Cottonwood

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!

I'm not funky...

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...

Cottonwood Art Festival

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!

Buyer's Market - Wrap Up!

Home again and pretty much recovered from the show. My shipping crates were delivered today so tomorrow I'll start the job of unpacking and sorting everything to be packed away until my next wholesale show.

This was a LONG show. It was slower than most wholesale shows for me so the days dragged on but it really had it's high points. And these are their pictures (with my apologies to David Heston who I didn't get a picture of).

So, the picture above is of Patricia Tschetter and Marilyn O'Hara. Marilyn kept me fed and filled with fresh juice during the show as well as just being a good friend! Her official job was in Patricia's beautiful jewelry booth! Luckily, they were just down the row from me so I saw them often.

The picture on the left is Michael, Grace and Don. Grace was at the show helping Michael which meant that Michael wasn't around as much. He gave me wonderful dark chocolate on Valentine's Day. Wonderful man! So if I mention Don, I have to mention his wonderful girlfriend Jorn as well. She saved me at a wholesale show last year.

The picture on the right is David Smallcombe, also a jeweler, since we're in the jewelry section! I know David from doing retail shows in the midwest since he's from Kalamazoo. He was a peach and took a box home for Michael that had some of my poles in it. I really want his wonderful pricing spreadsheet!

On the left were new neighbors, Ashley and Alberto Parada standing next to a poster of his beautiful work.

On the right is Amery Carriere who was a great addition to our little grouping! Wonderful woman with beautiful jewelry. Plus she also uses rose gold which I love!

In case you haven't discovered yet, it's the people that make a show. Your neighbors make all the difference and I'm blessed with very good ones at the Buyers Market!