Orphan Works - Digital Economy Bill - Protest NOW

The orphan works rears its ugly head again, this time disguised as Clause 43 of the Digital Economy Bill.

It seems there is still time to protest about Clause 43 of the digital economy

bill, which deals with orphan works.

To leave a comment, the Protest Site and here's how to find your MP.

If you're in the UK and an illustrator contact your MP now. 

If you'd like a sample letter, feel free to leave a comment or contact me via e-mail. :-) 

It is so important that we don't let the big companies take away our rights for fair compensation and for the right to decide who uses our images and where they are being used. No one should be allowed to take this right away, however, the clause is phrased so vaguely that it leaves us with little or no rights to our own creations and little compensation and no damages if we try to assertain our rights.

Blood Rose Tears - Photo Manipulation

Illustration for the poem Blood Rose Tears by Autumnwind

Credits:

• Model, Face 1, Psamathides
• Crow, Phatpuppy
• Bird Cage, MRanum and MRanum
• Cloud brushes, Leboef
• Grasses and Plants PS Brushes, Redheadstock
• Background, Moonchild-ljilja (first on the left)
• On Crack, dazzle-textures
• Backblech 04, Sundel
• Paper Texture, Night-Fate-Stock

all other stock/textures are my own.

MCN: CDTE5-FE33Y-UNSTB

Dryad - Tree Nymph

I've always liked dryads, the idea of being a tree or being part of tree has its merits as far as I'm concerned. LOL

All images used in the manipulation are my own, except for the following.

Credits: 

Model, Faestock, Erisa 29

Butterflies, JJD:
Butterfly 1
Butterfly 2
Butterfly 3

Textures:

Backblech 1, Sundel
Butterfly_Stock Texture 002, Butterfly_Stock
Texture 02, Wu-KillahD

Brushes:

Light Beams + Rays Brushes, Redheadstock
Spanish Moss Brushes, Redheadstock
Hair brush se, Para-vine

MCN: CRJFP-V731B-1TWUE

Sea Creatures Mobile

This is my latest venture - I spent the last couple of weeks crocheting my fingers to the bone with wire. ;-) I am so pleased with it though and think it was worth it.

It's a mobile, each individual creature crocheted from wire, sometimes embellished with Habu silk/steel yarn, Habu paper moire, and/or vintage Edwardian clear beads. The actual mobile also includes some crystals from a vintage chandelier.

Here are detail shots of the individual creatures:

Fishies

 Jellyfish

Sea Urchin

Squid

 Octopus

I tried to stay as true to the actual shape of the creature as I could - within reason and within the limitations of the technique and materials. The octopus was the most difficult one as I wanted it to be '3D' and the legs were complicated at this size with the wire and VERY hard on my hands.

The only tools I used was two crochet hooks, wire cutters, scissors, wire, invisible thread (hanging material), yarn, and glass beads. 

Availability

The mobile itself is available for sale as a commission - it will however take me about 3 weeks to make one. The creatures are also available as commissions individually and it will take 2 - 3 days to finish one. The fish always come as a set of five and all creatures come with a little aluminium 'bar' at the top to be hung into a window or from a hook on the ceiling. For prices please enquire by e-mail.

Teal Citron Shawl

My latest version of the Citron shawl - this time in teal blue and a slight change to the pattern.

 

This one is mine. Teal is my favourite colour in the world.

Jewellery Party Specials - March 2010

For each of my jewellery party I make something special. This time my special collection is based on clouds. There have been so many clouds recently that this seemed the theme to go with... it also went in line with another project I am working on at the moment.

Purple Rain

Fair Weather

Silver Lining

April Showers

If you live in or near Cambridge and would like an invite to the party (Thursday, 25th March, 8pm), send me an e-mail. :-)

The Secret Keeper - Story and Photo Manipulation

Illustration to accompany the story of the same name.

He stood in the dark wood, doubtfully looking at the moon through the trees. He shivered in the cold air. Before he had time to consider his choices and give in to his fears she stood before him.

Her hair was long and shimmered blue in the light of the moon. Ribbons were tied in it, each with a key at the end of it.

“You are the Secret Keeper?” he asks her.

Read the rest of the story here.

All images,patterns and textures are my own except for the credits given below.

Credits:

• Model, Faestock
• Background, Trinketstock
• Moon, Fantasystock

Textures:

• Texture 1, Sirius-sdz
• Texture 2, JRMB-stock
• Texture 3, Violentkiwiresources

Keys:

• Key 1
• Key 2
• Key 3
• Key 4
• Key 5
• Key 7
• Key 8
• Key 9
• Key 10
• Key 11
• Key 12
• Key 13
• Keyhole

Brushes:

• Clouds 1, Leboef
• Clouds 2, Leboef
• Script, Lady Victoire
• Lace Mix, NadinePau-Stock
• Hair, Para-Vine

MCN: CRWTN-C7A8W-VGSM1

Knitting - on special request

... you know who you are! ;-)

I have been busy knitting lots of stuff recently. The weather was just so bad that there never seemed a moment of sunlight to take pictures, or if there was, I was busy. LOL

Oh well, here it is....

Citron shawl
Knitted with a lace weight lambswool. Pattern is here. Despite adding an extra repeat of the pattern it turned out a bit smaller than the one in the pattern because I used smaller needles and lace weight yarn. It looks great as a sweet little scarf in a Rockabilly kind of way and I love it. It's a present for a friend, whose favourite colour this is. :-)

Purple Slanted Shawl

Again, this is a present. It's a huge long shawl in a mohair yarn, knitted on the slant with several patterns in random order. I've embellished it with little beads at both ends.

Glacier Shawl and Wrist Warmers

Sorry guys, this set is mine. It's made from Rowan kidsilk in the colour 'Glacier' and I love, love, love it. LOL
The pattern is my own, although it's fairly simple, the stripes are created by alternating st st with drop stitch rows, the 'icicles' on the sides are simple increases and castoffs. Like the purple shawl it's very long and warm and soft. :-)

The matching wrist warmers are my own design too - the cable pattern is on both sides (front and back).

I am currently knitting another Citron shawl, this time in the correct yarn, but with a slightly modified pattern. That's for me too.... LOL I am also making a mobile with a sea creatures theme from wire, but it's not finished yet....

If you live in the Cambridge area and would like to have an invite to my next jewellery party (25th March) send me an e-mail.

The Visitor - Photo Manipulation

Painting of a (barbarian) visitor in  Sibyl of Cumae's cave

 All images/textures used are my own, except for the ones below. All credit given and permission was given for the textures/stock to be used.

Credits:
Models:

• Sibyl model (Drac Bride) see also the model's website
• Barbarian

Both thanks to M Ranum

Brushes: 

• Veil 
• Spanish Moss 
• Butterflies  
• Butterflies  
• Butterflies

Textures:
Backblech 2
Monoprint
Cave Egress II
Cave-Photodreamstock
Hill and Sky

 

MCN: CXSVC-JT735-D5T2M

Cassandra - Photo Manipulation

Illustration of Cassandra of Troy.

I've always had a thing about Cassandra. My name 'Sybille' is from a Latin word meaning 'prophetess' (Wiki).

This image is set after the fall of Troy and Cassandra  is left with nothing - just a pile of broken bones in front of her and a burning city behind her.

There are variations on what actually happened to Cassandra, but she was given the gift of prophecy by the god Apollo, however, when he tried to get her to sleep with him (or his high priest) in advance for the gift, she refused him. Apollo took part of the gift back - although she still saw what would happen, none of her prophecies would be believed. She foresaw the Trojan Horse and warned her people but they discarded her advice and Troy fell.

The phrase 'I fear the Greeks (even if they are) bearing gifts'  is from the story of the Trojan War and refers to the Trojan Horse - a ruse to get soldiers into the city of Troy as the wooden horse was filled with soldiers.

I think the phrase should have been 'I fear the gods, especially when they come bearing gifts' as the Trojan War started because of a gift Aphrodite gave to Paris - the love of Helena's love - in exchange for naming her the most beautiful goddess.

Despite the gift of prophecy Cassandra had received she could not prevent the fall of Troy.

And the final gift, the Trojan Horse, prooved to be the downfall of the city.

Credits:
Model:  (Kambriel)
Bones
Both with thanks from Marcus J Ranum

Textures and backgrounds:
Sundel, Backblech 01
Buzillo-Stock, Grunge Textures
Hatestock, Firework 44
Dazzle-Textures, On Crack
Sirius-SDZ, Textures
SimplyBackgrounds, Clouds n Sky Stock 12
Teatoo, Fish, net one
Absinthyium-Stock, Flame Textures
Shin-Rhys, Fire Textures

All other textures and stock are my own. The acanthus and Greek key pattern were created specially for this photo manipulation.

MCN: C1FMM-HDRU2-N4RSM