Mr Balloon Man

How balloon art has evolved since my days of single coloured sausage dogs and swords.

My mom thinks I should stop wasting my time and money (R20) on frivolous things intended for young children, but I really thought Tigger was very cool-so did many of the other people that I encountered between Mr balloon man and my car :)

A Pleasant Stroll

Took a walk from Constantia Neck to Kirstenbosch this morning.
It was very lovely.

I found these little creatures all sharing a plant.

If I were to guess I would say she was wishing for a flight out of here, but so far, no luck! My poor brother and sister-in-law have spent three consecutive evenings, hanging round the airport trying to get a flight home.

The whole fandamily. It has been nice to be together :)

It’s not supposed to look like this!

I am using a new resin. It is quite expensive and requires using a vacuum table to avoid having bubbles in it. (At least that’s the theory anyway). I have the vacuum table-I even used the vacuum table and followed all the instructions-yet, I still got the bubbles. It really is not supposed to look like this. Somebody help me!

This pendant is a test piece for similar earrings that need to be filled with my new, expensive resin. If I can’t sort out the bubbles, I can’t fill the earrings.

There are people all over the world making beautiful resin jewellery. Why is it that they can do it and I can not?!

Jewellery and textiles at the Kalk Bay Modern

I am part of an exhibition that is currently showing in Kalk Bay. If you are in the area, take a stroll up the steps to the Kalk Bay Modern and have a little look-see. It is a lovely gallery shop, with many pretty things and a nice view :)

Another lily

I posted some lilies about 6 months ago, but this is a new one and a much nicer picture, so I thought I would post it also.

I do love the little lilies and they seem to be quite popular, so I am not the only one… :)

The other mangrove...

Exactly a year ago today I posted a few pictures showing mangrove jewellery. (The version where the pods were dried out before they were cast). I also, in that same post, promised to post the version where the pods were cast before they had a chance to dry out. I can’t believe it’s taken me a year to do so (can’t really believe that this blog is more that a year old) but anyway, here it is, the other mangrove… :)

One good deed brings many buttons of happiness... (I feel like I could have been Chinese)

The other day my sister asked me if I could pick up a pattern for her from the sewing shop. What joy! The shop had the most fantastic selection of buttons. I spent about an hour looking through and counting out buttons. It was a lot of fun. I can’t wait to make some funky button creations!

There are too many to put them all up, but here are some cool ones… :)

The Amazing Edouard Martinet

Came across this link on Ganoskin today.
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/11/recycled-scrap-junk-sculptures-edouard-martinet.php 
Check this guy out, his work is truly genius!

The blessing of Spring (and the rewards of Jog Squad...)

About four moths ago I joined a ‘learn to jog’ group. In the beginning I liked it very much, but as the jogging increased, so did my pain. Apparently jogging causes an old injury of mine to flare up-and just like that, jogging was no longer fun. I limped to the finish line of my beginner jogger course, but could not move on to the next group. At this stage the saying, "As jy nie kan verder gaan, begin jy weer van vooraf aan…"  comes to mind. The point of my story? (Other than the obvious, that sometimes one needs to begin at the beginning again...)

Although the actual jogging part has been difficult, the springing of Spring has been amazing. When I started four months ago it was dark and wintery, but now there is light and greenery and many blossoms. This fills me with gratitude; this makes me happy and smiley.

A couple weeks back, I noticed some fabulous green flowers. It was the first time that I had seen that particular tree in flower, as well as the first time that I had ever seen that kind of flower-a double joy. I picked a few blossoms and brought them back for casting. The casts were successful, so I had a mould made from one of them and I had a few cast from that mould. This is my double joy blossom ring.

First picture is of the ring made up and cleaned, the second is after it has been oxidized and the third is after most of the oxidization has been removed (leaving it only in the recess areas) and it has been lightly tumbled for a bit of polish.

Smelly Shelley has left us.

Yes it is true, she was indeed a little smelly, but she was our Shelley… Bye, bye little Shelley. Your family will miss you. xx

Fire Opal Ring

My sweet and very patient friend, Suz has been waiting (and waiting and waiting) for me to make her this ring. So finally it is done, I do hope she will be pleased!

Spring Has Sprung!

Had a lovely couple of days in Nieuwoudtville. It was not a particularly good year for flowers, but still a great holiday with amazing beauty all around!

Friends, beauty treatments and cupcakes. What more could one ask for...?

I long since rediscovered my ‘ add image' icon yet I don’t seem to find the time to blog much :( Anyway, with the inspiration that comes with having a birthday (and a little holiday) I thought I’d
add a little of my birthday happienss :)

Off tomorrow for a couple days (in search of Spring flowers) will post a few images on my return…

Where for art thou add image icon...?

Could someone please tell me where the 'add image' icon has disappeared to? I wanted to post a picture, but my icon is missing! When it comes to computers, I just don't understand why or how things just disappear. :(

Poor Chico :(

A little old man thought it a good idea to drive up my behind the other day. Chico and I were not very pleased-especially as the insurance man first said they will probably write her off. Anyway, long story short, Chico will no longer be written off, she will be fixed. She will, however still be moving on from my loving care and into the care of my sister’s boyfriend. After 10 years of being very excellent companions, it’s time for Chico and I to part ways. I can only hope that her replacement will be able to fill her tyres! So long and fare ye well dear friend. You have been lovely!

*Check back in a while for some Chico related memento works… :)

Fly Away Home

I was sitting in the yard the other day, when my neighbour let his pigeons out to fly. It seemed like a good day for few pictures, so I grabbed my camera.

These pigeons (or ones just like them) have been flying circles over my head for as long as I can remember. I am fond of them. They make me smile as I remember that, when I was younger, I did not know that they were homing pigeons. I thought they were wild birds and that everybody had a flock nearby to fly circles round their heads.

SA vs. Spain

My little sparrow brooch was featured in the South Africa vs. Spain section of the Handmade World Cup on rikrak’s blog. Check it and other goodies out at http://rikrakstudio.blogspot.com/ :)

Consider the lilies of the field…

I've been making lilies this week. They start their journey as wax creations and then they go to the caster. When I see them again all that was wax is now silver and I start the process of cleaning them up, finishing them off and making them beautiful… :)

The start of the resin (wedding) experiments...

Resin and I have a bit of a love-hate relationship. I love it, it loves to hate me! Still to this day I cannot get the top surface of my resin to dry as a perfectly hard, scratch resistant surface. I have to build it up to a higher level than I actually want so that I can file down a millimeter of the not so hard surface to leave the finished piece with a durable surface. This is all very well and good, but it is a bit of a mission (not to mention a waste of time) especially when poured resin can hold such a beautiful domed shape. Anyway, moving on…

I started working on this wedding piece quite some time ago. The actual piece is not yet finished (I seem to have misplaced it) but once I eventually find it and finish it, I will put up a post.

In my initial tests (picture to the left)neither the chocolate or the petals were coated in anything before they were put in the resin. The petals turned see-through and after a day or two the chocolate turned to a not so great ‘old chocolate’ look.

So we moved on to the next lot of experiments…

I coated the chocolate and the petal in a craft glaze and this seems to have done the trick. The petal did not go see-through and the chocolate still looks good! :)

Finally... :)

After eleven and a half years of waiting, we were all very delighted to be able to witness the marriage of Pamela and Laubscher! It was an incredibly lovely day, perfect really, with nothing over the top, but everything so very beautiful! Thanks guys for a wonderful wedding celebration!


Pam made the wedding cake and Laubscher did the flowers for the tables

**Watch this space (well the space above it) for some wedding related experimentation to follow... :)

One wedding down... :)

I have been silent for a while as I have been away from home/workbench/computer in order to be in England for my brother's wedding. It was a wonderful day and I was so happy to be able to share in the celebrations!

The Happy Signatures

Anyway, now that it is safe to do so (I was scared Craigy and Fabi might see their gift online before they saw it in reality) here is a picture of the wineglass markers that I made them as a wedding gift.

Off to Abu Dhabi... The work, not me :)

Here they are, my little creations, ready to travel the world.

Pieces will go on display at a Freedom Day Celebrations Art Exhibition (apparently the third of it's kind) from the 26 April to 1 May. The brief was 5-8 pieces, but I could not decide which to leave out, so I am sending 9 and hoping for the best.

Some Work For England

Some of the work that I will be taking to England in the hope of earning some Pounds... :)

Raspberry Cookie Day

I don't pay much attention to Valentine's Day and all that, but my sister made me such a pretty cookie, I figured I should share it... :)

Exhibition in Abu Dhabi

I received an email from Sue at Artisan Gallery saying that she will be sending some work to an exhibition in Abu Dhabi, if anyone is interested in participating. It seems like a fun thing to do, so I have added yet another item to the ever increasing list of things I need to do in the ever decreasing amount of time between now and the 10th of March. (That being the day when I will be boarding a plane headed for London to share in the celebrations of my brother's wedding!)


A few of the new (not yet finished) earrings that I am working on at the moment. These earrings still need to be cleaned and oxidized, then brushed up and tumbled. They will look much more attractive once completed :)

The two pairs on the right hand side are actually the same pair-I have just turned the pods around. I am all for multi-purpose or reversible goodies so the pods will come on a pair of ear wires that will allow the wearer to turn them around if desired. One day smooth and concave, convex and textured the next.

My Spot On The Floor

Mostly I'm sitting on a chair at my bench, but if I am doming or disk cutting, this patch of floor is my place. Little Shelley comes to check on my progress from time to time :)

A Few Brooches

I've been working on some brooches recently. Lots of fun, though tinged with guilt as there are quite a few other things that I am actually meant to be working on instead! Anyway, thought I'd share the brooches before I get stuck into my deadline work... (Well, bed first. Deadline work tomorrow!)


Brooches are made from sterling silver sheet with lace-imprinted texture.

Happy Cacti

I stopped at the Sheilam Cactus Garden while taking a little road trip last month. It's an interesting place and left with my camera I can spend quite a while wandering around a fairly small area, bending over prickly plants while trying not to get stuck on them! It was not the best time for flowers, but there were still the odd few spotted around for me to enjoy :)


I love the cacti that are pictured in the centre image and top left image where the broken plants make visible beautiful star shapes :)