I love getting post....

...and I especially love getting parcels from other designers and crafters as everything gets packaged so beautifully that it's like getting a present! This is what arrived yesterday morning......


And these were the goodies inside......


Aren't they lovely? I have long admired Lisa Stevens' work (aka c-urchin) - She turns simple clay into delicate and detailed jewellery and wall art, and this week I finally treated myself to some of her pieces to use in my jewellery. The pendant (which is actually more bronze around the circles than the photo shows) will become the focal piece in a necklace - I think that some silver tube and leather cord will feature in the design too, but we'll see! The three daisy cabochons in that beautifully soft turquoise are first on my list though. I'm hoping to have some time to play with new designs next week, so I should have something to show you very soon!

I don't know quite why I'm telling you this as if you go and buy Lisa's work there won't be any left for me :P Anyway, you can find her work at www.seaurchin.etsy.com and www.folksy.com/shops/seaurchin. Happy shopping!

P.S. I also collected a parcel from the sorting office yesterday that made me skip round the kitchen, but you'll have to wait until tomorrow for that as I want to play with it first!

Lots of thinking time

B and I got back at teatime from a loooong journey Up North - and I am allowed to write it with capital letters as our weekend destination was Stockton-on-Tees, 300 miles from home. I know that that won't seem that far if you're reading this from the States but the roads over here aren't long straight highways and it's the furthest I've ever driven on my own. We went to visit a university friend and her husband while T had a much deserved weekend off. It was so good to see them, especially as we hadn't met up since last December and they are off to Texas for a year come January. We also stopped off at T's mum's on the way there and back for a rest - it is definitely very handy having relatives who live halfway along a long journey!

Anyway, I spent about half of the journey singing 'Old MacDonald' with B or playing 'What can you see?' (our version of I spy where we take it in turns to ask what each other can see - well, he can't spell yet!). During the other half I discovered that travelling a long distance with a sleeping child in the back allows alot of time to think up jewellery ideas! I only hope that I can remember them all to sketch them down! I hope that I can get the opportunity to get into the shed tomorrow to get working on a couple of them too so that I can share them with you. I think I will be hammering some of those rings too......

Now, however, I am off to bed to catch up with some sleep- night night!

P.S. If anyone knows of any craft classes/workshops running next year in the Dallas area, please let me know so I can pass them onto my friend. She's planning on using the year in Texas to catch up with lots of crafting!