Like A Horse, But Not A Horse...So What's The Point??

As a horse owner, I find this product quite hilarious...

this, people, is the I-Joy Ride. Apparently it "tone(s) up your abs, inner thighs and buttocks...using up to the minute technology, it gives you all the associated benefits of horse riding within the comfort of your home."
Now, frankly, we have to ask the question 'why' and I'll say it again 'why oh why?' - I get

Ten Things About Me....

I am afraid of heavy vehicles passing me on the drivers side because a truck once drove over the side of one of my cars whilst I was in it.   I still own the car.

My cats have mostly been black and white.   My horse is also black and white.

When I was six I visited the Victoria Falls in what was then Rhodesia - I remember thinking 'I will never forget this' and I never have.

If I could have any job in the world, real or imaginary, I would like to design cat's coats (I mean their fur) - I think I could come up with some novel cats. 

Most of my t-shirts are aquamarine;  this is despite my current favourite colour being purple.

I think goats cheese is the work of the devil.  Coriander is a close second.

I couldn't tell the time till I was 12 because we moved about so much all over the world and that sort of got missed somewhere along the way.

I once ended up in my bra in departures at JFK.  It actually wasn't all my fault.

I hate Chrysanthemums.

My Mum often gets mistaken for my sister.  I am not sure if this is a good thing or not.

Did I Ever Mention?

Having had some feedback from a few customers after they received their jewellery purchases, I realised I hadn't previously mentioned the bags and wrapping I use for your purchases...beautiful slk-embroidered pouches and bags which do double duty as they are either mobile phone pouches, jewellery rolls or drawstring bags. When I do a 'giveaway' offer I wrap in tissue with an organza drawstring bag.


I am fortunate many of my customers come back for more, and I've always been in the habit of periodically saying 'thank you' by sending a little something extra , well, I suppose its no use not mentioning it!


Recently I decided to periodically offer a publicised freebie which is open to anyone making a qualifying purchase and of course there is the packaging too; I hope when you open your envelope you'll not only be happy with the item you purchased, but the gorgeous packaging or perhaps a free gift from time to time makes the process a special one for you - it's my way of saying thank you!
PHOTOS OF JEWELLERY POUCHES AND PACKAGING

New York New York

Its almost a year since I was last in NY...sigh...anyway, here is a gorgeous time lapse photography film by Max Moos which is almost as good as being there....



Music by Moby from Max Moos

Beautiful...

Currently Reading...

These are the books I'm currently reading....
Georgiana; Duchess of Devonshire by Amanda Foreman; I'm reading Georgiana for the third time - the first was on holiday in the Florida Keys; an American guy tried to buy it for his wife whilst we were on a boat trip - we'd got into a conversation about the Duchess of Devonshire and that Chatsworth House wasn't far from where I live (its actually about 30 miles away but that's not considered far in America....) - I hadn't finished it so I wouldn't part with it, but before I left the States I mailed it to his wife because I'd finished it by then.    A Superior Death by Nevada Barr; the 'Anna Pigeon' mysteries are a bit like Nancy Drews for grownups - I have them all on my e-reader which is currently broken so I am having to read it on my PC which is a pain in the derriere, but there you go....so far, this one is not as good as the others but maybe that has something to do with my irritation with the loss of my Sony e-reader....  The Marriage Bureau for Rich People by Farahad Zama: This is a lovely book - it's  like the Alexander McCall Ladies' Detective Agency stories without the patronising attitude, only this is set in India and its about a Marriage Bureau...its light and unchallenging which is great at bedtime...I have a habit of reading until I fall asleep and often get woken up by the book slapping me across the face when I nod off.  Which means I start over and end with another slap in the face...obviously, hardbacks hurt more.   Feeling Fat, Fuzzy, or Frazzled?: Beat Hormone Havoc and Feel Better Fast by Richard Shames and Karilee Halo Shames   OK, this is not light bedtime reading.  Again, its stuck on my computer as an e-book because my Sony Reader has died and is about to go back to Sony (9 months use and then it breaks down at an original cost of over £200?  Not good, Sony!)  Anyway, I digress...this book argues that being overweight, having depression, arthritis and being infertile (amongst other things) are all the products of hormonal inbalances within a body's system and that this can be rectified in some way...(haven't got to that bit yet because this is hard work and I'm lazy when it comes to reading and I desperately want to know if Anna Pigeon catches the bad guys who 'dunnit....'  And anyway, I know why I feel Fat, Fuzzy and Frazzled and its mostly to do with eating chocolate....

This Always Makes Me Smile....

Today's Jewellery Making.....

I'm just working on the update for SLC - then an e-mail will go out to all customers - in the meantime, here is some stuff I made today!

Adventures of The New Fur Baby

Mia is settling in well, she loves to snuggle up next to me in bed, which will be handy in the wintertime if we have no electricity when the entire nation goes on strike.  

Tomato And Roast Garlic Soup

This is my own recipe, invented because we had a glut of tomatoes...its soooo yummy, and what's more, really easy too!!

Freebie for October 2009 - SLC Designs.co.uk

Psssst...want a free pair of earrings...?

I'm in the process of loading lots of fresh stock at www.slcdesigns.co.uk- but this is an advance heads-up for a freebie which I will be starting in the next few days...

How to Ride A Horse Upside Down

What a beautiful sunny day!! Perfect for a ride...Mark came with us on his birthday bike and we had an hour or so out an about on the Moss behind the stables - Merlin and I did some trot and we were even brave enough to canter a little, though the bravery did not last too long...I've been having trouble with my saddle slipping and sure enough, when I was coming down a bit of an incline my saddle went sideways and I went with it - I was lucky that Mark managed to grab my arm before I ended right under Merlin - and Merlin, bless him, did not turn a hair despite me hanging off his neck going down a hill with his saddle round his belly - most horses would probably have run for the hills. I think its to do with my left side being so weak because of my RA, but I have a tendency to run the saddle to one side despite it being girthed properly - its definitely not Merlin's fault and I have to occasionally shift it over a touch to stop it turning turtle; it has been properly fitted and all, I think its just rider discrepancy!!

"One cat just leads to another"

This is Mia, the new addition to our family....

Starting a new Journal page was one way to draw a line under September. The distressing death of my lovely pussycat Cleo affected me dreadfully and I was glad when the month came to a close. I imagine readers will fall into two categories - those who get the whole pet thing, and those who don't - well, I guess because I don't have children and having tried so hard to save her, it hit hard and I ground to a halt in terms of new creativity for a little while, though orders went out just as normal.

New Bracelets

A small selection of bracelets I have worked on recently - I started with Swarovski Roses Montees (which have a criss-cross back) and went on adding more Swarovski with seed beads, sterling silver, and they are all strung with Beadalon Pro.

Above - Tropical Colours

Above - Autumn colours with topaz roses montees

Above - Autumn colours with ruby roses montees