Cooking and Calabash carving.

Here are a selection of images from the past few weeks in the beautiful BVI'S .
I've been keeping myself busy by learning how to carve calabash shells with a man from Dominica, traditional Caribbean cooking with my friend Shelly from Trinidad, helping start up a little beach side cafe (just a shack serving coffee!) and working on an organic farm on top a hill with an amazing view,where I get paid in Salad and veg!!

The Purple House, Carrot Bay.

My Mums house 'The Purple House' On Carrot Bay Tortola. This is where my boyfriend and I have been for the last 3 months, creating a garden and finishing the final bits and bobs around the house.

We've been keeping ourselves busy doing up the front of the house, fencing, painting, gardening, stone wall building. It's now nearly finished.
Inside the house, decorated in traditional Caribbean style.




I've been spending time creating a little garden and growing a few goodies to eat.
Making a use from old fishing buoys-great for hanging baskets.

Our local beach and view from the house.


The Bomba Shack! I've spent a few fun nights helping out at 'The Shack' as a bartender! It's a pretty unique place where you can watch the surfers and is just down the road from where we live.

Tortola!

Well, it's been a while, where has the time gone?!
I am now settled in Tortola (BVI's) gathering my thoughts from the past year, working on some new ideas and just enjoying being in one place for a while.
I am currently exhibiting a selection of lamps in 'Aragorns Studio' Trellis Bay, Tortola.
Things have been harder to achieve than I hoped here, 'Island time' is the common phrase and there seems to be a hurdle at every turn! But I'm learning to deal with it and I managed to get hold of some reclaimed fabrics and lamps etc from various 'dumpsters' and thrift shops to get the ball rolling.
The products so far have not been new ideas, but a selection of old concepts to just get going with something!! I am now beginning to work on some new ideas, taking inspiration from my exciting adventures of this year.
In the new year I am hoping to get involved in 'Green VI' where one aspect is working with recycled glass-which will be a new material for me. Also, I am beginning to learn some new techniques with wood carving and building. Watch this space! In the mean time I hope you enjoy having a mooch at the images below.
Have a great Christmas!

Technique pratice.

Throughout our travels I have been keeping a little patch work diary using some of the techniques I have learned. Great time killer for long bus rides!

Panama and Kuna villages.

We sailed down to Columbia through the San Blas Islands off the coast of Panama where the Kuna tribes live. The Kuna people self govern their islands and like to live very close to each other in straw/bamboo house settlements. They create a unique style of aplique on fabrics and use colourful body adornments such as string beads wrapped around their legs.







Walking the plank to the drop toilet-Kuna Village!



All the buses were like this in Panama, blasting out loud music.

Natural materials and more bamboo!

Ideas and inspiration for flooring and lighting with bamboo-Permaculture course July.




Learning how to make cob for building a natural house(house below). Sand, straw, manure and soil, made by stamping up and down on it!

Permaculture Design.

We are about to head to the north of Costa Rica to take part in a two week Permaculture design course. The course includes learning about sustainable living, organic farming and the area I am most interested in which is working with natural and sustainable materials for building and designing. Go to below website for more info.
http://www.ranchomastatal.com (go to events page)