Paperwork

This weekend I tackled a huge pile of paperwork.  I filed sales tax for 3 states and 3 local business privilege taxes, plus sorted and filed a lot of papers.  At some point I will have to start on federal, state and local income taxes, but that can wait for another day.  I usually don't mind the paperwork too much, unless it takes too much time.  Then I resent it; being in my studio is a much better use of my time!

I still need to hem 2 new pairs of jeans so I can wear them.  I can seldom buy any pants that don't need hemmed, and even ones for short people usually need a little hemming.  If I can get them done tomorrow, then on Monday I can start working in my studio with a clear conscience.  I need to melt some glass!

New Year!

It is a brand new year, and I have a brand new purse.  It took several trips to several stores but I finally found one I think will work.  Red wouldn't have been my first choice, but I really liked everything else about it, so I decided I liked the red after all.  Choosing a new purse is a big commitment, and leads to many possibilities for the new year.  There are lots of pockets, inside and out, zippered or not.  Who knows what will end up in them by the end of the year.

Creche

Years ago, more than I care to remember, some special friends (Phil and Gail Sellers at riverhillpottery.com) made this creche and gave it to me.  We lived in northeast Ohio then, and now we both live in other states.  They are still potters, although I don't think they make  these anymore.  Every year when I set it up, it reminds me of a different place and time, a very happy time.

My Santas

My Santas are finally out!  This collection grew on its own, with no planning by me.  They were all made by friends so they are very precious to me, although I do see 2 M&M's in there, two vintage santas, and one lonely angel.  This is not all of them- there are more scattered around the house.  I love decorating for Christmas!  Every year I say I am going to eliminate some decorations, but I can't seem to actually do it.

shower doors

The things I have learned to do over the years.  Two weeks ago my husband managed to pull one of our shower doors off its rollers, and it was so corroded that it couldn't be fixed.  So I have spent the last week shopping for new doors, cleaning and re-caulking the tile, getting the frame for the old doors off and cleaning that tile, and finally, installing the new doors.  Tonight I finished the job, and our shower is usable again.  I am pretty good at caulking!

Years ago when we lived in Ohio, we bought an old house and I spent the next 7 years learning to strip woodwork, smooth rough plaster walls, tile, fix window screens, repair windows, paint, more paint, etc, etc, etc.  I loved it all, and even thought about fixing old houses as a business.  This was all before glass took over my life.

I think creative people are pretty good at just about anything they do. 

Christmas is coming!

My last show is done for the year, we arrived home from our Thanksgiving weekend, and I have a list a mile long of things that must be done NOW!  I skipped it all today and set up the tree. I have added a new ornament every year for a long time, and have tried to stop it before they pull the tree down, but I couldn't resist this little fairy!  She was made by Connie Brooks, a fellow member of the Reading-Berks Guild of Craftsmen.  All ornaments on the tree are handmade, and it is like a trip down memory lane, since most of them were made by friends.  Some friends are from long ago, and some have passed away, which makes them all the more special.

Reading-Berks Guild show set up

Yesterday I set up for the Reading-Berks Guild of Craftsmen Holiday Show at Kutztown University.  It always amazes me to see a facility before anything is set up, and then after when everything looks so good.  This is all my stuff- I had just loaded it in from my car and was taking a break before I started setting up.  There are not very many other craftsmen there yet.

About 4 hours later, this is my booth with dust covers and ready to go on Saturday morning.  You can see more craftsmen have been working on their booths.  I should have taken a photo without the dust covers, but I didn't think of it at the time.  You can see my purple table coverings peeking out.  Tomorrow I will be packing it all down after the show is over at 5, probably the hardest part of this job.  I had good sales, saw a lot of friends, and even managed to do a little gift shopping!