Sarah Downton Beads and Jewellery

Monday morning

I forgot to say…I’m in the County Times that came out Friday. Back page of section 1. There is a picture of me holding some of my jewellery made with glass beads, although I have to add that those pieces aren’t in the exhibition but I do have about 12 different pieces in the cabinet. The exhibition the Jewellers Craft is on at Horsham Museum and details and a link to their website can be reached from my events page.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Monday evening

Hello. It’s nice to have a bit of time to blog again, but oh dear, I didn’t realise it had been nearly one week, eek. I’ve been spending the past week designing a few new pieces of jewellery to put in my cabinet at the Surrey Guild gallery in Milford, and generally making up new pieces and organising everything I need to do for this. I hope to get this set up this Thursday, so look out for details later this week. I’ve also been preparing for 2 days of selling this week at the Bromley Adult Education Centre where I attend a class one afternoon a week. It’s lovely to have a day focused on jewellery making, which was how I got started on this lampworking obsession, and time with other people who love designing and making jewellery, and going to similar exhibitions and events. It’s very easy to become insular when doing any type of work or craft alone at home every day, although my joining a few groups has been very good with making new friends locally who love all things arty.

Anyways, this evening I’m taking a bit of a rest and am sitting on the settee with my feet up. I know things are going to get more frantic as my local craft fairs start this Saturday, and I have to start restocking my jewellery for sale by the weekend and want to have my batteries recharged at least a bit so I can work efficiently. I’m resisting the urge to go and clean all the beads that my last 4 students have made. I’ll do them tommorrow, hee hee, honest govner. Evening all.

Thursday afternoon

Oh it feels good to be alive. I’ve had another one of my days out, well it feels like it, even though I was technically working. I had another lovely drive this time through the leafy Sussex countryside over to Haslemere, were I was manning the Surrey Guild exhibiton this morning. My route there took me through Petworth and Midhurst and various other beautiful villages, and up and along an amazing tree covered hill will stunning views over the woods and fields below, with the occassional glint of sun reflecting on pools of water. There were various tree lined lanes and really dark wooded parts along the way and the buidings en route were gorgeous.

Haslemere itself is a lovely town, I popped out to grab a sandwich and caught a very quick look up the High Street. I came home via the villages on a more direct route that I discussed with a couple of the volunteers at the museum. With the sun shinning and the autumn hues surrounding me, I have to say my heart was singing all the way.

It’s so good to get out of the house and explore this glorious countryside, and I hope this is the start of lots of good trips out from being a member of the Guild….I think it is.

Tuesday evening

I’m very pleased to tell you that my application to join the Surrey Guild of Craftsmen was accepted the other week, and that I’ve already started my first exhibition with a few of the other guild members (no point hanging around). The exhibition is at Haslemere Educational museum in Surrey, it started today and continues until 18th November. For more details please visit my events page.

The really good news about this is that it brings various opportunities to exhibit and sell throughout the year in addition to having a place in the Guild gallery in Milford, near Godalming, and of course a whole new group of artists to meet and share with. I’m really looking forward to what this will bring in the coming year, so please keep checking back to stay in touch with where I will be exhibiting next.

Friday evening

I’m so glad that week’s over, I’m champing at the bit to get on and make my new pieces of jewellery for my Christmas events and can’t wait for next week when I get the house back to myself and I can go back to my studio and make some beads. Today saw the end of the holiday club, isn’t it funny how long it takes to prepare for these things and decorate a room, compared to how long it takes to dismantle it and chuck the rubbish in the bin. Actually it’s a bit sad really. Anyway the kids all enjoyed it and their parents got a well deserved break every day even if we didn’t!

We also went into Horsham this afternoon with friends to have fun at the steam fair which comes to the Carfax every autumn half term. And yipee, Hawkins Bazaar have returned again, probably until mid January if the last couple of years are anything to go by. I love the stuff in their shop, it’s crammed full of all those daft things any self respecting kid had in their stocking at Christmas, Sea Monkeys, whirly things, widgets and all sorts. Paradise.

Wednesday evening….

…..already, and half term is supposed to be a break! I’m helping run a holiday club for kids every morning this week and it’s very difficult finding time to blog and fit in bits of work…suffice it to say this is the first chance I feel I’ve had to blog. Of course this time last year we were recording songs for an album, and getting choir sounds with 4 people. That must mean my blog is over 1 year old, so woo hoo, and happy birthday (belated) blog. There’s lots of stuff happening that relates to my business at the moment (even though I can’t sit and make beads or jewellery at the moment), and I hope to reveal all soon.

On another note Rick and I had a good laugh watching one of Fanny Craddocks old cookery programmes last night. You don’t realise how far things have come until you watch the old stuff. She was very chatty in her delivery, and constantly mentioned saving money and being economical with ingredients. All the food looked grey (black and white) and it was soooo hard to be inspired by anything she presented. But the funniest of all was the way she kept coughing into her hands in turn, then handling the food she was preparing and had prepared! She was a smoker by what I gleened watching the wonderful Julia Davies in ‘Frightened of Fanny’ the other night. Classic TV.

Friday evening

Well my head down effort this week and last has paid off, and I have exciting news. But I’m not going to let you in on that yet, suffice it to say I now have a champers headache, ouch, I need to make a coffee.

I had a real panic hour or so today, as I felt I was swimmimg in treacle with all the jobs I’ve given myself to do, so I went to my trusty ‘jobs to do list’ that I started in March this year, and haven’t updated since May. I’ve updated it, and even though it’s still just as long, it was great to see I had actually completed several of my objectives this year, and had great pleasure deleting them to replace them with different jobs. Now I’ve written what I need to do in a proper list I feel I can tackle jobs one by one and make progress. I must be a real sado. Off now to get me coffee.

Sunday evening

I’m sat here at last (while Rick watches the last 2 LOST episodes – for the 3rd time (am I going to miss Sawyers character!)) bringing you news that at long last I have a shop on my site. And not only that but there are actually things in there to buy. Woohoo. Not many things but a small selection to tempt your tastebuds, after all I do have the Harrow bead fair next Sunday. So please follow the link to my shop and have a wander around, dont forget to charge your glass on the way and please come back regularly to see what’s new, now I have the shop it will be stocked regularly.  Ooh, Ricks just added the shop link at the top so we’re ready to roll.  3…..2……1……open

Friday evening

At last we can stop worrying because the roof leaks no more. We used to have a hole the size of a football in the sofit at the back, where birds would fly in and nest. Of course everytime they flapped in the hole it got a little bit bigger. The roof guy cleared out several nests front, back and sides as well as the wasp nest and we are now bird and wasp proof woopee. There are now several very confused and disgruntled birds in the back garden, Rick saw 2 this evening, one was hanging onto the wall for dear life just below where the hole used to be and was tweeting up to his matee on the gutter who was looking very quizickly down at where the hole used to be and tweeting back angrily. Very funny. I hope to bird watch from the lawn tommorrow and see if word has spread! It’s OK though, just in case anyone’s concerned about eggs and stuff, we made sure that nesting and the like was over before we had the work done.

I’ve been working like mad all day taking pictures, editing them and writing information for my new shop which is opening extremely soon, like in the next few days. So please watch this space, or rather the menu bar across the top. Don’t forget to bring your glass of champers for the grand reveal!

Have a great weekend!

Monday evening

My new shop is almost here (at last), hurrah. After having read my bloggy whinge last week Rick has been mulling over how to produce shop pages, and he’s just about got it sorted. So this week I’m keeping away from the torch and among other things will be getting my first items of stock ready for the grand opening of my shop. I suppose I should choose a day for the event, but I like being flexible so I’m not going to. I hope to open it with some of my new beads, a selection of my lampwork bead jewellery and a few choice pieces of jewellery featuring glass beads from Europe. There will also be a few of my beautiful glass leaves that I’ve been having fun making, complete with matching spacers. So watch this space……..