Alice in Wonderland @ Art-is-You

i'm leaving on Tuesday for Portland to teach at Artnsoul, but i am also trying to get much done for the art retreat, Art-is-You, which is where i will be teaching next week. Their theme this year, is Alice in Wonderland, so i painted a little watercolor using a Suzi Blu type of girl (taught at her San Diego workshop). I also used page from a vintage book for the scene. i added the little birdie on my own, just because! i am making little ornaments and a few collages on little frames and i also made myself a little t-shirt to wear at "Alice's coronation".

prototype for spoon class @ Artnsoul art retreat oct. 2009

I leave on Tuesday for Portland, Oregon where i am teaching at Artnsoul for 2 days. One of the classes that i am teaching is using old spoons and how to transform them into jewelry. since i am very visual and my other prototype is in California at Gilding the Lily (where i am teaching in February), i made another necklace to have on hand during the demos and discussions. and yes, this will be for sale after i return home.

home again, home again

How awesome is this? they had 2 girls at the fair, taking photos, giving out wienie whistles. so i asked if they got to drive it here and she said yes. so i was wondering how does one get a job driving a wienie car? (you never know, i might apply....)
update: i went on their website to answer my own question and this is what i found out:
While I was just pretend the real driving is done by a team of talented and personable "Hotdoggers" who have attended Hot Dog High in Madison, Wisconsin, where they learn about the company's products and history as well as receiving specialized driver training. I'm sure they're careful drivers, but Oscar Mayer undoubtedly has a hefty car insurance policy on a vehicle this unique. After taking the Hotdogger Oath and graduating, new Hotdoggers travel the country for one year. The Hotdoggers on this visit were Desiree Villarreal (left), better known as "Dill Relish Des", from Palacios, Texas, and Regan Schubel (a.k.a. "Regan Relish") from Marshall, Michigan.


(click on photo for enlarged view)

well, we made it back home - we left yesterday morning with Joanna and Miss A in the U-haul and Kathe and I in my car. well, Kathe and i promptly got lost as we were chit chatting away. it didn't take us long to figure it out though. then where we decided to get off was under constructed, so we ended up on a detour that took us on a very extended route to get back to where we needed to go. the whole time we were trying to sort out our directions, there was a very strange, but cute, cricket/grasshopper on the dash of my car and he kept walking towards me. i didn't mind him in the car, but he kept coming straight at me and i thought, he's gonna jump in my face! so i swatted him about. so we are driving on this detour and all of a sudden, Kathe, gives out a startled noise and Mr. Buggy had made his way around to her window and was staring her in the face. so out the window he went! we made several stops on the way home at antique stores, potty breaks, coffee breaks. the ride was long and tedious. my back was spasming really bad, so i was happy every time we stopped to stretch our legs. we ended up stopping at this hole in the wall antique store that was a total "diggers delight". their whole back room was vintage Christmas (described by Joanna as "a room where Christmas threw up" or something like that) it was awesome. the owner was giving us the best prices and we think he was either bored to death or happy to see 4 women walk into his store! what a lovely time we had. and i want to thank the girls for all their help, advice, buying me my birthday dinner, the great collage book and for buying some of my jewelry - i appreciate the support. we've heard a rumor of changes in location to the Country Living Fair and i hope they are just that, "rumors". the location was perfect. i'm anxious for them to make a decision about it.

it was a good show and as usual, everyone wanted to buy my display stuff (my NFS - not for sale stuff), so i told my husband, maybe i'll just stop making stuff and sell flea market finds since that's what everyone wants to buy! (don't worry, i won't stop making stuff....)



(click on photo for enlarged view)

(click on photo for enlarged view)

(click on photo for enlarged view)

I got all my stuff unpacked and put away (for the most part) some of it needs to stay out and be ready to go to Connecticut. i started packing for Portland, so it's already back to the grindstone - no breaks for this gal.

day three

well today was an ok day. sales were quite slow (i'd say today equalled (sp?) what a typical NJ show would be like for me; lots of lookers, but not many takers). the weather held out til about 1:00 ish and then it started to drizzle. it wasn't bad and it's not like it drove the crowd out; but by 4:00, the place was dead. we got packed up really quick, thankfully as it started sprinkling again. between the 4 of us, we bought goodies to go home with, so the truck is a might fuller than we started!

i met many wonderful vendors and made new friends. loved my neighbors, William and Jan, and of course, "The Summerhouse Girls + Miss A" who were so good about booth sitting while i ran to the potty, grabbed food, etc. It was really a great experience. can't wait to show off all my pictures.

and i wanted to thank everyone that i met who raved about my art and especially to those who bought their special purchases from me. i know that $ is tight these days, so for you to spend your hard earned money on my art is a real compliment. very much appreciated. headed home tomorrow!

for those of you keeping up on my blog, you know that i am entering my "whirlwind tour of chaos" (t-shirts are on order....) in the next week. i'm feeling a bit stressed about all i have to do, but i will manage. next week i fly out to teach in Portland. Then i'll be home a week and leave to teach in Connecticut. After that i am off to Seattle to attend Journalfest!

i look forward to early November when i can relax and begin more jewelry projects since i am almost out of product.

day two

we are back at the hotel freshing up after another awesome day at the Country Living Fair. big crowds again today, but the buying was different. i think the big buyers were in yesterday. today was a lot of what i call "lookie lous" out for some fresh air and kettle corn! i still had a good day, so i 'm not complaining. a pretty lady stopped by my booth and ended up spending a nice sum on some of my higher end pieces. she bought "Silver Bella", the piece that was in the current issue of Belle Amoire Jewelery. she also bought my best piece, "the lost purse". i'm worried i won't have anything to sell at "Art -is-you" for vendor night when i teach there in a few weeks! (and there won't be any time to make much more after i get home).

got to see my online friend, Vivian, who came with her 2 friends, so that was fun. Vivian was kind enough to booth sit for me a few times so that i could run to the potty and also get some food - thanks!

We are heading out in a few for dinner in a few minutes to celebrate my birthday. tomorrow i've heard mention of the "weather word we shall not name", so please think good weather thoughts for our final day tomorrow! and i promised, plenty of photos to share with you when i get home.