Sarah Downton Beads and Jewellery

Friday tea time

Well hello there. I can’t believe its only been 11 days so far, that’s probably because Dickie DooDah has been working from home for 3 weeks now. As we come to the end of another work week it’s a good time to look at what I’ve achieved (or more truthfully Not). To be honest I don’t feel I’ve done much this week, as I’ve had good days and bad days, and oh my, the distractions and sad news. I’m trying not to read too much, enough to keep well informed but no so much that I start feeling miserable. Very important that one, and so are the daily walks if I can manage it. Here’s a tangly pile of wood we saw in Leechpool woods this week.

Soooo, I’m keeping up my painting afternoon on Thursdays. I usually go to the group run by the brilliant teacher Kate Tugwell of Kates Art Classes, and what she calls ‘Artynoons’. We gather and paint or draw, everyone using different mediums, chat and have tea and Kate’s home-made and very yummy vegan cakes. This is a follow on to my taking a course in acrylics 2 years ago (wow, can’t believe it was that long ago) as I was a complete beginner with proper painting, and had always wanted to be able to do it, like my maternal grandmother. She painted weekly with a group, almost until she died at the grand old age of 94.

This weeks painting is another watercolour, this time I followed a You Tube tutorial to produce a 10 minute pot of lavender. I think it worked quite well, I still can’t quite believe I do seem to be able to paint. Thank you to my daughter for encouraging me to do this, although I think I’ll never have her natural flair.

I’ve also today joined a ‘30 day sketchbook challenge‘ #AtHomeInApril organised by Magenta Sky. She usually runs one in the new year, but has started this one to help creativity in adults and also give ideas for parents looking after children at home from playgroup or school. My sketching is OK, but I’m hoping to improve this over the coming days, trying new techniques and hopefully becoming a bit looser in the process (no not a big looser). I didn’t really need himself telling me that some of yesterdays sketches weren’t so good…..I know…but that’s not really the point of the exercise. This challenge is more about fun, experimenting, being free, and most importantly about mindfulness, especially in this weird time that we are in. It’s never to late to join in…..

I’ve also done a spot of baking this week. These are simple ‘Banana and white chocolate muffins’ that I haven’t made for about 5 years now, taken from Nigella Express, although hers have butterscotch chips. I only made half a batch as I figured 12 was waaaaay to many sweet treats for the two of us, and it worked nicely with one egg. It’s nice to feel I have a little more time to do stuff like baking.

Who knew? I’ve actually done more this week than I thought. Enjoy your weekend, Sarah x

Friday tea time (This post was written a few days ago…….photo insertion now sorted)

Yesterday (Thursday) was a good day. Washing of some sheets done and hung in the warm sunny garden to dry – tick (but nearly left them out all night as I got distracted putting the rotary dryer cover on :-)). Other washing chores done – tick. A bit of new bookcase filling and reorganising – tick. Small watercolour painting done from flowers in our garden and Facebook art sharing session – tick. I’m pleased with my new original painting but it looks botanical which is not really the look that I want. I will have to have another go with a concerted effort to produce a loose version, should be fun.

After a lovely email from one of my friends sharing with me what she’d been up to this week I was also inspired yesterday to check what provisions we have in our somewhat scattered ‘pantry’, and I use the word loosely because its a shelf here and there, a pull out drawer or two and the top of a cupboard. Dust, high in calorie, low in calorie? Its amazing what you find squirrelled away and how old it is…I had a rather suspicious puffed up looking tin of peaches that had started oozing (who knew they could even do that, right?) which went straight in the bin. I also came across three 1 litre unopened bottles of ‘Coffee Anise’, a brilliant concoction of Ouzo and coffee, made and sold in Rhodes. Anyway, I have now successfully divided and conquered our provisions and we know exactly or thereabouts what we have or not, and can shop accordingly…..result.

Today was not so good productively, but I have strung some more of my new beads, which does take a while. To string a set of beads I Bubble Sort them by diameter and shape in a long line then split them into groups, removing any good pairs that would be suitable for earring pairs first. I choose a good colour rocaille bead (seed bead) to go between the beads in the set (or look at previous similar sets) then get stringing. I’m pleased with the sets I assembled today, some repeat sets and some new lovely pink and pastel pink sets, and a few pairs. Enjoy your weekend at home.

Said Big Brother House stylie……… Well this is a first for the UK and has given a lot of people more quality and reflective time I hope. For me this Coronavirus pandemic hasn’t changed much for my day to day life really, apart from having Dickie DooDah at home full time (which started last Tuesday) and stopping me from popping out to the shops and for the rare coffee meet ups with friends.

But what a glorious sunny spring day to start our enforced stay home time. I’m sitting on our deck enjoying said sunshine. The birds are tweeting, I hear a dog barking and the sound of children playing outside, which has to be a good thing. and look, I’m blogging again!

So first things first, obviously the Big Bead Show won’t be going ahead this Saturday. It was cancelled 2 weeks ago to keep us all safe and I was so relieved as the uncertainty was stressing me out. I was however preparing for this show and have made a considerable stash of new beads, not as many as I would have by now, because as you know we’ve all been somewhat distracted this past couple of weeks.

I am continuing to trade while the posties are still doing a valiant job, so please feel free to pop along to my Etsy store where I’m endeavouring to keep a good supply of your favourite beads. I also hope to add some new stock at some point so keep an eye out for that in the coming weeks. I will also announce here and on Facebook and Twitter as usual.

So that’s the formal stuff done, I’m hoping to keep this blog a light hearted place with just normal news of what we’re up to, I think it’s good to be positive and concentrate on other stuff when we can. Thanks for reading and stay safe everyone x

Post Script……..I should apologise for the late posting of this post…this is due to the lack of photos which is apparently down to WordPress. I did have one lined up but even DickieDooDah couldn’t manage to make it work.

Helloooo. And welcome to a newish new year of beads, thoughts and life.

I made a promise or resolution (again) to try and get out and about more this year, including finding and joining a new art/ craft/jewellery making course to replace the one I used to attend in Bromley.

So in that vein I’m halfway through my first ever painting course, learning to use acrylics, and totally loving it. It really bugs me that I can’t paint, and have only ever achieved a sort of ‘colouring in’ style of work. Of course my daughter is a fantastic painter and artist, and my maternal grandmother painted until she was about 92, so I feel it might be in me to do this.

The class is brilliant, teaching us techniques so we can (hopefully) go on to do anything, and we even get ‘healthy’ cake during tea break, yum. So far I’ve painted……..

week 1) a part done woodscape (first ever attempt at a proper painting with a wash and all that). this used a wash, then trees, then another thin wash, then more trees and a scrubby bit of land to settle in the trees. It needs way more work, branches, more washes and more trees, more ground and grass stuff, maybe even some leaves, but I think I rather like the skeletons of winter trees.

Week 1 woodscape, 1st 3 layers

week 2) a mutant cockerel …using acrylics like watercolour and a very floppy brush that was extremely difficult to control and kept going all over the place. I do know he’s dreadful, looks like he’s wearing wellies.

Week 2 Mutant Cockerel Done water colour stylie

and week 3) a hilarious blocky mountain scape using a palette knife and thick paint. I think the flowers are the best bit.

Of course all the paintings could be way better, but were done in a very short space of time and I am of course a complete beginner, so it’s good to be reminded how frustrating it can be when you see the expert show you something that you think you can replicate, only to find you can’t and she makes it look so easy!

I know they’re not very good so please don’t judge me, I am a complete beginner after all. I wasn’t going to show you these but it’s always good to have a starting point so you can see how you have hopefully improved over time, whether it’s painting or making beads.

Well hello to you. So much for blogging more. I did write one draft but didn’t publish, as you can see ;-). I have been busy over the last few months keeping my Etsy shop full of lovely spacer swirls and other sets, and fulfilling occasional commissions.

I’m pleased to say I have 1 space on a 2 day course available, and you’ll be pleased to hear that I have an air conditioning unit so no worries about roasting please! Here are the dates:-

Mon 17th to Tues 18th July.

This is a 2 day course, 10am to 5pm and gives a good grounding on setting up, supplies, the all important health and safety and covers the basics on day 1 and progresses to more detailed techniques on the second day. Please drop me an email if you fancy joining us. I’m always happy to take a booking for just the first day too if you’d like a one day course.
If you can’t make these dates but would like a lesson please contact me for my current availability as I take bookings to suit you and me.

Thurs afternoon

So I’m sitting in my garden, on the deck (newly oiled and slip proofed), enjoying the last few rays of the summer sun, which of course have arrived as per usual once the kids have gone back to school. What can I do so I don’t waste working hours? I know, I’ll write on my blog. At last…….I know I’ve been rather slack for the last few years, down to all the ‘stuff’ that I’ve been through, it kinda puts you off your stride.

I’m actually wondering ‘does anyone blog anymore?’ Or is it all micro blogging like Twitter, Facebook and other things. Incidentally I’m now on Pinterest, having set that up a couple of weeks ago, I was busy setting up inspirational boards yesterday while sitting on the deck. You can follow me here ……….

Anyway, I don’t care if no one blogs anymore, I’m going to start again and see how I get along, so hopefully this will be the first of many more regular updates and musings on life, the universe and glass beads.

oh and in case you’re wondering, it’s not constant sunshine here, but naughty clouds too.  Toodle loo for now.

Monday tea time

Happy very belated New Year. I’ve been a bit quiet on the blog front again, but you should see my Facebook page, it’s all going on over there when it goes on. You can read reminders of the fairs I’m doing, spaces on courses and new Etsy listings.

Of course it was tax and accounts time last month and of course I did them in January as usual, and eventually managed to squeeze in a studio session making beads last Friday. Bliss, I couldn’t help smiling most of the time, it was so great to be back in production.

So what am I up to this year? I have the 2 Big Bead Shows at Sandown Park booked, the first one on 9th April, and as ever I’m looking forward to it. The rest of the year I will be concentrating more on my Etsy shop and tuition as I have some other commitments that need to take a bit more priority this year to get them done and out of the way, so my bead fair bookings are rather flexible thanks to the wonderful Paul of Beadworks Fairs. I will of course post here and on Facebook if I book any extra fairs.

The main event for me this February/March as taking care of Dickie Doodah, my lovely partner in crime at the fairs and skilled photo man. He is having Open Heart surgery (new plumbing) this Wednesday for a congenital defect that they only just found at the start of November. To say we’re a bit preoccupied with that would be huge understatement ;-)  So all will be a bit quiet for a week or so while we deal with the first part of his recovery and numerous visits to keep him company in hospital. It will certainly make a change for me not to be the one undergoing major surgery this time.

Friday

Well the title gives it away somewhat, I am actually doing this fair, even though I wasn’t sure if I was, which explains why I haven’t put much on here already! whew, that was confusing.

After what feels like a long absence from making beads for the last few months I’ve been steadily re stocking your favourite designs, and making some new ones too. I’m almost ready for the fair this Sunday but will be popping out to the studio later to make some new lovely focal beads.

So what have I been doing you ask? It’s been manic, with Dorking bead fair in June followed very closely by 2 weekends of Horsham Artists Open Studios (thank you all for coming and making my event so lovely). We’ve had our daughters’ Japanese exchange student stay for 2 different weeks, an intensive few months while she prepared for and took her GCSEs this summer and then I helped her get ready for prom, you know, lots of shopping for all the accessories, dress alterations and hair, that kinda thang. Then our holiday, and lots of teaching mixed in where we could. It’s been an unusual summer so far as she’s been home so much and a bit of a distraction, but a nice one.

Of course results day was yesterday and I’m so proud of what she achieved, 11 GCSEs all grade A* to B with one C, and especially her Art in which she gained an A* with a score of what we found out to be full marks of 100%!

Here’s a look at some of my newer beads. And if you can’t make this Sunday I might be doing Dorking the following one, August 30. Have a great weekend whatever you find yourself doing.    🙂

Tues afternoon

Oh yes English comedy genius at it best. Is it a joke or isn’t it? Does she realise she looks totally naff or is it intentional? Some of you may know what I’m talking about, and I wouldn’t if I hadn’t happened to catch Britain’s Got Talent last Saturday evening.  But I got it straight away and laughed so much and can’t get the catchy tune out of my head but I really don’t mind. I just hope that she can deliver on more nutty songs and wit to become another Victoria Wood.

Speaking of British Institutions, Chelsea Flower Show opens to the public today and I was fascinated to watch a fashion designer on last night’s show explaining how he gets inspiration for his designs and textiles from the displays. I’ll be watching as much as I can realistically this week, and hoping to get more inspiration myself as I always do for my beads.

So my beadmaking this week sees me working towards the next 2 events that I’m doing….. The Sussex Beadworks Fair is at Denbies Wine Estate again this year on June 7th. The venue is lovely, and wine’s rather excellent too. I’m also steadily making beads for some new jewellery designs and some of my popular designs ready for Horsham Artists Open Studios the following 2 weekends in June (13/14 and 20/21). Here’s my first bead bouquet for these events.

Monday evening

I’ve updated my bead fair and other events for the coming year.
I’m really pleased to be attending a new fair for me, the Essex Bead Fair on Sunday 22nd February.
I also have a new tuition date (or dates depending how you look at it)

***Wednesday 25th Feb and Friday 27th Feb – 1 space on a 2 day beginners beadmaking course 10 am – 5pm.
This can also be booked on Weds 25th only as a 1 day beginners course***
Of course other dates are available, just drop me a line for my tuition dates for 2015.

I’m nearing the end of doing my yearly accounts for my tax return (yucch) and will be in the Surrey Guild of Craftsmen Gallery at Milford off and on this week, so if you want to pop in for a visit you may catch me there.

On a personal note I’m sad to write about the passing of my dad last week. He was in hospital from 10th December and was at last getting better and they were planning for his return home. Unfortunately he caught another infection and was moved to Critical Care on 17th Jan. He passed away on 22nd January at the good age of 86. I will miss him loads. Of course this has and may continue to impact on my work, answering emails and facebook may take longer than usual, so I hope you can bear with me as I come to terms with another loss and help organise another funeral.

Tuesday afternoon

I have a new tuition date available

***Thurs 6th November, 1 space on a 1 day beginners Glass Beadmaking, 10am – 5pm***

This is a great opportunity to have a go at beadmaking and my first day teaching after surgery!

So 12 weeks today, it’s been rather epic for me, and taken longer than I remember last time 6 years ago for the other hip. However it felt so fast last time as I’d come from a very bad place of being very disabled, even though I staunchly denied it to myself and everyone around me.  It did take time to get strong and I guess it’s probably about the same amount of time, it maybe even took longer to really recover to being normal as I had such a long way to go. This time I’m very impatient and wanting to get moving as fast as possible in every sense of the word.

The dreaded hip precautions ended 2 weeks ago and make it easier to move without having to concentrate on not twisting on my hip, but they went on so long I’ve lost my flexibility, but I’m working on it. I can’t wait to be able to reach my feet again! So I’m not lounging around all day any more and made a gradual return to work in the run up to the Big Bead Show Saturday gone. We had a fab day meeting old friends again, but I do apologise that I was rather quiet compared to normal.

Here are some of the beads that were out for sale on Saturday.

Tuesday lunchtime

Oooh cryptic. Time to come clean and confess that I had my left hip replaced 5 weeks ago, so technically I am on sick leave  at the moment. I guess if you’ve seen my facebook page you’ll know that already. So at 11am 5 weeks to the day I entered the room next to theatre where they stuck tubes in me, stuck monitoring pads on me and I could hear the equipment and tools clinking as they prepared for my surgery. So glad that is over and fading to a memory.

I’ve been home just under 4 weeks and have another 5 weeks hip precautions unfortunately (you normally only have 6 weeks of not being allowed to move your operated leg in certain ways) but it’s all good and I’m making steady progress and getting stronger every day. The annoying thing is I sort of want to do stuff but really can’t be bothered hence the lateness of this blog post. I have managed to finish a knitted hat that I started 5 years ago and didn’t get time to finish. I think it looks dreadful as the tension is all over the place, so not up to my usual standard, but to be expected as I find my hand craft skills and lots of other stuff takes a dive for a while after surgery, just like it does when I’m unwell. So if you see any typos please excuse me, I’ve corrected loads as I type but you know what?   cba…..

I should be back firing on all cylinders by the time Big Bead Show comes along in October, and I have the exciting privilege of judging the Bead Awards again soon too.

Tues evening

Ahoy there. What a wonderful sunny summer we’re having so far! We’ve eventually installed our mini irrigation system in the garden again and I spent some time planting my petunias this evening too, or should I say ragged stalks with a few meagre flowers. honestly I’ve been keeping an eye on them, watering them until I had time to plant them and all of a sudden I go outside to shredded plants……dirty rotten snails and slugs strike again. They obviously thought it a veritable smorgasbord the way they ransacked it overnight. I have planted them anyway so we’ll see what happens, they might recover.

The latest beady news is that unfortunately another of the Beadworks Fairs has been cancelled, the July one at Ardingly.  It seems strange but the snow last winter in January killed it. I may be attending the Hatfield fair but it depends how I am feeling…..cryptic eh! But watch this space…….

Sunday morning wee hours
At last, we’ve added a new gallery on my gallery page. This is so overdue but I’m really excited as I have linked to Flikr and also uploaded the first of my photos from this year. All the old photos are still there, found by scrolling down or clicking the link as before. It’s very easy to see how much I have improved over the years in every way, and also how much Dickie has grown with his photography.

More will follow, yipeee.

Saturday lunchtime

Helllooooo. The sun is shining at the moment and I’m busy preparing for the bead fair at Denbies Wine Estate tomorrow, Sunday 8th June. This is the second year at this venue, but my first time here, and I can’t wait. The wine estate is a lovely place to visit from what I’ve heard, they have a couple of restaurants so breakfast, lunch and tea are catered for (Sunday roasts followed by cream tea in the afternoon, yum). Other attractions include a farm shop selling locally sourced produce, an Art Gallery with a regular series of exhibitions, a gift shop, and indoor and outdoor tours with wine tasting. So come along, buy beads and enjoy the surrounding location, make a day out of it.

I have been thinking about the sea during my preparations, and have made some gorgeous new focal beads which I have made up into sets with matching  spacer beads and a pair of donut shaped beads suitable for earrings. I hope you like them. I’ve also made some sizzling orange and red sets (you will have seen the loose beads if you looked at Facebook this week) which will pair beautifully with the red/orange clothes in Monsoon, East and M&S. I’ve also made lots of blue themed beads as I read that blue is the new black this season. I will of course have my usual selection of beads, jewellery, rummage bowls and bargain beads.

See you there, after all, you won’t be able to mow the grass as it’ll still be too wet 😉

Monday evening

It’s that time of year again, the season of Open Studios. This weekend sees most of the members of Horsham Artists Open Studios group together again, this time at Roffey Park Institute in Forest Road. This is a lovely centre that we all drive past all the time and wonder what goes on in there. Well here’s your chance to have a snoop around and see the place! We are taking over several ‘pods’ and a lovely exhibition space at the back of the central building. I’m in the large room with huge glass doors and windows overlooking the gardens with loads of natural light.

I’m working like a mad thing this week to get everything made and ready, unfortunately I’ve had a couple of bad weeks, with an ill-timed cold last week, so I have lots of catching up to do. I’m very excited to have a new table top cabinet (arrived today) to display some of my jewellery, and I’m busy making  more of my popular ‘Sparkle Nugget’ bead sets and some mini sets.

I will have a feast of lovely jewellery and new beads for you to look at and buy, including my simple ‘beads on cotton thongs’, un-cored Big Hole Bead sets to fill your charm bracelets, my credit crunch range of fun earrings, and my selection of exclusive jewellery designs. I will have sets of lovely new beads, some current favourites, my usual bargain bowls and of course my £1 rummage bowl, always popular and a good introduction to handmade lampwork beads.

With free entry, please do come and see me, enjoy the show, meet other local and guest artists, watch art and craft demonstrations in the marquee, take refreshment (they have drinks available), stroll the grounds, and buy some locally produced art. You can download your copy of our guide and brochure from the Horsham Artists Open Studios website here.

Please note that I am only doing this part of the event this year as the Open Houses weekend clashes with the Surrey Bead Fair at the Denbies Wine Estate on 8th June.
See you there.

Thurs lunchtime

Easter is fast looming into view…..and that can only mean one thing, or can it? Two things happen around Easter, the first one is Big Bead Show which is rapidly speeding towards me, Saturday April 5th, Sandown Park Racecourse. I’ve been working steadily towards this, trying to spend as much time as I can in the studio but I have to say I am being somewhat hampered by other stuff. It’s a delicate balance between making new styles, old favourites and of course leaving myself time for all the other important bits too, like my marketing, cleaning and string beads, packing for the show and all the sundries involved. I’ve been having loads more fun with my new and old frits, and there will be lots of lovely new simple designs in loads of gorgeous colours.

All my free tickets for this show have now gone, thank you for being so eager! I’m on stand 43 in my usual place near the entrance, the Bead magazine stand and up near the cafe area.

I’ll be taking card payments again with my new whizzy toy, or a Chip and Pin card reader as the Bankers like to call it. So going by our past use of it, payments will be much faster, yay.
Here’s a link to apply for your card reader and Worldpay account. Please apply using my unique URL below and you will get a £10 discount on the card reader and I get a little something too for referring you (you’ll have to copy and paste this). Sounds good to me.

http://wpzinc.me/yaK67Kq2mx

Here’s some photos to whet your appetite for Saturday, and don’t forget, the early birdies catch the best choice of beads.

Mon morning

Hello peeps, just swinging by to say I have one space available on a 2 hour Beadmaking Taster Session this Thursday 13th Feb. This would be an excellent early Valentine present to yourself or maybe you could persuade someone to buy this for you.

2 hour tasters are great because you can just fit them into a busy schedule easily, and they give you a chance to have a go at working hot glass without spending too much, always a bonus in this finance concious era we seem to be stuck in. Although you know they do say you have to spend money to get out of a recession….that’s what I’ve heard and I’m sticking to it! Well, so along that vein maybe you should come to a 1 day course or even a 2 day course ;-).

For more details have a look at my tuition page and contact me to book.

Friday tea time

Well hello to you my hearties, and I hope you all had a jolly good Christmas and New Year…..can you see we’ve been watching old episodes of Miranda?

It’s been an unusual week for me as I’d usually be preparing madly for the Ardingly Winter bead fair, but due to unforeseen circumstances unfortunately this fair has been cancelled. I think the snow last year killed it really. I’m thinking of having a January special week for you my lovely readers but haven’t managed to get my bum in gear yet. All those photos and all that writing for Etsy.

Meanwhile this week has been rather unusual in that my daughter has been home poorly for a few days, and I’ve spent most of my time endeavouring to tidy the house, entertain a group  of friends (including buying food for a meal…Rick cooked it), visited Ikea, and generally pottered around the house as I try to sort out (or hopefully exile from our house) old books, magazines and stuff to be returned to the new back bedroom bookshelves after our redesign and decorating effort that stopped just before Christmas. Our back bedroom was a ghastly mustard yellow with yellow wallpaper that was stripping itself from the walls, and totally stuffed with things so that we couldn’t really have anyone to stay comfortably. I’m really happy that now it’s brilliant white, and furnished along the lines of a Swedish bedroom inspired by our visit to Sweden the other year, although it also has now evolved into a St Ives/seaside inspired room too, they work together you know! And we’ve already had 2 different people to stay, including my dad. So it’s a good result. All I have to do now is continue with the tidying and binning stuff…..oh dear I’m so bored…I’d much rather make beads.

Thursday morning

What a lovely day we had on Saturday at the Big Bead Show. It was so nice to meet you all again, and share the excitement of the day. Visit my Facebook page to see photos of me and my stall there, and a running commentary from Dickie (he was posting as me, I was way too busy working – oops, my little secret for the day).

Today I get back into my studio to start making new beads for the next show at Newmarket, on Sunday 17th November, so I’d better get my head down quickly as I’m reliably informed that it’s a very busy one, almost like Big Bead Show, eek. I thought you might be interested to see the studio fallout from the show this weekend gone, so I’ve popped a photo of my workstation below. I have to say I will be tidying it up, I struggle to keep working with that much mess. Oh and there isn’t even more mess behind my bench, that’s a mirror reflecting the other side of the studio.

I’ve also received a new batch of frits to try from Glass Diversions in America, and I can’t wait to dig in. I have 4 large pots of some of my favourites from Robin, including 2 colour-ways that I’m using loads more of at the moment so that’s a relief knowing I won’t run out, and a mixed set of 16 mini pots to try out too (these last ages, I bought my previous batch about 7 years ago 😮  ), so exciting. Oh and I forgot my 3 freebies in mini zip loc bags. Yay, I can’t wait.