Wednesday, 3 April 2013

Chocs Away!

Mrs Peregrine and Ethel have been friends for a number of years. In fact Ethel has worked for Mrs P on and off over the last few years. When Mrs Peregrine is at her busiest, Ethel helps to man the phones, divert the emails and keep the press at bay ensuring Mrs P can nest in peace without her adoring fans or the paparazzi getting too close. Thinking back Ethel can't remember a time when Mrs P wasn't in her life, but what she can remember is how they meet. Mrs Peregrine hasn't always been famous; yes she's been on TV, yes she's appeared in all the newspapers money can buy and yes she's got her claws into many an important academic case study or two! She's an expert on many things but it wasn't always the case. 
When Mrs P was a young whipper snapper living in the countryside alongside her three siblings she dreamed of bigger things. She dreamed of a life in the big smoke, a luxurious nest box of her own, a husband one day, but most of all she wanted to fly. Ethel was bemused. 'Fly you say...but ALL peregrines can fly. It's what they're good at'. What Ethel didn't understand was that Mrs P wanted to be famous, not just any old pilot, she wanted to be the best. From an early age Mrs P had been a plane spotter, she had read about the courageous women, the stars, the legends of aviation. Helene Dutrieu, nicknamed the Girl Hawk, Amelia Earhart, the first woman to fly. Not only did they fly but they looked the part too, throwing aside their corsets and donning rather fetching leather skull caps. From age 6 months, Mrs P sported the exact same cap to fly, mimicking her idols. With this in mind Mrs P left her family home and never looked back. After flying for what seemed like a life time, Mrs P stumbled upon the perfect spot, a building taller than anything she had ever seen, a building that jutted out into the sky, a building that was a perfect place to learn her craft. Within a decade, Mrs P had become a famous flying machine. She had become the fastest female pilot on the planet, readily reaching speeds topping 200mph and was renowned for her acrobatic hunting stoops. She is currently developing her flying academy, alongside her husband, for pupils across the East Midlands. 


Amelia Earhart, the first female pilot.
Helene Dutrieu, dressed for flying c1911
Mrs Peregrine checking her aviation skull cap in the mirror before take off.

Ethel is one of Mrs Peregrine's communication officers. You can find out more about #Nottsperegrines here




Wednesday, 20 March 2013

Royalty

It's no secret that one of Ethel's best friends is not human. He doesn't speak much, he doesn't understand Ethel, in fact at times he doesn't even like hanging out with her, but Ethel adores him. 
Frankie is a cat. Ethel and her husband do everything they can to make his life comfortable. As cats go Frankie can be very demanding. He covets the best seat in the house, he eats the most expensive, scientifically researched cat food for sale on the open market. He owes not one, but three fleecy blankets to keep out the cold and insists on his own personal space at all times. He only tolerates one close cat companion and confidant, who goes be the name of Freddie cat. Even when Ethel tries to befriend him he cruelly ignores her. 
This behaviour always baffled Ethel. Why was Frankie Cat so regal in his day to day life? Where had he got this attitude from? His humble background (originally from Cotmanhay in Derbyshire) didn't hold any clues and Ethel had always tried to encourage sharing and modesty within the household.
One day Ethel was cleaning Frankie's toy box, which he kept under the bed. To her horror she found endless press cuttings depicting the royal corgis. Page after page, photo after photograph. Corgis on holiday at Balmoral, corgi's taking cream tea with the Queen. Corgi's greeting Daniel Craig at Buckingham Palace for some sort of Olympic ceremony, Corgi's guide to etiquette by Monty, the Queen's most famous pet. 'Oh my goodness' cried Ethel. 'Frankie thinks he's Royalty!' 
When Frankie returned from one of his turns in the garden Ethel sat him down. Frankie admitted everything. From an early age he had had aspirations of becoming a member of the royal family. He intended on making the journey to London soon, where his cousin Billy and friend Molly already resided. He believed he could be a better companion to the Queen then Holly the corgi, but had become conflicted as he liked living with Ethel and his male carer so much. He had always wanted his portrait painting, to be hung in the National Portrait Gallery, and had become rather jealous when Kate Middleton stole his thunder and beat him to it. Ethel and her husband were always taking photos of him and sometimes called him 'Henry the Eighth' so he was convinced that he had royal blood running through his veins; that he was special in some way. Ethel told Frankie he was special and Frankie agreed. Ethel is currently looking for a pet portrait specialist to paint Frankie cat.  
(From left to right): Custom Cats by Amy Blackwell, Frankie Cat, Henry the Eighth pose by ethelandiris,
Frankie by Jordan Grace Owens, Frankie by ReadyGo Paper Studio, Paint a Portrait by Sarah McNeil
Pet Portraits by Wonky Dogs

Tuesday, 10 July 2012

Le Tour

 Me and My Bike, 1988


The 21 Champions of L'Alpe d'Huez print by The Handmade Cyclist 

 
Tour de France Card by Lucky Bird



 Le Peloton - Paris Rubaix by Tim Irving

When Ethel is not sat in her armchair she loves to cycle her red Raleigh Caprice up and down the hills of Nottingham Town. However, this month she is sat watching the wheels go round on her television screen. For this is Ethel's favourite month of all. Tour de France month!

Saturday, 12 May 2012

The Dinner Party



Farne Islands May 2012
Guillemot Card by ethelandiris 

It was a wet and windy day. Ethel was stuck indoors and was waiting for something exciting to happen. Ethel and Frankie cat waited and waited. Then came a knock on the door. Ethel recognised the quick knock, knock, knocking. It was the friendly local postman. She excitedly opened the door, and with a smile, the postman handed over the sealed brown envelope. 'What could it be' thought Ethel looking at the small slightly soggy letter. 'It's been sent from the sea' the postman explained. 'It's taken quite a while to reach you!'. Ethel knew immediately where the letter had come from, the post mark read Farne. Mayor Guillemot, head of Guillemot central had sent the damp letter and Ethel could not wait to hear his news. Mayor Guillemot was a very proud bird, he dressed immaculately all the time in a black suit and white shirt. He took his role very seriously, overseeing the guillemot community in Northumberland, making sure all land disputes with the kittiwakes and shag villagers were sorted in an orderly and professional manner. You see all the birds lived on one small island and all loved to nest and feed in the same places and Mayor Guillemot's role was to organise the site fairly between all the residents. He did a wonderful job and was much admired. Ethel was overjoyed to read that the villagers had held a special party in his honour on the Island to celebrate his 40 birthday. Everyone was dressed in their suits and even the kittiwakes, Eiders and Razorbills attended to wish him well. Ethel wished she had been there to celebrate too as she loved Major Guillemot and she loves the Farne Islands too!

Tuesday, 20 March 2012

TedWed



Ethel never had an imaginary friend when she was little. She never felt the need for one because she had a real friend. His name was Tedwed. He was made of cloth but had no arms and only one eye but Ethel loved him. Tedwed came into Ethel's life the day that Ethel was born. They loved to be together (and still do). Tedwed was a great friend. He was a very good listener and he loved to play. He loved to walk to the park, he loved to eat fish fingers and baked beans and he loved to help Ethel collect ladybirds in the garden on a sunny day. He was the perfect friend. What was so special about Tedwed was that he always knew when Ethel was happy and when Ethel was sad and he always knew when a hug was needed or a friendly ear. He was the cleverest bear a girl could wish to know. One day something quite terrible happened to Tedwed and it was all Ethel's fault. Ethel had squeezed Tedwed for so long his neck had worn right out. A big hole, the size of a ten pence piece, had appeared. It needed emergency care. The day was long and Ethel worried herself sick. Tedwed had to be admitted into the emergency sewing room and Ethel's mother was in charge of the mending operation. Ethel waited.......and waited......and waited. A tear welled up into her big brown eyes. Would she ever see Tedwed again? After a long wait out came Tedwed. He looked beautiful! 'The most beautiful bear in the world' thought Ethel, all shiny and new. Something was different about Tedwed, Ethel thought to herself. It was not until she held him close that she realised that he was fixed with a beautiful brown felt necklace. He looked so handsome and so happy. Tedwed was back with Ethel and Ethel can't have wished for anything more.

Saturday, 10 March 2012

Animal Menagerie


For some time now Ethel has been collecting animals. She lives in a tiny Victorian terraced house and she knows realistically she could never fit all the animals she would like into this small space. Instead, Ethel decided she'd collect a collection of animal brooches. She's accumulated quite a menagerie.

1. Whale Pin by Third Planet 2. Wooden Owl by Artbase 3. Swallow Brooch by Lost at Sea
4. Greyhound Pin by Bunnys 5. Sea Gull Brooch by Tatty Devine 6. Anemoi Insect Brooch by Natalie Musgrove 7. Porcelain Sparrow Pin by Alison Milner 8. Bullfinch Brooch by Kate Slater 9. Deer Brooch by Enna 10. Cricket Brooch by NW3

Saturday, 25 February 2012

Horse Play






Ethel is fascinated by horses. As a child she visited a lone horse that lived in a flower filled meadow opposite her parent's semi detached home. The horse always seemed lonely to Ethel. He had sad big brown eyes with beautiful long curly eyelashes. Ethel always made sure she visited with a sweet carrot and a sugar cube in her pocket to make him smile. She would happily comb his knotted mane and whisper her childhood secrets into his bristle coated ear. He was a good listener.

The Girl with 7 Horses Print by Ulrika Kestere http://uli.bigcartel.com/
Recycled Suede Horse Brooches by Ethel and Iris
Penguin Threads Book Covers by http://jilliantamaki.com/