real life

Five of my nineteen parcels for EGDB have cleared China's customs. One's in Sydney, which means it could be here any day now. And, interestingly, it's the one I was stressing the most over.

I have discovered that "left the warehouse" is code for "we're not actually tracking it yet" - which is annoying me a little. With luck and fortune,I should have most, if not all, of my gear here by June at the latest. Then I can work out designs with what I have to hand [hopefully I have more to hand than what I currently have. Sooner or later, I will find a beads and bits supplier who doesn't cost the earth and is willing to sell in bulk]

I should calm down about it all and trust in providence. I already have a friend who has sent me some beads by post. That's going to be interesting when it arrives. If I keep looking around and looking into places that I'm less likely to go... I might find something interesting.

That's how I used to do it, back in the day. Just go from shop to shop and get whatever floated my boat at the time. Of course, it was easier then. There wasn't the massive proliferation of the five-minute project kit that's rattling around the traps right now.

Like I'm going to spend $2.50 on five grams of beads or worse, buy an entire book that shows the barely literate how to make their very own FASHION NECKLACE [ooo. wow.] because it also contains a small handful of beads, a shitty clasp, and enough pre-cut fishing line to cause emotional problems in the kid you got it for.

Heaven help the poor sod who wants to do anything more than a five minute project. Or who wants to do something complicated yet lovely. Because it's a hard and expensive jump from five-minute amateurishness to even trying to do that sort of thing professionally.

It's like arts and crafts is solely the realm of small children. If you want to be a grownup, you have to put aside creation because it is very obviously silly and childish. Look, they say, we put our art and craft supplies RIGHT NEXT to the TOY SECTION. Should that not be enough of a hint?

And if you go to a speciality shop, be prepared to get socked in the wallet because they all have a $150% mark-up of everything.

It's very hard to hang on to your hopes and dreams when it seems like the entire world is calling you a childish idiot for even trying. I keep hearing, "nobody wants what you want to do. They'd rather get the junk they sell for $20 a pop at K-mart" and in my case, "jewellery's too frivolous for everyone these days. It's diamonds and gold or get lost."

But I'm going to keep on going. Because fuck them, that's why.