some new rings..

stackable rings - teaspoon, teacup & nice biscuit, sterling silver, $66 each

i've been playing around with a couple of different ring designs & i've finally got one that i'm pleased with! i thought that tea-time-with-biscuits was a good place to start but there will be 2 brand new designs (very exciting:-)) which will be ready for design:made:trade (eek! only 6 days to go)
there are 8 rings which are stackable (they kind of click over each other) so you can wear different combos. so-far i've only made one of each but next week i'll have made some more (but not many) and i'll be selling them at DMT. So if you're visiting come & say hi, it'll be nice to meet you!

goodbye goodfriend...

today my trusty favorite pair of pliers broke...
Oh round/flats! we've shared the good times, we've shared the frustration.
they were an early purchase - maybe i was 20? & it was the first specialty tool i bought by saving the $4 p/week tool allowance(!) during my apprenticeship.
NB. the apprentice system changed just before i started - in the past, after your 4 year stint, employers were meant to send their newly trained jeweller off into the big-wide-world with a complete set of tools but it turned out that too many bosses thought this was an optional gift...

this owl looks how i felt...

Owl (Japan) & Poppy (Melbourne)

see the wide eyes? this was my expression after i went to the 'design festival' meeting the other day!
i'm really comfy making small things. Every day. Couldn't think of a better job for me. But it's important to be out of your comfort zone sometimes too, huh?
So in 2 weeks i'm going in Design:Made:Trade which is part trade fair (thurs/fri for shops) & part design market (sat/sun for public) & have to set up a 3m x 3m room that will be good for both.
oooh! goodbye comfort zone!
So again i've asked for help from people who know more about photography, retail and markets than i do.
but i do have a theme...i think i'll set up a room, a comfy room that will be a bit like home (especially since i'll probably be using my furniture!)
So if you come past, have a look in the crystal cabinet, there may be some photos on the mantelpiece and maybe a jar of sweets. just like nan's house.

the good scissors in the M magazine!

'the good scissors' e/r in the Age's Sunday magazine today

this morning i grabbed the dog, put a jacket over my jarmies (& left my slippers on:-)) to go to the shops for the paper. (ooh! that does imply i got up super-early but i didn't, it was about 10 o'clock...)
on the way back i had a peek & what a large photo, in real life they're about 10mm wide!

100Yen shops

...especially handy for people just about to go to Tokyo...here is a list of the local 100 yen shops! (where everything is actually 105 Yen!)
they can be kinda tricky to spot at first, but when you get 'the eye on', they're everywhere:-)

breakfast at the ryokan...

breakfast at the Motonago ryokan in Kyoto

Kimba in Kyoto

3 hrs on the shinkansen (super fast bullet train) got us to Kyoto - & how cute are the station signs?