Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Let the shows and crazy crunch time begin....

So there is a lot that goes into fine art shows on the road.  You have a ton of prepping to do and inventory to make.  Once you get on the road, you never know how a show is going to turn out, let alone what may happen along the journey that you have to face.  Here's a snapshot of what goes on for us traveling art vendors! 
Yoki gazing up at my helper as she works on parts of earrings!  What a big help they are during crunch time... well, Yoki is just there for moral support and wags her tail to say "job well done" as we work to complete earrings.

That heavy copper ball helps me put some unique curve to some of my jewelry and is part of my technique.

Cut-out earring in production, almost done, but not quite.

Chaise said she was channeling Piver!  If you know a fabulous artist friend of ours who has given up making some wonderful jewelry, you'd totally get it! 

Earrings prior to the finishing!

Steel bangles & rings about to get nubs!  These soon-to-be beauties will go to Manhattan Golf & Gallery when completed, but first I need to fire up my torch to complete these!


A pile of work that needs blackening.

What is blackening you ask?  Well this!  I get this via a chemical, and later I add a "brushed" finish to pull most of that back off, except for the recessed areas.  Gives the work a whole new dimension!
Almost packed to head off to Ohio, Indiana & Kentucky, but need to add merchandise and huge overloaded suitcase, snacks, and iPhone gps!

My home away from home in Toledo Ohio, thanks to Barbara who rents via Airbnb!  I rented a room from her.

Barbara is also an artist!  Her stipling on tile are cool.  She's also a writer and fabulous hostess!

We took a walk, this is the neighborhood she lives in.  Love all the walls around the properties and old trees.

And the coolest birdhouse ever!

I'd love to be in there, if I could fit!  I could pretend to be Rapunzel! I do have the hair for it!

On the edge of a park, a cool book nook!  Grab a book temporarily, plop a squat on the grass, relax, read and then put it back so someone else can read it too. 
Getting set up for the first show in Sylvania near Toledo!  It's a lot of work!

My neighbors booth had a directional arrow pointing at what you should buy!  I wonder if they sold it?


Rain comes to mess with our second day!  Good thing day one was great! And thanks to the few who ventured out in this all day downpour!I did not bring appropriate shoes on the road for COLD and RAINY weather!



Barbara and I sit down for a healthy bite to eat after my festival ended to celebrate and chat. 
A cool stipled cow tile she made... Look at that hair!

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Steel & brass nubs.....


steel & brass nub rings
A few new designs I have created   are available at http://manhattangolfandgallery.com/I dropped these steel and brass nub fun pieces last week.  Snatch them up before they are riding the body of someone else! "wink"



steel & brass nub earrings

steel & brass nub necklace w/forged links
I know you can't see it, but this necklace is handmade links of both steel and brass... I'll be experimenting more with this cool and fun design.  The nubby horizontal bars move, so its fun to play with!


steel & brass nub bangle
 Hot item! They are a fast seller! That means I have made this similar design before.

A little tid bit:  Steel jewelry is easy to care for.  Your body oils keep it from rusting on you, but don't allow any of your jewelry to sit in standing water for any length of time, especially steel.  If you get it wet (in the shower), just towel it off and wear. If you want to make sure you get the water off an item, blow it dry for a few minutes with a hair dryer!  I do this when making the jewelry to insure no residual water is left!

Show schedule....

has begun!  Come out and catch me at a show this year.  Exciting for me that a lot of my shows are in the Midwest this season as I'm on a journey to work and explore our country!  It's fun for me to bring my work to new customers in new places!  Here's the general line up - details will follow soon on the right side of my blog:
May 30-31 Maple and Main Art Fair
Sylvania (Toledo) Ohio
 
June 6-7 Arts on the Green
LaGrange Kentucky
 
June 26-28 Easton Art Affair
Columbus Ohio
 
July 3-4 Arts on Cullers Run
Lost River West Virginia
304-897-6664
 
July 11-12
Three Rivers Festival:  Art in the Park
Fort Wayne Indiana
 
July 25-26 Orchard Lake Fine Arts Show
West Bloomfield Michigan
 
August 15-16 Lubeznik Center for he Arts Lakefront Art Festival
Michigan City Indiana
 
September 26-27 Carmel International Arts Festival
Carmel Indiana
 
October 2-3 Springs Folk Festival
Springs Pa
 
October 30-Nov 1 Mountaineer Week Craft Fair
Morgantown West Virginia
 
 

Monday, April 6, 2015

Plans for road trips....

It's that time of year again, where I begin in earnest to make inventory for my upcoming summer and fall shows.  Keep your eye out soon for an updated list of shows I'll be attending.  I'm taking it on the road a bit more this year to explore new places & faces and will be putting my jewelry on lots of new, interesting peeps!  I can hear the tires whirling now.... Exciting!