Sunday, 7 August 2016

Design Dilemmas

I think we sometimes take for granted how much effort designers, artists, creators put into their work.  The bracelet above took me many hours to get to an acceptable design with many mistakes made along the way.  I suppose I could say that the bracelet is a prototype and already I can see loads of areas for improvement.  I think the crystal beads for this design are too weighty for the micro macrame and tend to tip the bracelet forward.  It also needs another two 'bead stations' to put the design in proportion.  All these trials and tribulations are needed in order to grow and improve each time we do/make something.

My garden has been a bit of a trial and tribulation recently.  The slugs and snails have been overwhelming in their presence this year and on one occasion last week I collected 205 slugs and snails from around the garden in one hunting session.  I am saddened that just a few woody stems are all of what remains of my dahlia 'Happy Days' after the gastropods took a fancy to it. Happy Days for them indeed!

I am getting the urge to retreat.  There is no holiday again for me this year for various reasons and I really do need a break away from routine and people.  My 'retreat' may have to take place in the form of meditation.  I just need to take my mind elsewhere if not my body.  I make sure that I am the first up every morning so that I can enjoy the house in peace.  I really do enjoy solitude and to be honest a regular family holiday with beach, noise and partying really isn't my thing.  A tranquil hideaway with a babbling brook, a cosy cottage and nearby places to explore would be my ideal getaway but it remains just a dream.
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9 comments:

  1. KC'sCourt!8 August 2016 at 08:17

    Hugs!

    I love the bracelet

    Julie xxxxxxxxx

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  2. greenrabbitdesigns8 August 2016 at 09:26

    Why not take yourself off for a day trip to somewhere that you would enjoy.
    I understand the trials and tribulations of slugs and snails, have you ever tried nematodes...natures way.
    Love the bracelet. :)
    V x

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  3. Rosie8 August 2016 at 09:31

    I do hope you find the peace and solitude you are seeking, Simone. I love the house and garden early morning too when the day is new and no one is around. I saw Mr Fox in the garden early one morning last week making his way home after a nightime of adventures. Your bracelet is lovely:)

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  4. Judy Hartman9 August 2016 at 03:47

    I wish I had a cottage in the woods with a babbling brook to invite you to, Simone - or rather, to let you use! When I feel like a getaway, I go off for hours to art, craft and book stores. I love to look, imagine and daydream and usually spend very little money. If you have ever read the book "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron, this is what she calls an "artist's date" - that is, a date with yourself. I never feel guilty when I do it.
    As for your bracelet, I like it very much. I find it very difficult to design jewelry, even though I have collected drawers of beads. It looks so simple, doesn't it? What I've seen of your jewelry has looked very professional. I think you are a bit hard on yourself, Simone. Give yourself a day away and let your mind wander. Sending love. xx

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  5. Lyn16 August 2016 at 23:14

    it has been a bad year for slugs and snails this year, they are so hard to control. Sometimes I just decide to not grow things they enjoy!
    Have you tried yoga and meditation? I think it would be good for you. xxxx

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  6. Helen Philipps19 August 2016 at 09:20

    I hope you find peace and tranquillity and a way to retreat for a while, Simone. We had the same trouble with slugs and snails this summer and many of my tiny seedlings just disappeared! I love the new bracelet...so intricate and detailed.
    Helen xox

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  7. Anne Butera20 August 2016 at 14:57

    Hope you're feeling more upbeat now, Simone and that you've been enjoying your bead work. It's so fun to play and work and figure things like this out.

    Sorry to hear your garden has been ravaged by slugs and snails. I think every year gardens have their troubles. Diseases, animals, bugs. And yet, they always bring joy with the glimmers of beauty that show through it all. Hope you're managing to notice them.

    I've never taken a "regular family holiday with beach, noise and partying". There are so many better ways to vacation. We're not going on a vacation this year again, either. Just have to try to inject some fun and relaxing into the regular days. There are lots of ways to do that. Hope you find some!

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  8. Pam24 August 2016 at 21:45

    My garden has been left to pretty much fend for itself most of this year - and it's not too happy about it. The only positive is that I haven't fretted too much about the slug and snail population. Pesky little creatures aren't they?!

    A little r and r is necessary for everyone and I do hope you find it soon xx

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  9. Lisa27 August 2016 at 13:10

    Hope you are finding the quiet time you crave.
    I went out to hang washing on the line the other morning and there were slugs all over the grass, I didn't have time to collect them as I needed to get to work, I'd have been there until lunchtime otherwise I reckon!
    Lisa x

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