Garden of the Sea

I Spy: North Sea through a hole in the Castle wall.

The sunny bank holiday weather continues - this morning I took a walk around the castle walls, still air already sweet with the scent of umbellifers. They are about knee high now, though still in green bud, and attracting the attention of the first white butterflies. A very low tide with just a faint haze out at the horizon. By five-past nine the cafe tables were already crowded with folk enjoying the warmth and stillness after the long winter.

Back at the Sea Witch cottage I have been busy making some clasps for gemstone jewellery - this one for a bracelet of vintage coral beads:

Vintage beads (salvaged from broken jewellery) because coral is protected from harvesting... we have to be very careful when sourcing craft materials, jewellery, souvenirs and other treasures from the ocean, as unfortunately many shellfish and marine creatures such as starfish and seahorses are live-harvested in huge numbers and left to dry out on baking hot beaches.