Another Play Day!

Not sure where the time has gone.  I haven't been creating much but I have been busy, don't ask me what with though.  I think part of the problem is that Spring finally arrived.  Little bits of gardening need doing and then, of course there are the moments just sitting in the sun and enjoying it all. Those moments can easily stretch into a fair amount of time!  And why not?  We've been waiting too long for a drop of Vitamin D.  Speaking of which I finally had the news this week that I am still low on iron but I'm just out of being anaemic.  Perhaps the sun has helped there, it certainly lifts the spirits.

My studio is now tidy!!! I can find things.  And I have found things I forgot I had and can now put to use.  I have sorted a couple of other cupboards around the house and have put some of the more rarely used items away so freeing up other space.  I don't feel as though I'm drowning anymore and it's wonderful.

Last Friday Elsa and I went to the Creative Crafts show at Shepton Mallett and had a lovely day. We saw lots, bought a little and inspired the mind.  One item I did buy was a wheeled cupboard that has six 4 litre Really Useful boxes in and it's just right for the majority of my hand threads I was having trouble sorting before.  I can have it out next to my work area and not have to cover the desk with the boxes from the cupboard.  It was quite cheap as it was a strange colour.  I'm not worried about the colour, the size and functionality were what sold it to me.

On the top you can see a book I won, Tray Dying, from Marian at Textile Snippets.  I really must do some more of my own fabrics and this should inspire me! Thank you Marion!

Yesterday I had another play day   This time I took Hilary over to Carol's studio, (links in the last post), where we met Debbie Rijns who was over from South Africa and staying with Carol.  She had brought some ostrich eggs over with her for us to play with.

These are my two and a shard. (I finally re covered my ironing mat with calico, it almost looks too clean to use now. I re drew the inch grid.)

This one I had started to add to after gilding, the plain gold I wanted to work further into before adding my own beads so I saved that one for home.  We made some copper metal clay parts that Carol fired while we fiddled around with other bits.  I've placed a porcupine quill though the centre and it's held with my copper clay and bolts as you can see.  It still needs a lot of additions  and refinements, I'm going to look through my own stash of beads and see what calls to it.

Debbie brought some amazing pieces over with her for us to use and there were some to buy as well.  These are a few of the beads made in South Africa.  The larger ones are rolled paper.

A couple of brushes she finds in a Chinese market over there and lots of very old snake vertebrae. Not every ones taste I know but I think they're great. 

A lovely lampwork vial I intend to put some metal with but it's just so lovely to look at for now, a tiny wooden bowl turned by Debbie's husband and some of the leftover pieces of metal clay I made into torn shards.  I love the post fired colours of the copper! 

My head feels like it's full of lemonade it's so popping with ideas from yesterday.  I think I need to make some notes before I lose them all.

Have a great weekend whatever you're doing.

.