Monday, January 2, 2017

Making and Walking

Well here we are, 2017.   I've had a lovely few days off, in the period between Christmas and New Year when no-one knows what day of the week it is.

First of all I build some wooden covers for my wheelie bin.  They used to be hidden behind a screen fixed to a pergola but the pergola was rotting so I decided to take it down before it fell down.


I thought it would be a quick job to put them together but it actually took all day.  They are very sturdy though.

Next I've been making some jewellery.  A few months ago I bought some limo (polymer clay) and yesterday I made beads - it's very therapeutic!


Today I had fun laying the beads out and finding other beads to go with them.


Quite pleased with the finished result - I'm especially pleased with the marbled blue beads.


While I had the beads and bits out I decided to make another necklace with some beads that I'd bought ages ago.




But it's not all been building/making - I've had 2 lovely walks.  One day Celia, her husband and I went to Mersea Island off the Essex coast.  We'd seen a Channel 4 program called Britain at Low Tide a few months ago and they'd shown the earthworks of a tudor blockhouse  which was commissioned by Henry VIII in 1543 to protect the strategically important Colne estuary.


We found it!  The triangular earthworks are all that remain, and eventually, due to the changing coast line here, even these will probably be lost forever.


The other walk I did was on New year's Day, when it was grey and murky but it wasn't raininng so I walked down by the river to the mill on the water meadows.


The reeds were rustling in the wind and I watched a kingfisher darting about for ages.


Finally I walked home through the town, past this little gate, which was open but clearly not used much.


I hope you all have a wonderful 2017!

6 comments:

Jo said...

I'm impressed by your wheelie bin covers, I could do with something like that myself. I've really missed my walks this Christmas, we haven't had the chance, nor inclination, for much at all, Archie's been very put out that he hasn't had any decent walks. I must rectify that now though and get some nice walks planned.

Celia Hart said...

I love those turquoise beads. Pleased you could join us for our trip to Mersea Island, weren't we lucky with the weather?!

Frances said...

Happy New Year to you, Su!

It's fun to see how you made use of the "in-between" days. The wooden cover box is very impressive! I'm guessing that you had to build most of it on site?

I've always been curious about that modeling clay and appreciate your close up views of the beads you've created. I also like the tray used to organize bead stringing. I used to make bead earrings and necklaces but never had such a clever launching pad.

What fun you all must have had visiting the Tudor site at Mersea. Excellent travel companions and an interesting destination on a fine winter's day. Fantastic mix.

it's always a pleasure to visit here, and I'm looking forward to many more posts in 2017. xo

TrishWish said...

What an interesting post on the necklace making and I love your board thing! I've always wanted to do this and you have instructed and inspired me. Saw that Low tide programme it was very, very interesting and jealous you got to see one of the sites!

Anonymous said...

Glad to know that you have been out visiting with Celia!

Have an exciting year.

Gina said...

that sounds like a couple of fun walks and your necklaces are really pretty.