Sarah Downton Beads and Jewellery

Wednesday evening

I was going to blog this morning but we had naff connection all day, so here it is now, trouble is I’m absolutely shattered……..it must be all the thinking……I’m doing my business accounts…..yes, I know, I said I wasn’t going to be doing it last minute again. I really must work out a reliable way to achieve this, I can’t bear being away from my torch and not melting glass for so long.

I was womaning the Surrey Guild shop yesterday, after my usual lovely woodland drive, which was very different yesterday – I’ve never seen so many broken branches and ripped trees before, all debris from last weeks strong winds. I even saw a tree trunk freshly split in 2 down the middle lengthways (top to bottom). Of course strong winds are natures way of pruning the trees and bushes.

Today we awoke to a fresh blanket of snow, and of course it looked beautiful. Rick took several pictures, but I haven’t downloaded them from the camera yet because my hard drive is stuffed full to the gunels, needless to say computer speed is not very good at the moment. I was so pleased that I was at the shop yesterday and didn’t have to cope with driving up remote lanes in the snow. Ooo that reminds me…..

I have new stock in the Surrey Guild Gallery including some heart pendants perfect for Valentines Day.

I must go an get me some zzzzds now, I’m getting desperate to finish my paperwork and need to be fresh if I’m going to get most finished tommorrow. The problem is I’ll be so glad to see the back of it that I won’t want to sort how I’m going to tackle next years (which is this current year). maybe I’ll go through and do what I can while it’s all in my head, like I considered doing last January but didn’t….nah…too easy.

Monday evening

Today, 22nd January, has been officially described by scientists as the most depressing day. But hey, I had a good one, hope you did too. It was lovely to leave my class at 4pm and be able to walk to my car in daylight…..spring is on it’s way….even if they are forecasting snow to kill all the confused flowers that are coming out so early.

Friday morning

Just a quick update on the fence wars…….I was about to ring Rick and tell him not to worry about popping home to move the fences, when a huge (yer, even more huge than before) gusto of wind picked up the second fence panel, put it vertical, through the uprights and into next doors garden, then a few minutes later flattened it back into ours, wrecking all chances of just a mend job. Oh well, we lost 3 panels yesterday (bringing the total to 5), all newish (1-3 years old) compared with the 15 year old existing panels. Also the fence down the side of the house nearly took off but fortunately I hadn’t cut back the ivy this year so it was strapped down even though it did look like a sinusoidal wave generator. lol.

Also we nearly lost the cold frame, the barbeque and several prized architectural plants which we moved to safety, so there, wind. What a pain having to spend money on the fence panels we’d already replaced, we were hoping to invest in some garden restructuring this year and decorating the house. I have to say though, after watching the news and hearing other peoples stories, we are now counting our blessings that it wasn’t worse, like loosing the roof or having an accident.

Now all I need is some beadmaking therapy, although I won’t get any until I finish my accounts for the year. I really must work out how to actually do the hard bit on a regular basis for the future

Thursday morning

What was that I said about the weather forecast on Monday? If I’d listened hard enough I’d have known that it would be ‘unsettled towards the end of the week’. All I know now is that the wind is systematically and willfully destroying our garden boundaries as I type. Before Christmas 2 fence panels on the right hand side of our patch blew down, and today a further 2 have come crashing down next to the kitchen window (yep, another one down Rick). That means the barbeque is flat on it’s side (haven’t dared try to move this on my own, couldn’t anyway because fence panel is on top) with all it’s pretend coal things adrift I expect. Also our beloved tree fern got blown over, this was righted before Rick went to work. I just hope no more panels go, or if they do, it happens before he comes back to help me move said fence panels.

While all this is happening in our back garden, our lovely neighbour across the road who stupidly left his open top basket of newspapers outside, still hasn’t bothered to move it and consequently the road and all our gardens are being littered with rosettes of scrunched up sodden newspaper, beautiful. I suppose it makes a change from daffodils!

It’s all a bit deja vu this rubbish flying around the gardens and wheelie bins coming to life and chasing residents down the road. The same thing happened last week when our bin people were due to come round, only then it wasn’t newspapers but cans and plastics like milk cartons and cat ‘fud’ tins.

Monday tea time

What is it about weather forecasts? It doesn’t seem to make any difference how hard I try to concentrate I always switch off. Take last night, they did a forecast for Sunday up to Tuesday evening, I think I made it to Sunday evening before I drifted off and it was Tuesday morning before I realised that I’d gone again (not literally….lol). I found my self watching the new graphics and pondering the bumpy bits called Exmoor and Dartmoor. I noticed that it was rather flat where I live and that there was a blob of blue that is probably a reservoir. Then I got to thinking that the new graphics could make you a tad seasick the way they twist and turn and woosh from one side to the other at jaunty angles, and maybe they were a bit distracting rather than helpful. It was at that point I noticed that yet again I’d missed what the weather would do.

Don’t get me wrong, I know discussing the weather is a national pastime here in the UK, but I am actually quite interested in it. So much so that I requested a book about clouds for Christmas so that I could identify them when I’m out, you know, what are the Simpsons clouds called, and what does it mean when the sky looks like it’s full of delicate orange coloured fish bones? So what’s my problem with weather forecasts? Maybe I should try and study my new book hard so that I understand what they’re going on about and can try my hand at predicting the local weather for the next hour or so?

Friday morning

I was hoping to sneak out to my studio for a little play today (oops I mean work), but my thermals are in the wash, maybe I don’t need them, it is still very mild. I think procrastination city has set in, I’m doing everything but my tax. I’ve updated my events page to show the bookings I have so far this year but you need to go to the bottom as we still have to shift last years stuff.

Yesterday saw me going to the museum again, this time to have my photo taken for the County Times about the exhibition they have put on. It should be in next Fridays edition. The exhibition opened yesterday afternoon and finishes 24th March, more details and a link are on my events page.

Tuesday evening

Pooped again! It was one of those lovely day out days today where I drove to Guildford and back. I had an appointment to meet the lovely ladies who run Aluisa Beads, Guildfords’ first and new bead shop. It’s a lovely shop selling everything you need to start making your own bead jewellery, and they also stock a selection of my beads now! So pop along and have a look if you’re nearby, then take time out to explore the other shops in Guildford.

It was a truely beautiful drive across Surrey Hills, and I have to say the countryside made my heart sing once more. I think Surrey is a really nice county, and reminds me of Dorset, even though it’s so close to London. I have driven through winding lanes and caught views along valleys that so evoke the feeling of glaciers cutting though the land to carve out the curving shapes. Put that with some of the nicest architecture around and now I need to come up with some bead designs that complement those thoughts.

Monday evening

I’m pooped. Don’t know why, but I’m going to make this quick…famous last words.

You’ll be pleased to know that after my Christmas clean up of my desk I’m now trying to keep it tidy, and so far it’s working. We did a trip to Ikea on Saturday and I treated myself to a plywood desk tidy that has space for the odd bits of paper that end up floating all over my desk and piling up on every available space. The problem is that I have to do my tax now, and that means showers of paper and receipts all over the place. So my desk is ‘organised chaos’ at the moment, with everything coming out and going away very fast.

I did try to keep on top of it this year, but all I’ve achieved is filing most of the receipts and entering most but not all of the purchases. I did buy a program to help me cost things and keep track of inventory, but so far haven’t had time to even start entering details. maybe I need a input clerk…….that takes me back to when I was a student. Everyone was scared of computers and I wasn’t, so I got loads of jobs during University holidays doing computer input. How things have changed.

It has been a busy day, with a quick trek to Horsham museum to deliver my jewellery and a few rods of glass and some twisties for the exhibition that they’re putting on. More details will follow here and on my news and events page probably. TTFN.

Thursday morning

Ah I had a laugh last night, then a really insane idea. I watched this chef acting like a scientist and trying to recreate the perfect pizza, as he’d eaten and had a go at making in Napoli I think it was. One of the most crucial parts of cooking said pizza was the oven temperature of 550 deg C. He tried various ways to raise the temp of his oven, including cooking the pizza on a stone with the grill on (not marvelous but the stone retains a bit more energy than a tray), cooking it on a stone in a circular coal barbeque – the inside reached over 600 when he put a fan underneath to add more air to the burning coals – unfortunately the base cooked and the top didn’t, which was very evident when he lifted one edge to show us the base and the topping slid off.

He achieved his goal by heating a cast iron frying pan for 20mins on a hotplate, then putting it upside down i.e. base upwards under a hot grill in a small oven that had been preheated as high as he could get it. He then assembled the pizza on a peel as quickly as possible and slid the pizza onto the base of the already positioned frying pan. The pizza cooked to his perfection in 2 minutes (which was his goal).

Now a girl can’t help wondering……hmmmmm, I love pizza…….and I also have an appliance that can go up to 550 deg C and higher……..I wonder if I could try this…..how would I get it in?……what shape would it have to be?……would it get covered in kiln brick dust?……what would I cook it on?…..more absurdly, would it be a bit silly to buy a round hobby kiln to cook pizzas?………………………….hmmmm………..pizza

Wednesday evening

Hello there, a quick pop in to say hi and I hope you have a very happy new year.

I’ve been away from the helm for 2 weeks now, I couldn’t do the Christmas prep and run my business and entertain my daughter off from school over the last couple of weeks. I’ve had a good long rest after Christmas and hope the new year will bring lots of opportunities and work. I now have the job of replying to all your emails, so expect a reply soon and then…..oh the joys of tax.

I also have to prepare some jewellery for an exhibition that Horsham Museum are putting on over the next month, so watch this space for details. The display will be showing pieces of jewellery from the museum collection and comparing and contrasting them with the various materials used to make jewellery today.

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.

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.

Tuesday morning
Yipeee, at last I get to make beads again. I’ve been so busy the last week that this is my first chance to blog or bead and I may not be doing experimental work or trying out all the new glass and frits I have ordered lately, but I’m going to enjoy myself. I have to make pendants and beads for my craft fairs and the Guild exhibition, so will be in production mode, but the good news is that I can please myself on what I produce, oh the joys of being self employed and setting my own targets.

I must say though that it is going to be very hard to stop myself from trying out the new ASK104 glass from Kugler or the gold pink frit that I’ve waited years to get hold of. It’s also going to be fun working in a studio with more space, it feels so much better now the shelves have been removed and storage is below the benches like it should have been from the start.

I’m also very relieved that the weather is still so mild, I’ve been kind of dreading working in the freezing cold, but last night as I dipped mandrels at 10pm it was still warm enough to work and I had to stop myself sitting down for a play. Must dash. (moustache?)

Wednesday tea time

Oh he’s so funny my hubby Rick! Today I’m officially another year older and what did I get for my pressy? A plant that I can never kill…..oh yes, I can starve this one of water like all the other houseplants and it won’t ever die. Marvellous. I will be getting something nicer cos I’d like a digital radio to listen to while making beads in my studio. That way I’ll be able to listen to some of the books read on One Word. All I need to do is choose one, hmmm, like I have time for that at the moment. We have 2 fairs this weekend and I need to sort my pieces for the next Surrey Guild exhibition at Guildford by Thursday next week. I just can’t believe how the time is shooting by and how little time I seem to have, to do stuff. All my wishes to be less stressed in the build up to Christmas are going horribly wrong. But the good news is that I’m extra busy because of joining the Guild, with all the extra opportunities that it has brought. Must dash and get ready for my birthday treat.

Friday evening

Oh I’ve been a busy bee this evening.  I’ve made a few updates to the information on this site.  Details of the Surrey Guild gallery can be found on the outlets page, and a link to the website on the links page. I’ve also updated my tuition details announcing the second workstation, so ‘learn with a friend’ is officially here. yipee.

We have an early(ish) start tomorrow as we attend the first of our official Christmas do’s.

We can be found at Croham Hurst School, Croham Road in South Croydon at their Craft Fair, from 11am to 3pm. We will have our usual mix of my contemporary glass jewellery together with my fun fashion ranges and my hand-crafted silver chains, bangles and earrings.

Thursday evening

Just a quick note to say I have successfully set up my cabinet with lots of jewellery goodies in the Surrey Guild Gallery at Milford.  Details can be found on the Surrey Guild website, and I’ll put more info up on my site when I get a chance.

Tuesday evening

Oh no….it would appear that the dishwasher’s broken. Rats, rats and double rats. If there’s nothing I dislike more than housework in general, it’s washing up. Honestly you should see our kitchen, the proverbial bomb has hit it. For some reason the dish wash I did Sunday morning left things less than clean, so tonight we decided to run it again (and no, we hadn’t emptied it, and yes, there is 3 days washing up stacked up all around the kitchen waiting to fill the dishwasher when the load in it got clean), and would you believe it, it was full of bubbles at the end of the cycle and everything was cold. So now we have to get it fixed, which may mean a new one, also the washing machine was making a strange squealing noise during it’s spin and the microwave keeps cutting out and the door doesn’t shut properly so we have to wedge it shut using a pickle jar. We knew everything may wear out at once when we got married, but this is silly, especially as they are all different ages. The microwave is 6 years, the dishwasher nearly 8, and the washing machine 10 and a half. Hmmm. I’m off to do a bit of wiping up…rats….don’t like wiping up, but Rick’s already done 5 bowls of washing up in the last hour.