...Oh where oh where can it be....????

Well, right in front of my flippin' face for the last ten days!  And, I've just chosen to (slightly) ignore it.  Seriously, I've been meaning to sit down and write about toooooo many things, but life does tend to "get in the way."  My most recent emergency has been having a new septic system installed.  Not fun.  Not pretty, and definitely unappetizing to say the least.  Add to that the fact that we hired a company that is maybe just a step above the slime they clean out, and you can see we had a recipe for unpleasantness.  Let us see if I can condense this to a less-than-ranting-diatribe scenario:
One of our toilets started acting "hinky" (yeah, it's a scientific term...trust me!) and not flushing as it should.  Soooo, we called in the guys who have always worked on our septic system.  They had installed an entirely new drainfield only six years ago, and pumped everything else out.  Guy came; guy told us drainfield was saturated; guy said we needed a new one.  Guy worked up a price based on square footage and age of house; we paid 1/2 down; company made appointment to do work after county took soil samples and permit was issued; company didn't show up until THREE WEEKS afterwards; on the appointed day, company didn't even call and tell us no one would be out...I had to call three times that day; company came a day late (on a Friday, no less); work wasn't finished by the end of day; we skated by on the skin of our teeth for the weekend; company sent someone out on Monday to at least ensure the holding tank was draining into new drainfield; county came on Tuesday to inspect; company called Wednesday morning to say, "Oh, by the way, you owe us $1200 more for extra work we had to do."; Julie told them, "Absolutely not...let me talk to your owner."  Long story short - they never would let me talk to an owner...everyone I DID talk to tried to BS me with minutiae about septic systems, and no one EVER got around to answering my question:  why did you do the extra work when you did NOT have our permission to do so?  In the end, I agreed to an extra $500...simply because they threatened me about not finishing the job and not guaranteeing the work if I didn't pay them something.  To top it all off, one of the supervisors I spoke to called me a "butthead"....jesus, what grade is he in?  Right now, I'm so absolutely disgusted with any service personnel on this earth, I could spit nails.  They KNOW that 99% of us will cave, and they KNOW that 99% of us will pay extra money to just be done with the problem...bastards!  Yes, I would feel much better after having trounced them in court, but the months of PITA leading up to the victory would be a hard row to hoe.
Anyway, now you know why I've kinda stayed away from the computer...too much to do, to much anger to sit down...but now (believe it or not!) I've calmed down quite a bit.  My toilets flush, and water is going where it's supposed to go...away from my house!!!

Hope your weekend has been grand!  
Julie

Ya gotta know the song to appreciate the title...!

Anyway, I want to tell you how I sand my beads.  Why?  Well...I read a lot of blogs and OBTW's and I have offered my suggestions.  Some have taken my suggestions to heart...and the end result was great.  Some people just want to keep trying to invent the wheel or coming up with "the next great thing"...dunno.  When you find something that works, why the hell do you want to keep trying to find some other way to do it...unless it's EVER so much easier and cheaper????
Anyway, I got this from Desiree long, long ago.  Don't know the lady's last name.  Just know I used to read her blog religiously, and this is one of the "tips" she handed out...was the best I ever read.  Google "Desiree" and reap the benefit of her knowledge.  She's truly talented.

Here it is - for about a moderate handful of beads...it's going to depend on how big your beads are.  You're going to have to decide what moderate is, but that's what experimenting is all about!
I have been using the same little "craft"/"hobby" sander for the last four years.  Yes, it's held up that long...and I use it at least three times a week.  I got it at Jo Ann with a 50% off coupon...so you guys can get one for about $25 - $30???  It's more than paid for itself.  Throw everything it comes with in the trash.  All you want is the motor and the drum.

1.  One sheet of 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper
2.  Cut the sheet in half and put the rough sides against each other
3.  Cut the sheets into 1/4 to 1/2 inch strips
4.  Bundle a few (maybe 10 to 12?) of the strips together, and cut those into about 1/4 to 1/2" squares.  Don't get anal on this...just cut - they don't have to be perfect.  However, if you get them too big, they will curl up during sanding process.
5.  Once you've cut everything up, you should have a pile of "squares".  One sheet will handle a decent handful of beads.
6.  Put the beads, the sandpaper, and enough water to fill the drum to about 3/4 full.  Keep in mind that you have to have enough room for the beads and the paper to roll around...so you can't pack the  drum too much...this also comes with experience and experimenting...you'll get it down pat before too long!
7.  Let this tumble for AT LEAST 24 hours...longer if you just don't want to be bothered!!!
Please, please, please pay attention to step #6...I SAID WATER!!!!   That's why you've got wet/dry sandpaper in there!  That's why I said throw away everything that  came with the tumbler!!
8.  After at least 24 hours of tumbling, take the beads, rinse everything off with water.  Save the sandpaper...you can use the same batch for at least three tumbles before you have to cut up another sheet.  I just dump it all out on a paper towel and let it dry.
 If you like the matte finish...leave it.  Otherwise, you can coat with varathane (I SWEAR by Flecto varathane) or tumble buff...same principle, except you use cloth to buff instead of water and sandpaper to sand..  Sound stupid?  Write and ask, and I'll explain.
Wow...I know I've missed something.  But we've got a major storm brewing with lots of lightning.  I never miss a show like that...and my evening glass of wine is calling my name.  Yes, yes, I hear it plain as day!!!
Cheers!

...on this site.  I worte admin about my problem with the half-naked woman, and they answered right back.  Their system randomly selects things to feature, but they've tagged this item (and hopefully all others like it) so it won't show up on the front page.  Very quick and responsible administration, if I may say so.  Class always shows, you know?

who writes a blog to write something other that self-promotion?  Seriously, is this the only reason to blog on Silkfair?  If so, then I need to get with the program and start selling myself!!!  But, I've never been good at that...gues that's why I'm not rich and famous like some others...

I just logged on to the SF front page, and what did I see?  A semi-nude woman sitting in a chair with lacy red lingerie...is that what I'm on this site for?  Is that why I tell people to come to this site?  I don't THINK so...I have absolutely no problem with you selling whatever it is the market wants...I just don't want to see it on the friggin' front page of a site I'm telling everyone to go to.  You want a site you can sell your quasi-smut on?  Fine...I just don't want that site to g*&$ d*$#@ advertise it on the front page.  I'm just sayin'.

Fire Mountain Gems just notified me that they accepted three of my polymer clay items as finalts in their 2009 competition...yipee!!!  Here's hoping one of them will make it to a placed item!

Cheers!

O.K....this has abso-LUTE-ly nothing to do with polymer clay.  However, I just read an email from a friend about this, and it had spurred me to say something.  
My friend (from my polymer clay guild) just wrote and said she may not make the meeting because she had a heart attack.  She said it came on suddendly, and had never had a problem before, and...BOOM...there it was.  She's overweight and her cholesterol is elevated.  How many of us ignore that?  I feel great...I fit my clothes...I sleep well...blah-blah-blah.  How many of us really go to the doctor yearly to check this stuff?
I don't want any of you to die unnecessarily...or stupidly.  check yourselves out...stop eating those GD french fries...or anything fried.  I joined Weight Watchers online a year ago and have lost 40 pounds...feel better...will live longer...and I still get to have my glass of wine in the evening!
I love life, and love being able to live it the way I want...hope you can, too.
Julie

Good god...where have I been?  I've been meaning to sit down for the last few days and just pound something out...amazing how bloggers and facers and all those others think EVERYONE wants to hear what they have to say...boy, do I have news for them...
Anyway, I've been busy reading an absolutely fanastic new book...Ronna Sarvas Weltman's "Ancient Modern."  It really is a terrific book...the photograhy is second to none.  Now, Ms. Weltman does not show any great technical procedures for polymer clay in this book (although I know she knows PC like a pro!).  What she does show is her brilliance with design.  She can take a basic polymer clay technique that a blind beginner could do and turn it into something absolutely mouth-watering!  I suggest anyone who has more than a passing interest in polymer clay (and $24 to spend!) buy the book and devour it.  The photo I attached is what I HAD to do after going through the book...I thought some of her organic beads would be stunning in just black and copper.  I think I was right.  I'm very pleased with it...and anyone can make these beads.  That's another good thing about her book.  She shows a piece of jewelry, then tells you how to make each individual bead.  It's really one of the best PC books I've read.
Have a brilliant weekend!  
Julie

Yes, indeedy...and I can't really put my finger on why it was, but it was...!!
I spent my day straightening out my work room ( I reFUSE to call it a studio!) then making jewelry whilst watching old movies...not at the same time, mind you!  One came before the other.  I am a movie fanatic, and love, love, love the old ones.  Not the silent ones...gotta have some dialogue to enjoy them!
Musicals are my absolute favorite.  I think I can sing every song sung in any musical put to film...drives my husband crazy!
Just finished watching some silly commercial for mascara in which Rhianna was the "celeb" pushing the next greatest mascara on earth...she sure looked beautiful.  However, while watching her lovely face with the ridiiculously "real"... "enhanced" eyelashes, I couldn't help thinking, "Yeah, those eyelashes look real great now, but what happens after your boyfriend beats the snot outta you and you're crying, and the mascara is running all over your face and you wind up in a really ugly police photo?  THEN how much good are the beautiful "come hither" eyelashes gonna do you?"  HOW STUPID CAN SOME WOMEN BE?  And she didn't press charges, and he's "reall sorry", and she'll wind up dead one day.
Been there, done that...got out.
Whew...!  Anyway.  My friend who was selling everything is, indeed, doing so because of the economy and how it's affecting her family.  I ended up buying an awful lot of what she had...helped her and stopped my going to FMG again!  That's what I've been sorting and straightening all day.
Now the rain is pouring again, so I think I'll go sit out on the patio and enjoy it...
Have a super lovely weekend!
Julie

So, here I am at the close of yet another day and I don't feel like I've forged  ahead with any new and wonderful applications of polymer clay.  Actually, I've been having a week-long brain fart...just can't seem to get the will or the creativity to do anything with the clay.  Yeah, I've gone through this before...still makes me feel useless for a while.  I know the desire and flashes of "what if"'s will return...but while I just sit here reading or watching TV, I feel time slipping away.  Boo-hoo...I'll get over it eventually...!!!
A  friend of mine suddenly sent an email out saying she was selling all of her clay, tools, and everything else related to her polymer work.  What!?!?!!  No explanation, nothing.  I don't pry, and I did ask gently why, but I shudder to think that the economy has claimed yet another victim.  Perhaps she will explain...I hope it's nothing too, too serious and she simply wanted to go in another direction.
I realize I don't go on so very much about polymer clay here...however, if there is anything...ANYTHING...anyone ever wants to ask/know about what I've learned over the years, they have but to ask.  I will share anything I've learned with them.
The photo is one of the focals I did...I love making lentils, and I love trying to find new ways to do them...Just adore the green and copper combination....