Foraging The Year End!

Christmas Eve always has such a special atmosphere - almost as if the whole world is, for a while, connected. A night when everyone is thinking about the same things, doing the same things, houses full to bursting with presents and anticipation! Then, finally, we all disperse in our own different directions again, all hoping to meet up again next year! Before that though, we have Hogmanay and the start of a brand new year!

We're past the Winter solstice now and each and every night the days are slowly getting longer once more. It won't be long here until this becomes increasingly obvious and the light of Spring appears at the end of the Winter tunnel! Before we get there though, there will no doubt be plenty of snow! Hence the inspiration for this Winter Foraging Basket, full of the seasons harvest with horseradish root, juniper berries, rosehips and chestnuts! The weather on Skye this Christmas has really been something of everything, there's been rain, wind, sunshine, hail, ice! All sweeping clean for the beginning of 2012! Don't forget to keep an eye on our New Year 2012 Countdown clock to your right as well! Not long to go now!

Val & Sadie



Nature's Winter!



A Winters Tale!

Here we are then! Christmas Eve! It seems like such a long time ago now when we sat down to experiment with our first festive miniatures of the season and here we are at the end of the journey! All the presents bought, cupboards around the globe full to bursting with all the delicious tastes and smells of Christmas!

To help celebrate Christmas at Homewardflight we wanted to bring you a very special miniature so, this afternoon, we have added this Winter Vegetable Box to our Etsy store. It was featured in Day 2 of the Artisans in Miniature 2011 Advent Calendar & it is a joy to be able to share it with everyone!

Have a very happy and most of all, peaceful Christmas!

Val & Sadie

Merry Christmas!

T'was the week before Christmas and all through the world minis are making their way to new homes! Yes, not long now and this week Homewardflight is featured on both The Mini Food Blog and Artisans in Miniature Members Showcase - A Seasonal Celebration Tour! Do take a look at both as there's some wonderful work displayed on both sites and well worth losing an hour or two on the Christmas preparation to peruse!!

Here in Scotland, once the Christmas celebrations are over we, of course, have Hogmanay and all the wonderful things that New Year brings. One of these is Burns Night on the 25th of January and we just couldn't resist the opportunity to bring you a Burns Night Supper in miniature! The night when we celebrate the life and works of Robert Burns poems always includes the traditional supper of Haggis, Neeps and Tatties! Neeps are the mashed turnip and Tatties mashed potatoes! We've never seen a miniature Burns Night Supper before and feel this is really quite an exciting wee addition to the Homewardflight collection!

Time to head back to work on more goodies for the Winter season but we'll leave you with Robert Burns "Address to a Haggis", written 225 years ago in 1786!

Val & Sadie

Address to a Haggis

Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face, 
Great chieftain o' the pudding-race! 
Aboon them a' ye tak your place, 
Painch, tripe, or thairm : 
Weel are ye wordy o'a grace 
As lang's my arm. 

The groaning trencher there ye fill, 
Your hurdies like a distant hill, 
Your pin wad help to mend a mill 
In time o'need, 
While thro' your pores the dews distil 
Like amber bead. 

His knife see rustic Labour dight, 
An' cut you up wi' ready sleight, 
Trenching your gushing entrails bright, 
Like ony ditch; 
And then, O what a glorious sight, 
Warm-reekin', rich! 

Then, horn for horn, they stretch an' strive: 
Deil tak the hindmost! on they drive, 
Till a' their weel-swall'd kytes belyve 
Are bent like drums; 
Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive, 
Bethankit! hums. 

Is there that owre his French ragout 
Or olio that wad staw a sow, 
Or fricassee wad make her spew 
Wi' perfect sconner, 
Looks down wi' sneering, scornfu' view 
On sic a dinner? 

Poor devil! see him owre his trash, 
As feckless as wither'd rash, 
His spindle shank, a guid whip-lash; 
His nieve a nit; 
Thro' bloody flood or field to dash, 
O how unfit! 

But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed, 
The trembling earth resounds his tread. 
Clap in his walie nieve a blade, 
He'll mak it whissle; 
An' legs an' arms, an' heads will sned, 
Like taps o' thrissle. 

Ye Pow'rs, wha mak mankind your care, 
And dish them out their bill o' fare, 
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware 
That jaups in luggies; 
But, if ye wish her gratefu' prayer 
Gie her a haggis! 

Snow, Ice & All Things Nice!

We've been through just about every type of weather known to man this past week. We began the week with several inches of snow on the ground and a picture perfect landscape! Then, on Thursday, The Big Storm arrived, bringing gusts of 165 miles per hour to the Cairngorm mountain range. Here on Skye winds touched almost 80 miles per hour which was bad enough! It was difficult to know how it could actually have been any worse than it was here but we certainly didn't get the extremes of it!

The winds blew away the remaining snow in the hedgerows but yesterday morning we awoke to another light dusting! It really is quite stunning to be able to look out of your window and see that wild Scottish landscape! We thought this icy weather was the perfect time to continue the theme and share this delicious Iced Coffee & Cakes. With the cold weather and Christmas Day itself now just two weeks away we've also been thinking ahead to Burns Night, that Scottish celebration of the poetry and life of Robert Burns! That though, is for next time!

Enjoy all the Christmas preparations!

Val & Sadie

Our beautiful island in the snow!



Stirrings Of The Season!

It couldn't be a more seasonal start to December here, not only is a Homewardflight miniature the Day 2 Project in this years Artisans in Miniature Advent Calendar, but it's snowing! It's lovely, soft flakes, falling from the sky at the pace of a Christmas card scene and by morning, when dawn breaks over snowy lochs and hills, it will no doubt feel as though we're inside one!

With Christmas Day itself just three weeks away now, the world feels like it's starting to glisten with excitement and twinkling lights! Once the Big Day is over though, even those in the dolls house are left wondering what they should do with the leftovers from the Festive bird! This stir fry seems like an ideal option and whilst here we've used "chicken" we're sure Cook wouldn't mind in the least if "turkey" were to be used instead!!

Val & Sadie

Homewardflight in AIM Advent Calendar!

The countdown to Christmas is now well underway and every morning millions of Advent Calendars will be opened as we move one day closer!! Here at Homewardflight it's always tradition to have an Advent Candle as well, there's something about the smell of the wax and watching the glow of the flickering flame that just completely embodies Christmas!

Today, though, we are not just opening an Advent door - we are behind one!!   Sadie has a project behind door number 2 on the wonderful Artisans in Miniature Advent Calendar! It's crammed full of wonderful projects to make all the way through until Christmas Eve and there's projects by some incredible artisans so make sure you bookmark the page!

                                                        Val & Sadie

Stollen Moments!

There remains light in the sky until almost 5pm now and it's now a little less than a month until the shortest day when we'll be heading back in the right direction towards lighter nights again! You wouldn't have believed it was so near the end of the year stood on the shores of Loch Dunvegan today, it was beautiful and far from the stereotype of a dreich day! The castle there is a big draw for the visitors in Summer but just now it's all quiet, the only sound to be heard today was that of the burgeoning stream shuttling past! The leaves are an amazing mixture of golds and oranges and against the backdrop of the low sun it made for a perfect Autumn scene!

Hard to believe that it's just a couple of days until all our friends in America celebrate Thanksgiving and just a few days after that until Advent Sunday dawns and the Festive Season truly begins in earnest! Although, Sadie did talk to someone today who had already received their very first Christmas card of the year!! Time, then, for a slice of Christmas Stollen Cake! This is a very special festive miniature as it's the first mini to come on one of our new handmade 'granite' effect boards! More important than that though, is that the Christmas Stollen itself looks more than appetizing....if only it were real!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone!

Val & Sadie

                                                                       

Islands of Detail!

The Isle of Skye is very much like this Party Celebration Platter - so many different and wonderful things to discover! Even yesterday, in the rain, so much joy was to be found in watching the waterfalls, overflowing and alive, cascading down the mountainside! A different and stunning view of the sea is presented at every turn and in all it's moods it touches your heart. There have been many beautiful, sunny days since we moved to Skye, where the loch has been like a millpond, so the rain was indeed a new discovery as the Island changed it's face. A stunning place in all weathers, we hope to bring you some pictures of different places on our new island home as we travel around so don't forget to follow us on Twitter!

In the meantime, we hope, as always, that you enjoy the photographs of the latest addition to our Etsy store, all the tiny details really draw the eye in!

Val & Sadie

  

Over The Horizon...

    It's been such an exciting week! Not only has Sadie been featured in an       AIM (Artisans In Miniature) Member Showcase, which is absolutely thrilling, but Homewardflight has relocated across the water to the Isle of Skye! The most famous & beautiful of Scotland's Hebridean Islands, we are so very lucky to be here! Our workspace has the most inspirational view across the loch to the hills beyond & it is quite incredible to be able to sit & create something you love in a location such as this! We have had lovely weather but when the showers have come they always end with a multitude of quite stunning rainbows & the Isle of Skye is the pot of gold at the end!

Sadie is working on a particularly exciting project at the moment & we can't wait to be able to share it with everyone! We've got some wonderful things coming up in the run up to Christmas so stay with Homewardflight as we explore the miniature world from our new viewpoint! In the meantime we thought everyone would like to see something else for the miniature Christmas larder that just went into our Etsy store today, a mouthwatering British Cranberry Pork Pie. There's also a few photographs of the island taken this weekend...who would know it was November? It looks like Summer!!

Val & Sadie

Christmas Red Is For Every Day!

This week got off to a great start when Homewardflight was featured in the Artisans In Miniature Halloween Showcase! Do take a look, there are some wonderful miniatures from some superb artisans!

It is quite wonderful to discover how the same color can inspire the feelings of cosy Christmas nights by the fireside and at the same time the warmth of baking summer days! The rich red of the paper wrapping these sumptuous Christmas chocolates gives rise to the same sentimentality as the vibrant red of the tomatoes in this gorgeous basket! Here in the west of Scotland we always find that once Christmas is sadly over the light nights return in leaps and bounds, the signs of life and renewal in the land evident, so maybe the two seasons aren't so far apart after all!

Val & Sadie

An Italian Christmas In Miniature!

Christmas is coming and whilst the goose might not be piling on the pounds, your dolls house family certainly will be! They can start the festive season in style with this gorgeous traditional Italian sweet bread! Every country has it's own traditions for Christmas, particularly when it comes to food, and it's wonderful how treats such as Pandoro can be found all over, even here in the Hebrides we find them beautifully boxed and waiting to tempt us from the shelves! We think this is a really special miniature & have been so excited about it! You can find this and other Christmas miniatures in our etsy store so do have a look!

Val & Sadie

Celtic Warmth!

The Island is alive just now, full of people & music! This year it is the Hebrides turn to host the Royal National Mod, a cultural festival of Gaelic song. With programmes broadcast daily on Scottish television and participants from all over the country it is a celebration of the Gaelic language and culture! To hear the native language so alive, to see white fairy lights strung across the streets and with the Continental Market also visiting it is truly a wonderful atmosphere!

Unfortunately the same excitement can't be felt for the weather! Perfect for a chilly day such as today when the winds are blowing a hoolie, this delicious piping hot Irish Colcannon, mashed potatoes, cabbage, cream and butter, will be a filling part of any miniature meal!

Keep warm!

Val & Sadie

Traditional Irish Fare!

The official logo for this years Mod!

Christmas Miniatures!

Just a couple of weeks now until the clocks go back an hour here. That'll mean Halloween, darker nights &, in turn, that must mean the Festive Season is now drawing closer! This weekend is our Christmas Launch for seasonal miniatures & we've been so excited, waiting to show you these first gorgeous festive creations! There's Lebkuchen Christmas Cookies, a Festive Christmas Table Centerpiece, a Christmas Eve Sledge, a Snowman Christmas Tree & Yuletide Treats which include a rich chocolate Yule Log, Christmas pudding truffles & the last mince pie in the kitchen!

Being able to get lost in the magic of Christmas is yet another of the true joys of sculpting minis, bringing to life a transient world that visits us for a few short weeks every year! We look forward to sharing the Holidays with you all & diving headfirst into miniature sparkle!

Val & Sadie

Reality in miniature!!

We're counting down the weeks!!

So many tasty Christmas luxuries - where to start??

The perfect centerpiece for the festive table!

Just been blown out, there's still "hot wax" in the center of the candle!

With a taste & smell a bit like gingerbread, Lebkuchen Cookies are the epitome of Christmas flavors!

A contemporary twist on a festive tradition!

Christmas Eve & Santa Claus is on his way!

Bringing Nature Home!

There is something about sculpting miniatures with a link to nature, that hold an essence of what lies in wait for us as we leave the modern world behind, and venture outdoors amongst the smells and sights of landscapes unchanged for centuries! The ability to recreate even a tiny part of that in miniature is a joy and discovering just the right way to make logs look like...well....logs is magical! The expression on someones face when they see them and exclaim "Logs!!" is a wonder! It isn't only logs, however, that feature in this basket, there's hot steaming toast, including a slice on a toasting fork, ready to eat from the roaring fire! The detail on the newspaper also fascinates the eye! As do all the little eggs in our basket of freshly collected farmyard eggs, each one with different markings or slightly different in shape and size!

As we always do, we hope you enjoy the photographs and that these minis appeal to you as much as they do to us!

Val & Sadie