Sarah Downton Beads and Jewellery

Monday

So here I am, kiln on and warmed up, mandrels dipped, radio installed, ready to roll (1.8 deg C in the studio by the way), and I’m feeling like a Michelin Man.  I’ve got thermals on, and so many layers of tops that I’m having trouble moving my arms.  I think I’d better go take something off or I’m not going to be able to do my dots very acurately!  At least I’m not in sub zero like some of our fellow beadmakers in The States.

I’m off now to make beads for the first time this year, and that huge grin has just returned to my face. 

Friday evening

At last, I’m done!  It was with much trepidation that I attempted to file my online tax return last night.  Actually it went relatively smoothly, so I had half a Fursty Ferret to celebrate and caught up on Wednesday nights Desperate Housewives and split my sides laughing at this weeks ER. Talking of telly, what an amazing advert Honda have out at the moment.  It makes us laugh every time we see it.

I’ve had several enquiries regarding my courses, so keep them coming if you’re interested.  I’ve found a perfect venue for my bead and wire courses, and would now be interested to hear when you would like to attend them e.g. weekday mornings 10 – 1 or Saturday mornings 10 – 1, or maybe you prefer an evening class type of approach.

The lampworking will be in my studio on a one or two to one basis and will be a 6 hour day.  I’m planning to book Mondays and Tuesdays term time for this.

More details on my courses will follow very soon.  Have a great weekend.

Weds morning

Hi there, another week has passed and I’m still stuck indoors!  I’m definately going to be good and do my accounts as I go along this year.  I’ve had a real procrastination problem this last couple of weeks, there’s always something more interesting to do than my accounts (of course).  At least my virus is practically gone, I’m almost feeling like myself again.

I made the mistake of changing my screensaver yesterday to my own pictures slideshow.  Now I’m distracted by a marvelous array of my own memories – trips to Hampton Court flower show, jewellery and ancient glass beads at the British Museum and the Ashmolean in Oxford, my own glass beads, Chihully at Kew, and the list goes on.  Of course it’s making it even harder to get on with the job in hand! 

Weds evening

Almost there.  Boy this accounting stuff has given me a headache.  I’ve spent the last week plowing through my business accounts trying not to get in a muddle and being hampered by a virus.  I’m so fed up with paperwork and can’t wait to get back to my torch now.  I’ve definately decided to be more disciplined about doing my accounts and costings as I go along this next year.  So much so that I’m looking at buying a jewellery design program to help me stock take and cost jobs properly.  Just got to find a UK one!

Hopefully I’ll be back at the torch next week……4 days and counting!

Saturday lunchtime

Oh dear, I still haven’t torched for a while now.  I have other mandrels in the fire (if you’ll pardon the pun) and MUST finish my tax return.  My time has been spent trying to tidy up paperwork and my workspaces (that includes the house!), and planning for my beadmaking year ahead.

If you’ve read my news on the front page you will have seen that I’m getting ready to commence teaching in my studio.  I will be starting with Lampworking and Bead and Wire as 2 separate courses but have other ideas for interesting bead and jewellery courses which I will be running sometime in the future.  Lampworking will have to run in my studio, but Bead and Wire can come to you if you wish!

I will be adding information on my courses very shortly, so please come back to see.

Late Weds evening 

Noooooooooooooooo.  I don’t really think that answered any questions at all.  So we turned the lights off and snuggled down on the settee with a 2 hour supply of coffee and chocolate to enjoy the last 2 episodes..well, did you really think we’d be controlled enough to watch it tommorrow….nah.

It confirmed some of my suspisions but didn’t answer much at all.  Still, We only have to wait until the spring to carry on with season 2.  They have such attention to detail, did you spot all the passenger swapovers in the terminal, and all the references to ‘the numbers’?

Gotta….go….to…sleep……zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Wednesday evening

Tonight’s the night!  The final 2 episodes of Lost, back to back.  Unfortunately we’re so tired we’re probably taping the final one to watch tommorrow, but I bet we’re too weak willed to resist watching it.  I love drama and films where you can discuss the plot and peoples actions for a long time.  Twelve Monkeys was one of those films.  I’d better trot off and do the rest of my chores before the fun begins.  Have a good evening.

Monday evening

I think I have post Christmas blues.  I’m dying to get out to my torch and make some beads, but alas there’s so much else to do at the moment.  I spent the day tidying up for my sparkie friend, and researching ventilation and other bits on the net.  I’ve found this superdooper site called The Art Glass Forums where they appear to specialise in safety, or at least they have several of the well informed safety bods here.  Very useful and of special interest to me having worked in Health and Safety for several years with Gas Detection and Safety Systems.

Friday evening…..

Hello my beady buddies, or not so beady buddies (hi Peter, thanks for the link from your front page).

It’s already 6th January, and I haven’t yet made it out to my studio.  I have my lovely tax to do next week, but the good news is that I have a wonderful electrician friend coming to do my studio electrics on Monday, at last I can stop using candles and the clockwork radio (LOL).  Rick cybergeek extaordinaire (CE, haven’t used that name in a while) is very capable of doing the wiring thang but with the change in the law he’s not allowed anymore.  I knew he should have moved my studio 2 years ago!

I’ve had a lovely trip down memory lane this week, seeing 4 of my old haunt pubs on telly.  Three of them were on Thursday in ‘Three men in a boat’ with Griff Rhys Jones, namely The Barleymow at Clifton Hampdon, The Head of the River in Oxford, and The Old Anchor Inn on St Helens Wharf in Abingdon where I used to live (in Abingdon, not the pub….. or the wharf!).

The last was The Eagle and Child in Oxford, where I used to sit in the booths where Tolkein, CS Lewis and their friends used to meet and discuss their latest books.  Oh well, I shall sit and dream of Oxfords spires.