Monday, August 31, 2009

I Was Afraid This Would Happen

**Yawn** This is the best picture I could find of "boring".

I started this blog a few months ago under protest. My friend, Tina, said that my friends and customers would enjoy reading about my thoughts, my life and my jewelry making endeavors. I wondered who would want to read about my boring life, and how in the world would I ever come up with things to write about? I started out fine, telling you about my work and the co-op galleries and my lack of work and a weekend trip and other stuff as it came along. Now, it's happened. There's nothing to talk about. It's just the same-old-same-old.

I follow several blogs and get frustrated sometimes when my favorite people go for DAYS without blogging. Now I understand. There comes a point where there's just nothing. Nothing cool to take a picture of and show you... no new work to brag about... I'm even finding Facebook boring. So, if you don't mind, I'm going to take a blog break for awhile and not feel guilty about it. If there's something that you out there in blogsville want to know about me, leave a comment. I'll be back when something exciting happens.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Observations On Summer's Waning

I can feel the end of summer coming on. It was acutally chilly last night and I had to close my bedroom window. The garden looks tired, and I'm tired of dealing with it. I don't have too many things that bloom this time of year and all the flowers that are finished need to be dead-headed and cleaned up. The tomatoes blighted and the beans are finished. Everything looks over-grown. It will almost be a relief when the first frost comes (in as soon as a month from now) and I can cut everything back to the ground, spread out new mulch, and wait for the cycle to come around again.

The kids started public school over a week ago, and classes started at the University today. That always lends an air of finality to summer and causes a lull in tourism here. Business in the galleries slows down (which is not good considering that sales were not all that great during the summer this year). They'll be back in October to look at the leaves from perches on the ridges, and we'll have the usual Holiday rush. Then we all hibernate for the winter and nothing happens. Even though we have ski resorts here, the people that come to ski usually don't go shopping. They spend their money on lift tickets, hotels and food. Usually this time of year makes me sad because I LOVE summer. But this year it doesn't seem so bad. I'm actually looking forward to the seasonal changes coming up.

I've noticed that I'm becoming a person who doesn't get so riled up about things that I used to be passionate about. I just don't want to deal with the drama any more and my life is so much smoother and happier since I decided to let go of some things. (Go figure!) There are just too many important things to concentrate on and the small stuff gets in the way. This recession as caused me to re-think a lot of things and to do without some things. I realized that I really don't miss them. I think one reason that our co-op gallery members get along so well is that the majority of us believe that things are running smoothly and no one wants to muddy the waters. It's obvious that the ones who want to change things, or complain, haven't embraced the "if it's not broke, don't fix it" attitude. And, if enough of us want to make a change, I can go with the flow. No more digging in my heels and being obstinate. It doesn't sound good to say that "I just don't care", but that's the way it is sometimes. I find myself saying "whatever", but not with the eye rolls that teenagers do when using that statement. Is that stupid, or am I finally getting older and wiser?

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Now I'm Underwhelmed

Last week I reported that I had way too much to do and I was feeling overwhelmed. Well, it just goes to show you that, with time, all things get better. I spent the next few days plodding through that list of things to do and finally finished almost everything. I even managed to cook the green bean dish and enjoy my time at Watauga Lake with my friends. It's always so relaxing and I love riding on Carlos' boat! And, the things that remain on the list will get done eventually.



This is the new design I was excited about. Can you guess what it is? Hint: Anyone who listened to music before it was all on CDs might recognize it. It was made out of plastic. Look at the one below, and maybe the hole in the middle will help you figure it out.



Leave me a comment if you know what it is.



Friday, August 14, 2009

Overwhelmed and Frustrated


My non-artist friends and family think that my lifestyle consists of playing around in my studio all day and leisurly going through life. Not quite sipping tea and eating bon-bons, but close. I wish! Here's the list of things I have to do in the next couple of days:
1. Load up the stinky trash and recycling stuff and take it to the dump/recycling place.
2. Unload the dishwasher, re-load it with the stuff in the sink and run it again.
3. Do a bunch of paperwork/bookkeeping.
4. Get 6 or 7 pieces of jewelry ready to replace what one of my galleries sold last month.
5. Email a customer about a check that she says has been in the mail for two weeks that I still don't have.
6. Email a customer about a repair of a beaded necklace that I made over 10 years ago.
7. Figure out what to cook for a covered dish thing this weekend.
8. Go to the grocery store and buy the stuff for the covered dish thing. (Which is a big deal, because I live 10 miles from the nearest store -- not like running down the street. And, the college students are moving back in this weekend, so there's no such thing as a quick trip to the store.)
9. Cook the covered dish thing. And I don't like to cook.
10. Place an order for supplies that I've been putting off hoping that silver prices would come down some, but now I'm out of things that are critical.
11. Take photos of new work.
12. Update my Etsy site with new work.
13. Pull the almost foot-high weeds in my garden.
14. Pick green beans before they go to seed. (Hey! I'll make something with green beans for the covered dish thing!)
15. Make a Doctor appointment so I can get my prescription refilled.
16. Order some business cards. I'm out of them, too. But, I have to take the pictures first.
17. Clean the cat litter box. (Why won't he go outside?)
18. Vacuum the carpet before it turns to compost, and generally tidy up my house.
19. Etc. etc. etc.
But, what I'd really like to be doing is working on a new design I've thought of. I can't get it out of my head, but I feel guilty letting my long to-do list wait any longer. Some of you will recognize the shape - it depends on if you're as old as I am, or not. Maybe later this afternoon. At least I got the blog updated! Thank God it's not always like this.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Etsy Treasury Featuring My Sunflower Necklace

Lori Magno created a lovely Etsy Treasury called "Will It Go Round In Circles?" and featured my fine silver sunflower necklace. Check it out!




Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Step Right Up... Get Your Kate McKinnon Stuff Here!

Kate McKinnon, an extremely talented artist and author is in the process of downsizing and, while culling through her things, has started what she calls the "Soul Clearing Sale. It's divided into two sections: Components, Materials and Collectible Beads and Jewelry, Kits and Classes. She's giving away, selling or trading things that she no longer needs or wants. New work will be added every day until the sale ends on August 20. Here are a couple of the things she's put up for sale so far:

Fine Silver Stacking Ring Set - $50.00


Freeform Ring with Two Delights $35.00

So, let's go shopping and help her in her quest to live smaller!



Sunday, August 9, 2009

Whew!

It's hot. This is one of the few days each year that I wish I had air conditioning. It's 87 degrees both outside and inside, which is really hot for this part of the world. I guess I shouldn't complain too much, since the summer so far has been extremely pleasant, and I know there are a lot of people out there that have it way worse. (Texas, for example.) I guess I'm either a wimp, or it's all relative. I just don't handle the heat very well. Makes me sleepy.... I think I'll go lay on the couch under the ceiling fan... *yawn*

Thursday, August 6, 2009

I HATE New Stuff, Especially New Computer Stuff!

I had to buy a new printer. My old one crapped out and was too old and cheap to repair. About 6 years ago I purchased a camera and a printer all in one box from HP. Well, the printer was a trooper, but it finally quit. The camera still works great even though it's old. I marched myself off to Staples and found me a new printer, also an HP. (I have no loyalty to them, it just had all the stuff I wanted for what I wanted to spend.) I got it home and unpacked it. First thing I noticed is that this one is a big ole thing and won't fit on top of the file cabinet where the old one was. So I had to rearrange my desk to find a place for it. It took until the next day before I could face installing it, which went rather smoothly, all things considered. Well.... today I tried to unload some photos off the camera and the camera software didn't work!!!! I couldn't find a phone number for HP anywhere, so I logged into their online chat with technical support. OMG!!!!! I was online with those idiots for 3 HOURS!!! I could tell right away that they weren't from around here when he said "I apologize for any inconvienience which might have then caused you from us." Actually, it turned into two chat sessions because the first guy had me download software and restart my computer, so I lost him. The software didn't work, so I went back online and got a second guy who took me through all the stuff I'd just done with the first guy, and then some more. It seems that when I installed the software for the new printer, it wiped out something I needed for the camera to work. He said "Please, you will not be worried. We will give all new software for you." So... 3 hours later I have new software that will unload my photos, but doesn't work at all like the old software, nor will it do the things the old software would do. I want to print several photos on a page with captions underneath, and IT WON'T LET ME DO THAT ANY MORE! Frustrating. I don't have time for this! Help! Save me from new stuff!

Monday, August 3, 2009

A New Gallery!



Y'know, maybe all that bitching I did last week about the economy was just what I needed to get myself going on a new path. While I was in Raleigh last weekend to celebrate my Dad's 84th birthday, I met up with some new friends for coffee. Dall Wilson is a photographer and video artist that I met when he was in Boone taking photographs. We talked about the art scene in Raleigh, that I had family there but no place to sell my work, that you need to know a couple of somebodys to get your foot in the door... We met at a Turkish coffee house (my first time drinking that, but that's another story...) and he introduced me to Ellen Gamble who is a painter and has been in Raleigh for a long time. Dall did a video of her in her studio.


Ellen took me to the Little Art Gallery in Cameron Village to introduce me to the owner, Ruth Green, not knowing that I've known Ruth since I was a kid. She and my mother were good friends. (That still never helped me get my work into her gallery.) I guess it was Ellen's magical smile that did the trick because Ruth took some of my dichroic glass and seed bead necklaces on consignment. I'm tickled! This feels like a really good fit for me.

THEN... to make a good day even better... when I got back to my sister's house, where I was staying, she and her husband were having a dinner party. Two of their guests bought things right out of my boxes! Thanks Debra and Debbie!!!

Just goes to show you what can happen when you keep a good attitude about things!