You smell nice!!!

This is a comment I look forward to receiving when I have purchased some perfume from my friend, Amanda. She doesn't know it yet but I'm going to! Amanda has a shop on Etsy called EsscentualAlchemy.

My one and only bottle of posh perfume is fast running out and I sincerely doubt that my (otherwise wonderful!) husband will think to buy me another for Christmas. In situations like this, one wishes for a way to smell stuff over the internet. It's a good job Amanda sells samples!

Natural Perfume 6 Luxurious Samples

Amanda also uses some very original and evocative images for her perfume listings. You can almost taste this one!

Orange Cream Natural Perfume

And this one for "Lumberjack Man" definitely says "manly" to me!

Lumberjack Man Natural Eau de Cologne

Amanda also uses images from Tarot cards to great effect:

The Moon Gaian Tarot Natural Perfume

Do go and visit her shop. She does a great job of tempting one to try her wares! While you're there, have a look at her "About" page. Very interesting!

I'm clean!!!

After the flooding in this area of Spain, we have had no running water for ten days. Irony of ironies! We have been grafting hard to clean up the house and the patios, becoming exceedingly dirty in the process. I have been putting up with strip washes but getting a mite frustrated with the situation because I just didn't feel properly clean.

Until today! My wonderful husband, Bryn, has built us a solar heated power shower in the back garden!

The black painted fuel can, sitting on top of the boiler house, holds 20 litres of water. Left in the sun all day, it warms up nicely. The garden shower we already had but, because gravity wasn't enough to produce a good spray, Bryn fitted an old washing machine pump in between to turn it into a power shower. 

My husband, who never throws anything away, is a complete genius! 

It's just as well that nobody lives behind us, though. The back wall came down in the floods! I felt a little exposed but I didn't care. That shower was pure luxury! 

P.S. Tomorrow, I am going to buy a bath mat and a towel rail!

Daringly Different!

If the title mystifies you, it is the phrase that Pam from epicetera uses to describe her jewellery!

Pam has a definite style which I admire immensely. Look at this bold necklace!

Turquoise Calsilica Jasper Necklace

Pam can do chunky with panache but also uses delicate pearls to great effect:

Natural Keshi Pearl Necklace

As well as a penchant for the dramatic, Pam also demonstrates a sense of whimsy!

Colorful Stretch Skull Bracelet

Most of all, colour is manipulated with style in Pam's designs. I love these long random necklaces of hers!

48 inch random necklace, mixed pearls

Have a peek at Pam's "About" page to find out more about how she got started!

Cute and Crochet!

Another of my Etsy Team friends, Babs, is in to crocheting in a big way. Lovely, colourful stuff! All available in her shop, Crowe Shea Fashions. (Clever play on words, there!)

Fiesta Crochet Scarf

Bright and cheerful, inspired by Mexican serapes! If you think you see a bear under that scarf, you are spot on!

Kids Hat in Aqua and Yellow

Her name is Fey. Here she is again modelling a super little hat for children!

Emerald Green Cloche Hat

Sometimes the hats are a little too big for her, but she carries on regardless!

Amigurumi Cat

She also helps to show off the Amigurumi Cats that Babs makes. I can't say that word. Good job this isn't an audio blog!

Crochet Plastic Bag Holder

Babs also makes these very useful items! Be green! Reuse those plastic bags!

Wire Wrapping Heaven!

I'm going to start with a big picture here, so you can see what it is that I am in awe of!

Aqua Blue Wire Wrapped Necklace

This wonderful piece was created by my friend Joy. She has a shop on Etsy called Catinalife Creations where you will find all sorts of beautiful and intricate jewellery!

Look at the precision work in this bracelet:

Gold colour wire woven cuff

I don't think I'd have the patience although I would love to attempt it some day!

Joy also makes chainmaille jewellery:

Niobium Rainbow Rings Bracelet

Talk about complicated! I wouldn't know where to start!

If you want to see more (and who wouldn't?) go visit her shop on Etsy. 

Oh, and Joy also loves cats, as if you hadn't guessed! That makes her a top person in my book!

Pick a card, any card....

My friend Lindsey has a lovely shop on Etsy entitled "Cardstock Equine".  That's because she loves horses and makes greeting cards. Here are some cute samples of her work!

I said she loved horses, didn't I?

She seems to be fond of cats, also!

Lindsey likes shoes, but who doesn't?

But I think the horses win - by a nose.

Just click on any of the captions to see the original listing!

Bryn on a Quad.....

I've got my screen saver set to displaying photos in the My Pictures folder. This means I get to look at lots of interesting things. Photos of my jewellery, pics of the grandchildren, lovely shots of paperwork that's been scanned! Also passing before my gaze are many photos that friends send to us of Bryn's days out on the quad. When I saw this one, it was a bit dark and had half a finger intruding on the left hand side. I spotted it's potential, though!

A bit of Photoshopping and you get this!

I think our friend Paulette took it. Very nicely composed, Paulette!