April Birthstone - Diamond!!

"She who from April dates her years,
Diamonds shall wear, lest bitter tears
For vain repentance flow."

I do love a diamond, nothing bounces the light quite like them, but wow do they cost!  

Incidentally do you know how to spot a fake? Apart from weighing half as much as cubic zirconia (commonly used in place of a diamond and a whole lot cheaper) you can do the fog test. Put the stone in front of your mouth and fog it like you would a mirror. If it stays fogged for a couple seconds, it’s probably a fake. A real diamond disperses the heat instantaneously so by the time you look at it, it has already cleared up, or if it happens to be a little dirty, it still clears much faster than a fake. Use a stone you know is real next to the suspect stone and fog both. 

So if it's that hard to tell some other stones from diamonds, there are obviously alternatives that the April birthday girl could wear that look similarly stunning, without eating beans on toast for the next 6 months.

White topaz is a lovely alternative birthstone, which shines and shimmers, yet is affordable. And another alternative I'm using this month is rock crystal. I have some stunning new onion briolettes (and I mean stunning.... watch this space) on my bench which I'm using in designs at the moment. I'll hopefully get a few listed in the birthstone section of my new shop shortly!! 

I do feel slightly guilty for not offering any real diamonds in my shop.... maybe in a few years. But for now, I hope you'll agree these'll do just fine. 

Birthday goodness

I never did get around to showing you my lovely birthday gifts.... so here are some of them...

(I love daffs!)

(and orchids....ahhh how beautiful are they?)

How gorgeous are these dinky teeny vases....so beautiful, and crying out for some blossom, or teeny buds - but not until they are in my new room dagnammit.

On a vase theme, a do love a nice vase +  I do love Rob Ryan's stuff = perfect pressie for me!

Have you seen "My Neighbour Totoro", produced by Studio Ghibli? It's a japanese animation, and one of my all time fave films. The girls love it too. So this totoro key chain, which now hangs on my bag is an extra special pressie for me. It reminds me of cosy Sunday afternoons, watching a dvd with the girls while the rain pelts the house. And how can you not smile back at totoro?

Hubbie and I have been in discussion about getting a dog. I had a black lab when I was growing up, and I'd love another.  R said he could probably be convinced about a dog "if we can find one that doesn't moult, or smell". Hmmmmm..... in the meantime he bought me this cute little black lab... made of soap and which smells of rosewood and bergamot!

And I also bought myself a little pressie....

Kheeeeeeeeeeeeeee new tools.