The Great Big Stitched Postcard Swap

Well, after a summer of slumber in blogland I am back!

I have just taken part in the sixth Great Big Stitched Postcard Swap, run by Do What You Love - a very cute art swap which this year featured over 300 participants from around the world. I find it wonderful to sign up to projects with a deadline, as it forces me to be creative, even when I claim to be too busy to make anything! The theme for this swap was CELEBRATE - a lovely theme which has very joyous connotations.

I tried not to see that much of my swap partner before I began, but a quick look at her inspiring and well-tended blog Emy's Crafty Blog showed that she is a fiery-haired lady, so I made a red-headed paper dolly as the central image in the postcard, continuing a theme I like working with. 

To include the 'celebration' idea, I stitched a miniature book, incorporating celebration-themed quotes such as: 
"Singing is like a celebration of oxygen. - Bjork"
"The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate. - Oprah Winfrey"
"Celebrate what you want to see more of. - Thomas J. Peters"
I made the book from vintage and craft papers, and the cover is recycled leather from the cover of an old American Indian box.

I worked this into a mixed-media collage, incorporating vintage papers and material (including some fabric from my Mum's dress when I was little), and other elements, such as decoupage scraps, paper flowers, and I sewed sequins and beads onto little acrylic-painted discs.

I sent the postcard on Monday, so hopefully it will arrive soon. I've had a sneak peak of Emy's postcard on her blog, and am really looking forward to receiving it. It's a gorgeous felted image of Chinese lanterns, and really evokes the theme 'celebration'.

Review: the Three Towers & Slieve Aughty Centre, Co. Galway

I had been planning a weekend break in Ireland with my boyfriend for some time. We wanted to go somewhere in the northwest that we hadn’t been before. A Groupon voucher appeared in my inbox for the Three Towers& Slieve Aughty Centre, and due to the fantastic savings (and element of adventure…horses!) we knew we had found our place.

Situated just outside Loughrea in County Galway, the centre comprises the ‘Three Towers', an almost brand new eco hotel with organic kitchen, and the well-established Slieve Aughty Riding Centre.

The directions on the website were good, and the receptionist (Jenny) gave us one of the friendliest welcomes imaginable. She greeted us like old friends, and made us a cup of tea, with mini biscuits and organic nougat which would be almost worth the long drive to Galway for on their own.

She designated us an absolutely gorgeous room (the pictures we’d seen on the website didn’t do the rooms justice) with high ceilings and pretty grey and pink décor - my favourite! Even my overnight bag matched the bedroom, so I thought it must be a good sign. ;) Some unoccupied bedrooms had the doors propped open, so we were able to see that all rooms were unique, and rather lovely.

The style of the hotel is somewhat eclectic, and d­one beautifully. There are interesting things dotted around and everywhere you look makes a pretty picture (especially the lovely dining room). I can imagine it would make a fantastic alternative wedding location - I believe a number of wedding receptions have already been held here.

We then went down the buffet style dinner, which was tasty soup, followed by baked aubergine, mashed potato and salad, and homemade rolls (there was also meat, but I chose the veggie option). It was all delicious, and accompanied with tasty organic wine. The only problem was there is no device to keep freshly cooked food warm, so it got cold quite quickly. This was followed by a banana cheesecake, which I’d never seen anywhere before…interesting!

The beds were comfortable, and everywhere was spotlessly clean, which is no mean feat in the countryside next to a riding centre. The rooms are quiet and also comfortably warm, which is important when you come inside after a long country walk. There is also a table of books to borrow during your stay – a very nice touch. The centre seems to offer a lot of activities such as English courses and organic gardening lessons from time to time, which sound fun. It also seems very child-friendly, with a number of other guests bringing along their little ones.

Unfortunately the next morning’s breakfast, my favourite meal, was a disappointment. Only some tables were laid out for breakfast, and we weren’t sure where to sit, so after looking around for a little while made for a table for four. The owner immediately told us not to sit there, as it was set for a family, so we were to sit at a table that had just finished being used. I don’t mind a few crumbs, but it did make us feel a bit second class.

It was a European-style breakfast, which was unexpected in Ireland. There was cereal, a lot of bread, cheese and meat. The only hot items were eggs and mushrooms, but again with no heating device these got cold quickly. I took an egg as had been looking forward to a hot breakfast before our horse trek, but the egg white was extremely runny (aargh!), so I couldn’t eat it. There was also toast, but as you don’t toast it yourself it gets cold very quickly. The hot things ran out as there was a queue of other guests waiting for them, and I did feel that there was a bit of competition for the hot food! The owner is Dutch, so a lot of the food was from the country. I was surprised at the omission of more Irish long-life products, but guess it was too expensive to source food here.

And now to the horses. They are wonderful, and clearly treasured by the small army of equine-loving girls and boys there on that Saturday morning. We went on an hours’ trek. As beginners, we found that the girl leading the trek (whose name I unfortunately cannot recall) was excellent - very relaxed, and patient and encouraging with those who were a bit nervous. It was a fabulous experience, and highly recommended.

I do feel the centre has made the most of the wonderful location with well-signposted trails in the nearby forest for those that fancy a woodland stroll, and laminated maps you can borrow.

Recommendations? I should mention that the Groupon offer was an absolute steal but I tried not to take that into consideration when evaluating the centre.

This is a newly opened place, so there are bound to be a few teething problems. I would recommend a seat in the bedroom, reading lamps on both sides of the bed, and shampoo as well as shower gel in the bathroom. Also, I think it should be mentioned on the website there is no TV in the bedrooms – I don’t own one so always look forward to surfing the channels when I’m in a hotel, especially on rainy Saturday afternoons.

Also, an accessible tea/coffee station nearer to the bedrooms (maybe located where the books are?) would be nice, so that you don’t have to walk through the busy dining room to make your evening cuppa. It just feels a bit weird to go behind the bar and help yourself.

A fully self-service buffet-style breakfast and lunch (with guests picking up their own cutlery, delph and food and choosing where to sit) would avoid confusion by allowing guests to look after themselves and ease the staff and kitchen’s workload. Heating devices for the food, and allowing guests to toast their own bread would also be a welcome element.

This place is obviously a hit with locals, as the restaurant was packed on Saturday night. The mission statements available to read in the bedrooms prove that this is a place that is committed to its vision of organic, sustainable travel, and that is admirable in an economy where cheaper is becoming better at any cost.

Finally, I have to mention Jenny again – she’s a sparkling asset to the hotel (without her, we may have felt a bit unwelcome!)

For something a little different, this is the perfect place to get away from it all. I have recommended it to a number of people, and will definitely return. Once the glitches are sorted out, this is going to be spectacular destination.

Walking:Holding

Image courtesy of Rosana Cade http://rosanacadedotcom.wordpress.com

I bought a ticket to Walking:Holding, because when I read the description of this one-to-one experience I had never heard of anything like it before. It was being hosted in Cork as part of the Home Festival, curated by Ruairí Donovan.

I like to challenge myself to do uncomfortable things now and again (I once held a tarantula to try and rid my fear of spiders) and holding hands with strangers and walking around in public was pretty high up on my uncomfortable list. Also, I’m pretty shy at talking to new people…what were we going to talk about? Would there even be talking? What had I let myself in for?

I booked the very first spot of the day, so that I wouldn’t spend my whole Saturday fretting, and so that it might be a memorable experience for the performers, too.

From the meeting point at Gulpd Café in the Triskel, I was led to the starting point by the organiser, and told to close my eyes, breathe deep three times, then open my eyes and the performance would have begun.

I opened my eyes to a striking shaven-headed woman, Rosana Cade, the piece’s creator, walking towards me with a smile. She asked me if there was any particular way I hold hands with someone in my life, and she told me hers. We intertwined our fingers and walked down Patrick Street.

So there I was, holding hands with a girl on a Saturday afternoon in Cork – the busiest time of the week in the city, with the lovely sunny spring weather adding to the amount of people around.

For the first time in my life I noticed people look at me because of who I was holding hands with. People were furtively eyeing us up with a trying-not-to-be-seen ‘I wonder if they’re a couple’ glance. I realised this must the experience of same-sex couples on a regular basis, in a country where homosexuality was only decriminalised 20 years ago.

Then Rosana linked me with the next walker – Jo, a petite Indian girl, who told me that friends of the same sex hold hands in her home country, and it is only seen as a sign of friendship, Lucy Furr, a showstopping and charming drag queen from South Africa in a decked in silver paint, furry white outfit and pearls, a laid-back bearded gentleman in a tracksuit top and jeans whose name I can’t remember, and Dublin-based artist Veronica Dyas, who led me to my final destination of Bishop Lucey park. With all performers I had a friendly conversation – Rosana had said I could talk or be silent if I wished.

Each transaction questioned the way I hold hands, and what it means to me. Each person stopped with me beside a mirror or reflective shop or car window to ask how our reflection made me feel.

I realised that holding hands in my world is only done between couples, or when taking care of a child. I link arms with my female friends, my sister and my parents – but I would never hold hands with them, I only hold hands with my boyfriend. It’s strange that something so small that we do can have such a strong significance.

And peoples’ reactions? To be honest, I had been anticipating more of a reaction. I was expecting at least one derogatory comment during the whole experience. But all we got was a ‘How’ya’ from two teenage boys when walking down Paul Street with Lucy, and a few giggling tweens on Castle Street. 

It is nice to know that the people of Cork are more accepting than I thought – or maybe I’m the one that is too easily shocked.

Lovely flowers

Some beautiful lilies which my boyfriend bought…I just had to share them with you! They smell absolutely amazing, but unfortunately I can’t share that with you too.

Incredible Creatives – Eveleen Murphy

Broken Flamingo by Eveleen Murphy

This is the wonderful work of artist Eveleen Murphy, who I used to share a studio with in the Backwater Artists Group, and who I collaborated with in the Half and Half Opposites exhibition. Her exhibition I heart, he hearts was one of the most magnificent exhibitions I have ever seen. I love the vitality in Eveleen’s work, and her bold sense of colour – some colours shouldn’t work, but they do, and this gives them an offbeat uniqueness which is fascinating.

My boyfriend once gave me a gift of the picture above – a complete surprise, and he selected my favourite painting from the series! Some time after this I discovered it was called ‘Broken Flamingo’, which proved it was meant to be!

Exploding Beetroot Storm by Eveleen Murphy

Eveleen is currently completing a masters in Painting in the National College of Art and Design in Dublin. More work can be seen on her website, or keep up to date with her latest work on her Facebook Page.

Postcard from Ethiopia

What makes a warm, sunny day in Cork even better? Well, a postcard from Ethiopia of course! This was my first postcard from Africa, a lovely surprise from a friend who works there for part of the year. The artwork is by Ethiopian artist Zerihun Seyoum.

New work - Luna Series 'One'

The  'Luna' series has had a break of a few years, but it is finally back with a new picture! This is an ethereal and otherworldly collection of pictures inspired by the moon. The dreamlike characters exist in a twilight world, which sparkles full of magic and love. This image is called 'One'. As always, products are available in my Society6 Shop.

Cork Bus Tour

Recently I went on the Cork Bus Tour. It is interesting seeing your city from another perspective, but it wasn't the most exciting city tour I’ve been on (I’m thinking of you, Barcelona!); maybe I should have done this when I first moved to Cork. It took us around the main sights of Cork, which are (apart from the Gaol) mainly walkable. The highlight was when it stopped in front of the historic Fenn’s Quay terrace, where I used to live! My advice: wrap up even if it is a sunny day, and remember boyfriends may not be able to control a packet of crisps when the bus is turning sharp corners.

Liberty Grill breakfast

Here's my vegetarian breakfast from Liberty Grill in Cork City. The queues out the door on the weekend will give you an indication of how popular this place is, and the reason is that it’s friendly, efficient, and they know how to perfectly poach an egg! Make your mouth water with their menu here.

The Man in the Hat exhibition at Cork Coffee Roasters

The Man in the Hat - aka talented artist and musician Antonio Bernal – has an exhibition at Cork Coffee Roasters for the month of April, where he showcases his watercolour series of the travels of the enigmatic Man in the Hat.

Drop in to pick up a framed Giclée Man in the Hat Art Print at only €65 (small) or €85 (large) and sample some of the best coffee in Cork (although be warned, their espressos are only for serious coffee drinkers!)

Incredible Creatives – Petal to Petal

A selection of designs by Petal to Petal

Here is the work of my sister Lily, a surface pattern designer living in Berlin. As her pseudonym Petal to Petal, she creates highly detailed designs, most of which are painstakingly drawn with a very very fine-tipped pen. 

I love her delicate and distinctive designs, and look forward to seeing them prettifying some surfaces near me in the near future! See more on Lily’s website or Facebook page.

Textile design on canvas shoes...pretty!

One of my favourite pieces - so delicate.

Hay House Radio

I am more than a little enthusiastic about Hay House Radio, an absolutely fabulous free online talk radio streaming service from Hay House which I discovered about a year ago.

I used to spend a good bit of time trying to find free positive or new thought talk podcasts online. It had never occurred to me that something this excellent was available – for free! – so I had never even looked for it.

Hay House Radio hosts some of the world’s leading new thought writers and thinkers, with weekly slots on the radio covering a huge range of topics. You can listen to amazing people such as Kris Carr, Eldon Taylor, Dr. Darren Weissman, Gabrielle Bernstein and my favourite lady of all, Denise Linn.

If you want to join in the discussion you can phone in (it’s free from the US and Canada). What’s more, you can listen to recent shows anytime for free in the Listen Again Archive, or have access to the entire back catalogue for a fee.

A great feature is that Hay House Radio doesn’t have news bulletins. If you’re a bit fed up with the gloomfest of your usual talk radio, this is the place for you.

What to say about me

I am in the process of creating a new website which will be more true to me than any previous incarnations of my online self. I have been stressing over what to say in the ‘about’ section. Do I put the usual education/work experience blurb that makes my website a glorified CV? Or could I try to be a little truer to myself?

I chose to write something true, and here it is:

My aim is to create honest work that makes you feel good.

I believe that like attracts like, so I have chosen to make only positive art. I try to make it beautiful, or fun, or both and I hope this comes across in my work.

I was lucky to grow up in a creative household.

One of my first memories is attending a basket-making workshop with my Mum. I constantly had art projects on the go, with the highlight being homemade paper shoes - my sister and I were gutted that our Mum wouldn’t let us wear them outside.

I have always liked to make small, detailed things.

I especially enjoyed making tiny belongings like toys, cakes and cheeseboards for my Sylvanian Family house, and having clandestine tea parties with their tea sets using real fruit juice and cake crumbs (my sister can confirm this).

My family immigrated to Ireland from England when I was ten.

It was nothing like the only countryside I knew, the one I had read about in my Enid Blyton books. Being so different to everyone else made a quiet girl like me even more shy.

As a teenager I sold crafts in local gift shops…

…as we lived too far from a town for me to get a part-time job. Among other things I sold paintings, friendship bracelets, greetings cards, corsages and genuine leprechaun hats (thankfully no one sued me for that!).

I grew up with a deep awareness of astrology.

My parents are interested in this and other esoteric subjects, and these things always seemed intrinsic and natural to me.

I wanted to be an illustrator and graphic designer.

I attended the National College of Art and Design in Dublin. At the end of my core year I was torn between fine art and graphic design. My head won over my heart and I chose the latter, as back then I was trying to be a ‘proper’ grown up.

When I graduated I began my long search for ‘proper’.I donated my collection of pretty dresses to a charity shop, as I carried the smart/casual conservative dress code of my new workplace into my personal life.

I worked as an in-house graphic designer for a number of years.Although I worked on some exciting projects, it wasn’t where my heart was.

I spent most of my twenties lost.

I was trying to be someone I wasn’t, around people who weren’t for me. It was a lonely time – square peg in a round hole doesn’t even begin to describe it. I always felt there was something more to life than what I was experiencing, and I felt guilty about not living life to the full. I was convinced there was something out there for me that was just…more.

I repeatedly found myself in crazy situations…

…with deceptive characters in my life, or accidentally offending people when strange twists of fate made them interpret my innocuous actions in the wrong way (this still happens sometimes – a great reminder that I’ve gone a little off-course!).

Then my Mum told me ‘you’ve tried being ordinary and you’re not – now be extraordinary.’

I thought about it. I cried. I realised to do this I had to trust myself more, to love myself more. And I realised loving myself was essentially just being true to myself, and allowing myself to do what I loved. I didn’t know how I was going to do it, but I began to open myself up to change.

When I started to trust, I began to find me.

Perfectly-timed coincidences began to happen. I met a new friend for coffee, and she asked me if I knew about affirmations (she told me later that she had no idea why she brought that up, she had never talked to anyone about it before!). I began a new job in a small company, and the only other girl working there taught Louise L. Hay workshops. After attending one of her classes I realised that this was the world that felt comfortable and uplifting – that felt ‘right’ – to me.

The affirmation card I pulled at the beginning of that Louise L. Hay class was ‘I am flexible and flowing’.

At the time I was disappointed to pull this relatively mundane card when some of the other participants selected such exciting ones. I felt I was already pretty adaptable and open-minded. But that important sentence stayed with me, and often pops into my head.

I began to explore new worlds.

I revisited astrology and tarot, and looked into Buddhism, clutter clearing and minimalism, vision boards, meditation, tapping and dowsing among many others. Some of these were for me and some weren’t. Just because something has changed someone else’s life doesn’t mean it will change yours – you are not them.

I started to incorporate some of these philosophies into my art and design.

To me, the two worlds complement and inform each other, so combining them seemed totally natural to me. I began to create images informed by my interest and understanding of esoteric energies, and without the use of recycled, clichéd motifs.

As I embraced these new ideas, I felt compelled to let go of old ones.

I embraced the idea of new minimalism, the idea of having ‘enough’. I donated about 2/3 of my wardrobe, books and other belongings to charity (this time I donated the things that weren’t me, rather than the things that were!) and recycled or dumped lots of sentimental items that served no purpose.

With this change in my outer reality, other things began to shift to align with my new philosophy.

The people that made me feel bad left my life. The deceptive characters just stayed away from me. Disrupting individuals pop up now and then, but I’m learning to deal with them.

I am learning to not let other people’s opinions matter so much.

It’s sometimes hard to be authentically yourself in a society which is so critical. I have been shocked by the meanness of some (almost always anonymous!) people on the Internet, but I believe in karma and balance, that our souls are here to learn, and that everything happens for a reason (including you reading this!)

That was my story…

…and I wouldn’t change a second, because who knows who and where I’d be now if things had gone any differently?

However, as Oprah says, ‘you are not your past.’

The past and future are important…but now is what is most significant.  And being alive on this planet right now is pretty darn good. We are so lucky to have a choice in how we want to live our lives, to have a chance to live life to the full when so many others have not.

At the present I’m enormously grateful…

…to be living in my cosy home in such a friendly city, with lovely friends and such an extraordinary love in my life.

As the Dalai Lama said, ‘Our prime purpose in this life is to help others.’

Anyone that contributes to positivity and love by helping or inspiring others is a treasure, so that’s what I will try to be.

I don’t believe we ever stop searching, growing or changing…

…and that’s a very exciting concept. There is so much more to learn, do and see, so many more strangers to make into friends and places to make our homes.

I feel that I am finally on the right path.

In a recent visualisation I met my angel of healing. I was astonished to discover that she was very similar to the dark-eyed angel I have been repeatedly making in paper collages.

I would like to work with positive, well-meaning people…

…as I believe that what we focus on and create multiplies. If feel my services can be of benefit to you, please get in touch, or if you like my work please check out my Etsy and Society6 Shops.

So here I am.

This is my honest and authentic, unvarnished self, doing what I love and wearing pretty dresses again. Welcome to my world, I’m very pleased to meet you!

Irish Breakfast Brooches

This is an idea I have had in mind for about 3 years, and finally completed last week. I have been making 'wearable art' jewellery in the form of an Irish Breakfast. Each piece of food is constructed carefully by hand from paper, card, clay and other mixed media, then hand-painted in acrylic, assembled on the plate then varnished for protection. They are for sale on my Etsy Shop, where I will be adding new items soon. They take me aaaages to make, but I absolutely love making them!

Polish Easter Feast

My friend Gosia told me that Easter in Poland is a big deal, and when I was invited for Easter dinner at her house last Sunday I could see she wasn’t kidding. Stuffed eggs, cold meats and cheese, Russian salad, horseradish, homemade bread (which had been blessed in church) was followed by chicken, sausages and cabbage, then three (yes, three!) types of cake. The table was decorated with pretty painted eggs. Her boyfriend was a bit exhausted from 3 days of cooking to prepare the feast. I find trying foods from other cultures very exciting, and it’s part of the reason I became un-vegetarian. It helps when it’s delicious too!


When I got home I was in a bit of a food coma, but couldn’t resist opening my Easter egg. It’s a good thing I was recently given an exercise bike!


Eleanor xx

♥ Welcome to my blog! ♥

♥ Welcome to my blog! ♥ Jupiter in Love is Eleanor Reilly, a positive artist from Cork, Ireland (here is a picture of me posing by the River Lee in Fitzgerald’s Park). I believe that like attracts like, so I have chosen to make only positive art and I try to make it beautiful, or fun, or both. On this blog I plan to post pictures and writings about the things I love. I hope you like them too. e xx