memory lane: rediscovering old interests

Firstly, for the benefit of visiting 'Wednesday Walkers', I'd like to direct you to yesterday's entry , as I am talking about memory/memories there too - specifically how sometimes we can let memories get an unhealthy hold on us.

This entry, however, will not be in the slightest bit profound!

As most of you will know by now, I am very creative. And, I love colours. When I was a little girl I also loved to collect things. One of the things I collected was beads. I adored beads. I didn't actually do much with them, to be honest with you. I didn't have the tools or the know-how to make jewellery from them, although I did create little seed bead rings for my friends sometimes. I also made myself necklaces which I invariably took apart later, just to look at the beads.

I remember the old coffee table in front of the disused fireplace in the spare room - once my siblings had moved out there were other empty rooms, but each was still known as theirs - this one was David's room, that one was Debbie's, and so on. The spare room became the offshoot of 'my' room, which was small and snug, so having the larger room in which to play and create and dream was lovely. At the same time, it was nice to have the small room to retreat into at night. If you've been reading previous 'Wednesday walks' you'll know this was a big, creaky house - a little coziness went a long way!

Anyway (fast forward through the years), I started getting into cardmaking in a serious way 4 or 5 years ago, in the first year of our marriage after my mother had given me a cardmaking kit for a present. This led on, eventually, to scrapbooking, although I always resist 'branching out' into a new thing for a while...and the same was true for jewellery making. I'd started picking up some beads for use in these pursuits, and inevitably began to get bitten by the bead bug again. So a year or so ago (who can tell? I'm useless at judging the passing of time!) I started up with the beads again - except this time not to collect but to create.

Regular readers will have seen a couple of pictures of bracelets I have made; only recently have I seriously attempted necklace making (I'm not great at finishing off and attaching the clasps, so fiddly!) ..... I can't do anything complicated but I love the colours and patterns you can create.

I quite like making simple subtle ones with bugle beads...

Made this for my sister...

And this for my mum...

This is to wear at a wedding in a few weeks' time...

...and this was just because.

The images are taken on my phone hence not so high quality as usual. Although much better than my old phone!!