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Blogs for February and March 2008
Find out how the jewellery mob got through the deepest winter months, and how they sprang into Spring!
go to latest blogs
blogs for April and May 2008
blogs for January 2008 and December 2007
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26th March 2008
Easter may have been early but there has been, and is, a wonderful show of daffodils in our Lancashire garden. From bright to pale yellow and white all brighten up the surrounding grassland - We won't call it a lawn that is far too grand.
Our two new male rescue cats 'Rambler' and 'Climber' have discovered the great outdoors and are roaming in their own inimicable way, 'Climber' cautiously, 'Rambler' far and wide with joyful abandon.
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We love our little feline-agers but like all teenagers need vast quantities of sleep, interposed with manic noisy activity and an insatiable appetite. Unlike their human equivalent they are mostly sociable, cute, friendly and groom each other. Unfortunately our feline-agers must have put the word around our local cat world that open house is held here, so we have numerous stray hungry tomcats (why is it always tomcats?) arriving on our doorstep for a good feed!
Contrary to my previous comments, we don't get the tomcats' chorus at night, but boy do they sing for their food... and more food... and more... and...
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Our Dowager Duchess lady cat 'Lady Jane' after treating 'Rambler' and 'Climber' with the contempt that lower beings deserve, has temporarily abandonded her handbag fetish and withdrawn to quieter, more comfortable quarters - ie any suitable bed she can find access to.
Work - what's that?
Well... I have managed a couple of commissions whose pictures are now in the Archive, and photographed a selection of new long necklaces - some with matching earrings which will be on the site when a description for each piece has been written.
This last activity has the work appeal of collecting slugs in the garden. You may decide for yourself what that is!
Comment from JW - I sometimes like writing descriptions.
Answer ... !
'the designer'
Just back from arriving at the designer's doorstep, and can vouch for the fact that a good feed can be had at the house.
GA (not another tomcat, but certainly that hungry...)
3 March 2008
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I can't believe it! Last time I posted I was struggling to finish one project and now I've completed two with another on well on the way to the finishing line. This is unheard of for me! (Note to self: post on designed for you blog more often, its clearly magic). I am now the proud owner/creator of my first homemade bedlah (that's Arabic for the two piece costume that bellydancers sometimes wear) and I've also managed to finish off a two strand necklace on silk that I started making for myself sometime last autumn (Don't tell the designer but the finishing is not quite up to her rigorous standards).
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Its unlikely that I'll ever use the dance costume in anger, so to speak, but making it was a real challenge and such a great learning curve. It made me realise just how much engineering goes into the design and construction of a garment like a bra. In the meantime, I've had to start cobbling together a troupe costume so that I can perform with my class mates sometime in April. Cue lengthy hours on a very chilly dining room floor, wrestling with a lot of very badly-behaved orange satin – hey, I suffer for my art!
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Anyway, don't let the designer get too excited just yet, but I'm thinking that a pair of earrings from the dance hoop range might be just the thing to put the finishing touch to this orange dance outfit.
I've just been told that designed for you will be hearing the pitter-patter of tiny feet any day now. Yes, the designer's maternal instincts have got the better of her again. She is once again taking in two homeless cats from our local animal welfare charity, Animal Care. I wonder what our existing feline mascot will make of it? One thing's for sure, they'll cosy up to the Aga pretty quickly if the current weather forecast is accurate! (Having said that, Lancaster is not known for its snow – the southern forecasters are always predicting that we'll get it but Morecambe Bay nearly always keeps the local climate too warm for snow to settle).
JF
In case of confusion here - I am adopting two kitten/cats not producing them myself!
That means more beads being chased under cupboards in the workroom, and the night shift giving more rousing choruses - or is that chori?
'the designer'
Surely, our designer has cat-ernal instincts! Can't wait to see the two darlings when I'm up next!
GA
23 February 2008
Spring is in the air, plus it's a weekend, so one can't complain! After a hard week with long hours spent in a small office, having a lie-in was definitely bliss. Then a lazy breakfast, and I felt refreshed enough to engage in...SPRING CLEANING! Well, what else is there to do if you have no money, because the taxman wanted a big chunk of your wages, and payday is another 4 days away... So, I thought I better get down and dirty with the marigolds, before I am again too busy enjoying myself and showing off my designed-for-you jewellery on the dance floor.
All day, I tackled a flat that had suffered from fashionable neglect. Well, as long as the days were short, and I wasn't in until late at night, I didn't really see the dirt. However, now that it is brighter and lighter longer...the dust-bunnies are showing! Others in the jewellery mob told me not to mention the state of my bathroom, so I won't *a chorus of thank yous comes here* but believe me, it was rather bath-doom, than bathroom!
In between my frantic cleaning, I did a bit of crocheting and attempted some hand-felting, which did not go as well as my scrubbing. However, I shall persevere!
Now that my flat is unnaturally clean and tidy, I can relax, and do some work on the designed-for-you site. We have done quite a bit of site developing and testing of new ideas, so you will be able to watch them unfold...
Our designer is beavering away at some advertising commissions, and preparing to launch her Hush Hush range – don't ask me what that is. I am prodding her to do me a 'Bond Girl' range, since I am quite excited about the new Bond film Quantum of Solace, which will be released in November. In the meantime, I spend the long wait browsing the Shimmer and Sparkle earring section, and have my beady eye on one pair in particular! That pay cheque better come quickly!
GA
'Bond Girl' range Hmph– heaven knows what she thinks I'm supposed to make for that…if she's expecting black rubber or leather with accessories, she can try sourcing the beads! I tried researching beads made out of rubber/leather once... I stopped quickly – some things out there, designers just don't need to see! Now felt beads are another matter, so I'm waiting to see how this felt making progresses…
'the designer'
*GA just smiles and says nothing - it's a case of a 'Quantum of Silence'...*
12th February 2008
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February is not usually the month you associate with beautiful sunny days with clear blue skies and wonderful orange sunsets, but that is what we have! It makes up for the continuous rain in January with resulting flash flood, with the concern that the water might reach our mains electric 18 " above the cellar floor. But thanks be, the water levelled off at 4" below the mains electric - danger was averted and despite a fright no lasting damage resulted.
Now those days seem distant, and with the frosts by night and the sun by day, already the crocuses are in full bloom, competing with the snowdrops for attention. Winter no longer seems gloomy, and spring doesn't seem too far away.
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On the site we now have some fabulous earrings but half hope our designer will stop tempting us with more earring delights. However, with insider information, we know there's another stunning range coming soon in the luxury area, but we daren't say
more...
We are also looking forward to starting our Spring courses later this month and another workshop in Morecambe at the beginning of March.
Technically, the site is quietly having a lot of improvements done, many of which won't be obvious to most of you, but should make shopping easier, and iron out some quirks, which make our life more difficult, thus diverting us from giving you of our best service.
One change you might find, is our long overdue Archive. This picture gallery has a selection of our commissions, and likewise some of our sales pieces. We are keeping this record so that those who want to commission work from us, not only have the site pictures to look at for inspiration, but also past work. You can find the Archive via the Bespoke or Commission pages.
Another change is the opportunity to read past blogs, but we must apologise that the first blog written disappeared during an unexplained error at Christmas on the original blog page. Did the night staff let the reindeer or gremlins come in to play, or did they just bring in another mouse? All questions should be addressed to the company cats - past, present and future! (We cannot guarantee to translate any replies they might give!)
Lastly feedback... if you have any comments about anything on the site that is causing you problems, features you'd like / expect to see on the site, or aspects about the site you enjoy, we'll certainly be glad to hear from you - all helpful comments will be most welcome!
Thanks folks, and watch out fellas 2008 is a leap year!
JW
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