Saturday 26 March 2016

REDUNDANCY AND ALL THAT!

This is not the most cheerful post I have ever made but I shall be late with the challenge for the ABS this month. 

The reason! Things have been getting a bit challeng in my personal life, well perhaps a little more than a bit, my husband is going to be redundant soon and his health has got much worse recently, he will be going back to the cardiology unit to see if anything can be done for him at some time in the next few weeks ( we don't know when ) he is not of retirement age but old enough to be unlikely to get another job in his field.

Now we have just heard the firm my daughter works for is closing down! So she will also be out of work, quite a shock really, as you can imagine we are all wondering how we will cope as employment is scarce and moving at present is not an option.

I am trying very hard to stay positive but it is difficult and the new indoor market we are trying to utilise to help out has been a complete no go so far but maybe it will pick up, one can only hope. Sales online and at the web site are also not working, sadly at the moment.

I have no idea if it is helping to write some of this down, but if you read this far, the picture below is of a few of my miniature orchids in bloom to end on a cheerful note!

 ~Jackie~

Thursday 3 March 2016

ART BEAD SCENE CHALLENGE FOR FEBRUARY!

Well I am very late with this post my only excuse is we are very busy clearing the attic at present prior to starting on clearing the house ready to move in a couple of years, yes it will take a long time as we live in a four story big old house and it is the accumulation of over thirty years worth of art, craft and collecting with both myself and my daughter having a hand in it. So I hope I will be excused if some months I am a little late with my contributions. I am really enjoying the challenge though I think it is the only thing keeping me sane at present!

First off here is the Art Deco painting which was the inspiration this month.





I did find this one a real challenge as the colours somehow did not inspire me this time for what reason I don't know, I can work with red and blue maybe for my present mood they were just too strong, anyhoo I got my thinking cap on and came up with this pendant eventually.

The Polymer pendant has been carved with lines and the lower half of the blue has impressed dots, the circle on the blue is set with a Swarovski crystal, the gold circle on the red triangle has been sprinkled with tiny clear holeless glass beads and a trail of silver glitter the drop is a lovely Swarovski crystal. I added a chain and would have liked to hammer my own silver clasp but time was not on my side, so there you have it!  


~Jackie