Cysts, cysts and more cysts!!!

It seems that if I were to name a theme for me for 2009 it would have to be CYSTS! My first one developed after my knee injury in May after I munched the cartiledge and then a cyst grew on the damage in the knee capsule. OUCH! Then I had my annual mammogram and I have an unusual breat cyst that needs a biopsy and to top it all off now I have a cyst on one of my ovaries. None of the medical personnel seem overly concerned so I'm following their lead and will try to have a good Christmas and not worry too much also. My gyno doctor says that all of these cysts are not connected in any way but I wonder if some people are just more prone to developing them?! Anyway...I am keeping myself busy making jewellery and have finished all the Christmas presents I'm going to do for now and so yesterday spent the day with my jewellery tutor and made myself a ring. I'm really pleased with the results, hope you like them too.

Breast lumps and keeping busy.

Have just had my annual mammogram (I have them every year because I'm prone to cysts) and I still have lots of cysts but there's also a lump that looks a bit different. So I have to have a biopsy, which I've also had before so I'm keeping positive and keeping busy. This is one of those times when been a crafty craft maker is a good diversion technique. Here's the latest offerings, again using recycled copper that my brother in law gives me from his spouting jobs.

Latest installment!

YAY, my latest jewellery making installment. Am really pleased with how these turned out and they were much quicker than anything I've done before. Must be getting the hang of this jewellery making mallarky!!! It also helps to make multiple items along the same theme.

Thanks for a fabulous concert.

Last Sunday I had the pleasure of attending a Pearl Jam concert in Christchurch, and they were accompanied by Ben Harper and Liam Finn, with the added unexpected bonus of Neil Finn doing a set with everyone. It was brilliant. Not only is Ben Harper still the sexiest man alive but I have a new found respect for Eddie Vedder. What a lovely man! As my brother said (he went to the Auckland concert), he's the kind of guy you'd love to have round for dinner. He was so concerned about everyone's safety, I just thought he was groovy. It was the best concert I've been to for ages and the rain didn't come until the end which was also good!!!

I love Wednesdays - Part 2

The latest installment from Wednesday jewellery making nightclasses is my Clematis neckart piece. Why is it that I keep picking designs that I think won't be too hard and then they end up taking ages to finish? I go along to class and think, "this week I'll have it finished" and another week goes by and it's still not finished! Someone did say I should crawl before I tried to run (or however the saying goes!) but I guess that's not really my way. It was worth it though, am feeling very pleased with this little effort. On to making some Christmas presents now, and these really are going to be easier...I hope!

Garden Art

My very clever husband made this garden art in the weekend with only a few terrible splinters. They are representative of our little family (Awww cute!) I was making Christmas wreaths for the Mistletoe Market. So a very crafty weekend we both did have.

My new book.

Just received my new book from Damien Rice (you might remember my book buying addiction!) which again arrived really early, nice work guys! It's The Art of Jewelry Design, from Idea to Reality by Elizabeth Olver. It's amazing and I love it!!!! So it's highly recommended but the reason I mention it here on my blog is that there are some pages about keeping a visual journal, which I already do. But there were some really cool ideas such as "A visual journal need not necessarily be in book form" and that got me thinking that maybe my "work bench" is a sort of visual journal. So here's some photos of it. The white board at the back of the bench that everything is pinned to, is a large artists canvas. Things can be removed or moved as I find other bits and pieces. A work in progress if you will. It also sometimes has pictures of shoes and clothes I'd like to own. I know that's a bit consumerist but then I do love clothes and shoes as much as crafts! Oh and other things that inspire me like the Greenpeace sticker and art work from a Damien Rice CD.

BOO HOO!!!

I'm feeling sad today. It is six weeks since I had my knee operation and be perfectly frank it's worse now than before the op! Silly me, I believed the surgeon when he told me I'd be back on the bike in a week. It took five weeks and it's quite painful, even waking me up at night because it aches so much. Thank goodness for jewellery making, I can sit down (mostly) and it makes me happy. So I guess things could be worse but at 41 years old I feel more like 81 and it's too soon!!! Anyway I'll keep biking to school and hopefully in time it will improve. POOP!

You Are a Geek
You love to learn, especially when it's about technology. No subject is too obscure for you.You enjoy tinkering with things to see how they work. You aren't a traditional learner either... you need to hack around to figure things out.You may have the brains to be a super rich Silicon Valley geek, but you're truly content to have your own favorite projects, subjects, and toys.For you, being a geek is not about the glory. It's about a love of digging deep and truly understanding the world.

And I always thought I was a hippie. Just goes to show how well I know myself, although I do agree with all this above. Maybe I'm a geeky-hippie-enigma!

I'm in the paper!!! YAY me!

It's still such a buzz to be in the paper and I didn't even know until someone at work told me about it. It's been the highlight of my week, what with job insecurity for next year and a teenage son who won't study enough for his exams! Any hints in that area, gratefully accepted! But I guess he's doing better than the young man next door who lives with his Aunt. She likes to start every day by yelling really loudly at her poor nephew, with lots of swear words. Don't get me wrong I LOVE to swear too but not at people. The poor lad got a bad report at school and they arrived home with her screaming, doors slamming, their dog barking. It was all on! No wonder he's not doing very well at school if he has to start his day that way all the time. I think his emotional bucket is a bit empty!