Sarah Downton Beads and Jewellery

Monday lunchtime

I’m procrastinating again….can you believe it? And this time it’s not tax or accounts, oh no, it’s sorting out my insulation and lining for my studio. I hate planning stuff when I’m not totally sure what I’m doing, or when I have too many design issues to resolve before I can do it, one reason why we still haven’t decked out the back yet (I want to get too many things out of the project). So what’s the hold up this time? I’m not sure, but I can tell you I’m feeling absolutely drained of enthusiasm or energy. I want to curl up into a little ball and snooze right now. But I can’t, I have to get this stuff ordered, especially as there’s a pesky bank holiday this Friday. Also the sooner I get this ordered, the sooner I can get back to play (sorry, work) at bead making. I’m sure that will be tomorrow now, and if that’s not incentive enough I don’t know what is!

I have a couple of places on glass beadmaking courses to fill again

1 place on a 1 Day Beginners Course Thurs 1st April……yes, that’s this Thursday!!!!!

…..1 place on a 2 Day Beginners Course Tues 25th to Weds 26th May……

contact me now to book your place

And I have also put yet more beads in my Etsy shop, here’s a taster….I know, I still can’t get over how regularly I’m doing this.

Wednesday morning

Newsflash…dit dit dit…I have windows that open again! So my new shed last year had 2 windows that were supposed to open and one ended up very jammed. The lovely ‘Man from Malvern’ came today (first thing)  and fixed it, so I can now have both windows open again and keep the howling gales outside, well hurrah. This is actually double hurrah as I thought I was going to have to wait all day for him to come and wouldn’t be able to make any beads, but my day is clear now, up until 6pm, yay. (Hey come on, I know it’s a small thang, but I’m easily pleased.)

Talking of easily pleased, a couple of weeks ago we were pointed to several websites with a cool form of doodling on called Zentangles, and spent the whole of Saturday after the party just doodling (yes, the whole day, but we were shattered and it was very relaxing). Here’s a couple of mine

The tuition date of 13th May has been taken now, but more glass beadmaking lesson dates are still available for May, June and July. Just drop me a line with your preferred dates and we’ll choose one that suits us both.

Friday afternoon

Life. It never goes to plan. It’s always unexpected. Wa hay, it’s fun isn’t it? Never knowing what’s around the corner, be it good or bad? I’m one of those people who likes a challenge, and I like problem solving, and I believe I’m flexible too. I’m saying this because today I had lots planned, but haven’t been able to do much of it because my poor daughter is home with a little sick bug. Fortunately she seems to be over the worst of it and is now feeling hungry, so that’s probably a good sign. I was thinking of taking the morning off, moseying into town to get my new spectacles adjusted….you know you’re getting older when you get your first varifocals, I couldn’t bear the thought of visible bi-focals making me look older than I am! I was then maybe going to treat myself to a coffee in Costa, then go home and leisurely make beads this afternoon.

But instead I’ve been updating my website, adding new events, writing news for my front page, answering contact forms and getting up to date with little tasks that suddenly seem to have piled up. I’ve been so intent on getting my Etsy shop up and running, and updating it on a regular basis that I seem to have let other stuff slip. I can’t win! Speaking of Etsy, I have added more new beads this week! And I have had my first ever sale to America, so exciting (for me anyway, I’m easily pleased). I really will have to go and lie down in a dark room if I keep this up…which I am doing! Look, there’s photos below of the new beads!

I have also 1 new place on a course, One Day Beginners Beadmaking on Thurs 13th May. Drop me an email to book this place. Have a great weekend.

Friday morning

It’s a time of reflection and celebration. Our daughter is 11 this weekend, my nephew and his wife had their first baby 2 weeks ago and we’ve been in our second house for 10 years this week. All this makes me ponder how time flies. We’ve hardly done anything to the house, maybe that statement isn’t so true? We did replace the kitchen within about 2 years of being here, and have decorated the toilet, bathroom, the entrance area and the 2 storage areas by the front door. We also did our daughters’ room about one and a half years ago. So that leaves… let’s see…..most of the house. Our bedroom has peeling dirty wallpaper, the back bedroom was papered for the sale and the paper is falling off the walls…..they didn’t do a very good job! and we’ve never painted the lounge and stairwell. You see the problem is, whenever we think we should get around to doing it, something else happens to stop us. Like the many fences around our property. It seems every time we start to sort the garden, another fence gets blown over.

But back to the rest of it……have you noticed how a new arrival in the family always shunts us back another generation? I’m told that I’m now a great aunt, and of course my parents are not just grandparents now, but great grandparents. My brother is a grandfather….how did that happen? Maybe I’ll be a grandma in the dim and distant future but I guess I’ll never get to be a great grandma ‘cos I started a bit late in life!

So today I’m getting ready for the inevitable party. We have a small disco here for 4 friends, I did say small! I bought the food yesterday, and have to make the cake soon so it has time to cool before I ice it. Then I’ve got party food prep and of course the tidy up, which isn’t that bad as I’ve done lots of tidying up for lots of glass beadmaking teaching lately. I should probably get on with it…rats…I have to wash up the mixing bowl first….see what I mean about never being able to just get straight on with stuff? ;.)

Fri morning

just a flying visit to say I have one space on a beginners course tomorrow that has suddenly become available.

Yes that’s TOMORROW 6th March!

If you want to come drop me an email, and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible. I’m teaching again today but will check back often. Saturdays are rare for me to be teaching, and I know how you all want them, so grab your space now.

Oh, and I have some new beads on Etsy.