Nemophilist - a haunter of the woods.

Owl and Wallflower 2018

I've got lots of plans and hopes for 2018, and the direction I want to take Owl and Wallflower in and I thought this would be a good place to share my ideas for the future.

I'm working really hard to try and get a mini vintage book update to Owl and Wallflowers Etsy store every week. I'm spending ages searching in vintage shops & fairs for beautifully illustrated Wildflower, funghi, nature and countryside books to share with you all. Below are a couple of photographs from my most recent mini vintage book update on Friday. Have a look at my shop here.

I also have a small selection of vintage collectable Wildflower cards from the 1930s available, free postage with any other order worldwide.  The are so beautiful and detailed for their size and in really remarkable condition for their age!

I've got some more photos from Owl and Wallflowers new botanical collection too..

I've added a few more crystal pendant designs to the shop.

I am now working towards a new crystal range of jewellery hopefully to be released in Spring 2018 with lots of lovely raw gemstones, including sparkly pieces of Aura Quartz, Amethyst slices, Selenite wands and polished quartz in delicate pastel colours. I'm also working on getting my Mermaid collection back in stock including this gold edged real seashells below.

I'm posting regularly over on my Instagram page, sharing updates of new creations, work in progress and sneak peeks. I also plan to post on this blog weekly with lots of lovely photographs and information about upcoming updates. I've applied to a few really wonderful Arts markets for Spring and Summer and will be sharing info on any future events here and over on my Instagram too.

What I've been up too this week ...

My new Botanical Collection launched on Sunday! Including this handbound sketchbook below made from upcycled pages of a vintage version of Edith Holdens Book.

I've nearly sold out of Wildflower Books! I'm hoping to add a few more later in the week, when I get around to photographing them and writing the descriptions.. I still have a few really lovely vintage books left like the two below..

A few flower lockets in Owl and Wallflowers recent Botanical collection here.

I've been busy making resin Jewellery! Made from high quality UV resistant resin, inspired by the Victorians, cabinets of curiosities and museums botanical collections..

All the glass lockets and resin jewellery in Owl and Wallflowers Botanical collection will come gift boxed, and stamped with my own hand drawn logo that I sent off to the English Stamp Company for a lovely custom stamp. The filler inside the boxes is all made from eco friendly recycled materials off course.

I'm also working on a few new pieces of jewellery that will hopefully be finished in the next few weeks.

Thank you all for the support and orders from the Botanical Update on Sunday - it has been such a busy couple of days! After a busy day yesterday packaging up parcels, I'm spending the afternoon again today wrapping up all the orders and sending them off to their new homes all over the world. 

We've been for some lovely woodland walks this week, and for some wanders along the canal tow path. The Gorse is in flower and looks so lovely against the Winter Pine trees.

On Another note, this week we have started planning our annual trip to Scotland. We're hoping to go away for a few weeks in Summer and stay on a few islands in the Inner Hebrides. Some photos below from our adventure last year, lots of stormy seas, crashing waves, sunsetty skies, mountains, wildflowers and lots of muddy boots!

 I can't wait for this year! We're hoping to stay in a cottage, but also take our tent and visit a few campsites as we travel up from Lancashire. I'd love to stay in Glencoe again and Rannoch Moor, it's such a lovely place and such a vast stretch of complete wilderness.

Botanical Collection Preview!

Tomorrow Owl and Wallflowers new botanical collection goes live! Click here to visit my Etsy shop..

I wanted to share a little preview of some of the jewellery pieces I will have available, and a little bit about my inspirations behind each piece.... Each one of these pieces will come gift boxed and packaged prettily ready for gifting. 

I have a lovely pale pink Potentilla pendant. This lovely little flower, a five petalled rose, is also known as Cinquefoil and has been used for architecture designs from the Middle Ages. The symbol dates back to the Roman era, where it was called "the Rose of Venus" and represented the Goddess of Love, as its shape resembled the pentagrammic path followed by the planet Venus in the night sky. 

There is also an Octagonal Rose pendant containing a pressed Marjorie Fair Rose specimen. In Floriography, The Victorian Language of Flowers a single red rose said "My Only," the red rose a symbolic gesture of love and appreciation. This necklace will come on a 20" rose gold plated chain to match the pinky hues of the flower.

This lovely Octagonal Rose pendant below contains a single carefully pressed Ballerina Rose, preserved in England, and will come on an 18" silver plated chain. Recent Archeological evidence revealed that pink roses were grown in China's Imperial Rose garden over 5000 years ago, and they have proven to be a classic ever since!

The Daisy was very fashionable within Medieval times, and Knights would wear Daisies as a symbol of their loyalty and faithfulness.  The Daisy continued to remain popular during the Victorian Times and was once consider Queen Victoria's favourite flower. The Daisy symbolises innocence and new beginnings. The Daisy is also used to represent true love as it is actually 2 flowers blended together! 

The rectangular locket below contains a single specimen of preserved Field Fern, on a 20" silver plated chain. Ferns have been flourishing all over the world for over 300 million years, 100 million years before even the dinosaurs walked the Earth! In Finnish Folklore legends is it believed that the person who discovers the seed of the fern while in bloom on Midsummer's night will be granted  invisibility and guided to hidden treasures beyond their wildest imagination. This pendant allows you to take a little piece of ancient history with you wherever you go. 

I love the colour Rose Gold! This lovely little locket measures just over an inch and will come on a 20" rose gold plated chain. This circular pendant contains a lovely Queen Annes Lace blossom. In Ancient folklore, Queen Anne, the wife of King James the First was challenged to design  piece of lace as beautiful as a flower. When creating the lace, she pricked her finger with a needle, and it is said that the tiny dot of red in the centre of the flower symbolises a droplet of her blood..

I will also have handmade nature sketchbooks up for sale! Each one measures approximately 9 x 6.5" and has 24 220gsm paper, perfect for sketching! When I came across a copy of the Country Diary but with loose binding, I just knew I needed to rescue it! The cover of each notebook has been made from a vintage copy of Edith Holdens Diary of an Edwardian Diary. I only have 5 of these available, each with a different illustration on the cover!

Also included in this collection will be a huge vintage wildflower book update! I have some really beautiful illustrated nature books up for sale here including Marjorie Blamey's Wildflowers by Colour, and an old favourite, The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady by Edith Holden.

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Happy New Year!

I hope you all had a lovely New year and Christmas time! 

I had such a busy December time, with Owl and Wallflower Etsy Orders, working on a huge vintage nature book update for the store and also a busy calendar of Christmas Markets and craft fairs at lots of lovely locations including Inglenook Lavender Farm in Rainford and the National Trust Property East Riddelston Hall in Yorkshire. 

It was so wonderful to have a few days off over Christmas time to spend with friends and family.  

And.... on New Years Eve, Tim proposed! I've attached a couple of photos below of the beautiful handmade Aquamarine ring he gave me. ❤️

On Another note, I'm currently working on a new botanical collection of handmade jewellery and am so excited to share it very very soon! I've been working on this for so long, so I'm really looking forward to finally be able to reveal the collection. 

Below is a little sneak peek into some work in progress... lots of pressed dried flowers. How beautiful is that blue and cream viola?! This collection will include pretty pastel pink Ballerina Roses, large Daisies, delicate pressed field Ferns and lovely Narcissi in a bright sunshine yellow colour. 

The jewellery is inspired by Floriography, the Victorian Language of Flowers during the 19th Century and botanical curiosities and collections in the 17th century. And of course,  the pieces are also influenced by my love of vintage and antique illustrated wildflower books, the work of Edith Holden and Marjorie Blamey.

The date of the collection launch is still to be confirmed but I hope to share a few more work in progress photographs within the next few days and some more information about the inspirations behind my jewellery. 

Watch this space!

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