Rings n things

                            Rings n things

Many people comment on  the rings I wear and often ask me about them. 

These are the 3 rings that I get most comments on.

Sometimes friends ask but often a random stranger on the bus, underground/tube or in a coffee shop will approach me & ask me. 

I always like when this happens because......

1- It's nice to know strangers feel I am approachable!

2- It's good to know that the rings capture other peoples eyes like it did mine

3- I enjoy talking (in general!) but in particular about most things creative & crafty

4- New friendships are often formed from these simple interactions

5- The designers of the rings appreciate the feedback & that the item is being enjoyed.

I make beads, bracelets, necklaces so my hands get noticed quite a lot.  I have some 'hand issues' lol..so I like that the attention is on the rings!

Anyway, here is a little run down on them.......

                                                        Ring One - Kenya

  

Kenya

This is wood carved with copper & tin. 

It was made by a young chap in Kenya.

Wearing this ring actually feels good. You know that feeling when something just feels right? Well thats the feeling!  I like to think that I feel calmer when I am wearing it. It has a 'rootsy' feel about it, it works well with my hippy vibes.  It fits perfectly & is unique.  I have a deep connection with it! 

 The good news is that some of his items are available in Mama B's African Shop in West 12 Centre, Shepherds Bush London, W12.  It is a non-profit organisation & the money goes to the artist. It is a creative space. The shop is full of many goodies from all over Africa & worth checking out. It is always fun too as the ladies in the shop are very entertaining.

Ring Two - Morocco

Morocco

 Silver ring with wood, copper, brass & shell.

This is from Morocco. 

I wish I knew who made it as I would like to thank them.  

Not only do I love the design, the weight & the feel of it, but it is also of sentimental value to me. The day I got this is full of special memories of a good day, a good person, a special person.  I will carry those memories through life. In fact this ring often gets referred to as the 'Circle of Life' ring. Nice.

Ring Three - Vern

Vern aka Malvern

Silver ring, nice and heavy. It feels 'solid'.

I got this ring in Malvern, Worcestershire, WR14, Uk, from a fab shop called Scarlette Arc.

 I spent many years in Malvern & did the majority of my schooling there & had lots of fun growing up. I still visit & I always pop into the shop. They know I come looking for beads and rings n things. 

They managed to track down the designer of the ring for me. 

He makes them in his workshop in Upton Upon Severn. They are usually 'one offs'.  

I sadly lost another ring that I got from him before, it is somewhere in the Ionian sea!  however I plan to meet with him one day & see what we can design together. I like to think that the ring I lost was found by someone who now has a mutual appreciation for it & a story to tell about how they found it.

So there you go, my three most talked about rings for you.  Rings n things, I cold talk for hours!

My Pyrography

Bead Pyrography - Wood Burning

Ouch! Burnt myself again...time to get a pyrography tool.  
I am glad I did.
I've been having fun trying out the different heads & experimenting on beads.
In fact I quite like the smell of the wood when it singes.
Perhaps it's not the best idea to inhale it, so maybe wear a scarf over your mouth or a mask if you have one. 
Make sure you have a window open or a well ventilated area.
The tool gets extremely hot so make sure you have an appropriate surface to lay it on.
Play around and try different ideas it is the best way to see how it works. Better than reading about it.

* This was my first try using different heads & also just simple freehand writing.  Custom made by request for 'Watusi Eighty Seven' a young hip hop artist.

* I did a giant pendant & burnt my song lyrics on the back.....a few errors and mis-burns where I wasn't concentrating or got a hand wobble.

AFTER this I felt I was starting to get a better feel of using the tool....so........this is what I did next. I was pleased with the result & was more confident with the pressure I needed to use etc.....

* These I did to mark the third London Coffee Festival, raising money and awareness to bring clean water to Mbulu in Tanzania. At the festival there is live music, the musicians donate their time and talents for 3days. I called these beads 'Music for Mbulu' beads.

So if you are thinking of getting a pyrography tool go for it!

Don't spend a fortune, between £12 - £24 & you will have fun. Mine was £22 and seems smoother than the more expensive one that my friend has..

Be safe!  Have a fun creative time! 

Life through a window

 Life through a window 
Many years ago, at school in South Africa, in either 1981 or 1982, we were told a story, a fable, a tale. There were many 'stories' in fact but a few in particular stayed in my mind to this day.
This is my basic memory of that story. I even remember what a hot day it was when the Nun, Sister Caroline, told us.
We had our blazer jackets on and were told not to take them off. I could feel the sweat on he back of my neck and even my knees.  I was also told off on this day for my hair touching my dress collar?! However that is another story!
So here goes...this is my adaptation of the story...I think my sister may remember this one but she might remember it differently as we tend to do that!....

Life through a window
Two girls were in a hospital ward. One in the bed by the window & the other on the other side of the room against the ugly wall.
They became friends, spoke about getting better and running and playing outside in the sun together, they laughed they cried, they shared food, shared jokes but MOST importantly they shared 'life through a window'...
Oh yes! This was the thing they shared the most.  Wall girl would ask Window girl all about what it looked like outside the window...
Window girl loved this. She lay in her bed looking out of the window smiling and telling Wall girl all about it. Wall girl would get excited & beg her to tell her more about the flowers and the colours & the beautiful life outside the hospital window. Window girl always entertained her with this.
They shared the dream of healthily running about smelling the flowers, painting pictures of them, all the beautiful colours & scents.
Wall girl told Window girl that this dream kept her strong to fight to get better. The friendship & dream were strong and real...Window girl gently said..."Just remember the beautiful life through the window"....
That night there was lots of noise & rushing about, nurses in and out and then silence..... a strange silence. Wall girl was told to sleep.

She woke up to find the bed by the window was empty. Empty! Window girl had gone,  her dear friend & narrator of 'life through a window' was gone.
The nurses came to comfort Wall girl. There was one thing on her mind.. She asked the nurse if the could move her bed by the window. She wanted to see out of the window.  The nurses tried to assure her that it was no better than the place she was in by the wall. Wall girl insisted.
The bed was moved, Wall girl pulled the blind back, blinking with excitement and also at the sunlight that poured in....she blinked again to re focus, she couldn't wait to see the beautiful flowers she had heard so much about.
She blinked again, staring out of the window, almost n disbelief. There was a wall, an ugly concrete WALL with rubbish all around, not beautiful at all...
"Wh..where are...wh...where are all the beautiful flowers Window girl told me about?".. she quietly asked the nurse....
"Flowers? There never were any flowers dear Wall girl, you had a friend, a friend who could see beauty in life even when it wasn't there.... so she could improve your days and make you happy.."
Wall girl was stunned for a moment. Then she smiled, lay back in her bed looking out of the window...
There was noise and people running about again, this time wheeling a bed into that place by the wall, the ugly concrete wall she remembered so well.The new Wall girl smiled, said hello and asked with great excitement & hope..  "ooohhh is it beautiful outside that window? I bet it's beautiful".....
Wall girl, now New Window girl looked outside at the ugly concrete wall, .. she smiled and turned to the new face of hope.. "ooh yes YES...it's beeeeeautiful, the flowers are so beautiful, we will pick flowers together one day"......
'Life through a window' make of it what you want........

Cheesy Choices

Cheesy Choices
Yep, I am a lover of many types of cheese.
CHEDDAR in particular seems to 'rock my world'.
Sometimes I enjoy a mild creamy cheddar, sometimes a sharp strong cheese with a bite.
Toasted cheese is something I actually dream about & am always trying to find my ideal combination to get the yummy melting and bubbling effect but with flavour.
Having many 'cheesy choices' out there I find I am often left with pieces of leftover cheddar going to waste. It really annoys me to waste food.
So you can imagine how 'cheesily chuffed' I was when I found THIS in Morrisons supermarket in the Deli section.

Oh yes yes yes, FIVE cheddars in one!!  Oh these little things bring me great pleasure.

It was delicious in a cheese &tomato sarnie, truly bubbly and tasty in macaroni cheese, and gave a nice little crusty bite to a cheesy potato topping on fish pie.

This was a good 'cheesy choice' I made.  I am sure it would be even nicer with a cheeky glass of white wine to boot...ENJOY!

Peri Peri Chicken

Peri Peri Chicken

Peri Peri Chicken is what I fancied today, so that is what I had. I AM the Peri Peri Bird!!

1-I chopped onions, red chilli, crushed garlic, grated lime zest, squeeze of lime juice, ripped up fresh coriander & fresh flat leaf parsley. Add to chicken. I used breast this time. 
2-Let it do its thang...in other words marinade for a while. Like this...

3-I left a few chilli seeds in there for a little extra 'kick'. It works nicely with the zesty lime.

Then I flung in the good old faithful +Nandos Peri Peri marinade.  

4- I then added a few extra ingredients to make it to my taste, eg, Worcester sauce, sugar, & something kinda 'secret'..yep, so secret in fact that even I am not sure what it will be!

It should look like this...

5-Put on rice. I put some coconut in the rice. Go & do something else & let the fresh flavours & smells soak into the chicken for a bit. Anything from 20minutes to two days. 

6-Quick seal chicken in hot pan. Turn heat down, add splash of water & let it simmer & the sauce to reduce down a bit.

7-Rice on plate, Bung the chicken on the top, add fresh sprig of coriander, cos it looks nice, and then a slice n squeeze of lime....Don't forget to add  whole heap of love....

.......and there you go...this is how mine looks. It tasted pretty good too. Satisfied...

Yum! :)

No Sleep

.....No Sleep.....
Just can't sleep going crazy in my mind,
the harder I try, the harder it is I find,
I toss an turn & count oh so many sheep,
yet still I'm frustrated and unable to sleep...

At this hour, 3.25am,
London sleeps but not my brain,
it has an idea, it has a plan
brain wants to stay awake but my body is hurting man!

So instead of going crazy & being frustrated in my bed
thoughts & plans running through my head,
Instead of this I am gonna get up & enjoy the time
cos otherwise wise it will be a sleep crime!!