A little Princess is Snoozing

Everyone needs their beauty sleep - especially little princesses!
Not everyone is awake thru the festivities on New Year - Arabella is all tucked up and catching 40 winks !

Can You Guess What's Under the Tree?

Is that black straps I see??

Hmmmm?

what could be in there??

how intriguing!

WOW!! A beautiful Arabella bag - just waiting patiently to be carried on the arm of a very special young lady! Happy Christmas Rachael!

This is the Arabella 3 Generation Pearl Gold Damask Bag. She has pearls adorning her from me, my mother and my grandmother - carrying with her much history and significance and is a present for the 4th generation! - My delightful Scottish niece (who has had her eyes on these adorable bags for a looooong time!!)

Arabella always comes with an Arabella care tag, gift tag, Arabella Card, Arabella ribbon Tie and a hand written note and business card.

Seasons Greetings !

Lucky Me!

Thank You Karen, Kim and Jen! for holding Blog GiveAways - my Christmas has come early this year!
I received the most beautiful print in the mail the other day, courtesy of the amazingly talented Karen Davis http://moonlightandhares.blogspot.com/ There are little blackbirds and thrushes on the tops of the grasses! How delightful!

Many years ago I purchased 2 amazing surreal rabbit cards, as I loved everything about them! Here is one of them -isn't that rabbit just a sweetie with his bunch of flowers?!

and a short while ago on etsy I came across Karen of Moonlight and Hares http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5882831 and instantly loved her work!

just look at that delicate little rabbit face! how adorable! It was only after seeing this beautiful painting of a Raven and disappearing rabbit

and recognizing those long white back legs of the rabbit that I had a deep inkling that Karen had been the artist of my wonderful card all those years ago - which she happily confirmed!

Just look at that trusting little bird! Karen's work is just magical, delightful and beautiful! Thank You again!

and also a big thanks to Kim from Midnight Rabbits - I won her Caption Competition a couple of weeks ago and received a lovely catnip filled cat toy pillow!

Kim hand makes all the items in her shop, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5177014 she has beautiful felt animal brooches and felt purses

like this whimsical Cat Coin Purse!

and Thank You to Jen! - I won her November Blog Giveaway and received 3 gorgeous festive cards - one has been sent off already.

Jen has beautiful photos in her etsy shop McGuiness Photography http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5513972

and this beautiful fawn is framed and wrapped under my Christmas tree! (Can't wait!)

You Can't Fool Me!

Don't ever think that giving your house rabbit 'fake food' will please her -
Arabella immediately grabs the offending imposter and begins to destroy it.

Furious, she tears the carrot holder to shreds!

Arabella isn't fooled by these sisal carrots and with a disgruntled bark demands fresh ones straight away! meanwhile Wesley is relaxing in his white fleece lined 'Ice Palace'. Being all white Wesley just loves white fleeces and I have a silky white vintage cloth on the walls to keep the draughts out in his 'den'. Every now and then Wesley likes to nibble bits out of it. He's not into sisal carrots either.

2 Little Girls are going to be VERY Happy this Xmas!

(Just as well my family never bother to read my 'blog'!)
A baby hare and an Arabella Bag have been made for 2 very special little girls, one smaller than the other. These carefully made new friends are now biding their time in Norway and according to Norwegian tradition shall be placed under the tree which goes up on Christmas eve. No doubt there will be a thick covering of snow on the ground and a pepperhus on the table!

This baby hare is called Alexander and he has a print of the beautiful White Tailed Deer. He is delighted to be going to live on a shelf of a lovely tiny little girl. Being a soft sculpture he is to be looked at only (could be rather hard as he is just so cutesy).

The Arabella Bag with a Barbie jumper and pink faux fur base has been made specially for another little girl who just adores Barbie and the colour pink. Inside is a delightful pocket with little pink embroidered snowflakes on it. Coming with the bespoke art-accessory bag is a delightful Arabella rabbit card in pink blossoms with a pink faux fur tail.

They are wrapped up beautifully - each with a special handmade card and are now waiting patiently for Christmas Day!

SOLD! Arabella in Chanel and Selvedge

Arabella has gone to a new home. She has generated a lot of interest, infact the most interest of any of my art-accessory bags. I really like this style too and I have a few more planned in a similar vein.
The Dance with Bunnies Rabbit Rescue will benefit from the sale of this bag as I gladly pledged 10% to them.
My watercolour of a mountain hare in a storm. Looks cold eh!

This is another one of my watercolours of a mountain hare on a 'vidder'. Vidder is Norwegian for a mountain plateau. Here you can see the cold, hard rocks jutting above the layer of snow.

My watercolour paintings have been in an exhibition this weekend and I was there also at a craft fayre today in a tiny Scottish village on the Fife coast called Elie, and this is where Arabella in Chanel and Selvedge was sold. She will be delighting someone lucky on Christmas morning!

Watercolour of Bass Rock and Harbour, North Berwick, Scotland

You can see my latest painting framed below. Here it is 'resting' and this is the time that I spend looking at and contemplating it before it starts it's journey out in the world. It can only be released by me with a generous bout of satisfaction! Above it is a portrait of my beloved little Zai http://www.dragonhouseofyuen.co.uk/petportraits.htm

I shall be updating my fine art website http://www.dragonhouseofyuen.co.uk/ with photos and commentary of how I 'painted' this painting in the next few days.

If you are a beginner in watercolours you may find some useful tips and if you are not a novice then I hope you enjoy the journey as I am sure that you have had many bumpy watercolour journeys and will know exactly what it feels like to paint in this medium.

Arabellas at Ricefield Exhibition

here are my Arabellas! enjoying all the attention near the window - they have already attracted a few people in by being here. (They just adore attention!)

I went thru to Ricefield in West Graham Street http://maps.google.com/maps?q=west+graham+street+glasgow&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7GGIG&um=1 on Sunday to have a look at the Ushigokoro exhibition I am taking part in.

It was a freezing cold day, I don't think it was much above zero.

and all the trees were completely white! It was truly stunning and very magical and the best drive thru from Edinburgh to Glasgow I have ever had!

At the Box of Delights Exhibition I had a lovely hot cup of green tea and a home made cup/fairy cake - thank you Lorna!

The boxes looked fantastic suspended from the walls and some stacked on the floor, each with lovely treasures inside.

It is on every day until December 22nd. Well worth stopping by - wonderful little boxes of delight!

Dragon House of Yuen in Box of Delights Exhibition

This is the Japanese Ushigokoro Box - a 30cm x 40cm x 30cm (roughly) box that displays an artists works.

Here is my Ushigokoro box with my two Arabella bags, 3 baby hares and some of my handmade Arabella in Chinese Blossom cards plus a stack of business cards.

My mum (who speaks Japanese) kindly came along to give me a hand. My mum is very artistic and has wonderful taste so it was great to have her input on the layout. Plus we also had a cup of tea and cake afterwards - surely a great reason to come along!

My two Arabella Art-Accessory bags were made specifically for this exhibition. They are both looking rather contented sitting in the box ready to be admired! They received some compliments on the day they arrived.

These 3 baby hares have been made from a Chinese ladies jacket. They are called GumFa, Leng and Sakushi.

Whilst decorating my box I met Marceline of etsy shop Asking For Trouble http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5039190, one of the organisers, also decorating hers with delightful Japanese fabric buttons featuring rabbits and beautiful fabric flower brooches (above).

and I also met Gini from etsy shop The Curious Swift http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6299068 who makes beautiful purses, textile badges (above) and collars

It is being held in Ricefield, West Graham Street, Glasgow http://www.ricefield.org.uk/index.html not far from China Town and at the most northern part of the city centre.

This Saturday and Sunday there will be a 10% discount on all purchases. A great opportunity to buy a handmade one of a kind piece of art!

If you can pop in you are sure to be delighted. The boxes look just so enticing with their goodies inside and the whole concept of many artists exhibiting in such a small space with their own contained mini exhibitions is a true visual delight!

The exhibition runs until 23rd December. I will be there this Sunday to say hello.

Ushigokoro Exhibition featuring my Arabella in Chinese Lion Style Jumper

My latest Arabella art-accessory bag made especially for an exhibition in an 'Ushigokoro' - a small 30x40x30cm box made to display artowork. The Chinese string red knots have been tied and hand sewn on, the neck mane frills are from a real Chinese ladies jacket with blossoms.

Doesn't Arabella look just like a Chinese style Lion?

Arabella is looking stunning in her Lion style jumper with her frilly neck. Here she is with Arabella in Chanel - aren't they just beautiful!

The Arabella bag below is Arabella in Japanese Geisha Scarf Bag and will be for sale in the exhibition. It is in keeping with the Far Eastern theme and was also made especially for this event.

The exhibition will be running for the month of December in Ricefield Arts and Culture Centre in West Graham Street Glasgow, Scotland http://www.ricefield.org.uk/whats_on.html

It will be called Box of Delights (named by me!!)

If you are going to be in Glasgow please pop in and have a look - everything is for sale and you could get all your Christmas shopping done in a jiffy.

NEW! Arabella Bag in my shop wearing Chanel ribbons and Selvedge

Arabella likes to take afternoon tea in special places. She also loves those admiring glances - but prefers not to go incognito with sunglasses! A lot of work has gone into making this one of a kind original art-accessory bag. If you would like to purchase it please visit my etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=17287342 I ship worldwide from Scotland.

This bag has been made with a vintage Chanel white silk ribbon, faux fur, and scraps of beautiful blue and brown selvedge. It is quilted and has a firm felt padded base. A small pocket inside sports a piece of chanel ribbon and faux fur.

I will be donating 10% of the sale of this bag to The BUAV - http://www.buav.org/

This is a charity that lobbies on behalf of the silent voices of animals being experimented on in laboratories.

Why do I support them?

Because it is too easy to become complacent about your actions in relevance to animal suffering - that you never see - but that goes on in it's millions and that could easily be prevented by purchasing ethically.

Please be aware that all companies that do not show the BUAV logo of a rabbit jumping over stars, and that are not mentioned in the BUAV's little book of cruelty free actually Do test their makeup on animals. Many of them say they do not (and by this statement, they mean the end product) - but what they don't tell you is that the ingredients for that 'super new long lash mascara' Has been tested on animals in a laboratory. In many cases it is outsourced to third party companies for animal testing.

If you support cruelty free beauty please vote with your wallet :) Because you (and your conscience and the lives of millions of animals) are worth it.

As mentioned before in an earlier post the CO-OP (UK) sells cruelty-free products and their 99p Chamomile hair conditioner is just amazing! So cheap and so effective! So do M&S (UK) but they don't have the logo on all their packaging yet and the Body Shop (worldwide) sell only cruelty-free products. They also don't have the logo on all their packaging - I wonder why not?

Small changes go a long way. All these companies sell very affordable but high quality ethical products. Well worth trying out. (Don't let the cheap price put you off )

Do you love Pronghorn Antelopes?

My latest Arabella art-accessory bag with a stunning pronghorn applique. How unique! One of the fastest mammals on earth and one of the most beautiful. Find out more about them http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/antelope.html at National Geographic.
I just love all antelopes and deer. Like rabbits they have an ethereal beauty about them and are fragile animals. North American Pronghorns have such beautiful markings and like all antelopes they are very striking in appearance.

This beautiful bag is for sale in my etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=17221438

This bag donates 10% to Bonnie Pulver's Dance with Bunnies Rabbit Rescue. Please read her story below. She does a wonderful task of rescuing and rehoming rabbits.