Caught this picture on a walk, I love the sun on the water, it was a cold but bright morning.  I have taken to walking now insead of running as I am so tired due to sleep deprivation.  It has been going on for a few months so hopefully the tide will turn soon, I think it is hormone related but not totally sure, a visit to the doctor might be next if nothing changes soon.


I found my camera, it was just lying there waiting for me as these things normally are when you lose them!

Thursday 26th May 2011

Happy to report new bread machine is great.

I haven't ranted about the lawn mower yet, have I?  It broke (yes we have had a succession of break downs recently, think I am next or it feels like that), and as it is a ride on we needed the repair man to pick it up.  That took 2 weeks and it is still with him, 4 weeks later.  As you can imagine the grass is quite long now and we do have a lot of it.  It normally takes about 2 hours to cut anyway in normal circumstances.

I seemed to have mislaid my camera so I cannot upload any images that could help you to understand better what I am going on about but never mind I am sure it will turn up.  I also have a picture of the hash tag and peridot earrings that I was commissioned to make.  They drove me crazy, so small, 1mm and 2mm pieces of 1.2mm thick silver that I had to make in to hash tags and then I had to set some small peridots in them ................ nothing more to say!

Hopefully I will find my camera and show you the results.

I have a full day today, more jewellery to make, cleaning, food shopping etc so need to get on.

Writing my blog when I should be off to work ............

I have applied to exhibit some jewellery in the Platform Gallery Clitheroe, part of their Open Craft Exhibition this summer.  Hopefully I will hear from them!

I have finally managed to start a commission for Liz who owns the Flower Bank in Hornby.  She has had a faceted aqua marine stone for many, many years, tucked away in a box and she has finally decided to so something with it.  I recently made a ring for her daughter  which she loved and I think it prompted her to do something with her aqua marine.  As she has had it for about 25 years I don't think there is a rush but I like to get on with things once I have been commissioned.

We went to see Dylan Moran last night at the Opera House, Blackpool.  He was great, not laugh out loud to me but very humorous rants.

I think I have mentioned that my bread machine gave up the ghost about 2 weeks ago.  I have made a loaf every week for years with the machine that my mother in law bought me (she was good at giving my domestic appliances for birthdays and Christmases, some of which I was glad about).  Well I finally received my new one from Morphy Richards.  Of course my old one had been discontinued so I got an equivalent one, basic but I only use it to mix and rise the dough in.  I take it out and beat it up and get it to rise again and bake it in the oven, I don't like the shape of the machine ones.  Anyway I have prepped it as instructed and this Sunday will be its first session so I will report how it goes .... life is just so exciting sometimes.  The point of this being that Morphy Richards gave me a great deal on it, I looked at their website and then phoned them up.  As I had already owned a MR product I got a good discount but even if I hadn't they would have done a good deal, always phone them up before you buy and try haggling, you have nothing to lose.

Added this image as my blog seemed word heavy ..... random image of part of my pond that is overgrown with weeds but has quite a lot of wildlife hiding in it so I am loathe to do anything about it.

Now off to work in Issac's Jewellers, should have left 10 minutes ago .....

Surprise

My friend gave me some wooden beads ages ago, it was a necklace that had broken.  I have intermittently made a few bits and pieces from it and sent it off to her.  I finally used them all up last week by making a long necklace from belcher chain and the wooden beads.  I put a stone piece at the bottom of it which came from a beach  in Escubells in Ibiza where we stayed last summer at her house.  I posted it off to her so it was a complete surprise and she loved it.

Sunday 15th May 2011

I have started my new job working in a jewellers.  I haven't done any repair or jewellery work yet but I have sold some diamond rings!  I really love it so I hope it continues, its a great atmosphere, great people, there is a lot of scope for developing the business so I hope we can do lots more things there.

My other part time job has been put on hold for a month as there is not a lot of work at the moment but it has come at a good time because of my new job.  I also have a few orders to do so it gives me time to get on with that.

Had a wander around the garden the other day and saw the baby water hens which I haven't spied so far this year.  They are very shy and hide in the reeds and weeds in the pond as soon as they hear you.

I also wandered in to the woods where the kids spent many a hour playing when they were younger, the netting and the big chunks of log we sat on were still there, came over all nostalgic.

 Lots of bluebells as well

Maybe I will make them have a picnic up there when the rain stops before they totally refuse to spend time with me or leave home!

Plant pots

I planted my pot plants for this year last week and they have had a great watering over the last few days.

I have done 4 hanging baskets and several pots to scatter around the back of the house.  We have lots and lots of grass but no flowers as I am not a gardener (sorry Gramps, he was a market gardener and worked for the mammoth onion people).

Some of the pots which I have bought over the last few years have cracked in the snow and frost but some are still usable and look quite good.

I will take more images and show you the progress of them.  I have 2 cherry tomato plants and some strawberries as well as marigolds, geraniums, ageratum's and petunias .............

I have to get on with some earrings today and I have ordered some recycled silver so next week I can make some new designs.  I am doing my 'trial day' tomorrow at the jewellers so hopefully that will go well and lead to a part time job.

At the weekend I read an article in the Culture magazine of the Sunday Times on a bright new writer called Jenn Ashworth from Preston.  I did a blogging day with her last year which prompted me to start blogging so I feel quite honoured.  She has had 2 books published called A Cold Light and A Kind of Intimacy and is being compared to Ruth Rendell.   Well done to her. 

Birthdays .......

How great is this?
Daughter's birthday yesterday.  I did a surprise dinner party for her and 6 of her friends.  She had no idea and it was brilliant.  She thought everyone would be busy revising so decided to put her birthday celebrations on hold until after her exams.  It was great, they had lots of fun playing the sophisticated 17 yr olds ........

Table for 7 please .........

 Blowing and chasing bubbles ..... grown up entertainment!

Wednesday (interview day, sshh)

Had a great run this morning, just the right weather, a bit of a chill but bright sunshine, not too hot ....

http://www.girlsguidehq.com/events.html

I have donated the above piece to a Swish for Victory on May 26th at Colne. It is supporting Women's Aid, a domestic violence charity, click on above link for further details.  It is a Broken but Mended Heart, hope they like it and it helps raise funds.

May Day

Happy Birthday to my niece for today.

Busy week.  I did a Farmers Market yesterday at Hornby Institute which was great fun.  It was a good atmosphere, very small but the first one so hopefully it will grow.  I sold a few pieces and did some good promotion locally.

The Scarecrow Festival is still going on.  We went to the Scarecrow Parade and hog roast on Friday night.  Very cold but really enjoyed it.

We are off to the Ball Race today so my daughter can film it for her film of the whole week.

Tomorrow is the Fair Day, lots happening and hopefully we will bbq in the evening if the weather holds out.

Hope everyone has been enjoying these Bank holidays ..........