Raindrops

Hello folks, how are you faring now that the craziness of Christmas and New Year's Eve is over? Clear heads all around, I hope! Our celebrations tend to go on for a little while longer than the 1st of January as hubby has a birthday in the second week and I am only just getting over the feeling of being constantly exhausted from organising food and drinks, and tickets, and events. Phew!!!

This birthday I treated Mike to a London theatre break - we went to see An American in Paris which suited both of us - we love jazz and Gershwin and I love the ballet - this show had both of these combined in a stupendous extravaganza. He was also treated  to an evening at Ronnie Scott's in Soho where we had another fix of jazz. Shopping at Selfridges followed, where I found two pairs of boots in the sales the next day after a full English breakfast, and we were finally ready to get the train back to Warwickshire. We stayed at the Grosvenor House Hotel and I can't say much more than it was fantastic - we felt totally pampered.

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We took some time out to visit Grenfell tower and the little shrine in front of the church. Three sad little fir trees stood outside the church, decorated with a wooden heart for each child that died in the fire. We met the vicar and put some money into the collection. 
We'd seen Grenfell on the TV a number of times, but nothing prepared us for the eerie silence in the streets around it, as if it was a ghost town. 
A number of windows carried 'Justice for Grenfell' banners and our hearts went out to the people who died or were bereaved there.

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Raindrops

I bought a couple of strings of quartz teardrops from a vendor in Germany - one string is clear and the other a pale blue. The beads are gently faceted and shine in reflected light. They remind me of fat little raindrops on a wire or dripping from a blade of grass. I've had them a while and hadn't come up with any ideas, until it all seemed to fall into place this week. 

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I used tiny 2mm seed pearls to separate the quartz droplets - it amazes me how expensive these tiny pearls are relative to their size, but then, if you think about how difficult it must be to handle them and drill them, it seems understandable. Stringing them is difficult enough, it makes me shudder to think how hard it must be to make the central hole without crushing them.
​It is indeed a very pretty necklace - and is winging its way to its forever home, as I type.

Giveaway Results

​Thank you to all those who participated in the various promotions I set up for Caprilicious' birthday week. The earrings in the giveaway were won by Robyn Gilchrist from Shreveport, USA - can you contact me please with your full address so that I can mail them out.

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 There is a second pair of similar earrings left on the website on the Mixed Metals page, and the 10% discount promotion runs till the 15th of January. Do visit the shop to use the code if you fancy them or anything else.

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