windsong....

My dad celebrated his 70th birthday recently, below is the gift that I made for him. It's an altered board book in the theme of sailing as a Captain's Log.
Dad is an avid model boat sailor and boat builder. His yacht isn't just any old sail boat, it didn't come out of a kit, instead he handcrafted his model yacht paying great attention to not only the hull and mechanics of the yacht but also to the many details.

Dad made each of the realistic highly detailed pieces by turning them on his lathe or by carving and molding all of the elements, right down to the adhering of individual strips of wooden decking that he varnished watertight to a high gloss, the inlaying of brass detailing, portholes, lattice-work hatches, life buoys, etc...
I told him that he had to have a 'wee man' at the helm so Dad added a tiny sailor, and his after naming his yacht, 'Windsong' was complete.

Windsong's maiden sail showed much promise but Dad continued to fine tune her further, adjusting the sails to catch just the right amount of breeze for speed and handling. Windsong proved to be a prize winning build, Dad won many races and became the 'man to beat' at his local sail club.


Windsong





"Ships are the nearest thing to dreams that hands have ever made."
-Robert N. Rose

puppy love....

This cute little bundle of fluff is Ollie, he has just become part of our family. Ollie is 8 weeks old, he's a Sydney Silky Terrier, also known as an Australian Silky Terrier.
He's full of mischievous energy, but is eager to please when food is involved and sits on command for a tasty piece of kibble. He's still settling in but so far some of his favourite things to do are; to munch on leaves and daisies, have belly rubs, roll around on the grass, and play with his tug toy.

the birds and the trees....

the common but ever graceful seagull


sun conure


a little wax-eye sitting in my lemon verbena tree







Keep a green tree in your heart and perhaps a singing bird will come.
- Chinese Proverb

go lightly down your darkened way...

Some pendants, a graphic and a photo.











it's only your imagination
it's only all of the things that you fear,
and the things from which you can’t escape
Coldplay - Only Superstition

vampiric alchemy...

Harold Whittaker the owner of Scarlet Manor, made an interesting discovery during some recent remodeling of his home. After completing work on the upper levels Mr Whittaker moved downstairs to begin further renovations, it was here where he stumbled upon his discovery. Mr Whittaker had only just begun to demolish the basement wall when he noticed that the hole that his sledgehammer had made revealed a startling discovery in the cavity behind the wall of bricks.


Scarlet Manor

News Today spoke to Mr Whittaker and the following is his recount of his unique discovery.

“I was curious and quite excited as I could partially see something behind the wall cavity. I peered inside but it was too dark to make anything out. The hole that I had made was big enough for me to get one of my hands through, so I reached in and carefully lifted out the item. I couldn’t see much through my dust laden goggles so I pushed them up on my head so that I could investigate further. I held in my hands a package that had been wrapped in a frayed material and bound with a length of cloth.


the found wrapped package

I really was unsure what I would find but I remember at this point that I could feel my heart racing”, said Mr Whittaker.

“I tugged gently on the cloth to loosen the knot and carefully unwrapped the frayed material from around the item. Inside was an ornate leather bound journal with the words; Vampiric Alchemy etched into the cover and an ankh symbol with a single drop of blood at the very tip.


the Vampire Alchemy journal

Leafing through the journal revealed pages of hand written notes, symbols, diagrams, and alchemic recipes, all relating to what seemed to me to be some form of a Vampire handbook.”

“I was so enthralled with the journal that I almost forgot that the package contained another item. A small equally ornate hinged wooden box sat beneath the journal. The top of the box was decorated with an intricate raised emblem, a facet-cut dark red drop sat in the center of the emblem.


the design on the box

Absolutely fascinated, I turned the box over to find a label that was on the underside.”
It read;

Vampiric Alchemy
EST. 1709
Apothecary Kit
Issued by the Vampiric Alchemy Association


the underside of the box showing the Vampiric Alchemy label

“The box was fastened with a brass clasp, which I unlatched to open. Inside were tiny corked vials of what looked to be potion ingredients, each of the vials were clearly labeled with things like; blood lozenges, maker tincture, B+ capsules, bat wing balsam, blood energy potion, healing powder, glamouring spell, spare fangs etc… There were two large bottles that were labelled with the same Vampiric Alchemy mark that was on the underside of the box. According to the labels, these bottles contained Vampire Blood and Elixir of Immortality. The other bottles were narrow, each bound in cloth with blood red lids on them.”

“It was about then that I raced upstairs eager to share my discovery with my wife.”

Mr Whittaker told News Today that he had no idea how the package came to be hidden in the wall of his basement but was most curious to learn more and if possible wanted to return the items to their rightful owner.


Upon further investigation News Today learned that the Vampiric Alchemy Association was a guild of practicing Vampires that was first established in 1709 by Grand Master - Vladmir Abantiah.


Grand Vampiric Master - Vladmir Abantiah

The VAA was not so much of a secretive organization but more of a private one who had only modest membership numbers. This was due to the strict regime and years of highly skilled training in the field of Alchemic Science that the selected individuals undertook in order to become accomplished Vampire Masters.

It is these elite members once achieving this high status that were gifted with the Vampiric Alchemy Apothecary Kits. It is believed that as a part of their wisdom toward becoming a Vampire Master that they evolved into immortals. It was at this pinnacle that they were able to class themselves as a true Master of Vampiry. It was only the Alchemy Masters who had the ability to ‘turn’ a mortal into a Vampire and give them what they believed to be… the gift of eternal life.

Exactly how the Vampiric Masters would select their mortals is unknown. Past historic accounts have stated that the VAAA were a league of elite gentleman and not blood thirsty Vampires who preyed on the innocent and weak. So one would assume that the mortals were willing participants who sought out the gift of eternal life.

Why the Apothecary Kit was hidden behind a brick wall in Scarlet Manor seems to be the true mystery here. If Vampires are immortal, then why would the owner of the journal and kit hide it away knowing of the possibility that one day it may fall into the wrong hands? Why would they not carry it with them? Perhaps the owner was planning on returning to collect his property?

We know that the kits and journals are highly treasured sought after items. Vampiric Spell work is a complicated process and in the wrong hands could be very detrimental to not only the unskilled individual who dares to use them but also to the unfortunate mortal who gets caught in the spell.

As well as being psychological illusionists Vampiric Masters also possess the ability of psychic awareness. With this understanding, the Vampiric Alchemy Kit and contents will be respectively preserved and placed in an undisclosed location to await the return of their owner, whether that be now or 1000 or more years in the future.
.........................

(click on all images to enlarge view)









Vampiric Alchemy Apothecary Kit
Vampunk assemblage
100mm H x 75mm W (closed dimensions)


you come out at night
that's when the energy comes
and the dark side's light
and the vampires roam
Sarah McLachlan - Building A Mystery

----------
credits ;
original ephemera frame image - courtesy of The Graphics Fairy
original vintage gentlemen image - courtesy of Valeriana Solaris
original book cover image - courtesy of Lost and Taken

this land is my land...

I am often asked about New Zealand and what it's like to live here.  The short version in just one word is .. beautiful.. however I guess that living here tends to make me somewhat biased.
The Lord of the Rings film trilogy with it's magnificent scenery had people curious about NZ and wanting to visit, the All Blacks (for those rugby fans), our clean green image, our no nukes policy, and more recently The Flight of the Conchords, are just a few things that have contributed to making New Zealand a little more well known.

Below are some photos of the where I call home... hope you enjoy the scenic tour.

Lupins growing wild by the lake shore in Tekapo

Winter at Lake Tekapo

Road tripping down State Highway 8 on a stormy day

Dry lake bed at Lake Tekapo.  The lake level was so low when I took this photo, as usually this old tree stump would be under water

The Church of the Good Shepherd at Lake Tekapo, a popular tourist destination

Moeraki Boulders

Caroline Bay

The beach is a 10 minute walk from my home

Smithfield Beach

A five minute walk from home 

Warm moonlight over my horizon, she's a slice of heaven,

Her love shines over my horizon, she's a slice of heaven

 ~ Slice of Heaven - Dave Dobbyn 

view through the lens...

My day in pictures....

graphic intent....

I thought that it was time that I changed my blogger graphic, I've had the old one for quite a while now and I felt like it was time for a new one. My graphic design skills are rather primitive so it's fairly simple. I really wanted to be able to make the gears and the clock hands move.. but... waaay too complicated for my old brain to compute how to make that happen.
I wanted something that combined a photographic element (the camera lens) and something Steampunkish (the cogs/gears and watch movements). The wings represent expression through art, exploring possibilities, the clock face is to remind myself to live each day to it's fullest, to make the most of now, and the time shown on the clock is my time of birth.




Some random photographs...






The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart. - Helen Keller


'Time Steeler'
portable time travel wrist cuff

I made this for G for his birthday. It's called 'Time Steeler' because of the steel colour of the movement but also because if he feels old he can use the time travel device to 'steal' back time!... and yes just in case you were wondering.. he is still speaking to me!

by the light of the moon....

Often some songs can have a more of an effect on you than others, the lyrics or the melody tend to get stuck in your head and can take you on a journey through a range of emotions. The first time I heard the song Her Diamonds by Rob Thomas it made me feel a little teary. Throughout the day the song kept drifting back into my mind. Finally it got the better of me and I Googled it to see if I could find out more about the song.

As it turns out, Rob wrote the song for his wife Marisol who suffers from an autoimmune disorder similar to Lupus. The song is his heartfelt emotion and personal struggle with having to see his wife battle with ill health, and his frustration in being unable to help her. Thankfully after years of suffering with weird and unexplained symptoms, the doctors have diagnosed Marisol and she is on medication that is helping to treat her condition.

While I don’t have an autoimmune disorder, the symptoms of Fibromyalgia tend to mimic similar lines. I’ve lost count at the numerous times that I have dissolved into tears during moments of utter frustration at attempting the most simple of tasks. The times where I have experienced unexplained symptoms that truly have made me doubt my sanity, or the times where I have just fallen to pieces because I am totally exhausted trying to cope with the pain. Yet through all of this, my wonderful, kind and caring partner G, stands strong beside me, holding me up when my world spins wildly on it’s axis.

In Her Diamonds, Rob sings;

I don't know what I’m supposed to do
But if she feels bad then I do too

Although I try hard not to be, at times I am so wrapped up in my own pain and dealing with things that I forget that G is feeling just as much. He sees me at my very lowest, and yet he cares for me and loves me no matter what, for that I will be forever grateful. G not only lives with my illness, he has his own disability of being sight impaired to contend with and yet he still gives everything to support me. He truly is amazing, I am so blessed to have found such a beautiful soul to share my journey with.
And on that note...I’ll stop here before this turns into a sapfest, I don’t want to put you off your cornflakes!

I don’t often post about such things but I felt that aside from being a beautiful and catchy song, Her Diamonds really touched my heart and allowed me to gain a little perspective. Regardless of what inspired Rob Thomas to write the song, I’m sure that a lot of people will be able to relate to it whatever the situation and take their own meaning from it.

Have a listen, see what you think….

You can watch the video here on Rob Thomas Web site, just click on the link for Her Diamonds.

Live Acoustic Version of Her Diamonds by Rob Thomas


Her Diamonds – Rob Thomas

Oh what the hell she says
I just can’t win for losing
And she lays back down
Man there’s so many times
I don’t know what I’m doin’
Like I don’t know now

By the light of the moon
She rubs her eyes
Says it’s funny how the night
Can make you blind
I can just imagine
And I don’t know what I’m supposed to do
But if she feels bad then I do too
So I let her be

And she says oooh
I can’t take no more
Her tears like diamonds on the floor
And her diamonds bring me down
Cuz I can’t help her now
She’s down in it
She tried her best and now she can’t win it’s
Hard to see them on the ground
Her diamonds falling down

She sits down and stares into the distance
And it takes all night
And I know I could break her concentration
But it don’t feel right

By the light of the moon
She rubs her eyes
Sits down on the bed and starts to cry
And there’s something less about her
And I don’t know what I’m supposed to do
So I sit down and I cry too
And don’t let her see

And she says oooh
I can’t take no more
Her tears like diamonds on the floor
And her diamonds bring me down
Cuz I can’t help her now
She’s down in it
She tried her best and now she can’t win it’s
Hard to see them on the ground
Her diamonds falling down

She shuts out the night
Tries to close her eyes
If she can find daylight
She’ll be all right
She’ll be all right
Just not tonight

And she says oooh
I can’t take no more
Her tears like diamonds on the floor
And her diamonds bring me down
Cuz I can’t help her now
She’s down in it
She tried her best and now she can’t win it’s
Hard to see them on the ground
Her diamonds falling down

vampunk....

I've been bitten by surges of Vampiric inspiration from watching True Blood. Which is actually rather amusing to me as the mere sight of blood and not just mine, anyone's will do, makes me decidedly woozy. As much as I find True Blood fascinating with it's twisted characters and story lines the show has a fair amount of bloodied scenes that I admit depending on 'ick' factor, I watch peering out from behind a cushion through half squinted eyes!

I've written a short tale, given a makeover to a photo of a vintage gentleman and created a few pieces of jewellery that have touches of Steampunk to them. Steampunk meets Vampire in a Vampunk concoction.




A sudden rush of cool midnight air swirls past and then around you enveloping your skin in electric chills. The air is thick with the sweet heady aroma of musk but also with a dark, bitter almost metallic undertone. A shadowy figure emerges from the night, you gasp at the unexpected appearance and fearing for your life, you turn and run. Your escape is only for a short distance before you are bought to an abrupt standstill by a full melodic voice laden with lush velvety tones. Although you heard it, you have no idea of what was spoken, you just felt an overwhelming urge to stop running and to turn back toward the voice.

As the dark figure slowly moves toward you, the tree filtered moonlight allows you to catch glimpses of the face of the figure. A willowy man, stunningly handsome with piercing ebony eyes steps forward out of the filtered shadows and into the moonlight. By now the gentleman is standing directly in front of you, his alabaster skin is glowing luminously under the illumination of the midnight moon, you can feel his gaze piercing right through you. His presence is overwhelming but somehow you manage to stand although it feels as if your knees are about to buckle. Transfixed where you stand, intoxicated by the dark thick aroma that surrounds him, your heart pounding, he leans in close to you and whispers;

“Let me forever capture your being… suspend this moment in time…
allow me the pleasure of keeping your visage infinitely beautiful.”

His soft mellifluous whispers infiltrate your whole being resonating deep within swirling throughout your flesh and bone igniting a deep narcosis that you have never before experienced. Waves of exhilaration sweep over you, your fears are no longer, everything but for this second of time cease to exist. Any desire to resist his invitation is weak and you find yourself undeniably intoxicated by his presence.

His sinewy arms encircle your waist and you feel the pull of his hand on the small of your back as he draws you close. You feel his breath brushing the skin on the curve of your tilted neck…

You succumb to his powerful vampiric allure...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(click on all images to enlarge view)













credit ;
original vintage gentlemen image - courtesy of Valeriana Solaris
(image is licensed under a creative commons attribution license)

Let me be the only one
To keep you from the cold.
Now the floor of heav'n is laid,
Its stars of brightest glow.
They shine for you.
They shine for you.
They burn for all to see.
Come into these arms again
And set this spirit free.
~ Annie Lennox - Love Song For A Vampire