My Little Corner Of

This is more or less (less, actually; there's more, much more on my work surface) what it looks like when I'm preparing for a show.

On the lower left is a box of instructions for kits I will have for sale, plus cover sheets. The picture on the front page is obscured by my hand-written scrawl listing the box contents.

To its right is my enrollment list, sent to me yesterday, and I guess it's as up-to-date as it's going to be. Each name has annotations saying whether or not they've paid for class supplies (the majority have), and whether or not they've expressed colour preferences (most have). A few people don't have email addresses, so I haven't been in touch at all.

Top right is a box of baggies. I've just run out of 1x1" baggies, which are surprisingly useful, and can be fiendishly difficult to open because they're so small, so I suppose it's all for the best, though I like them. There's something pleasing about appropriately-sized containers. I still have tons (well, many hundreds) of 1.5x1.5", 2x2", 3x3" (which I should stop buying as I don't use all that many) and 4x4" baggies.

In the back left corner (in front of the bookshelf of children's books too precious to discard) are the actual kits, beads in tiny baggies inside 4x4" baggies with needle, thread, and findings, in larger baggies (one per design) with hand-written notes describing the colour composition of the contents. So it might say "Fireworks, 3 green/bown, 3 gold/blue", or "Pearl Ruffle, 14 with names, 4 extras (one of each colour)". The baggies are split between two boxes, one for classes I'm teaching, and one for kits I'll have available for sale. The teaching materials all go into my carry-on in case of a luggage destination malfunction so that I can teach no matter what, while everything else goes into the suitcase.

Even split up like that, both are really weighty.

I love my carry-on wheelie, because it's big enough for a box of instructions, a small box crammed full with kit supplies, and my knitting and a book and my laptop. And also because it has four wheels, so you can push it without having to tilt it. The only time I really feel the weight is on the plane when it's going into or out of the overhead.

I think I need to work on looking more frail or useless or something, so that I can get some help with the overhead bin insertion and removal. Apparently I never look as though I'm struggling and appear perfectly capable of lifting one thousand pounds of glass and paper into the overhead bins. In truth, I suppose I am (it's not as though I've ever tried to lift it and failed by dropping it on the head of the person sitting beneath. That would be bad. I imagine it could break a neck), but it's quite an effort (as in at the limits of my strength), and I have a bad back.

This is Fireworks, gold/blue (sample).

It's not in the class supplies box.