Less is more? Nah - more is more is always better...

Yesterday my friend Kathryn who occasionally gets fed up and rearranges my table for me at the Woodstock Farmer's Market complimented me on how nice my display was looking. Yay. I'm so clueless about how to arrange things and she's so good at it -- but I have discovered by taking photos it can help give a better idea of how it looks. Still needs a lot of tweaking. I'm sure I can cram more jewellery on the table if I concentrate hard enough.

In the next few weeks I will be bringing in a lot more pendants and components to sell to jewellery do-it-yourself-ers and (I hope) carry a wider range of interesting and cool stuff.

I have no idea how I'll display all the new things. I've put in for two tables once the market spreads out through two rooms later in the fall when the produce and flower vendors move back inside. In any event, I will be losing my primo spot between Chocolate Guy and the coffee pot that I've had for the past three years.

For now, this is what my display looks like. I especially want to thank Chris McGyver for building all my great display boxes and risers, as well as the anonymous donor to Value Village for the great bamboo display box. What a score that was! Then there are all my suppliers who've contributed to my explosion-in-a-bead-factory style. Since you can never have enough beads... I'll be baaaaack.

Meanwhile yesterday afternoon, back at the ranch (aka dead car lot) where I live I picked more berries and made another four jars of jam. Here it is noon and I haven't even stuck my nose out to see how many more berries are ripe. I think I'll get at least 8 more jars before they're all gone. I'm waiting now for the first Niagara peaches and the pitted sour cherries from Elberta's to come in. Those first peaches and the sour cherries make the BEST freezer jam ever. I can't decide which is my favourite.  All I know is, it tastes like summer in a jar all through the winter. That jam on Ace Bakery baguette toast and my Italian Lavazza Cream e Gusto make it worth getting up in the morning at 20 or 30 below. Oh, and Max wanting to go out. That, too. Hi, Max.

Crikies, have to do the typing that makes all the above possible. Deadline 9 pm tonight and another one tomorrow at 9 am. Happy Sunday, all.

Internet-less start to Sunday...

I sold the turquoise, coral and sterling feather earrings and the Bwahahahah pendant yesterday! Wheeeeeeeee. And got a couple of orders. For some reason, people are very into garnet right now. Is it the current birthstone? I suppose I should be up on this stuff and each month feature jewellery made with the appropriate birthstone on my table. More things to add to my list of things to do.

I discovered the Internet was down this morning when I got up at 6:00 a.m. A storm had come through last night, the rain woke me up, but it was a lightning strike that took out the silo at the next intersection on the highway -- yes! Our Internet towers are located on farm silos. Cool, eh? -- but this company does know the meaning of customer service. They keep their progress reports up to the minute/hour thereby keeping panic at bay. Dontcha just love being a junkie?

By 6:30 I started making 3 jars of black raspberry freezer jam picked from the bushes next to my front door. Then I pitted and started squashing sour cherries. Finally got smart and dug out my ancient blender. 10 seconds later... I had 7 jars of sour cherry freezer jam. Put a couple more coats of silver on a batch of sage leaves and started a new leaf. The stupid rabbit ate my sage plant a couple of weeks ago and I had to buy a new plant. I watch the leaves carefully until they get to a good size and shapeliness. Read some of my book... and finally the Internet was up again.

Another day, another turquoise bracelet

I ask myself all the time, why oh why are you doing this? Nobody buys them.

I finished my typing this morning and decided to go see if anything had sold at the Brantford Arts Block -- or, more accurately, might there be a cheque waiting for me from the winter. Nope. Prior to that, as they don't open until noon, I went to the Brantford Farmer's Market, which is open Fridays and Saturdays. I recently heard they'd renovated the building -- I walked in and barely recognised the place. What an improvement! I talked to one of the vendors who told me they now have air conditioning in the summer AND heat in the winter. Whoa! What a concept!

Bought a lot of stuff I shouldn't have. I'll get the green stuff in Woodstock tomorrow.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, instead of working on the silver leaves and flowers which I am waaaaay behind on, I put together another turquoise bracelet. I'm wearing it now, and it is surprisingly comfortable, despite the feather dangle. I figured I'd put the feather near the clasp as it seems that with most bracelets, the clasp works its way around to the front, anyway.

Hubei turquoise, antique brass & base metal beads, base metal feather & 
hammered argentium sterling clasp

Now to load up the truck for tomorrow, and get a few more things put together. I made 8 jars of strawberry freezer jam this week, and I should think about getting more strawberries for a few more jars. Just in case I run out over the winter.