I walk to work every day.  Rain or shine, blizzard or black flies, you will find me trekking up the lane to my studio.  Every day, every season has it's own particular beauty.

There is a short stretch of time, though where the walk is positively intoxicating.  And that time is now.


The honeysuckle and lilac trees are in full bloom, filling my nostrils with their heady scent, and my ears with the droning of bee and hummingbird wings.  My eyes are overwhelmed with the multitude of colours.  Drunk...
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Muse:

a. A guiding spirit.

b. A source of inspiration.

I have often been asked from where I find the inspiration for my work. If you have seen any of my art or jewellery, I think it is obvious that much of my work is informed and inspired by my deep connection to the earth. I am so blessed to live in a relatively unspoiled rural area, so I am able to experience and be inspired by the land and all that grows and walks on it, the rivers and everything that swims in them, the wide-open sky a...

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So often I seem to run through my days, focused totally on the task on hand and what needs to be done next.  I do try to take time to rest, often reading a book, or playing scrabble on my phone while sitting in my garden.  But even though I take little breaks, I rarely feel rested and rejuvinated.  I am exhausted by the end of the day, and often by lunch time.  

Then I happened upon a post by Havi Brooks of The Fluent Self which gave me a real "Aha!" moment.  Over on her Facebook (aka the "Fro...
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I managed to sneak away from my studio for a bit to do some gardening.  I had planned to dig up the asparagus bed, because the last time I checked nothing was coming up.  

Imagine my surprise when I approached the bed, trowel in hand, and saw this:


I've not had much luck growing asparagus, so I was very happy to see these new shoots. So happy, that I was dancing around the garden!  A little happy dance of gratitude.  I think I might cut a very few of these precious shoots and cook them up for s...
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It was finally warm enough that I could get out for a short walk yesterday. A sure sign of spring!

I took my camera with me, on the hunt for other, more subtle signs that spring is well and truly creeping in.  Some things I found:











We are supposed to have a week of temperatures above freezing, which h...
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Across the road from our farm and house are gloriously tangled thickets of hawthorn trees.  
 

I am always struck by the lacy, abstract patterns created by the branches and long, spiky thorns.

Beyond the hawthorns stand groves of poplar and birch.
 

  

Their linear, upright trunks contrast beautifully with the hawthorns. 

These trees inspired the copper and sterling cuff I created for the Thing a Week Jewellery Challenge on Flickr.  

This is a view taken last autumn, looking from the stand of poplars...
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My week 6 Thing A Week offering is a cuff, inspired by trees, and again created using metal from my scrap box, which means it is Earth (and tree) friendly, always a good thing in my book.
 

I stamped the inside with a secret message:
 

 

Click on the photos to read more about the inspiration behind this copper and sterling silver cuff, and to find out what the secret quote is. 
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