Flowering

A few years ago, I made a pair of earrings as a gift for a friend of a friend.  Last week, I got a lovely email from the recipient to say how much she still enjoys the earrings and could I make another pair for a friend of hers.

They are not my usual style of earrings, but I did another pair.  Happy spring flowers to recognize a graduation.

Fresh as a daisy

Are you feeling fresh as a daisy today? I do hope so!

And if you are not, then maybe my new aluminum bangle will cheer up your day!  

And why are daisies considered to be fresh, you may wonder? The English name daisy comes from the old English "daeges-eaye" or "day's eye", referring to the way that many daisies open up their petals during the day, but then close their petals at night.  So I guess, the idea is that closing it's petals suggests it goes to "sleep" at night and so wakens up in the morning all fresh and alert and well rested - and thus "fresh as a daisy".

What a nice thought.  I love the fresh green on this bangle that shows off those fresh daisies too.

Have a good night's sleep tonight!

Grow where you are planted

I had a fun time again yesterday at the farmer's market.  It seemed pink and purple were popular colors so I have done a couple of new bangles using those colors today.

The first I've entitled "Grow where you are planted".  I guess as I moved around a lot growing up and then also before arriving in CA, I've been one to follow this motto.  You have to make the best of wherever you are and find some roots and get growing!

Hope you like it.

Secret flower

My latest aluminum bangle shows pink Camellias.  I originally was thinking that they looked like chrysanthemums, but now I've decided that they are Camellias - and I love Camellias. 

We have lots of camellias in our garden - all different types - some with just four petals, some with 6 petals and some with loads of petals. 

This pink camellia is obviously a multi-petaled one, like the one shown below:

This type of Camellia is known as a formal double with many rows of petal imbricated (overlapping) in symmetrical form, never showing stamens.

Isn't it amazing how nature arranges everything so perfectly...each overlapping petal in the correct place. Such geometry and design. 

You'll see from the following photo that I also added an extra flower on the inside, for just the wearer to see.

A little secret flower.

Periwinkle

Gosh - I missed blogging yesterday as Blogger was down all afternoon and evening.  I had something to write about, and it felt odd not being able to share it!  Shows how much I enjoy my blogging.

Anyhow, yesterday I made a new style of earrings that I wanted to show you -  Periwinkles.

I love periwinkle flowers and while these earrings aren’t the exact shape of periwinkle flowers, they are periwinkle in colour.

Yes, periwinkle is not only a flower, but also a color, and a snail.

Another interesting fact about periwinkle flowers – also called myrtles, is that the Madagascar periwinkle is used to make Vinblastine, a drug that treats Hodgkin’s disease and childhood leukemia.  See, my old pharmacologist life does come into my jewelry!!!

We have some periwinkles growing near the mail boxes on our lane.  It’s such  pretty color. That delicate combination of blue and purple.

These earrings are colored anodized aluminum. I printed the flowers first, then sawed them out, riveted a leaf onto each and then put them on the ear wires. Hope you like them.

Hello Blossom!

Isn't it such a lovely time of the year. I love seeing all the blossom on the trees.  Such soft delicate flowers......And so two blossom bangles came out from my studio today!

At the moment we have apple, pear, asian pear, cherry, nectarine, and peach trees all in blossom. We had a frost two nights this past week however, so I hope they are all doing OK and weren't affected.

But I have to confess that while all those blossoms look lovely,  nothing can beat citrus blossom with that wonderful aroma...but then that's another season!!! So what is your favourite blossom?

And were you ever called "Blossom?". I recall as a child in England being called  "Blossom".  Was/is the term ever used for endearment in the US or other countries?  Not even sure if it's still used in England....???? I think we should bring it back in!  I'm going to call someone blossom this week and see how they react!!  What about you? Give it a try....

Alright Blossom? 

Happy Flowers

I finished a few more aluminum bangles this week. Here are a couple of "happy flower" ones.

I'm thinking at least one of these will end up with a little creature on them....as I now have a little stash of fine silver bugs. 

 

The colors make me think of summer...blue skies and yellow flowers. What do you think?

Unfurl - and show your inner beauty

Spring is such a beautiful season. The garden just looks stunning right now with all the new flowers.

And so I just had to make a flower. This time, a ring entitled "Unfurl".

I wanted to grasp the unfurling stage - when the flower begins to reveal itself and show you it's real beauty. And so the ring serves as a reminder to the wearer to show their beauty within.

I'm mulling over the idea of making more of these and adding color either to the outside or the inside...
What do you think?

So during this springtime - make sure you unfurl and show the beauty within.

Sunday's spotlight - A bargain is a bargain is a bargain (ad infinitum).....

By guest blogger Pete

For my wife and I it was back to England for Easter. Unfortunately, rather like Christmas, the religious connection with the festival is becoming lost in this country and we are making Easter into a celebration of the Blessed Chocolate. Even those who spend the greater part of the year avoiding any contact with this delectable yet fattening confectionery regard Easter as a compulsory time to indulge in the odd Easter egg or ten !..


The Monday after Easter is a bank holiday here. However, the Monday after Easter this year will not be eulogised and fondly remembered for luxurious balmy weather but with thankfulness for the fact that it was at least dry. This caused those unnumbered hordes of seaside worshippers to head for the coast; there to shiver in near freezing but dry weather conditions and congratulate each other because they are breathing in healthy, good, fresh, exhilarating and full of ozone fresh air which will keep them going until the first Monday in May, when they can experience it all again. After the congratulations and a quick walk along the sea front it's queuing for three quarters of an hour for a cup of luke warm tea in a damp overcrowded cafe. Oh, that's the life! Lincoln lies midway between the East Midlands and the Mecca of the East Midlands, Skegness. Therefore, only the hardiest or most foolish of Lincoln citizens venture beyond the local bypass on Bank holidays.

True to custom we paid the first visit of the year to a local car boot sale. This is another weekend phenomenon that has taken root in this country. Folk fill up their car boots (or "trunks", if you prefer) with all sorts of rubbish and then head for the local Car Boot Festival. Here they sell their rubbish and then promptly go out and buy another boot full of other peoples' rubbish, which they can then sell next weekend at the next Car Boot Sale.

Car Boot Sales, however, are a good source of cheap 2nd hand books, DVDs, CDs, Computer games and Videos. I got a bargain when I bought a brand new filing system, that I didn't need, for £1. Quite made my day. I'll keep it for a year and then pass it on to a charity shop, where a car booter will buy it to sell for £1 at the next Car Boot Sale he/she goes to. But, then, a bargain is a bargain is a bargain is a bargain....................

Spring has sprung and the garden begins to call. Already I've woken mine up from its winter slumbers and new life (amongst the weeds) is beginning to be seen. I've no photos of car boots or car trunks so I'll include a couple of floral photos for this blog.

Good bargain hunting where ever you are or where ever you go.