What's that smell?

 

So I have been away from the computer for the past week or so, and here is what I have been seeing in the evenings while doing 'nothing' during the days.  I was at Victoria Beach for most of this past week, sweltering during some hot and humid weather.  Of course, the beach beckoned, but with the recent fish fly period, even the finest sand couldn't draw me there as the beach wasn't at its most beautiful, and the stench was rather choking.  The smell only lasts for a couple of days and now it is mostly gone.  During the evenings however, the weather was much cooler and the views of the sunset you see here attest to the beauty of the location, even though I took these pictures with my lowly Blackberry. 
Now that I am back in the city, I will begin (in earnest) some polymer clay work as I have a couple of big sales coming up at the end of this month (one at the very location where these photos were taken) and the other in our neighboring province during the August long weekend.  I have made a few innovative pieces and am working on some cache coffrets.  I just made the lavender sachets for them as I have been in sewing mode for the past two days. 
First I made a 'crop top' blouse which I am hoping to paint, and then finished up with these easy little lavender pockets.  I had this fucshia organza which I assembly line stitched and then filled them with the lavender.  The 'scoop' was made about six years ago from polymer clay.  It was the perfect size to fill the pockets.  I love using hand constructed implements or ancient 'found items' when I am doing my art work.  It just makes them so much more "authentic". 

When I was putting the lavender in the bags with my little scoop, I felt like some old apothecary in a chemist's shop...all that was missing were the myriad drawers of herbs or other ingredients that would go into concocting some potion or cure-all.

Here are the steps...easy enough.  First I sewed the bags, then turned them open with this old looping tool, and then there's the scoop filling the bag and finally the finished little item.  They each hold approximately one teaspoon full of lavender, which is enough to make a cup of tea or just to provide enough fragrance to make you think about the fields from whence they came.

Here are the finished bags, all tied and ready to be put into their little receptacles. 
You can also see the little scoop.  I remember making these...a real made-from-scratch invention.  I do enjoy doing those kinds of projects when time permits. 

And now, as time is fleeing, I had better get on to my real work for  the day....