FULL MOON RISING

Yesterday, I felt like I was what I call "phycho", but the full moon was rising, last night it was at 95%.

I took this photo to prove that us Cancerians are affected by the MOON. I'd noticed the moon earlier and decided that was the reason for the wierd feelings I'd had. The photo is just to prove to myself that it was true. The pic never looks as good as the real thing but I'll get what was happening.

2011/09/09 LIAM IS ONE YEAR OLD TODAY.

Liam's Birthday party, 20110910.

The table setting for the guests.

The cake. Not quite what Joce expected but the cake was very tasty and Liam loved getting his fingers in. Photos to follow another day.

The King for the day at the head of the table. He behaved like a gentleman. Si would have been so proud. We're sure he was watching over Liam & Joce on this special day.

COLLECTING

I seem to be on this mission of collecting components for jewellery making. I can't resist buying some things every time I'm in a bead or craft shop. Have to stop, or I'll need to open a shop. My stash is getting ridiculous. What I'm not finding though, are unusual lamp work glass beads. I'm going to have to go on a search. I also want to order some sari silk. I'm so wary of ordering over the Internet. Must use Rich's Blue Bean card and get done with it.

I finished the brown button necklace, which was an order and have decided to let Denise choose which one she wants. The one in cream and brons was done a whole ago.

The choice of brown buttons.

The finished necklace.

Denise's choice.

Forget spring, we've gone straight into summer with temperatures of 30 degrees. Our spring/summer garden is poor. I never planted any bulbs or spring flowering annuals. All we've got is what came up from last year. I managed to pick some flowers for the vase.

I love daffodils and always buy them as soon as I see at the florists. I've tried rather unsuccessfully to grow daffodils, they grow but don't seem to want to flower. Here's my first spring purchase.

As I complained about before, it takes me ages to insert images. Becky sits by me patiently while I'm at the PC. Note that casual stance.

My section of the study. I'm told it's a disaster and when am I going to tidy up.

I have loads of disasters waiting to be sorted out. I'm totally lacking in the organised department at the moment. Not like me really, I was always so together, now I'm all over the place. Feel like I need to be a hermit. Or do we need a holiday, not a good day today.  Maybe I'll just read!!!!!!!!!!!

Isn't she just too beautiful. I've got three of this potters plates; goblets and an oil burner. I adore her plates and bowls featuring woman's faces. The faces seem to be saying something? She's hanging in the dining room near the vintage fishing rods and the Bass Richard caught fly fishing years ago.

ROUTINE OR NOT

I have no routine, no two days are alike, nor do I particularly like routine. It can become so boring doing the same thing, at the same time of each day. Joce is doing well and Liam is over his latest teething and rash.
Here's some jewellery I've recently made.

This necklace was made using one of the pendants bought from House of Beads. I used silver and brass metal chain, ceramic and glass beads.

 

Lindy, my sister gave me 3 strings of lovely shell beads for my birthday. When I have new beads, I'm not always immediately inspired. But I had to use the beads, so I made myself two pairs of earrings using the larger shell beads on silver plated earring hooks. I've showed the opposite side of each pair.

These I made for fun. I've had the porcelain fish for ever. The purchase of the palm tree charms was Joce's idea and the middle set I'd made before and given the earrings away as a gift.

As this design is much admired, I decided to make another one, using another different colourway. The first one was in blues and sat on the shelf for ages. Then I got an order for one in lilacs. This one looks lovely on. Subsequent to taking the pic, I added an extension chain, it gives one a choice of lengths.

I spied the yellow focal bead in one of those mixed packs from Beads Direct. I've teamed it with clear seed beads, a variety of glass beads and a lock and key pendant.

These pics have taken absolutely ages to insert. I have to find a way of speeding things up. I feel lessons on photo shop and around blogging, would help but have no idea where to go.

I've made up the orders for troll bead bracelets and have a strung button necklace to get completed, then I can get back to my designs.

The six polymer clay troll bead bracelets.

A close up of the stunning colours and patterns of the polymer clay troll beads.

BEADING MANIA

Joce has been asking me for ages to make bracelets that are not too elaborate on beading elastic. As I started out making elastic bracelets, I haven't been keen to do them. But, I have quite a lot of blingly lampwork glass beads and decided to make a serious of bracelets using these beads. The are for sale at R50 each. I called the range Venezia.                       

I love to buy mixed packets of glass beads. It's like a lucky packet. I find that the mixed packets that I buy from Beads Direct, always have two or three of these beads in the pack. I don't see them in other bead shops anymore, so perhaps they are not popular or too expensive to import and Beads Direct are just using up old stock. Anyway the, what I call lucky packets, are great fun. One gets some duds and some stunning and interesting beads in these packs.

These bracelets, went to work with Joce on Saturday the 27th. Plus there bracelet stock already at the salon, but nothing on elastic. Joce and I decided to cost these bracelets at R50 each. The other bracelets are R150 or R250. We were sure the R50 bracelets would go like hot cakes. To our surprise, not one sold. Joce did however sell R1,050 of the other bracelets. One in particular had been in stock for ages and I thought it would never sell. The last of these Venezia bracelets pictured here I've decided to keep for myself as it goes so well with so much. 

I've been working with the pendants that I bought at House of Beads, some time ago now. I've made necklaces with two of them and to the brooch, I've added the option of a clasp, so it can be worn on a chain or ribbon.

Liam has just woken from his morning sleep. He's not being well, he's teething and not having a good time.

More, hopefully tomorrow and I can record what I've done with the pendants. I've also got some repairs to do. And loads of ideas in my head.

ON AND ON

Sunday, not one of Joce's favourite days now. The memories of how Si and her spent Sunday mornings are still to fresh in her mind, but we'll muddle through.

It's 10H47 and I'm still in my pajamas. It's going to be much warmer today, up to 26 degrees Celsius. We started off at 10 so we're in for this big variances for a while. Just the weather to cause flu.

More pics of recent jewellery. I did it again, I made a bracelet for Carina, my sister in laws, daughter in law and promptly forgot to take a photo, AGAIN.

Promise

Maki

I always have so many thoughts in my head. My thoughts flow all the time, what to do today, will Joce cope as a single mother. Mary-Ann is pregnant again, Luc is 4 months old and Jude is not much over one. Will she cope, how will being a mother for the third time in three years affect her. Have to see Lindy to help her with wire wrapping. Hope Mom's okay, we worry that she's lonely but she says she enjoys being alone. Bronwen has been making the cutest crocheted toy animals, I have to let her know I've seen them. Also need to get back to Glyn re the Miglio pendant I want. So much! always.

I've tested the balance of my chakra's with the help of the questionnaire in "The Magic of Crystals Colour and Chakra".

There is quite a large disparity between the chakras, with my heart, sacral and crown sacral chakras being overburdened. I'm now reading up on how to get some balance. I feel sure that the health tweaks I'm having, will improve if I have more internal balance. Going to give it a try, as the thought of going to the doctor, only to be sent for tests is not appealing. I know that the breakdown I suffered in July 2009, was related to mental stress over a long period of time. The aches and pains I'm suffering now, can't only be attributed to old age. I don't have balance due to all the changes we are undergoing.

The basins in both our bathrooms are cracked. The basin  in the first bathroom finally gave in and a chunk fell out. Joce had the basin full of water at the time and was really confused when the water disappeared and she had a wet foot. We've bought a new aluminium basin but need to find a cabinet. We just don't seem to get the time to find one. Our microwave is packing up after more than twenty years of use, so Rich and I need to do some shopping soon.

Found this great quick meal in the "essentials" magazine, August issue.www.essentials.co.za

Use up a pack of bacon

Serves 6. Ready in 30 mins. 2 234 kJ per serving. 28g fat. 16g sat fat.

1 Heat the oven to 180 C. put 300g large of pasta shells and half a butternut, peeled and cut into small cubes, in a large saucepan of boiling water, until pasta is cooked and the butternut is tender. Drain well. Put 200g smoked bacon rashers, cut in half, and 1 onion roughly chopped, in a pan and dry-fry until bacon is cooked. Add 2 cloves of crushed garlic and 400g tin of chopped tomatoes, and heat through.

2 Combine the pasta and bacon and spoon into an oven dish. Top with 200g Teleggio or Brie and 200g blue cheese, both sliced. Cover with foil and bake for 10 mins. Remove foil and cook for a further 10 mins.

I didn't have the required cheeses, so I used grated mature cheddar and mozzarella. It was still great.

Okay on with the day, it's now 11h38.

TIME FLIES

It's about two weeks since I've last been here. Do I try to do too many things? I'm reading five books simultaneously:
Crush It - Gary Vaynerchuk
The Magic of Crystals Colour & Chakra - Lilly, Martin, de Winter, Hale
Sacred Contracts - Caroline Myss
Creative Mythology The Masks of God - Joseph Campbell
The Body Farm - Patricia Cornwell
I know this is not sane, how can one possibly read five books at once. I know, one can't. But I'm trying. No patience to finish one and start the next. I need to know everything all at once.

I've been making jewellery like crazy. I've moved my stuff to the dining room as Liam is still in the studio. I wasn't getting to make jewellery and I was becoming cantankerous, I was missing making jewellery.

So, first here is the photo of the Buddha with the Chicken by Michelle Penny. And then pics of the jewellery I've been making. I was so keen to send Joce off with eight of the bracelets that I forgot to photograph them and one got sold. The rest came home to be photographed. Well Liam has just woken up from his afternoon nap and is grizzly, he has a cold. I'll have to carry on later.

2011/08/19
This is the first chance I've to get on with this post. Can be quite frustrating, as one has all these thoughs in one's head and then you have a day's break. Anyway, such is my life at present.

Unless it's an order, or a gift, the jewellery is not made with anyone in mind. It's not even made for me. I just enjoy working with the beads and wire and seeing what transpires.

Buddha & Chicken

Bohemia

Red Sea - SOLD R250

Kashmir

Full Moon

More later, the pics are taking ages to download. I'm off to the hairdresser for a much needed haircut.

Dott

2011/08/20 Back again and still loading photos. Still not finished but I have to attend to chores. More later.

Flora

Watery

For Fun - SOLD R250

Spring Unlocked

Made for me

Daisy

Opulence

For Claire

Neptune - SOLD R250