Wednesday, September 19, 2012

'Tis the Season

No, not THAT season silly, not just yet anyway.  Germ season, art show season, busy busy busy season!
 
I have been pretty absent from my blog, just no spare time. I am going to try to catch up on what I have been doing, and will be doing in one big post.....so please bear with me.
 
So, with three kids and the start of school, in the last week, Julia had a tummy bug one night and a fever the next day, Collin (littlest) had a good boogery cold all last week.  My big show, the Doylestown Arts Festival was last weekend, and friday night, the night before, collin woke up with a 102 fever and a REALLY croupy cough.  Saturday night my eldest who has asthma woke on and off all night with a croupy cough needing his neb treatments.  So needless to say, it has been NOT enough sleep for me, with lots going on.
 
Thankfully, although it has been crazy, no one is seriously ill.  Lots of on and off fevers, and boogers and coughs, but everyone is well enough to play and eat, so in my book, thats good.  Julia did end up going to the ER last night, her turn with croup, but it was REALLY bad.  I have kids with asthma, and I know croup all too well, and she could barely breathe.  They fixed her up and she is good as new!  She even thanked me for taking her there so they could help her breathe better.  Isn't she a doll? 
 
I got to do my show, which was up in the air for awhile, not knowing what illnesses in the home would bring.  That was a HUGE relief, and I couldn't have done it with out my dad and hubby helping me at my show and with the kids (they took turns, one came with while the other watched the kids, and then swapped). 
 
I did manage to make some new stuff for the show, but I sold alot.  I still need to make more for my show next weekend, and for my shop I have jewelry in.  Here are some pics from Doylestown.  I didn't even get one of my whole booth. I was so tired and out of it all weekend.
 
This is the front corner of my booth, I am usually behind here working on more jewelry and keeping busy.




This is the part of the "counter" where I can talk to customers and bag up their goodies.  I leave room for them to set down their things in front of the display and room behind for me to work.

 
 
Here is the other side of the pic above, moving toward the back of the tent.


 
Then in the back I have two more sets of shelves set up, and trays with jewelry in them setting on the table below the shelves.  I didn't have near as many as I normally do, and kept having to take away displays through the show. It was kinda a relief to not take as much inventory, and still have a good show.  Less pressure on me for next time.  (do you see that blue sky????  we had a wonderful weekend weather wise!)





 
The best part of the weekend, is that everyone loved my new Artfully Adjustable Necklaces.  I love making them, so I am happy they went over well.  I sold every one of them I made for the show, and kept making more while I was there, and selling them too.  Here are some on the display at the show.





Here are some pics of the stuff I made for the show.  I posed them on facebook, but never got a blog up on here like I wanted to.
 
These are the adjustable necklaces up close...................................
 
I absolutely loved the one below.  It's a Marsha Neal donut, a drilled crystal, and a fossil stone with sea glass on top and on the dangle.  You can either wear them shorter with a long chain dangle, or attach the chain at the bottom and wear them like a big chunky long pendant.





And keeping with the greys and earth tones, this was my next love......................................


 I had that Lisa Peters Art Heart forever, waiting for the perfect fit.  Paired it with an Artisan Clay smoke fired donut, some pearls, voila!
 
Here are some more I made. 







And last but not least, my long, necklace, "The Traveler"  I worked really hard on this piece after challenging myself to make some longer necklaces this season.  I was thrilled with how it turned out and it sold almost right away to the perfect person!!!!!!




I really enjoyed the show, seeing lots of my regular customers again, talking with my vendor friends and getting some fresh (non-germy) air!  Doylestown Arts Festival is a great show with many really wonderful artists.  They pick high quality stuff, and I love that I get to be a part of it each year!
 
On to future news- I will be listing some misc. beads and components in my shop in the next couple days, and by the end of the week Genea and I will be launching our limited edition collab sets!    Here is a sample, though each set is completely different.  (5 sets in each color scheme, each unique beads)
 
Here is one of the sets that will be for sale in my shop by weeks end, and a couple sample pics of what you can do with these sets.  Use them all together, or break them up and use bits and pieces.



I will do an official blog post with links as soon as they are available in our shops!  Hope you are well, and germ free my friends! 

17 comments:

  1. SO beautiful Stacy! Everything is so YOU too. I love this post as so many people put up a beautiful post letting us think magical faries take care of everything...meanwhile we are tired ,cranky, sick and making jewelry and setting up booths which ROCK! You go Mama!

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    1. I was sooo tired on sunday morning at my show it hurt to smile! no lie. after two cups of coffee I got a second wind, but whew, it was painful!!!! LOL! The life of an artsy mom.

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  2. Love those displays, and your pieces are awesome!

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  3. Staci,
    do you make the squiggle link thingy in the "be strongly rooted" necklace, which is stunning btw. I love, love that!!

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  4. LOVE YOUR WORK! Glad you had a great show - sorry about all the germs.. :(

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  5. Beautiful :) I love the double adjustable blue necklace :) That was a type of adjust-ability I was trying for with my 'Flap Your Wings' necklace and I'm so happy to see it appearing in pieces! I hate finding a necklace I LOVE but have it for too long or short for different outfits :)

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  6. Most of my pieces are adjustable, and in august, I made a necklace using as many of my friedns beads as possible, and to cram more in, I made that design, just smaller, in the back. well, after I did it, I thought it was pretty enough to be a front too;) I love finding new ways to make things adjustable, cause I really feel its important! I will have to check out your necklace for the "flap your wings" hop.

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  7. Great displays! I always love to see how others set up their booths. I am working like crazy on mine for this once a year show, but I would really like to do some trunk shows. I like those boards with the notches in the top. Very cool. And your new necklaces are wonderful. I love your style. I would wear any of those. We are just starting with the colds and such. Would help if my freshman son would remember to wear pants to football practice for 2 hours after school. Enjoy the day. Erin

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  8. Staci, I'm echoing many people who've said that your work is amazing and oh, so inspiring! Your adjustable necklaces are awesome, and just gorgeous. And I'm glad that you had a successful show, despite the many setback...and it's awesome that you posted about those same setbacks! :)

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  9. Absolute fabulous first blog, looking forward to more!

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  10. Love those adjustable necklaces and you've got some great displays. Sorry the kiddos have had such a rough time. Mine had asthma too, I have asthma, and those cold can wreak so much havoc. Glad to hear they are doing better.

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  11. I absolutely love the idea of the adjustable necklaces! I have a couple that I have made for myself using silk and I really appreciate how I can change the length.

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  12. Lots, and lots of gorgeous goodies! Love the adjustable necklaces! What a clever idea. Your displays are wonderful too! Hope all the kiddies are feeling better and stay healthy! That makes life SO much easier!

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  13. Lovely looking booth Staci, your pieces are beautiful. I guessed right that your would have to start right away on another showpiece as I was sure that "The Traveler" would travel to a new home quickly :). Glad the weather cooperated and you had a good show!

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  14. I'm glad you had a good show and hope everyone is well now. Your jewelry is beautiful! I love shells and rocks and that whole 'rustic' look. Obviously, so do others!

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  15. Wonderful displays and gorgeous pieces! That traveller would have travelled home with me too, it is spectacular, LOVe it! Hope the germs have cleared out by now with the clearing of the weather.

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