And some new jewellery....

A rainy day, what's a girl to do?  I made some jewellery.

Why are Thursdays so long but Sundays so short?  

It's been raining, perhaps in some sort of attempt to make Sunday seem longer.  We even had thunder and lightning yesterday - one of those weekends with all sorts of weather, but none of it for very long.

I've been making some jewellery this week, some bigger statement pieces, as well as simpler pendants using images from my vintage French postcards.  

I've also been drawing some new fish, which are coming along rather well. If you've just joined us, these are fish drawn on vintage navigation charts.

 










And there are some interesting other projects which must stay hush hush for now...but all shall become clear very soon.

One of the wonders of the recently rearranged back veranda, apart from the marvellously spacious feeling, is that I actually have some space to work, so I spent a very short time on minor repairs to the recently acquired sun lounger, but a very, very, long time extracting a glass dome from an old light fitting.  The lounger took about 15 minutes and a drill, the dome a screwdriver, a can of CRC, a hammer, a wrench, a set of pliers, an hour and a lot of muttered bad language.  (I would have said it out loud but there was only the dog to hear.)  

And then I forgot to take a photo.  I still have to remove a lot of rubbery gunk from around the base of the dome, but they really made those light fittings to hang together (pun intended).  By the time it was done I'd forgotten what I wanted to use it for. Perhaps by the time I've removed the gunk and taken a photo I will have remembered.

I've also cleaned up the second of the veggie beds, and planted some never fail parsnips - or so says the friend who gave me the seeds.  So for nothing much is happening, but I only planted them a couple of days ago.  The strawberries are strawberrying, the spinach is spinaching, and you can guess what the rhubarb is doing. Bit of warmer weather and rain and the grass is knee high before you know it.

Oh- and I pruned the pooch and brushed him to within a inch of his life. He looks as though he's been used in interesting static electricity experiments, but at least I can make eye contact now.

 

 

rhinestones, bluebirds and how the stars move across the sky

I'm exhausted.  The girlchild has a school ball this weekend and every mother of a similar aged daughter wears the same hagged look.  We hemorrhage money. Dress, hair, hair extensions, eyelashes, shoes, nails, makeup, jewellery, more is not enough.  At 7pm this Saturday we retire to our virtuous couches (possibly clutching a bottle of gin) and relax.  Finally. 

I've been working on some models, for which I finally accumulated the bits needed for completion. I still have a star-ship under construction, as soon as I have an hour or so to myself it too will be done.  My star-ships are my version of how the stars move around in the sky - some have several stars, others massive infrastructure to support a single star. 
 
Once the models are complete, it's time to start on jewellery again.  The kitchen table is already overwhelmed as I'm sorting out what I have from what I need, and enjoying the randomness of putting things together and finding that they work.  I spent almost an hour last night untangling metres of chain.  The enamel bluebird earring finally turned up - I knew it was here somewhere.  I found trays of rhinestone jewellery, completely overlooked in a drawer. Some very nice sterling silver and marcasite. It's all looking very very shiny. 
I found a badge/button making machine yesterday on my travels - I'm thinking fridge magnets - who can say?  Note to self: read instruction book. Today, in a mid-week surprise inspection of the opshops I found a cute little box with lovely old (blank) cards for recipes - the colour and texture of the blank cards is just beautiful. Now, I need some tiny old bottles for a project which is starting to take place.  And I'm developing some definite plans for the giant plywood pterodactyl skeleton which has adorned the kitchen for the last two years.  You never know when you'll need one of those.


News just in... I hear that hair scrunchies are making a comeback - from the nineties.  Wasn't that only yesterday? Is it just me or is time speeding up?

bright shiny things

This baby came from a garage sale last year for $1. Seems very very happy on the front verandah and loves a soak in a bucket of water about once a month.

Spent quite a lot of time veging on the front verandah last week, consuming George VI (see previous posts) and a cracking good read it was too. A summer breeze, a sunny day, a tidy garden.
Oh, the serenity!

The bench from last week has been popped under the twisty willow and looks rather nice I think. There is a new side fence which changes the micro climate - ie, stops the sandblasting effect of the wind, at least in part. The agapanthus are blooming, new groundcovers various are starting to do their thing and all is good.

I like the way the ancient bedhead is settling into the garden too. Love that twisty willow!

The girlchild returned from her beachside idyll, suntanned and pretty darned happy. Seems like a continuous party was enjoyed by all. The boy/manchild returned to his cave clutching newly painted Warhammer and I now know far more about painting Space Marines than the average mother.

Next stop, the new school year. Last one!

I spent the weekend among the bright and shiny - the next market is not till Easter but one needs to make a start somewhere.

Summer Street 2010

Phew, big day, start of a biiig weekend. Here are some early photos of stuff: