Norse beading - some results

Skadi, Goddess of Winter

Freya, Goddess of love, life and death

Frigga - Goddess of fertility

I am so pleased with the results of my beading on the weekend! Since I have based these necklaces on the ancient Norse style, I have accordingly chosen colours and named each one with one of the Norse goddesses in mind. What do you think?

Keep Calm and Carry On

You know you're nearly at the end of the decorating road when you start putting things back up on the walls. I bought this poster last week and when it arrived I thought "That's way too big!" but now that it's up, I really like it. The red and white goes with the kitchen and the wartime history of the message goes with the house as a whole. Apparently the slogan was devised in Britain in 1939 as a civilian morale booster but it was never used. It boosts my morale - I think its message is a wonderful notion. In this snap, taken in the mid-afternoon with the blinds down, it looks rather World War Two-ish, with the tiles and the lighting, like it was taken in an underground Tube station. Maybe?

The crafting resolution is starting to slowly come into effect. Having some fun with felt today (sounds like a book - Having some fun with felt...), with a hopeful view to some new goodies for my Etsy shop.

And fiddling about with some lovely beads too. Now I just have to actually make something rather than just fiddling!

It's 35 degrees here today so I think the quiet pursuits of felting and beading might be just the ticket. Are any of your new year resoultions happening yet?

Handmade

I have been having some fun fiddling around with my new(ish) camera and the computer. The photo on top looks to me like something from a hyper-exaggerated Willy Wonka world with its bursting colours while the second one looks like an old photo to me - 60s or 70s - taken on a Polaroid. My husband thought it looked like something taken on another planet!

I have to show you this beautiful neck adornment made by my grandmother (I think) many, many years ago. It's made of black beading to look like (I presume) the popular Victorian material, Jet. Having said this, I wonder if it isn't in fact older since my grandmother was not even an embryo, let alone making jewellery in the Victorian age! I'll never know for sure now but I found it languishing in an old tin in the sleep-out. I now have it on display on my dressing table.