Frazzy Dazzles

My father has a prodigious memory for poetry, stories, children’s songs and nursery rhymes.

Not Humpty Dumpty or Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Everyone knows them. No he remembers the old rhymes. The ones that his mother taught him and that he went on to teach me.

Of all his little gems…I think this one is my favourite.

Miss Beetle’s Shoe Shop

Miss Beetle kept a shoe shop inside a hollow oak

Her customers were pixies and other fairy folk

So many shoes and slippers she kept within her store

There were tiny weeny boxes from the ceiling to the floor

There were shoes for daddy longlegs a funny shape indeed

And a box of quite a hundred for Sammy Centipede

But way up on the top shelf hidden out of sight

She kept the magic slippers that fairy’s wear at night

With toes and heels of moonlight and buttons made of dew

Oh how I’d love to see some and buy some, wouldn’t you?

……………………

I guess it goes without saying that if I’m ever in a store and I can’t find what I want….I look on the top shelf!

The little girl who heard this rhyme truly believed that there were magic little slippered feet flitting around the world at night. Truly thought that one day she would see the fairy folk.

Well…to date I haven’t seen them…but that doesn’t mean that I don’t think that they just might exist.

This belief is made all the easier because of The Little Bush Princess.

Watching her flit around the house in swooshy skirts, begging for curly wurly hair, wearing wings and brandishing wands makes the possibility of fairies all that more believable.

So when she asked if she can have a ‘Fairy Princess Birthday Party’ this year the only answer could be

‘Sure Sweetheart if that’s what you want.’

‘That’s what I want.’

So with the help of this wonderful book we’ve chosen the fairy to be our party poster child. My brain refused to be stretched far enough to design a fairy myself.

I’ve individually painted up the invitations and will sooner rather than later get around to putting them together with some inviting words to spread the word that a good ‘ol knees up is planned.

I should point out that her birthday isn’t until August!

I’m just trying to get a jump on the planning as I have to have surgery two days before her birthday and need to fit that into the middle of her party celebration and the actual day of her birthday.

Oh and it’s her 5th birthday….and everyone knows that your 5th birthday is a BIG birthday!

This little blonde girl was never going to be able to leave the house without a little peck on the cheek from The Little Bush Princess…….

‘B’cos I love her soooooooo much! Can you make me one just the same Mummy?’

‘Do you really need a fourth one of Mummy’s dollies?’

‘I want to keep them all….but she looks like meeee!’

It’s true that blonde hair makes her more like the princess than any other doll has ever been…but this little lass was destined to be a gift for a little girls first birthday. A commission from her lovely mother.

I hope she likes her.

Just a quick little post to say that the winner of my little giveaway was Tanya. I’ll send you out an email to get your address.

Now I’m off to clean up my craft area. Before the Hazchem guys do!

Thanks to everyone who joined in the giveaway.

If you’ve spent any time at all reading my ramblings you would know that I’m passionate about children’s books. Especially the magical art that lives inside their covers. I have a not-so-secret desire to be a children’s book author or illustrator….one day. One day when some semblance of talent rears it’s dormant head! Ha!

My lack of ability certainly doesn’t disuade my enthusiasm for the beauty of children’s books.

My favourite illustrator and soon to be published author in her own right is Freya Blackwood.

She’s a woman with imagination, skill, pure talent and energy. I can say these things because she is a friend of mine and I’ve seen these qualities for myself. Our children are so very fortunate that she has chosen to create the images of their childhood.

They’ll be all the richer for being exposed to her illustrative magic.

Anyhoo…..I have a lovely collection (a work in progress…I add to it whenever the coffers will permit!) of her prints. They bring me such happiness and peace when I see them. At the moment there are some unframed works here that I have been pouring over.

From Waltzing Matilda

From Waltzing Matilda

From No Room For a Mouse

From No Room For a Mouse

They make me so happy to have them in my home.

So….in an attempt to spread some happiness I’m going to give away one of the books Freya has illustrated. This one...Amy and Louis.

Written by Libby Gleeson…..I’m giving it away because it’s my favourite!

So….all you have to do is leave me a comment. Whether you drop in all the time, sometimes or if it’s your first time here. Let me know that you’ve been here and I’ll pop you into the draw.

I’ll use a random number generator to decide the winner. Comments will close 8.30pm Thursday 25th June Aussie time.

Good luck….might just enter myself!

It took me a while to remember how to list things in my shop but there is finally some new stock on the shelves.

Rita, Stella and Lola are there.

They have joined the Bilbies and some fishies.

I actually feel like I’ve accomplished something for once!

Although there’s always a list of things to do as long as your arm isn’t there?

This arrived the other day…..I only checked the mail box a gaggillion times before the postie brought it!

My copy of Kaleidoscope (signed!!!) from the lovely Melly of Melly and Me.

Something tells me that this fantastic book is going to keep me busy for a little while. The orders are already coming in!

Apparently The Little Bush Princess NEEDS a unicorn with wings.

NEEEEDS ONE !

She won’t be the only one to see a finished project from this book.
This little toad stool is calling my name.

For TLBP though….not me….

Now I’m off to make some chocolate chip biscuits.