ELLEN THIS PICTURE IS FOR YOU

I'm showing you a picture of my workbench in the final days before my show.  I have a dear friend named Ellen whom I've never met in person, but we've been cyber buddies for years.  She always freaks out when she sees my table pictures.  I get the feeling we are polar opposites when it comes to jewelry making :)  I'm one of those people who just functions better in chaos.  Believe me, I don't seek it, but it always seems to be nipping at my heels.  I cleaned my whole table off tonight before I started, yet by the end it looked just like this picture….sigh.
I don't think I have enough inventory for a two day show, but it is what it is.  I've been having a terrible time with arthritis in my hands and fingers.  It runs in the family so I am not surprised.  Just wondering what form of entertainment I will take up next.
Okay here are the pictures.  First is my torch area and then my work table….see, I can't create unless I have lots of choices in front of me…I'm sorry Ellen, I know this probably made you twitch :)

                                                     

NEW SHOW

I was juried into the Louisville Artisans Guild this year.  I'm really psyched about it.  We do a two day Holiday show Nov 2 and 3.  I'm psyched about that too, but in a much more frazzled way.  My jewelry inventory has been low recently so I've been torching, making many many beads !  I feel okay about what I've been making and slowly I am accumulating  more and more product.  The thing that worries me is setting up my booth.  I have a general idea about what it's going to look like, and we set up the day before, but will it all come together the way I envision??  Stress, I know I could use more of that :)  Here's a picture of one of my new bracelets. It has an antique button clasp and copper findings.  Standing on my arthritic feet for two days will be an adventure, but I love doing shows because of all the interesting people you meet….and the things you hear.  ("Don't buy that bracelet, Sally.  We can go to Michael's, Walmart, etc, and get some beads and make the same thing.")……….Oh really? :)  I'll show you some more beads later next week.  I need sleep !!
P.S.  A stink bug actually dive bombed my face this week while I was torching…….the nerve of some bugs.  HB got him!!
                                       

  

CASSIDY

This little girl is a trip.  I never know what she is going to say.  She's brutally honest which just cracks me up sometimes because she says what she is thinking.  A couple of weeks ago I was helping her Dad get her in the car.  She looked up at me and said "Happy, why do you have all those cracks in your face?...Oh that's right, I forgot, you're old...never mind."
Just when I thought I was having a good make-up day !! :)

HOW CAN SOMETHING SO TINY....

freak me out?  Stink bugs!!  I hate them!  I am being attacked nightly as I try to make beads.  Think about it.  I am mixing fire, my fingers, molten glass, and intense concentration with flying things that dive bomb me.  It happened on three separate occasions tonight.  HB was called each time and he came with his fly swatter and killed the pesky offenders, BUT I don't like it when they land in my hair or make a quick pass very close to my torch.  Sometimes they are so blatant that they land on one of my rods of glass and just sit there looking at me.  Last week one landed and became entangled in my hair.  My loud shrieking brought HB pretty quickly to my studio.  By then I had shaken the vile thing out of my hair, but as I turned away from my husband he saw two of them on the back of my shirt!!  Really, I need to complain to HR about my work site.  I wish I could figure out where they are getting in.  At the top of HB's "honey do" list for tomorrow is how to keep stink bugs out of my studio.......I'm such a wuss.  Anyone have any ideas?