Working in the shed plus beauty and joy

 We often reflect on how fortunate we are that the cottage had a shed when we bought it. Sure enough we need it to store gardening materials and tools, and paint and the like, but it also offers B in particular, but also me, the chance to have a workshop space to make and create in.

And so it was that I tested it out recently to see if I could make some jewellery whilst we are here. We had purchased some tools and some supplies and I thought I had most things covered, so off I went.

Setting up

Realising that although it was great to have bought a stool for me to sit on; that in fact there was nowhere for my legs to go under the bench, so instead, I needed to sit sideways and set up the work station that way. Solved.

No idea what I was pointing at, but I had so far managed to form and solder three pebbles.

Having thought of almost everything, I realised I had not thought of pickle. The stuff that you put the pieces in to clean them, remove the grime and finger grease and other things. I mentioned it to B, who went away and boiled some water and added lemon juice! Ta da we had a functioning cleaning pickle. In a mug. We now have a glass container to hold pickle, but in the interests of necessity for now we had the mug.

I managed to form 6 pebbles that seem to have worked out in pairs so I can make 3 pairs of earrings. I don't have a roller here so had to hammer the wire flat which has left more marks and texture. I am working on whether I like that or not! I think I will try to oxidise a pair as well and see how they look.

And the dappled sunlight coming through the window, the tile, and the soldering tile were a lovely combination of marks and shapes.

So it looks like I will be able to head back to the shed and keep making. We are having a pop up show in May here in the Village Hall and I want to make sure I have enough stock. I'm sure I do, but I always have a little niggle voice saying what if you don't? 

And so to beauty and joy around us. Here is a robin in a nearby tree singing its little heart out.

A tulip at our front door.

A new arrangement in our bathroom.

A nearby bridge with the gorse in bloom (I removed an ugly barricade fence and some rubbish in the burn in photo editing just so you know it has been doctored)

And the latest cute family group in the village.