TTBS November Moodboard

TTBS November Moodboard, a photo by Zoe Hodgson on Flickr.

A bracelet I made after following this blog, though the page link is not for the November Moodboard you can find the link on the lower left of their page http://tacklethatbeadstash.blogspot.com/2011/11/stashbusting-beadalong-progress-week-6.html

Christmas Lights

On Sunday Meira, myself and my Mum went met up with T & R to see the switching on of the Christmas lights.  It was so busy we could get into Town Hall Square so we saw the lights come on whilst we were looking around the Christmas market.  Meira had great fun listening to the SV Strings & Flute busking and also watching the fire jugglers.

We havn't had such a great week as Meira has not been very well, first it was teething but then she picked up a heavy cold and this lasted for about 10 days.  Then on Friday night she developed an rash as a reaction to something, it appeared on and off till end of Sunday though it didn't bother her.

Over the weekend Tem was able to get the chimney breast in the dining room plastered, after a fiasco with the first bag setting before he even got a few trowls on the wall, and the coving chalked in though that he had to do by hand as the nozzle broke!

A two week catch up

We brought the Dolls house down from Meiras bedroom as she has really started to play with it, carrying our little role plays like knocking on the doors and shopping for food and going to bed, it is lovely to watch.














Tem got a bit of time this last weekend to do some more to the dining room so the ceiling has been papered and I think this weekend the chimney breast and right-hand alcove will be plastered.

and still on the house theme this is our bargain mirror (£30!) which looks lovely hanging on the previously blank wall in our living room.








Meira and I have been getting into the Christmas spirit and making some felt and button hanging trees to give to family to hang on their Christmas trees.  Meira picks out the buttons for the trees and I sew them on, after 3 or so buttons Meira is bored though and either happily plays with the buttons or pulls my arm to go and find something more interesting to play so they are taking a while.  I'm determined not to 'take over' though and to continue letting her pick and help.










And these are some Christmas tree earrings I made for a friend,  I had been playing around with the wire and made the tree shape, minus the beads, which she saw and asked if I would make something similar into earrings for her to wear at work, so I did and here they are.  I am really pleased with how they came out.

Last week was half term here which meant that a few of the groups we normally go to weren't on so we had a couple more play dates and walks around the town. Meira went to Tem's Mum's on Thursday to celebrate Diwali and had a fantastic time meeting new people and wearing beautiful clothes which in her own words made her look like 'Princess Meira'. I should have some photos soon so I'll add them when I get them.

On Saturday we had a visit from Lynn and her Dad, Pat. Lynn brought Meira a box full of books, the photo here of Meira reading was about a third of the books. There are some lovely titles here which I remember reading as a child.

On Sunday Meira and I made Pumpkin soup, yum. Earlier in the week I bought a pumpkin and used half to make a sausage and pumpkin casserole which Meira enjoyed, turns out she's not keen on soup. Last night I turned the remaining soup into a lamb curry and after some patience and cunning from Tem she emptied her bowl. It's becoming hard to tell now when she's playing up for a reason or just because she can!

I had time to do some jewellery making at the end of last week, though Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday she didn't nap so as she drops her naps I'll have less time to play. But I do have a new medium to play with, Resin. I have seen some lovely clear bangles with items and pictures imbedded into them and after some research I found it is something I could have a go with at home. Do I orders a small amount of resin and a mold and I made a bangle with clear resin and red glitter. It worked really well for a 1st try, and even better as a lesson. I learnt that your drying surface needs to not only look flat but to actually be flat, I learnt that the type of mold I used doesn't give you shiny sides (which I wanted) and that if you file a rough edge with glitter in it you get an even rougher edge where the glitter comes away. I have ordered a second mold made from silicone which should ensure I get a shine to my finished surface, it is also a different shaped bangle so I'll have two to play with. 

Aside from the resin I had time to make a few jewelled presents for Christmas and a couple of birthdays happening before then, and a few other pieces, which I've put photos of here, which are as yet not for anyone in particular.  It will be 2-3 weeks before my new resin mold is delivered so I'm working on different wire wrapping techniques, as shown in the white earrings here, and I have some non tarnish copper wire now which I can practice with more cheaply than with the silver plated and it really sets of some of the beads I have which were loosing some of their beauty by being next to the silver colour.