Promise of things to come

Keep meaning to tell you about this house and the jungle it came with (think it is supposed to be a garden, we are gradually finding bits as we mow through the long grass and hack back the trees and shrubs), but busy time work wise for me with the markets starting up and the lovely visitors comming down to the South West for their holidays.  So whilst I write up my masterpiece on the garden here are a few photos of promise of things to come!  The grape pictured was unbelievable last year, we ended up throwing them out, we just couldn't keep up, or keep up with the figs (we have two fig trees and 14 grape vines!!!!!  Only one vine produced last year but they had all been neglected, they have been pruned back now and should produce, many are wine varieties, lucky I kept all my wine making equipment!  We also have 3 eating apples and 3 cooking apple trees, the one pictured is a Russet a fine old English variety (that actually I am not that keen on, but am I going to refuse free apples? No!)

Dairy Jam

Ah such a sight and one that reminds you that winter is over (the bullocks/steers are back too in the field by the house, they go mad on the first day out, so pleased to be back on grass again, they have got very very muddy too, think they have been having celebratory rolls!).

I don't mind getting stuck in a cow jam, it's quite nice seeing all the girls on their way with their great big swollen swinging udders to the milking parlour and they will back in the field in no time :)

Ooh and spot the N Devon trees in the picture, can you guess by looking at them which way the wind blows by any chance ;)  Not the best example round here, must remember to take my camera when I go out next (these were taken on my mobile which has a rubbish camera!).

Wow, will you look at that lovely pink colour!

A few new pieces posted in my Etsy shop recently.   I have to say that I just love the pearly pink in the second bead and completely love the colours in the top bead (now I wonder if I can remember what I did to get those effects!).

Sparkly galaxy marble

 Can I get a decent photo of this lovely?  No!  So much depth in the sparkle nothing to focus on, but thought I would share this pretty, like a myriad of sparkling stars (get me, all poetic now ;)

What have I been up to this weekend?

Well on Saturday it was my turn to man the studio/workshop down on the wharf in Bude, a blustery showery day with a few visitors and I managed to get some work done and some new bracelets and earrings made up (at last!).  Then into our wonderful local pub on the edge of the Atlantic and home for supper.

Then yesterday I did something I have been meaning to do for months, but have kept putting it off as I just didn't know where to start!  That is going through all the boxes we brought back from Dad's flat when he moved into the home last year.  Thankfully one of my nieces in law took alot of the furniture and other large pieces had been 'left' to people in Dad's will so these pieces went 'early' to their new owners (Dad's flat is up for sale and had been sold subject to contract when we emptied it, sadly the sale fell through, but fingers crossed...).

So most of the boxes yesterday were odds and ends, crockery and books; lots and lots and lots and lots of books!  My parents were avid readers and were very well read; lots of classics, biographies, foreign language books (this was my Mum and not just learning language books these are novels) in French, Italian and Danish (I have studied Italian but these books are way way way beyond my abilities); and medical text books (my Father having been a surgeon).  Some of these medical text books are very old and some written by himself (must get him to sign his books at some point!).  There are also old stamp collections (my Victorian Great Aunt) and commemorative annuals from 1937 and books that were given as school prizes for Dad and for Mum.  How on earth do you go through these things, they are someones life, precious and cared for!

I had planned to end up with at least 4 boxes of books to go to a second hand shop, but instead have ended up with just two (one with Mum's foreign language books and one with books that I already have copies of!).  I kept picking things up and thinking, 'oh I might like to read that' and 'this is old, best keep it' and so on!  I actually got quite emotional about the whole thing.  Mum's passing was difficult, but in some ways a relief as she had been sooooo unwell; moving Dad into the home was difficult, but I see now that actually it was what he wanted, he was tired and old and although not much of a socialiser needed to have someone to talk to every day and to take care of him (and boy do the girls - and a few boys - take very good care of him where he is now!); packing the flat up was difficult, dividing up someone's belongings, but they had downsized over the years there really wasn't that much furniture left; but going through these books (and photo albums), finding old treasures and gifts from Dad to Mum (and the other way round) was painful, very painful.  For the first time in a year I shed a few tears over my parents lost youth (and mine I suppose).  We will take good care of these treasures and will ensure that the most precious are passed down the family when that time comes!  In the meantime we will now have to find somewhere to put all these wonderful books (and we have about 10 boxes of our own books to unpack yet!).

Some more of my work

Whilst I ponder posts about septic tanks and bore holes (although not together!) I thought I would share some more of my work.  These are lampwork glass beads that I make in my little studio at home.  Lampwork involves (in a nutshell and there is alot more to it than this!) melting glass rods onto steel sticks (mandrels) which have been coated with a fine clay mixture so that the glass doesn't stick to the rod in an oxygen/propane mix flame that burns at 1000 degrees C.  You can then shape the glass, add detail to it, anything you want really.  Once you are happy with your bead (and as you have seen I also make things other than beads) it goes into a digitally controlled kiln (pretty quickly otherwise the glass will crack) to cool slowly and to strengthen (I quite often have a couple of 'spare' beads in the shop and will drop them on the concrete floor in our shop to show how strong they are ;) ).

I then make the beads up into jewellery items (sometimes I do sell the beads on their own) and then sell them through a local farmers market (in the summer), through the workshop/studio I share with 3 other glassy ladies in Bude and through various galleries and other outlets.  These beads are being sold as beads through my Etsy shop :)

Trees

No not ones that grow in the garden or countryside but glass sculpture!  I made this the other day (love making them, soooo relaxing), it is a bit big for my kiln (but I have a plan ;) ).  Stands 5 inches tall and 5 inches at it's widest point (roots). :)