Jewellery update

Been quite productive lately, and, with a head full of ideas, there's a lot more to come!

Just recently, I've been making a lot of stuff inspired by the natural world. One of my big loves (along with millions of other people) is tigers. This is one of my tiger-inspired bracelets. There's two different versions in my shop (see link in right column)



This necklace, I love. I found the beautiful handmade glass acorn and oak leaf in another Folksy shop, and immediately was reminded of a little verse that I learnt as a child:

A wise old owl lived in an oak
The more he heard, the less he spoke
The less he spoke, the more he heard
Why can't we be like this old bird?

So, here is The Owl In The Oak Tree necklace, made with Kambaba Jasper:



The other piece I want to feature today, only has a loose connection with nature. The English language has many words with two or more completely different meanings. The words 'Spring' and 'nuts' are just examples. So, here is 'Nuts In Spring'. And you thought nuts only came in the Autumn? This bracelet has coiled springs of green wire, hexagonal motorcycle nuts, and carved nuts of the fruit kind from Africa.



The above bracelet is from my 'PunkyRider' collection - bling for biker chicks

As always, they can be found in my Folksy shop - LittleInsectProductions

An A-Z of Music

It has occurred to me that, despite it being a huge part of my life, I've hardly mentioned music in this blog 'o mine. Time to put matters right, I think!

I love music - everything from ancient motets to rap, and encompassing everything in between. So, weekly, I'll take a letter of the alphabet and mention one classical composer, and one non-classical act. We shall start this goodly enterprise next week, and I hope to introduce you to some things you've never heard before, as well as reminding you of some old favourites.

But to kick it all off, I thought this week, I'd mention a couple of names that have pinged on my eardrums recently, up-and-coming stars, if you like.

Let me introduce you first to Heads.Hearts. This all-girl threesome came to my attention because the drummer, Abby, is the daughter of an old friend. They're rapidly beginning to make a name for themselves, and if you like the funkier stuff of groups like Florence And The Machine etc., I reckon you'll enjoy these.



Next, Rizzle Kicks. I caught these lads on TV the other night by accident, and I was transfixed. Seldom have I seen such energy in a stage performance. They truly are mesmerising:



So, there's your tasters for today. Next week, we start with 'A'...................

Book review - Uneasy Rider - Mike Carter

So, he gets drunk at the office Christmas Party, and tells everybody that he's giving up his job to take off on a large motorcycle, and go wherever the road takes him.

There's just one problem - he can't ride a bike...........................

Being a biker with a penchant for travelling and visiting places, I've always enjoyed 'road' books. From Ted Simon's 'Jupiters Travels' to the latest McGregor/Boorman epic, I've read them nearly all, but seldom have I enjoyed one as much as this.

The journey for Mike is partly to get away and resolve some issues arising from his recent divorce, partly a search for the answer to why men have mid-life crises (apparently always at the age of 42, which is also the answer to life and everything), but mostly because he's bored with his life as it is.

And so he travels to Wales to learn to ride, and buys himself a big BMW, because that's what Ewan and Charlie did, right? and sets off to cover 20,000 miles and 27 countries in a 6 month period. Along the way, he meets other bikers, and locals, and yes, he does find some answers, but often the answers themselves raise more questions.

This book is often moving, funny, witty, and Mike Carter writes with an honesty about himself and his life that is refreshing and sometimes very intimate. As a journalist, he has the knack of being able to convey scenes and emotions in just a few words, and so the book is fast-paced and lively, emminently readable, and it will interest the non-bikers as well. What more could you want from a travelogue?

Rating: 5/5

New Addition to the garage

This is Honda's all new NC700X cross-over bike.
We've got one coming on 1st. March, to replace Dick's ageing NTV700 Deauville.
The best thing about it will be the fuel consumption - it promises anything up to 80mpg!
Well, we shall see...................watch this space...............

It will join the LittleInsect, the CBF1000FA and the VFR800X XRunner, and, although similar in style to the latter, promises a totally different riding experience.


And, while we're in the mood for bike stuff, this is the latest addition to my PunkyRider jewellery collection:



This is the 'Nuts In Spring' bracelet. And you thought nuts only came in the Autumn? LOL you were wrong! The bracelet is actually a concept based on incongruous elements in the English language i.e. nuts and Spring - both words having two completely different meanings. It features green wire springs, hexagonal nuts (of the motorcycle type) and carved nuts (of the fruit type) from Africa, and is finished with a cute antique copper cruiser
If you're interested in purchasing it, or any of my other pieces, then follow the link to my Folksy shop

Advert over.............

More incredible art

I've just discovered Heather Jansch. Who? Well, she does the most amazing things with bits of driftwood and other natural materials. Just look, admire, and soak up the atmosphere:






Aren't they beautiful? If you want to see more, then visit her website here


Oh, and before anyone starts on about her work imitating that of Deborah Butterfield, well, to me there's no comparison. Ms. Butterfield's work is far more impressionistic and symbolic, and not to my taste at all. She doesn't capture the spirit of the animals nearly as well as Heather Jansch does.