Leaving, On a Jet Plane

 Hello readers, wish me bon voyage, won't you? It is always fabulous to set off on a mission - I am very excited because I am going to meet some of my blog readers for the very first time in the next few weeks, as well as a whole bunch of old firends. Jewellery making and blogging has brought some very diverse individuals into my life - I would never have dreamt of meeting them had I stayed in the normal, regular gynaecological furrow I was treading. It has been a wonderful journey into unknown lands and mixed metaphors and I am enjoying every minute of it.

“Most people don't grow up. Most people age. They find parking spaces, honor their credit cards, get married, have children, and call that maturity. What that is, is aging.” ― Maya Angelou

By Maya Angelou's standards, I haven't aged very much - but maturity?? 

As you know, Ms Muse went off on holiday last week, but after a couple of days of watching TV without picking up my pliers, I began to feel bereft - so I set myself a challenge. I would make earrings with silver wire - two or a maximum of three lengths of wire would be allowed to create each piece, with as many beads as were required.
 The thicker length of wire would form a frame for the earrings, and the other would be a fine binding wire. The second part of the challenge required that there would be no wastage of wire at all - measurements had to be absolutely precise.
 I hate weighing and measuring - even my cooking is done using 'pinches' of this and that, so this was always going to be the hardest part of the challenge, which is why I allowed myself a third piece - just in case I fell short of binding wire.

The last two are not silver, but made using handmade lampwork beads that I simply had to use up - they  have been looking at me reproachfully for ages as I bypassed them in favour of other beads, and I couldn't resist those wistful sighs any more.

So, whaddya think, Ms Muse?? Put that in your pipe and smoke it! Just proves I can do it by myself if I need to, although it is so much easier with her at my side. 

Beading Workshop

A local chain of hobby stores, Itsy Bitsy in Bangalore has arranged for me to do a little workshop in two of their outlets. I have shopped there in the past and found it to be a very pleasant experience.

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 They have an unbelievably wide range of products - I wish they'd been around when I was growing up - my sister (who is the creative one in our family) and I would have bought up a storm in that store - we do now, when we visit Bangalore.

When the workshop was originally mooted, the idea was to teach the basics of using polymer clay, as that is one of their newest range of products. Unfortunately, that didn't quite work out, probably for lack of paraphernalia such as ovens. Instead, I will be doing a little workshop on how to make a necklace, a bracelet and a pair of earrings, using findings and beads from their store. Having never done this sort of a thing before, I am quite excited - I have written a little hand out for my 'students' and am looking forward to spending a day at Itsy Bitsy.

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I would have loved to do a polymer clay or wire workshop - perhaps  next time. It will be nice to cut my teeth on something simple. 
I'm off now, leaving on a jet plane. The taxi's waiting, he's blowing his horn...
Catch you next week - same time, same place (ish!)
xx