Summer weekends

Came across this picture the other day and it was the perfect reminder of how summer weekends have changed for me. From that...


To this...


A big sigh can now be heard... Thankfully I love what I do!

One person studio

I'm currently a one person studio, doing everything myself. Actually, that doesn't count all that Dick does for me but I mean I don't have any paid help right now. I'm not handling it as well as I would have hoped.

It's been about 2 years since I've had anyone working in the studio (the dirty part) with me and that's been just fine. I've found I like being alone when I'm creating. Plus it's easier not having to make sure that I have jobs ready for someone to help with. I think my work has improved even though there isn't as much of it since no one is getting things ready for me to make things. The other down side is that I can't turn around and say, what do you think of this?

The hardest part right now is to not have Julia. She was with me one day a week for many years and kept me on track beautifully. I knew that every Tuesday, lots would get done. Not in the making of jewelry but in the "clean side" of the studio or in the office. Errands would be run, mailings would go out, orders would be shipped, mailing list updates would happen and everything would get picked up, vacuumed and put back in order. And I had another week until I had made it into total chaos once again.

This over 70 year old woman has the energy of someone much younger than me and a wonderfully old fashioned work ethic. Something not found much today. She was always busy, could always find something that needed doing. Probably not hard since she was always picking up after me.

Every time I see her I tell her how much I miss her but this last time I told her how horrified she would be to see what I haven't kept up with. I NEED JULIA!!! Hopefully I can have her for at least an occasional day soon. Before I'm so behind that I never get caught back up!

The picture is Julia and her daughter Jean, helping me at the Garage Sale Art Fair.

Hot in Mississippi

I'm sitting in my hotel room in Mississippi on Sunday afternoon when I'm supposed to be in my booth at the wonderful Renaissance Art Fair in Ridgeland. It's too hot for me... According to the weather, it's currently 96.4 in Ridgeland and very humid. My booth is in the middle of a sunny parking lot on black asphalt. It's too hot for me. My booth is there, all nicely opened up but if you get up close, you discover there is no jewelry in the cases.

This is a hard decision made very easy by the weather conditions and my wanting to not jeopardize my health. I got to my booth this morning feeling shaky and wobbly and it was only 10 in the morning. I started putting out my jewelry and realized I just couldn't do it. Fat slightly old women from Michigan shouldn't be in the Mississippi heat and humidity! The heat even took out my shoes! They fell apart on me when I was walking. Thought I might end up doing the show barefoot!

Lovely, lovely show where they do everything right. If they could only turn down the temperature!

Rediscovery at Birmingham

I rediscovered something wonderful this past weekend. The absolute joy of having someone walk up to your booth wearing something you made! Plus seeing all those wonderfully familiar faces of long time customers who have collections, both large and small, of my work. I've been doing all kinds of new shows lately, in areas I've never been in before so this was such a welcome change. It was a little scary though when one person said she's had the earrings she was wearing for 30 years!

The other wonderful thing that happened this weekend was that I had help in my booth from my long-time friend, Nancy Martin. Since she has an extremely busy "real life", she hasn't been at many shows in the last few years other than Ann Arbor so this was a real treat for me.

Lots of great things about the new Birmingham art fair, now renamed Art Birmingham. Having the show on the street really opened it up and made it so much easier for artists and customers alike. It was easy to get around, there was plenty of parking and lot's of good coffee! Plus with the Guild now running it, it was well organized and easy to do. Just a weekend with a lot of warm fuzzies!

On the way to Artisphere

Although I've really been excited about going to Artisphere, the morning I was leaving, I didn't want to go. Not sure why that was but I would have happily stayed home. I left although it was a little later than I had planned. And I took my Lilies of the Valley with me.

The day before Dick brought me a little bouquet that he picked because he knows I love Lilies of the Valley. So they rode in my cup holder, next to my coffee. They went into the restaurants with me since it was too hot to leave them in the car. The waitresses all had to smell them and hear the story of why I had them with me. They perfumed my hotel room last night and they are doing the same tonight.

This is just proof again that it's the little things that mean the most. I didn't want to leave. I hurt from my shingles. But Dick gave me a little bit of home and love to take with me. It makes everything okay...