New Design Release - Mountain Devil

Happy New Year to everyone and welcome to the release of my first design for 2016 - the Mountain Devil flower. 

I agree that the name is unusual and dramatic and perhaps conjures images of witchcraft but rest assured it is derived from the horned woody follicles which retain a seed bank in its canopy and released after bushfires.  What I find so absolutely fascinating with some of our wildflower bushes are their ability to regenerate and re-establish after the heat and intensity of our harsh bushfires. 

This showy flower, consisting of seven individual tubular flowers, has a common name of Honey Flower and produces an abundance of sweet nectar which attracts a variety of native birds, eg. honeyeaters, noisy miners, little wattlebirds and eastern spinebills. The multi-stemmed bush spreads to a height of two metres with stiff, narrow leaves and showy pink to red flowerheads.  It is endemic to New South Wales and found on or to the east of the Great Dividing Range growing in sandy or rocky soils of open forests.

My cross stitch design has depicted the colours of this wildflower by using 11 colours to match as closely as possible to its natural counterpart.  The design uses 39 x 48 stitches and when stitched on 14 point Aida or 28 count evenweave fabric measures 71 x 87mm (2.8 x 3.4 inches).  As with all my designs, it is available in kit, chart or PDF.

A Google search of Australian Bush Flower Essences found an interesting fact for the Mountain Devil flower.  It states that the essence from this flower helps to deal with feelings of hatred, anger, jealousy and the major blocks to expressing love and for people who tend to be suspicious of others by helping to develop unconditional love and acceptance.  It also states that it helps to express anger in a healthy way and develop sound boundaries and may open the way to forgiveness.

Whether you believe is up to you but what a magical flower if found to be the case.  We live in a world today where we certainly could use more love and acceptance of others.

Ros

'From a little spark may burst a mighty flame' - Dante

New Design Release - Gouldian Finch

I have just spent the morning, on what is a typically glorious winter's day in Brisbane, pottering in the garden and raking leaves to use as leaf mulch for the native garden.  The warming sunshine does 'something' to the happiness and agility of the body, mind and soul and it was while I was in this cheery state of mind that I thought it fitting to release a new design which reflected the mood of my day. 

I'm sure no-one would disagree with my choice of the Gouldian Finch.  This little fellow simply takes your breath away not only because of the intensity and vibrancy of colour, but the fact that it is such a dainty and sweet little thing blessed with so many colours.

Although bred in captivity nationwide, the natural habitat of Gouldian finches is in the tropical savannah woodlands across all of northern Australia stretching from the Kimberley region in Western Australia to the Cape York Peninsula in Queensland with the most prevalent area of distribution being in the Katherine region of the Northern Territory.  They live within small areas and only move when their food source of sorghum or grass seeds and/or water is scarce.  Both male and female Gouldian Finches are brightly coloured with black, green, yellow and red markings but the females tend to be a little less brightly coloured and their chest more of a light mauve in comparison to the male's purple chest. With their fully grown size only 130-140mm (approx. 5") they make ideal pets, but in the wild are in continuing decline due to habitat changes, fires and predators and the fact that they are not a particularly hardy bird and susceptible to cold and stress.

It was fun choosing the colours and variations for this cross stitch design but to replicate the Gouldian Finch in its natural beauty and achieve the desired effect it was necessary to use a total of 15 colours.  It's finished sewn size is 74 x 64mm (2.9 x 2.5in) or 41 x 35 stitches.

Perhaps what I love most about this bird is the story behind its name.  John Gould, a British ornithological artist, named this beautiful bird the Lady Gouldian Finch after his wife Elizabeth even though she did not hold the title of 'Lady'.  However in Australia reference to the title has been dropped.

Ros

 'That which is loved is always beautiful' - Norwegian proverb

A Royal Garden Visit

My son and I were enjoying morning tea on our back deck this morning when we were pleasantly surprised by the visit of this Sacred Kingfisher which landed on our clothesline.   He, too, was enjoying morning tea - a tasty small garden lizard or such - which didn't stand a chance when wedged tightly between its beak, but the by time I collected my camera (which is always kept close by the back door for instances such as this) it had been swallowed in one almighty gulp. 

The kingfisher did sense that he was on display and politely tilted his head this way and that as if posing for photo opportunities at a royal gala event, even twisting himself around so that his exquisite blue feathers and tail could be captured and admired at their best angle all the while spying us to ensure he was the centre of attention before flitting away.

In Australia there are 10 species of Kingfishers which are divided into three groups - Forest, River and the Kookaburra with the Sacred Kingfisher belonging to the Forest group and one of the smaller varieties and resting on the clothesline gives an idea of just how small this little fellow is.  The Kookaburra is the largest of the groups and we have plenty of visits from them as well, however, a visit from the Sacred Kingfisher is rare and quite exciting.  

Let's hope our royal visitor decides to stop by again soon.

Ros

'Smile - it is the ultimate beauty booster for inside and out'.

King Parrot

Let me share with you what greeted me on our back deck this morning - this gorgeous, brightly coloured male King Parrot. 

My daughter and I spied two pairs washing and preening themselves in the rain on a backyard tree and when we went outside to get a closer look, this particular King Parrot flew away only to return to our deck and then turn himself around and shake off the excess water in his wings (which is why he looks all fluffed-up).  It then seemed as though he deliberately remained long enough to 'pose' for this photo before then taking flight and displaying his colourful wings.

We have lived in this area for 25 years and whilst we have daily visits of Rainbow Lorikeets and regular visits of cockatoos, kookaburras and galahs, it has only really been in the last six months that King Parrots have made their way into our garden, even though they are found along the entire Australian eastern coast and inhabit forests and eucalyptus trees .  They make a spectacular sight, not only because of their bright colour, but also because they're quite a large bird growing to an average size of 42 cm (18 in.).  The female King Parrot, whilst the same size, has a greener colouring on her chest and head.  

My design for the  King Parrot stitches up beautifully and uses vibrant, intense shades of colours.  It measures 60 x 96mm (14 count) or 33 x 53 stitches. 

The bookmark design is another favourite and one which can be stitched up quite quickly as a last minute gift for an avid reader.  

What I like about this bookmark design also is the fact that it would be suitable for a male by just using the cardboard backing but a feminine touch could be created by adding tassels, beads or bling.  

Ros

'Don't cry because its over ... smile because it happened.'

New Release - Rainbow Lorikeet

It seems an appropriate time right now to release this particular new design because we have more than the usual numbers of Rainbow Lorikeets frequenting our backyard and neighbouring gardens at the moment.  This very brightly coloured member of the parrot family feeds on pollen and nectar from native flowers and with our neighbour's yellow Grevillia bush in full bloom and dripping with honey-sweet nectar it has enticed so many of these native birds.  They're quite a social species also and often there can be as many as five or six feeding on the same bush at the same time before flying off together and displaying their colourful wings, so you can imagine how noisy it becomes - but pleasantly so.  Even as I write this, I can hear them squawking  in the trees outside. When the Bottlebrush plant is in bloom in our front yard, we have them visiting also. 

The Rainbow Lorikeet can be found in rainforests and woodland areas in coastal regions across northern and eastern Australia, so it's a bird mostly suited to tropical climates.

My cross stitch design - one of my personal favourites - consists of thirteen colours and was a joy to design because I could use so many bright and distinct colours and the finished product  just seemed to 'jump' off the fabric.  

I wish everyone a safe, happy and relaxing Easter and trust it provides a perfect opportunity for stitching and working on other 'to-do' projects.  

Ros 

"When life deals you lemons - make lemonade"