Scheduling Art Fairs

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!

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!

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

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

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

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!

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...