Hi everyone, hope you are all enjoying the summer. I have been catching up with all sorts of odd jobs and in between setting up my online shop.

Just a few more things to add, so meanwhile heres a taster of things to come !

Have you noticed how butterflies are everywhere now ? On textiles, on pots and yes in jewellery too.

But how many of us know anything about our native butterflies ? Could you name any ? Up until recently I only knew the Peacock and Red Admiral but since my partner has taken up photographing butterflies as a hobby I've discovered  Dingy Skippers and Marbled Whites and others whose names escape me unless I'm looking at a book. Another fact I hadn't realised is how different their markings are on top compared to underneath.  I've also spent hours wandering around fields looking for some elusive rarities, like last weekend we went looking for some Small Blues. They are about the size of your thumbnail so not easy to spot.

Feeling hot & bothered I decided to sit down and let him wander around. I lay back to enjoy the sun then suddenly heard "don't move" I opened my eyes & there were 2 settled on my bag. One soon moved to my hand, it was tiny, but oh so perfect.

They also seemed to be attracted to my red bracelet.

We sat watching them for about half an hour. It was magical.

The Staffordshire Hoard at Birmingham Museum

The Saxon Hoard, found in Staffordshire in 2009 is the largest collection of gold  that has been found from this period and is still undergoing research and conservation. It consists of mainly artefacts connected to war such as sword hilts, coverings for knives, helmets etc with a few crosses and some unknown items. Many of the pieces are broken suggesting they had been ripped off something, maybe after a battle. If any of you have read Bernard Cornwell's series about Uhtred, an Anglo Saxon bought up by the Danes, you will realise what a dangerous time this was to live in and why you might bury your treasure or loot from a battle.

Although the pieces are broken you can still marvel at the amazing craftsmanship and techniques used are applicable to jewellery. One of my favourite pieces was the stylised seahorse which used the filligree method, which is soldering lengths of twisted wire to a base plate. Its a couple of inches long but at Birmingham Museum there was an interactive table where you could enlarge a picture of a piece and it showed a video of how it might of looked when whole.

Staffordshire Hoard 1 from Anita Peach on Vimeo.

theres lots more to tell but if you are really interested I urge you to see it for yourself. The Hoard is on tour and you can find out more at www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk