Day in pictures

Went to the New Inn at Goodleigh for lunch with my local U3A, very nice lunch in a very pretty village.
Took this photo of a fuschia while waiting for my lift.

Lots of pictures for inspiration.

Tiny pink Fuschias and somefkind of wild flower, possibly related to garlic. 

After lunch wandered around St Gregory's Church, not sure how old it is but we found a gravestone dated in the 1780s

The Lytch Gate

Acorns and oak leaves on a column

gorgeous vaulted ceiling over the Chancel with a lovely window behind the altar.

 

The roof over the nave, with one of the angel carvings on each of the main beams.

A lovely old door, leading into the tower I think.

We stopped off at Marwood Gardens for tea on the way home, and to visit their plant sales place.

Took this picture while I waited for my friend to bring the car, bought too many plants!

Lovely copper leaves against that blue sky.

Then there was this beautiful Camellia.

Thanks to Helen for taking me and showing me Marwood Hill Gardens, somewhere I will definitely visit again once I'm mobile. Thanks to Fran for organising the lunch.

Inspiration

I was inspired today, it happened on my local antiques and collectors market in Barnstaple, I found a 'thing' it's one of those nameless random broken things that turn up on occasion.
The man whose stall it was, selling lovely old stoneware and glass bottles mostly, told me it was found in Budleigh Salterton on a site dating from around 1928, a lady chatting to him suggested it might be one of those scissors holders from a chatelaine, it could be, but it could also be almost anything else.

Here's one side

and the other, the pictures were taken on an old piece of slate in my front garden.
It's broken off at the narrow end and a bit damaged at the other end as well.

I've started to clean it a bit, it's obviously going to take a while to get it cleaned properly

The 'thing', beginning to clean it.

It appears to be brass and made from a thickish sheet, rolled and joined down one edge, I would say it was never an expensive item although it has a nice  stamped and engraved pattern.

I have an idea to create a fairly flamboyant piece of jewellery, the image in my head has a fountain of beads coming out of the top and another falling from the bottom, can't decide if it should be a necklace or a brooch, the brooch option is harder!

This could be an opportunity to use all, or some, of the other 'things' I've acquired over the years.

Watch this space...............

Need to come out of hibernation mode

I don't seem to be able to get moving this year, made a lot of jewellery for a craft fair in November and slowed right down after that. I've done a very little since then and can't seem to getmy mojo going again. Somebody give me a kick or some inspiration. This is a piece in progress, I love this stone, it shone out of a pebble ridge at the back of Sidmouth beach, I had to have it, sorry Sidmouth but I don't think it was much of a loss to your sea defences. I think the wire wrapping is working, not entirely sure where that tail is going to end up, possibly down parallel with the one coming up from the bottom. with a matching 'blob'