Twenty Question Tuesday

In your eyes, what's Paradise?

A crisp, cold, clear autumn day in the English Lake District. A good walk, picnic lunch and lots of lovely views to take photographs of.

Prized Possession

I'm not sure I could narrow this down to one, lots of things around me are very special - none of them of any financial value. The painting of penguins my son won a competition with at 5, that's framed and on the wall nearby, a photograph of my husband and son horsing around one summer holiday - it was one of those days when if someone were to ask me to define happiness - my mind would go to that moment. Perhaps at the moment, it's the official photograph of my son graduating last summer - along with my own informals from the same day. I was proud fit to burst that day - not just for his degree, but the way he got there and the man he became in the process.

Favourite medium to work with and why?

I think copper - it's soft enough to go where you want it to, I can twist, hammer, melt, solder and etch it - and I'm a very long way from exhausting my ideas with it. Silver is a close second, but copper is affordable enough that I can work freely with it without worrying about how much money I might be about to waste when experimenting.

Flowers or chocolate?

As a diabetic, I would have to choose flowers, I do like to receive them, even if they are short-lived. I certainly don't need expensive ones, I do love a house full of daffodils when they're in season to buy and a bunch of snowdrops would make me just as happy as a bouquet of roses or expensive orchids.

Who influenced you the most?

Everyone on both sides of my families were makers - one grandfather worked with wood, I have many pieces of furniture in the house that he made, my other grandfather designed and made Christmas displays for department stores (amongst many other things), my mother knits, sews and does tapestry and my father can turn his hand to just about anything and all had very high standards of workmanship. So I think a family ethos of using your hands and getting satisfaction from doing a good job just became second nature to me.

Who would you most like to go to Dinner with?

See my McDreamy v. McSteamy answer below. I think a simple supper on the deck of a boat might be nice.

Top Cat or Banana Splits?

Definitely TC - but actually Benny the Ball was my favourite, we had a cat who was a lot like him - he had big fluffy cheeks and a cheeky face.

Today I wore:

Much the same as most days, comfortable jersey trousers, sleeveless T-shirt and denim shirt. And socks and slippers. My standard work clothes. Count yourself lucky I actually got dressed at all. Oh the glamour!

Do you have a favourite online {bead, craft or textile} place to shop and would recommend

I don't think I could - or it would be fair - to single just one out. I have however found in recent times that craft suppliers, as an industry, give exemplary service. You get goods promptly and receive cheerful, efficient service.

What inspired you to do what you do?

I think the seeds were sewn when some years ago I just couldn't find a necklace to go with a particular top for Christmas, as the fashion at the time was for choker length necklaces - but commercial necklaces were made for far slimmer women than me and everything I tried was far too short for my neck. I bought one I liked with another chain and modified them to fit me. That was when I first started thinking that to get what I wanted, maybe I should make my own. Once I started tinkering with a few rudimentary tools and beads, I was hooked.

McDreamy or McSteamy?

If both were in front of me nekkid and you had my back up my arm forcing me to make a selection, I'd choose McDreamy, I do rather like the way his eyes smile. But I'm afraid Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs (NCIS) has already stolen my heart clean away. So poor McDreamy would always be second best.

If you could do anything else, what would it be?

I'm actually pretty happy with things as they are - I have no other career paths I'd like to explore at the moment. I've been lucky enough to already do some pretty special things - like live music photography at some pretty special events - but other than wishing for enough work so that I could pay the bills each month without the regular panic I currently experience, I'm quite happy just as I am for now. I want to learn and develop a lot further, there is still so very much more to try.

Favourite item of clothing

Clothes just aren't important to me - I'm not a girlie girl at all. But I think perhaps I'd say my denim jacket. It's got lots of large pockets and I've sewn the pocket flaps inside too so that I can use them - I can fit cameras and lenses in the pockets and it's large enough that I can wear anything underneath it, so I'm very comfortable in it. I've had a lot of wonderful times in that jacket. In an ideal world, I'd like one just the same in a soft grey suede.

Best childhood memory

I don't think I can single one out - but we always had fabulous long summer holidays travelling across and camping in Europe and when I think of childhood, my mind always rests on those times, swimming in mountain lakes, visiting fascinating museums and just travelling and gawping out of the car window at the passing scenery.

Most cringe-worthy moment

Too cringe worthy to want to share. It's bad enough that I can still remember it myself!

Favourite holiday destination

If funds were available, I'd probably choose the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland - but as funds haven't been available for some years now, we've spent every minute possible in the Lake District. I love it dearly and long to be there whenever I'm not. If I ever had money I'd like to buy a caravan or small flat there so that we could go whenever we wanted.

Which celebrity would you have as your best friend and why

I don't hold much store in celebrity, they're just people the same as the rest of us. I'm not sure that anyone who would consider themselves to be a celebrity would be the kind of person I'd want as a friend or be very good at it.

Best "crafty" tip you can offer

This was an important lesson I learned the hard way and am happy to pass on. Keep good records of your work - as you go along. The first time you have to re-make an old design, you'll curse not keeping a note of which gauge of wire you used, or the diameter of mandrel you formed it round etc. I now have two journals that I keep alongside my work to make notes in and it has already saved me far more time than it takes to keep it up to speed.  I have a rough one for sketches, ideas, notes and workings out and then a good one as my final record of finished designs that I transpose the summary of those rough notes to - because they often change as I work. If I hit a snag making something and have to overcome it, I note this, so that I don't make the same mistake next time, I note sizes, materials and the tools used and it acts like a recipe if I want to make the same thing again.

What's your Star sign?

Capricorn. I just passed a large birthday milestone and I'm not very happy about it!

What would you most like to see happen next?

To get enough orders in not to live quite so hand to mouth and yet retain enough time to make the things that I want to do and develop my skills. If only.

My thanks to the gorgeous Boo of  Boo's Jewellery......pop over to her blog, with a cuppa, and puruse her musings on photograpy, jewellery making and daily life.....definitely worth the time! ;o)

hugs

hello gorgeous xxx