Sarah Downton Beads and Jewellery

Friday lunchtime

Thank you so much to the few of you who came to the Ardingly bead fair 2 weeks ago and bought my beadies. Even though I didn’t have many takers, I was very pleased to cover my pitch fee, so again, a huge thank you, you made my day :>). We had a lovely chilled (literally) and relaxed day out, watching the snow, enjoying Paul’s announcements over the tanoy, chatting to the other stallholders and quaffing coffee and tea. We packed up early and got home at about the time the show normally closes, even after stopping to take some snowy photos…must work out how to get them off my phone. The good news is I now have a lovely stock of new beads, and new posh photos, so I have started adding new stock to my Etsy shop.

On another strand (see what I did there?!) it’s done…my tax return was finished last Saturday, after a 7  day long slog of accounts, losing receipts, finding receipts, and general agony! and now, please sit down before you read this…..I’ve made a start on this current years accounts…..I say every year that I’m going to do this, and don’t, but this time I have, although it remains to be seen just how far I get. Of course all the missing receipts (6 months worth) from the tax return I’ve just done, were discovered while going through my green plastic wallet of receipts…why I didn’t see them when I looked several times before I really don’t know. So they’re now checked off too and the ones that got missed are ready in the wings. This is far too efficient, and rather boring, so I’m going to stop there and pop in some eye candy.

Have a great weekend.

Thurs morning

All my new sets are made for this show! They’ve been strung and photographed and I can actually use my new posh photos!

Now let me tell you this is totally unheard of in our house, usually photos are done one day ahead if I’m lucky, more often than not they’re done the afternoon or evening before the fair giving me the evening/night (if they’ve been done yet) to price up then pack everything else in the boxes.  So what am I going to do today? Well I shall go to my studio and make £1 beads as I know how much you like a rummage, and I’ll also make some repeat sets, and maybe some grey City Chic if I feel like it.  I feel a  fun day coming on, with maybe a fishy or two (although that will mean more photos) and lots of brightly coloured fun beads so I can pretend it’s not freezing outside……oh yes, minus 2.5 deg c in the studio today, it was misty in there just now.

Tuesday lunchtime

The puddings are steaming (OK so they’re a few weeks late, but at least I’m trying again), the shopping is arriving tonight, and I have a list of jobs as long as my arm, but preparations are under way for Christmas at last.

I’ve been mega busy making beads, then cleaning, drying and sorting them, before frantically making more jewellery for our Christmas exhibition in Guildford this year. As part of the Surrey Guild of Craftsmen I’m really pleased to be in this selling event once more at the Guildford House Gallery at the top of the pedestrianised part of Guildford High Street, opposite Sainsbury. We are open every day except Sunday from 10am to 4:45pm, and Christmas Eve from 10 – 2pm.

The Garden Room looks lovely with wonderful handmade items from a selection of some of our Guild members. Browse wooden items, cushions and throws, jewellery, textile art, pottery, weaving, calligraphy, kaleidoscopes, metal sculpture, colourful leather goods, enamelling and of course my original range of glass bead jewellery. I have some new designs and great packaged stocking fillers of beads on thongs £6, key-rings £9 and uncored big hole beads from £4 (perfect for filling a Pandora style bracelet cheaply). My Cloud Beads (silver cored by hand) are also here together with a selection of heavy chains to wear them on. Why not buy a bracelet or necklace with a Cloud Bead and add some cheaper Big Hole Beads to complete the look?

I’ll be stewarding tomorrow, so why not pop and see me there.

Gifted in Guildford, Guildford House Gallery, 155 High Street, Guildford, GU1 3AJ.
Every day Mon – Sat, 10am to 4:45pm.
Christmas Eve 10am to 2pm

And don’t forget the Christmas Extravaganza at Surrey Guild of Craftsmen Gallery, open every day 10am to 5pm, even Sundays.
New pieces of work arriving daily!
I have restocked here also.

Wednesday lunchtime

Wow, what an amazing few days I’ve had.  It was my birthday last Thursday, and I have to admit to now being officially in ‘The Saga Club’ as one of my friends put it. So yes, that means I am now 50, but to be honest I only feel like 40 if that, and as many of my friends who came to celebrate with me informally last week said, I don’t look it. So yay!

I was determined not to let this milestone pass without a squeak, so planned and had a Fika party (cake and coffee) last Friday, for which I made several cakes. Then on Saturday we went to London and rode the London Eye, with champagne. It was absolutely fabulous and a highlight of the weekend. I was surprised with meeting my dad, who joined us for the Eye, and afterwards we went over to Covent Garden, one of my favourite places, that I haven’t visited in about 13 years. It’s still a vibrant and exciting place, just buzzing with energy, so we stayed there until it was time to come home, only venturing away to find some food. Unfortunately I had to work over the last 7 days also, sliding in bit of prep for both events, preparing for a Surrey Guild exhibition that I set up yesterday in Guildford, so I’m well and truly whacked….but happy.

I’m still smiling with happiness, I’ve had such a lovely time, and still haven’t come down!

Here’s a couple of snaps of the day in London

Wednesday teatime

It’s nearly here and I can’t wait…well I can’t on one hand because it’s so much fun and I love the vibe and meeting up with everyone again, but on the other hand I can wait because I always need more time to prepare and it’s very hard work. It always happens that the creative juices go into overload just before a show and then I run out of time to realise my ideas. I’ve been starved of making beads today because I’m being good and doing my newsletter a bit earlier (oh yes, gasp), so if you fancy a read and are not on my mailing list, why not click on the subscribe box on the left hand side and join it. There are perks to receiving my newsletter you know, but you’ll find out what they are when you join ;>)

I’ve gone a bit autumnal with amber colours this time, and I have some more of my Autumn Chic bead sets which were snapped up very quickly last year. But fear not, I also have some vibrant beads in greens, blues and violets. I’ve also made some penguins and some Halloween themed beads, pumpkins and ghosties! wooooooo. There are also some really yummy sets of Big hole beads ready to pop on your bracelet (these are uncored so a bit lighter on your purse).

As usual I will have bargains galore, rummage pots of beads for  £1, £2 and upwards, a few chains and a little jewellery if you feel like pampering yourself and buying something ready to wear.

I’m in my usual place this time called Stand 47. Find me near the Bead magazine stand up at the cafe end near where you enter the show.

Oh and if I’m not at my stand when you visit I’ll probably be at the British Bead Awards ceremony…..I can’t wait :>)

Wednesday morning

Well hellooooooo, the sun is shining and I’m about to go down to my lovely blue studio and make some more beads for all you lovely people who come and support me, as of course you know it’s my next bead fair this coming Sunday 22nd July, at the South of England Centre in Ardingly, West Sussex, 10am to 4pm. More details on my events page.

I’ve been trying to get the summer spirit by making some new beach beads and fish in the hope that the sun will come out, and am planning to make starfish and maybe a shell or two if I can come up with a design today. Actually it would help if I popped out and switched the kiln on to warm up first…….back in a mini mo…….that’s better.

So this Sunday I will have my usual mix of glass bead sets and focal beads, with several new designs, silver chains, and my ever popular rummage pots, with bargains starting at £1. I’m working on some new didy sets (matching 2′s and 3′s) for all you earring lovers and I also have some new uncored Big Hole Bead sets, perfect for filling up your Pandora, Troll or other similar charm bracelet. I may even put more beads in my sale dish, who knows!

Do come and say hi.

Tuesday evening

3 years ago I decided to do the Race for Life as I could walk again, and this year we have made a team of 8 lovely ladies and one teen to raise more money for this very worthy cause. So many people are affected by cancer every year, and Cancer Research UK do so much in their efforts to find cures and treatments.

So I personally will be very grateful for any sponsorship you can give, here’s a link to our sponsorship page.

Thank you, Sarah xxx

Race for Life – Team Hope – Sponsorship page

Mel, me and Anna 3 years ago.

Wednesday tea time

If you have been following me on Twitter or Facebook you will see that I have been a very busy bunny adding lots of new beads to my shop on an almost daily basis, I’ve ditched the Tuesday listing only and I’m popping stuff up every day at the moment. The only days I didn’t list was when I was suddenly invited to teach at West Dean College a weekend ago. Oh yes, did I tell you I taught at West Dean?!!! Here’s some snaps of the gardens.

So I had an email followed by a phone call the next day, and before I knew it I was booked to teach the Glass Beadmaking weekend class that started the same day, which meant I had 5 hours to organise my tools, glass, books and any other teaching bits I needed, pack my clothes, sort childcare and drive there to start teaching that evening. It was absolutely manic but so worth it. I had a super weekend, wonderful students who were so grateful that I had stepped in at such late notice to teach them, and my lovely Rick came too. He spent the time taking some fabulous photos and bobbing in and out of the teaching room, and also got to go on a short chocolate and wine tasting course (the lucky thing). So while I worked he stuffed chocolate……(It’s normally the other way around, lol).  It’s a fabulous place to spend time and be creative, and I was thrilled to be asked to teach there.

I’ve just added a new tuition date for anyone who is interested in coming to my studio in Horsham for a 2 day introduction to glass beadmaking. The course has one place remaining, but if you are interested in having a go and want to bring a friend, simply drop me a line and I’ll send you a list of other available dates.

New tuition date – Wednesday 18th to Thursday 19th April, Beginners Beadmaking, 1 place.

Here’s some of my latest beads added to Etsy.

Friday afternoon

The Beadwork Fair – Sunday 28th August, The de Havilland Campus, University of Hertfordshire, AL10 9EU  10am to 4pm

I have been persuaded (thank you Paul), to do this bead fair this Bank Holiday Sunday. As you know I normally do the Stourbridge Bead Fair, but decided to take a break from it this year and enjoy the summer, but due to one thing and another and not attending the Ardingly summer fair in July due to my mums’ sudden death, I thought maybe I should take the plunge.

So I will be at this event, this Sunday, with my usual mix of handmade lampworked glass beads, sterling silver chains, New Designs of Cloud Beads and my range of contemporary jewellery. There are many new £1 bargain beads to be had, together with some old favourites.

I hope you will come and say hello and make the effort to attend this fair, being a Bank Holiday Sunday of course means the traffic will be minimal for a Sunday. Go on, you know you want to!

Friday lunchtime

Lampwork Classes – I have one new space on a 1 day Beginners  Beadmaking course, Tuesday 3rd May, contact me now for more information and to book your place.

I’ve popped some repeat sets on Etsy and a new whopper set of amber, ivory, black and brown beads. Here’s a taster including some of my new ‘Didy sets’.

It’s been an interesting couple of weeks as I’ve enrolled on a 10 week course down in Goring and so went to have lunch on the beach after the session this week. After my food I had a walk along the path down to where we often go in the summer with friends. It was very different with the mist and cool spring breeze, and people wearing coats to walk their dogs. The sun was shinning very brightly and dazzling my eyes as it reflected off the pools of water on the sands where the sea had receded away from the shore. It was very peaceful and energising although a bit windy, my hair was a complete state by the time I got back in the car to come home.  It was a treat to have a change of scenery and a chance to reflect on the mornings’ proceedings and life in general. Here’s a few snaps that I took with my new Canon Ixus 130, including the ones I shot after I had rolled backwards onto my back through trying to crouch so low….I meant to do that.

Tuesday lunchtime

More new beads on Etsy.

What to do on a train journey? Normal people play games like ‘I spy’ but we had fun on our way home from London on Saturday messing around with my new camera…Oh I didn’t tell you I eventually got a new one in January (for my birthday in November). I am the proud owner of a Canon Ixus 130 in Shocking pink.

OK so here’s my list so far…….

1. Play ‘I Spy’
2. Play Noughts and Crosses
3. Read something
4. Eat…mmmmmm
5. Drink…..glug
6. Talk quietly so as not to disturb anyone
7. Sleep…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
8. Play hangman
9. Play join the dots to make boxes – remember that from school?
10. Listen to music
11. Play with I phone/Blackberry/HTC Desire/ insert your phone here
12. Take silly photos with said phone or small camera and see how many different silly effects you can get.

and here’s some of the photos we took…….

Friday afternoon

Phew, feeling a bit jaded but very happy. Anyone heard of Zumba? (links to You Tube)  Cos that’s where I’ve been this morning. All my life I’ve hated exercise classes, especially aerobics, but I think I may have actually found some exercise that I like. I adore dancing and have been given the all go by my hip specialist to do Latin American dancing so I thought Zumba might be right up my street. I was so excited yesterday when I booked it, and fortunately I was not disappointed. I’m definitely going again, and need to buy some new jogging pants as my existing ones are 3 sizes too big, yay!

More sets on Etsy, some are new designs, others are repeats and variations on a theme.

I’m off to do more washing (boo hiss boo) and make some cup cakes for tomorrow (yay).

Monday evening

Hellooooo there, thank you to all my friends, customers and students who came to say hello yesterday at the bead fair. You all make my bead fair days so special, it’s great to catch up with you all and share news and coo over beautiful beads and bits.  I’ve spent the day recovering from all my preparation efforts from the fair, as I had 4 full days bead making and spent all Saturday stringing up sets, pricing stuff and packing up. Of course we celebrated the day with a lovely curry when we got home, yum yum.

So now all I have to do is finish my accounts (ha ha) and get my tax out of the way, then I can start on my new efforts for this years business. I’m hoping to spend some time developing some new designs and hopefully some new colour combinations, although I will be continuing my favourites, as they are so lovely. I’m looking forward to spending time playing with new ideas without the pressure to stock up for an event, I just hope my mojo doesn’t go go.

Here’s some snaps of the bead fair from my stall, and ‘the boys’, sorry Jim, you’re out of focus….

Tuesday morning

Dreams. We all have them. But I’m not talking hopes and dreams, I’m talking of gently coming out of a deep slumber type dreaming here. I get loads, so many that it’s unusual for me not to have one in the morning. They often have recurring themes, and I often visit the same places regularly. I wasn’t going to divulge what I dream, but I may as well tell you that one of my regular haunts is a very big modern house with lots of rooms and a massive garden that stretches off into the distance. We don’t have the real luxury of that but at least I get to enjoy one of my dream properties regularly, including the joy of rediscovering a room that I had forgotten existed. We wouldn’t mind that here in our real house, although several months after we moved in our present house we rediscovered the cupboard under the stairs.

Dreams can often confuse and disappoint. Take this Saturday, when I had to get up early and continue with my preparations for the exhibitions I have to set up this week. I got up and ploughed on with my work really well, feeling relaxed and on top of things, enjoying the early morning weekend peace downstairs,  only to wake up at 10:30 and find that I’d seriously overslept and had to remake all the stuff I’d already done that morning. Oh that sucked.

Still, I successfully prepared my pieces for the Winter Exhibition at the Bank Gallery at Chobham, and now have today and tomorrow to prepare for the Surrey Guild Guildford Exhibition ‘Unique’. I’m feeling very jaded but also optimistic. Let’s hope the snow stays away so I can get stuck in. Here’s some more snowy photos to get you even more in the Christmas mood. Please excuse the dodgy photos, my camera is on it’s way out and Picasa isn’t playing ball either, it keeps changing the photo next to the one I’m trying to tweak. Bye y’all.

Wednesday evening

It’s official…Christmas is coming and would you believe it if I said I’m getting organised? Oh yes, I had an email from Sainsbury on-line the other day announcing Christmas delivery dates and I actually bagged a slot today. Not one of the really close ones, but I have Monday evening, which is good as that means that I can get the worst of it delivered and anything they muck up on, or I forget, or they don’t have, I still have plenty of time to go and get myself, without having to spend 3 hours traipsing around a packed shop like the other year (click here).

We also have snow, but you’re not really surprised there are you? Fortunately I was able to go to the Gallery in Milford safely yesterday and got home easily, but today we are snowed in, well, my daughter had to stay home as her school was closed. But gone are the days of a real ‘snow day’, she had lots of work on the internet from her teachers, so didn’t get off that lightly. As usual I found it very hard to concentrate and plough on with my work (making jewellery for my 2 exhibitions that start next week) with her here. What am I like?

Here’s a couple of snowy pictures to get you in the mood for December…….

Wednesday morning

Well hello there. Bet you thought I’d gone. It’s about time I re-surfaced really. So what’s new and what’s been happening? The past few weeks have been full of teaching, half term ending with the Big Bead Show, and a week long stint of stewarding in the Surrey Guild of Craftsmen Gallery in Milford. To say I’m exhausted would be very true. The Big Bead Show was an excellent day out, we saw lots of friends, regular customers, lots of new customers and lots of students came by to say hello and to show off their new lampworking equipment or glass and tool goodies. Thank you to everyone who came and made our day really special.

My week in the gallery at Milford was an interesting one. I started off by cleaning my cabinet and all my jewellery in it, that took 2 days, as every time I was about to do something someone came in and I had to stop. But it all looks nice and shiny and new again now, together with the new pieces that I made while I was there. I also spent a day hatching a cunning plan to sell more in the gallery, and spent all of 2 days at home busy making lots of big hole beads and little project sets to sell. I have designed new packaging to sell these new pieces and spent Friday and Saturday packaging up my smaller items to sell and display in the gallery. It would be fair to say I worked a 16 hour day from Monday to Saturday last week, no wonder I’m officially pooped.

So, if you are in the market for a beautifully made individual  Big Hole Bead with no silver lining (I’ve called them Sky Beads) pop on down to the Surrey Guild of Craftsmen Gallery and have a look in one of my wicker baskets. I have singles, pairs and trios available to buy, already gift packed for a perfect stocking filler, prices from £3 up to £10. I also have my handmade icicle hanging decorations, these look lovely on a tree or hanging in doorways or anywhere else that they will catch the light. My other stocking filler is a pretty handmade lampwork bead with 2 plain coordinating beads on an adjustable cotton thong necklace, again gift packed, making the perfect stocking filler at only £5.

I have a couple of new tuition dates on my tuition page, one of these is my last teaching date for 2010 on Wednesday 1st December,  drop me a line now to reserve your place on either of these courses.

Tuesday morning

Yay, we have our glass! Photos below…..using the phone again. Fortunately my pieces were better than Ricks,  I would have been gutted if they weren’t, but it’s not a competition and I did have the best position going last in all the exercises so I could learn from what the others did. Although it was obvious that my experience did help, being able to constantly turn the punty, knowing what sort of speed to turn it in response to how the molton glass was moving,  and having a better feel for how much pressure to apply to the glass etc..I’m just itching to have another go now, it was so much fun, especially the bit where we took a gather, there was something rather special and exciting about dipping the punty into all that tremendously hot glass. It really was like collecting honey on a spoon or one of those ridged wooden honey handles, but VERY hot. hee hee. I have to admit the blowing part wasn’t my favourite bit, and that I really loved making the paperweight, I just wish I hadn’t gone for more blue powder and twisted it so much, or the colours would have been purer. It appears that the blue and yellow react in the same way that they do in a bead, by creating black/dark grey where they touch.

Don’t forget that I have a couple of tuition dates available, one for this Friday 1st October, so if you fancy having a go making beads (in a much more accessible hot glass process) then don’t delay, and contact me now.

***1 place on a 1 day beginners course on Fri 1st Oct***

***1 place on a 1 day silver glass and sparkly bits course Thurs 14th October***
On this class we will be covering – using silver glass, dichroic glass, sparkly stuff , encasing, presses and shaping, long tubes and flame know-how – or as much as we can get through on this massive list in one day!

Oh dear, I’m going to get lots of flack from Rick about these photos, apart from the fact that I haven’t shown his pieces, oh yes, these are all mine, different views.

Friday morning

So tomorrow is the day…the day when we get our glassy bits from our glass-blowing taster last month. I’m so excited I can barely contain myself. I have to keep myself from bobbing up and down when I think of it. More importantly though, tomorrow is the GBUK Bead Fair at the Loyd Lindsay Rooms, Ardington, Oxon. The fair starts at 1pm and goes through to 5pm and will be amazing. It will be bringing together lampworkers from around the UK, both seasoned veterans (like myself) and exciting newcomers. Days like this are always very sociable, so we’re looking to forward to spending time in the company of our friends and have lots of good natters.

Of course I have some new beads, I’ve been playing with my new hand shaped nugget which I love  and have strung the faux bo beads shown below into lovely sets for you to buy and use. I’ve also been playing with animal print designs in amber colours, as these are all the rage this season.

But now I have to show you what the spiders have been getting up to on the hedge outside our front door (photos taken 8am Tues 21st Oct)……

Ah, I should add that I have a new course vacancy….

***1 place on a 1 day silver glass and sparkly bits course Thurs 14th October***
On this class we will be covering – using silver glass, dichroic glass, sparkly stuff (see my tuition page), encasing, presses and shaping, long tubes and flame know-how – or as much as we can get through on this massive list in one day!
Contact me now to book your place on this jam packed day.

Friday mid day

Have you see the date? 10/10/10….I had to post today just so I could type that. Hee hee. Where has the last week gone, I know, it’s just zipping away and I should stop commenting on it. I was going to do lots of bead stuff today but so far I’ve done washing, made the workmen outside mugs of tea (they’re doing the path down our road), I’ve sorted getting the tree root out from the front garden….you know, the one that got left when we cut the tree down last spring in an attempt to save money? The one that  has now ended up costing as much to cut down ourselves and remove the root as it would have done to have it done professionally? And I got up early again. It’s been really good so far with our daughter going to secondary school as we’re all up much earlier and by the time 9:30 comes I’ve got lots done. The downside is that I haven’t managed to pull back my bedtime yet and I’m feeling rather jaded now with the extra hours and all the extra work/housework…yep that too, that I’m doing.

Yesterday I had the enormous privilege and pleasure to go down to Arundel and help judge the entries for the British Bead Awards organised by Bead magazine. I met Elizabeth Cornish, Jasper who was filming (Oh yes), the new editor Chloe, and Helen O’Neill, the official distributor for PMC in the UK (not to be confused with Art Clay). It was a fun day and very informative as we chatted about our relevant field of expertise and shared looking at the wonderful entries. The film will be showing at the Big Bead show at the end of October before being shown on Bead TV, and the winners will also be revealed at the show at the awards ceremony. I can’t wait!

Monday morning

So the schools went back on Thursday, and this year we had the great pleasure of seeing our daughter start at Secondary school. She looked so smart in her new uniform that I was bursting with gooey feelings (very unlike me). After the obligatory photos on the doorstep in the same place as the ones we took when she was 5 and starting primary school, she was picked up by my friend. As we wandered back into the house after her departure we both groaned and panicked because in the excitement she’d not returned into the house to collect her brand spanking new gym kit. WOOPS. It was a very mad dash after several rushed phone calls to get her kit to her before she walked the final few minutes to school from her friend’s house. I’m not one to run around her but you seriously can’t start a new school without your gym kit and it was partly our fault.

Of course going to big school means she starts earlier, as she has to be at school earlier and it’s further than the 3 minutes (literally) around the corner that we are used to. Which also means that she comes home later too.  The upshot of this is that I get a bit more time to work during the day, and so far, even with 2 days under our belt, it seems to be making a difference. I made a record 99 beads on Thursday (a record for me anyway) and seem to be using the time productively so far.

My other big news is that I had an ab fab weekend at Stourbridge last weekend. at the International Festival of Glass. We left last Friday and attended the Bead Fair on the Saturday and Sunday. We had an enjoyable meal out at the Chinese on Friday with friends, a very raucous meal at the Curry House on Saturday evening with more nutty glassy friends, and a quiet one with friends at the hotel we stayed at on Sunday. But the best part of the weekend (which was already super brill) had to be Monday, when Rick and I had a chance to try our hand at glass-blowing. I’d noticed that the taster session on Monday wasn’t full and amazingly when we enquired there were still 2 places on the 4 place course.  So at 2pm after a very rushed lunch we entered Hot Shop no.1 and had the best time ever. The 4 of us took turns after being shown demo of what to do. We made a snowman to get us used to the basics, then swiftly moved on to blowing a bowl and then made a classic paperweight. It was so much fun I can’t tell you. I’ve been wanting to try ever since watching Norman Stewart Clarke and I have to say I loved every minute, I just want to do it again now!

Here’s a couple of photos and a link to Rick’s Flickr account where you can see all the photos from the weekend, The Bead Fair, meals out, Bienale and our glassblowing.