Colour on a Winter's Night, by Caprilicious

Hello folks, how's tricks? I hope all of you have been as snug as a bug in a rug during the cold spell. The nights are growing shorter and soon spring will be here. At least that's what I tell myself every time I feel despondent about winter in January/February. Looking forward, that's the best survival trick I know - have you any others? I'd love to hear them.
​I'm busy tying up loose ends in preparation for my holiday in India in February - I fly out on the 3rd and am both excited and anxious. Obviously all the anxiety stems from this plague that has taken over the world, and all the restrictions and tests that I will have to undergo before I can get to my mother's home - there are reams of paperwork to be filled and I'm looking at long queues, flying in a mask and seven days home quarantine when I get there. But hey! it will be worth it to see my mother after two years and catch up with old friends, though I'll have to be very careful not to catch the nasty bug, or I'll have problems getting back home at the end of 3 weeks. I haven't yet thought about packing and presents for the family as yet - that will have to be next week as I'm working this weekend.

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This week, I made a beetles wing necklace to order. One of my Caprilicious ladies bought one from me and gave it away to her boyfriends mother when she said she liked it. I was then requested to make another and bring it with me to India. 
​I love those beetle wings - the colours are gorgeous, and totally natural, the necklace is light and easy to wear, and is a converastion starter as not many people have them. Even if it's just a pair of earrings, I think that a beetle wing piece is essential in the trinket box of the true jewellery afficionado. 

The wings rustle as you move and are a brown/black on the back - I remember someone asking me for 'green paint' to colour the backs of the wings and I had to explain that the colour is totally natural and not painted on. I have made quite a few pieces with the wings in the past.
​A pair of earrings is also travelling to India with me, bought and paid for during my last visit and the new owner has been ever so patient as it has been two years since I was there.
I also get asked if beetles are caught and their wings pulled off - no insects are harmed in the making of beetle wing jewellery. The wings fall off at the end of the beetles natural life and are collected by the vendors in Indonesia. If you'd like to know more about these gorgeous creatures, have a read here, this is a previous blog post with loads of information about them.

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That's all I have time for this week, folks. Have a wonderful week, and I'll catch you next Friday, same time, same place.
Until then,
​xx