Hello, Crafters.
We
had a very pleasant and uneventful journey back home from the Isle of
Wight yesterday with some sunshine and some rain.
It has been a fabulous
break and hubby doesn’t go back to work until 2nd. October!
On
Wednesday I told you about our trip the previous day to the Needles and
Alum Bay, and I said I’d get back to you about the coloured sands.
Just a bit of background first!
When
we went on the first Incentive Trip I’d earned, which was to Thailand
in July 2017, I wanted to bring back a souvenir of such a memorable
event.
We saw this hand made tapestry of the Tempting Turquoise – I
think that’s our closest colour – elephant, and I fell in love with it.
We spoke to the shop owner and he explained it had been made by hand by
local Thai women.
Apparently, they collect dresses that have been made with very
substantial fabrics that are no longer wanted, and cut pieces to make a
patchwork quilt tapestry.
In Thailand elephants are called Chang;
needless to say that’s what we call our elephant!
Getting the tapestry
home wasn’t a problem.
We just folded it and put it in our suitcase, but getting it framed wasn’t so easy – it measures 5′
x 3′!
It was quite a challenge for our local framing company, not
least because we wanted non-reflective, safety glass that didn’t weigh a
ton!
The guys did a briilliant job, and I’m really pleased with Chang,
who is now on the wall in the dining room!
Back
to the coloured sands!
At the top of the cliffs at Alum Bay, one of the shops offers
the opportunity to fill glass or plastic shapes with different coloured
sands.
Hubby shot off to join the queue saying he’s already decided which
shape he wanted, and I shot off after him saying Nooo! I’ve seen what
we should have!
Fortunately, we’d both chosen the larger size Chang!
So
now we have Chang and Sandy Chang!
I made one of these sand-filled
ornaments years ago when I was 16, and my goodness, how they’ve improved
on how it’s finished off.
Whereas we were told to make sure the sand is
packed as tightly as possible, now there are assistants who finish off
for you!
This includes giving you the option to have wavy lines put in
the sand.
This is done by inserting a long needle down the outside edge
of the sand!
They also pour a small amount of
water into the sand, then plug the hole with a piece of clay and put on
the lid!
If you ever get the chance to do this, do have a go; it’s fun,
relaxing and satisfying!
Today,
I’ll be back in my studio and it’ll be business as usual again!
Thank
you for staying with me during our little break, and I hope you’ve enjoyed
the ride!
Until tomorrow, happy crafting.
JanB.
What a wonderful souvenir … looks like a tapestry! It's truly lovely. So glad that you've made it back home, safely and having had such a wonderful little break away. Thank you too, for sharing your "adventures" with us here in Blog land!
Hi, Geraldine. Yes it does in real life too. I love that it's hand made, and like my cards, it's not perfect, which adds to its beauty! ☺ Happy crafting. JanB.
I always enjoy your trip photos and dialog. I appreciate how much you share with us. I love both your "Changs". That tapestry is beautiful. I still have some bottles of sand that my son did years ago. I remember doing those and it was so fun deciding what colors to use. Are the colors you have in your bottle from the local sands?
Hi, Sheron. I'm really pleased you enjoy sharing my travels! Yes, they are local sands. Although there are something like 22 or 23 different colours on the cliffs, there certainly weren't that many available to us to use! We were more than happy with the number of different colours for us to choose from! ☺ Happy crafting, JanB.