Cleaning up and blogging on

Whilst I was bogged down by the Llandeilo mud at last weekend's agricultural show, the summer rain was also having a great impact upon on our coastline. The BBC reports today that according to the Marine Conservation Society, the recent storms have swept pollutants, such as farm waste, into our seas. I'm will be taking positive action by helping clean up our beaches (not just of the pretty treasures for jewellery making!) - see the MCS's adopt a beach campaign and join Beachwatch this September.

***Please note that I will be having a rest from blogging on this site during the coming weeks. The site will however be updated with new jewellery/business news soon. Please follow my blogging adventure on my original Welsh green site Organic Jac. Cheers, Ella***

Show update

Just an update to say that this weekend's Llandeilo show admission costs £5 for adult and a mere £1 for children. We are also entering the best craft display competition - come and see what you think of our beachy theme!

Ella

'Big Drop' necklace pictured, with fair trade recycled glass, shells and semi precious chips, now only £15.

Old bags

When you start obsessing about green living like me (although I am so very far from perfect), you notice little things like how many black bags versus green bags that your neighbours use or what packaging consumables come in. Today I admired the many Sainsburys customers at the checkouts with their various forms of reusable bags etc. One guy had several big blue IKEA bags and another had a well organised system of plastic boxes. I was so proud of them! What annoys me is when I go out and invariably buy something (the forever consumer) but forget my bag. That means I either have to struggle to carry the said purchases without a bag and receive strange looks from the shop assistant or take the plastic option and be wracked with guilt. Luckily these occasions are reducing now I take my little emergency shopper with me. Neatly tucked up into a pocket, the onelessbag transforms into a beautiful and useful bag made from recycled sari's by homeworkers in the UK. I can now be a little bit smug and guilt free. In addition to our designs we are currently selling the onelessbag at fairs/shows.

For more info visit the onelessbag website.

From the old bag,

Ella

Beach news

My life as a green blogger was featured in my local press today (link to be added soon)so welcome to any Evening Post readers who have logged on. I am closely following the Post's reporting on the sand dredging off the Gower coast and notice reported today that the local conservatives have launched an anti-dredging petition to stop over a million of tonnes of sand to be removed over the next seven years (read more at Gower SOS blog).

Please come and see us this saturday at:

**Llandeilo Show - Saturday 18th August**

Gates open at 9.30 am

Caeau Cawdor Fields
Fairfach
Llandeilo

Green Beach will be in the craft marquee

Berry good

Determined not to let the Gower Show cancellation get us down, Christine and I had a productive weekend. I took my family to the Maize Maze in Scurlage, Gower (see http://www.amazeingower.com/) and was impressed by the enormousity of the adventure - a great green way to have lots of fun! Meanwhile Christine called into the Organic Pantry, Ammanford run by the same creaters of Glo4Life organic t-shirts. They have a large selection of organic groceries and will by adding to their eco-enterprise - possibly with our jewellery - watch this space. We met up for the Mumbles raft race which hopefully raised loads of dosh for the Lifeboat crew and found a use for lots of old rubbish too. Not as many sinkers this year I think - well done to the many 'pirates' and other shipmates.

New news is that we will be at the **Llandeilo agricultural show** on Saturday 18th August - more details to follow. Thankfully many shows have been able to carry on without livestock - the farmers need as much support as we can muster. Hope to see you at Llandeilo.

As you can see I also found time for a spot of blackberry picking - the scrams and purple fingers are totally worth it! Peace, Ella.

Show cancelled

Unfortunately due to a foot & mouth outbreak in Surrey, The Gower Show has been cancelled. This is because the show is predominantly agricultural and all movement of livestock is banned. Hopefully it will be rescheduled - watch this space!

In the mean time, if you would like to purchase Green Beach jewellery, email me on greenbeachinfo@aol.com for an e-catalogue and up to date sale prices. I also hope to list a selection on my ebay page by tommorrow night.

Daytripper

I'm back from a little jaunt where my family traded the beach for a lake; I was happy to have a change of scenery whilst beading but even happier to return to our sunny coastline this week. The Gower Show is now forefront in our minds and if you are planning a daytrip, I just wanted to let you know about the greener and probably less stressful way to get to the show this Sunday (5th August) at Penrice Castle Park, Reynoldston, Gower (8:30am onwards ).

There is a 'Special Bus Service' from Swansea with additional Gower Explorer bus services (route 118) which will run from Swansea Quadrant Bus Station to the Showground (main public entrance-east).
According to the show website, these will leave Swansea at 09.00, 10.10, 11.20, 12.30 & 14.20. They will call on request at all stops in Walter Road, Uplands, Sketty, Killay and Upper Killay then non-stop.

Special return buses will leave the Showground from the same stop at 13.05, 14.50, 16.00, 17.10 & 18.20. This will mean passengers for Killay, Sketty, Uplands and Swansea will leave in a westbound direction and return via Reynoldston and Cefn Bryn.

See you there

Ella