Sunshine and thunderstorms

I was woken at 1:30 this morning by a loud clap of thunder. Summer has finally come to the South of England and after several hot, humid days we were treated to a spectacular storm. Realising that I would find it hard to go back to sleep, I got out of bed and padded to the living room and watched out of the window for a while. There were some amazing forks of lightning, I only wish that I had been able to take some photos. My OH of course slept through the whole thing!

At one time I was a bit scared of thunder storms. Silly I know, but I think it probably stems from an experience in my childhood. Whilst staying with my grandparents on the Kent coast, the house next door was hit by lightening during a particularly violent storm. It shook the whole house and scared me out of my wits. For quite a long time after that storms made me nervous. Now I don't mind them so much and even find them quite exhilarating.

Summer (and the hard work of my OH) has brought its rewards. Last night we sat down to a meal of salad, including the first of our potatoes from the allotment, followed by fruit pie, containing homegrown blackcurrants. I can claim absolutely no credit for them, especially at the moment with my limited mobility. I really do appreciate his hard work as you really cannot beat homegrown fruit and vegetables.

Yesterday was a sad day for me, it was the last day of my City & Guilds Beadweaving course. To mark the occasion we all went to a local pub for lunch. We sat in the garden, enjoying the sunshine, chatting away and it struck me how lucky I am to have met these women. They are all ages and from many walks of life with one thing in common - their creative spirit.

I will see some of them at our annual exhibition - Textile Kaleidoscope - which showcases the work of City & Guilds beadwork and embroidery students, in three weeks time. I am working away on my Art Deco bag , which will be one of the exhibits. So the weekend ahead will be full of beading and writing up my design journal.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

We woke up on Sunday morning to discover that it was snowing. It wasn't settling on the ground but large flakes of snow were falling none the less! It doesn't snow very often on the South Coast of England so you can imagine it caused quite a stir. Inland parts of Dorset and Hampshire had a 10 cm covering by lunchtime. Thankfully the weather has warmed up a little bit although it is still bitterly cold. I love the changing seasons but snow in April is pushing it a bit!

I am on leave this week and I am spending quiet time at home. Last year was not a good one for me and my family. Two family members were taken seriously ill. One has completely recovered but unfortunately the other one died after a brave struggle with lung cancer. It was a hectic year, coping with full-time jobs and travelling to and from Devon and Somerset to see various family members and then, sadly, a trip to Somerset to attend a funeral. Then on top of that I had some health problems myself including a bout of shingles, no doubt brought on by the stress. So when I requested my Easter leave I thought that it would be good to have a quiet week at home getting on with my beading and relaxing. However, I find myself feeling a bit down and struggling to concentrate on my beadwork. It is probably a reaction to the last 18 months. My Other Half and friends as usual have been a great help. Creativity also helps.

It is not a new idea that creating something can be a help in sad and stressful times. It does really seem to help me so I will persevere with the beadwork. I am also doing some knitting in the evenings so that should help too. I have always liked the Amish idea of 'sunshine and shadows'. You can only really appreciate true happiness if you have experienced true sadness. I have a great life - a loving family, great partner, a job that I love and a wonderful set of colleagues. I have nothing to really complain about. I also find that taking a moment to really appreciate your surroundings can put things back into perspective. I am extremely fortunate to live in a beautiful part of the UK so I am going for a walk with my camera this afternoon in search of inspiration. I love architecture and often spend time looking at the buildings above street level. Many people don't look up from the every day hustle and bustle and really appreciate the beauty around them, even in a humble urban street. So next time you are shopping take a few minutes and look up you might be surprised at what you can see.

This gorgeous Art Deco roof is almost hidden by modern shop fronts.

Knitting and other pleasures

OK, so what place does a post about knitting have on a beading blog I hear you ask. Well, put quite simply I have recently been inspired to pick up my needles again. For the last 3 years I have been doing various beading courses, currently a City & Guilds Bead Needle Weaving Level 2. This has left very little time in my life for my other loves - knitting and sewing. In fact life recently seems to consist of wake up, go to work, go home, eat, bead for an hour or two and then sleep again. And so the days fly past. (I can't believe that it is almost April again!) Two weeks ago I attended a craft group started by two of my friends. I was suddenly reminded of why I love spending time with creative people - their generosity and support. Two people have started knitting again after a long gap and another is venturing into patchwork for the first time. Seeing their enthusiasm and talent has inspired me. When I returned home I leafed through some of my knitting and patchwork books and contemplated my fairly substantial yarn and fabric stash. However for the time being I need to concentrate on my beading. I must not be distracted!

I have been struggling with my latest beading project recently, a decorative object based on passion flowers. The aim is to cover a vase with flowers, leaves and tendrils and then add a bug or two. So far I have covered most of the vase and sampled the flowers but it is not coming easily.


Easter weekend was great. I was lucky enough to get the whole four days off and I really enjoyed them. The only grey spot (literally!) was the weather. I had arranged to meet up with some friends to visit a local garden on Sunday which was open as part of the National Gardens Scheme. Unfortunately it was pouring with rain on Sunday morning so we had to cancel. Instead I spent a happy day beading while my other half baked bread and hot cross buns. On Monday my husband came up with the idea of going to visit another garden which is only open to the public occaisionally. We spent much of our time sheltering under trees to escape the hail and sleet showers. I did enjoy myself despite the unseasonal weather and took lots of pictures, but I wish that I had worn my thermal underwear!







A brief sunny spell between hail showers. I caught sight of this shadow on the wall whilst setting up another shot. It shows how strong the sun was that day

Spring is here! I love hellebores and so could not resist taking this shot. Their ability to bloom in even the severest weather always amazes me.
I would love to design a range of beadwork around these beautiful flowers.