Second chances

Update:
work- ok, just about finding my feet
childcare- better than I dared to hope but stressier than I'd like
state of the house- terrible
SmallerBean's ceiling- very draughty but patched with a bit of plywood

This post has been waiting in the wings for A While so I thought I'd get it out as the rest of the Beans are exploring Thetford Forest.

A few weeks ago, on this post, I talked about a new little idea involving sea glass. My little stash in the bathroom was doomed for the drill and a new lease of life, hanging around someone's neck. I carefully chose pieces which were a good colour, shape and with just the right weatheredness to them. The drill bits arrived and BigBean and I tottered down to the shed (his domain) where we discussed the best way to drill the loveliness. He had previously persuaded me that this was a job which needed his help. And boy, was he right.

Sea glass is a complete bugger to drill and it took about twenty minutes to get a hole through the trial piece.

Big had had enough by this stage (DIY is second nature to him but faffing around with skinny drill bits and pieces of 'rubbish' from the beach with me sqeaking 'Don't spoil this piece, it's gorgeous' and 'Can we make the hole a bit more...CAREFUL!!!... towards the top' are not home improvements to him.)

Anyway. We (he) drilled a second piece and I skipped back up to the house with it and started getting out the magic beans. Later on (I can't make beany things with Smaller around, she does BAD things with her grabby hands) I put together some beans and the glass and snipped and twisted and arranged to make (are you ready?).............

THIS!!!!Can you even spot the solitary shard of treasure?

I wonder what this little piece of glass was before it sat in the middle of this necklace? A milk bottle? Vodka bottle? Part of a jar with tasty strawberry jam inside? And I also wonder where it came from? The beach I found it on is on the Solway Firth, just near Southerness. We call it the Shell Beach as the whole place is just white white white with cockle shells, but if you look closely there is quite a bit of sea glass to be found too. Maybe it only travelled a short way. But perhaps it came from hundreds of miles away and has been tossed and turned and sand-blasted for many years.

And then I was in the bean zone.

But the drilling Had Stopped so I had to be content with going back to Plan A and making things with the stash which didn't require new holes.

A pink mixed stone garland,
and a grey and mauvey pearly linked necklace with a flat silver disc

and mauvey garland with a lovely faceted aventurine heart.

But I'll have to wait for BigBean to unlock the shed before I give some more sea glass a second chance of happiness.