Evergreen Moth

Just landed on the website - you'll find her with the dragonflies.

Bing Ling

A marbled stone green spider.  Sit her in your plant pot, she'll blend in beautifully, but is equally happy showing off in a window. 

Click on the website link at the top of the page - £5 (free p&p)

Chinese Dragon Spider

This carved bead has a dragon all the way round it.  I bought this at the same time as the Chinese spider bead.  I've used gold coloured crystals, orange seed beads and black bugles for her legs, but any combination of coloures is possible, ie gold legs and black knees.

Crystal and Pearl Headband

A simple headband of pearl peaks and a clear crystal covered headband.  Your find it for sale on my website, www.portias-crafts.co.uk

Chinese Character Spider

I bought this bead on a recent holiday in China.  We were wandering round a street market in Langzhou and saw an old man selling bits and pieces on the pavement.  He had them all spread out on a square of cloth and I spotted this in a bracelet.  I've got two sizes, this is the larger body.  Its for sale on the website, but be quick as the larger beads are selling fast.

Purple Crystal Butterfly

This butterfly and the others on the website measure approx 7cm x 7cm. 

Pretty little decorations, they have loops on the underside so they can also be mounted on a florist wire to add to floral arrangements.

www.portias-crafts.co.uk

Crystal and Pearl Wave Tiara

Handcrafted headband/tiara available for sale on my website.

Kashgar Goldie

www.portias-crafts.co.uk

Ruby

Ruby - check her out on the website with her other friends.

Latest Goth Necklace

 

Not a very good photo I'm afraid, this necklace is black and purple crystals and the spiders legs are made of black rainbow bugles.  It's caught something red and tasty though.

Thanks Melanie

Thanks for the lovely flowers Melanie, they are beautiful.

Gothic Spider Necklace

Black and gold Gothic Spider necklace.  

I used black crystal rondelles in three different sizes for this necklace, which is the first necklace I've created in ages. 
Hope you like it and if you do and would like to buy it, its £10.99 with free p&p. (it will be in a gift box).
Even if you don't want to buy it, I would love to have a comment from someone about it.

Helios - Titan god of the sun and guardian of oaths

Helios - Titan god of the sun and guardian of oaths.

One of these days, when you're sitting in the pub and its quiz night, you're going to thank me for all these Greek gods.

Hemera - Goddess of Daylight and the Sun

Greek Goddess, Hemera. 

Her colours symbolise the sun and daylight. 

Many thanks to Melanie for the beautiful bead.

Pandora

Pandora

In Greek mythology when humans had received the stolen gift of fire from Prometheus, an angy Zeus decides to give men a punishing gift to compensate for the boon of fire.  Zeus commands Hephaestus to mold from earth the first woman, a "beautiful evil" whose decendants would torment the race of men.  When she first appears before gods and mortals "wonder seized them" as they looked upon her.  She was "sheer guile, not to be withstood by men".

On Ebay at the moment, 1 day left.  Look her up in jewellery under the seller's name of getitoffpat

Selene: Titan of the Moon

Selene, Titan of the Moon is a huge spider, she measures 14cm x 12cm when she is standing with knees bent as in the photo. 

I love this one, must make some more with the extra large bugle beads.

Arachne and Athena: The story of the weaving competition

In ancient Greece, Arachne, the daughter of a famous Tyrian purple dyer was adept in the art of weaving.  Eventually, she began to consider herself a greater weaver than the goddess Athena herself and challenged the goddess to a weaving contest to prove her skill.  Athena agreed to this and wove the scene of her victory over Poseidon.   Arachne wove a tapestry featuring twenty-one episodes of infidelity amongst the Gods of Olympus.   Athena was angered by this and although the goddess conceded that Arachne's weaving was flawless, she was infuriated by the mortal's pride.  In a moment of anger, Athena destroyed Arachne's tapestry and loom and cursed Arachne to live her life with extreme guilt.  Out of sadness, Arachne hanged herself soon after.  Athena took pity on Arachne and brought her back to life as a spider and made sure that she kept all of her weaving skills.
 

Ref: Cultural depictions of spiders.  Wikipedia

Bling Ring

A fabulous party ring made of amethyst crystals and clear/silver lined matsuno seed beads

on a silver tone base.  £8.99

If you would like to buy this or anything else please email me.

My Spiders have been framed!

A beautiful spider in a 16cm sq gold coloured box frame.

Can anyone think of a nice name for her?

A little golden brown spider in a wooden box frame 18cm sq.

HOPE YOU LIKE THEM

3 Black Magic Spiders

Morgana - Sold Out

Merlin

Mephisto

All at the same price £4.99 with free p&p

10% discount off any additional purchases.

Introducing Bumble Bees

I tried all sorts of combinations of beads to make the stripey bodies, in the end I made the beads myself from polymer clay.  I think they are rather cute.

Painted canal plates on show at Goole Waterways Museum

I've got loads of things to paint, just need some inspiration.

Pay attention children!

All small spiders are £4.99 (free p&p)

Mummy spider is quite large and delicate. 

She could be posted flattened out and would cost £6.99 (free p&p)

A new hatching of spiders

Handmade spiders made from glass and crystals.

£4.99 (free p&p UK) a little extra if you live outside the UK

No1

Queenie Spider

Royal Blue, Purple and Gold

£4.99 inc p&p (UK)(please ask if overseas)

No2

Miranda Spider

Turquoise and Green

£4.99 inc p&p (UK)(please ask if overseas)

No3

Sebastian Spider

Green and Black

£4.99 inc p&p (UK)(please ask if overseas)

No4

Blue Boy Spider

Royal Blue

£4.99 inc p&p (UK)(please ask if overseas)

Festival on the Canals

An abstract painting showing canal roses, leaves and daisies within the framework of the stylised canal rose.  It uses all the main colours of the canal folk art that has been seen on narrowboats for the last 200 or more years.
I've called it Festival on the Canals because its bright, brash and loads of fun.
Size: 18" x 18" Canvas
Medium: Enamel (as used on canal ware)

Dirty Harry

'You've got to ask yourself one question.'  'Do I feel lucky?'  'Well do ya punk?'
This was done for the DPW Superstition challenge this week.

Rags

Just a very scruffy cat

Memory of Susie

Oil 7" x 5"  dailypaintworks.com
Auction

The Spider's Thread

The Spider's Thread

The Buddha Shakyamuni is meandering around Paradise one morning, when he stops at a lotus-filled pond. Between the lilies, he can see, through the crystal-clear waters, the depths of Hell. His eyes come to rest on one sinner in particular, by the name of Kandata. Kandata was a cold-hearted criminal, but had one good deed to his name: while walking through the forest one day, he decided not to kill a spider he was about to crush with his foot. Moved by this single act of compassion, the Buddha takes the silvery thread of a spider in Paradise and lowers it down into Hell.
Down in Hell, the myriad sinners are struggling in the Pool of Blood, in total darkness save for the light glinting off the Mountain of Spikes, and in total silence save for the sighs of the damned. Kandata, looking up by chance at the sky above the pool, sees the spider's thread descending towards him and grabs hold with all the might of a seasoned criminal. The climb from Hell to Paradise is not a short one, however, and Kandata quickly tires. Dangling from the middle of the rope, he glances downward, and sees how far he has come. Realizing that he may actually escape from Hell, he is overcome by joy and laughs giddily. His elation is short-lived, however, as he realizes that others have started climbing the thread behind him, stretching down into the murky depths below. Fearing that the thread will break from the weight of the others, he shouts that the spider's thread is his and his alone. It is at this moment that the thread breaks, and he and all the other sinners are cast back down into the Pool of Blood.
Shakyamuni witnesses this, knowing all but still with a slightly sad air. In the end, Kandata condemned himself by being concerned only with his own salvation and not that of others. But Paradise continues on as it has, and it is nearly noontime there. Thus the Buddha continues his meanderings.
The Spider's Thread, known as Kumo no Ito in Japanese, is a classic tale pieced together by Ryunosuke Akutagawa as a short story in 1918. Interestingly, this story was originally published in a children's magazine, which may surprise many Western readers as this is not the typical tale children are told in the West. Despite the cultural difference, the story presents an interesting lesson.

Spiders are getting out of control

Green Meanie Spider

£4.99 (free p&p UK) a little extra if you live outside the UK

Boris the Blue Kneed Spider

£4.99 (free p&p UK) a little extra if you live outside the UK

Red Rufus Spider (sold out)

£4.99 (free p&p UK) a little extra if you live outside the UK

More Spiders

Angela Spider (sold out)

£4.99 (free p&p UK) a little extra if you live outside the UK

Rosie Spider

£4.99 (free p&p UK) a little extra if you live outside the UK

Spiders, Spiders, Spiders

Goldilocks Spider

£4.99 (free p&p UK) a little extra if you live outside the UK

Rosalie Spider

£4.99 (free p&p UK) a little extra if you live outside the UK

Who could hate a beautiful spider

Crystal Dragonflies - Light Catchers

A couple of crystal dragonflies to hang in a window.  When the sun's shining they sparkle beautifully.
Send me a message if you would like one and I can do them in other colours as well.

Heron

A rather weary looking heron.  Is he fed up because no fish are passing? Or has he just eaten too many and is looking forward to a sleep?
Painted on a canvas board (12" x 10") in acrylic.
I'm thinking about putting this on Ebay, but am not sure about starting price.  Any suggestions please.

Greenfinch

A small (7" x 5") acrylic painting of a Greenfinch on canvas board.  At the moment its on Ebay, for sale at the start price of .99p with £3 p&p.

Sawley Marina Canal Art Display

All of my canal paintings in the Sawley Marina Chandlery.  Many, many thanks to Rod, Kate and Kate.

Spider in a frame

This is a beaded spider sitting on a copper web in a pale wood box frame.  Usually I make spiders and dragonflies as light catchers.  This one and a very similar one were the first framed spider I've made and I'm very pleased with the effect.  Both measure approx 5" x 5"  and can be found in the Sawley Marina Chandlery.

Canal Art Coal Bucket

This is the first day of this blog and quite frankly I don't really know what I'm doing with all these buttons and things yet.  So, do forgive me if you chance to look and see what its all about.  At the moment its nothing much, but I promise that in the future I'll be posting all sorts of photos showing my work.

Just for starters, here is one of my most recent pieces of canal art.  A coal bucket that you will now find in the shop window of Sawley Marina on the cut off the River Trent which is near to Long Eaton.  I've painted two more of these coal buckets which were bought by the Canal Shop in Skipton.