gray girl art

Show #1 this weekend

This is where I'll be this weekend. Friday 2:15pm-6pm, Saturday 10am-4pm.
6301 SE 14th Ave, Portland, OR 97202

There will be AMAZING handcrafted goods here. Fabu skirts, wonderful fabric bags, colorful fused glass...magnetic chalkboards.....

And, as Tom said this morning (on his, um, 49th birthday), the debut of my new ceramic birds. I glaze fire today, we'll see if they make me oh-so-happy to display tomorrow.

The owl that was a bunny

Hey, look at the bunny rabbit!
(I have a friend who claims she is not creative. Pul-leeze! Even though this adorable owl started its life as a bunny, it is most definitely an owl to the nth degree.)


And a fairy princess, with floaty wings and a fabulous sweet acorn hat!

Several weeks ago I had an Art Day with a few friends. We needle felted wool, which is when you take loose wool and a barbed needle, and poke the wool until the fluffiness takes a firm shape. My friend who lead us on this journey, had all the supplies and a few felting books in Japanese. And although we couldn't read the books, we could follow the picture directions. Kind of like a paint-by-numbers. You know, just kind of.

Colorful wool.


The beginnings of my felted bird.


My birdie. I did add a metal button on each wing for a bit of pizazz! I'll post an updated picture soon.

Here comes the sun

This is my brush drying basket.

It is on the front porch of the studio. I made this two years ago, but never got around to finishing off the top of the basket. And it's big. Over two feet tall. I thought it would hold fruit in the kitchen, but instead I hang my brushes on it to dry. It is quite silly and fun and functional.

Today has been beautiful, which we Portlanders needed after all the rain. Went on a hike with Eli's 4th grade class, perfect weather, so nice to be out in our own little wetland area below the school.

I will work tonight, go to a PTA meeting tonight,
and somehow manage to make dinner tonight.

Well, maybe dinner out tonight would be okay, too.

4 orders ready to ship to stores. BIG order delivered last week.
Wholesale is winding down.
Retail is gearing up. Two school bazaars this weekend. The Market for as many Saturdays as I can handle after that. One studio sale coming up in December.

I think I'm actually going to plan on doing nothing for January.

Saturday Market/Studio Saturday

Oh, the weather outside is frightful, and the fire is so delightful......

The rain that poured on Saturday was a monsoon, I tell ya!
I was completely amazed that there were people out at The Market
(oh, bless their hearts!), because not only were there people,
some of them were even buying!

It was a full on ridiculous day: tons of rain, a roll of thunder
and a flash of lightening.

And a smattering of vendors. Hopeful, patient, and as far as I know, mostly dry.

My own day was fun. I had sales enough to be happy with the day, and I got a ton
of wire wrapping done for orders that need to ship this week. I met some wonderfully
innovative and supportive women, sold a chalkboard to a most energetic-oh-so-happy-to-find-a-chalkboard-that-is-fun gal, and had my picture taken, not once, not twice, but three times! And I'm not exactly a camera confidant person.

The picture situation was this: One time was a customer who wanted to remember me as the artist who created her board (so sweet!). Another time was when I bought a hat from a fellow vendor and she likes to put pictures up on her website of happy customers. The 3rd time was a very brave photography student who asked if she could take a few pictures of me in my booth.
She liked my red coat with my red sign, and I was working with red needle nose pliers
(and all I can hope is that is won't end up on the internet somewhere weird...I'm sure that won't happen, but the thought did cross my mind).

So, all in all, the day was productive, made some sales, and had some happy customers. I stayed warm and dry with my fuzzy Ugg boots and fleece blanket. My booth neighbor shared his propane heater (got to get me one of those!), and I had yummy veggie chili.

'This does not bode well.'

Words from show management for me canceling at the last minute.

Yeah, I bet it doesn't sit well.

I have no big dramatic excuse, no solid Real World reason for canceling the Seattle show. What I know is this: This was not the best next step for me.
I am sorry I didn't realize this sooner.

I have been questioning my attachment to the wholesale show world,
and this is what I have come up with:
Comfort.

It's what I know.
I understand the quirks of fellow exhibitors (and welcome most of them),
even though I struggle with my booth display, I love the redesigning and
experimenting, I know that I should have order forms, and business cards,
and a friendly smile. It's an atmosphere I grew my business in, the twice
a year shows were staples of my families life. It has an element of excitement.
There are buyers I may have never reached had it not been for being at the shows.
I'm comfortable with Net 30 (getting paid 30 days after you send the order),
scheduling delivery times, qualifying a buyer (is my work really a good fit
for your store), and the camaraderie that develops on slow days.
It's fun to have a place to belong to, relationships develop, you look forward
to seeing certain people and talking business.

And now I want to do it differently.
Not only do I want to sell to my wholesale accounts differently,
I want to be in the studio differently. I want to design and explore and
revel in the artistry goodness that wants to be created.
I want to sell on my own terms.
I want to practice a new form of No Compromise.
(And what that really means, I don't know. Yet.)

So true confession time:
I had yet to pay for my booth, so the show is out income. That is their upset.
I canceled at such short notice, it probably puts me on their list of bad exhibitors.
They run other shows I would like to do in the future, I may have put that in jeopardy.

My impeccability stance has been marred.
It gives me great pain to know I did not act in the best for all concerned.
But I did take care of me, and to be quite honest, that is my main focus.

Complete change of plans

Briefly:
I'm not going to Seattle.
I may go down to The Market on Saturday.

Everybody is fine.
No big dramas.
I'm ever so grateful I'm staying home.

More later.

The 1980's Prom Couple: Think 'Pretty in Pink' Punk Fun. I had a red dress and black boots, Tom had red spiky hair and pencil leg pants. We both had shades that made it hard to see in the dark (!).

Halloweeny fun in the neighborhood.

*****
Feeling optimistic today. Maybe the vent from yesterday helped. Maybe the extra light in the morning helps. Maybe seeing that I may be further along in producing what I want to produce (for all 3 up coming shows) helps.

I know I'll freak out again.
I know I'll get frantic and worry.
I know I'll want more than what is in front of me.
And when that happens, I'll write about it.

Studio Friday, Saturday, Sunday....

I've been in a funk creativity wise.
I have not been wanting to make chalkboards.
Hmmm, isn't that my business right now? Chalkboards?
And so I've been making the ceramic pieces that support the chalkboards:
chalk pockets and magnets, all the while avoiding the boards.
And just tonight, while working, I felt the resistance, and may have had
an inkling of what is has been about.

I've said this before, and will probably say it again:
I want to do what my heart is moved to do.
I want to create what I feel moved to create.
Not what someone has ordered.
Not what sells, just because it sells.

This is my creative outlet and I get to express my ideas, feelings, goofiness;
my heart.

Now, I also know that I am a smart business woman, and will continue to offer
designs that are popular; but I don't have to begin my day by making them.
And I don't even have to make them for this up coming show,
I can wait for another show.

This is me admitting I don't have it all together.

Our Halloween mantle.

Painted patty pan squash, kid art and Day of the Dead decorations.

I will not be at The Market this weekend, I'll be celebrating Halloween (the ultimate kid holiday; candy and costumes) and working on boards and ornaments for the Seattle show.

I have a few new designs, mostly they are phrases stamped onto the top of the board with playful, whimsical flowers painted on the bottom.
Walk in beauty; Live your best life; Coffee now-talk later;
the good stuff in life you want to remember.

Cutey-Pootey Puppy-Wuppy

Forgive the baby talk, but puppies just call out for that silliness!

This pup was with his people at The Market, and he eats leaves.
Chases them, chews on them, will happily take them from your hand
(which a vendor did, repeatedly; not me, I will add).

I'm busily preparing for the Seattle show.
While there, I'll get to see my god-mother, whom I adore.
I plan on seeing a movie or two, cuz that's what I do when I'm out of town on my own.

Today is a long work day, and my good friend E is helping me with the nitty-gritty
of sanding boards. Outside. Where it is cold. Or at least chilly. But I thank her
with a huge warm heart and a bowl of soup later!