Day 33 Vintage Market Flier

This may seem like a bit of a cheat; taking a photograph of a flier! I had planned to scan the flier but day 33 took a surprise turn meaning I forgot to take a photo until the last minute!

I will be selling my jewellery at the Vintage Market in Berwick this Saturday and now to tell you of the surprise.  R had to do a bit of painting rearranging so I went over to Paxton House on Monday morning with him planning to go to his folks' to do some drilling afterwards.  Whilst pottering in the Crossing Borders gallery some people came in and when I turned round it was my parents!  They live in Northern Ireland and decided to come on over to Scotland for a holiday and booked into the new caravan and camping club site at Paxton House.  A great surprise and lovely to see them!

Day 31 and 32 Weekend Break

At the weekend a friend came to stay and we had a day of beach frolics, ice cream and fish and chips followed by a say strolling around the festival madness in Edinburgh.

A splendid weekend catching up and relaxing ready for a week of preparing for the next fair for us and the start of the new teaching term for our guest.  On the Saturday the three of us collected a great collection of sea glass, we were on my 'earring' beach after all!

Day 29 and 30 From the Workroom

Day 29 some jewellery work on the go.  One of the little copper squares on the earrings still has some lettering from its former life as a water pipe, which is rather cool.  Am pleased with the sea foam bubbles ring and just creeping into shot is a pair of sea foam earrings like these.  All will be polished and available at the Vintage Market, The Maltings, Berwick upon Tweed this Saturday 27th August from 10am - 4pm.

Day 30 is a detail of one of R's paintings in progress.  I remember when he set up and photographed this still life and buying the squash back when it was autumnal and, yes, it's changing out there people!  For those of you in the area R will be at the Wool Festival in Coldstream this Saturday with an array of prints and cards of loveliness!  


I have just had to renumber the my photograph numbers as, a quick computer tidy has shown me I am missing three days of photographs.  I am searching through to work out where they have gone and have a feeling I may have borrowed R's camera and said photos may be gone, meh, never mind, plenty more to come!

Day 27 and 28

 Day 27 - Time for a bit of a sea glass sort.  With one thing and another I had not sorted the recently collected piles of glass and pottery and they really were starting to mount up!

Day 28 - strange crystallization after soldering a loop through a piece of blue willow sea pottery.  I think it must be from the salt water, anybody know?

Day 26

I found the lost photographs! They were on a different memory card which I'd put to one side when we went to Edinburgh.  So today I can bring you day 26's gifts from the garden.

Such prettiness and just look at that cream ranunculus.  We are gathering together jars and bottles and these little green bottles will very probably be making an appearance at our wedding.  The smell of the sweet peas is just lovely and I am plotting where to grow even more of them next year.

Day 25 An Evening Stroll

Day 24 A Big Birthday

Day 24 was R's big birthday which took us to St Abbs for lunch and a stroll, Horncliffe for dinner and a giant moon moment on the way home.  A lovely day and I could finally stop keeping secrets!  R's Dad and I, with online assistance from my old tutor Paul Croft and a host of tutorials, transformed an old mangle into a printing press.  Huge thanks to R's Dad as within a day or two of emailing the idea he had found a suitable mangle, stripped it down, worked out how to adapt it and used a ten tonne press to sleeve the rollers in stainless steel tubing!  All I did was brush some white spirits around the dirty bits! Ha!


I love the progress photos on this mangle, we used a smaller one and have yet to decide over whether to set up a more permanent bed but will be fun to experiment further!


It was hilarious to watch R open his print making gifts with a confused we-can't-afford-a-press look on his face!  It's a start and I can't wait to see what he produces. You can see his work on his website and blog; he's a bit talented!

Day 23 Chain Making

Day 23 

The most time consuming pieces I make at the minute are charm bracelets as every single link and clasp is made from scratch.  On completing the last solder of many on a chain I thought I'd photograph it beside a completed bracelet; what a difference a lot of filing, sanding and polishing makes!  It is so satisfying to turn a length of wire into a chain, even though it takes me ages!

I've also been working on my accounts and have evaluated my pricing.  Since I started my recycled silver and sea glass range there have been two postal rises and many a hike in silver prices and reluctantly I must increase my prices to cover these costs.  Over the next few weeks my website prices will be updated and by September the new prices will, hopefully, be in force at all my stockists.

Day 22 Dramatic Swoon

Day 22
With all the heavy rain our big daisies have had a Jane Austen swoon moment.  We got things a bit higgledy piggledy planting wise this year and will be moving the daisies in the autumn.  You might be able to see the pink rose buds to the right of the bird bath which belong to the gorgeous rose bush my sister sent me for my birthday.  Despite the rain there are now some buds opening and they are beautiful; no doubt there will be a photo soon!

via Peaceful Warrior

Day 19 - 21 Fresh Door

Day 19 - the before shot taken just as R had started sanding down the front door

Day 21 - the after shot all fresh and duck egg blue!  Apologies for the lighting but it was tipping it down outside, a job well done.

Day 17 and 18 Back to Work

Day 17 and I returned to work with a big desk tidy. It needed it!  I also added a new photograph I was sent of two marvellous small people to the wall.  My but I do miss their Mummy!  

Day 18 - new scales.  I had the horrifying experience of going to put a favourite dress on and discovering it no longer zips up so the fitness regime has been upped and new scales purchased.      On that note two very useful fitness websites I have been using over the last few months and highly recommend are:

www.myfitnesspal.com
to track your diet and exercise

Blogilates on Youtube
Pop pilates from Cassey Ho

Enjoy!

Day 13 - 16 Holiday!

Those of you who follow me on twitter may have noticed my recent moaning about exam marking.  It was hard to keep up with jewellery work during the marking period and if I get an examiner job next year I won't book any fairs during that time.  Working solidly for weeks on end without a day off was not a great idea and, even though I had my birthday off, I still felt a bit tired out and so was very ready for the very generous wedding gift of a holiday!

 

Day 13 started with a jewellery making workshop with an ace group at Palace Green Pavilion.  I was utterly exhausted by this point and the photo taken during the session shows me a very pale faced, drooping lady!  After teaching Rich and I packed up and went to meet some lovely friends at their holiday lodge up north a bit.  Luxurious and a most welcome break.

Day 14 started with breakfast on the balcony in blissfully warm sunshine.  Rich was sleeping off his whiskey tasting, the Rogers' went out for the morning and I sat and read in the sun.  It took me about half an hour of fidgeting and feeling I should be doing something before I relaxed and enjoyed a few more chapters of Anna Karenina.  The afternoon was spent in the swimming pool, sauna and steam room and oh my it was splendid!

Day 15 found us osprey spotting at Loch of Lowes.  Sadly, this year all the osprey's eggs failed and this may have been the reason we didn't see either birds on our visit.  We'll go back next year to see what we can see.

Day 16 - the last day of our holiday and we made the most of it with an early morning swim, big breakfast and waterfall adventures as we took the long way home.  Huge thanks to Mr, Mrs and Master Rogers for sharing their holiday with us; we had a great time and, as always it was lovely to spend time with you all!

Day 12 Palace Green Pavilion

Laura Cameron Jewellery stall at the opening day of Palace Green Pavilion's Taster of the Arts and Crafts Week

On Monday the first August I joined some lovely people with some fabulous work at Palace Green Pavilion for a craft fair.  Check out the websites of my fellow stall holders below:

Soapylicious handmade soaps

Amelee Jewellery

Rich Johnson Fine Art

Signature Jewellery

There was also beautiful woodwork and textiles from a couple who I can't yet find on the interwebs, I'll keep looking!

Day 11 Laura Ford Rose

Day 11 - the first bloom on my birthday Laura Ford Cameron rose, isn't she a beauty!  Thank you Mr and Mrs J!

Day 10 Allanbank Open Studios

A visit to Allanbank Mill Steading Open Studios

Home of textile artist Pauline Burbridge

Drawing by Charles Poulsen and Quilt by Pauline Burbridge

and her sculptor husband Charles Poulsen

I actually visited twice, once with some artists from Church and then I really wanted R to see the work so I went back with him the day after!  There was so much to look at I am glad I had the chance for a second visit.  Charles Poulsen's growing sculptures grabbed most of my attention and have been lingering in my thoughts since discovering them.  I feel there are comparisons to be made with Andy Goldsworthy's work; an interesting contrast between growing sculpture and, in a sense, dying sculpture as many of Goldsworthy's pieces use natural materials which are already dead, fallen leaves for example.    Just a thought and not fully formulated as you can tell, I greatly admire the work of both men and am struck by points of comparison.  There may well be an evening watching the Andy Goldsworthy DVD again.  Think on.

Day 9

Day 9 and it was most definitely time to replace my flux brush.
Note to self: don't touch hot silver with plastic brush.

Day 8 Kindle of Joy

Day 8's photo shows the very generous gift my lovely family gave me; a Kindle!  It is very fabulous and I purchased a little purple coat for it to wear and keep it protected.  I love it and am in book nerd heaven downloading a whole range of works from the free classics range.  First up Anna Karenina which is living up to expectation so far.  


I haven't posted much this week as we have been away for a few days on a much appreciated wedding gift holiday.  My lovely kindle came with us and I spent a blissful morning on the balcony breakfasting and reading in the sunshine. 


A splendid gift, thank you all!

Day 5, 6 and 7 Sea Glass Brooch

Day 5 -soldering, forming and tidying brooch structure

Day 6 - Setting sea glass, attaching pin and . . . 

. . . tumbling to get a shiny finish 

Day 7 brooch ready to deliver

A delayed series of photographs for project 30 as they feature a custom order for a sea glass and recycled silver brooch which was for a birthday gift and I didn't want to risk ruining the surprise!  I do hope the recipient liked it!