Pretty Weather

There were these three cardinals outside the front window this morning making such a ruckus and having so much fun that I had to go out and see what was going on. I was out just long enough to grab a photo of one of them before the dogs figured out how to open the front door and scared them off their perch.

I just wanted to drop in and tell you about the show this weekend. It was the BEST show I have ever done in many ways. People were buying and they were so friendly and wonderful and interesting. One of the women who bought this piece just returned from the Serengeti. She was there working with rescued elephants! What a dream. Really! It was great to talk with her.
There were so many great people at the show. Saturday was a 12 hour day plus setup and breakdown. I was delirious by the end of the day. A little on edge. But was able to come home and rest and be ready for the four hour day on Sunday. We could not have had better weather. It feels like fall here. Fall puts me in the best mood. It makes me feel like exciting things are about to happen. I don't know why. I think it stems from my youth. My birthday is in October, and my favorite holiday when I was young was Halloween. Not to mention the raking of the leaves. Like so many other children, I loved to jump in the leaves. Thinking about that now makes me itch. Ha ha, I think that means I am old. I used to put my cat Dixie in the leaves too. She would get all sassy and playful. I actually think she liked it.

I have a ton of custom orders to fill today. I am a little behind on orders. If you are one of those people I am getting back on track today and tomorrow. I have to admit that it is hard to get to work the day after a show is over. I am going to discipline myself and get down in that dungeon very soon.

My next show is the Shaw Art Fair at the end of this month. I have never done Shaw before, but I have shopped it plenty of times. I think it is the prettiest setting for an Art Fair that I have been to. I am really looking forward to being a part of it. The Shaw art fair is where I purchased my favorite bird bath ever by a woman named Jennifer Pass of Rock Candy Mosaics. I just love her birdhouse that she sells on etsy.

I hope everyone had a great weekend. I could not help but think about all of the fun things I would be doing if I were not working. I decided my hypothetical weekend would consist of taking the dogs hiking somewhere around an animal friendly winery, stopping for a glass of wine and then heading home. Did you do anything fun in this fabulous weather?

Chesterfield Art in the Parking Lot This Weekend!

Well, it started last night. Again, my tent almost blew away. I guess I didn't tell you about last weekend. There were crazy rainy winds that came through Art & Air. For some reason I stayed in my tent. I think it was because it was raining too hard to run the two feet to the car. I am glad I stayed because I caught my tent mid air. I had weights, but they are not good enough. Apparently, I did not learn my lesson, because I did not bother to get new weights. Out of site, out of mind. So, yesterday, I was caught in the same position of holding down my tent with all of my might. By the next show I WILL have stabilizing bars and better weights. I am going to lose my tent one of these times if I do not figure it out. It is all such a matter of trial and error. I see artists that have been doing this for 40 years, and they really have it down pat. I hope to catch on faster than 40 years from now. Speaking of artists who have been doing this for 40 years, I met the most wonderful couple at Art & Air this past weekend. Richard Gruchalla & Carrin Rosetti make the most beautiful pottery. And, to top it off they are the sweetest couple who travels doing their art all year. They adopted Winnie, the most wonderful small dog ever. So hard to give her up, but it is reassuring to know what a loving family they are and how much love and attention she is going to get in her lifetime now.

I have more stories about last weekend to share, and I am sure that there will be plenty more from this weekend. It is always an adventure. But, now I have to get ready to go. I hope to see you all at the Chesterfield Art in the Parking Lot!

Oh, and above is a close up of my new booth. I have it set up differently this weekend, so I will take a good over all photo today. The material you see is by Anna Maria Horner. Check out her website. She makes the best material, kitchen towels, aprons, paintings and her house is an inspiration. I have never been, but I sneak peaks of it on her blog. Have a great weekend and a wonderful Father's Day!

I almost have all of the necessary components for my booth. I have had a hard time finding very much info on putting a booth together for art fairs, especially jewelry, so, I thought I would share my experiences. I was going to use fabric to cover the inside of the walls of my booth. Has anyone ever priced fabric? My goodness it is expensive. So I'm going for a rustic look to match my jewelry, and I have these old burlap coffee bags, (boxes of them, don't ask why), in my basement. Ive decided to try to sew these bags together with twine. I didn't like the natural color of twine, so I thought I'd die it dark brown on my stove. What a mess! I don't know how many people asked me yesterday if I died my hands brown on purpose. Maybe I could have been a little more careful. I think that is the story of my life. To be more careful. Think before I move, so I don't run into furniture and such, don't stick your hands in a big vat of brown die, don't throw hot tweezers on your gas lines. No, I did not blow up my house, yet. That is the lesson for today regarding booth set up. Move slowly, so as not to bruise, blow up or make your hands look permanently dirty.

Also, I emailed the CEO of the RED campaign about making some jewelry for their campaign. He has not emailed back yet, so if anyone knows him, pop him a line and tell him that Amie King wants to help their cause with jewelry. Thanks in advance!