a mystery solved!

I blogged recently about an auction I'd been to - and yesterday had a reminder of another auction (which I've now realised was over two years ago) where I bought a box of brass bits and pieces.



Some pieces I sold on ebay, some I use, and some I upcycled by knitting flowers to put in them - one of these even made it into Period Living, a national UK magazine!



Inevitably though, there is still a box of leftover brass bits.



Yesterday in the Town Hall I saw a display containing an item similar to the ones that I've circled, so I now know it's a tastevin.



Wikipedia says this: "A tastevin is a small, very shallow silver cup or saucer traditionally used by winemakers and sommeliers to enable them to judge the clarity and color of wine that was stored in dim, candle-lit wine cellars. Tastevin are designed with a shiny faceted inner surface. Often, the bottom of the cup is convex in shape. The facets, convex bottom, and the shiny inner surface catch as much available light as possible, reflecting it throughout the wine in the cup, making it possible to see through the wine."



Sadly they're not rare or worth a fortune :-( but I'm glad I now know what it is!

Ever wondered what sheep do in their leisure time?

Wonder no longer....



They play "king of the castle".



We stood and watched them for quite some time. We weren't near enough to be a threat, no dogs around. There seemed to be nothing on the mound remotely desirable to a sheep, no food trough, no water...yet they were pushing and shoving each other to be on top. Baaaa!

SPAM

My spam box overfloweth.

I get spam comments on my blog daily: some want me to buy special medications, others are worried that I might be lonely, and offer me an escort service. Somebody else finds my blog posts very useful for their dissertation, and another regular enjoys my "themes". The most amusing was just after I'd changed my blog banner and colour scheme: they suggested I should consider changing my design occasionally.

It's annoying, because it means I have to moderate all comments, and sometimes my lovely real readers think their comment is being ignored. Not so, I assure you.

Spam on twitter goes without saying!

More recently I've been getting spam from online sellers. Mostly, I think, because they're unaware that just because I post on a forum, or maybe add their shop to my favourites, that does not mean I wish them to start sending me unsolicited offers. That is what newsletters are for - I blogged on Folksy about how to set them up here (part 1) and here (part 2).

Now *someone* has kindly signed up in my name to receive offers from certain websites. No, don't ask. But if you happen to know how to unsubscribe from services without having knowledge of the password, please get in touch.

And to end on a positive note - let's hear from Monty Python:

fun guys

...that I met in the woods



So many shapes...



So many colours...











this next one makes me think of Lothlorien...



and of course the "classic" fairy toadstool...

Freeganism anyone?

Well, maybe not strictly speaking freeganism as there were definitely no waste-bins involved - more of an attempt at foraging.

One of our regular walks takes us through an abandoned orchard. Kent, our county, is known as the Garden of England and used to be a major apple producer. Many of the orchards are now housing estates :-( but this one has a footpath running through it and appears to have been neglected for years.

The trees haven't been cared for for a long time, are moss-ridden and unpruned.



Yet still they continue to produce fruit, much of which lies underfoot.


It's quite odd to walk on a bed of apples. At first you try to avoid them, but it's not possible! It's almost like bathing in cider, the smell is very strong in places.



Nature in her wisdom has entwined brambles between the trees, so we were able to pick not just apples, but blackberries too!





I made three crumbles.



One for last night, and two for the freezer. This recipe is similar to mine, but I like to replace half the flour with porridge oats, it adds texture and flavour.

This is … Becky

from Sugar Plum Dreams. In Becky's shop you will find homemade bath and beauty items, made in small controlled batches with the freshest products we can offer. No chemical laden products here.

Lavender Seas Mud Mask

You will also find hand-beaded & handmade jewelry here, Becky has been designing jewelry since 1997, and is very addicted to beads!!

She is also going to start a line of hand-blended teas that will help soothe your body & soul from the inside! Will debut soon!!


Favourite colour?


Oh my gosh I guess you could say purple is my very favorite, but I truly love all colors especially the bright ones ! They most always make me happy!

Favourite smell?


I hope this doesn't sound weird but my daughter is my favorite smell, I just love to hold her and breathe in her scent. It calms me and reminds of the important things in life!!

Honey Almond Soap


Favourite place?


Toss up between the beach and mountains, they both have such healing properties. I love nature, the ocean makes all problems seem so small, it's so soothing to hear the ocean waves they just lull me to sleep and the beauty of the mountains especially when things are all bright kelly green! I also love the singing birds in the mountains.

I see the beauty God has put on this earth for us to enjoy, everywhere!! Am I talking too much? Do I love too many things?

Spirit tea

Nifty: I don't think it's possible to love tooooo much! Favourite sound?


My daughter's sweet voice!

Favourite way to spend your time?


Holding my daughter first ,second would be spending time with my husband cuddling together and spending time with my family, third would be creating new products or designing a piece of jewelry with a close second to enjoying a cup of hot tea on my back deck surrounded by my plants ( veggies and herbs), especially the teas I create specifically for my ailments!!

Favourite item in your shop of all time?


All of them? No really..... probably the Coconut Lime Foot Scrub!



But I do love them all, the Lavender Seas Mud Mask and Honey Almond Soap are two more of my very favorites.

Why?


Because it really does make my crusty feet like brand new!!! Also it smells DIVINE!! The other two have made my skin look and feel so radiant and feel so soft!! I know exactly what goes into them so that it makes it all the better...all natural no chemicals.


Favourite shop that isn’t yours?


Do I have to answer this one?? No really I can't say I have a favorite .... I love so many of them. There are so many talented people in this world with whom I never would have met without the internet!! I love so many shops and blogs!!

Sugared starfish

What has been the most useful lesson you’ve learnt so far that you’d like to pass on to our readers?


I haven't sold much online, but I have sold a ton of stuff in person in two retail shops my family used to own. Online is a whole new ballgame. MUCH harder to sell online especially with Jewelry, The bath products we make seem to be catching on a lot quicker than the jewelry did. I love them both. The most useful thing I have learned is PATIENCE & PERSISTENCE it takes a huge amount of work, and a huge amount of posting your urls, and a huge amount of supporting fellow sellers. I truly believe you get back what you send out. So I try very hard to help everyone as much as I can, and not just for the return, but because I just love to help people!

bookmark


I got into making the natural bath & beauty products after seeing all the info on chemicals, and what they do to our bodies, I have a lot of health problems and I want to eliminate as much chemical junk that clogs up my body up as I can. Also I want to give my daughter a head start in life with using all natural products.
I once read teenagers put over 165 different chemicals on their skin a DAY !! Could this be why we are so burdened with so much cancer and illness these days.
Putting crap ON your skin is like putting it IN your body and it can do just as much damage if not more by applying it to our largest organ... the SKIN!! My husband also loves the natural products!!

Botanical flower sachet

On Zibbet I have combined two creations, the new bath & beauty line called Body & Soul Products, and my jewelry RWestDesigns Jewelry into one shop. I call it Sugar Plum Dreams because I want to be able to list anything I create, I have been known to dabble in hand~made note cards, hair bows, and who knows what else I'll try in the future!! So I didn't want to limit myself to just jewelry or just bath & body. I am in the process of re-doing all of my fine line jewelry photos. They need attention! Once I get this done I will list these on Zibbet in a Hand~Beaded Jewels section...stay tuned for that one!!


http://www.zibbet.com/rwestdesigns

Linen and room spritzer

I have also started a blog about Zibbeters and the things they create. I just want to help do my part in spreading the word about Zibbet, and help all of its wonderful
sellers. Again sending it out there ......plus I get to know the Zibbeters better this way.


http://www.zibbeters.blogspot.com


I also have a blog about raising my adopted daughter ( which actually needs some attention)


http://www.adoptionraisingsophie.blogspot.com


and one more blog about me and my life and jewelry creating!!


http://www.rwestdesigns.blogspot.com


Thanks Becky - and once more, those all important links are listed below:

http://www.facebook.com/rebeccawestjewelry
http://www.facebook.com/bodyandsoulproducts
http://www.rwestdesigns.blogspot.com
http://www.adoptionraisingsophie.blogspot.com
http://www.Zibbet.com/rwestdesigns (bath & body & jewelry)

Going, going...gone!

We were sad when the local auction house went out of business, and it's taken us a long time to find another one. Today was our first auction - and we won one of the two lots we wanted.



It was listed as a sewing basket, 2 occasional tables and a jardinierre. I only wanted the sewing basket, but as the whole set ended up being under £30 ($45) including buyer's commission I'm happy!



The top drawer has little cubbyholes for cottons and scissors and what-have-you



and then the deep drawer is lined in felt and is roomy enough for the day's knitting and yarn and stuffing and wires and everything else to be hidden away.

I am confident I'll be tidy for at least the next couple of days!

We missed the excitement of the early part of the auction. There was a box of Indian paintings, estimated at £10. Turned out 2 bidders knew more than the auctioneer and the owner. One of the painters was apparently a big name - and the lot fetched a staggering £8000. I've looked in my loft though ;-(