Haunted House

 Hallowe'en is fast approaching and time for one of my favourite designs - my Haunted Houses! I begin with polymer clay door and tower by Helen Backhouse, and add ceramic skull and flying bats by Jana Bliznakova. The orange pumpkin is one of my last from Jetta Sellars. 

               Add a fancy copper key in case you dare to unlock the door to the house of horrors! 

These are available now in my Etsy shop in good time for posting. See you again in two weeks and as always, please stay safe. 

                                                                   Lindsay xx

Birds of a Feather

Sitting in my studio this morning all I could hear was silence...….and birds! The house next door to us is a tall 3 storey affair with a chimney where starlings nest every year. Some years I've counted over 30 baby birds lined up along the rooftop as they have several broods. They're very noisy and very greedy and can go through a couple of fat slabs in our feeder in a day, squabbling all the way. By contrast, the blackbirds that nest in our hedge are quiet and gentle. I saw one this morning picking our viola flowers to line her nest - soft and fragrant. Clever lady.
 

Todays earrings are birdy. Polymer clay birds (mum and baby) by Jana Bliznakova, textured ceramic discs by Nitta of  Corvus Ceramics, czech glass feathers, peanut beads and dark copper metalwork by Lucy Haslam all add to the rustic feel.

So off I go to fill up the bird feeders yet again - see you in a couple of weeks time.

                                                                  Lindsay xx

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Love, actually.

How could I not? Whether you think it's the most romantic day of the year, or a load of old cheese, you can't ignore St Valentines Day, and it's tomorrow.  Him indoors better shape up - no garage flowers in this house, please!

As is usual, there are varying accounts of the origin of St Valentine's Day but the  most widely accepted is that it is dedicated to St Valentine of Rome, a priest in the 3rd century under Claudius II who was put to death on 14th February for assisting Christian marriages.

Observed as a feast day since 496 AD it gained popularity in Victorian times when the tradition of giving cards, chocolates and trinkets to your loved one really took off. Fat cherubs abounded!

So here are my earrings. A simple design using stoneware hearts and beads by the lovely Jana Bliznakova, with African turquoise and chain dangles, I like the way they hang. Just not quite traditional.  

If you haven't anyone to buy a card or gift for (and I admit to buying all my grandchildren a little something - him indoors wants yet another new bike, so he can wait) then take a bag of goodies to your local food bank and make a family's day special instead, or buy a homeless person a hot drink.

                                                              See you in two weeks

                                                                         Lindsay x
                                                              
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A Question of Balance.

Asymmetry. Not always easy, is it? To some it comes quite naturally, to others not so much. My head veers to the matching pair and I have to force myself to deviate. And how to achieve a sense of balance when your components/sizes/colours are different? This pair was a case in point.

 

 

These great neutral tribal patterned stoneware beads and charms are of course by the one and only Jana Bliznakova, but one is different in shape and considerably shorter than the other. The answer came in the form of this one off crusty soldered headpin that Lucy Haslam made for me. Fits perfectly with the design and balances the length. In the centre we have black crusty lampwork criffles by Kimberly Rogers - Kim and her husband Dave are about to set off from Alaska  to come over to the UK and we are hoping to meet up again (not least because she has a huge stash of stuff for me!) Criffles just make any design dance; like little ballet tutus. Joyous.

                                   Hope you all have a good week - see you again soon. 

                                                                 Lindsay x

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