Sarah Downton Beads and Jewellery

Tuesday morning

What a lovely day. It’s so nice that I’ve taken up my old habit of sitting outside on the bench in front of my studio to type this entry. It’s truly lovely, and it’s days like today that make me so glad that I don’t work in an office for someone else any more. Being self employed is hard in itself because you seem to work loads of hours for not much profit,well, that’s the case with most art related designer makers, although if I was in another line of business I’d make real sure I was making a decent profit, but then art is about so much more than making a quick buck. However, I digress, yes, it’s days like today that make you feel glad to be alive and happy to be at home.

So 2 weeks to go, and my jobs are getting done even though I haven’t planned their timing to the nth degree. I’m hoping to get into my studio and make beads for my Open Houses jewellery again today, even though I’ve almost managed to fill my cabinet with pieces made previously. I now have the mind numbing chore of making earwires and headpins to make up my earrings and pendants, yawn! I do like making jewellery, it’s just that some jobs get a wee bit tedious and the fun part is making up the pieces and looking at all the lovelies! Today I’m hoping to make some more hollows to complete some fun fab necklaces, along a similar design idea to my large hollows necklace that featured on all of last years Open Houses literature. Oh, my tea mug is empty, that means our time is up for today, must pop off and fire up the kiln.

Wednesday morning

How do I start this post? I keep typing this one and deleting it! You see it keeps getting too heavy and sounding way too serious, and you know I like to try and keep my blog light-hearted if I can. So I guess the game is up, all this time it’s been hidden from you that I can’t walk very easily and this is due to something called clicky hip (or DDH) which is a condition that they now check for in newborn babies. Although I did mention it exactly 2 years ago (21st April 2006 ER….me too the episode where Weaver, the lady Dr with a crutch realises she needs a new hip, incidentally it completely changes her life for the better) Anyway, I have big news, as I realised just before Christmas that I could really now do with a hip replacement and that the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages.

So, there is is, and I now have my date, 4 weeks from now, yikes. I now have to stuff in as much work as possible to be ready for 2 lots of Open Houses in July and maybe the exhibition in Winchester if I can manage it. There’s also plans to be made for how to run the house when I get home, raising chairs, making space for me to live in my recovering state. And of course I have to treat myself to the obligatory new nightie!

I have lots to tell you also of our adventure visiting my consultant in Oxford, but I’ll save that for another post.

I should also point out that this will impact on my teaching schedule. I am planning to take a break from the end of May and start teaching again in September. August is way too complicated with school holidays, weddings, lazy days out etc. and it can get very hot making beads in August.

Tuesday lunchtime

Freedom! Yes it’s all over, my 6 sales and one exhibition, and now I have the unenviable task of preparing for Christmas and all that comes with it. Of course anything could go wrong with my plans and already has, oh yes, my daughter woke up with a temperature on the first morning after my events ended and now I’m stuck at home not even able to make beads. Dahhhhhhhh! So I’m tidying up today, and boy does the place need it. It seems that when I’m really busy and don’t tidy the house then no one else bothers and it all goes from bad to worse.

Hopefully having a tidy up will mean that I don’t have another embarrassing  incident like I did on Sunday, when it was a bit too dark in the bedroom when I grabbed my boots to wear, and didn’t notice that I picked up an old boot and a newer snug fitting and lovely clean one for my right foot. I only noticed the discrepancy between shiny clean black boot and scuffed navy looking left boot as I was sitting with my feet out in front of me and got the most silly fit of giggles at a very inappropriate time, that I had to control.  Needless to say I immediately hooked my left foot behind my right and kept both feet out of view under the chair hoping no one  would notice, and walked oh so confidently when I had to appear in public. I was wondering too why my new boot seemed to be letting the water in. Oh the shame!  Almost as embarrassing as owning a caravan. lol.

Friday afternoon

I’m nearly at the end of my Christmas events, one to go this weekend, and an exhibition that started today and finishes Sunday tea time. I’ve been stewarding the exhibition this morning, and will be there again tomorrow morning and maybe during the afternoon. The exhibition is a mix of affordable paintings, sculpture, original prints, textiles and my glass jewellery, and is open from 10am to 5pm all weekend. Please drop by and say hello. More details are on my events page.

It will be really good to spend some time tidying up next week, as the house always gets in a state when I have an exhibition or several fairs in a short space of time. I’m doing my best to keep Mount Washpile and its various foothills under control, but the rest of the house needs some TLC unfortunately, and we all know I’d rather be in my studio making beads than doing housework. One job I will enjoy is writing my Christmas list to put up on Ricks website family present list that he designed and wrote (sad geek!)(him….not me!) and I’m actually looking forward to doing a bit of Christmas gift shopping, I must be mad. It would also be nice to get the Christmas tree up before boxing day, I’ll let you know how that goes. If we put it up before Christmas day, maybe we’ll actually take it down before the end of March this time. I keep thinking it’s too soon to talk about the looming festivities as it’s only the 7th December, but we only have 2 1/2 weeks to go, and I always underestimate how long jobs are going to take.

I’m off now to help my daughter make some cake type stuff for her school fair tomorrow. Have a good weekend.

Tuesday morning

It’s finally here, silly season has started and I’m up to my eyeballs in making jewellery to sell at the pre Christmas events I’ve booked, and the current score is 2 down, 4 to go. I actually have a slight feeling of euphoria this morning, wondering whether it’s worth slogging my guts out any more for the remaining events, but I know it will be worth it. On today’s list of makes are some aluminium earrings, using some of the sheets of designs I enjoyed colouring during the summer and a further selection of freshwater pearl earrings and maybe some bracelets to go with them. I also somehow need to get some fresh food in the house as we seem to have run out of our basic building blocks for so many of our meals here. It’s finding time to do t’internet shopping whilst I’m knee deep in fairs that’s a problem. I honestly don’t know how other designer makers survive doing the fair circuit that they do, some people I know do a couple of weekend fairs a month, farmers markets, kids parties and still seem to be able to live. What I want to know is how do they find time to make what they sell and keep their house running?…I’ll leave you with that thought, must dash!

Tuesday morning

I was reminded today that I haven’t blogged for over a week, is it really that long? I’ve been so busy teaching that the last couple of weeks have wizzed by and now I’m in full swing (well trying to be) getting ready for my local Christmas fairs. I’ve cut right back on these, concentrating on three that are really good normally (all in private schools), together with a couple at Bromley Adult Education centre where I go for a day off (ha ha) each week. I also have a group show with the 2 x 4 artists that I belong too, details for that can be found on my events page. Of course these shows are like buses, all coming at once, I have 4 in 8 days, then the rest are better spaced fortunately.

Oh I’d love to go out to my studio and make beads, but I’m indoors keeping warm and dry, spending my time making silver jewellery and assembling pieces with my beads. I’ve been going through my toolbox and jewellery experiments box the last few weeks to try and use some of the bits that I started and didn’t finish, it was amazing just how many ‘bits’ I’d accumulated, etching experiments, Keum-Boo shapes (gold foil applied to a silver sheet substrate), bits of fusing, castings, and list goes on. I’ve managed to use a small proportion of these, and have been going through the process to turn them into jewellery, but today is the best, as I’m actually finishing some pieces now, woo hoo.

Well, that was a pleasant break, chatting to you guys, but now I have to get on with my work, and go and see if my Flog Blog on Facebook has updated. Ciao.

Friday evening

Another lovely autumnal day today.  It was certainly cold when I got up this morning so winter is on it’s way at last.  I did one of my days in the Surrey Guild Gallery today and had the pleasure once more of my favourite drive over the downs through the woods between Dunsfold Aerodrome and Millford. The trees looked splendid in their orange, green and yellow leaf tones, and occasionally I drove through a leaf flurry or two, which was very much like a mini snowstorm of colourful swirling leaves. Lush. My cabinet is now restocked with lots of goodies, perfect for Christmas pressies, so do go and have a look if you’re passing.

Back to the drive today…..I’m going to get on my soapbox now….maybe I should have a new feature called ‘Sarah’s Soapbox’, it could be a bit like Annabelles rant on Virgin radio in the evening! What’s it called? ‘That’s so rubbish?’ Hmmm.  Anyway, what’s with all the 40 tonne lorries and JCB’s going along the single track road with only a few passing places and lots of wiggly bends and little hills and steep banks? Why are they driving along a road that plainly says ‘Unsuitable for heavy vehicles’ and ‘single track road with passing places’? The frequency of these huge beasts that struggle to go up the hills and around corners at the same time, forcing normal cars (that’s us) to back up the road several hundred yards, seems to be increasing every time I take this leg of the journey, and to say that it spoils the route (and wastes my time) would be an understatement. My friend reckons that it’s all down to the dreaded sat-nav, where haulage companies are using  new found short-cuts  and not engaging their brains before they take said  new routes, as she has recently been having the same problem on a couple of other single track roads she takes. That’s so stupid! hee hee.

Now I’ve got that off my mind, I must dash and clean some mandrels and get a dipping them in preparation for teaching again tomorrow. Have a good weekend, see y’all.

Tuesday Morning

It’s a beautiful day out there today. The sun’s shining and it’s not too cold, so, lovely conditions to meander down to my studio today and make some beads. It feels fairly calm today, with an undercurrent of panic setting in when I think too hard about the work I have to do in the next few weeks in the lead up to Christmas. I’ve already spent several days sorting my beads into sets and assembling them into my range of jewellery, and oh, I had to stop myself from just going and making beads or cute penguins and maybe a fish sculpture or two. To say ‘I’d rather be making beads’ would be an understatement. I’d better pop and put the kiln on as I’ve already spent far too long tidying the kitchen. (I’ve changed my mind, it’s a bit nippy out there, 6.5 deg C, but I’m still going to make beads. Now where did I put my thermals? )

It looked like the proverbial bomb had gone off in our kitchen after we entertained a friend on Sunday, and of course all the bakeware was still piled up in several greasy (but delicious smelling) piles waiting to be cleaned. I’ve managed to squeeze it all in the dishwasher, so I hope it comes out clean….but don’t tell Rick, I want him to think I’ve been stood barefoot at the sink all morning…lol.

Our visitor on Sunday was a friend, James Brown, who does magic, actually it’s a bit more than that, he was awarded the Magic Circle close-up magician of the year in 2006, and here’s a link to a video clip on You Tube. What a weekend it’s been, teaching on Saturday and James visiting on Sunday, and today it’s Ricks birthday, so, Happy Birthday Rick.

Friday morning

I’m very pleased to announce that my work is for sale in a new gallery, well, new for me, but the gallery has been open for a few years now. Wave 7 Gallery is full of lots of very colourful pieces of work, much of it inspired by it’s location, near the sea. Actually it’s ideally placed for several beaches, Polzeath and New Polzeath, Rock, and Port Issac. Anyway, my work arrived before the half term holiday and has been on show for a couple of weeks now. If you’re in this area do go and have a look and say hello to Victoria, the proprietor, who also has her studio there making gorgeous coloured abstract mirrors (I have a teeny one that sits on my desk).

Tuesday morning…one week later

Morning chaps! Phew, our washpile has decreased in size, not completely mind, but significantly. It’s now all safely in the basket, rather than cascading jauntily over the edge and up the bookcase. Now we have to finish tidying up after decorating our daughters bedroom, although Rick still does have the door to paint (hint hint).  We were going to progress to doing our bedroom, but I’m starting to panic about the Christmas sales, so I reacon that might have to wait until the spring.

There’s lots to do, getting my stock of jewellery ready for the few sales I’m attending, attempting to plan ahead for our Christmas so I don’t get in the usual rush, Christmas cards and letter to do (I said I was going to do this early last year but failed miserably….we didn’t even send any cards….mind you we were actually entertaining Christmas day for the first time and organised a Christmas Carol Service), our present shopping and all the commissions I get at this time of year. I’m also planning an exhibition at the moment that will take place in February next year, so not long to go. This will be my first posh exhibition that I’ve organised, and I’ve invited a couple of friends to share the space and time with me. Most of this needs to be done before Christmas as I usually end up doing my tax through January, so I need to get as much jewellery made as possible before then. Oh dear, what have I let myself in for?

Thursday teatime

What a day, it started off so well, was rubbish in the middle and for the last couple of hours has been good again. So what’s that all about? Well, after watching Nigella Lawson on Monday I was inspired and decided to get organised with our meals, so by 10am I had this evenings meal all ready in a bag, marinading, so I could just tip it out onto a baking tin. It was after this that things went downhill. My beadmaking was average to say the least today, nothing went right, even the simplest of spacer beads, which I decided to make because everything was so rubbish, turned out average. Somehow it just wasn’t happening for me in the studio today. Oh well, it’s at times like this that it’s better to go and do something else.

I’ve managed to plough through cleaning all the beads I’ve made this last couple of weeks, and they’re drying as we speak, ready to be put into sets for Sundays bead fair, or made into my popular ‘shades of’ series of jewellery. Part 2 of this evenings meal is also ready to go in the oven when it’s time, in fact I’ll just go and do that now……done. Oh I can’t wait for dinner, we’re having Nigella’s roast Lamb Shanks with Delia’s roasted roots, and some fresh veg. Yum. Off to tidy my desk now and clear the table.

Thursday morning

At last, after nearly 3 weeks back at school I get to make glass beads for me (well, to sell or make into jewellery). Either way…….Woohoo.  This month was supposed to be quiet but I’ve been soooo busy, either teaching or working in the Surrey Guild of Craftsmen gallery.  I have one day left to do now this month (in the gallery) until November, so I should get some more beadies made over the following weeks.  To say I am chomping at the bit would be an understatement, in fact, why am I blogging when I could be getting ready to make beads? Good point……see you!

Monday evening

The school hols are well and truely here. We’re one week in and I’m still not on holiday even if my daughter is. My work and emails are so stacked up, but fortunately even my mum doesn’t think I’m a failure, she reckons I’m behind because of my daughters pneumonia earlier on this year, and I have to say I think she’s right. All those days spent in hospital and at home caring for a convalescing child meant that I didn’t get any torching time in, and when I did, well, remember the kiln problems? Also my mind was on more important things, family health means so much and can’t help but take priority. Still, I’m much less stressed now, having finished my do’s for now, although we do have the GBUK bead fair looming at the end of August.

The design fair at Winchester is over, we went down on Friday as I was stewarding and made a family day of it. The city is lovely, I didn’t see much, but what I did looked nice. Also the work in the show was lovely and I saw several items that I could have spent my money on. Thank you to every one who came to see my work and those of you who came to say hello to me on Friday, it was lovely to meet you.

Tuesday Morning

I thought I’d stick my head in and quickly say ‘Hi’, in case you were wondering where I’d got to. Things are very hot here at the moment while I’m rushing around getting ready for Open Houses which starts this Saturday and the Lingfield Bead fair, this Sunday. My cabinet of goodies for the Open Houses is coming together nicely but needs to be ready Wednesday evening to put up Thursday morning. I’m also trying to squeeze in some beadmaking for Sunday. I hope you’ll come and say hello at one of these events. Mush dash!

Monday afternoon

Phew, I need a rest. I started my art clay course this morning and only got back an hour ago because the traffic was so terrible on the M25. I decided to leave the motorway and take the A25 but that wasn’t any better, so I left that route and went the very scenic way through Ide Hill, Edenbridge and Lingfield. 1 hour and 40 minutes later I got home. It makes you realise how the motorways have changed the way we all live now, and how easy it is (when the traffic is good) to travel long distances with ease. This journey normally takes me 55minutes, and the first 20 minutes were a breeze. Still, I got to see some more of the beautiful countryside as I drove up and down the south downs, as it was really high up when got to Toy Hill.

I will post a picture of what I made this morning when I’ve finished it, it was all a bit of an experiment morning, getting the feel of the clay and how to manipulate it. The wire I stuck on with slip didn’t stay on the whole length and I have to solder about 1/4″ to make it secure, as I do the bail that I put on the back. I also have to clean up the edges and barrel polish it. I’m looking forward to seeing the finished article, but I’m really not sure if I like this medium or not, or if it’s any easier than doing normal metalwork with silver.

Thursday Morning

So far so good this week, I’ve been able to have 3 long sessions at my torch to make lots of beads, and I’ve cleaned most of them. (I know!) It’s a struggle to balance making beads to sell at fairs and in my shop, and to make beads for my range of jewellery, but I’m happy no matter what! Now I need to find time to make the jewellery….hopefully all the dinners I’ve been cooking in the evening this week will buy me some production time from Rick while he cooks.

Now for the hot gossip…what about Katie on the Apprentice last night? Now that was a turn up for the books, she actually looked genuine after Sir Alan said she was through and with her discussions with him after the offer. I’m pleased Christine is through, I’ve been routing for her for a long time. As for those interviews….they were enough to make anyone squirm. It was amusing to observe the looks of confidence on the candidates faces as they arrived for the day, and to compare the look of devastation and worry after their gruelling.

It amazes me that in the 3rd (or is it the 4th?) series of the Apprentice that some of the candidates appear not to have watched any of the previous series, or if they did, that they failed to learn some of the key points about Sir Alan and how he likes things done. Who in their right mind applies for a 12 week long interview away from home without doing any research about him or the companies? And who applies for a job without considering that a relocation would be a probability? It just goes to prove that however smart people think they are, there will almost always be things that let them down, we are all only human after all.

Monday morning

Half term is over, daughter is at school, washing is on, kitchen’s almost tidy and the sun is shinning…all is well with the world. Now I just have to get really revved up to work hard as I have 2 major bead fairs, 1 minor beading day, 1 carnival, RAG Open houses and the Surrey Guild exhibition at Winchester Cathedral to prepare for, all in the next 7 weeks. I’m also going on a short Precious Metal clay course (already getting excited) and then a colouring anodised aluminium course (my third time) in this time frame. Phew. It always gets like this in the J months. Of course some of my preparations can be carried over from one event to the next, depending on how much I sell at the previous one, but I do like to produce some new designs for the summer events, both jewellery and beads, and this also takes more time than doing the same old same old. I also plan to make a new posh piece of jewellery, and need to mull this over while I work…..hmm, I wonder if I could squeeze a day off at the Hampton Court flower show too…..I’ll have to work on that one.

So….I’d better get on, the washing is beckoning me to hang it on the line (rotten stuff).

Oooh and while I remember, apologies to everyone who’s sent me emails in the last couple of weeks, my service has been up the spout, and Rick only just managed this morning to retrieve the ‘however many gigs of mail’ that has been sat waiting on the Talk Talk server for the past 2 weeks. We have now changed provider for my emails so normal service should soon be resumed (as soon as I get through the backlog).

Wednesday morning

It’s been a manic few days. I’ve been busy with preparing for and doing a couple of informal sales of my work. Both these mini events went well and now I’m gearing up for the Beads Day at Broadfield House this Saturday. This will be my third time at this event, selling my beads and jewellery together with those of other GBUK members and demonstrating glass bead making the studio. This has always been such a lovely day and we’re all looking forward to it. There are several bead stalls arranged in the various museum rooms and the museum is well worth a look around. Open 10am – 4 pm See you there!

Sunday evening

It’s bluebell season again, and whilst enjoying one of my ocassional drives to the Surrey Guild Gallery at Milford I had the pleasure of seeing huge swathes of bluebells making a purple haze under the trees along the way. I also nearly suceeded in killing 1 grey squirrel, 2 sparrows, 2 blackbirds (the birds were having a mid afternoon snack, tea break and general old crows meeting on the road) and one pheasant. I also had the dubius privaledge of hearing distant guns shots probably from game shooting. There were numerous other patches of pretty spring wild flowers and I had to turn off the stereo and listen to the birdsong as I drove along. Ahhh bliss.

I can now report that my cabinet of jewellery at the Milford Gallery is now replenished with some new pieces including my ever popular Porthmeor pendants and a new style of bead earring to match.

Wednesday afternoon

A week has almost gone (come to think, also a whole page on my calender) and we feel like we live here again. But I’ve not had the time or energy to do much work wise, I’m feeling so drained from the whole hospital and health experience, and my daughter is still home recouperating. We had hoped she’d go back to school this week but is obviously still under par, poor thing, so it looks like the beadmaking will have to wait until next Tuesday. I can’t even begin to explain how hard it is to stay away from the torch. There’s just something about it that lifts my spirit, and when I can’t get to play (that’s work for you Rick…lol) I actually start to get sad.

I’m starting to get a bit worried about my stock levels, I really need to get out there and make some more of my usual beads for my range of glass jewellery, which is still selling well in the Surrey Guild Gallery, even though Christmas has passed. I also have a belated Christmas present to make and just don’t seem to have the right beads available to make the pair of earrings I envisage. I don’t know, first my accounts and tax, then family health. I expect that sounds like normal family life to most people, and I have to admit, as much as I don’t like it, that is one of the benefits of being self employed with a business like mine, that you can take the time off when you need to.

I got one hour on the torch Sunday lunchtime and made a few sample bobbly beads in my new colours to see what they’d look like. I’m pleased and can’t wait to have another crack at them so to speak. I think I’ll clean them later on today…you know me and my ‘pot of beads’ to clean.