This morning we drove to The Firs to join Elizabeth and Chris for the studio opening day. Someone forgot to replace the electric blue fluorescent light, which added somewhat to the atmosphere. 
Although the rain fell outside, we were not exactly inundated with visitors. Nevertheless there was a steady trickle and several sales were made, enabling Elizabeth to demonstrate her accounting skills. She has sold three of her handmade books. 
My tally is one mounted print that now bears a red sticker and nine of my cards, only two of which were bought by my sister.
In my post of 16th January, entitled ‘Gold Hill’ (click here), I tell the story of the taking of the frozen brambles photograph. This clearly demonstrates that the only parts in the production of the two card sales featuring this image that was not played by Jackie were the pressing of the shutter release and the printing of the picture.
Several of the visitors were friends or other artists, so the day was full of congenial conversation, and the inevitable light banter. In particular Jutta Manser and Margery and Paul Clarke stayed some time and partook of Danni’s excellent lemon drizzle cake. Paul also had a sandwich. By coincidence Jutta is a neighbour of Cuff Billett who appears in some of my photographs.
It was exciting seeking out Elizabeth’s mislaid sold stickers and having various attempts at manufacturing alternatives that involved a thin-tipped felt pen. 
Eventually Lynne went home and came back with gummed red paper that could be used with a hole punch to make diminutive red dots. This meant that sold items had to be inserted into plastic wallets to which the stickers were attached, in order not to damage the product. It also meant that one of Elizabeth’s work surfaces became covered in hole punch confetti. Thus we whiled away the slacker periods.
Back home this evening we dined on Jackie’s dish of minced meat and red kidney beans flavoured with tomatoes, onions, chillis and garlic, served with wild rice and green Kenya beans. She drank Hoegaarden and I drank La Patrie Cahors 2011.
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