Bonnie L. Blandford

Want change? You CAN do something!

2012-02-10T14:24:00.004-05:00

Last night I was a juror for the East Lansing Art Festival. Many of you may be surprised to hear that based on how vocal I was about their $40 jury fee. As I said, I would not apply myself with that high of a jury fee. So what’s the best way to effect change? Get involved. Don’t just complain about something when it’s within your power to try to do something.

After we finished jurying, I talked to both the Director and a Board member about the high jury fee. The Board member was surprised to hear that it was considered high. I think they were both surprised to hear that people might not apply due to what I was calling the unreasonable cost of the jury fee.

The result? They talked about lowering it to $25 next year! How artist friendly is that! As they said last night, they have two purposes as a non-profit organization. To bring a great event to the community and to serve their artists. That was GREAT to hear.

One of the other things they had to do this year due to money issues was to raise the booth fee $50 to $300. It was a hard decision and something they didn’t want to do (but I asked and the booth fee hadn’t changed for 4 years). One thing that money gets them is the ability to offer all day Friday set-up for their artists. Yes, another artist friendly thing that they’re doing. And it was a really hard thing for them to do according to the Director but they had to.

If they lower their jury fee next year, I’ll be the first one out there pointing out that they listen to the artists. I can’t wait!

Lagniappe

2011-11-28T21:48:00.004-05:00

When we checked into our hotel in Slidell Louisana, we were given a small bag that contained a bottle of water and some snacks. It had this card attached.
I was so tickled with the whole idea that it's something I'd like to incorporate into my own business. Not sure how yet...

Organization

2011-11-27T11:52:00.007-05:00

I love organization. There it is, I said it. Nothing pleases me more than to be organized. To have a system in place that works. Websites that have organizing tips and tricks and even better - forms to help, they make my heart beat faster. The organizing stores? Prepare to lose me in plastic organizer heaven. I'll buy anything to make me more organized.

This is my idea of booth heaven. Marc and Wendy Zoschke have a new booth that Marc designed and built. Look at all those labeled bins!!! Absolute heaven! The front side is beautiful and shows there work off wonderfully but give me that kind of organization - please! I want it in all aspects of my life...

So now the reality...my life is totally disorganized right now. I don't have lists going, I don't know what I should be doing next or what's a priority. What has happened here? The clean part of the studio looks like some hoarder lives there (not showing pictures of that). My poor office is full of papers that need dealing with. Everything needs help.

This is what happens when you do too many shows and they're too far away to come home quickly. Life becomes disorganized. All that is going to change... I'm putting my organizational skills back to work and taking charge!!!

Now if I could just get Pat to let me organize her little price blocks into a lovely little plastic container...

This is what happens when you take a break...

2011-11-19T23:49:00.005-05:00

Even though I think I always have something to say, I needed a break from blogging. If you look back at the year it looks like I took a break even earlier than I thought I had but...tonight was the night. I was back to blogging! All ready to go and up pops something that says there's something new, push here. Which I did. Big mistake. Now my blog looks funky and is really hard to read. So instead of a quick little something light, written up to get me back to it, I have to redo my design. I'm looking at hours of work...but not tonight. So my apologies for the funny looking site. I've added it to the list of things that need doing...

A Quote

2011-09-08T16:17:00.006-04:00

In doing some reading on the computer today, I found a great quote by Steve Jobs about work and I wanted to share it. This is for everyone who feels passionate about what they do...

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.” Steve Jobs [Stanford commencement speech, June 2005]

Art Fair Neighbors

2011-06-28T23:36:00.002-04:00

I'm very lucky! Most of my neighbors at art fairs have been wonderful people and some have even turned into long time friends. Some are invisible, they just keep to themselves so you go away not knowing them any better at the end of the show than you did at the beginning. Some are just grumpy and you quickly learn to stay away from them. Others you just click with and end up with a good friend. That's what happened in Des Moines.

I was set up next to Paul Zerjay this past weekend, a wonderful woodturner from the St. Louis area. As I told him, he's now set the bar high for my upcoming neighbors because he was a real peach! The show was much more fun with him next door as well as his neighbors on the other side, John & Christine Strobel. Good times with good neighbors. It's what makes art fairs less like work!

Dad and my business...

2011-06-19T14:04:00.002-04:00

There's no one more supportive of his daughter and her business than my Dad, Tom. Since the very beginning he has been there whenever I needed something whether it was moral support or to build something I needed.

My first display was a case that I bought from a friend, the second one Dad built. Cases that were interesting and would fit in my MGB! Then I decided I needed a small roof so Dad designed that as well. It broke down small and compactly, perfect for shows in a tiny car.

Since then he's been designing and building all kind of things for my studio as well, including my workbenches. I need a new rack for something, I call Dad. Of course then I end up with something much nicer than expected!

But he could be embarrassing as well. In my early days I showed my work in the Art Sales tent at the Grand Rapids Festival of the Arts every June. The tent was one block from my Dad's office so he delighted in standing in my booth calling all his friends over to "buy some of my daughter's jewelry". Since he knew EVERYONE, this was totally mortifying to his daughter. It took a few years before I embraced what he was doing. Now I just laugh and enjoy it!

One of the many father-daughter traditions has been that he always helps me set up my booth at the Reeds Lake Art Fair here in Grand Rapids. He's now 83 and still meets me there before 6 am to help set up and then we go have breakfast.

But that's just the beginning of his "involvement" at that show. All day long yesterday people asked me if I was related to Tom! Young, old and in between, a whole lot of people know my Dad. So with a big smile, I proudly answer yes, he's my Dad!

Love you Dad!!!

Reeds Lake Art Fair

2011-06-17T10:31:00.004-04:00

It's like going back to 1976 and my first art fair. Tomorrow is the Reeds Lake Art Festival. Back then it was the Reeds Lake Clothesline Art Fair and you had to haul everything down the steps into John Collins Park on Reeds Lake. This was back long before canopies and fancy displays. This was a table with a jewelry display case sitting on it. That was the good news since at the end you had to haul everything back UP the stairs.

I ran the show for a couple of years back in the early 80's. I was handed a piece of paper with who to call for the donuts and coffee and told to put on a show. Needless to say, I learned a lot that first year! Dick wrote a program for me and I got everything computerized which was very new back then. I learned about working with a city bureaucracy and the importance of being patient. Plus a couple of artists screamed at me when they didn't get in, not knowing that they would be facing me at the next show we did together (that was kind of fun).

All in all, very good memories.

Now the show is held in the streets above the park which is so much better. I went back last year after many years of not doing it and had a great time. So easy to do and I saw tons of people I hadn't seen in years, since it's my hometown. Plus it's just a warm fuzzy since it was my very first art fair 35 years ago. Please let it be sunny!

Old Town Art Fair & Compassion

2011-06-02T10:05:00.003-04:00

This entry is from my friend Lynn Fisher who does wonderful porcelain and stoneware work. I'm copying this to my blog (with her permission) because I think it's important that we bring to light how some shows deal with a tragedy in an artist's life. Luckily, it's not all shows...

"I'd closed my home and studio up in mid-January and was gone for the next five-and-a-half months, working and doing fairs in Florida, and didn't get home until last Saturday. My brother was going to open the place up, turn on the water, etc., and discovered a fire just starting in the studio when he walked in the door. He turned off the gas, which stopped the fire, called 911, and then called me while I was still a couple hours from home. Apparently a tiny leak had formed in the furnace gas line which was near an outlet; the gas shot right into the outlet, feeding it a tiny but steady stream of gas that wasn't enough to blow the place up but was still enough to create lots of creosote. Some wood nearby had actually started to burn when he opened the door.

It might have started days ago, possibly even two weeks ago when there was an electrical storm here and two huge poplars were completely split open after being struck by lightening. That may have caused a short or spark in that particular outlet that may have hit the flexible metal gas line nearby. It all sounds stupid, especially since the furnace man had installed the gas line so close to the outlet. They were both hidden behind the furnace; if I'd known about it I would have had it changed immediately.

The photos don't do the damage justice, since most of the soot or creosote rose in the heat, covering the ceiling and 2/3s of the upper walls. Surprisingly, it didn't stick to certain surfaces -bisqued molds, for example, or some of the fabrics. The windows are still black in these photos, although moths and flies have left some delicate patterns of light where they brushed against the glass. I've since wiped some of the windows to let in more light but I'm not sure which is worse, the dark studio or or the light one that shows just how awful the place is. It's like a little den of horrors, a nightmare.

Once the studio is cleared out it will be gutted and rebuilt, but it will be several weeks before I can move back in. I won't get my hopes up for anytime earlier than mid-July.

Arg. What a thing to come home to! At least it isn't the total loss that it is for all those people who've been wiped out in floods or tornadoes. I feel really fortunate that it isn't worse!

So here it is, Bonnie, ready for you to share however you like. I think it might be nice to show what Old Town and its cavalier attitude is like to those of us artists who are suddenly faced with a situation completely out of their control. They are truly compassionate, sticking by their rules, and then making it even worse by telling me I don't need to apply again next year."

This is the shows response:

Hi Lynn: Thanks for the email and photos. We're going to have to be tough here, despite your obvious trouble, as it is less than two weeks until the show and we'll have to scramble to find a replacement for you. Further, it is our clearly-stated policy that late cancellations do not receive a refund and the artist may not apply to the next year's show. We must stick to the policy here. I'm sorry for all you're going through. We'll miss having you and wish you all the best.

Joan Goldstein

Exhibitors Committee Co-Chair

Facebook and me

2011-05-26T09:59:00.003-04:00

I came to using Facebook kicking and screaming that I didn't want to know what everyone had for breakfast. That's what I thought it was. Boy was I wrong!

What a great way to share life's moments. You can give support, get support, celebrate when the great things happen and commiserate when things aren't so wonderful. You can spend a lot of time on it or just check in once in a while, it's up to you. But you stay connected.

This can be a very solitary lifestyle if you're not at a show. Just me alone in my studio. Now I love my workspace but I really need to be connected to the outside world as well. Facebook does that for me. I can see what my friends have been up to at any time of the day or night without disturbing anyone. A little piece of the outside world. It's wonderful!

My friend Vic turned off her Facebook during her busy season. I can understand that her focus needs to be on her work and not on Facebook but I miss her already. How will I know that she just had the best show of her entire career? Or that they're winning awards at every show? Or whatever little news she might have???

Facebook can take as little or as much time as you want to give it. I've found it works for me... Back to the studio!

Saturday

2011-05-14T10:39:00.003-04:00

So this is what real people do on a Saturday! Got up early and hit the Farmer's Market this morning and came home with lots of fun things including tomato plants. Which means that later today I'll be doing some planting.

When you spend most of your weekends doing art fairs, you forget what weekends are like for other people. And you forget how much fun they are! Today would be the perfect day to hit the Farmer's Market then go to an art fair! First seeing all the great growing things and then see some great art. Stop for a great cup of coffee and it adds up to a perfect day.

I canceled my participation in a show this weekend. Someone who must have been slightly off her rocker scheduled shows for 6 weekends in a row from St. Louis to Bethesda Maryland. Not quite sure how I actually thought I could do all those shows so something had to give. Since Bethesda was the furthest, it lost and I canceled it. So I have this glorious, rainy Saturday off! And I'm enjoying it. Doing things I want to do which includes time in the studio since I just want to make rings and more rings. Ah, Saturday. What a wonderful day of the week!

Every three months...

2011-05-10T15:32:00.003-04:00

I'm sitting in my oncologist's waiting room feeling lucky. I'm fine, it's just my every 3 month check-up but it's a busy place. All ages of adults in various stages of health are waiting, some to see their doc, some for their chemo appointment. The patients tend to be the ones in the ill fitting pants. This is not a disease where you gain weight! Until after it's over and then if you're a happy eater, it will show on you.

First thing you do for these appointments is the lab work. I have to remember to push the fluids the day before to make their job a little easier. Not sure what all they're checking for but not hearing any details is always the good news here. Then it's the wait for my doc, usually a long one since he has a lot of very sick and dying patients that come first.

I complained once about how the drugs make me feel and he pointed out the realities of life to me. I'm one of the lucky ones and I need to remember that when I have no energy or my face breaks out in blotches from the sun. Very small price to pay for continued good health.

So today my blood pressure is a little higher than normal. Gee, I wonder why? Could it be that here the word of the day is CANCER??? That's okay because once every three months I'm reminded but the rest of the time I'm just a regular person with regular concerns and frustrations. I'm not a cancer patient, just a person who hit a bump in the road and is moving on.

I'm afraid of tornados

2011-04-28T11:58:00.003-04:00

Seeing all the destruction caused by the tornado's down south the last couple of days has brought tornados to the front of my mind. I'm afraid of them. I've seen the destruction up close and personal and they scare me.

We were camping when the tornado hit East Grand Rapids but raced home because my Grandparents house was in the area that was hit. When we drove up, it looked like the house was gone but it turned out to be the neighbors roof was just leaning against the house, covering it. Devastation all around, wherever we looked. It made a big impression on a 16 year old.

Go forward to 2001, coming home from Art & Apples. It had been raining and I had called a friend to make sure they got taken down before the storm hit. All of a sudden the wind picked up and things started flying through the air, including an orange construction barrel and then I couldn't see ahead. Other than the brake lights of the car in front of me. Thankfully they were there, they pulled over and we were under an overpass. I put the van in park, turned it off and hunkered down the best I could. Seemed like forever but of course it all happened very quickly. I was pelleted with things and glass was breaking all around me but my little minivan kept me safe. Once it was over I sat up and looked in the rear view mirror but couldn't see anything. Took a moment to realize that it was smashed. As well as the outside mirrors plus most of the windows were gone. The dashboard was covered with leaves, sticks and stones and my hair was filled with debris but I was fine. My little purple minivan gave her life to save mine...she was totaled.

It turned out that it was an F1 tornado, the smallest kind. Unbelievable force for what they call a small tornado. It's something I'll never forget and never want to relive. I have huge respect for the force of Mother Nature and if there's a tornado warning...you can find me in the basement! And just as a final shot - those people who say their booths stayed up through a tornado, they're lying!

On the road again!

2011-04-24T22:23:00.005-04:00

My 2011 art fairs are starting and it's so exciting! This has been the longest break from shows that I've had for years and it was needed. I'm making all kinds of new work and I'm so excited to finally be showing it to people!

I'm making rings!!! For years I was known for my rings which lead to extreme ring burn-out. The rings I'm doing today are primarily sterling, some with 22k gold since I do so love that metal. Some even have stones or pearls. They're all constructed out of sheet metal instead of casting like I used to do. They both have their advantages but I really like doing fabrication. Pictures are coming soon!

My next art fair is the Canton National Art Fair, held at the Canton (OH) Museum of Art, April 29 - May 1. It's a small show of only 80 hand picked artists and I can't wait!

Garage Sale Art Fair 2011 - the video

2011-03-02T11:39:00.001-05:00

It's done for another year...

2011-03-02T11:07:00.005-05:00

I woke up Sunday morning and felt truly at peace. The 15th Annual Garage Sale Art Fair was on Saturday and all the hard work and preparation paid off. The weather held out and we had record crowds with the line forming at 8:05 for a 9:30 opening. That was really great!

This was a hard year. For the first time ever, we had a bunch of cancellations right at the last minute so we had to scramble to try to fill those spots on top of the normal "right before the show" craziness. But it worked. And now, life will go back to a little more normal. Time to actually start making some jewelry again!

The one on the right is as fried as she looks...

Some times you need a goose...

2011-01-23T10:36:00.002-05:00

Not the honking kind but the kick in the rear to get you moving. I'm writing this so it's out there and I have to follow through.

I'm sending some jewelry to a friend to be photographed. Not for jury shots but for all kinds of other uses, including Etsy. Doesn't sound like a big deal but I've turned it into one. He's doing this as a favor and it seems like a lot to ask. But look at this beautiful booth shot he did for me!

I'll be posting the results...

My 2011 Goals

2011-01-19T20:35:00.001-05:00

My goals for this year are very practical. Nothing warm and fuzzy, just things I can actually accomplish and that need to be done. Considering that I'm not particularly practical and I think everything in life should be warm and fuzzy, this could make for an interesting year!

1) Update my logo. Although it doesn't sound like much, this will be a big one. I stopped using my old, very dated logo a few years ago and have been trying to figure out a new one that captures what I'm currently doing. This is NOT something I have any skill doing myself but there's no money in the budget to hire someone so I'll have to figure it out (with the help of friends of course). Once this is done I need new boxes, cards and a new banner for my booth. All with the new logo tying them together.

2) Figure out how to use silver and get the same feeling in my work. Even silver is expensive these days but it seems cheap in comparison to using 22k gold so I'm going to try to use more of it. A lot more of it in fact. Very little 22k... This is the ugg goal. I'm not happy about having to do this but it's necessary and I will adapt, although I'll probably grumble while I do!

3) Stay closer to home for shows this year to help stay on top of things. I LOVED traveling the country last year doing shows but I couldn't keep up with anything at home! Personal, business, whatever. I didn't stay on top of anything. That can't continue. So I'll still be traveling but just not quite as much.

4) Keep on top of phone calls, e-mails, orders, repairs etc. This really ties into #3...

5) Clear out the clean side of the studio. Oh boy, this is a big one. My studio is 1/3 the dirty side where I make the jewelry and 2/3 the clean side. That's where anything clean happens. Major storage plus working areas. When Julia was working with me, she kept me on top of it but without her, I tend to dump things there to go through them later. Yeah, sure. That time hasn't come in a very long time. But it's now time to just do it! I need to get rid of things that I'll never use again like those exceptionally beautiful oak jewelry cases from way too long ago. How many years should I actually store them??? I may need to call Julia...

There's nothing earth-shattering here. No lofty goals for me this year, just very practical ones. We'll see how I do!

Goals

2011-01-17T00:07:00.002-05:00

Every year in January, the women in my artist group all share their goals for the year. First we have to admit to what we did and didn't achieve on our goal list for the previous year. Lots of laughter and excuses during that part. Then comes the actually speaking out loud what we want to accomplish this year. That's the hard part. There will be some silly, some heartfelt and some slightly wishful. All of us looking forward with anticipation...

Tiny boxes

2011-01-16T16:49:00.003-05:00

The following is by Don Ament who is a photographer and used with his permission. I loved this story and wanted to share it.

Friday night the Lexington Art League had the opening preview party for the 25th anniversary Nude Show. It's a major show that attracts international work. Seemingly, the entire town (and beyond) comes out for the pricey opening. My studio is located in the same building as the LAL's galleries, it's an 1852 building that looks like a castle.

I have a set of eight tiny handmade paper boxes I acquired several years ago, made by a former president of the LAL. They are 1.25 inches square by 3/4 inch tall, have lids, and she decorated them to look like little presents you might get at a birthday party. For the preview party, I put a few of my little "Buzzguy" caricature signs around the studio like I wrote about on this forum awhile back, and then tried something new with the little boxes.

I put the boxes in a conspicuous place, and put a Buzzguy sign next to them that said, "Hey, put a Cool Treasure in one of these boxes for me." I wasn't in my studio the whole evening, so had no idea if anything would be in any of them or not. Well, at the end of the night, six out of eight boxes had cool treasures in them.

I got an earring that looks like a volleyball, a stretchy hair thing that women use, a compliment about my work, a business card, an offer from someone who informed me that she is a treasure and wants to model for me (I was showing some of my figurative work in my studio), and this quote from Yogi Bhajan: "Grace is the most effective tool. It will bring you love, appreciation and prosperity."

I'm going to save every one of these cool treasures and do this again.

a new year...new decisions

2011-01-07T11:10:00.005-05:00

This month is deliberately free of shows to help me decide where I want my work to go next. Using 22k gold in the amounts I do is no longer an option so, what's next for me? After almost 35 years at this, can I still make a living this way? What do I need to change?

There have been discussions on Facebook among the jewelers/metalsmiths who use primarily silver about how they're dealing with the rising price of metal. Are they making changes in their work, making things lighter, changing their designs, we're all trying to find the answers. I don't have any answers yet but I'm looking.

For me some of the changes are really hard. I'm dropping my line of 14k gold wire earrings that I've done forever. Love these earrings since they give me a chance to pound steel against gold and come up with something fun! Some of my designs have been around a long time, some are brand new but I've loved making them. Maybe I'll still make a few for fun...

Going back to my beginnings and working in silver again will allow me to play more. I'm going to start making some silver rings which I'm really excited about. Years ago I was known for my gold rings but it's been a long time since I've made rings of any kind so this will be a fun change.

Change doesn't come easily for me right now but I will! And I'm excited about the possibilities. Stay tuned for a new chapter!!!

Excuses

2010-11-22T22:26:00.003-05:00

When I started blogging I had so many things I wanted to say. So why has there been no blog since Oct 27??? Too many shows in too many far off locations which means too much time on the road. When I get home I collapse and get ready to leave again. My last show for the year is coming up. Once that's done, I'll have lots to say again...

Stupidity in Memphis

2010-10-27T18:38:00.009-04:00

The month is almost over and my blogging really got left behind this month. Not enough time at home. I've had all kinds of things to write about but now when I actually sit down to do it, my mind is pretty blank. Unless you want to hear about shows that do stupid things. Okay, let's talk a little about that.

I went to River Arts Fest in Memphis this past weekend. Not as an exhibitor but as a "roadie". I had done the show last year and found Memphis didn't love my jewelry but just had a wonderful time in the off hours. The fun was not to be missed this year so I tagged along with friends.

The show is held on historic South Main Street in downtown Memphis, complete with trolley's adding to the ambiance. It runs with booths on both sides of the street for most of the show and then a long stretch with booths only on one side. After set-up was well underway, with many people almost completely set up, the show director decided to come tell about 10 artists that instead of setting up facing the middle of the street, they had to turn everything to the side and face their next door neighbor. Leaving the side of their booth facing the street. WHAT??? Seems the fire inspector felt this was important for safety reasons because the trolley would be running in front of the booths. Probably 15' away (I'm not good with distances).

I'll admit that this made absolutely no sense to me but having dealt with fire inspectors at other shows, I know their word is law since they are perfectly willing to shut down the show if you don't comply. I assumed that this was something that had just come up which was why the artists weren't told when they checked it. But no, not the case at all. A little later I was talking to the show director and said gently that the artists would be handling this better if they had some notice. It turns out that she knew this long before the artists were on site but that "she had too much to do" and never thought about whipping out a quick e-mail to those 10 artists!!! Unbelievable...

I'm not one of those artists who think it's us against them, artists vs show directors. That would be especially hard since I'm a show director as well as an artist. I truly believe that we're all in this together and we both need each other but geez. Give us some consideration here or we won't show up and then what are you left with??? An art fair without art???

Titles and labels

2010-10-05T18:32:00.002-04:00

I changed my tag-line on this blog today. At my show this past weekend, I realized that most of my show name tags say "artist" on them. Gee, that's great! Someone thinks I'm an artist! But do I consider myself an artist? Some days I'm very much the artist but some days when I'm slogging away on something, I'm on the other end of the spectrum. Labels have never been that important to me but I want more days where I'm called an artist...

Little hoops

2010-09-23T21:45:00.003-04:00

One thing I've made since the beginning of time is little 14k gold wire hoops. The shapes have changed over the years but it's the same basic idea and it's something little I've become known for. Plus it's what I tend to wear between shows since I don't have to take them out for weeks if I don't want to. Just a little hoop with some character.

These little hoops now sell for $72. With the price of gold skyrocketing upward, I thought I better do a time study and go through the pricing since it's been a while. What I discovered was shocking. I need to be charging $101 a pair for my little hoops based on today's costs! Holy crud!!!

So what do I do? During these tough times I've been selling a lot of pairs at my shows and am planning on putting them on Etsy for the holidays. But what do I charge? How much will people be willing to pay? What can I sell them for where I make a profit and yet it's still a good price for my customers? What a dilemma...

Who knew I could build a website!

2010-09-20T20:34:00.004-04:00

Today was a studio day. I was to be buried there for the entire day. No breaks. I'm behind on studio things because I've been working on unearthing months of paperwork and other equally non-important jobs. I must make jewelry!

Instead I decided to try building a new website for the Garage Sale Art Fair that Michael and I run. And I did it! And I'm quite proud of the results considering that it was done in hours not days. Plus I got our application on the site so people can start applying again.

Since it's something that I can change and update easily, there will be changes as we go along. I'll probably still have our web guy do a nice new site for us but until then, we're set.

Thank you Vista Print for making the job of doing your own website so darn easy! So tomorrow I'll bury myself in the studio...

37 years and counting

2010-09-15T10:13:00.004-04:00

There are some things in life that are just darn hard to wrap your brain around. This is one of them. Who would have guessed all those years ago, when we were just kids, that we'd still be together after our hair turned gray!

Our first date consisted of a trip to the beach at Saugatuck. It ended by sleeping in his MGB during a big storm, parked at the gate where we had been locked into the park. Until 6 am the next morning. Now with that kind of start, who would guess this would last. And it has, for all these years. And we've learned to read signs that say things like "park closes at 11pm" and believe them...

Rethinking art fairs

2010-09-11T18:54:00.010-04:00

I'm just home from the Longs Park Art and Craft Festival and feeling great. Shows have been so tough lately but this show reminded me of why I love doing shows and it has nothing to do with money. In fact my sales weren't what I hoped for at the show but I had a great time!

Set-up was miserably hot and humid as most shows have been this summer, followed by a hot opening day. Which was then followed by three of the most perfect art show days ever. Cool, sunny and good crowds.

It costs $10 to get into this show but it's what they do with the money they make that's so great. It funds free Sunday night concerts for 13 weeks during the summer. And they get some big names there! What a wonderful thing for the Lancaster community! I sat with a Board member at the Saturday night dinner and learned all about it and the pride they have in bringing this to their community. Who wouldn't be happy with how they're using the money they make from the show!

My sister Karen came up to the show to help me for a couple of days which really upped the fun factor. In my very early days of art fairs, she did a bunch of shows with me and we had great sister time. Now she lives too far away and I just don't see her enough so it's great that she was able to join me. She walks in the booth and it's like she never left... Good times!

On Saturday while she was there we had this fun flurry that was just like the old days. Both of us were busy, we were laughing and just having fun while trying to make sure that everything got to the right person! Boy did that feel great!

The chairperson for the show this year was Diane Moore and she was GREAT! It was her first year but you'd never know she hadn't been running art fairs forever since she was on top of everything and always smiling. She was always around, very visible and very approachable. Just the type of person you would want in charge. Plus her husband Dave helped me roll up my sides one morning!

Have to say that I had great neighbors at this show as well. We were at the end of a "leg" so we didn't get quite everyone walking to the end but we still had a great time. Good neighbors make all the difference, especially at a long show since there will always be slow times and sharing a good laugh makes the time go faster! Michael Schwegmann was there helping in Patty Lindbloom's booth (wonderful jewelry), and he hunkered down my booth for me in preparation for big winds. Felt nice and safe after that! Carolyn Shattuck was my immediate next door neighbor with her wonderful husband Ted. We were meant to meet and be neighbors last weekend.

So why title this post "rethinking art fairs"? Because just when it seemed like shows were just too much work and too darn hard to not enough return, I had a warm, fuzzy show which reminded me of why I do this. We all need to be reminded of this once in a while!

New old booth

2010-09-03T20:26:00.003-04:00

Today was the road test of my new/old booth. Built from the pieces of a booth used long ago, it is now seeing a new life and so far, I'm liking it! There are things I need to change and some things I'm going to permanently screw together but all in all, I think this is going to work!

Next up, new drapes and new banners and then I'll be set! Here's the first snapshot of it in use.

Thoughts on the year

2010-08-28T20:07:00.003-04:00

It’s a very quiet day on the lake today. Hardly a ripple in the water. It always amazes me the changes in that huge body of water from day to day and how the water seems to set the mood for the day.

With that in mind, it’s been a very contemplative morning. Our time here is almost over for another year. But I’m leaving here well rested, relaxed, well fed in many ways and nicely centered.

This has been a year of changes, most of them just small but significant. For the first time in 15 years I chose not to do a wholesale show. This was huge since it meant I would have very little wholesale unless I chased it down myself – which I knew I wouldn’t. I needed a break to recharge my creativity. There’s a certain comfort in making items for an order. It doesn’t take a lot of thought since they’re pieces for which you’ve already worked out all the kinks. It’s just making the pieces to the best of your ability and making sure it’s a nice, cohesive grouping when you’re done. But I needed time to stretch, try new things, try new shows.

So I did. I tried lots of new retail art fair across the country. I started a couple new lines with price point in mind, more sterling and less 22k gold. This was tough for me since I so love the 22k gold!

Did it work? Who knows. This year has been very strange at the retail art fairs. Crowds are way down and temperatures have been way up. When the crowds were good, they just walked by, not looking left or right, just walking through. Guess it calls for more thinking. For now, I'll just enjoy the lake...

44 hours left

2010-08-26T15:07:00.002-04:00

I'm sitting in a local coffee shop sipping a lovely concoction and checking my e-mail. Very peaceful, very relaxed. I've picked up the local papers and next is the grocery store. There is no way I'm ready to go back to the real world yet but it's coming quickly. In 44 hours to be exact. Then I have 3 days before I head to Lancaster for the Long's Park Art Fair. Much left to do before leaving. But nothing has to be done right now so I'll go back to sipping my coffee and enjoying myself. Putting off the real world a little longer...

I'm a maker of things

2010-08-22T15:16:00.003-04:00

Since the very beginning, I've loved making things. Growing up with a Mom who was an artist and a Dad whose joy was woodworking, I was destined to make things. And I have.

I've gone through all the phases. Sewing my own clothes to needlepoint from my own patterns. I had a rug phase, a knitting phase as well as the candle phase. In high school I bought a length of silver wire which I turned into a twisted bracelet in my Dad's wood shop. I wore that bracelet every day for years. Never realizing it was the beginning of my life's passion for metal.

When I started making jewelry, Dick saw it as just another project he was going to have to step around on the living room floor. Something I would eventually lose interest in before moving on to something else. I kept insisting that this was different. This was me.

It's now 34 years later and making jewelry still brings me joy. I'm on vacation now, spending my time thinking about what I want to make next when I'm back in the studio. Please let it always bring me joy and feed my soul since I'm forever a maker of things...

Vacation...

2010-08-18T12:54:00.002-04:00

First day of vacation I napped to the sound of crashing waves that were supposedly 7' - 12'.

Second day of vacation I figured out what to do with my display that just isn't working for me right now. And that was before breakfast! Amazing what you can accomplish when you free up your mind. No phone, no internet. Everything else falls away. I'll get a lot figured out during my time here...

Morning Glory Art Fair

2010-08-18T12:45:00.003-04:00

I love shows put on by artists organizations as this show is. The location is lovely, bathrooms are close, clean and air conditioned. The last of which was really appreciated this past weekend when it was once again, overly toasty out for my taste.

Breakfast was served both mornings with fresh fruit, spinach quiche and more. Even Lox on Sunday!

Lot's of nice work I haven't seen before. Seemed to be quite a few locals with day jobs mixed among us as well.

It's a hard set-up because you have to schlep everything in from a distance but it is over cement which helps. Thank you to Jon and Pat for a very easy take down, getting me to the ferry in plenty of time.

So why didn't it work for many there? The heat and humidity? The PGA Golf Tournament nearby? Maybe for my media it was the 29 jewelers out of 140 booths??? At a time when jewelers are fighting out of sight material costs (gold over $1200 @ ounce), why do shows insist on overloading with jewelers???

Whatever the reason, the show didn't work for me this year, even though I enjoyed it. Try something new next year I guess...

Catching up with pictures

2010-07-08T23:54:00.010-04:00

So much to catch up on!

Fulton Street Artisan's Market in Grand Rapids was like a throw back to 1976 when I started. Great fun!

Then Reeds Lake Art Fair in Grand Rapids, a show that I ran back in the early 80's.

Then "Camp Extended Stay" for Boston Mills ArtFest. Amazing how all these people who are used to staying alone in a hotel are now discovering the fun that happens when you share a room to cut expenses. This was the most fun yet, even though I wasn't at my best. What a wonderful, wacky time. Most of which should not be discussed outside of camp...

And finally, does this look like $1900 worth of damage??? My cute little van got hit in a parking lot...

Now the push is on to make new, wonderful jewelry for the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair coming up starting July 21. This is the perfect show to debut brand new pieces, unlike what I've been doing but with the same "feeling". Can't wait to show them!

Susie's not gone yet!!!

2010-06-09T10:27:00.002-04:00

A friend just let me know that in my Susie Sunshine post I sounded really depressed. Yikes! I'm not! That's why my sister is known as the writer in my family and I'm not...

I'm just afraid of losing my "Susie Sunshine" attitude so I'm doing things to make sure that doesn't happen. The "10 good things that happened" is just the first step. I'm looking for step number two!
It may be going to the Farmer's Market where I'm headed right now!

Losing Susie Sunshine

2010-06-07T16:56:00.001-04:00

I'm losing her, I'll admit it. The current conditions in the world and in my own little world are getting to me. I'm losing my Pollyanna attitude. I'm no longer going to be called a Susie Sunshine unless I can find a way to change. So that's my goal and I found a blog that gave me the way to achieve it.

The blog is from a woman who lists 10 good things that happened that day. Unfortunately, I can't find the blog to give her credit but I will.

So here's my list from Saturday at the Kalamazoo Art Fair.

1. Dick went with me which made it so much easier and much more fun.
2. Got to see and catch up with lots of friends
3. The rain held off until I got everything but the canopy into the van.
4. Met a wonderful woman who also had braces and hopefully made her feel better about possible surgery.
5. Found the perfect person for a favorite pair of my earrings. Wish they all looked that great!
6. Saw a great customer I haven't seen in a while and learned what she's been going through and that things are much better now.
7. Had a great smoothie of strawberries, raspberries and lemon. Yum!
8. Scott got to meet "the" Dick.
9. I finally remembered to ask BJ Jordan if she wanted to be called BJ or Becky.
10. After getting up at 4:30 am, decided that 9 pm was NOT too early to go to bed after the show.

Okay, that's my first try at getting back my Susie Sunshine. It will take work but I WILL win!!!

Packing for Kalamazoo

2010-06-04T18:27:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow is the Kalamazoo Art Fair in Bronson Park, my favorite one day show. Drive down in the morning, set up, have a great day then take down and drive home. Easy day. Normally delightful, quite often a rainy take down or at least the threat of rain.

After swapping out my normal booth and all the crud involved for my one day show booth, I had to take pictures. These pictures may tell the story of why I so like an easy one day show:

The first picture is the van packed for Boston Mills ArtFest, a 4 day show in July. The second is for Kalamazoo, a one day show. What a huge difference in the amount of "stuff" I have to take. Yeah, I have 4 one day shows coming up this month. Hooray!!!

The forecast is for rain which is common for this show but hopefully people will grab their umbrella's and come shopping. I want to keep it a favorite!

Summer weekends

2010-05-29T18:08:00.008-04:00

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

2010-05-27T23:30:00.003-04:00

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

2010-05-23T16:28:00.003-04:00

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

2010-05-17T16:40:00.004-04:00

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

2010-05-06T21:52:00.003-04:00

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...

Fiesta Arts Fair

2010-04-17T22:02:00.002-04:00

This is my favorite glass guy, Earl James and the big award he won at the San Antonio Fiesta Arts Fair. Well deserved!
I was told that this show normally has lines snaking into the street before the show opens on the first day. This was what it looked like on our first day! Rainy weather didn't help anything today!
Yes, I can finally say that I've seen the Alamo. Alright, I was in the car, pulled over to the curb but at least I've finally seen it! Now I want to see inside.
Not the best shot but this was the inside of a restaurant, Mexican of course where we ate. During Fiesta, it's a wild time. Great fun.

Sales were slow today but we're thinking that this year it will be a one day show and that day will be Sunday since the weather will be much better tomorrow. It's such a fun show that I really want it to work! I want to come back!

Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival

2010-04-13T23:17:00.003-04:00

The show is over but it sure was fun! The pictures won't do it justice but here's set-up day plus the Art Dash party. Don Ament and Jon Hecker plus Don's wild socks.

Home again - with pictures!

2010-03-29T22:41:00.006-04:00

It's always great getting back home and working my way back into the "home" routine. Last Friday I was just thinking that it was kind of a boring day when someone pulled up in front of my house, blocking my driveway. As I watched, the woman jumped out and started walking up my driveway taking pictures. Being the curious person I am, I opened the front door and asked what she was doing. Being the lovely person she was, she proceeded to tell me what I could do with my question and mouth off to me. As she was getting back in the car she finally mentioned what she was taking pictures of... a huge fireball behind my house. I still don't understand why she didn't ring the doorbell and warn us!

My first concern was getting my van out of the garage but once that was done, I needed to rescue some of my display stuff since it's all stored in that garage addition. Luckily a couple of neighbors were able to help since Dick was getting the hose (which was still in winter storage) set up and hosing down the garage. His doing that kept the damage down on my garage (see the "melted" picture). Unfortunately, my one neighbor wasn't so lucky as the fire completely destroyed his garage as you can see in the picture.

The good news? No one was hurt! And I'm now looking forward to those boring days once again!

Still no pictures

2010-03-17T20:00:00.004-04:00

My favorite blogs have lots of pictures. I just can't seem to remember to take pictures when things are happening that I might blog about later! Like my show this past weekend in Bonita Springs. I planned on blogging about each day but no pictures. So no blog...

But it's now a little later and I have some pictures! One is the view from my hotel room at Bonita Springs and the other is my friend Michele in her great new hat! I'm trying...

Set up day!

2010-03-12T20:13:00.002-05:00

I had planned on pictures of set up day but the weather took care of that. Heavy rains and big winds changed all our plans. So we started the day with coffee on the porch overlooking the lake with rain pouring down around us. Then instead of setting up in the middle of the day, we ate a lovely lunch overlooking another body of water. Grouper tacos and chowder at the Fish House in Bonita Springs.

Finally started set up at about 4:30 and got the bulk of it done, under dry but threatening skies. Will go back at 6 in the morning and finish up. Then back to the hotel to shower and have breakfast. This is the advantage to staying right next to the show. Very much worth the money spent!

Really looking forward to the show tomorrow. Love the way it's run and the people are all just so nice. It may be because they're all former mid-westerner's!

Second day on the road

2010-03-11T22:51:00.002-05:00

Well, after 16 hours on the road yesterday, it was only about 8 1/2 today. But today I hit heavy, heavy rain in Florida. Standing water on the highway, foggy, heavy rain and dippy drivers without their lights on. Luckily Dick was at home watching the radar for me so he was able to reassure me that I really would drive out of it. Couldn't be soon enough for me!

Sat around our lovely hotel lobby with a glass of wine and friends Michele, Travis and David discussing shows and what's going on with everyone. This is the important part of doing shows for me. All the great friendships I've made with all these wonderful people. To be able to just sit around for a little while and catch up. Love it!

Tomorrow is set-up day and it's supposed to rain all day. BUT...the weather is supposed to be beautiful all weekend! Tomorrow I'll post some set-up pictures. Off to sleep now...

Traveling

2010-03-10T21:19:00.002-05:00

So this is the unglamorous part of doing art fairs. I had to get up at 4 am to be on the road by 4:30 am to be able to quit driving shortly after dark. So after being on the road for 16 hours, we're finally safely holed up in a "lovely" hotel in Macon Georgia. In fact in the very same room we've stayed in before. How strange is that?

This has been a day of non-exciting events. I've discovered RainX window washing fluid. Lovely stuff. Saw a beautiful rainbow somewhere in Tennessee. Saw an act of togetherness that I'm taking as a warm fuzzy. A tandem FedEx truck had tipped over and just beyond it were 5 other tandem FedEx trucks sitting by the side of the road with their flashers on. It didn't look serious other than the truck on it's side so I'm not being flip. I just took it as a great show of support!

Love the coleslaw at Chick-fil-a which we don't have up north so that's where we had dinner. Surprisingly good dinner! I may never sleep again with all the coffee I drank today to make sure I was awake and perky but I need to find out since morning will come quickly and it's another long day on the road tomorrow. To be continued...

On the road again

2010-03-09T12:20:00.003-05:00

This weekend is the Bonita Springs National Art Festival and I'll be there. And I'll have some totally new work...if I get it done in time! I figure I have about 6 hours left in the studio and yes, that's what I should be doing now.

It's both fun and traumatic taking totally new work to a show and putting it out for the world to inspect and say yeah or nay. You hope people like it. You hope someone actually buys it since that's the true test. I'm doing some pieces that are more sterling than the 22k gold, just for the cost factor and even though it's fun to have a change, I do miss the richness and softness of the 22k. I'll post pictures once something is done.

The big drive is ahead of me. Looks like rain the entire way down which will make it even longer but once there, Michele and I will have some fun! We're both doing the show so it's work as well as play but it'll be great to have some time together.

On the road again....

The Garage Sale Art Fair

2010-03-01T21:01:00.001-05:00

It's over. We work all year to put on the best art fair for our fellow artists that we can and then in a flash, it's over for the year. So what do we do next? Start planning next year's event before we're even done with this years cleanup.

The list of things to change, review and add to the show is already long. I'm asking friends for their opinions and ideas and that's where a lot of the really good ones come from. Sometimes it's the things that seem so obvious like needing a street address of where the show is located on the postcard. Huh? How did we miss this???

It feels like this huge responsibility that we have to get buyers into the show for our artists. Every year we try new advertising venues while keeping things like the television ads that seem to work really well for us. Who knows what's the best right now so we'll keep trying new things.

Next year is our 15th anniversary event so we want to come up with some extra fun things to do. Not sure what they'll be yet but I do know that we'll do everything we can to make it a success for everyone!

ArtFest Fort Myers update

2010-02-19T22:39:00.004-05:00

I learned a good lesson at ArtFest Fort Myers recently. Waiting on the morning of the show to see if there are cancellations that they will fill with a wait-listed artist is NOT for me. There were a bunch of us all hanging around, waiting until they had checked the entire show so we could find out if they had a spot for us. It had kind of a desperate feel to it that I just didn't like. I am happy to report that I didn't get into the show.

Why so happy? I had a fantastic weekend at the show! I walked around and saw all the beautiful work, chatted with my friends, made new friends and booth sat for new and old friends. It was so much fun! The true "bus man's holiday". The weather was beautiful but windy but since I wasn't set up, I didn't have to worry about the wind blowing things over. I was FREE!!!

Sales seemed up and down with no one saying it was a great show. Didn't see a lot of packages walking around either. People should have been shopping that show hard because there was beautiful work there waiting to be purchased! It's hard to see a show with such nice quality not have great sales...

I am wait-listed for another show next month. I hope to NOT be standing there the first morning looking desperate...

Being on a waiting list

2010-02-02T19:33:00.005-05:00

As an "art fair artist" there are times you just don't get into all the shows you apply to. Okay, I never get into everything I apply for but overall my track record is pretty good. This winter I'm wait listed for 2 shows and I really want to get in!

ArtFest Fort Myers is this weekend and I've made the commitment to be there, even if I don't get in off the wait list. So what I'm hoping is that a bunch of jewelers had fantastic shows last weekend and don't have enough work left to do the show so they have to cancel! I may be dreaming but I'm hoping to get lucky and actually get in.

As the co-director of an art fair myself, the Garage Sale Art Fair, I'm getting calls and e-mails from our artists on the waiting list wanting to know if there have been any cancellations. It's hard on both sides of this. It's hard to tell people that really want to do the show that there isn't a space yet. But darn it - it's much harder to be the one waiting!!!

What a kick!

2010-01-31T11:22:00.004-05:00

I just discovered my jewelry was featured on a January 26 blog! Secret Life of Jewelry is a blog about jewelry by Carmela DiLeva and Shelby Matero. Their statement from their blog reads:

"This blog showcases fabulous handcrafted jewelry made by independent artists with incredibly amazing talent. This blog promotes awareness of those artists and designers who seek to imbue their work with meaning. It is our hope that this awareness spreads through ever-widening circles of people who share the desire to acquire items of beauty and durability with an awareness of social responsibility."

I'll now remember the grin that this gave me when I'm writing about other people's work and try to give them a grin as well. We all need it!

Bonita Springs National Art Festival

2010-01-28T10:52:00.008-05:00

Amazingly I survived my first art fair of the year plus had a wonderful time! The Bonita Springs National Art Festival was the perfect show to start my year. The director, Barry Witt runs a tight show with a smile on his face plus enforces the rules which I dearly love. It helps everything run smoothly and the show looks so clean and professionally run. Beautiful location, wonderful neighbors. I was proud to be there and can't wait to go back in March.

Michael and I stopped and spent the night with the Hecker's on the way down which started the whole trip with a warm fuzzy. Great people, great food, glorious hot tub outdoors and three of the most wonderful furry kids. The only downside was leaving but we had to continue on.

In checking my records I discovered that the last time I did a winter Florida show was in 1996. In that 14 years, I think they moved Florida further away from Michigan. I truly didn't remember it being so far but finally we got to the Florida Welcome Center and I got my long anticipated, free glass of orange juice. That meant I was really in Florida. Sunshine and warm weather. Very welcome for a Michigander in January!

Beginning of the art fair year

2010-01-09T11:14:00.004-05:00

The first art fair of the year is always exciting as I've written about before. But having your first show be just 3 very short weeks after the holidays, I'm finding that tough!

At this time of year I'm normally slowly getting things done. I'm catching up on sleep, playing with Dick, playing with the cats, seeing my Dad and thinking about what I'm going to do when I finally make it back to the studio. All done without the adrenaline of "show time".

It's time when I get to catch up with in town friends and see the inside of my local coffee shop instead of every Starbucks on the road. I return long overdue phone calls and the e-mails fly! Soup becomes homemade again as I fill the freezer. Dick and I actually cook together and I relish in the home cooked meals.

So life just is. And I love it.

The bad news is that this year, I'm doing the same things as normal AND I HAVE A SHOW IN A FEW DAYS! So I have to pump up the adrenaline, load up on coffee and get to the studio before I'm totally out of time!

Starting up shows again

2010-01-03T15:25:00.005-05:00

I'm so excited I can hardly stand it. My first show of the new year is a week and a half away and even though I'm not close to being ready, I'm so excited!

The show is the Bonita Springs National Art Festival in Bonita Springs Florida, January 16 and 17 and it's my first time there. I haven't done any winter Florida shows for years due to my wholesale show in February but with each year comes changes. Boy am I looking forward to some warmth and sunshine in Florida instead of the cold of the Philadelphia show!

After I finish my shows for the calendar year and hopefully get a small break, I start on the list of jobs that I need to do before I start up shows again. Usually I have until April so it's not a big deal to get them all done, but this year the list is long and my time is short.

So what's on my list? It goes from washing and cleaning EVERYTHING to restocking and reorganizing to coming up with better ways to do things. I love forms so I have forms and lists for everything from what jewelry to make to what I need to take to each show and those constantly need updating. I really need a new banner showing images of my work for my booth.

Even using a GPS, I still need to print maps since I don't want to be in the middle of nowhere and have my GPS get a hiccup. I spend hours researching hotels since I now want cheap but still clean and safe with a good bed and shower. And it really helps if there's good coffee close by...

Since I never got my summer clothing put away because I was in warm weather areas until mid November, at least that part should be easier. I repainted my chair in the fall so hopefully that still looks good. Whew, so much to think about. I need to start some new lists!

And yes, I'll even be making some great new jewelry! Can't wait to get back into the studio and try out some new designs and even make some old favorites. Look here for new designs coming soon! And look for this booth at shows this year. It will contain some wonderful new work looking for the right person to own it!

My Sister's Blog

2010-01-01T22:51:00.002-05:00

I'm proudly advertising my sister Karen's new blog. When I first starting blogging myself I said my sister was the writer in the family and she's proving it with her blog. Please check it out!

Cancer Free!

2009-12-31T10:31:00.006-05:00

At this time last year I was dealing with breast cancer. I had what I'm lovingly calling "cancer light" but still not anything I really want to do again. Just had my first "after" mammogram and it came back clean and clear!

Thanks to early detection, great family and friends, a great surgeon, a great radiologist using new treatments and some really nasty drugs, I'm cancer free. And grateful...

Time to get back to the other parts of life, like making wonderful new jewelry. Lot's of ideas, lots of work to do...

GET ANNUAL MAMMOGRAMS!

Computer transition...

2009-12-27T17:33:00.003-05:00

The transition to a new computer has been way more time consuming than I ever expected. My old computer with its hiccup is really, really slow when doing anything, but especially when copying files. I don't want to do a mass transfer so it's been a slow process. I have a huge amount of "important" things on my computer that I probably can't live without so I'm being very methodical in doing this. Thus the huge amount of time.

Once it's done, I'll be blogging regularly again. I'm planning some great new jewelry so I'm also excited about getting back into the studio again. I'll add pictures as the pieces get done.

Okay, my thought is that if I say it here, I'll have to follow through. Check back and see if I have...

Catching up on my thanks...

2009-11-27T10:24:00.002-05:00

I'm sitting in my living room, typing on my laptop because my desktop crashed a couple days ago. It makes me very thankful that I use a backup system so at least all my data is safe and secure. I'm also thankful that it crashed while I was on the phone customizing a new computer which had been planned for a while. Can't afford it but also can't run my businesses without it so, it will be ordered today. I'm giving thanks for my laptop...

I'm so grateful to be home again after a very long stretch of shows. I came home safe and healthy. The bone deep tiredness will go away... My shows were fun with great times spent with friends for which I am so grateful. Sales weren't what I had hoped for but the deep in the soul parts were much more important and they were GOOD!

I'm grateful that I dearly love Mexican food! I have eaten at a huge number of Mexican restaurants over the last few months and have eaten some great food with great people. Now it's on to my favorite Mexican restaurant, Seven Mares, here in Grand Rapids. May have lunch there today since it's been a few days since my last Mexican meal! I'm grateful that they have been able to stay open in these rough times.

I'm grateful that anyone even reads what I'm typing here. I really enjoy doing this and would continue even if no one ever read what I wrote but it's extra nice when someone tells me that they read it and enjoy my meandering on. I'm not a writer (in case you couldn't tell!!!) and this is just done off the cuff so it's like listening to me talk! Which I tend to do a lot of.

I am so grateful every time someone walks up to my booth wearing something I've made!!! That just makes my heart sing. At my last show in Madison, a woman walked up wearing my earrings which her husband had purchased for her at a gallery in Texas. It was so nice meeting her!

My doorbell just rang and there was a package for me. I'm extremely grateful for having Pat and Jon in my life and the bagels and cookies they just sent!!! So now I need to wrap this up and go have a GREAT bagel!

This has been a rough year so my heartfelt thanks to family, friends and customers who have stuck with me though it all. I love you all and here's to a great 2010!!!

Oops!

2009-11-14T22:35:00.001-05:00

I knew I was behind on blogging but boy, it's really bad when you log in and find it's been exactly a month since your last blog! It's not that I ran out of things to talk about since that will never happen, but I've been on the road doing shows all over the country and I'm pooped!

My plan is to catch up with pictures and stories next week so please check back...

Bethesda Row Arts Festival

2009-10-15T14:25:00.004-04:00

I'm scheduled to do the Bethesda Row Arts Festival this weekend in Bethesda Maryland. Really been looking forward to this show for lots of reasons. Sister time since Kare was coming down to help me with the show. My favorite nephew (who is now so much taller than I am...big sigh) and my brother-in-law were also going to visit which would be a great warm fuzzy. And let us not forget Maryland crab cakes!!! Plus I've not shown my work in this area recently so I have totally new work to show!

And then comes the weather forecast. In the 40's with rain all weekend. I can handle the cold (reluctantly) and I can handle the rain but the two together is really, really tough. It just sounds bone chilling. Plus set-up for the show is early Saturday morning which sounds even colder.

For the first time, Michael (we were going in the same van) was the one who said he didn't want to go. I was actually relieved since I wouldn't have suggested canceling but I really didn't want to face that cold, wet weather. I was willing to go if he wanted to and he said he would go if I wanted to but he really wasn't looking forward to it.

We're not going to Bethesda Row. Not a decision made lightly but made more out of necessity. We both have heavy schedules coming up and can't afford any down time getting sick. We both have orders to get out so we can use the time productively. I'm feeling warmer already...

So no warm fuzzy family time. No crab cakes. No trying out this work in a new market but hopefully I'll get into the show next year because I'd love to do it!

Cottonwood

2009-10-09T14:39:00.006-04:00

I love this show but it just didn't work for me this year. Had lots of fun, got to see my friend Marilyn O'Hara who's a great jewelry photographer. Also got to see Needfire, a great Celtic Rock band who I really enjoy!

First saw them at Woodlands Waterway in April so I was excited to see they were playing at Cottonwood in May. They were rained out... But luckily they were also scheduled for the October Cottonwood show. My booth was very close so I snuck away to watch. There's something about men in kilts, jumping around playing Celtic rock. Then add a didgeridoo to the mix. Wow! Do Pat and I look happy???

It's a long drive from Michigan to Texas and I'm gone for 6.5 days. It's hard to justify if the sales aren't there, which they weren't this year. It's a fun show and I really enjoy Texas and the people there but will probably take a break from this wonderful show. Unless I win the lottery and have money to play with!

Catching up in pictures

2009-10-09T13:06:00.003-04:00

Funky Ferndale deserves it's own pictures...

Jon Hecker was next to me with the Tattoo Dreams booth so there are a couple shots of his booth. Notice the great hanging beads that Pat's now doing! Becka Strachan got a customized Tattoo Dreams table and looks pretty happy!

Then there's a picture of the space behind my booth at the show. This fit with the whole theme of the show perfectly!

My favorite - the balloon man was making balloon collars for all the big dogs...

I'm not funky...

2009-09-23T22:28:00.004-04:00

It's now for certain. According to the Funky Ferndale show, I'm no longer in the "funky" group.

Had great fun at the show with Jon Hecker in the booth next door (Pat was home very sick), showing their Tattoo Dreams. And the people watching was fantastic! But I felt either old or just out of my element. My work didn't fit into the show or the people there. But it was FUN!!!

Next up for me is the wonderful Cottonwood Art Festival in Richardson Texas, a suburb of Dallas. This is a relatively new show for me and I absolutely love it! Everyone is so very nice plus people actually like my jewelry!!! And I get to see the great jewelry photographer, Marilyn O'Hara!

It's all good...even if I'm no longer funky...

Can I be funky?

2009-09-18T10:46:00.002-04:00

I leave in a little while for the Funky Ferndale Art Show and I'm wondering if I'm even the least bit funky anymore. As I've been sitting in the studio making new things for the show, I realize that right now my work is more zen than funk.

So when did my work change and mellow out? All my life changes and everything that happens is reflected in what I make. For me with the world so chaotic, my work is coming out more calm and peaceful. Feels right to me!

All I can hope for this weekend is that in and amongst all the funky work in Ferndale, people will be drawn to a little sea of calm...

Cheap Advertising

2009-09-13T23:41:00.002-04:00

I don't understand why art fairs don't have lists of their artists and links to their websites available for the public at least 2 months before their shows. This is the cheapest form of advertising I can think of yet so many shows don't take advantage of it!

As a customer, I go to the art fair's website first and see if there is anything there that interests me. I love discovering new artists or new work by old favorites and then I can't wait for the show. I cannot understand why shows don't have that information available and do it months before the show. Yes, there will be cancellations and changes before the actual show and no, I don't expect it to be constantly updated but what's so tough here???

It's cheap advertising and I think as artists, we should demand it!

I have found my true calling...

2009-09-08T18:37:00.004-04:00

I want to be an art fair roadie! This past weekend I did just that when I went to Fourth Street Festival in Bloomington IN with Michael as his roadie. Now my motives weren't pure since the Hecker's live there and were showing their Tattoo Dreams work in the booth next door. I was seeing social time ahead. And there was!

As a roadie there's no stress before the show. Nothing to get ready, nothing to make, nothing to worry about. Pack up your clothes and go. No maps to print, no show info to read, no wondering if you're on grass or pavement or if it's going to rain. None of that. Just sit in the seat and ride! Stop for gas and someone else pays for it. Oh, this is sweet!!!

Setup was pretty easy since again, I had no worries. I got to move Michael's work around the way I liked it even though he moved some things back. I didn't sweat the parking situation, even though it was perfect there. Pat and Jon knew all the greatest places to eat so we ate really well and I could even eat garlic, which I love. If I had a booth I'd be way too close to people to get away with garlic breath but not in Michael's.

I made the first sale in the booth on Saturday which was fun. Later in the day, Pat needed a booth break so we left the guys in charge of both booths and we went to catch up in Starbucks, only coming back 2 hours later because they called us. We had lots to catch up on!

The show does people counts once and hour and I volunteered for a shift each day which was great fun since it was new to me. So if you read their estimates of attendance, they should be more accurate than most. I did some booth sitting for friends that were by themselves since I know how much I appreciate it when people do it for me.

Oh, the freedom I had was wonderful! I could somewhat come and go. Drank lots of coffee and met wonderful people at the show. Got very wet walking around on Sunday when I actually got to see the show. That never happens when I have my own booth...

So I've now found my true calling. I just have to find people to actually pay me to do it!

Vacations

2009-08-30T12:16:00.005-04:00

I've never been one of those people for whom a vacation means travel to faraway lands. My idea of a great vacation has always been seeing interesting places, meeting interesting people and enjoying a new experience wherever that may be. Now, because I'm doing so much traveling for shows, the entire word "vacation" has taken on a new meaning.

Vacation now means a hammock at our favorite little rented cottage on the beaches of Lake Michigan. Up on a bluff, right on the lake, with woods all around and very few people seen. Ah, perfection.

I'm now home from the most needed vacation that I can ever remember, ready to get back in the studio! I have a HUGE group of shows coming up, the most I've ever done in a short amount of time and I need to be well stocked so that no one is short-changed in selection because I didn't get enough done. I feel refreshed, revived and have tons of ideas of new pieces I want to make.

It's now 50 weeks before I'm back in that hammock, listening to the waves crash on the beach, napping and reading good books. I have a lot to get done before that...

On vacation...

2009-08-23T09:15:00.002-04:00

Getting ready for vacation this year took more last minute work than normal because I got home from a show just days before. But of course we made it since NOTHING gets in the way of vacation.

So my next post will be AFTER vacation when I don't have to sit in Biggby's, my favorite coffee shop with music seemingly blasting into my ear that has swimmers ear. Oh pain...

Scheduling Art Fairs

2009-07-26T16:09:00.003-04:00

For me the Ann Arbor Art Fairs in July have always signaled the end of summer. My next show is normally in September so I take August to regroup, restock and take a vacation. I've always wondered how people turned right around after Ann Arbor and did another show. This year, I'm going to find out. Okay it's not really right after Ann Arbor but it is close. I'm doing the Uptown Art Fair in Minneapolis Aug 7-9 before I get a vacation.

If you like control over your work schedule, this isn't the life for you. You can apply to dozens of juried art fairs and get into none, all or somewhere in between. Okay, I've never gotten into everything I've applied to but I can dream big!

Sometimes your schedule just works out beautifully with close shows back to back and other times you're criss crossing the country, which is going to be my fall schedule. Michigan, Texas, Maryland, Tennessee, Florida, Ohio. It would be nice if I went right from Tennessee to Florida but there's a week in between.

This works really well for anyone who likes road trips, which I do but I've never done this much traveling in such a short time. 5 shows in 7 weeks means instead of typing this, I need to be in the studio! Back to work...

Best in Show!

2009-07-23T10:35:00.004-04:00

Boy, it's not often I get a chance to talk about something that kept a grin on my face for days, but this did. My jewelry won "Best in Show" at the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair on State Street! My first "Best in Show" ever! That award is usually won by fabulous painters or glass blowers, not jewelers.

The fun started early since I wasn't in my booth when they came to give me the award. I had chosen that time to walk around and see some of the show for myself. I got back and started telling Shoaleh what I had seen. What I didn't notice, for quite a while in fact, was that she was wearing this big blue ribbon across her chest! Yes, I did finally notice.

Then came the fun of deciding where to put the ribbon. My initial idea of wearing it as a necklace was quickly vetoed and the ribbon spent it's days moving around the booth. A list of the winners was written up in the local newspaper on Friday so that started the people coming and looking for who won the awards. Not sure it helped sales but it definitely helped keep me grinning!

Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair is next week!

2009-07-08T11:11:00.004-04:00

YIKES! What a thought! I worked so hard getting ready for the Boston Mills ArtFest and had so much fun there that it's hard to get back in gear for my biggest show of the year, the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair!

But in the midst of at least thinking about getting in the studio to make new things, I took a day off to "play" with my nephew Tommy. I only get to see him a couple times a year since he lives in Maryland and it's not enough so I grabbed this chance at some one on one time with my favorite kid (not sure that at 5'10" and almost 16 I can still call him that). By the end of the day, between he and Dick, I had one of the best days of my life. It was nothing big but just a lot of little things, lots of warm fuzzies that made me totally forget about work.

But I'm back in work mode today. Starting my lists of what needs to be done so I can prioritize and make sure everything gets done. I love lists and would be lost without them. I have pictures from the front and back of my booth last year since it worked really well for me and I want to repeat it. This picture is my booth last year with Nancy Martin working away inside. I have more cases than at any other show so I need to get working to fill them!

This is the year to come back to the Ann Arbor Art Fairs! If you haven't been in a while, come back and see what you've been missing! Park at Briarwood Mall and take the shuttle in for the easiest Ann Arbor experience.

I'm booth #27 on State Street right in front of Angell Hall. I'll be the tired looking one with a smile on my face because I'm at my favorite show of the year!

Buried in the studio

2009-06-29T09:43:00.002-04:00

So, I'm feeling guilty about not blogging but I've truly been buried in the studio. My next two shows, Boston Mills ArtFest and the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair are the two biggest shows of my year and I need to be ready.

I have these blue trays with 50 compartments and my goal was to fill one tray completely by tomorrow morning. Not sure I'll make it but I definitely won't if I spend time on the computer.

I can no longer put in the really long hours that I used to in getting ready for a show. Everything objects from my body to my brain! I can be in the studio but I won't be accomplishing anything so my thinking is that I might as well get some much needed sleep instead. Better than burning off my eyelashes!

So, off to the studio...

Bonnie "Sue" Blandford 1929-2007

2009-06-19T18:41:00.004-04:00

Today is the second anniversary of my Mom's death. I still think of her and miss her every day and I think that will always continue. She was a huge part of my life, not always in the forefront but always there.

We talked on the phone at least once a day, sometimes many more times for silly reasons. How to cook something, what bird did I see, I'm bored (that was me), should I or shouldn't I or please just talk some sense into me. Didn't always like the answers I got from some of my questions but knew she would be straight with me.

She set the bar really high for women in general as she broke the glass ceiling over and over, making it easier for those who came after her. I'll never come close to all she accomplished but I know that's okay. She set amazing goals for herself but never forced the same on her daughters. She was proud of what both of us have accomplished and didn't measure us by what she did.

Love this picture of my parents! Once Mom retired, her suits were traded for khaki pants and her Ferragamo's for good walking shoes. This is how I'll always remember her with Dad.

I found this quote (author unknown) that I thought fit her so perfectly, she laughed and hung it next to her desk.

"Life is not a journey to the grave
with the intention of arriving safely,
in one pretty and well preserved piece,
but to skid across the line broadside,
thoroughly used up, worn out,
shouting GERONIMO!"

We think she accomplished that...

Booth Drama

2009-06-11T15:40:00.003-04:00

I have a booth dilemma. The "bottoms" of my cases need remaking. The taupe looking color was first but didn't last long. Then came the gold, thinking it was the color of my high karat gold and would pop. People would notice me! With the taupe, I feel like I blended into the street or into the background and didn't make a statement.

So I found some lovely fabric which meets all my needs but I need something to use until I feel like I can afford 20 yards of the new one. So I'm back to the gold, brand new but the same fabric and color. I can hear the screams from a certain friend already. She doesn't like the gold...

So when you see me at the next few shows, I'm back to the gold. You can't miss me!

Art fairs are tough!

2009-06-07T13:35:00.003-04:00

Just back from the easiest art fair of my entire year, the Kalamazoo Art Fair. It's one day, you set up in the morning, ready to go by 9am. It's only an hour from home and because Dick went with me, I was home again by 6:30pm. I get to take my easy canopy so instead of a hour putting up the canopy, it's minutes. My van is right next to my booth for both setup and take-down. It all couldn't be easier. Plus, I had help which I normally don't.

So why do I still feel (and look) like I've been hit by a truck???

Art fairs are just getting tougher! This time I'm blaming it on age. I started doing shows when I was 23 and back then we would go out at night for a late dinner with friends and have no problem being perky at 6 am to go back to the show. Now all I want is my jammies and an air conditioned hotel room!

This is my second show of three in a row which is something I normally try not to do. But these aren't normal times and I need to do more shows than I used to. It would be fine if I didn't have to work like crazy between the shows but working 7 days a week has been the norm for many years as it is for most people who make their living selling their handmade work at art fairs.

So if you catch me yawning at an art fair, know that it's not because I've been out partying the night before. It's because this is just becoming harder to do as the years go on. But I'm not stopping...

Renaissance Art Festival

2009-06-03T15:22:00.006-04:00

Just back from the brand new Renaissance Art Festival in Ridgeland Mississippi where it was HOT! This northern girl wasn't prepared for 90+ degree temperatures (it's 65 here right now). Whew, I was ready for the air conditioned hotel room!

The other thing I wasn't prepared for was how wonderful Southern hospitality can be! Everyone involved with the show was so happy we were there and so welcoming. We heard over and over from the public how pleased they were to find all the great quality work. One woman stood outside my booth calling her friends telling them they just had to come to the show. That it was all museum quality work for sale! That gave me a big grin!

So on top of a lovely show was the fun of seeing good friends and getting to be right next to Pat and Jon Hecker. That upped the fun factor greatly! The time spent outside the show hours is just as important as what happens during the show for me. We tend to lead rather solitary lives in our studios so a good part of shows is the social aspect. This show was a great one for reconnecting with friends and catching up on the news.

Thanks to H. C. (Chris) Porter, Robert McFarland and everyone else involved in putting on this wonderful, first year event. You did a great job! I'm already looking forward to next year!

Dirt under my fingernails...

2009-05-24T14:12:00.003-04:00

I'm finally over my horror of using old kitty litter containers for my tomato plants this year. After having priced more of the big terracotta pots, I decided that this was the year to recycle all the good litter containers I've been saving. They may look funny but they're turning out to be quite practical. Love the handles while the plants are little.

My yard doesn't get enough sun due to my over planting of trees over the years so I have one little spot off the driveway that works perfectly for growing veggies in pots. This year it's tomatoes in several varieties, Poblano and Anaheim peppers and then some green and red peppers. Last year I froze a ton of peppers and really enjoyed having them available during the winter so I'm trying more this year.

The picture below is hopeful. One lone bud on my poppy plant. Normally it blooms before Mother's Day and then we have a big rainstorm that weekend and it gets beat up. Not this year. And I have hope that I'll still see a beautiful bloom!

Needing good news

2009-05-20T23:29:00.003-04:00

I need good news. I don't want to hear how hard it is out there, many of us are already living with that. What I do for a living is not life sustaining for anyone! No one NEEDS jewelry for their existence. The problem is that it IS life sustaining for me. Making it helps get me out of bed in the morning, pays my mortgage and feeds my cats. It's not just a "job", it's a huge part of who I am and I'm afraid of losing it.

So, I want good news. Little or big, I'm searching for more good news...

~Baxter~

2009-05-18T12:10:00.003-04:00

This is when I wish I was an eloquent writer of beautiful prose because this is Baxter, a member of the Hecker family and my nephew. He was only in their lives for 7 months but will be in their hearts forever. As Pat described him, he had short legs, hadn't grown into his ears yet and he ran like a puppy! It was love at first sight, on both sides when he first ran into their lives.

There were always great Baxter stories and hopefully the memories will bring some comfort to his family but for right now, it just hurts. And frankly, it doesn't seem fair.

Baxter brought a great amount of love into numerous lives in a short amount of time. He'll always be remembered with a smile and a story...RIP Baxter...

Everyone's at a show!

2009-05-16T19:07:00.002-04:00

At least that's what it feels like! I've talked to people at 3 different shows around the country today which makes me feel like I didn't get asked to the prom!

I did get accepted to a show this weekend but declined the invite because it would make 4 shows in one month which is just too many for me. So why do I feel like I'm missing all the fun???

62% Price Increase and Hotel horrors!

2009-05-12T18:21:00.006-04:00

In these times when we're all trying to cut our expenses both in making our work and the expenses to do art fairs, in the hope that we'll be able to keep our work affordable, I was just notified of CheckInn card's decision to raise their nightly fee by 62%!!! Actually, I wasn't notified at all. I discovered that my bill was bigger than I expected and then I contacted them.

They are a reseller of low end hotel rooms that I've been using for a few months, trying to save money on travel. The way they make their money is to charge a fee for every night you use their discounted hotel room rates. Perfectly good system which I've enjoyed using, even though some of the hotels have been a little sketchy to say the least! But raising the fees by 62% in these times is ridiculous!!!

The last hotel I stayed in with them was a Red Roof Inn in St. Louis MO. I don't normally take pictures of the hotel furniture but these chairs were so gross, I felt like I needed to document them. The hotel wasn't cheap to begin with and now to find out I have to pay even more than I expected, well, I'm not happy.

Plus this is proof that just because I love the Red Roof Inn in Troy MI, does not mean I'll love all locations. And this room cost almost twice as much... And that's with using the CheckInn card vs. reserving online for the Troy location.

Boo hiss...

Cancelling an art fair...

2009-05-08T17:35:00.003-04:00

It doesn't happen often, in fact almost never, but occasionally I've had to cancel an art fair that I've planned on doing. That's what happened this weekend. So I won't be at Art Birmingham, formerly the Birmingham Fine Art Festival in Birmingham Michigan.

Today would have been set-up day and the weather is absolutely beautiful. Perfect for an art fair. Tomorrow there's a possibility of some rain but it wouldn't be Michigan in the spring without that. Sunday looks lovely for an art fair.

Here's hoping that the show turns out wonderfully for the artists and customers alike. I'll miss being there...

Cottonwood Art Festival

2009-05-07T22:35:00.006-04:00

The show in pictures! The rains luckily came straight down, hard but without wind for which we were VERY lucky! The water was streaming through the park in rivers, becoming ankle deep in my booth. Michael was a trooper, getting soaked but helping me tremendously. The show was closed about 3:30 on Saturday which I really appreciated since being under my canopy with the water rising isn't my idea of a fun day.

My friend Marilyn O'Hara deserves an award for even being willing to come visit considering the weather that was coming. She stayed through the mess and helped take out the jewelry for me. Her sandals may never be the same...

When we originally set up for the show I noticed a semi-trailer full of straw in the parking lot. On Sunday morning I discovered why it was there. The show supplied us with all the straw we needed to make the show area and our booths functional again! They were well prepared which meant that the show continued on Sunday but with a new look underfoot!

Now comes the weird part. I still had fun! I really enjoy Texas art fairs and it's because I find the people to just be really nice. Add to that a wonderful artist party on Friday night, lots of good friends at the show, great times outside of the show, and it all adds up to a positive experience, even with the rain and the flu problems in the area. A side note - the show used one of my images (a ring) on their website and I was surprised how many people mentioned seeing it!

Please let this be the worst weather we all encounter at shows this year! If everything else is going to be tough, at least give us good weather!

What to make

2009-04-26T15:44:00.009-04:00

This weekend has been spent in the studio working toward my next show which is the Cottonwood Art Festival and I'm having trouble deciding what to make. When this happens, I look back at last year to see what sold to give me some help. What were people were the most interested in.

The "All Cracked Up" series with the 22k highly textured, both shiny and matte?

The colored pieces with 22k gold?

Or the chopped gold, like my chopstick earrings?

Or my newest and what I love to make, my 22k gold and blackened sterling with a bamboo leaf pattern? Guess I've answered my own question. I'm making what makes me happiest today (that may change tomorrow) because my love for the pieces shows in the end result.

Blogging

2009-04-24T22:24:00.002-04:00

One of the forums I read asked why people blog which got me thinking. When I started blogging it was to share what it was like to make a living by doing art fairs. I was going to talk about what it was really like behind the scenes of doing art fairs since people seem to think we travel a circuit in "big packs" and sleep in our vans! FYI, we don't...

What I discovered is that making your living this way means that absolutely everything that goes on in your life, ends up being part of the story. Which means it ends up here. Because it's all a part of what I do and how I do it.

I'm not a writer and I can't even pretend to be. I don't go back over what I've written and fine tune it since I can't try to be something I'm not and I really have no interest in that kind of blogging. For me I want to type what I'm thinking once and be done. I'll try to correct spelling errors but no guarantees of that either.

Hopefully in the next few months real life will calm down and my blogs will be about all the wonderful work I'm making, all the great shows I'm doing and all the wonderful people I've met along the way. Here's to being able to make a living doing what I love!

Still cold...

2009-04-23T11:52:00.003-04:00

I've spent hours online reading everything I can on furnaces. Most of them just repeat the same information and they all have their opinions on the best brands but then the next person says it's the worst. How can I be expected to make a decision with so little solid information? Especially since it's a huge (in my world) amount of money to spend, especially during tough times. Ugg.

The decision will come today and then I'll move on to making all kinds of wonderful new things for my Cottonwood show in Richardson Texas next week. It will be warm down there...

A new appreciation for heat...

2009-04-21T19:52:00.004-04:00

It's cold in my house. It's 37 outside and 50 something inside and I'm totally bundled up. Four months ago my furnace passed it's annual check-up with flying colors. Last Wednesday the furnace man shut it down due to two dangerous cracks in the heat exchanger. The "salesman" came on Wednesday to talk about a new furnace but I had to leave for a show on Thursday so nothing happened over the weekend.

I was shocked at what it was going to cost to replace my furnace. The good news is that there is currently a 30% tax credit for replacing furnaces with high-efficiency models.

Right now, all I care about is that I'm cold, all the way through. But the weather forecast is for 80 degrees on Friday. I'll probably be complaining about sweating on Friday but right now, I don't think so...

How to use your artwork...

2009-04-19T14:36:00.003-04:00

You just never know where your artwork will end up or how it will be used. This is an unglazed Michael Kifer reject from the Garage Sale Art Fair many years ago. It's been outside year round and hasn't had it's spring scrubbing yet.

But Jet doesn't care. He's the newest addition to our "outdoor crew". He wandered into the yard where he quickly discovered that not only were there cute little girl cats (fixed, semi-feral) that would follow him around but also food and water. He's quite a talker and loves being petted so obviously he was someones beloved pet at some point. Now, he's a "streeter" who's a really sweetie. And he loves Michael's pot...

Great Lakes Art Fair - third day

2009-04-19T11:58:00.004-04:00

Beautiful show at the Rock Financial Showplace in Novi! The first image is what you see when you walk into the facility. Beautiful walkway. The first booth you see is Jerry Berta with his clay and neon. What a fun way to start a show.

Had to add a picture of Connie Mettler and Blair Bowman (he owns the facility and has been GREAT to work with). They are a winning combination and will make this into a great show.

There will be another show in October where we won't be competing with the highway being closed and the first beautiful weekend of spring! Here's to a new beautiful art fair in Michigan!

As the year goes on, please remember the importance of art in your daily life. Please support those artists who are out there making their living bringing you affordable art to feed your soul. We need each other right now! Please shop at your local art fairs!

Great Lakes Art Fair

2009-04-17T15:47:00.005-04:00

This is my booth at the Great Lakes Art Fair with my new black bottoms. It makes the booth kind of dark but I'm asking all my friends for their opinions. This isn't a good picture. So Pat, what do you think, since this was your idea???

It's so much fun doing an indoor show and this one has all kinds of other things going on as well. Massages are available which at the moment, sound like heaven! There's a martini bar and frozen vodka. Might make doing a show a bit tough but both sound like fun!

The people running the show are wonderful and I'm really happy to be here. Day one is almost done and then the party with music by George Benson. Can't possibly be the real one can it?

Woodlands Waterway Art Festival

2009-04-12T10:11:00.005-04:00

What a beautiful location for an art fair. My booth backed up to the water canals where they were doing water taxi rides for $1. Really wanted to take the ride but needed to work instead!

Even better than that was I was in a row with Jon and Patricia Hecker and Michael. Jon and Pat thought it would be a good thing if they were the booth between Michael and I since we were in the same van for the 25 hour ride. I'm sure they were right!

One thing about doing art fairs outdoors that always worries me is wind. I've lost one canopy to a microburst in Charlotte NC and tore up another in Detroit so I know what can happen even when you do everything right. This was a VERY windy show! But as great as Jon and Pat are as next door neighbors, I appreciated Jon's ratchet strap skills and being physically attached to their booth almost as much. I didn't worry at all about the wind because my booth was not going to move! I can't say the same for my cases...

Pat was sitting in my booth so I could run to the restroom and she said something like "what happens if a case goes over?". I kind of laughed and told her to stuff the jewelry in her pockets and then I took off. Right after I left, my biggest case went over in the wind. This has never happened before but luckily Pat was right there to rescue my work. Also lucky was that it fell into the booth where I have a rubber floor so the jewelry wasn't ruined! I came back to this...
the case hit my drawers and knocked them over as well. What a mess. But I learned a very valuable lesson. If Pat asks a question like "what do I do if this happens", pay attention!!!

This was a lovely show to do, wonderful people, beautiful location and perfect weather (other than a little too much wind). Best neighbors ever of course! Loved the show but it's a very, very long way from Michigan and having to be gone for a full week is tough. Not sure I can justify it but I would love try it again sometime.

On the road again!

2009-04-09T11:46:00.005-04:00

Finally after a long winter, my first art fair of the year and it's in Texas! We crammed two booths into Michael's extra long van and hit the road. The minute we headed south, I started looking for the source of the best cherry limeades ever, a Sonic Drive-In. Finally in southern Illinois, we found one and I was in heaven!

At some point along the road in Texas, we ran into this next one. A peacock hanging out at the local convenience store. Always something interesting on the road!

More stories coming!

Carla's Video

2009-03-31T09:32:00.004-04:00

A fellow metalsmith, Carla Fox, sent me a video that her son made of her with her daughter's help. She's posted it on YouTube.

Based on how wonderful this video is, maybe I should have had kids!

Studio Days

2009-03-29T10:36:00.004-04:00

After a long time spent getting other aspects of my life reorganized, I'm finally back in the studio! When I'm not spending time there, I forget how much I LOVE being there, making and creating. And getting really dirty! Flitting from one job to the next with too many ideas and not enough time!

This "method of working" happens quite often right before a show. My best creativity hits right before a show and then I work like mad to get as much done as possible. Before realizing that I need to find clothing and maybe pack the van as well. But amazingly, it all gets done and I always get to the show!

So, back to the studio. This picture is what my bench looked like before I started yesterday's production special. It doesn't look anything like this now! That's the good news!!!

Happy Endings...

2009-03-27T22:12:00.004-04:00

As much as I love music, I wasn't on the cutting edge when it came to mp3 players and iPods. I didn't see the need since I had a huge collection of CDs which I could easily rotate. Then the Nano came out in really great colors and I was hooked. All the music I wanted in one little, easily carried package. Absolutely perfect, until I lost it.

I searched everywhere and more than once, backtracking to when I last had it. Dick searched as well with no luck. In total frustration it was decided that I probably left it plugged in at my last hotel room. Unbelievably frustrating.

With 40+ hours in the van coming up next week, I broke down and bought a new Nano. An extremely cute hot pink one that was on special with free accessories, also pink. But I didn't open it. I was absolutely sure that mine would turn up now that I had a new one.

For one last time I went through all the pockets of my suitcases, all my drawers, searching everywhere I could think of. Finally I searched my van one last time, intending to open the iPod since there was nowhere left to look. And there is was, in my center console. A place both Dick and I had searched multiple times before. And it was right there...

It makes no sense but who cares! I've returned the cute pink one and have joyfully updated and charged my even cuter lime green Nano in anticipation of a long trip. And thanking whatever little angel that helped me find it!

Art Fairs

2009-03-21T15:57:00.005-04:00

I've never looked forward to doing art fairs more than I am this year and I don't know what the difference is. This winter was NOT spent making jewelry so I'm not the least bit ready and I have a really full schedule. I've just added my shows to the schedule to the right and looking at it, I'm a little worried that I've added too many shows! But that's a GREAT problem to have.

So, support the art community and your favorite artists and shop at some art fairs this year. Spend a little or spend a lot, but help all of us that make our living by making things for other people to enjoy. Everyone needs art in their lives!!!