Making Choices

I really don't like making choices. Not when it comes to jewellery. How come? After having spent the last week with an on and off cold I had to realise that our local drama festival is going to happen next week. Since our drama group has entered with two Chekhov plays, it's high time to get my head around my costume.

I pretty quickly had everything apart from the jewellery. I finally decided on lots of lots of long pearls and gilded chains around my neck. Which left me with bare earrings. And then I started producing earrings and couldn't get my head around the colour scheme, the length, the shape - and ended up with about ten pairs!

But I definitely enjoyed myself playing with colours once more. Now I still have the original problem. I have to decide which ones to wear and which ones to simply sell off on etsy or at the craft fair.

I think, I go for these ones. They definitely have the 1900 touch, don't they?

And now I have another choice to make: Making jewellery or going over my lines again? Arrrrrrghhhhh!

Theme Play

It's quite funny how creative ideas come about. There I was, sniffling and coughing, hunting for the elusive spare box of Kleenex, I knew, I had in my craft cupboard (not for being sick, of course but for craft purposes), when I came across a wee bag with remnants of black Venetian lace. I rather unceremoniously dumped them on my working table next to some cabochons. I was still sniffling and feeling rather sorry for myself when I accidentally emptied my box with watch parts on the table. Actually, I wanted to break out into a little rant with strong words when I realised that the combination of things on my table looked actually quite inspiring. So I went off the rant and re-arranged the different materials which were lying around on my table:

Creativity from Chaos

To me the whole arrangement screams Steampunk, Edwardian, Victorian, Gothic Beauty! I suppose, I will spend the rest of the day, curled up  on the couch with a hot water bottle, echinacea and a sketch book...

But of course, I first had to have a look at my blog, and reading the blogs I'm following I came across

Kylie Parry's wonderful blog . A look at her latest ceramic beads gave me another little energy boost.

I think I definitely need some of her wonderful ancient looking beads to marry them with some of the things I find when I go beach combing on Arran.

 Kylie Parry's lovely ancient looking ceramic beads. 

Have a look at her beautiful creatures,toadstools,

leaves etc.

 I think they would go wonderfully with some stuff

you find on Arran's beaches.

Speaking of marrying: Congratulations to Kylie and her husband! - So, I guess, I'm going to look for that quilt and sketchbook and a hot lemon tea!

Fighting With a Mantel Clock

I'm still happily working along on my steampunk collection. Actually, at the moment, I'm fighting hard with a beautiful old mantel clock. It doesn't want to give me its bits and pieces without putting up a fight. Didn't know how hard it can be to get all those screws loose! But I will get there, I'm pretty confident.

While I had my coffee break, a friend send me a link to some steampunk pages. On a french site I found an amazing collection of pictures: clothes, objects, jewellery. Just gorgeous. A real well of inspiration. Have a look for yourself!


Visit French Steampunk

At the moment, the wind is howling across the Sea. It's cold, stormy and very, very wet! Wonder where all the beautiful snow went... To keep myself warm and my heart warm, I'm going to make up a few Valentine's pieces.

Which reminds me: A friend gave me a collage sheet with "anti-Valentine's-sayings" under the heading of Single-Awareness-Day. Some are quite sarcastic, but still really funny. Guess, I shall make one for all those who don't want to put up with pink, red and hearts!