It's that time of year.......again!

Every notice how quickly things you don't like to do come around so quickly...... like inventory?

It's not that I really mind counting the materials (it does help me know better what I have and don't have.) I'm also rather anal when it comes to inventory as I do count each and every jump ring, bead, crimp, etc.

The frustration sets in when items aren't marked and I can't find them anywhere on my printout. Every year I think I've got it down until the following year when I sit down to count. There are jewelry programs for this kind of thing but of course they're for PC's and I have a Mac. (I LOVE MY MAC except when it went down a year ago and cost me the price of a new PC to have it repaired.)

Plus it would help if I wouldn't put off entering things until the last minute. (But hey I'm human.) Guess I'll just have to sit down and make up my own program for my specific needs. Do I really think I'm computer literate enough to do this? No, but I'm known for jumping in headfirst and worrying about what's in the water later. (Like the time I told my Sunday School teacher that I could play the piano.... before I took lessons. Managed to play one song for the class. Thank goodness she didn't ask for another one. One was all I had.)

Oh well, got have the inventory done yesterday and will finish it up on Thursday. (I hope.)

But I swear..... before next year, things are going to change!

I threw in a picture of a new pair of earrings. Figured they were a better choice than a picture of jump rings, beads and crimps.

No more self-diagnosing

Finally broke down and went to the doctor today. I don't have the swine flu. But, I do have pneumonia. Thank goodness it is not contagious. At least now I will be taking something for it

Only made it into the studio once this week. Thought about it today but didn't make it. This pneumonia stuff saps the energy right out of you.

There is work to do and it's not getting done. Trying to get back to unfinished projects before I open any more clay. Got lots of fired pieces that have been sitting in a dark box just waiting to talk to me and lots of beads that need to be married to the metal.

The new fall schedule of classes needs to be made up, more Foxburg jewelry needs to be made, a flyer for the monthly Chamber newsletter needs to be written up and my friend's earrings need to be enameled. I need to take more photos, update my Etsy site (it is so neglected) and update my photo album. I am so behind.

CURSE YOU PNEUMONIA ...... life is too busy to be sick!

Applique ring class

  We had another event at the studios on Saturday.  Since I had already set up a ring class for that morning, I had to set up the displays in the outer studio so it looks entirely different from my Open House.  Also, this time I wasn't the sole provider of the food.  I'll post another picture when I take one.    My cousin Debi came to help out since I was going to be busy with the class.  Thank goodness for her.  It would have been next to impossible to do the two things at once.  

   Anyway, the photographer from the local newspaper, The Derrick, stopped by and took a picture of the class..... so we made the paper.  (And, there is a different picture in the Venango Area Chamber newsletter.)  Free advertising is always good.

   We didn't have a great turnout on Saturday though.  Everyone went to the bazaar at the YWCA and spent their money there.  One of the artists thought we should stand outside the door at the YW and offer them rides over to the Transit studios. I suggested we use a bull horn to get their attention.  

It is going to take time to get people to stop in.  All the artists know that, but we are still somewhat impatient.  (It still beats working from my daughter's old bedroom......... no one EVER stopped by there.)

Metal clay artist Alice Walkowski (right) of Franklin teaches jewelry-making to Carol Dickert of Franklin at the National Transit Building in Oil City.  An open house for the Transit's 20 artists was held in conjunction with Oil City's Christmas Past.

  

Tagged

  I'm an old dog, but I am slowly learning new tricks like this blogging stuff.   Today I got tagged by Nikki Pollard from  http://lunidesigns.blogspot.com.   I went to Nikki's site and checked out her jewelry.  Now I have something new to learn, as I loved the slide show presentation of her work.  I want to learn how to do that.

   Anyway,  tagging is an internet game and here are the rules:

1.  Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog.

2.  Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.  

3.  Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blog.  (Wonder how Nikki gave just the names that linked to the blog?  So much to learn!)

4.  Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

     Okay..... here goes.

1.  I use to have red hair, but now I am a blonde to cover up the gray.

2.  I'm not noted for my housekeeping.  Don't know what I am noted for, but definitely not for my housekeeping.

3.  If popcorn was the only food in the world, I would have no trouble surviving.  (Of course I could live off body fat for awhile.)

4.  I love being a grandma.

5.  Scrabble is my favorite game

6.  I began dating my husband when I was 12.  And, my mother never thought it would last.

7.  I could be a perpetual student.  I love taking classes

Now the hard part is finding 7 bloggers to tag.  I don't know of that many blogs, but I'll give it a try.  I'll add those to this post later.   

1.  Adrienne ........  http://adriennemgrafton.blogspot.com

2.  Heather .........  http://oliviapearl.blogspot.com

Carolina Designer Craftsmen Exhibit

  I'm in NC for the Thanksgiving Holiday.  Today we went to the NC Designer Craftsmen Exhibit.  We discovered this wonderful exhibit quite by accident a couple of years ago.  We wandered in to it, thinking it was just a regular craft show...... which it is not.  Instead we found some high quality (and high price) one of a kind crafts covering a range of ceramics, woodcrafts, weaving, painting, quilting and of course jewelry.  

   Of course I was checking out the jewelry for inspiration.  But I was also checking out how the booths were set up, which ones caught my eye and drew me in.  I subscribe to the Crafts Report magazine and the newest issue had an article in it about how important the artist's booth is.  I tried to make mental note of what I liked about particular booths.  Lighting was definitely important as was the layout and backdrops.  Like anything else, some were better than others.  I did come to the conclusion though that setting up a good looking display will take some money.   As of now, I have no intention of selling from a booth, but one never knows.  

Yahoo!!

  Yahoo, my business plan is finally done.  (And two days before it's due!)  I made a business plan the last two years but they were only a couple of sentences long.  I didn't really know what a business plan looked like but now I do and it is thirteen pages long!!!!  It is a little scary, especially trying to project sales and cash flow for the next year.  If only real life worked the same as it does on paper.  I guess that is why we put it on paper so we can work on making it come true.   Anyway it is done and all that is left now is to make my elevator speech on Thursday night, turn in the business plan and graduate.  (Graduation gives me a years free membership in the local Chamber of Commerce and you can bet your boots I'm going to take advantage of that.) 

  One of our assignments was to interview our competition and I want to mention the gracious ladies who gave freely of their information to help me out.  You might want to check them out.  There is some nice work out there.

   Mary Boden who lives right here in the Franklin area has been doing polymer clay jewelry, printmaking and silver jewelry for years.  Her website is www.woodthrushstudio.com

   From Warren, Pa is Adrienne Grafton.  She originally was from Franklin also.  Her silver smithing studio is just down the hallway from my studio.  Her website is www.adriennemgrafton.com

   Melissa Muir is from Akron, Ohio and does traditional silver smithing.  I became aware of her work from one of the forums I belong to and I bought one of her necklaces for my daughter.  Her website is www.melissamuir.com

   And, from the other side of the state of Pennsylvania is Holly Gage.  Holly is the only metal clay artist that I contacted.  She makes her living from making jewelry and is very involved and well known in the metal clay community.  Her work is gorgeous and can be seen at www.hollygage.com