Sarah Downton Beads and Jewellery

Monday morning

Ho Ho HO. Less than a week to go…..I should be doing other stuff not writing my blog, but this is more fun. I’ve updated my news on the front page, so don’t forget to visit the exhibition in the Guildford House Gallery if you get a chance (one week remaining).

We popped down to the Guild gallery at Millford on Friday to top up my cabinet with yet more jewellery and a selection of my fun phone dangles. It really is selling like hot cakes at the moment which is why I’ve concentrated on keeping it restocked and you haven’t seen any fundangles or new jewellery here. I had every intention to stock my shop with more goodies before Christmas but we’ve been ridiculously busy this season with our sales and the Guild exhibitions, that most of what I’ve made and is unsold, is on display in Guildford or Millford so my apologies if you’ve been eagerly waiting for them. This is the problem with being self employed…you only have one pair of hands and a spare set in the evening if you’re fortunate to have a friend/partner who can help.

After saying all that, if you are familiar with my work and have seen something over the past few weeks that you’d really like for Christmas, please don’t hesitate to drop me an email and I’ll see what I can do, but you’ll have to be quick or we’ll miss the Christmas post.

Friday lunchtime

You know how I was feeling jaded on Monday? It so happens that I came down with a cold later that day and have been suffering since then. Just what I needed in the run up to Christmas. Never mind, I’m enjoying swigging back the fizzy orange flavoured Vitamin C tablets while attacking the enormous mess that needs clearing in our house. Speaking of which we watched Anthea Turners perfect Christmas last night. That was a laugh, goodness knows what she’d make of our house and front garden, still it was worth watching just to see one of the contestants bond with her turkey that she named Jeffrey and weeping while she stuffed it.
Wednesday was enjoyable at least. I had my stewarding session at the Guildford House gallery and met 2 more Guild members and the lovely staff at the gallery. This was my second ever visit to the Guildford shopping streets and I had the unenviable delight of queing for about an hour waiting to get into the car park that I was recommended to use.

The part of the High Street that I quickly explored during my short break looked lovely, and I managed to get a couple of Christmas goodies…..still haven’t done the cards yet!

Monday morning

Yuk what horrible weather. I don’t know what it’s like where you live but it’s still really overcast here, although a quick glance out of the window does reveal it looking a bit brighter. That’s the weather forecast out of the way.
We had our last Christmas fair yesterday afternoon, always one of my favourites at Box Hill School. The entrance hall with the grand fireplace strewn with holly and decorations always makes me start to feel a bit more Christmassy, even though we’ve been doing Christmas fairs since about the middle of November and listening to the Christmas songs and seeing lots of Santas, I don’t feel one bit festive. Baa humbug. No not really, but I think the problem at the moment is the adrenalin has kept me going through all my 2am bedtimes and now I’m feeling very jaded.  I think some beadmaking therapy may be just what the doctor ordered…….no, it’s all right Rick…only joking….yes I know the lounge looks like a bomb hit it as does the rest of the house.

At least my poor sore finger is getting better now. I managed to get some sort of burn or blister from all the 192 beads I cleaned on Thursday.  You know how much I hate cleaning beads, and I sure let them pile up this week until I had 2 sessions and blitzed the lot. Well any bead makers will sympathise with me and share my excitement at my delivery this morning from Mr Postie man. I’ve ordered some ZippZ bead release which is supposed to dissolve in sudsy water and I can’t wait to try it. It sure will be a great help if it works. Watch this space.

Thursday morning
I’ve been working like the clappers all week making beads during the day (and evening when Rick has cooked) and selecting beads and making up my jewellery during the evening. I have 3 fairs left this weekend, but I’m stewarding in the Guildford House Gallery Wednesday next week and also hope to top up my cabinet at Milford again. I’m starting to wonder how I’m actually going to fit in any of our Christmas preparations before the last week, needless to say the cards aren’t written yet – so much for doing them during half term.

But the good news is our dishwasher is working again, so our cupboard for the dirties is back in business, woo hoo. Well done Rick for fixing it, that’s one of the benefits of being married to a geek, want to try the microwave next? But seriously we really need a new one and a new sofa (or some re-upholstery) and new curtains. Ahhh, there’s always something better to do or spend our money on, speaking of which, I’m off to get a mug of tea and get on with my work (or play as Rick would have it).

Saturday afternoon

Rick’s asleep on the settee. Honestly the man’s got no stamina. We got home from a short Christmas fair an hour ago and now he’s zeding away, anyone would think he’s been lugging boxes around or that he got up earlish for a Saturday. We now have to decide what to do with the remainder of our precious Saturday. We have 3 fairs next weekend then we’re done, although I’m beevering away busily to keep my cabinet at the Gallery in Milford stocked up, where my jewellery is out of the shop quicker than I can keep it stocked (they are buying it, it doesn’t just hop off on it’s own like an enchanted thang).

I have to say that I’m feeling a bit less stressed now yesterday is over, which had to be ‘The day from Hell’. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t that bad but it was bad enough. I had to drive over to Guildford with my pieces for the Exhibition at The Guildford House in the High Street, and couldn’t find the gallery anywhere, having never really been to Guildford before. I had to park on a meter near where I thought it would be and walk until I could find it, stopping to ask knowledgeable looking passers-by where it could be, not like I was in a hurry or anything (hmmm). When I’d set up my part of the display and helped where I could (the room looks great by the way, lots of scarves) I whizzed back uphill to my car with 2 minutes to spare on the meter and planned my trip to Millford to restock my cabinet.

I was told it was 10 minutes down the road……I suppose it would have been if I hadn’t kept taking wrong turns and going round in 15 mile circles, or getting stuck in traffic jams while I tried to correct what I’d done wrong. Then my phone ran out of money in the middle of nowhere. nnnnnrrrrgh. I should have reached the Millford gallery by 4:05 at the latest but ended up staggering in totally flustered at 4:47 with 13 minutes to spare before the shop closed. Then I left my only pen that works well with my jewellery labels on the top of my cabinet. rats. Still at least my cabinet looks a bit fuller again.

Here’s some snaps of the gallery at Millford

Thursday evening

I shouldn’t really be sat here talking to you. I should be working at labelling up pieces for the exhibition in Guildford. But I’m feeling a bit like a rabbit in the headlights at the moment because of all the things I need to do. Believe it or not I do actually work better under pressure, but today has been one of those ‘too panicked to do anything days’ which I get sometimes. So I’ve decided to try and take my mind off it, and am enjoying a well deserved glass of wine. Hopefully I’ll be more with it after dinner.

I’ve designed and made a really gorgeous new necklace and earrings this week (with some of my beads inspired by a tree trunk on one of my visits to Wisley) which will be on display at Guildford together with a selection of pieces from my usual collection of jewellery. If it doesn’t sell I think I’ll have to keep it to wear.