Simply Thimbles

These two thimbles are decorated by an enamel technique known as Cloisonne. Little compartments are formed by soldering wire or thin strips of gold, silver or even copper to the metal base. This is called filligree welding and can be a teensy bit fiddly.  Its the little compartments that give the technique its name. It comes from the French word "cloison" which means cell.   Its a technique which has been around for centuries. Examples can be found in the jewellery of ancient Egyptians, ancient Greeks and of course the vases and ornaments of the Chinese Ming dynasty.   Its a fairly involved process. Enamel paste is used to fill in the patterns formed by the soldered wires.  It then needs to be fired in a kiln. More enamel is added to fill in any areas where the original layer has shrunk and then it is fired again.  This stage can be repeated four or five times until the desired result is achieved.   Umm... not a quick five minute job by the sound of it and defini

Way back in the post war UK of the 1950's, a new music trend was beginning to sweep the nation.  It was called Skiffle and made use of a multitude of household items to make music such as jugs, combs wrapped in paper, spoons and tea-chests. The UK's biggest Skiffler was Lonnie Donegan, famous for "My Old Man's a Dustman". He didn't invent it though.  The origins of skiffle go back to the early 20th century in the southern states of America.  Probably the most well known item is the washboard.  Originally designed for rubbing washing up and down to get it clean, the washboard has become synonymous with Skiffle.   It was not much good on its own though.  To make the distinctive sound the washboard needed something metal to rub against the metal of the board.  This is where the humble thimble comes in.      With a metal thimble on each finger of each hand, the washboard player could strum, rub or rap the board.  Skiffle probably became popular