MD141
These queens of the underworld rule the ocean depths and the creatures within.
They recklessly drown their lovers and protect the seas treasures.
Entangled and entwined they are symbols of seduction and transformation.
These queens of the underworld rule the ocean depths and the creatures within.
They recklessly drown their lovers and protect the seas treasures.
Entangled and entwined they are symbols of seduction and transformation.
You are cordially invited to moments at dusk between friends under silk lanterns. There will be rambling gardens and much laughter. We will celebrate summer under the stars.
Fairies and other winged creatures welcome!
I dream of stone castles. Sometimes a dark beauty walks the bridge. Her velvet, beaded gown makes a muffled whisper against the cool marble. I can hear the fluttery wings of her friends in the mist. She is a gorgeous, complicated, sweetly wicked woman.
I adore her.
This pattern was directly inspired by a trip to Florence Italy. I was
honored to observe the cracked, slightly yellowed, sculptural paint strokes of the Renaissance. There was a mysterious power in the hundred petalled roses strewn on the grass in a tapestry. The locks of Botticelli’s Venus silently flow. Entire gardens were embroidered on dresses. The architecture was dripping with the magic carvings of ancient artisans. This design is my interpretation of the
otherworldly beauty frozen in the glance of a painted maiden.
There was once a little girl who wanted nothing more in this world than her very own fairy, so her grandmother, who loved to garden, whispered a secret. We must plant a night-blooming flower garden, she said, and by the light of the crescent moon, a fairy will come. So they planted their garden with fragrant jasmine, night phlox, evening primrose, and moonflowers as large as saucers. When the moon rose, the flowers opened, releasing their perfume into the summer air. The little girl watched in astonishment as a dainty fairy arrived with her plump pillow and luxurious satin coverlets, her chestnut hair smelling of orange blossoms, her dress wreathed in
ribbons of lavender and garlands of tinkling beads.
Now that you know the secret, you, too, can plant a garden and find your very own fairy.
Susan Redington Bobby
The air is filled with excitement and anticipation as Audrey awaits her guests’ arrival on Christmas Day in London. Crafted of rose-pink silk with a smokey-grey taffeta bustle, her dress crackles and shimmers as she moves through the parlor, straightening the stockings on the mantel and the fragrant jewel-toned garlands on the tree. But no one may be more entranced than the children peering from the balustrade above, for they accompanied Audrey on her annual trip to Fortnum and Mason’s to order their Christmas hamper. With their noses pressed against the glorious and decadent shop windows, the first snow falling on their silent wonder, these little ones had no idea that their glamourous mother could make such a posh holiday scene come to life. Soon the bells on the clock tower will chime, and the family will enjoy their Christmas pudding before they open their stockings and gifts. A Happy Christmas to All!
Susan Redington Bobby
The stage is set for the premier of Mozart’s Don Giovanni as an enigmatic woman enters the Metropolitan Opera House, the crowd parting before her as she glides up the lavish red and gold staircase towards the most expensive seats in the house. Her blue-black gown glitters with hand-sewn beads in a pattern evoking the creations of Gustav Klimt. Her delicate fingers grasp a jeweled shawl made of precious crystals that catch the light, reflecting her rainbow-hued silk sash. Framed at the entrance of her private box by an elaborate goldwork design, she pauses a moment to take in the sights and sounds of the orchestra tuning before taking her seat behind the curtain. Like an actress who plays many roles over a lifetime, the woman behind the stunning headdress and aloof expression remains a mystery to all.
Susan Redington Bobby
Undine, the water nymph, glides effortlessly through the depths with her favorite conch shell, prying open oysters for their glistening pearls lodged within. But the ultimate object of her quest is the talisman that a gust of wind seized from a sailor’s hands as his ship passed. With one look at this dark, handsome stranger, Undine knew in her heart that he was the mortal man destined to give her a remarkable gift.
If she can entice him to ask for her hand in
marriage, she will be rewarded with immortality.
And so she spends her days and nights searching the ocean floor, knowing that the luminescent pearls in her hair and the haunting melodies she sings will lure the man of her dreams near. If she can present him with his precious treasure, his kiss of gratitude
will bind them forever.
Susan Redington Bobby
By day, she tends the grapevines in an old Spanish vineyard, but by night, she becomes Queen Mariposa, ruler of flora and fauna, creater of the most delicious wine ever tasted. True monarchs know the value of hard work, so the young woman begins her journey to the throne by spending her days in drab attire under the hot sun, pruning and shaping the over grown vines at an abandoned vineyard. But by the light of the moon, she glimpses the future when her arduous task is complete. Standing on the edge of the stone patio, she holds a scepter, her jeweled crown studdded with diamonds and pearls, a cherry red overskirt enveloping her blue-grey ball gown. Knowing that all living creatures enhance the growth of the grapes, she summons butterflies and moths to assist with pollination. Just as the enchanted arbor is her chrysalis, changing her from young woman to queen, the vinyard also transforms, blossoming under her skilled hands.
Susan Redington Bobby
October Opal Fairy gathers the train of her gown, surrounded by a flurry of flowers in shades as delicate and varied as the glowing birthstone for which she is named. In centuries past, the opal was associated with superstition, but Queen Victoria changed its meaning when she proudly wore opal jewelry and offered the gemstone to each of her daughters in celebration of their nuptials. A magical jewel, the opal is believed to render its bearer invisible, so our fairy travels through the world unseen, seeking places of darkness that come alive with light when she appears.
Her iridescent wings reflect the colors of sunrise and sunset as the gentle scent of rose petals remains even after she vanishes.
Susan Redington Bobby
Once confined to a constellation in the heavens as a punishment for her vanity, Cassiopeia returns to Earth, holding delicate palm fronds, symbols of triumph and eternal life. She lounges on her royal purple throne, hand-carved of gold, wearing a majestic teal ball gown embellished with feathers from exotic birds and intricate embroidery. Wary of tempting fate with a hand-held mirror, she avoids staring at her own reflection. Yet there is no doubt in her mind that her beauty outshines the Nereids, just like the pale yellow metallic thread which glows like clusters of fireflies in the dark, a brilliant reminder of the stars that once shone for her.
Susan Redington Bobby
In honor of her mother who stitched in the palace orchard, Biancabella visits the place where her mother once pricked her finger and made a wish. Her heart’s desire was to be granted a lovely daughter with skin as white as the fragrant snowdrops at her feet, hair as black as the friendly raven who perched above, and lips as red as the crisp apples that hung from the branches around her.
Dressed to celebrate her birthday in a stunning
robin’s egg blue gown trimmed with royal purple and embellished with fine ribbons and lace, she holds the last apple of the season aloft, admiring its succulent scent, wondering if it possesses the power to bring her a true love in spring.
Susan Redington Bobby