Merry Christmas from the Blackberry Artist's Society

festive slug monster box by Pauline Doyle

We wish you a merry Christmas, and all best wishes for a happy New Year.

The gift shop is now closed until the new year, when we reopen on Monday, January 5th.

On the twelfth day of Christmas ...

Margret Billings

We made it!

To celebrate moving into our new home, My True Love celebrated the occasion by bringing another little home into our lives - a beautiful glass terrarium, full of delicate ferns and other greenery. Lots of calming green leaves to look at.
And after all the excitement this month, we will appreciate it.

Merry Christmas and a peaceful New Year!
Happiness in your home, old or new.
From us to you :)

(many more than) 12 leaflets living

11 scarves for wrapping

10 cosy toasty fingers

9 chattering comfort birds

8 wise words to live by

7 steps to a homely front door

6 neon knuckles 

5 fishy koi

4 twisty trunks

3 graceful whales

2 inquisitive otters

and a Christmas bell with a sweet chime (unless you are a cat)

Read all the 12 days here.
Christmas Marketplace closes today at 4pm. The gift shop will be open tomorrow during normal business hours.
From all of us at the Blackberry Artist's Society, we wish you a warm and merry Christmas.

On the eleventh day of Christmas ...

Jane Ostenstad

Almost there! I think we found the kettle late yesterday evening, and we now have cutlery.
Yippee!

But Christmas? In all the excitement of the move, we totally forgot about wrapping presents, parcel tape and gift tags.

My True Love suddenly had one of those rare sparks of genius (it's why I married him), threw himself up out of the armchair (clanking the bell and unsettling the cat) then hurried out without a word. His pockets brimming with comfort birds, he sped off down the seven steps and into the evening.

Luckily, the Christmas Marketplace was open till 5pm so he didn't return empty handed. Along with the little wooden birds, his pockets were stuffed with exquisite painted silk scarves, flowing like multicoloured streams around his jacket. He looked like a brightly plumaged bird hopping his way excitedly up the steps.

"Scarves," he cried, sharing his bounty with me on the kitchen table.
And he was right - each unwrapped gift quickly bundled into the centre of the scarf, with enough length to tie in a huge floppy bow. What a beautiful sight - the birds left the tea cosy and nestled among the gifts, cooing contentedly.

We hugged in the dark (because, you know, brine and electrics again).

12 days fun - catch up here.

Meet Your Makers: Saturday Artist Demos

This Saturday's maker for you to meet is Tom Reid, our master stone carver. He'll be our artist-in-residence at the Christmas marketplace between 12:30 and 2;30 pm tomorrow, Saturday 20th December.
Why not call in for some almost last minute shopping, and see what it takes to carve stone!

On the tenth day of Christmas ...

Dalia Levy

At least it wasn't raining. Just snow, lots of snow. And ice.

And I'm extremely grateful that today's gift from My True Love was this luxurious pair of mittens - ten cosy fingers indeed.

And now, we've unboxed the koi, the otters and the whales in their new home.
The cat has new curtains to climb.
The comfort birds have made a nest in the tea cosy in the corner of the kitchen.
There are only three mirror packs to unwrap.
I'm thawing out My True Love in a hot bath - by the sounds coming from upstairs, the otters may have joined him.

Home sweet home!

Our 12 days tales here.

Wordless Wednesday - Ring the bell

Christmas Bell by Myrta Hayes

On the ninth day of Christmas ...

Del Holbrook

My True Love is truly distressed, both by our imminent move (tomorrow) and by the strange events in the house recently (viz: brine on the carpet, shredded curtains, fusebox malfunction, and so much fish).
I am strangely calm, daily reciting messages of power from my new painting.
The cat is in kennels, sitting it out safely away from being packed into a removals van.

This evening, our last in the house, My True Love tenderly placed nine little wooden birds on the table in front of me. He stroked each one and nestled them into the tea cosy before rushing from the room, muttering about having something in his eye.

I found him later, curled up in a chair.
We sat, birds in hands, until the lights went out again.
Little comfort birds - you are indeed very comforting.

The whole 12 days saga here.