Why yes, it is my birthday - although not for much longer in my neck of the woods!

I thought I would share these beautiful flowers which I received as a birthday surprise from my parents - just what I needed after a rough few weeks.

Apart from gazing at my flowers, I also went for an enjoyable brunch with friends for my birthday.

And then I spent the entire rest of the day at my bench where I have been working hard on developing my new range of handmade jewellery.

I hope to have a sneak peak of some of it to show you soon.

Yes, I have spent a lot of time at my bench over the last few days! Not to mention slaving away over a pot of etching solution.

I thought I would share the result of this hard work with you as all of this jewellery looks like an impressive amount all bundled up together! And this isn’t all of it - some has already been sent on its way in some orders.

Not all of the pieces are finished in the photographs - some of them have now been blackened or given a silver oxide finish. And of course various pieces need to be completed by being made into necklaces, hung on ear wires, etc..

As I’ve mentioned a few times over the last several months, I’ve been battling with poor health for some time and have been really struggling to keep on top of things to the degree that I’d like. Well, yesterday I was given a surprise diagnosis after a blood test which it seems explains pretty much everything that’s been troubling me.

While it’s frustrating to have another health problem to deal with (I seem to collect them!), it’s a relief to know what it is and that with the right treatment things should eventually go back to normal. I can’t wait!

So while I’m getting my head around the implications of this, I’ll leave you with this photograph of some beautiful poppies I’ve been very much enjoying at home this week. I’ve really loved watching the buds split open and the wrinkled up petals slowly stretching out to their full potential.