Oh the trauma…

Lots of trauma.

First up, I had to have a tooth out.

I know, right!

Now I feel old and gappy, as though I’ve forgotten to put my dentures in.

It was a horrible experience and I’ve felt shattered the WHOLE week. I can only imagine what I’m going to be like when I have to have the implant. It’ll most likely freak me out completely.

I’ve already warned the dentist, but he says it’ll be o.k. as he’ll have his phone on hand and there’s this guy on youtube who does some great dental demonstrations if he needs to check in on the procedure.

Doesn’t help.

Secondly, much to P’s distress, I’ve been going through the whole Inspector Barbaby series on Netflix and all of a sudden, what do you know, it’s over.

No warning.

No nuffin’

It’s left a void, like a black hole imploding in my chest.

It’s going to take me a while to get over it, I mean, how do you recover from something like that…

Fortunately Netflix only went up to season 15 and so somewhere there’s another three waiting for me in the magical world of t.v. limbo land.

P will be delighted..

On a brilliant note, however, I had a great art fair last Saturday.

You know, I didn’t really feel up for it. I’d been a bit blah, as you all know by now from my recent groanings and moanings, but it was really good.

The weather was perfect. I managed to emerge from my introvert coma for the day, and we talked and laughed all day.

And, as you may know, laughing is my favourite thing to do…

I made $4,000!

I can hardly believe it.

Personally I think people were afraid, paid quickly and ran for their lives.

Whatever it was it worked, and I’m fairly sure Nepal is not going to worry about it.

Studio happenings are as follows.

This

Fell apart.

Don’t talk to me about it.

So I threw it around a bit, gave it a good sanding, and re made it.

The serpentine crumbled in the first setting so I had to re make the middle bezel and use his brother.

I can see I’ve still a little sanding to do in between the top two stones.

I’m also in the middle of this

Which I’ll hopefully finish today,

and I might knock up a few of these.

Because I hit the mother lode of Gaspeite…

Exciting times…

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So

I’m feeling excited.

We had the art fair on Saturday. It was a brilliant day. The weather was great. A bit hot but nothing like usual. Loads of people came out, and a few came back to see me which was kind of nice.

I made $2,000 which is the best I’ve made yet.

And that’s with the afternoon being really slow with no sales after 4 pm I’d say.

I’ve just added up what I’ve sold since my last donation to Care, and that’s another $1,300,

Sooooooo

I can send off $3,000!

I can hardly stand it

:)

This time I was selling for Save the Children and the Ebola Orphans.

E was helping me and said I couldn’t tell anyone that though because the Ebola word is not nice.

Personally I think people need to know these things and it’s important to me, but for E’s sake I didn’t really go there on Saturday but every so often couldn’t help mentioning it.

Sorry E.

My booth looked better than normal. I’d fitted the cloth and put all of the jewelry in boxes. I actually think this helped with selling it. Everything looked cleaner and easier to take in. Usually it’s a bit all over the place.

E took a photo.

It was really nice to see a noticeable difference as the table started to clear.

So that’s my news.

This week I’ve the dentist, the doctors, and all that good stuff, but I think I’m going to have a good sort out and get myself organized.

Or

Maybe I’ll read a book.

:)

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A good day at the art fair.

The weather couldn’t have been better. Usually I have to change clothes three times (I kid you not), because it’s so hot and humid that I wither away into a pile of wet sludge, which, let me tell you, is not good for business. Actually, in all the years I’ve lived here in Houston, I can’t remember a spring like it. The weather is gorgeous, and has been for way longer than it should be, which leads me to worry about imminent global doom, but, I won’t go there today as it’s too pretty outside.

The weather brought everyone out to play and there were a couple of times when there were so many people in my booth that it was a veritable people-crush. It was like that time when someone decided to see just how many people you could squeeze into a Mini Minor, but a little safer as I wouldn’t let anyone get onto the tables.

P’s aunt had one of these, it was like a tin can on wheels.

I sold about $1200 of jewelry, mainly necklaces, which surprised me as they are way more expensive and usually the earrings go first. My first sale was to a man who came in, looked around, and picked up four pieces for a total of $244 before I could even get my Square credit card thingy set up on my i phone. If you haven’t got one of these yet, you should. Absolutely brilliant alternative to the zap thing that we used to use before smart phones got smarter than we did. (O.K. perhaps smart phones have always been smarter than me).

You tell me. Would you prefer this.

Which is o.k. except that then you have to go home and input all the credit card information into ProPay, or somewhere like that, including everyone’s zip/postal code. It’s at this point you realize that you forgot to ask everyone for their d*^m zip code, and so you then have to phone everyone who bought from you and ask them to please give you their zip code otherwise ProPay won’t process their payment. Then, after a few days, you have to remember to take the money out of ProPay and put it into your bank. Both Propay and PayPal have the (Square) swipe thingy now, but you still have to remove your money later.

Or, this,

Which, I admit is a little disconcerting in that whole, is it really doing what it says it does or have I just given $1200 of jewelry away, department. But, let me assure you, it does do what it says, and the money goes straight into your bank. No half way house, which makes me feel very grown up, and saves my brain a lot of worrying about forgetting things.

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So, a good day on the whole, followed by utter exhaustion the next day. I am constantly amazed at how sitting around all day, doing nothing much of anything really except talking to people and taking their money, wears me out.

So, today I am painting.

I’ve had a well deserved cup of tea.

From another new mug. (Don’t judge me because I have a mug purchasing addiction).

And now I’m feeling the love.

Except I don’t believe in signs.

Just saying’.

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Just in case you were wondering the record is now 28 people.

I feel a bit sorry for the woman who says the experience was second best after giving birth to her child, but who knows perhaps finally being let out of a Mini is much the same really – except the other way round …

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Something

I’m working on today.

Only it doesn’t quite look like her yet.

I had a bit of trouble getting back into my studio after the art fair. I typically go through a, what’s the point, period afterward, but, it’s over now.

I think.

I’m off out this morning, but, I’m looking forward to getting back home to work on this.

So I must have recovered. Right?

And here’s a pic of Spencer One Eye.

He only needs one eye to look adoringly at me.

Feel the love.

Or is that boredom. The old, oh for the love of god, not another photograph! look.

No. I think it’s love.

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Saturday

Was the art fair.

The weather was perfect.

Which is unusual to say the least. It’s usually hot as hell, even though it’s near the end of October.

Here is my booth.

Every year, well twice a year really, after I pack up from doing this fair I swear I’m going to re vamp my booth for the next time.

Make it look more professional.

Something that looks like I know what I’m doing.

And looks as though I’m serious about doing it.

I did do something different with the earrings but the rest will just have to wait for next time now.

I’m not holding my breath.

Here’s my friend Nicki’s booth. She’s an old pottery friend of mine and it was the first time since we’ve both been doing this show that we were placed next to one another.

Of course, I had to buy some of her bowls …

again.

All said and done I made $1,000 for charity even though it was really, really slow in the morning and I thought I’d never get beyond selling two pairs of earrings.

So, thank you everyone that came out to see me yesterday. And, thank you everyone who bought from me off etsy recently.

Getting rid of my stuff means I can make more :)

Happy times.

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