This Week 30th June 2012

I'm enjoying this new habit of rounding up the week - looking through it and picking out the best bits, and this week has surely had some high spots!
1.  I'm enjoying finishing some work that's been hanging around waiting for my final design decisions - these chakra lotus flowers are almost there - just the clasps and final sizing adjustments to be made and they will be ready to have their portraits taken and enter the world.

There's a Turquoise based Chakra Lotus Flowers Bracelet here and one entirely in "Fire" colours

2.  There's something very luxurious about being able to tidy up - laying things out, touching them and dreaming of what they might become.  I've always had a love of touchstones and amulets - perhaps that's where this drifting and sifting might take me?  I find the sight of a tray of ordered glass so seductive!

Where are the hot colours?  On the bench being used!

3.  I've really enjoyed going down the Pinterest rabbit hole this week, following this train of thought that's been lurking.  I'm always quite happy with my own company and have enjoyed the clear mind space to play...

Enjoying being a hermit this week

4.  On the other hand, I loved our Matariki/midwinter feast at Ratanui Lodge last Saturday night.  The beautiful group of women I walk with in the mornings and their partners got together for an evening of delicious food, scrummy wines, elegant surroundings, superb service and the very  best of company.  Thanks guys, you do it so well!

The Lodge is full of the most elegant antiques

This was the dessert table - for after we had eaten our rich little Christmas puddings!

 

5.  It's wonderful to have all my walking friends home from their travels and a treat to hear the stories they brought back.

I hope your week has been wonderful too!  Spare five minutes to think about the best bits - it makes the world a happier place.

Autumn Cleanup

There's something about domestic chores - they make me feel really settled sometimes.  When I'm in the mood, that is!  A friend of mind suggested that I post some pictures of the tools of my craft on Pinterest, so I played around with that thought for a while...  The trouble was, my bench was in such a shockingly messy state that I couldn't photograph any single thing with it like that!

Before

 So, reluctantly, it was time for a clean up.

I started by taking all the short ends of glass that need to be used up (did I tell you I never waste glass?) and sorting them out...there are all sorts of "treasures" in here from silvered ivory stringers, twisties, encased canes...

Then I took all the longer lengths and laid them out in another place...  There are THAT MANY??  REALLY?  I suppose I should sort these and use them up - sometimes I threaten myself with not allowing me to take a new rod till all of the old ones are used up..

.  

YEAH RIGHT!

Then I had all this clear space so I laid out the tools that were also in that same spot...

So, here we have them - this is what I use most of the time, though there are a couple in there that I hardly ever use, and there's a set of brass picks that aren't in this shot that I use all the time, too.

So then it was time for a cup of tea and a quick bead or two before I headed home.

and after....

I have to say that once I relaxed into it I quite enjoyed the process and now I feel quite super charged and ready to make another mess ;).

I need to find a new container for my hot tools, though...somehow the plastic box doesn't quite cut it.

Perhaps I should make a regular practice of taking photos of my work areas so I am forced to tidy up.

OUT WITH THE OLD AND IN WITH THE NEW!!!