Sarah Downton Beads and Jewellery

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?

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

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).

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 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.

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.

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.

Tuesday evening

I thought I’d better pop in and say hi. I’ve had my head down again, desperately trying to get an important project done (not telling you what that is, in case it all goes wrong). Of course it involves glass beads and a bit of silver, isn’t it great to realise you need a particular colour glass bead and be able to pop out to the studio and knock a few out? The only drawback is that you have to wait for the kiln to heat up and then wait for your beads while it goes through the anneal cycle.

I have several jobs on the go as usual, my favourite at the moment has to be organising a batch of 30 T shirts which I’m having printed, actually this year it’s a full colour iron on motif. Previous years have been screen printed.

The bad news is that my daughter finishes school tommorrow for half term, so I shouldn’t really be working for the next 11 days, but I will be fitting in stuff as and when I can. Night all.

Friday afternoon

What a beautiful country England is. I’ve had the most lovely day today, driving through some of the nicest countryside, mainly woods from Horsham to Farnham. I thought I’d take a day off working to go to a couple of galleries I’ve wanted to visit for a long time now, and to see how long it would take to get there. It was an incredible drive though gorgeous woods most of the way, which is unusual, couple that with the season being Autumn and you have a great combination. Parts of the road cut through high tree lined banks where old knarled roots twisted over the mud and had a really old feel to them. The drive there was among patches of fog which wafted mysteriously between the trees, while the journey home saw lots of sunshine pouring through the leaves and dappling the ground in light. Awesome.

The great thing about a day out like today, is that it lifts my spirits. I feel so happy inside and really refreshed and relaxed after my hard slog of the last couple of months, especially Sunday. I came home ready to pick up my daughter from school and felt so different, like I’d been on holiday. Even the walk to school felt different, it’s so wierd, but good what 3 or 4 hours doing something you really love with no pressure can do.

Wednesday morning
Morning all. I got told off Monday for bad spelling, grammer, punctuation and all, so lets hope today’s entry is more coherant, it should be, I’m feeling a bit more with it but not completely yet.

I now have the pre-Christmas lull ahead of me, it’s the calm before the storm, and although I have my job targets set for the week my thoughts are also turning towards my Christmas panic which I always get into because of the fairs and orders I get last minute. Somehow the cards never get sent until after the last posting day, and we’re always up at 2am Christmas day finishing off the pressie wrapping. Now this isn’t because we’re greedy and give each other bucket loads of presents, but because we’re both very fortunate to have huge families on each side who all get along well.

So this year I’m thinking very seriously about what I can do now to ease the stress and prevent my Christmas day migraine that’s occured 3 times now (and boy they were real humdingers). Trouble is it feels very strange doing stuff like writting cards and buying presents so early, especially since I set myself the rule when I was younger about not starting to think about Christmas until after my birthday near the end of November.

So here’s something to change the subject back to Autumn, a picture or 2 of the Virginia Creeper that grows so voraciously on the fence at the end of our garden. I took these on Saturday morning, and they have a real rich colour tapestry feel to them.  Today, 5 days on, the mass of leaves are now more  golden yellow and orange, with hardly any dark green and only acid green shades remaining.

Tuesday Morning

Oh yes, I’m still a bit shakey after having an unexpected dental hygene appointment. If there’s one thing I hate, it’s someone mucking around in my mouth, I even hate me mucking around in there. It was all a rush job really, cos I missed my last one and forgot this one and had to rush full pelt after they so kindly rang and reminded me! nnngggh.

Oh well, I tried thought diversion therapy this morning as I sat back in the chair, and imagined the process of lampworking. I was struggling to make a bead so imagined that I was sculpting a beautiful off mandrel autumnal leaf a bit like the one in my NEW SHOP! and it worked, to an extent. So now I’m home, and calming down (still a bit shakey – don’t like dentists) I don’t want to eat or drink anything cos I don’t want to mess up my nice clean gob. Oooo, this could be a good way to diet.

ps. 8.5 deg C in studio toady at 11am, definately cooling down now.

Wednesday night

I’m exhausted.  The seminar in the Arts Centre in Horsham today was excellent.  We had 4 different 55 minute long sessions on various art promotion subjects, and each session managed to pack in masses of information and tips.  Now I have to let this sink in and work out how I’m going to use my new found ideas.  It was lovely to see a few familiar faces of artists I met during the RAG Open Houses, and to meet other artists ranging from painters to actors and musicians.

While I was out cavorting with the struggling artists (lol) we had the sofit at the back of the house replaced.  They removed loads of birds nests and a beautiful old wasps nest.  It’s such a relief to know that the hole has gone and no bidies (oops, typo, that should be birdies) or waspies can get in the roof anymore, and that the structure of the roof is sound.

Friday afternoon

Where did the last week go? I thought I’d look at my blog to see where I am, and lo a week plus has passed…..and I’m still very tired.

Thank you to all of you who came by my stall last weekend to say hi, and to everyone who bought goodies. That means we can eat for the next month……well, the funds are actually rather depleted after all the hotel stays and Lorens course, porridge every day I think, Oh yes, I have that already.

I can’t believe we’re already nearing the end of the kids summer hols, and the house is even more untidy than it was at the start, so much for clearing it over the summer, I should have known I’d never manage it. At least the front border in our garden is looking a bit better, except for all the cat poos that are left daily in our bark mulch. Note to self…must find some sort of moggie deterant.

Have a great weekend, and don’t forget to put the Harrow Bead Fair in your diaries for October 8th.

Saturday night

What is it about the last 2 weeks just gone? They say bad news comes in 3’s but we’ve had about 5 lots so far. I’m feeling very drained and sad for my friends who are struggling with serious health problems. Also very sad for friends of ours who lost their 18 yr old son today in a tragic accident. It just looks so weird in print, what a rubbish fortnight.

This is all such sobering news and makes one sit back and think seriously about life, the universe and everything. We’re so used to longevity in this country, that we sometimes (well I do anyway) forget that we’re all getting older every day, from the youngest to the oldest of us. Sometimes it takes events like I’ve experienced the last fortnight to help put things into perspective and make steps to change priorities. Family, if you’re fortunate enough to have one, is definately the most important thing, and worth spending quality time with.

Tuesday afternoon

hiya peeps. I’m popping in to say hi, before I do a bit of work towards the GBUK bead fair, I’m not sure if anyone running their own business ever feels that they’ve done enough and can sit back for weeks on end with a big gig looming (or maybe it’s just me?). I have my GBUK bead challenge bead or set or jewellery to make on the theme Egypt. I’ve mulled over lots of symbols and Egyptian themes, but I’m not yet sure which direction I’ll be going in, time to play later I think.

What I did want to say was, what’s with the Post Office? I received a postcard with a huge sticker over the picture, telling MR Postie that the address was wrong, and then I got one the other day, well a card from the PO saying they had something for me that didn’t have enough postage paid on it. If I didn’t collect within 3 weeks it would be returned to sender, I asked the office about this when I went to collect, and they said that if it didn’t have a return addy it would be sent to Belfast to be opened and then returned to sender with an invoice. So maybe I’d never get my post. How fair is that? I suppose if they didn’t charge then people would cotton on and do it on purpose, but as it is, the recipient is the one who looses out, which would have been me this time as there was no return addy inside – I’m just relieved it wasn’t important.

All this reminds me of a wierd Australian film I watched earlier this year about people working in the underground warehouse where incorrectly addressed and ‘Lost’ letters went. It was an unusual film, but strangley haunting, I wish Icould remember the title. Needless to say they had stacks of letters and sometimes tried to find out who the real recipient was.

I’m still on limited computer time, and am working my way through your emails, so please be patient. Have a lovely week.

Thursday afternoon

How is it Thursday already? It’s been an exciting week, well, for us anyway. It’s amazing how simple things please simple minds, but that’s what’s happened. I’d been watching Ebay over the last couple of months to see how camping equipment was selling and just popped in there last Thursday for a check up. The tents and awnings were selling well (at last), so it was time to take the plunge and get rid of our surplus frame tent and spare awning. To cut a long story short our tent got all it’s bids in the last 2 minutes…can you believe it! It’s a bit annoying really cos I feel sure we’d have got a better price if they’d started 5 or 10 minutes earlier….lol. Anyway, the awning went up 2 days ago and that’s sold now too. So hurrah for Ebay. What’s so sad is how excited you get watching the final couple of minutes, and how you jump and woop when it’s sold. I can see how people get addicted to this.

Our other excitement was our bread making today.  We’ve had a bread machine for 2 years now, and I’ve never had sucess with making dough then turning it into rolls or ciabatta.  But today I think I cracked it…we made pizza dough this time, which is quicker and doesn’t do a full prove in the pan, then sucessfully made bread rolls (this has to be said ‘Goodness Gracious Me’ stylie, by roling your r’s), a small Foccatia and a round of dough balls like you have for a starter in Pizza Express.  Blooming perfick.  (We saved you a dough ball Rick.)

Sunday Evening

I think I’m already gearing down for the school holidays, I feel soooo lazy, and just want to veg and I have this irresistable urge to go shopping for new clothes (don’t know what that’s about). I don’t even know what I’m blogging about this evening. Normally I go into blog mode on my computer to make me think about what to write, but tonight it just doesn’t seem to be happening. I think maybe all the heat and May-June-July stress has addled my brain. Also the excitement of watching our auction on Ebay to sell our old mamoth frame tent (in excellant condition, 6 berth, only used 4 times) has overshadowed everything (not really!). Got to put the old awning from our old caravan up next, should have done it the same time as the tent, but I spend time marketing it so we can be sure of a good price (at least that’s my story and I’m sticking to it). Trouble is we’re so unused to Ebay that putting up an auction seems to take an inordinately long time, it didn’t help that Rick had nearly finished the listing and then lost it and then had to start all over again.