Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock,....

This time tomorrow we will be on our way to Paris. Weather forecast is for 50 degree days and 40 degree nights....with light rain the entire time we are there. I could care less if it rains. I actually think it will be romantic to walk around in the rain with the lights reflecting off the wet streets...well...at least for the first day. We are both looking forward to disconnecting and decompressing. I understand that there are a number of Christmas markets around the city and lots of lights and decorations. I am hoping to blog.

Stay Tuned.

Something Cool

Check this out....this is an LED light that you wear on your ear like people wear those telephone speakers on their ear. It projects a concentrate beam of light on whatever you are reading or working on. You can find it at Essential Gear and it sells for $12. I think I have to get one.

Nerves, Nerves, Nerves

I find I'm pacing the house. I have too much free time between now and when we leave for Paris. So I am pacing, going from one project to another, a little lost for what to do. I'm fairly laid back on an average day but when things aren't average I have a tendency to be very anxious.

It doesn't help that it's been a busy month...and one filled with unexpected emergency repairs. The sewer backed up so we had it snaked. It's always an argument about who is going to stay home for this so we try to get them out on a weekend. Then the furnace wouldn't work....except for when the repairmen came...and then of course it worked. They treated me like a stupid person...asking me to show them where on the thermostat I was reading the room temperature. I was nice...but I wanted to yell. I can explain how a mass spectrometer breaks apart a compound to its elemental molecules but they didn't think I could tell the difference between the set point and room temperature on the thermostat. One of my pet peeves is when people either don't take me serious or don't believe that I am intelligent because I'm a woman.

After a week of working fine they both decided to act up again. The furnace turned out to be a loose wire and the sewer had to be resnaked because they missed a line. I know I should be used to house repairs and I should understand that they always get fixed. We even had to dig up the front lawn one year to replace a crushed tile...which was my worst fear....but it got fixed...but it doesn't keep me from getting worked up about it.

So my anxiety level is already high. Now I'm worried about the trip. First the cats....I have a friend coming in to take care of them and she is even more particular than I am about taking care of the cats so they should be OK. But I attribute human emotions to the cats. Will they miss us? Will they wonder where we are or if we are coming back? Some people think this is silly....I think Lou is one of them. He just keeps telling me that they will be OK.

Then there is the travel itself. I will calm down when I get to the airport. I always do. At that point everything else melts away and only the trip exists. Although I won't fully relax until we get to Newark...in time to make our flight to Paris. After all this worrying.....we will be back home before we realize we were even gone. It is amazing how fast time passes.

What a nice break...

I spent Saturday doing nothing at all. Well...I shouldn't say nothing. I did a little work around the house but didn't push myself. After about 3 hours...I quit and watched movies for the rest of the day. What a nice break from getting ready or doing a show. I guess working full time gives me the luxury of not having to do shows every weekend. It took me a while to realize that.

Vacation is coming up fast. I have 4 days of work left. That makes me happy and nervous. I have to get the office in shape so I feel comfortable leaving. Leaving the cats is really making me nervous. We've never left them before. I have a friend coming in to take care of them. They will be in good hands...but I'm going to miss them. What am I going to do if I can't shower them with kisses everyday???

I plan on packing very light. We have an apartment with a washer/dryer so there is no reason to take alot of clothes and it's not like I'm worried that someone will see me in the same outfit. As long as it's clean I could care less. I've become very low maintenance. I usually wear a black jeans and a black top. Throw on a jacket and a scarf and I'm all set. Besides...I'm going on vacation to see things....not to be seen.

We have a computer in the apartment...a Mac...I don't know if I can handle using a Mac. I am a PC. If I can figure it out I will do some posting and hopefully upload some pictures. The French keyboard is a little different so it takes a while to type something that is readable.

Next Show...The Last Minute Market

Together with IMadeIt! Market and The Screw Factory Artists...... Cleveland Handmade is once again enabling, and even encouraging, holiday shopping procrastination.

The Last Minute Market will be a wonderfully unique shopping destination with more than 50 regional artists and craftspeople. In addition, artists whose studios are in the building will open their doors to offer a peek at their workspace and an opportunity to purchase their work. Don’t miss this Market!

December 19, 2009
Lake Erie Building at Templar Industrial Park
13000 Athens Ave.
Lakewood, Ohio 44107
10am-6pm

Show Pictures

The show ended up being a very good one for me....even if it was exhausting. Below are a couple of close-ups in the booth. I get quite a few comments on the black beans that I use to lay the bronze in.



When you do these multiple day shows you end up getting to know your neighbors. Tim and Marsha were next to me last year and across from me this year. It was good to see them again. We had fun people watching and throwing black beans across the aisle at each other. Tim is a wonderful woodworker and owns Studio by Ski .



Next door was Roberta who owns The Velvet Hammer. Really amazing work in mild steel. I was drooling over her pieces. Of course it's metal and hammering...something that's near and dear to my heart.




I do another show tommorrow at work with partial proceeds benefiting the United Way. Then I don't have another show until right before Christmas. Once I have more details I will let you know.

What a difference a week makes....

Great day at the show today. Makes up for the bad show last week. Here's a shot of my booth...hasn't changed much since the summer shows...in fact I don't think it has changed at all. Next indoor show I lose the tent top and use curtains for the side walls. Give it a softer look than the wrinkly tent sides.

I have more to blog about but I care barely keep my eyes open. The show goes on through Sunday.

By Hand Show

Took me 4 hours to set up today. I did it all by myself...well almost. I got the top on the tent and when I tried to put the first leg on...I dropped it. Roberta ... my neighbor...came running...grabbed a second leg and help me put the legs on. Very nice of her. She makes fantastic steel metal pieces...wall hangings, vases. I thought it was bronze..it has that coloring. I'll try to get a pic of her stuff. I love it. I might have to buy a piece. Marsha and Tim who were next to me last year are across the aisle so there are some friendly faces to talk to during the slow times.

I'll be there Friday through Sunday...stop by to see me if you are in town.

Big Ben in Paris

See what happens when I have spare time :)

Stick a fork in me....

I'm done. I have a big 3-day show this weekend in Cleveland...By Hand Show...Friday-Sunday. I have over 100 necklaces and 100 pairs of earrings so I think I'm ready. 75% is bronze, the rest fine silver.

I always think I can make more in the few days leading up to a show. I tried last night to work in silver. Everything I did was yuck. So I shut off the lights and curled up on the coach with the cats.

I think I'm just DONE at this point. So I am relaxing tonight and Wednesdsay. I'm off on Thursday so I can set up my booth. It's in the IX Center which has over 1 million square feet of space. They let you drive your car into the building so you can be close to your spot for unloading. COOL.

I'm bought Anne Rice's new book... Angel Time. I think I'm going to read.

Did I tell you I don't like cats.....

That's what Lou keeps telling me....yeah right. Even if it were true...I don't think the cats care. He makes a really good cat bed.

National Geographic and the itchy butt

Now I'm sure you want to know what one has to do with the other. I'll get to that.

I got up this morning and thought it felt a little cold...but I had to get ready for the show so I went about my business. Before I left the house I looked at the thermostat. It was 60 degrees in house and the thermostat was set at 67 degrees. The thermostat/furnace has been acting weird. I turn the heat up and the thermostat will click but the furnace won't come on. This has happened about three times and I've been able to mess with the thermostat and get the furnace to turn on. I tried to get the furnace to turn on before I left...but no luck.

Now this is on top of the laundry sewer line backing up last night. We had it snaked last Saturday and I hadn't used the washer since. I did last night only to find that it is still backing up.

Oh...and did I mention that Lou left for Florida this morning.

So my morning was not going well and I had to leave for the show. I was in a sour mood when I got there and preoccupied with how I was going to get all these things repaired. I sent Lou a not so polite e-mail about how great my morning was going. It's a joke with us that the last time he went to Florida the tree came through the roof. Things seem to go wrong when he goes out of town and I am left trying to fix them.

I decided to take tomorrow off....another PTO day I don't have....so the furnace company can check things out. Good news is that the furnace is still under a 5-year warrenty so I won't have to pay for any parts needed. This let me concentrate on the show.

I had sales last night at the charity preview but only two sales today....OUCH. Really bad show for me this year. I have always done well. I displayed only bronze but I don't thing that was the problem as I did well at the summer shows with it. I had a number of people tell me how great the pieces were...but very little buying. A number of vendors were having the same problem.

So you tend to sit around and stare at each other and people watch. You also hear everything your neighbors say. Now everyone has a story to give about their product...but one vendor...a wildlife photographer...had a voice that carried. But mid-day....we all knew his story. "These are all actual photographs and I'm the culprit.... I hunt with a camera and leave behind footprints.....National Geographic quality on a local level"....and more. He's 80 years old and quite a character...lots of stories. But when you hear the same line over and over and over...you want to bang your head against the wall. So that's National Geographic

Now to Itcy Butt. When you aren't busy selling...you're people watching. Merry got an eye-full when a customer walking by lifted up the back of her shirt and put both hands down the back of her pants and proceeding to scratch her butt. I'm sorry I missed that. Really... that would have been the laugh of the day...and you know I can laugh LOUD.

So thankfully that show is over. One down and two to go. I will be very glad when they are all over. Shows are just exhausting. When you make money at least there is a reward. When you don't....you wonder why you should continue to do them.

Good news...when I got home the furnace was on. So at least I will have heat tonight. Tomorrow I will still have the furnace checked out. Something is wrong and hopefully they can figure it out tomorrow.

Mrs. Claus' Closet Today and Tomorrow.

This show was my first. I have been doing it for 5 years now...I think. Judy gave me a break back then and invited me to do the show. I have been doing shows ever since. So I crawled out of bed this morning to set up the booth. Since this show is only 10 minutes away I came back home for some lunch. Today is the Sneak Peek...the tickets are more expensive but it is for charity. It runs from 4-9pm today. Tomorrw we are open to the public from 10am-9pm...long day. Donna is once again my neighbor and we always have good time :)) They serve wine and cheese tonight...we aren't suppose to partake as vendors but we sneak a glass...or two.

This is the first of three shows in three weeks.

Show this week

Tuesday and Wednesday I will be at Mrs. Claus' Closet in Westlake. I've been making earrings and pendants all weekend long. Below are a couple pics.


It will be a busy week....I'm already looking forward to next weekend.