26th Feb 2007

Well, here we are folks, another Monday!

It's been cool with the new shop, I can't believe how many people have been in to view it. I reckon I've even sold a bit more!

I've got a nice lot of new bookmarks in there right now, here's a photo or two!

Gosh I hope these two line up a bit better than the last photo's I put on here did!

So what's new with me... I've been reading. Ha, when don't I.. I've just finished Sara Paretsky's latest Warshawski novel in paperback - the one that made it to Sainsburys that is. It's a good story, engrossing as always, and you kind of get the feel that it tells you more about real life in America than any amount of documentaries or Hollywood films.

I've moved on from this to The Interpretations of Murder, which is frankly, described in one review of it that I read as "this year's Historian" or some such, which I believe is a reference to the popularity of last year's eponymous tale. I bought that, read about the first 15 pages, and couldn't get much further - it was incredibly dull.

The Interpretations of Murder (or Interpretation, the book's in the bedroom and I can't check) is a different kettle of fish - I can feel it itching away in the back of my mind that I want to go to bed and get on with the next couple of chapters. I've only just read the first two or so, and essentially it's about a trip to America made by Freud and Jung (yep the Freud and Jung) in 1909, which Freud returned from leaving a small autobiographical note to the effect that he hadn't cared for it very much. On such small leavings as this, the writer has invented a really unpleasant murder to get our two psychoanalysts involved with. I can't really tell you much more, because as I said, I've only just read the first few chapters. But it stinks with atmosphere, and I love the relationship he's created between the members of Freud's group - the two eager sons who hang on Freud's every word, the disdainfulness of Jung who is (from my extremely limited knowledge) clearly moving towards his 'split' away from being a disciple, to being an innovator in his own right. God, innovator. What an awful term to use about Jung. But it's late at night, and I can't get my brain in gear.

So.. I'm still working on my bit about Capote and In Cold Blood. It'll make it to the blog eventually. I don't want to let this regime of mine, of writing about the books I read, to prevent me from being able to blog regularly, because I feel guilty at not doing what I said I was going to. So if you're interested, it will come, just taking a bit more time than I reckoned on.

Anyhow, that's it for now. More anon!

Tuesday 20th Feb

Well I've taken the plunge! I've got myself an Ebay shop! The url is:
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/sunspark-sparks-jewels
so click on the link, fly over there and have a look! Now if you see something you like, you can hit on the links, and go buy it if you fancy!

Monday 19th February

I've made some great bits and peices recently and I wanted to share them with you!

This is a red and orange multistrand Keycharm, which will shortly be on sale on Ebay. It's made from red and orange art glass beads, with some interesting other beads and charms!










And this is the above's little brother!
Also made with red art glass beads
Swarovski flower pendant in Siam
and square Swarovski beads, in olive.

15th February 07

Well here we are again. Still not doing so well on the getting on with the book review bit - sorry folks.
However, I do have valid excuses - I've been re-confined by the old doc, who has disapproved of my returning to work, and has downgraded me to working five hours a day. This has thrown our work rota into chaos, and left me feeling, well frankly, rather down. I feel guilty about what I've done to my work mates, angry that I can't just leap up and go, and alarmed that I've well and truly buggered up my back. It really catches me from time to time too, one bend in the wrong direction and I'm psuedo paralysed - unable to breath, and difficult to move and get myself back to normal.

My guess is this is why I'm on half time, but if I stay put in one place for too long then I get stiff as a board and apparently this leaves me in danger of doing further danger to my injury. So gentle exercise it is, for the next four weeks. Then it's back to the docs, to get myself certified!
So these are my excuses and I promise to do better! I've been doing a lot of Flickr in the meantime and made some new mates - lots of jewellery makers. It's always interesting to see what other people are doing, and to keep in touch with how they do it.

Sunday 4th February

Hi there!

It's been a while since I've blogged - I've been tied up with other stuff! I'm still hobbling, but it's much less painful, and I'll be back to work at the end of the week.

For all of you out there hunting down Valentine's gifts, check this little lot out, all listed on Ebay, just search my seller id, Sunspark 58!

These two rather gorgeous little keycharms are both for sale - the one on the far left is a blue lampworked glass bead with a yellow and blue flower, and four small Duranga beads in blue.

The one with the large heart shaped split keyring is fabulous, and has four fluorite beads strung with decorative whole silver plated rings, and a fine chain with amethyst heart hung from it. The Lilac ribbon adds a certain something I think.

This keycharm on the far right is silvertone metal, hung with blue and green beads. I'm particularly fond of this, I love the colours.

And this is a great 7 and a half inch silver plated charm bracelet, hung with clear crackleglass beads and round haematite beads, a couple of large smokey glass hearts, and small haematite stars.

I've got loads of other things on there, why not zip over to Ebay and have a look?

Anyhow, on with my efforts at reviewing.

In Cold Blood - wow this is one amazing book. It's very gripping, and totally sad, such useless pitifully inept violence with only a gallows waiting at the end of it.

But... I couldn't read it without wanting to re-read the Capote biography, because it fills you with this need to know, what kind of man could write that book? Its such a strange mix of poetry and beauty, and the ugliness of the crime. It's extraordinary in the way it places this violence in the heart of the community that experienced it, the way it accounts for the effect that it had on the people that became involved. It's a verbal picture of a crimson slash through the American rural lifestyle of the time.

So I have gone back to the Capote biography. He was born around 37, and was the son of a very odd couple, entirely inadequate parents. He - Capote's father, was actually called Persons. Capote's name was changed when his mother re-married, and he was adopted by the step-father. Both parents had more or less abandoned him, leaving him with her relatives. She appeared to be off to the cities, either in search of work, or fun - she was only in her forties when she died, a suicide, following a life trying to overcome alcoholism. She appears to have actively hated Trueman, she was totally unable to cope with his homosexuality - and it may have been that there was also some hormonal problem going on there, because his voice never appeared to break, and as a young man he was late to experience puberty, and remained 'youthful' looking for a considerable period of time.

Anyhow, I'm still reading the biography, and I'd like to read it fully, and then go back to both In Cold Blood, and Capote in general. I do promise not to write an essay!!

So - have a good week. I hope to be posting again soon!