Model Me!

Last fall I signed up for Tonya Davidson's "Artful Success Class."   This is an online course and  I have to admit that I wasn't the best student.  By the time I sat down in the evening to listen to the class I was so tired (that's what happens when you get old) that I often found myself dozing.  (Sorry Tonya, but your voice is very soothing.)

Thankfully, Tonya had it set up so that we could download each of the class sessions.  I had big plans to listen to them while I worked at the studio.  For me, that is actually the best option.  (And again, I have to admit that I haven't made use of that option very often.)

I did most of the initial paper assignments so that part is done, but there is still so much that I need to work on (like self promotion.)  I'm the person who ran for class treasurer in high school and voted for the other person because I thought that was what nice people do.  (Silly me....... she won by one vote!)

Anyway,  enough rambling.   One of the points of the class was to advertise our jewelry by showing someone wearing it.  (I did think that was a great idea and chose some people I thought would make good models.  Never followed through on that one though, except for using my daughter in law as my hand model.   (Can't beat young hands with an impeccable manicure.)

But it is true!  Showing people wearing my jewelry is the way to go.  Every time I do some kind of show, people like what I have on.  It never fails.  They look everything over, ooh and ah about how nice everything is and then say..... what I really like is what you are wearing.   Usually, I'm wearing some of my personal collection which I don't want to part with.  Better start wearing the "for sale" stuff (and leave the price tags on since I can't remember the price once I take the tag off.)  Besides needing bi-focals and falling asleep early, memory loss is also one of those getting older bonuses.  

Making a dent!

My bead horde was out of hand.  It's been in my inventory for way too long and as I said in an earlier post, it was time to use many of them up.  That's exactly what I've been trying to do these past few days.   This time I have an assistant, as my friend Helen has been helping out by stringing and doing some designing too.

We've made a dent in the horde (but just a small dent.)  Nothing major, just some simple beaded anklets.  Now I'm not much of a bead artist (which is why there was such an eclectic assortment of beads.)  Considering that fact that I usually have a good eye for color, it's surprising that I have trouble picking out beads.  

If you've ever been to a bead store, you know how overwhelming it can be.  All those colors and shapes.   It's enough to make your head spin (which is exactly what happens to me.)  My daughter goes in and she can see in her mind's eye exactly what she wants to make.  

I guess I'm also influenced by my pocket book.  Many of the beads are expensive and I'm cheap.  Maybe someday when my ship comes in, I can head to the bead shop and choose my beads by what I really like.  Until then, I'll just keep working away trying to use up the hodgepodge and painting my toenails to match.  

They just keep coming!

In an earlier post I discussed the signs of getting old, being called sweetie by young people, not being able to see the fine print (and the medium print,) dying the hair blonde to cover the white and thinking that pro football players all look like babies.  Well now I can add another sign that I am getting old; having to keep my medications in a weekly medicine container.  Damn, they just keep coming!

It's okay after all!

Back in September I was lamenting the change in the Bic Stick Pens.  For years I was using the white pens as a base for my polymer clay.  This past fall I discovered that the pens had changed.  They were no longer white and I assumed that they would not hold up in the toaster oven.  (When will I learn that one can not assume anything?)

After complaining about it on my blog (and to anyone who would listen) and writing an email to the Bic company, I decided to test out the new pen casing.  Well, they work just fine. (Now I'm feeling a little sheepish.)  The pen cartridge is a little harder to pull out of the casing, but other than that they work beautifully.

So, we are back in business,  Working with the polymer is a fun thing to do with friends.  The collection above is the result of a few evenings of work by a friend and I.  We are on a roll and there is another dozen waiting for the glaze (which deepens the color.)

Let it snow!

It's very difficult to think summer anklets when the weather is 19 degrees and the snow is blowing sideways. 

Thnking ahead

In the retail world it's important to be about six months ahead in the calendar.  June is the month to start planning for Christmas.  Instead of thinking about turkeys in November, it's important to be in the mode for Easter.  You get the idea.

Unfortunately, my brain doesn't work that way.  When planning my daughter's wedding, I'm sure I drove her future mother in law crazy.  We worked well together, but I didn't start anything until about six weeks before the wedding.  (Don't worry, the major things were taken care of.)  What waited until school let out were the decorations, etc.  They got done.  They were beautiful and my daughter thinks her mother in law and I should open a party planning business.

Right now I am thinking about summer though.  (At least I'm four months ahead,)  I love anklets but have only made two of them.   Every year I plan to make some (usually in August..... too late.)  So I think my focus for now will be on the ankle.  After taking inventory (and seeing how many beads I have) it seems like a good time to make the anklets and use up some inventory.

The anklet in the picture is the only one I've made so far (but I've made it twice.)  Will post new ones as they get finished.    The anklet in the photo uses handmade jump rings to make the handmade chain.  My new ones will just be beaded to save time and cost.

(I've taken photos of my hands with my rings on and decided that I will never be a hand model.  But it's pretty sad when my foot takes better photos than the rest of me!)

TheTwilight Zone

I lied in my last post.... this one is not about metal clay.  (Sorry, but this is too funny.  Embarrassing... but funny.)

I've mentioned before that I'm not known for my housekeeping.  But, I also have to admit that my sense of direction is not the best (and here in lies the story.)

After visiting with friends in South Carolina, we were meeting up at a Comfort Inn, with friends who were also traveling.  We arrived much later than they did and they told us they were in room 121.

We pulled into the Comfort Inn, registered and found a parking space in the back lot.  After gathering all our belongings (which were kind of heavy) we went in the back door of the hotel, found room 121 and knocked.  No answer.  We assumed they were out and proceeded to our room on the third floor (lugging all those heavy belongings.)  My husband tried the key repeatedly (and basically patiently.)  The green light just would not stay on.  I called my friend and asked how these keys worked.  (They were not the credit card type.)

On my way to the front desk, to exchange keys, she told me to stop down at her room and she would show me how the key works. Well I did, and some strange man with a dog (I thought the barking was her dog) opened the door.  He was very nice and accepted my apologies for bothering him.

Another call to Debbie to tell her she wasn't in room 121.  She assured me she was.

I asked her to come out into the hallway so I could see where she was.  I waited, and waited and waited. No Debbie.  Weird.  I really did feel like I was in the Twilight Zone.  What was going on?

As I headed down the hallway and entered the lobby of the hotel, I noticed the attendant behind the desk was not the same one who waited on me.  And why did the rug on the floor say"Days Inn?"  The sad thing is it took a few minutes to register in my brain.  (Maybe riding in the car for thirteen hours had fried my brain.   At least that is what I would like to think!)  When the attendant told me I looked lost, it finally registered.  In the process of parking the car, we had parked one lot over and gone in the back door of the Days Inn.

My friend was not very understanding.  She said she always knew I had no sense of direction and this just solidified it.  She had to hang up on me as her stomach was hurting from laughing so hard.  I could hardly understand her on the phone.  I suppose this will not be the end of it.