Yesterday I received a small package from Western Australia containing a tiny purchase from an online jewellery store, Benjamin's Crafts. I hadn't used this site before and was pleased at the promptness of delivery and the range of their available product.
I had never done much jewellery making prior to living in Sydney last time for a short work project. My apartment was just off Parramatta Road at Petersham and in just the space of a few blocks there were six or seven bead shops, mostly very large with a huge range of product. I didn't have a huge amount of spare time during my five months there, the work project being all-consuming and requiring a great deal of attention, but because a couple of the nearest bead shops were open almost round the clock, I fell into the habit of wandering in and having a squizz from time to time. Also, I had travelled from Tasmania in my Smart car, and space being at such a premium, I hadn't taken much jewellery with me, so making a few necklaces and earrings stretched my wardrobe nicely.
Here in Hobart we are not well supplied. The few resources available are seemingly at either the top end of the price range, (and one may as well purchase made pieces from a jeweller with skill than make it oneself), or they are very cheap items that simply don't pass muster, for me.
Besides, I don't need much in the way of jewellery now as my social life is so very curtailed and I have sufficient "good" pieces to see me out.
My daughters partner mentioned that her mother was looking in vain for a pair of white earrings with a short dangle, so I said I would see what I had in my box. I had everything else but needed to send for a couple of white pearl drops and these are what was delivered via our friendly postman yesterday.
I also made a video of my fumbling process, don't know whether I will upload or not...but the lighting issue seems a lot better than it was before Tim installed my two new lamps, so I will see...I seem to have lost my mojo/flair/creativity/whatever for card making just now. I think I had better start looking to see if I can find where I have left it...
I have just finished rererereading "Down the Garden Path" by Beverley Nichols, such a funny, sophisticated tale of a garden innocents attempts to create a garden of his own.
I love his evocative entry where he describes listening to Nellie Melba sing an aria one afternoon under a "mimosa" tree in her garden at Coombe, near Melbourne...he thinks mimosas are simply wasted on Australians who rudely call the trees "wattles". The book is very dated now, being written back in the 1930's, but I just love his modest narrative style that takes one back to the period of time between the wars.
I have now moved on to rereading Plutarch's Lives, as I have never quite finished reading all of the volumes and it is about time I did, one shouldn't leave these things too long after all.
Better trot, evening meal to prepare. The dogs have been staying for a couple of nights while their backyard is relawned and concrete paths are repaired...I am sure they would rather be home helping with all that exciting work than being fobbed off with us, but Sarah and Karina seemed to think things would probably be best if they were not at home during the course of the upgrading.
I have to give Bonnie (the Corgi) a brush before they arrive to pick them up as those beastly little burrs that have infested our lawns just cling to her long fur like glue and they are best not spread to other gardens if one can help it.
Bye now,
Di