Happy Accidents, The Tedium of Transferring Listings, Etsy Rumours and Soft Fruit. . .

Ridged beads - click the pic for the link to my new shop

Not a lot going on here over the last week or two. Well, not a lot that is worth sharing anyway ;-)
I have had a some time in the workshop, and managed to knock out a few rather fetching beads, but I haven't had time to get stuck in, so to speak.

Makes for an exciting blog post doesn't it?

Some random(ish) ridged, long bicone beads, click the pic for the link etc

Anyway, a lot of time has been spent transferring my Etsy listings to my new Indiemade shop. Still got about 150 listings to edit. It does get very boring, but needs to be done.

As far as shop stuff goes, which is taking up my headspace rather too much these days, Etsy is still causing headaches for a great many sellers, if the forums are anything to go by. Yes, the level of griping there has always been high, but this is something over and above that. Rumour is that the powers that be are prepping it for a sale/takeover. We shall see. I will keep a small presence there until things become clearer but will be working on my new venue primarily.
To that end I even bought the jbdrusticorganic.com domain and will transfer the URL over, once I work out how that is done.

Earring beads, in a 'pot' style. In my new shop now - click the pic. . .

I keep telling myself that I am going to move on to something else from my 'turned' effect 'pot' and 'candlestick' beads, as I don't like to keep on the same track for very long generally. I guess I don't want things to get stale. But despite my intentions, once I get in the workshop it's pots and candlesticks all the way ;-) .
I know enough not to try to fight my intuition and instinct, so I just go with it. There is always more to discover about a technique. And usually, it's a small, unlooked for distraction that wouldn't otherwise have happened, that leads to a new idea and the next obsession. . . I'm a believer in 'happy accidents' after all. The trick is to notice a potential good thing when you stumble across it. You can't go hunting for inspiration, you have to supply the circumstances for it to happen naturally. . .

Candlestick beads - in my shop now. . . clickety click. . .

In the garden, the raspberries and loganberries are ripe. I have been freezing some of them, as we can't eat them all and I hate wasting such things. Broad bean pods are appearing too. I will pick them young as they are much more palatable then, than the big floury things I remember from my youth. Courgettes are happening too. (cool yellow ones!) I only have one plant this year so the backlog in the fridge, and the despair at the pile of marrow sized ones I didn't pick in time should be much reduced. I hope ;-)
The rain and hot weather seems to have conspired to firstly, shrivel, and then rot the strawberries, which is a shame. . . Well, can't be helped.

A long focal bead, rustic ridged etc - the pic is a link

The best news of the last few days is that our neighbour, who helps out the local cat rescue charity says there are some kittens becoming available in the next few days. . . Two little silver tabbies amongst them. I think I am going to be tempted ;-) Obviously photos will be shared if and when this cat acquisition happens. . . It's been a long time since I had a cat around the place.
Yay! KITTENS!
Jon x