A pocketful of conkers

Due to some of the heaviest rainstorms we've had for some time, I've not been getting out much during the day for a walk - I start off my day fully intending to, but dark clouds always seem to know when you need or want to be outside and gather accordingly. We had to cut our walk short last Sunday as the heavens opened in a spectacular deluge.

Please click on any of the photographs for a larger view.

There was clear evidence of recent heavy storms, this mature tree had fallen and done damage to the wall and pavement beneath.

It always happened doing the school run - it's a known scientific fact that weather worsens as school home time approaches - and you can get very wet walking almost a mile in a downpour. The same force seems to ensure that we have lousy weekend weather and glorious Mondays.

The last hard winter has given rise to a bumper crop of berries and fruits, these are perhaps the biggest hawthorn berries I've ever seen, they were like cherries.

I desperately had the need for some fresh air yesterday so decided, as soon as we had a spell of better weather, to just drop what I was doing, put my boots on and grab the camera and what might be a short-lived opportunity. I decided that the break and fresh air would probably do more good than me battling on working. I actually had assorted thinking to do, but didn't even manage that, I just pottered, taking photos, gawping at the scenery and with a largely empty head. Sometimes that's just what you need; a bit of mental inactivity can be deceptively productive.

There was a distinctly late-summer feel to the vegetation with everything bursting into seed and fruit.

I must admit that I do get a tad bored of doing the same walks, it's times like this that I regret not having a car (I'd have to learn to drive first too) and being able to take myself a little further afield, but I also want to walk where I feel safe and comfortable and I do at least have some open countryside within walking distance of my door, so I can't really complain.

I've always had a bit of a fixation with this old gatepost and others like it. I worry that one day it will be gone and replaced with something modern, boring looking and utilitarian.

I normally don't venture down this route alone, as it's very quiet (and I'm a pussy), but it just looked - and sounded - too tempting.

I usually stick to known routes on my own that are fairly public and near houses and roads, but the dappled sunshine through the trees and accompanying birdsong tempted me to walk the circular route through the two adjacent villages. It's much quieter than my usual route and I normally only do it with other people, but it looked that bit more attractive than returning and seeing the same things.


I'm glad that I did, it was the perfect day for it and I was treated to sunlight filtering through the trees (it wasn't always sunny, it left me a few times and was alarmingly dark to the north), undisturbed fallen conkers to stuff in my pockets and was serenaded by the woodland birds and very little else.

I live in an area that is a combination of industrial and greenbelt - often directly adjoining each other and even where it's now quiet and no longer worked, the signs of the Victorian heritage are very evident. Even though I've shown the prettiest parts of the route, I also have to walk along a main road and through industrial yards to be able to enjoy the nicer green bits.

It was however somewhat breezy, so some of my photographs suffered for it, but you really can't beat coming home with rosy cheeks, wind-tousled hair, muddy boots and pocketfuls of conkers!

I don't think I've ever actually seen a conker fall from a tree, they just appear on the ground, but one of these blighters actually got me hard on the bonce whilst I was gathering others. I did look up sharply, half expecting to see an irritated squirrel taking aim with another.

Fungi and Blackpool Illuminations - it must be autumn

I don't have a particular theme to this post, but I've accumulated a few photographs, so it will end up a bit random.

Further to an earlier post about trees starting to change, it's become evident that autumn is well and truly here now - the weather has been appalling for a week and I have the heating on as I type. My garden, which never truly flourished this 'summer', is looking distinctly end-of-the-season and the torrential rain today won't have done anything to improve that.

Please click on any of the photographs for a larger view.

We went for a walk through some of our favourite woodland recently and there were many clusters of fungi at the bases of trees, a sure sign of autumn approaching. I certainly like autumn well enough, what I don't like is when it arrives before you feel ready for it - when you don't feel done with summer yet. Once it's evident that autumn is here to stay, then I'm as happy with it as any season - it certainly preferable to winter - although that has its merits too.

I liked the abstract of this view with the assorted curves and vertical lines. The photograph makes it look a little more cheerful than it was in reality - the sky was black and threatening and it was positively breezy. It was about here that it started raining.

We also had a trip to Blackpool this last weekend - it's the area we both hail from and were over visiting family. As it had been a better day than forecast, we decided to get a walk along the Prom between dinner and coffee whilst we had the chance. The sky wasn't quite as cheerful when we got there as it had looked from the window and whilst the temperature was just nice for walking in shirt sleeves - it was soon raining and we did get a little damp.

Even from a distance, you can hear the riders of the Big One scream (and the brave ones raise their arms aloft) as it drops from the highest peak.

The scenes along the Prom further reinforced the autumnal feel as the Illuminations were switched on a couple of days earlier - an event that signals the end of summer, going back to school and nights drawing in.

I do like how they've improved the Prom (and are still working on it) - at least at the South Shore end where we usually walk - there are frequent large art and sculpture installations, wide flat, safe areas to walk with plentiful seats, even some under cover for days just like this. See my earlier blog with photographs of the sculpture by Peter Blake.

"They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" - Blackpool's record breaking glitterball with 45, 000 individual mirror tiles. Named after Sydney Pollack's 1969 film about a dance marathon.

Last time we walked this section, this particular item was missing whilst it underwent refurbishment. It's the largest glitterball in the world, tipping the nod to the ballroom dancing heritage of Blackpool. It's called "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" and features 45, 000 individual mirrors. It turns gently and the scene and sky around it are reflected as a glittering mosaic from the surface - although I'm sure it works much better with a more interesting sky.

My work this week:

Over the last week or so, I've finished a number of pieces and am just working my way through a mountain of photographs of them so that I can get them listed in the next couple of days.

The earrings above and the bracelet below are made from the same basic chain link structure. I'd had a gold chain that I wore until it got so thin that a link snapped and it wasn't worth even trying to repair - every link was hanging by a mere thread of gold and it's now been scrapped in - possibly for more than I paid for it.

It had an unusual alternating link design that looked like a knot between the links and I wondered if I could mimic something similar and had a bash - but from memory! When I'd done and actually went to get the chain out to compare it, my version was less like the original than I'd expected, but I'm really happy with how it did turn out and I'm sure it will soon become a favourite to make - it's fun to do, although a bit hard on the fingers. I thought that the long earrings, with their circular joining link had rather an Arts and Crafts feel to the design, with the long elegant shapes so typical of that design movement.


Further to previously posted Sterling silver nugget single piece earrings, I wanted to try making an articulated pair that would move a little more. These are quite large molten nuggets, soldered with a little loop on the back which in turn hangs from an earwire. I also made some much larger single piece nugget earrings and a very large molten nugget pendant - which is already proving tricky to photograph well.

A pair of earrings featuring fully oxed copper ovals, wire wrapped with dangles of turquoise magnesite.

Beaded beads - trying something new

Further to comments I'd posted earlier about launching my 'Credit Cruncher' range of less expensive items, I have been giving some thought to designs to utilise some of my stash of beads. Many of the things I bought in the early days as I tried different techniques in my hunger to learn as much as possible, were no longer suitable for the style of work I'm currently doing.

I seem to have stashed quite a lot of seed beads - largely to use as small spacers and the like in other designs, but I'd also tinkered with some modest bead weaving. Bead weaving is one of those jewellery making techniques that I love to see and am attracted to the work and can see the skill and value in, but think I'm perhaps short on the right sort of patience to do more intricate work myself.

My first attempt, was the middle one here - intended as a netted surround to a single larger centre bead. When I say my first attempt, it was actually my second, the fist one was rather over-estimated on the size of the beads and would have covered a golf ball! I simply didn't have any beads that big.

But I had the idea that making some larger beads from the smaller beads I have already might give me a range of less expensive earrings to market, especially with an eye to the holiday and party season ahead - I known {{{shudder}}}.

I was given a book of beaded designs for a Christmas or birthday gift in the recent past and this had several beaded bead tutorials to follow. I've opened this book on several occasions with a needle in my hand and never progressed very far with them - they look like they should be simple enough to follow, but the techniques are outlined more like a knitting or embroidery pattern with colour coded charts. After another frustrating session with it yesterday, I just decided that the fault in not grasping it wasn't entirely mine, but the patters were simply poorly described. At least for the way my mind works. I've since found others that I could follow straight away.

The faceted gold beads in this front beaded bead are Murano glass bought for me in Venice. They're made on a square mandrel over silver, so they're very sparkly.

I hit my bookmarks and re-visited some sites I knew had tutorials (some as videos) and even after scribbling down some very incomprehensible-looking notes, I was much more able to follow these than the initial book and was soon on my way with some designs.

I also decided pretty quickly that there were things about these designs that I thought I'd prefer doing differently, so once I'd grasped a few techniques, I pretty much did my own thing and have made my own notes so that I can come back to it later.

It's always amazing to me how much you learn - and how quickly - from trying something new like this. You quickly find shortcomings in the instructions and think there are better ways of doing things - hark at me like I'm an expert.

Once I'd made some larger netted beads, it was clear they were too large for earrings, so I set about adapting the technique to make something smaller using only one row of main beads - in this case, satin finish glass pearls with seed beads and more Murano seeds as the accents. This design ended up pretty much my own invention.

Swarovski crystal pearls with black seed beads.

For example, the instructions I followed for the netted beads above instructed to keep the thread taut and keep good tension. It became evident pretty quickly, that trying to keep it taut with your fingers as you worked (which in itself was like trying to plait fog) simply gave rise to too loose a bead, so I simply repeated each stitched round as I went along, doubling the thread, so that the tension was much more consistent and gave a nicer result - my first attempts look okay, but feel somewhat squishy and fluid to the touch, where later ones feel solid.

When selecting beads to work together, I thought I had some nice combinations, but when finished, they look rather less subtle than I was hoping for. Largely I think because the small beads are simply too large, they need to be really tiny. When teamed with some matching Swarovski crystals, they do make quite luxurious looking party bling. My husband said they looked like Jacobean jewels. I'm not sure the pale pink ones will progress, they're very pink.

I think with beads of this nature, any unnecessary movement between the beads will give rise to more wear on the threads and shorten their life. And doubling the thread is bound to give greater longevity to the bead too.

It also became evident pretty quickly, that the sort of seed beads I'd accumulated weren't really the right sort for the task - largely because they were far too big - I hadn't realised just how tiny some would need to be to give the right look. So I think my resulting beads lack some subtlety and would benefit from gentler colours and rather smaller beads for the netting - even though these seemed incredibly small to me - and my ageing eyes.

But it was an interesting departure from my usual work and nice to hone some different skills. I found making them to be totally therapeutic and addictive as you get totally absorbed in the rhythm of the rows and counting the beads. But I'm not sure that the resulting designs are going to end up as best sellers for me. I'll finish these items up (and the first two need to be re-made to make them tighter and more robust, not to mention I can see a few stray stitches) and see how they look as finished earrings. At the end of the day, what sells in my shops isn't necessarily what I could wear myself - I don't go to anything like enough parties for starters.

500 items - reason to celebrate!

Over the last couple of days I've reached a significant milestone in my on-line selling career - at least it feels that way to me - of 500 different items added to my own on-line shop.

I had been aware that I was approaching 490 items and the 500 was in my sights, then after a listing frenzy in an attempt to try and get myself straight, it almost passed unnoticed. These turquoise magnesite hammered teardrop loop earrings were the 500th item that I added.

It's true that a number of these are on the sold section, but it doesn't seem five minutes since I was struggling to get 30 or so items on there so that I could finally launch the shop - I figured that was the absolute minimum items to look like I meant business - I think I finally went public with something like 45 items.

At the time it seemed like an insurmountable task. I had to get to grips with my cart system, settle on a decent method of taking my photographs, pricing, measuring and a writing descriptions. It took an age in itself just to settle on the cart system to use, as there weren't so many options readily available as there are now - and I was on a limited budget and it had to be something I could set up, personalise and manage myself. It seemed to take a very long time for it all to come together in those early days and I almost gave up before I even got going.

It is so much easier today - although the time it all takes doesn't seem to diminish that much with experience. I constantly hone my methods in an effort to shave a few seconds off tasks here and there. I know that I work significantly more efficiently than I did in times gone by, but it's still nowhere near as much fun as making the items themselves.

I could do with a tech-savvy minion who would accept payment in hugs or metal scrap to do it for me, but despite leaving items to be photographed out overnight next to the camera, I've never seen any evidence of elves offering assistance, unfortunately.

Sale to celebrate:

So to celebrate and in conjunction with the forthcoming Bank Holiday weekend here in the UK, I'm holding a sale in both my own on-line shop and on Etsy, offering 15% discount on everything in the shops. On my site, the 15% is deducted automatically, but on Etsy, use Coupon Code CELEBRATE500. The sale lasts until 07:00am on Tuesday 30th August.

As if that isn't enough - necklace giveaway draw:

I'm also going to hold a giveaway draw for this oxidised copper and Sterling silver nugget pendant necklace. All you need to do to enter is complete this very simple form on my site. It is free to enter, but please read the very simple rules on the page before sending off your entry.

I'd be delighted if you'd enter the draw for the necklace - it's currently shown on a black PVC thong, but I'll make a necklace up for you to your requirements - you could have it on oxed copper chain or cotton if you prefer.

I wish you luck!

But it's only the middle of August

Anyone has read any of my blog previously will have figured out that I like to be outdoors and preferably amongst trees. If I had my own way, I'd live like a hermit in a log cabin in woodland, spending my time as a camera and jewellery making bum without having to worry about paying the bills.

Please click on any of the photographs for a larger view.

I'll grant you, you were pretty well hidden there amongst the long grasses, but I did spot you!

I'd be quite happy to live the simple life, I don't need clothes shops or restaurants and night clubs, I'd be pretty happy to have fresh air, peace and quiet and would even be prepared to grow and manage much of my own food. People talk of the 'Champagne lifestyle' if you won the lottery. What I'd buy would be solitude. I'd buy the biggest tract of land I could afford and plonk a nice house in the middle of it. I think I'd quite like to be reasonably comfortable - I'd need a hot shower and broadband connection, but I wouldn't need gold taps or marble floors.

Come on, play fair, we haven't even had a summer yet!

Even the leaves that are outwardly green, are starting to turn and the green is becoming more golden.

Both of us work pretty darned hard and often very long hours and it becomes very important to us to get outside - either at the weekend or in an evening. So whenever weather is suitable - and often when it's not - and we have the briefest of opportunities, we abandon chores and head outside. Thankfully, we don't really have to go far, we have several nice places to walk within a ten minute drive, so come the weekend, we grab walking boots and waterproofs, camera and walking pole and head out.

A significant amount of the bracken is already turning - not just the odd dead leaf, but great patches of it.

We did one of our usual weekend routes at lunchtime today and I was astonished at how many trees were already turning to their autumnal display - many trees were both dropping leaves and turning colour - is it me, or does this seem to happen earlier every year?

I'm sure in the past, you wouldn't see any golden leaves until well into September. It's simply not fair, we haven't even had a summer yet! Summer never seems to have even got going this year and here we are, already tramping over scrunchy dried leaves and feeling a bite of chill in the air.

I certainly like autumn well enough - but what I don't like is how it sneaks up on you whilst you're still contemplating summer and don't feel ready for it to appear yet. We didn't get a summer propper, so maybe we'll get an Indian Summer?