Modern technology and a call to action.

Honey and Ollie "One Word" bracelet

I’m still getting to grips with all my modern technology. I seem to have settled into the iPad quite easily, although it’s useless for writing a blog post – the keyboard takes up so much of the screen that I can’t see what I’m doing. Otherwise though, it’s been amazingly easy to use, and I’m losing every waking minute to adding things to Pinterest. (Follow me! It’s dangerously addictive.)

Paul’s also upgraded his phone, which means I’ve inherited his old one. I’ve spent a chunk of this afternoon switching over to the iPhone 4, which is lovely, but it looks different from my old one (thanks to a software update), which is discombobulating me more than it ought to. Anyway, while I was setting the photo above for my lock screen, I was reminded that I haven’t actually shown you my new bracelet!

Honey and Ollie "One Word" bracelet

I ordered it from Honey and Ollie at the beginning of the year, and it arrived (all the way from California) on the 12th of February – much sooner than I was expecting it to travel all that way.  It arrived accompanied by a little crow holding a star (perfect!), who is now pasted into my journal.

Honey and Ollie "One Word" bracelet

This is the back – and the lovely box it arrived in. The back is so pretty that sometimes I flip the bracelet over and wear this side as the front. The silk ribbon just ties around my wrist.

Honey and Ollie "One Word" bracelet

Like this!

It’s a One Word bracelet (pendants also available), and this was my chosen word for the year.  I figured that putting it on my phone as well as on my wrist would give me a little kick every time I start procrastinating instead of working. Perfectionism and procrastination are my two biggest enemies (alongside getting distracted far too easily), and I have a tendency not to even start doing something unless I think I can do it right first time. This is my handy reminder to JUST DO SOMETHING, even if it’s something very small, and not very perfect.

Speaking of Not Very Perfect… today I was attempting to make a very simple cowl to go into the Etsy shop – just two rectangles sewn together. What I have actually made is a fully lined moebius strip, and I haven’t got the faintest idea how I managed it! Couldn’t have done it if I’d tried. I’ve unpicked the cowl three times, and I still can’t get it to turn right-sides-out. Definitely a sign that I wasn’t really well enough to approach the sewing machine today!

Jewellery Day

Labradorite earrings

Today was going to be Candle Day, but Paul’s at home with some horrible lurgy, so it seemed rude to make the house smell when he’s feeling poorly. They may be nice fragrances once they’re in a candle, but they’re very strong while you’re actually making them!

I’m not feeling too brilliant myself, so I thought I’d start the day gently by making a couple of pieces of jewellery. The earrings above are a little treat for me, and I bought all of the necessary bits from Kernowcraft. They took less than five minutes to put together, and I’m really pleased with them. Despite having three pairs of holes in my ears, I’m always bemoaning my lack of nice earrings – so now I have some lovely faceted labradorite cabochons. They were so easy to put together that I might just have to treat myself to a few more.

Helen's bracelet

This lovely bracelet belongs to my friend Helen, the Bright Lady. It just needed extending a little bit, so I added a couple of extra jump rings, and replaced the original fiddly little fastener with a better one. Again, a simple five-minute job, with all the necessary bits coming from Kernowcraft.

I feel a little bit like a walking advert for them sometimes, but I’ve been shopping from their catalogue since I was a teenager and my Mum had to write cheques for me to send off in the post! Yesterday they announced a job vacancy on their Facebook page, for somebody to design the catalogue and look after the website, and I must admit I spent a little while looking up the price of houses in Perranporth just in case.