Hannah Willow Silver Workshop Day 1

So on Saturday I set off through the rain to drive over to blue-ginger gallery in Cradley to attend the first of a two day silver jewelry making workshop with the lovely and talented Hannah Willow.

I spent Fri evening musing and sketching and thinking about what I wanted to make.

Then arrived at blue ginger on Sat morning to meet up with the rest of the group

After introductions and hot drinks, we settled down and got to work. First we made models of our designs from polymer clay, to serve as the pattern for a mould.

I wanted to make a bear necklace

Finished bear model :)

Making the moulds out of silicone

We then used silver clay, rolled thin and pressed into the mould, to make our designs for real. Very nerve wracking because the silver clay dries out really fast! Once it was dry and solid I then cleaned it up and added detail, holes etc.

By the end of day 1 I had made several pendants and earring "dangles", eaten some delicious food, had had a wonderful day and made new friends :) Hannah took away the things we had made, to fire in her kiln, ready for the second day of work.

A very wet day.

It is still raining here. Continuous, relentless water falling from a dull grey sky. Not a day to be outside, apart from essential stuff.

So, I cleared the ironing mountain (!) and then made a start on the mending pile. I have dropped 4 dress sizes since June, so this was much needed work :) I have a load of clothes which are now too large for me so I am taking in as many as I can to save some money by not buying new clothes. Most of these will only be worn in the garden although some are good stuff - some of the more difficult/expensive/favourite items I will take to the seamstress in Ledbury to be taken in for me.

I am all set up in the corner of the sitting room, the fire is lit, I have music or Radio 4 or TV to entertain me if I wish and a mug of tea.

I also got lots of old clothes cut up for rags, quilting and buttons. As they are all natural fabrics the remains will either be composted or used to make char cloth for fire lighting in the wood.

After a lengthy session with needle and thread I have 8 pairs of trousers taken in at the waist, legs taken in up the seam and some shortened as well (I have not lost height, but I had not got around to shortening them!) That will save me some money not having to buy new trousers :) I also have three shirts which have been taken in at the sides and bust and three favourite t shirts which have had the same treatment.

And it finally stopped raining late afternoon and the sun came out, so I went and picked the last of the Cosmos from the cutting garden to add some colour to the house :)

All in all a good and busy day  :)

Surprise!

I love it when this happens :)

I got an unexpected parcel in the post this morning :)

Which contained vegetable seeds from an organic supplier I had not heard of :) And the beads are the start of a necklace, now :)

I am not feeling very well today - I ate a slice of home made, organic, wholemeal bread for lunch (not eaten wheat for 5 months now) and have had unfortunate after effects as a result. It looks like wheat is a no-no for me now.

I didn't open the parcel until late afternoon ( I put it down somewhere "safe", so safe I couldn't find it for 6 hours!) and this little parcel really cheered me up :)

Thank you Jane, for a very kind and thoughtful gift.

Book review THE MAGIC & MYSTERY OF BIRDS:

Following on from my review of Once upon a Flock, which was a fabulous book about Chickens, I was recently asked if I would like to review another book about birds. I am always keen to read a new book and birds are a particular passion of mine so I was pleased to receive THE MAGIC & MYSTERY OF BIRDS: The Surprising Lives of Birds and What They Reveal About Being Human, by Noah Strycker.

From the press release which came with the book

Do humans have more in common with birds than previously thought? US ornithologist Strycker thinks they do. Here he reveals intriguing parallels between the behaviour of birds and our world, and shows how, by studying memory skills, co-operative nesting, pecking orders and more,  they can help us to understand humanity

 
I say "another book about birds" but as soon as I read the first few pages I realised that this book is so much more than that. Each chapter is a fascinating and interesting self contained essay on a different aspect of bird behaviour, with a wealth of scientific evidence and interesting facts on every page. Author Noah Strycker is a photographer, writer, and associate editor of Birding magazine. Named ‘Young Birder of the Year’ in 2004 by the American Birding Association,  he travels the world birdwatching and it is obvious he really knows his subject.

For example I knew that vultures could scent decaying flesh and that was how they homed in on carrion but I had no idea that they could safely digest rotting meat which is so laden with bacteria (botulism, anyone?) it would kill anything else, something which may well hold clues to combating serious infections in humans.

I knew European wrens liked to huddle in a bundle for warmth but Australian fairy wrens actively help their neighbouring family by feeding and caring for young, not their own.

I knew hummingbirds spent the night in suspended animation every night but I had no idea they were so violent towards each other at the feeders!

This is a book I found I dipped into; a book to be picked up, savoured,  a chapter read and then thought about and digested for a while before moving on to the next one.  In fact I have been carrying this book around on trains and reading a chapter then putting the book down to really think about the contents.

If you are interested in why birds do, what they do, if you have ever watched your chickens sort themselves into a pecking order and wondered how,  if you have ever wondered just how so many starlings manage to fly in a huge group without banging into each other or how homing pigeons get back home, then this book is a must read.



THE MAGIC AND MYSTERY OF BIRDS
Published by Souvenir Press, 18 September, £18, Hb

 Disclaimer - I was sent a copy of this book in order to review it. I was not paid any money for this review, and it is my honest opinion of the book,

Half term fun

So, the end of another month and what strange weather we have had. Climate Change deniers must be finding it harder and harder to justify their position!

Compostgirl had a good half term, she went to the stables on four separate days, one of which was with her friend who we gave a "Pony for a day" session as our birthday present to her. She really enjoyed it and the pair of them got into the spirit of the Halloween theme by making themselves Vampire costumes.

Compostgirl really enjoys riding and has made lots of friends at the stables and as they are only a mile away it is nice and local to us.

I had fun buying up art last weekend at blue-ginger gallery. Betty Sloth Bear is now being introduced to the various other wildlife.

The half term ended on a high note with us all taking part in the Lugg Valley Archers Halloween shoot at Mordiford on Sunday. Weather was a bit damp and variable but I took along a gazebo and we hid from the occasional downpour while drinking coffee and chatting.

Costumes were required- I wore my long black velvet cloak and a bat mask, Compostgirl reprised her Vampire costume and Compostman hung garlic and a crucifix arond his neck and went as a vampire hunter - wielding a pointed stake at any vampires who got too close :)

A fun end to a good week