Thank goodness for the canals...

... well The Golden Age of Canals actually.  Without such an interesting programme I would probably not have finished the pearl and crystal bracelet this evening.

With  five bar magnetic clasp.

This bracelet is very very pretty and sparkly - princess stuff!!!

Last week I was here....

and saw a 1960s set of pottery with a very nice sunflower design, but alas it was too big a set and too expensive, but then this afternoon I popped into my local charity shop and found the very same design, but much cheaper and less pieces.

A couple of dinner plates....

... and some cups and saucers.

Last week I received the last of the Craft Stamper swap items  - we had to make a postcard....

I had just bought these cupcake stamps and had to use them....

And in return, I received this lovely postcard from Elizabeth - thanks very much - I especially like the 'stamps' and the postmarks.

The birds were out in force today....

10 cheeky sparrows......

9 hungry pigeons....

2 Ja - a -ck Daws....

etc etc....

What else have I done recently.... oh yes I spent most of last week sitting in a comfortable position and knitting.....

samosas

and more cakes!

Late for work....

It wasn't the jewellery making that made me late for work on Tuesday....

I started this on Monday at beading club.... lots of stringy bits and tediously going back along the rows......

 

.... but just as I was about to lock the front door I saw Jack on the bird table - hey Jack - haven't seen you for a few days.....

Feathers a bit ruffled after a hairy flight from the bird table to the fence....

He looked very interestedly at the food on my hand for quite some time

and then flew to the other fence.....

... but then decided the food on the ground looked much safer!

Now - the amount of beading that I can do in a week is directly connected to the amount of television I watch.... so how's this for my latest project....

Quite a bit further on with this weeks bracelet.

Here's a close up - it looks really FAB - thanks Dot for another great project!  Watch this space for updates........

Jack's Family

Thursday morning at 6.45 Jack brought his mum and dad too.... Dad perched briefly on next door's bird feeder, and Jack displayed babyish behaviour by fluttering his wings and looking cute with his beak wide open hoping mummy would feed him.... she didn't!!  I rather like to think they came to look after Jack, because I was very worried about him as it poured with rain on Wednesday night!

Jack on the left fluttering his wings!  Mummy on the right.

I did try to clean the windows the other day - but there is something on them that is shining!

Jack and one of the three collared doves that hang around the garden.

Splish splash - look who's taking a bath!

Jack flew onto the bird table on Thursday evening.

He took his bit of bread to eat by the broom.

And in my yummy parcel from my son.... a t-shirt from my favourite shop!

..... and I think my daughter in law may have had quite a big hand in selecting things for my parcel!  Love this book on patchwork.

And look at all this fabric!!!!!!!  The robot one and the other yellow one are a new range designed by the author of the book.

Jack had a lie in this morning - it was 10 past 7 when he came for his breakfast.

Guess where I went today?

My mum (her name's Raye and she's nearly 85) has been busy cardmaking!

Jack came back...

At 6.45 Jack was back for his breakfast.

Mmmm nice bread.

After work some of his friends came to join him for supper.  Three cheeky starlings and a herd of sparrows, who wanted millet not bread.

But Jack didn't fancy any company .......

... and flew off with his bit of bread ....

...... up onto the fence and off somewhere else!

More Jack Daw diaries

6.45am Jack came down for his breakfast.

After work Jack was strutting about on a nearby roof. 

Kath, next door saw Jack at about 3pm with his mum and dad.  Typical parents - checking up on their kids when they are having fun!

Today's beading class

Details showing the fastening of todays bracelet - I tied a large knot and used an old boy scout trick of whipping the ends with fireline to hold in place and neaten.  I was about to use the pink beads that I had bought at the weekend - when Dot noticed they were plastic and not glass!  She came to the rescue with these ones.

A close up of the 6mm grey pearls that I eventually used for this bracelet.

Twice around the wrist makes a bracelet, and once around the neck makes a choker!

This is a netted necklace that I started last week and only just finished.  It is #11 seed beads and a silver coloured toggle fastening.

 Jackdaw Diaries.....

This little chap has been hanging round my garden since Saturday afternoon.  He flies a bit, but not very well - he likes eating, drinking, hopping on the logs and strutting about.  Looking at his eye on this photo he could possible be blind in at least one eye.  His behaviour is certainly very strange for a Jackdaw.

He does like the sunshine.  He has been seen on the roof of my house and the house opposite.  Yesterday he flew into my kitchen window twice (unfortunately for him it was closed)  and I feared the worst - but he picked himself up, shook his feathers and trotted off.  Today my neighbour said he was around most of the day and flew into my kitchen window another three times.

Afternoon Tea?

Nice knitted cakes for afternoon tea in the local cafe.

A doughnut and a swiss roll

Behind the doughnut a chocolate swiss roll and a chocolate eclair.

A little card to welcome a new baby - felt and buttons.

It has taken quite a while to finish this little bracelet.  I bought the sparkly button in the local market as I thought it would make a nice clasp for this bracelet.

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The Scotty dog is lost on this tartan rosette.

But these heart shaped white buttons look cute on the spotty ribbon!!