Jewel-Ry-Ward launches soon!

Launching "Jewel-Ry-Ward"!!! I've got the best. LOYAL. customers. EVER!  So to say thank you, I've developed a new program called Jewel-Ry-Ward to reward  you for coming back again and again!  I appreciate your patronage and your support of my art, work and business over the years!  Launching happens during my next festival at Mountaineer Week Craft Fair & Quilt Show on October 24th - 26th in Morgantown WV!  More details will be posted on my website and facebook soon!  Meanwhile, click on the images for the basic information!  And THANK YOU!!!

My next stop is at the

Deep Creek Lake Art & Wine Festival!  Art & Wine - what a great combination!  Come out on this Saturday for the festival wine event and shop great artists booths and taste some yummy wines!

The Deep Creek Lake Art & Wine event is a multi-day event, but the large festival and tasting part is on Saturday, Sep 6th from 12-6pm! Check out the details at:  http://deepcreekwinefest.com/events.php   I'll be there selling my jewelry but guarantee I'll go home with a few bottles of wine and even hope to do a little early Christmas shopping!

Fabulous Fun Festival June 7 & 8 in Frederick...

Come out and see me at my first festival of the season!  I'll have some new and fabulous jewelry to show you.  This is a wonderful event, full of beautiful art & artists!

 

The 21st annual Frederick Festival of the Arts is a juried, three-day fine arts festival held the first weekend every June along Carroll Creek Linear Park in downtown Frederick. The event features over 110 artists from across the country, two stages of live entertainment, artist demonstrations, children’s activities, food, and much more.

 2014 FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

Saturday, June 7, 2014 – 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, June 8, 2014 – 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Where
The Festival is an open-air event and all walkways around the show are fully handicapped accessible. Handicapped parking is also available in and around the City of Frederick.

ACTIVITIES
Schedule of festival activities being offered by the Delaplaine Visual Arts Education Center
These activities are free and open to the public.

Saturday, June 7 from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Sunday, June 8 from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

• Community Supported Art Market
• International Children’s Films
• Building-wide Gallery Exhibits
• Boys & Girls Club of Frederick County Exhibit
• Frederick Hot Glass Society Torch Demos
• Frederick County Knucklers Marble Shooter Demos & Games

Drop-in Art Activities for all ages from 12-5 p.m. both days:

• Paper Mosaics: Create colorful designs using paper tiles and shapes.
• Paper Roll Art: Create kings and queens and other figures using paper rolls; embellish with colorful fabric pieces, construction paper, and yarn.
• Make-Your-Mark Mural Project: Express yourself!

Entertainment

The Frederick Festival of the Arts is proud to present this years stellar Entertainment at the FFOTA Main Stage!

Friday, June 6th-
7-9:00pm: King St.

Sat, June 7th-
11-11:45am: Dan McGuire Group
12-1:00pm: The U.S. Army Jazz Ambassadors Dixieland Band
1:30-2:30pm: Straight Up Tribal
2:45-3:15pm: ESP Dance
3:30-4:30pm: Yardslippers
4:45-5:30pm: Word of Mouth-A Cappella Group
6-8:00pm: The Freddie Long Band

Sun, June 8th-
12-1:10pm: US Navy Jazz Commodores
1:45-3:15pm: Big Hoax
3:30-4:30pm: Basswood


Parking Information

Getting around town is easy. There are more than 5,000 public parking spaces available in historic downtown Frederick with five parking decks from which to simply walk to the festival site.

For more information, contact the Frederick Arts Council at 301.662.4190, or by email at kris.fair.ffota@gmail.com

Cram in a bus.....

or a car and come see us on the WVU campus in the Mountainlair for our next festival event.  Come visit us this weekend - get directions:
http://mountaineerweek.wvu.edu/arts_crafts

Friday, Nov. 1 Noon – 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 2 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 3 Noon – 4:00 p.m.

 

I'll be waiting for you!

 

 

Enjoy October by checking out ART

 

I'm part of the tour again this year after taking a break for a couple years.  Copy this address into your browser to get details and directions. http://artsaleandtour.com/artistpage.cfm?recordID=284 I'm artist 22 in the book and will be at Manhattan Golf & Gallery for all 4 days of the event!

2013 Mountain Maryland Art Sale and Tour
 

The 2013 Mountain Maryland Art Sale and Tour will take place over two weekends this coming fall: Saturday and Sunday, October 19 & 20 and Saturday and Sunday, October 26 & 27. On all four days of the event, all participating Tour locations will be free and open to the public from 11:00AM to 5:00PM. Coordinated by the Allegany Arts Council on behalf of the many talented visual artists in Western Maryland, the Tour has grown for more than a decade to become a highly anticipated annual event. Free guidebooks for the Tour will be available by mid-September.

Chandelier Earrings by Macee McCunn

This year’s Mountain Maryland Art Sale and Tour will feature 41 participating artists (several of whom are new to the Tour), so there will be lots of great artwork to experience and enjoy! As you make your way around from location to location, be sure to register for your chance to win a $100 cash prize during each weekend of the Tour. You may register to win at each location where you stop to visit participating artists. The more locations that you visit, the more chances you have to win! Winners will be contacted by phone or email after each weekend.

 

In advance of your visit, be sure to check out www.artsaleandtour.com, which is the official website for the Mountain Maryland Art Sale and Tour. The web site will provide you with detailed information about each participating artist, downloadable driving maps, and links to additional information about hotel accommodations, other area attractions and special getaway promotions. For questions about the 2013 Mountain Maryland Art Sale and Tour, please call the Allegany Arts Council at 301-777-ARTS (2787).

Acrylic painting by Sibyl MacKenzie

Sibyl MacKenzie will be joining me on the tour (artist 21) at the Manhattan Golf and Gallery!  Her work is lovely and quite vibrant!

 

Good, but hot, fall festival days

Springs Folk Festival just ended and boy was it a hot one.  My fabulous niece Makayla and I are supposed to dress up for this event as early Americans.  That was a bit difficult considering the heat wave that began in October, so we cheated.  Usually this event is cool, chilly, colder and mostly down right freezing!  We have had years of having to dress in layers so heavy we look like a Parker family member wearing a Christmas Story red snow suit!  Ok, so not quite that bad, but you get the point!  Even with all that being said, I have the best loyal customers who return year after year to this event, no matter what the weather to buy and enjoy the festival.  Thanks to all you lovely people, many of which who have become my friends! 

Hats, wood and metal

My booth pictured at the Deep Creek Art & Wine Festival.  It was a short one day event, but enjoyable in many ways.  It had great artwork by vendors, really fun customers (um, that may have had something to do with all the wine) and it is usually an easy set up and tear down of my display.  Only problem this year - when I was packing away my large sheets of glass, one pretty much exploded.  All the marble like glass pieces shot out of the back of the van AFTER everyone else had left except for my potter friend.   Not fun, but just part of doing "traveling" shows.

I worked alone this year since my helper left for college so I was able to look around me for some nice art.  I love the look and SMELL of the woodworker's products beside me.  It reminded me of growing up in the home of a carpenter.

Ladies, it's all about the jewelry - I KNOW, but it's also about the hat!   Some of my favorite customer "peoples" are fabulous hat wearers.  Hats, jewelry and wine, who can ask for more?

Another neighbor and blacksmith made superb items with very clean lines.  But - why did he elevate his tables off the floor on the mini tables?  (Ok, so I do know why,  it made them feel even more luxurious, if that was possible.)  His quality shined! 

Festival in a great outdoor setting! Come see me....

14th Annual Art in the Park at Deep Creek Lake State Park
This Saturday 13th 10-5 or Sunday 14th 10-4
Rain or Shine

MORE THAN 45 ARTISTS DISPLAY AND SELL THEIR ARTWORK
The variety of hand made work includes jewelry, wood turned items, fuse...d glass, pottery, rugs, soap, photography, baskets, and more!

Food available on site. Naturalist programs and children's art tent among the featured activities.

Plan to come for the day. Enjoy Art in the Park along with the beach area and all the park has to offer.

Park admission fee applies. Come by boat, car or on foot.

More info: call 301-387-7067

Co-sponsored by Western Garrett County State Park Volunteers, Inc. and Garrett County Arts Council.

Art on Cullers Run in beautiful Lost River WV

Art on Cullers Run 2013

July 5, 10am til 5pm July 6, 10am til 4pm Mathias, WV

 

Come out and explore fantastic art by these top notch artists in a beautiful nestled in setting.  You'll find wonderful and unique products around the studios of this quaint location.   Light refreshments.

Macee McCunn Metal Jewelry   meadowbrookarts.com
Audrey Taucher Pottery
Harriet M. Segal Stained Glass & Mosaics
Albert Hutchings Fused glass
Kathryn Kavanagh Hand Built Pottery
John Harman Pottery
John Robson Woodworker   Standingpeoplewood.com
Joshua Miller Wood and Design   joshuamillerdesign.com                                                            

Jean Barnes Downs Printmaker   solitudestudio.com
Marc Maiorana Sculptural Iron   irondesigncompany.com

Directions: 460 Cullers Run Road Mathias, West Virginia Two Miles south of Mathias take right on Crab Run Rd. continue 2 miles and take a right on Cullers Run, travel 3/4 mile look for older frame church on right. Info: 304-897-6664See More

Jewelry Arrives In Scotland!

I'm officially an international artist! My jewelry has crossed the seas arriving Nov 1st to be included in a really cool jewelry show in Scotland ! I'm totally jazzed. http://www.touchedbyscotland.com/2012winter.php .

What a journey this was, learning to adapt to customs requirements for the United Kingdom and the time spent on the phone gauging what I could and could not ship via UPS and all the restrictions!  Apparently spent bullet shells are a NO NO, so I had to hold back some very cool and striking jewelry pieces.  Live and learn, but after much hoop jumping, the work made it there safe and sound and just in time to put on display for the opening.  Jenni was simply "brilliant" to work with (as I thoroughly enjoyed her sweet jovial accent) and I really appreciated the invite to such a cool show.    Robin, one of the super friendly owners, extended this invitation to me so I could be a "little ol' representative" of the U.S. since she is originally from here and come to find out has been seeing my work for quite some time and thought it would be a unique fit for Scotland since she hasn't seen anything like it.  I was tickled at the invite and excited by the representation in the beautiful small village of Oyne in rural Aberdeenshire!  I can't wait to make a future journey to this contemporary gallery and explore Scotland.  Now, where'd I put my kilt and bagpipe?

Jewelry Tins are IN!

Jewelry Tins are In! I put together the cutest little tins of jewelry for the holiday shoppers and just delivered them to the Manhattan Golf & Gallery at 50 North Centre Street in Cumberland, Maryland (301-777-0021). 

The sets include a necklace and coordinating earrings and are creatively displayed and hand wrapped in the most adorable tins.  It is such a fabulous gift or stocking stuffer. You can even slide a hook through the round tin bow and hang it on your tree for her to find!  Limited quantities are available so drop in and grab one soon.

That being said, did you ever wonder what goes into the packaging process of a professional but independent artist?  It can be a task sometimes for sure.  For instance, not only do I make the product, but then I have to come up with some creative ideas for display, especially for the stores I sell in.

I found myself sitting on the floor half asleep a couple nights ago as I prepared these particular jewelry tins.  After ordering the tins, I had to design the inserts without a team of company helpers like the big boys.  You simply can't find companies that already pre-make the inserts - believe me, I checked thoroughly.

Things I had to consider as I tried to make this adorable, yet functional:

• find the right tools: cutting boards, scissors, circle cutters
• gather other tools: glue, wire, hole punch, foam, etc.
• make sure the inserts were the perfect fit, cut & cut again
• don't let jewelry chains get tangled
• raise it up to give it dimention and make room for earwires & chains
• coordinate it color wise to current displays
• does the color work and flatter the jewelry
• as it is handled, will it fall apart
• how can you see it better if you want a closer look and make it easier access
• identify the price, contents & inventory numbers so you know what you are buying
• make it attractive so you feel good about giving it as a gift and your gift will be loved when received
• cut, glue & stick each insert in each tin
• design, print, trim and prep the bows and tags
• get another set of hands to help tie the bows (husbands and daughters are great for free labor!)
• assemble assemble assemble
• wait, what time is it???? it's that late?!!!

Now how do I display them in the store? Being a bit of a collector of stuff (aka mini horder) I found some metal brackets.

  Then stacked them into an old antique drawer.



 Then take some pictures. And wha la, cute as cute can be and ready for sale!



Dropped off an order to Gifts Inn Boonsboro....



Industrial Bohemian available at Gifts Inn Boonsboro



One of my favorite artists and friend, Jean Barnes Downs http://solitudestudio.com/, and I went on a ROAD TRIP to drop off art & jewelry product to Gifts Inn Boonsboro in Boonsboro, Maryland yesterday.  We talked happily along the drive about our art, my new industrial bohemian jewelry line that I was taking to store, and her upcoming Artist in Residence trip to Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado that will allow her to explore the park to gain inspiration for her future work.  

We also talked of the success of Gifts Inn Boonsboro due in part to books  that best selling author Nora Roberts has recently written based in the area. Nora owns this lovely store and I was lucky to be in the first selection of artist to sell here years ago.  http://giftsinnboonsboro.com/ 

 The first two books of her trilogy are titled "The Next Always" & "The Last Boyfriend".  They are based in this quaint rural town which is nestled at the foot of South Mountain, between Hagerstown and Frederick. Founded in 1792 by George and William Boone, cousins of Daniel Boone, Boonsboro forms a gateway to relevant colonial and Civil War heritage sites including Washington Monument State Park, South Mountain, and Antietam National Battlefield.

 Boonsboro is also the home to the Inn BoonsBoro - a beautifully restored historic bed-and-breakfast located on the square, also owned by Nora.  The Inn BoonsBoro's front porch looks very inviting!

Next on our trip was to linger in the nearby Shepherdstown, Maryland where we had a yummy lunch, some shopping at another art store and who could pass up a coffee at the very artsy Lost Dog Coffee shop!

There is always new art on the walls and this was a pretty fun installation hanging.  I loved what looked like burlap coffee bags as cushions for your hiney!

If the walls don't get your artsy side juicing, then you just take a quick trip to the bathroom and soak in the wackiness.

No reading material needed as you exit out all that java you just took in.

Sometimes I think this is what too much caffeine makes you see!

It all makes you feel so fun & bubbly inside.

 But we weren't able to linger because Jean had to get home to begin her packing for her trip so we decided to take our fabulous java concoctions on the road, heading into the rain and home to the western mountains of Maryland.  I don't know if it was the many shots of espresso in our drinks, but we gabbed incessantly the entire way home!