See I just can't help it. I'm rubbish at this blog lark, one of you is going to have to poke me with a sharp pointy thing every now and then to remind me to get on with it.

So what have I been doing, well I've been making lots of beads, lots of disc beads to be exact, and Mexican beans, well I think they look like mexican beans, they certainly look mexican though thats not saying that all or indeed any Mexicans are orange of course. Its just a very summery set and if I ever got to go to Mexico which is very doubtful in todays financial climate, I'd wear it there. It reminds me of spicy kidney beans but flatter and in different colours, I'm just not selling it to you am I. How about the pink one. I love this, I have one in blue too. Its called Flamingo Fandango a fetching name for it I thought, thought up by a beady friend Tan, its blue brother is called Blue Lagoon. Ok so I'm rubbish at names too.

So why is it so hard to think up names for pieces. Do they need names, would a descriptive title suffice and indeed be better picked up by the search engine things. Is someone looking for a Tex Mex recipe going to be presented with a photo of my spicy Mexican beads instead of a photo of a bowl of steaming chilli. Is some poor school kid hunting for info on the habitat of the pink flamingo going to be landed with a photo Flamingo Fandango. Is it a nice suprise or a sad let down when someone finds my Citrus Swinger instead of what they were really looking for. What were they actually looking for anyway. Which reminds me of the time when the kids were toddlers and I put an ad in the local newsagents window advertising an ironing service to earn a bit of pin money and I got a phone call from some chap asking if I did spanking too. What was that all about, and would it have earned me more than ironing his shirts.

With that thought in mind, what about these names then, do we go for floaty arty names, girly names, modernistic names that baffle or just a descriptive name. Answers on a postcard please to the usual address.

See you in, well probably a month. xxx

To Clean or Create

What would you do, clean the studio or make beads in the studio. It does need it, theres a cat and her two kittens lodging there. Yesterday she scattered a box of Swarvoski crystals across my desk and probably the floor too while she was making her way through the window. I'm sitting here imagining clear spaces and tidyness and everything in order. Lovely straight rows of frit, orderly pots of tools, straight lines of glass, neat boxes of beads, and lots of clean worktop.

Ok studio it is then. If I'm quick Imight get somne time for melting glass too.

Ok so I've neglected you.

What can I say, I'm a busy girl, but theres no excuse, I'm just not good at blogs, or remembering to update them. So here I am updating my blog.

Where to start, so much has happened since my last post. One of the most momentous is the fact that I have 2 local shops stocking my jewellery now, something I'm very proud of, I'm visiting another one in Colchester later this week so will update you on this one.

I've been very busy in the shed, since having my own kiln things are quicker and much easier, no sending beads of to lovely willing friends with kilns and its so much nicer running down to the studio in the morning and opening a kiln full of lovlies rather waiting for the postman to appear. Its also lovely making beads for a set and being able to make that set up the next day whilst you still have the design and inspiration in your head rather than having to find it again after a couple of weeks.

In April I attended the Flame Off, a meet of glassy people with fabulous demo's by brilliant glass artists, lots of equipment to try out, lots of glassy goodies and supplies to buy and best of all loads of old and new freinds to meet with and more inspiration than you can poke a stick at. A wonderful weekend, leaving me far richer in mind and spirit and far poorer in pocket and bank balance, whoops!

The other thing that happened this month is gaining my SRA membership. This is an organisation set up to promote Self Representing Artists. To obtain this, all the glass work you sell must be made by yourself and I'm proud to say that mine is all made by me. This feels like a great achievment for me and I join the ranks of glassy friends who are also members.

My new website is almost finished. I think its more me holding it up at the moment, I need to take photo's and make more stock but all will be revealed soon, its been a long time coming but I think it will be worth the wait when its launched, its a fab website made by my lovely web designer Alison at www.daffodil-design.co.uk without whom none of this would be possible.

On a personal note, we have 2 less chickens since Mr Fox paid us a visit but have gained 2 more kittens, Daisy produced them 3 weeks ago and they're both doing well and will be going off to new homes in about 4 weeks. The PS is off to Scotland on a pilgrimage of the Holy Isles today, and I have the remote control for the telly.

Good grief, how did we get from August to February. Well an update. Dave x6 is now Dave x3 but soon to become Dave x10 when the new hen house arrives next week. It's an all singing all dancing hen house a sort of penthouse with built in run, they wont know where they are. We're also minus a rabbit since she took herself off one day and didn't come back but are plus 3 pigwigs who are at present living in MY SHED. They are noisy and I can hear them squeeling above the torch. Yes I have done some torching lately, despite the cleaning out of pig wigs and chickens and feeding cats and dogs.

I've almost finished my new collection, I need to hurry as I'm supposed to be launching it next week in conjunction with a visit to a lovely friend in the Welsh Valleys, Daffodil is her name. I've got my kiln now I'm saving for a big girls torch so I can make bigger and bigger beads. I even cleared out the shed to day and I've sorted loads of craft stuff out to stick on ebay to help with funds. I've crossed a bridge with the jewellery, its all mine now, no brought in beads and mostly on sterling silver too. All my own work, I'm very proud of that.

Well this is a boring old entry, nothing much to tell really, suprising since its been 6 months since the last one. I'm also 43 now, I'm at the top of the hill and I'm going to have one hell of a slide on the way down, whooping all the way.

Dave X 6

Where was I, oh yes, 2 cats, 4 chickens, 1 dog and 1 rabbit. Make that 5 cats, 6 chickens, 1 dog and 1 rabbit. 5 cats because one of the cats has produced 3 more, OK, yes they're cute, but now we have 6 altogether, well it will be 3, 2 are going to live with my brother, last I heard they were naming one 'The Vicar' I expect it will bring a smile when visitors are asked not to sit on 'the vicar'. So for the time being, 3 balls of fluff are exercising their claws on my feet and ankles and the two new sofas in the living room.

And 6 chickens I hear you saying, what happened to Dave, Trevor, Pablo and Tango, well they became Dave, x6 Dave because I figured it was easier to call Dave in at bed time than Dave, Trevor, Pablo, Tango etc, and etc. So Dave it is. Its taken a long time to get eggs, but eggs we have, in various shades of brown to cream, with the odd smear of mud I hope, it took them so long to get the hang of it that I started to threaten them with pastry overcoats but they're laying now, nice and steady, sometimes Dave even manages to lay one in the nesting box.

During the wait for chickens to lay, I've been whiling away my days working. Yes, you remember, that job I applied for eons ago, well I've started. I've never worked in a more boring job. The most interesting thing about it is trying to invent new ways of looking busy when 1 of the 3 sisters in charge appears and looks down her nose at the thing who dares enter her line of vision. Yes, we are at the far end, almost the 'on the soul of Sisters boot' end of the pecking order. If we had perches in the staff room, ours would be about 3 foot below the surface, if we were allowed in the staff room, well we're allowed in it, just not allowed to sit in it cause we only work for 5 hours not 6 so we don't get a break, its the law you know.

Things can only look up they say, so hopefully by my next post here I'll have been promoted to paediatric consultant for the unit and sister will be on the bottom of my left croc.

Dave, Trevor, Pablo and Tango.

Someone slap me, quick. Why am I getting chickens, isn't 1 dog, 2 cats, and 1 rabbit enough to be going on with, what do I need with chickens. Well eggs I suppose, and good manure, and, pets for the children. And more work, and running up the garden in the pouring rain and snow and cold to feed and water and collect eggs and clean out, ok wheres that slap, give it to me now before it's too late.

I've built almost 2 runs this week. I'm trying to do this on the cheap, 'cheap' get it. I know I've got some wood in the garage, someone gave it to me for a bonfire and it was new wood, much to good for a bonfire so I saved it, was going to build a one of those hexaganol things you sit under to take tea. Anyway I found 2 pieces, retrieved the other two piece I'd nailed together to make a clothes prop and an old picnic table the kids had when they were small er. got half way through and decided that the wood was too rotten and wasn't going to last a sparrow landing on it let alone a chicken being chased by a dog.

Off to B&Q for some more and find a bundle of 8 sticks 6 foot long. That'll do, it'll have to do at that price. Have you seen the price of chicken wire, I need £30 worth for this chicken run, when did chicken wire get so expensive, ever since I decided to keep chickens I bet. Anyway, back home and we set about building the run again, I think it will be ok this time, we've run out of screws, so another trip back to B&Q.

I've ordered the chickens, 4 brown ones who I'm assured love children and like company, shame cause Dave, Trevor, Pablo and Tango, (don't ask) will be down the bottom of the garden on their own. They're coming home on Monday. I have till Monday to change me mind, see sense and get lynched by the kids if I change my mind. So Monday it is. Omlette anyone.

43 Seconds of Fame

Well thats it, I've done it, does that mean I'm famous, does it mean that I can put as heard on LBC. I hadn't intended it to be an advertising excersise, not really, I just thought people might be interested in what I do in my shed so I told them, on LBC radio yesterday. The subject, 'Can a shed keep your marriage happy', or something like that. Well mine keeps me happy and if I'm happy, well you know the rest.....

So anyway, there I am sitting at my desk, wiring beads onto a charm bracelet when my hand lifts the phone. I know the number, its written on the shed wall, Abbie phoned up once to cry at one of the producers for slamming cat lovers. She didn't get as far as the presenter, I think the girl answering the phone probably thought it was more than her jobs worth. So I ring up and this girl answers, and said she'd ring me back.

She wont ring me back, she never does, I mean she didn't last time when Abbie rang in tears about the cat hater presenter. Its half past three. The kids will be home soon, if she's going to ring she needs to ring now or I'll be speaking to her and the door bell will ring and the dog will start raving, she'll say she can't hear me and I'll get passed over. Open the door, thats it, then they wont have to ring the doorbell and the dog will only bark his hello a little bit. I can be upstairs, shut myself in the bedroom, then it will only be a muffled bark.

I need to go down to the shed, when the kids get in we've got to go to the post office and I need to pack some stuff up to post off. If I go down the shed, I can't answer the phone down there cause the reception isn't good and I'll get cut off. I'll run down there holding the phone then if it rings I can run back and answer it where the reception is good. I do that, grab padded envelopes and run back. Oh gawd, if she rings now I'll not be able to talk to her, she'll think I'm having an asthmatic attack and call me an ambulance and how will I explain it to them. Deep breaths and a glass of water, thats it, OOh got my breath back now. Better not drink too much don't want to be sitting on the loo chatting to her. Can people actually tell you're sitting on the loo when you're on the phone talking to them, must test that out one day. 'Hello, its me, yes me, where do you think I am, yes dear, yes, I'm in the toilet, can you tell'

The phone rings, 'Hello, yes I'll hold, yes I'll turn the radio off, yes thank you' Ages, sitting there, while Bert in South Ham is telling her about his potting shed, he's had it for 47 years, the year after they married, when the first baby came along. Did they have any more? yes they had 14 more. He didn't stay in his potting shed all the time then ha ha. The travel news, then it's me. A short introduction and there I am, I'm on. Jeni Barnett is lovely, she asked lovely questions and made me feel like I was chatting to a friend, she asked me how you make beads, I giggle, did I giggle too much, and then she asked me, whats the name of my business, YES!!! I give her the address as clearly as I can, www.perfectlygorgeous.com and then she launches into raptures of joy as she looks at the site and tells London how lovely it is and what beautiful beads. In fact she thinks its so lovely she's putting it on the LBC website, Fabulous. Did I say thank you, too many times. I can't tell you what I said or what she said exactly, cause I can't exactly remember.

And there it is, the link on the 'Blast I missed it' page on LBC Radio. So does that mean I can put as featured on LBC Radio on the site then. ha ha. I'll send Jeni a piece then you never know I might get another mention. lol.