awake last night, and nothing closed my peepers, I just put the light on, pulled out my paints and caught up on one of my missed lessons.

Here is my lovely Lotus Flower. I am calling it Lotus of the Dawn. That seems an appropriate title given the ungodly hour of the day I was creating it.

I used my new Winsor and Newton watercolour paints and new Caran d'Ache Prismacolour II waterproof colour pencils.

I hope you like it.  

Until next time.

Stay safe. Stay well.

Debbie. xx

Hey! Hey! Snoopy

Hello Friends!

Time was when someone followed a blog, Blogger notified the blog owner, however, with it's infinite foibles, it no longer tells us when we have a new follower, so this is to say Thank You for all those of you who have recently followed, and also Thank You to everyone who already follows along with my ramblings.

I have just enjoyed a delicious, warm and nourishing bowl of baked oatmeal.  This time I used some leftover luxury custard thinned down with oat milk, and added a mashed banana and some frozen cherries.  To coin a Welsh phrase, it was lush.  I made it up the night before so the oats get extra creamy, then bake it at 190*C for 30 minutes in my Air Fryer, which I absolutely adore.

About six years ago I started filling out YouGov surveys.  They reward you with cash or vouchers.  It takes a long time to accrue enough points to earn £50, but over the years I've earned £200 which I've cashed in from time to time by way of four @£50 vouchers.  

I decided that after my last cash in I would stop doing them as they seem to ask the same boring and repetitive questions each time; I could now answer in my sleep so it's no loner fun.  However, one last voucher for Amazon and I treated myself to these Winsor and Newton professional paint pans set in a metal tin.

They are still wrapped up until I take the papers off, but I will do that when I am ready to sample swatch the colours.

Swatching is something I do with all my mediums.  It gives a quick and handy reference guide to what the colours actually look like on paper.

Here's an example of some metallic paints.  It's fair to say that the colour of the paper has an effect on the colour of the paint.

I have a friend with an upcoming birthday so I've made her card especially as she loves Snoopy.  So do I!  Here's what happened from the rough drawing when I first had the idea and sketched it out on an scrap paper envelope.

He's tiny and so I decided to reproduce him in a small version on a DL card,  I will share the finished card in a few days.  I have to decide whether to make the lines clean and sharp, or leave them scribbly as you can see in the doodle.

Until next time

Stay safe, stay well, stay warm {it's getting cold again this weekend}

Debbie xx

🎵🎶🎵 Snowdrops and Daffodils . . .

 . . . Butterflies and Bees  ♫♬🎜🎝

Hello Friends!

I simply could not resist, and for those of you who know not of which I speak, or for those who wish to trip down Memory Lane, please listen here . . . 

All Kinds of Everything

As my photos today will be predominantly snowdrops and daffodils I couldn't help reminiscing over the sweetly innocent Dana who won Eurovision in 1970 with the most charming song.  Some great songs have come out of Eurovision, as well as Dana's All Kinds of Everything, Abba gave us Waterloo, and later came The Voice sung by Eimear Quinn, not forgetting in 1967 Sandy Shaw with Puppet on A String, or Love Shine a Light by Katrina and the Waves, to name but a few of the classics.  I digress.

The flowers that herald the imminent passing of Winter are flowering, so can Spring be far behind?  Snowdrops and Daffodils ~ the opening words of Dana's song!

Just to round out the opening bars, here are the butterflies and a bees. . . 

Do you have a favourite Eurovision winner?

Until next time

Stay safe, stay well

Debbie xx