Spring Fair/Weekend Wrap-up

For your consideration....

Giant Freaking Coyote Puppet!! (We're talking over 20 feet tall! Awesome!)

Green Man & Mother Nature

Max & Molly Up in a Tree on his birthday/Easter Sunday

My lovely display (signage by LGK) Michael's Stained Glass

Molly "manning" the booth

Another lovely shot of Ashley & Molly

Well we just finished up my first craft fair. I'm still "processing" how it went...I vascillate between vaguely disillusioned and optimistic...I had limited expectations so I'm not exactly "disappointed"...sure I would have liked to sell more but it was lots of fun to have more people see my work and I got a lot of smiles & compliments (too bad those don't pay the bills) Some friends came by the fair to visit the booth and I thank them all :) especially the lovely Ashley for her help setting up and pimping my wares.

All in all, I replaced the income that I would have made had I "worked" this weekend so I'm good...and it was a very "educational experience"...there are some things that we'll do differently for the next show; in terms of display/booth set up etc. And I've been confirmed in my belief that the 'burg may not be my ideal venue....I'm definitely shooting for Saturday market in Eugene next year.

Molly was in heaven...she "wandered" the booths all weekend, and never did seem to get bored. She befriended quite a few of the vendors, especially the cactus lady, got her face painted, and watched the juggler (which sparked memories of my first "love" - a professional juggler at the summer art fairs in Albuquerque - I was 12 I think)

Now we're getting ready for the earth day fair, which isn't really a crafting/retail venue but I think it's another good opportunity to get my stuff out there....oh, and I was also "invited" to be in the "Professional Business Women's Art Fair" in November...I also talked to and networked with a lot of folks...found out about some "buyers" shows that I may be interested in..and ate some yummy hippi-made lentil burgers! A good weekend over all :)

Craft-O-Rama

Hey kids, just checking in from frantic-craft-central here at the Klabe-Compound. 37 or so hours until my first "show". Spent much of today trying to flesh-out my inventory...I have a lot of stuff ready, I just don't know how much stuff I "should" have....and of course my mind reels with "what if's"...what if I don't sell anything? What if I sell EVERYTHING and run out of inventory? (dare to dream!) I can't wait to see how it goes...as LGK would say "Adventure! Wee!!!"

As part of this crafty endeavor I've been trying to figure out how to describe/label what I do...on etsy they have teams and tags & labels...and I've perused/explored quite a few of them, in hopes of narrowing down, or defining what makes my jewelry different..(other than the general fabulous-ness of course) and a couple of terms have stuck out. Eco-Chic is my favorite ... (and Ashley's too I think)
And I like "Trashion" but I get funny looks sometimes when I use this term because it may make one think of "trash" (I think that's the point, but so as to not cast a derogatory slant on my merchandise...despite the fact that it IS in fact made from "garbage"...I submit this definition that I found on the etsy-teams page....)

"Trashion ...is about visualizing beauty in unconventional objects and materials. It fabricates art, jewelry, fashion and objects for the home from used, thrown-out & found elements. Trashion is a philosophy and an ethic. It encompasses environmentalism and innovation, and respects the human creative and healing potential. Making traditional objects out of recycled materials can be trashion. Making avant-garde fashion out of cast-offs or junk can be trashion...."

so put that in your pipe and smoke it.

"flyer" me to the moon

This here's the hippie-dippie flyer for the hippie-dippie crafty fair next weekend in the 'burg. There will be crafting & arting...and JUGGLING!!!

5 things....

that make me happy!
1. PCD (Pan Cake Day - every Sunday)
2. Good Friends (The Claiborne/Pettengills to be specific) and the fact that we've had them over for fun & food three weeks in a row.
3. LGK programmed my ipod for me, with songs I like and songs he thinks I'll like, so when I listen it's like he made me a really long mix tape
4. Next week is Max's birthday and we're going to P-Town! (Spaghetti Factory & Lego store woo hoo!)
5. spring is just around the corner and all the popcorn trees are in bloom (and while that makes me itchy & sneezy it's beautiful)

Here's a tip...

...listening to Rufus Wainwright on your snazzy new ipod shuffle while you shop makes Walmart a lot more bearable.

"It's not that I Hate it...."

"....It's that it's terrible and I don't like it at all"

~Michael Scott the Office

that was the word from the fogies down at the grower's market...not really - they didn't hate my stuff but the do have too much jewelry already (which is all, from what I hear the garden-variety type jewelry you find at every craft fair) so they declined me for this year at any rate. It's ok actually, I had resigned myself to the fact that my funky fresh style might not fit...I guess that they, are not as they say "ready for this jelly"

so, we're focusing on the spring fair, the earth day fair and I really need to get to work on some "retail/wholesale" packages...then the "business" trip so Portland/Eugene etc. can commence!

Now that I'm at home more during the day we're working on getting back on track with school...this past week has been great as M & M are discovering one of both LGK & my beloved favorites...anyone else out there remember this one? New editions still have the same great artwork and Max ripped through the whole book in 2 days....I'm having him pick his five favorite stories and retell them in his own words and address the "moral" of the story as he understands it...below is his first chapter (He even typed it himself)

Tantalus
Tantalus was a mortal son of Zeus, king of the Olympian gods. The gods favored him so much, they invited him to feast on Mt. Olympus. He thanked them by inviting them to dine at his palace. He could not find anything to serve them, so he decided to sacrifice his son, Pelops, and made a stew of him. But the gods hated human sacrifice, so when Tantalus served up some ‘Pelops stew’ they threw him into the Underworld, where he stands to this day, neck deep in cold water, unable to drink the water, for it recedes when he tries, and unable to eat from the fruit tree above his head, for it bends upwards when he tries that to.
Moral: Do not sacrifice the things most precious to you. (AND DON'T PISS OFF THE GODS!)

Pardon me as I pat myself on the back...

this really isn't a big deal but I just came to the realization that I have NO idea who this year's contestants on American Idol are!!!! My 2 season boycott is in effect (after several years of wholehearted obsession & devistation due to the emotional manipulation!) and last year I knew some of the names but didn't know the faces...didn't watch any episodes....this year we have no tele-bision so I know nothin about it and mygawd is it ever liberating!!!
I can honestly say, and be very proud of myself while saying it, that I've paid much more attention to the primary/caucus process of the presidential candidacy than ever before too! (could there be a connection?)
Yes Dorothy, there are more important things going on in the world than who gets voted off of Survivor!
Anyway, just wanted to toot my own proverbial horn for a moment (and no, that's not dirty you scamp!!)

Ladies and Jelly Beans, Boys & Squirrels...I come before you to stand beside you...

and show off some new cappy designs that I'm working on to fill out my inventory for the spring fair...I'm also working on some garden-y and "earth day" themed pieces




and since the doggy tags have been so popular on etsy I did a customizable kitty tags too...


ok, I'm going to bed now
smoochie boochies

...just like riding a bicycle

Goodness gracioius golly gosh...one week of blogging and I've already dropped the proverbial ball for a whole week....about typically half-assed for me but what can I say? I've actually been meaning to update all my loyal readers (read: all 3 of you :P ) on this past week's shennanigans and while there are a ba-jillion other things I "should" be doing I'll take a moment here to say....

Went back to Le 'Bees last week and waitressing is just like riding a bicycle, although I will say that after sitting on my tuckus for the past 10 months at a desk...I'm not "quite" the rockstar that I used to be and my dogs were aching after my first shift, but as of last night I'm back in the groove and I have a feeling (*crosses fingers*) that getting back to "real work" will help me to shed this extra 15 or so lbs. of desk-butt that I've acquired...also, can't beat the $$$. So on the work front things are well; I'm still checking in a couple of times a week at the "station" to help "train" the new gal. I don't wanna brag but I don't envy her having to fill my size 91/2's...just joshing, I'm sure she'll be fine and if not...I have a new mantra "NMP" (Not My Problem!)

Last week we ordered and received 1,100 used bottlecaps online and they've arrived (proving that you really can find anything on ebay) so now I can no longer dally with the excuse of lack of materials/canvas...good thing 'cause the spring fair is in just 2/12 weeks so I'd best get cappin'! (for those keeping track at home (read: my mom) still haven't heard from the growers market folks down-south but I think we're going to have a booth at the earth day fair in April)

Saturday our good friends the Claiborne-Pettengills came over for a rousing evening of "empanadas", crafting and gaming goodness. I was so happy because for the first time in years, there was a girl-type person for me to hang out with on game night!!! (after years of hanging out in the other room, watching wrestling & eating chips while the "boys" played warhammer, and going to bed while they stayed up until the wee hours...) Ashley and I were paper bead making dynamos and we stayed up until almost 3 watching super hero movies
*bliss*! I think it's safe to say a good time was had by all (Max stayed up watching the men-folk play until 3 too - we may officially be the coolest parents in the world)
Sunday morning though I woke up to the most hellacious bout of flu I've had in ages...I won't get into the details of what went on with my body but for a while there I wasn't entirely ruling out demon posession. Feeling much better today though and thusfar noone else in the house seems to have been susceptible to the bug so all is well.

Oh and another happy note on the mail-front, our season 2 Buffy The Vampire Slayer DVDs arrived today so tomorrow I will get to enjoy some Spikey-Goodness!
I tell you what...life....is good

My favorite models

Ashley & Molly sporting their new matching caps :)