Author: Sue

Hidden gems

I can’t believe I’ve never noticed these before. Tucked behind the seafront at Boscombe, Bournemouth are these brilliant public sculptures. Designed by Dorset artist Andy Kirkby, all seven sculptures feature a blue glow at night and are made from materials including bronze, copper and cast iron.

Stop. Look closer.

Isn’t nature incredible?  I saw this picture of sand seen under a 250x microscope and was in awe of the beautiful miniature gems. There’s even what appears to be tiny little ammonites in amongst it.

Model student

I’m so impressed by my brother’s collection of puppets, which he made while studying 3D Animation Technology at Staffordshire University – they are bursting with detail. I’ve always wanted to make models but that’s for another day, retirement maybe!

Going wild

The Craft Village was only a sliver of Wilderness, a sprawling festival in Oxford celebrating the arts and outdoors. You could try skills such as silversmithing, stone masonary, felt making and loads more unusual crafts. I spotted this serpent skimming through a sea of grass with his little turtle friend.

It’s the way I roll

Here’s some tomatoes I grew from seed, which I then put into empty toilet roll tubes as seedlings (you can use any cardboard tubes). They’re biodegradable so you can stick the whole thing into pots or in the ground. I covered them with left over bits of wrapping paper to make them look cute, which seemed to work, as they sold out at the local summer fete. They’re great as beginner plants for kids and if you grow a variety like ‘Gardener’s Delight’, you’ll get a really good crop.