Guitar Labels

My husband makes beautiful handmade guitars, and I use pyrography (burning wood with a heated implement) to make the labels. Here's the latest one below:

If you would like to see my husband's guitars, please visit http://www.stephenjohnguitars.com/

Just to let you know...

...Benja Blue.com will be going through changes this winter. Although I still make jewellery, I have decided to concentrate more on my art, so the website will take on a more art-orientated slant in the future.

Briar Rose

I got a call at work recently asking if one of my rabbits had escaped.  I said 'I hope not!' and after work went straight to the local garage, where they had captured a pretty English female rabbit found wandering along the road.  So needless to say, she came home with me and has found a friend in Beanie bunny.  I have named her 'Briar Rose' as my little wild rose was flowering at the time, and she simply 'appeared' from the hedgerows. Unfortunately she is still in a separate pen, although they have contact, as she is a bit of an escape artist.  I got home from work one night and and my husband Steve said 'I just saw a white rabbit hopping down the bank!'  Cue an hour of getting to know parts of my garden that I really didn't want to know that intimately!  Beanie was easy enough to catch as he often comes for walks with me around the garden, but Briar did not want to be re-caught.  Eventually we let her calm down and cornered her, and she simply jumped back into the carry box she is living in temporarily.  If only she had done that an hour earlier!  I am just grateful neither of them escaped for good as I would have been devestated.  Soon they will be in a wire-bottomed run together!

Old friends and new friends

I'm sad to say that my lady guinea pig Aubrey (top) died earlier this year, thankfully of simple old age.  She was fine up until her death.  And now Ginger Biscuit has a new friend, Lady Mistletoe (above), who came from a local rescue centre.  She was born in December and is currently about half the size of Bisky.

In the Arms of an Angel

Hi Everyone - I'm so excited because I've just uploaded my recording of 'In the Arms of an Angel' by Sarah McLachlan.  Sparky is on the keyboards, and the whole thing was recorded by Ian Rowell at Racket Studios, Cleator Moor, who caught me and Sparky jamming live.  To listen to it on YouTube, please click on the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCfh8a8UZcY

How excited am I?

Kel

Beanleaf / Singing

I would like to introduce the newest member of my bunny family, Beanleaf.  I am so sad to say that dear little Applejack died two weeks ago.  I was devestated.  I buried him up the garden and planted some anemones on his grave.  He was such a friendly lad and loved to have his head stroked.

Pip was left on her own, but I found a beautiful little Himalayan boy for her (neutered of course!) at the local RSPCA and adopted him.  He has pink eyes and is tame.  He loves his greens.  Pip didn't like him at first and I was worried as there were clumps of fur dotted around their pen, but now they're more or less happy to sit together.  She still chases him every now and then just to make sure he knows his place!

Also, I am excited to say that a couple of weeks ago I actually sang in front of about 100 people in a pub at Cockermouth!  Considering I sang for the first time ever in front of a couple of people only a few weeks ago, I think I am making good progress!

I sang 'In the Arms of an  Angel' by Sarah McLachlan with the keyboardist from the band 'Off The Hook'.  I got a massive clap and I had loads of people coming up to me afterwards to congratulate me.  Now me and my husband Steve are practising more songs.  Although I am terrified of doing it, there is something addictive about it...

Kelly

Happy Chinese Year of the Rabbit - from Piper and Applejack!

Valentine's Jewellery and Racket Music Studios

Just to let you know that my jewellery is now in Lowes Court Gallery in Egremont, Cumbria.  I have also made a selection of Valentine's Day jewellery which is now available.

http://www.lowescourtgallery.co.uk/

Plus, 2011 is turning out to be very exciting.  My husband Steve recenly moved his guitar workshop to what must be the world's friendliest music studios in Cleator Moor - Racket Studios.  A couple of weeks back I hadn't sung in front of anyone except my immediate family, but with support from Steve and Ian Rowell who runs the studios, I have just recorded my first song!  I am ridiculously excited of course, and when the track is finished I will post a link to it from here. 

For now, take a look around the studios:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=150529291632737

Take care

Kelly.

Lowes Court Gallery

Just a quick post to let you know that a selection of my jewellery will soon be for sale at Lowes Court Gallery, Egremont: http://www.lowescourtgallery.co.uk/

They have a lovely selection of crafts and gifts and I am delighted to be able to add my jewellery to their ranges.

You raised £90 for charity!

Just to let you know that for every item bought during 2010 from http://www.benjablue.com/ we made a donation to charity, which came to £90!  The proceeds were split between:

The Brooke Hospital for Animals http://www.thebrooke.org/
PETA http://www.peta.org.uk/
BUAV http://www.buav.org/
Redwings Horse Sanctuary http://www.redwings.org.uk/
Hillside Animal Sanctuary http://www.hillside.org.uk/
Pets' Lifeline Keswick 017687 73723

Thank you to our customers for raising this amount!  We plan to do the same during 2011.

Happy New Year!  Long time no blog.  We had a period during the summer where we didn't have the internet for 3 whole months!  Obviously nothing got done to the websites and they lay around in development limbo for the latter half of 2010.  But during the Christmas break I redeveloped http://www.benjablue.com/ to make it more user-friendly.  I've added lots more designs, with more coming soon.  I hope you like it.

 Kelly