A Memory Tree

This month two years ago a friend of our family's passed away.

We didn't know him all that well, but he was a good friend and mentor to Number One Son, especially during his university years.  I think that if we had known him for longer we would have become life-long friends.

He was a gardener, so when he passed we planted a tree for him, and now every August it blooms beautifully in our garden.  It's small yet, but really is becoming stunning!

I can't count how many trees I have planted as memorials for people and pets.  Past and present gardens are full of trees and shrubs with sweet memories.

We raise a cup of British tea to Ray.

This Week 21st July 2012

I've been rushing around like a mad chook towards the end of this week - why is it that our lives get so "busy"?  Do we fill it up with more and more  of the little stuff so we can feel like we are living a full life?

I've had dramas with a sick wee cat this weekend and had a mercy dash over the hill to our favourite veterinary hospital in Nelson.  That's the trouble with having been a vet nurse for a few years (in another life) - I know enough to know that I know very little.  Miss illy has problems with her one remaining eye - we have our fingers crossed that she will be OK.

Before all of this happened I was counting my blessings for the week - for some reason I've been noticing the physicality of my daily life - what makes me feel good and trying to practice that.

1.  I've come to realise that yoga is a very important part of my well-ness regime.  I've always enjoyed informal yoga and used to do a class which I loved with a local guy.  No-one since has been able to replicate that calm experience till I found out about a woman called Shiva Rea through my friend Andrea Schroeder - creativity goddess at ABCcreativity.  I have the DVD Shiva Rea : Daily Energy - Vinyasa Flow Yoga which I have used so much that I must have almost worn it out!  I love the format of selecting an opening salute/warmup, a 20 minute session, then an entry into post practice meditation. 

You can also do longer sessions, but I find that I mostly use the half hour routines.  I have also bought her Flow Yoga for Beginners to check out my postures so I know that I'm getting the maximum benefit from the stretches and not doing any harm to my body.  I gather that lots of lampworkers have issues with sore bodies brought on by the intensity of the work, and I'm so grateful that I have learnt how to deal with this.
2.  I've always enjoyed gardening, and used to do dainty stuff with a small fork at other places we have lived and was quite overwhelmed when we first moved here with the sheer scale and energy required to tame this wilderness.  However, I've come to realise that gardening here has become another important part of my exercise and well-ness regime.  "Every cloud..." as they say... Today I have aching hamstrings and a huge ivy hedge mulched and in the trailer ready to go to the landfill.  Look at the gorgeous little stone wall we found underneath all that rampant growth!  We had no idea that little treasure was there!

I'm working towards having a small rose garden and I'm picturing a lavender hedge against these stones.  Look at all that ivy still clinging to the fence!
3.  I'm really trying to look backwards at all we have achieved since we have been here, and not forward to the work yet to be done.  Pulling this property into shape is a huge project and it will be so worthwhile - the location is simply stunning!
4. Today I am playing in my newly located office - I have moved into the sun and the view - I can see the ocean out one large window and the trees from the smaller side window.  What a difference that makes!  I don't know why I didn't do this years ago!  Now I make excuses to come and sit here, rather than trying to move my laptop all over the place in an effort to find some sun!  Sitting beside me I have a lovely little collection of glass earrings and a crystal necklace to put on the website soon.

I hope your week has gone well - have you thought about what has made you smile lately?

Follow the link to take a look at some other inspiring weeks through Liv Lane's Bliss List Links.

P.S. - It's the last week of the Website Sale - pop over and take a look - you get 20% discount on absolutely everything by entering the code BUYBEADS in the coupon code box till the 31st July!

This Week 6th July 2012

How was your week?  It seems that Mother Nature has been busy creating havoc in lots of parts of the world, with storms and bushfires in the United States and floods in Australia.  I hope you were all safe.

1.   Just apropos of nothing I got an envelope full of love and glitter from one of my sisters!  A hug in the post!  Photographing the envelope, complete with its stamp made me think how little we use the regular postal service these days, but how very special it is to get really personal mail.  I have made a “note to self” (a regular occurrence) to send more personal mail!

2.      I’m excited about the Website Sale – I’m offering 20% discount on absolutely everything on my website – it’s been fun to hear from old friends and new.  You have until the end of the month to shop, but it’s probably a good idea to get in before the pieces you have your eye on are gone.

      A little reminder of how to do it...Just sign up for my email newsletter on the "News" page , then select your pieces, proceed to the checkout and enter BUYBEADS in the discount code box.  Simple!

3.     I’ve finished some lovely work this week – I made the Chakra Lotus Flower Necklace and bracelets that I showed you earlier in the week, and I have finished a red and grey necklace for someone and am in the middle of the design process of another two necklaces for people – one orange and red and the other of brown based CanCans.  This is when I think I have the best job in the world!

 .4.  There has been the most amazing full moon this week.  I love a full moon – I know that some people find them unsettling, but I feel enlivened and in touch with the elements when the moon shows all her glory.

5.   I had a small brainstorming session this week with the fabulous local artist, Robin Slow.  I just love his work – he paints using kokowai (paints mixed from ground local stone used in traditional Maori art), soot and acrylic paint and his beautiful earthy toned artworks have a distinctly Maori flavor. 

Here’s a little taster, but if you want to see more go to www.kokowaiartist.co.nz

I’ve been looking at symbols, talismans and amulets lately and thinking about the things that are of my world and that I understand.  I learnt so much in that short time!

This is the symbol for Aroha - the Maori word for love

6.    The poinsettia plant that grows outside our bedroom window is flowering madly, despite being hacked down at ground level last summer because it scratches against the wall when it blows around.  It was planted as a pot plant after Christmas one year and just grew and grew, till now it becomes a large shrub every year.  I’m not a big fan of them, but how can you not love something so vigorous?

Inspired by Liv Lane's Bliss List.

This Week 16th June 2012

We're being bears this week and hibernating - there's been snow on the hills and a first for me, I had ice on the windscreen of my car this morning.  Yeah, I know, all you tough southerners and folk from cold winter climates are telling me to harden up!  Winter in Golden Bay is very mild and the beaches are looking truly spectacular!

I've had a great week - there's lots of creative juice flowing in the studio and into my journals.
1.  I was really inspired by a blog that I visited from Liv Lane's Weekly Little Bliss List Links (and for the life of me I can't remember where, the blogger's name or her blog name - apologies), who had entered a challenge to decorate one index card every day.  It got me thinking so I pulled out a wee notebook sent to me by my dear friend Kim and decided that I would fill in a page every day - just to remind myself to pick up a pen, paintbrush, whatever...and ink the page.  I'm enjoying the process...

2.  I bought myself a little treat this week from Healthpost - Royal Honey Nectar Moisturising Facelift.  This magic potion is made in a tiny area I lived in for 3 years called Tapawera - right up the top of the Motueka River Valley.  It's been developed by the local beekeper from bee venom and is apparently Botox in a jar.  Kate is reported to have used the Face Mask in preparation for THE wedding.  Anyhow, it's really nice to use - feels pretty natural and I can really feel my skin tighten up.  I put my normal moisturiser on over it.  However, no-one's commented that I look twenty years younger...yet :).

3.  We have a new venture in Golden Bay called Village Milk .  A local farmer is selling milk from his cows via a vending machine at his gate.  It's A2 unpasteurized - that means that the cows naturally produce milk with certain beneficial fats - they're checked fastidiously so the milk can be guaranteed healthy and can therefore be sold unpasteurized.  Read up more on their site if you're interested in the science of it - it's fascinating. It seems that lots of local people are as into authentic consumption as we are - it has become so popular that we often find a small queue at the vending machine.  It's lovely to see our alternative little community helping one another out with the technology of it too!  I met a friend there last night who recommended V8 juice bottles as the perfect receptacle - even better than the bottles available in the bottle vending machine - as we have.

Wild bird seed and dripping

Melt the dripping and add the seed.  Pour into plastic containers (so you can run a knife around them to release the pudding)

Put them out in the garden and watch the birds come from far and wide - it can take a little while for them to realise that it's there.

4.  I've been making "birdie puddings" this week.  I make them every year at this time for the poor wee birds who have so little to eat right now.  I figure it's my way of making up for the occasional victim of the fur babies.

5.  The Toy Boy - who has braved ice and snow to take the toys to The Nelson Market this morning - made me up a fresh batch of bead boards this week.  I'm so lucky to have his help with the little finishing touches.  Now all I have to do is stamp them all!

6.  This week I've been playing with red, black and grey - I  have three necklaces on the go in these colours and some pink Swarovski pearls combined with some silver and a transparent glass heart...and I've been working on a new version of the Chakra Beads...the studio is the cosiest place in town!

How about you?  Have you had a good week?  How about making a (mental or actual) list of six things that warmed your week...

20 Days to go...

...'till the shortest day.

Luculia Flowers in the garden - we need smell-o-cam!

It's already winter and I still haven't finished my autumn cleanup chores.
But it's a day for counting blessings...

I've been sorting through all of my bead stash for stocktaking and have put all of my gorgeous bead jars into the shop part of the workroom to sell from.  I get lots of people sharing their beading ideas with me and seeking my input and advice - there are lots of really creative people out there!

Part of the sorting out process has been labeling, pricing and coordinating all of the bits and pieces.  I'm almost finished with the Swarovski Crystals - just the last few jars to clean and labels to go.

I need to order another box of the little plastic jars so I can display the findings, too and get some hooks so I can hang little bags of findings up - if you're into fine detail this is fun for a while...

All of this means that the (lovely clean, tidy) bench has had little use in the past few days and I'm itching to get on with the business of melting glass.
 The last play I had was with plain clear class and white - I'm loving the crispness of the two together.

I felt a bit overwhelmed with winter and rote chores last week, but this week I'm loving winter - we've got into that part where it's freezing at night but we have glorious days.  Pure Golden Bay weather!

I'm enjoying wearing my Doc Martens again - these red ones are still my favourites.

The winter garden flowers are blooming - there's always a gap between the end of the autumn and true winter.  The winter sweet is making a whole corner by our bedroom simply radiate perfume - the flowers aren't much to look at the perfume has to be smelled to be believed!  The pink luculia has sprung its first flowers and they are always beautiful - they're another one we need smell-cam for!

In true colourful and vibrant Golden Bay style, this Saturday morning has been a blast!  We've had our monthly (weekly in summer) market here and there have been people dressed in fantabulous hats promoting their new theatre production, there's been a peaceful protest in the main street (it started outside our door ) against the use of 1080.  There's been music and buskers and all the usual locals hanging out and smiling together in the winter sunshine.
I think I really do live in paradise!

Found at the Bottom of the Garden

Flowers are inspirational for me.  And I also love bulbs - you plant these brown, boring looking lumps and a few months later, when there's nothing much else around, up come these little jewels.

These are little rock irises, and for some unknown reason, they remind me of feathers.

I would love to be able to reproduce these in glass!

Spring is here!

Just this week there are lots of wonderful signs that spring is here!

There are spring bulbs flowering, the magnolias, camellias and daphne are out and there is a sprinkling of calves and lambs about.

It's a beautiful day here - a day to be glad that you're alive.

I've been very involved in "busy work" lately - the days have been jam-packed and every minute seems to be accounted for a week in advance, so I did a terrible thing!

I took the day off!!!

Today I've planted the Christmas lilies, done a little cleaning, played with my camera, read my book in the sunshine...and not much else.

I was supposed to be somewhere else today, but I decided that I needed a quiet day at home - and it has been bliss!

I think that days off like mine should be compulsory on a monthly basis, and I may launch a petition...

I hope that you've enjoyed your day as much as I've enjoyed mine.