Crafts – thegreenerdream

Chakra blanket

October 25, 2020October 25, 2020mariamayfleming

If you are a regular reader of these ramblings you will know that we like to recycle and reuse as many things as possible and prevent waste. Last year, when younger members of the family moved away to study, we wrote about making off to college blankets in this post.

Since then I have decided to set off on my own college adventure for a four year BA Hons. in Fine Art at IT Sligo. I have dreamt of studying art and drawing for many years and it is lovely to finally get the chance. I will stay for a few days every week in a small student apartment and wanted to bring something along to remind me of home. So I came up with the chakra blanket. A creation completely made out of wool remnants from others projects and odd balls found in the charity shop.

I think there is great inspiration for projects like this to be found in Nature. The above image shows a progression from yellow to green to blue…

I started writing this post some weeks ago and by now I spend most of my time in my student flat. We don’t have a lot of on campus time but the WiFi at home is just not up to scratch for online classes. So the blanket is a lovely reminder of home as I work on the course material during the week. In these uncertain times I think it is important to stay hopeful and happy. The bright colours work as an antidote to any unhappy or uncertain feelings. The colours of the individual chakras reminds me that I need to look after and be mindful of the whole of me and also all those around me.

As Ireland has entered another six weeks of lockdown I am grateful for the social bubble policy that allows me to come back home for the weekends and spend the rest of my time in my student flat. I am so busy with my studies that there is little to no time to spend worrying. I hope you find yourself in a similar hopeful and restful place. Stay safe!

The pledge of the Polar Bear teeth.

May 18, 2020May 18, 2020mariamayfleming

In the early nineteen nineties one of us was helping a friend clear out an attic in Utrecht, Holland and came across the stuffed head of a Polar Bear dating from about the eighteen twenties. The Bear’s head had probably spent over a hundred years hidden away in the dark and now it was crumbling to the touch and sadly ended up in a skip. We found it incredibly sad, that a majestic, splendid and very intelligent being was destined for this fate. We managed to rescue the two canine teeth from ending up in landfill and have kept them ever since.

Artwork

May 14, 2020May 14, 2020mariamayfleming

A note to our regular readers; This post is rather off topic with what we usually write about so consider yourselves warned! Although there are quite a few images relating to gardening and plants so you might enjoy it anyway.

Painting in acrylics of bumblebee on oregano plant.

Chalk paint ventures.

October 16, 2019mariamayfleming

A couple of items needed a makeover recently in our home. One was an old door that we traded for another old door from a friend a few years back. Due to lack of time it had been left in the shed until now, when it has been transformed into a stylish and original bathroom door. We love recycling and changing furniture and fixtures, creating something useful from something old. The door is perfect for our bathroom and thanks to the glass panels it lets in lots of lovely natural light to the kitchen.

Creative flow.

September 25, 2019mariamayfleming

Sometimes days and weeks are filled with lots of smaller projects and tasks. Because our cottage is very small and up until recently there were six of us living here, all the teenagers had their own spaces but the adults had to sleep in a loft bed in the main living area. Now when two members of the family have gone off to college, we are really quite excited to finally, after nearly seven years, be getting a bedroom to call our own. We painted two walls in a shade called wild mulberry and added three flower lamps left over from when our daughter Josie moved into her new space. Surely they can’t be just for kids?

Less impact.

August 24, 2019August 24, 2019mariamayfleming

In today’s world it is quite easy to feel overwhelmed. Climate change, Biodiversity loss and various worrying political scenarios can make us feel powerless and downbeat.

Weaving Willow Magic.

August 19, 2019August 20, 2019mariamayfleming

Firstly we must ask our regular readers to forgive us for only writing one post so far in August. Our family is going through big changes with two of our daughters spreading their wings and starting College in September. It has been a month of waiting for exam results, waiting for offers from the Colleges, happiness when both girls got into the courses that they wanted and time spent organizing their accommodation. Our other daughter is starting her Adult Services and she is looking forward to devoting more time to her interest in photography. We are glad to be getting stuck back into the garden work now after a couple of weeks organizing for the future.

Celebrating the Colours of July

July 24, 2019mariamayfleming

We went outside to capture a few of the beautiful colours to be found in the garden at this time of year. We do not belive that you can have too much colour and we never plan any colour schemes. Most plants are allowed to selfseed, mingle and grow to their hearts content.

A vintage dream.

May 30, 2019mariamayfleming

For the last couple of days we have had almost constant rain and we decided it would be a good time to finish up the interior of our tree house so that friends and family can enjoy it. It has been a few years since we started building it and the large beautiful rowan that was growing next to it has since blown over in a storm. At the moment it has hops and a lovely climbing rose twining their shoots up the structure and the hazels are slowly growing up to replace the lost rowan.

More is More using Less.

February 27, 2019mariamayfleming

We have to admit to a love of colours. Our house is full of them. We definitely do not subscribe to a less is more approach when it comes to decorating our house. We are firm believers in that vibrant colours enhance mood and create a happy and relaxed atmosphere in the home.