At Work in My Studio

Today I'm working in my studio and I thought it would be nice to share these photos with you so you can see where I work.  We've converted a spare bedroom into an office which I share with my husband and I've put a large work table by the window so I can use it to cut glass. It's actually a pretty nice place to work since I can bounce back and forth between the work table and the computer as needed.  

My kiln however, lives in the kitchen on a rolling cart next to the sliding glass door.  For some reason, I wasn't too keen about putting the kiln in a room with carpet and the sliding door provides good ventilation should I need it.

Isn't it cute?  It's just a table top version and it runs on a regular household outlet, but it's perfect for me.  I can run a couple of firings in a day if needed and it never takes long for me to make enough things to fill it up!  Not too big, and not too small - yet.  They say kilns are addictive but I really like the versatility of this one.  I guess only time will tell.

And We're Back...

Here's hoping you all had a nice Memorial Day weekend.  Ours was a success with one of my husband's teams winning the tournament championship in their division and having generally nice weather for the whole weekend.  Now we're back to the grindstone and today I've posted another item in my Etsy shop in my new line called Cocktail Jewelry.  It's a cute little bracelet that is perfect for the martini lover you know.  Like many of you, today I'll be catching up on several fronts but I'm most excited about getting some new pieces into the kiln.  I haven't made anything in a little over 2 weeks and it will be good to be back in the swing of things.  So keep your eyes open for some new things from me and have a great (and short) week ahead!

Ready for a Busy Weekend?

I had better be!  My husband is a competitive youth soccer coach and every Memorial Day weekend his club hosts a big tournament.  He's coaching three teams so he'll be coaching as many as five games a day on Saturday, Sunday and Monday - not to mention the other games that he'll want to watch in between!  Needless to say, we'll be at the soccer fields from sun up to sun down all weekend long.  Why do I go, you ask?  When it's one of these marathon weekends usually I don't.  But Memorial Day weekend is a little bit different.  The weather is nice, people are in a good mood because they've got some extra time off and for me it's the kick-off to summer.  So today will be filled with errand running, cooler and car packing and laundry.  But tomorrow, as busy as it will be, I'll be enjoying the sun and breathing in the first breaths of summer - even if it is in a sea of thousands of people, we'll all be doing the same thing.

For the Love of Martinis - Cocktail Jewelry

I'm excited to have listed the first piece in a new line of jewelry in my Etsy shop.  For quite a while I've been making pieces that look like olives and have been thinking I could start making a whole line of cocktail inspired pieces.  Then I realized I have been doing it for a while and didn't even realize it.  In the coming days you'll see more pieces of Cocktail Jewelry appearing in my shop. Most of the pieces are inspired by my favorite cocktail - the Dirty Martini.  But you'll see others make an appearance as well.  What's your favorite cocktail?  Maybe you'll inspire me to make something new!

Look Out Folks - I'm On a Roll!

That's right, I listed TWO more items in my shop today - you'll have to go over there to check them out.  I'm particularly happy with the dragonfly pendant shown here.  It's the perfect gift for someone who loves dragonflies and it's even more stunning in real life!

Another reason I'm on a roll is we finally got a new desk for the office last night.  I had robbed us of our main work table a few weeks ago to use it in my art show booth and we decided to try and find something that better suits our needs rather than put it back.  Sooo, off to Office Depot we went last night and we got a great L-shaped desk with lots of work space.  It took us until 2 AM to get everything set up, but this morning I was able to go through everything that had been accumulating since we took the other table out and boy do I feel better!  Isn't it amazing what clearing a little clutter can do for your state of mind?  

Finally Some New Items!

After several weeks of preparing for my first two outdoor shows ever I finally got some photos done today and listed some new items in my Etsy shop!  The pieces I've listed are great summertime pendants with a real tropical feel to them.  Hmmm, maybe I'm thinking a vacation would be nice?  ;)

I'd love to know what you think about these new listings.  Also, more pieces will be listed in the coming days so be sure to keep your eye on my shop!

Booth Setup Redux - Art in the Arbor

As promised, I'm sharing another booth setup photo today.  This one is from my second outdoor show which was two weekends ago at Art in the Arbor in Louisville, KY.  I decided the walls needed a little jazzing up so I had a couple of photos of my pieces blown up and put them in poster frames on two sides of my booth.  I think the photos added a nice touch which made it easier for people to understand what I was selling without actually stepping into the booth.   I also decided to bring a few different accessories to mix it up a little bit.  In particular, I brought my 'wire lady' to hang one of my necklaces on.  She is such a good display that some people have even tried to buy her from me!   

All in all it was a good show and I was happy with the function of my booth setup but there are still a few things I'd like to tinker with.  I'll probably look to have a professional banner made with my shop name and some images of my work to hang across the back of the booth.  And I'm planning on cleaning up my artist's statement and framing it alongside some photos of my studio so that people can understand me and my process a little bit better.   What are some things that you've seen or done at art shows that you thought were particularly successful?  I'd love to hear about them in the comments section here!

My First Outdoor Booth - Artwalk 2009

So I had my first outdoor art show a couple of weekends ago at the Artwalk at the Promenade Bolingbrook and these are the photos of my first set-up.  For my first time out, I think I did pretty well.  I would like to have had some more levels to the display and want to 'loosen' it up a bit, but I did get lots of compliments and that was nice.  The above photos shows the overall set-up with my pendants all displayed on the two tables on the left.  I put the  tables up on bed risers so that the pendants are higher and easier to see.  On the right I set up a little checkout area on a card table so that people making purchases could select a necklace to go with their pendant, check out and I could wrap their packages.

I used a mixture of jewelry trays and wood and ceramic trays with risotto and black beans to display the pendants.  I think a lot of the pendants show up better in the rice and beans and people always comment about what a neat way that is to display them.

They say that when you do something for the first time you learn exponentially and I couldn't agree more.  Just last weekend I had my second show and already instituted a few improvements.  Setting up the booth itself was a snap because I knew exactly what I needed to do to attach the side walls.  Another handy tip I learned by watching more seasoned show attendees was to roll up my sidewalls before detaching them.  Then you don't have to fight them and the wind to fold them up and store them.

I'll post the photos from last weekend soon so you can see the changes I've already made.  But in the meantime, if you have any suggestions or tips, I'd love to hear them!  

With a Little Help From My Friends

One of the best parts about being a seller on Etsy is the opportunity to meet other wonderful people who also make wonderful things.  As a member of the Creative Glass Guild of Etsy I've met some of these people and one of them, Yvonne, has been nice enough to feature me on her blog!  A big thanks to this Etsy friend!  Be sure to check out her blog and her Etsy shop!

Words to Live your Life By

I'm going to take a little break from my usual posts to publish a poem that has long been a source of strength for me.  It has provided a sense of calm in times of distress and understanding in times of confusion.  I hope that by sharing it, it can do the same for you.

Desiderata

by Max Ehrmann

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, 
and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender, 
be on good terms with all persons. 
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; 
and listen to others, 
even to the dull and the ignorant; 
they too have their story. 
Avoid loud and aggressive persons; 
they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others, 
you may become vain or bitter, 
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. 
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. 
Keep interested in your own career, however humble; 
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, 
for the world is full of trickery. 
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; 
many persons strive for high ideals, 
and everywhere life is full of heroism. 
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. 
Neither be cynical about love, 
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, 
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, 
gracefully surrendering the things of youth. 
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. 
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. 
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, 
be gentle with yourself. 
You are a child of the universe 
no less than the trees and the stars; 
you have a right to be here. 
And whether or not it is clear to you, 
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, 
whatever you conceive Him to be. 
And whatever your labors and aspirations, 
in the noisy confusion of life, 
keep peace in your soul. 

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, 
it is still a beautiful world. 
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.