The crocus are blooming!
Feb 2010
I’ve got a few play dates scheduled with other artists: one for resin and one for enameling. Whenever I get stuck doing the same old stuff I like to get around other artists. I always learn something new and get inspired by their take on things.
I’ve only enameled one time before and can’t really remember the procedure so I’m excited to learn from Deb Fitz, a talented NW artist. There will be four of us in the class and it will be a sleepover so spending two full days with other artists will be heaven.
Show applications are in and I expect most of the acceptance/rejection letters in March and April. I have been accepted to the Best of the Northwest again this year and will be doing their November holiday show for sure. I’m considering doing their smaller Spring and Summer shows as well but haven’t made that commitment yet. I want to focus my energy on the big wholesale show I’m doing in June in Las Vegas so I may skip the Spring show(s).
I hope you are anticipating Spring and the changes that come with it as much as I am.
Jump In
Jan 2010
This year I’ll be working on strengthening my wholesale business and participating in my first large wholesale show at ACRE in las Vegas in June. I’ve enjoyed adding the wholesale side of things to my business in the past year but I do still love the direct customer contact and feedback I get from doing craft shows. So to that end I’ll be applying to more of them this year than I have in the past. Watch the sidebar on this page to see which ones I get accepted into.
The show applications are starting to go out now and acceptances/rejections will start coming in around March. Jewelry is a tough and competitive category at the shows and the juries usually limit the number of jewelry artists that can participate. So I wait for the acceptance/rejections letters with excitement and worry. Which shows will I be in??
The holiday shows were decent. Not as good as a few years ago but better than the previous year. I think people are starting to feel the economy is better.
I haven’t been in the studio much lately. Busy with the holidays and a little bummed out by the gray Seattle weather. But we’ve turned the corner on winter and the days are getting longer and that always feels better. I’ve got some new copper and bronze metal clays to play with and maybe some polymer clay for color. We’ll see where those lead in the next couple months.
Hope you too feel an adventure about to begin...
Winter in Seattle
Dec 2009
Today is lovely exception: crisp and clear. The lights of the city are twinkling outside my window and the water of Elliot Bay looks like glass. The sky was blue today which is a treat here. Almost reminds me of growing up in California but that’s now a distant memory. Gray Seattle skies have become my new normal. But today with the blue skies and clear weather came spectacular views of the snow-capped mountains that ring the city. I could see 85 miles south to Mount Rainier and 50 miles north to Mount Baker...now that’s a clear day.
I’m getting ready for the Phinney Winter Festival this week. I’ve said before that it’s one of my favorite shows each year and I’m looking forward to it. And I’ve been updating the look of the website a bit with more changes coming in the next few months. For now you’ll notice bigger page sizes and maybe a few format changes on the shopping pages. And I’ve also been trying to get new photos done of some of my jewelry. I’m definitely not a photographer. The variables drive me nuts. I see photography the same way I see electricity: magical and unpredictable. December, January and February are the perfect months to do all those kind of non-jewelry-making things because I don’t have shows to prepare for. It gives me a chance to take a step back and think about what’s most important to me and to contemplate what’s next for Laughing Girl Arts.
I hope you are able to take some time during the holidays to take a step back and think about what’s most important to you.
Ready for the Holidays?
Nov 2009
Two big holiday show are coming up: the Best of the Northwest on November 13-15 and the Phinney Winter Festival on December 5-6. (Details are in the right hand column). These are two of my favorite shows each year. If you haven’t been to them you really should come.
The Best of the Northwest Fall Show at Seattle Center is one of the longest running shows in Seattle and attracts, as the name implies, over 100 of the best craft artists from the Pacific Northwest. Even if you’re not in a buying mood the show is a visual feast and a fun outing. The artists love to talk with you about their work so don’t hesitate to start a conversation.
The Phinney Winter Festival has also been around for decades but is a very different experience from Best of the Northwest. Of course it also brings together over 100 top quality craftspeople in a crazy, fun, casual experience with neighborhood musical groups and lots of camaraderie. The artists are squished together in 6’ spaces instead of full-size tents so it’s a very intimate show.
My wholesale business continues to grow with new shops being added all the time. This month Body Basics in Placerville, CA, and True World Gallery in Joshua Tree, CA have joined my gallery affiliates.
I’ve enjoyed growing the wholesale lines and I’m taking the big leap to doing my first wholesale trade show next June. The ACRE show (June 5-7 in Las Vegas) is the main West Coast show for craft wholesalers and I’m looking forward to exploring that side of my business.
Hope to see you at one of my shows!
The Lost Summer
Sep 2009
I spent last weekend in Boise at the Boise Art Museum’s annual Art in the Park show. It was over 90 degrees for the weekend and the heat made everyone drag. Especially the artists sitting in little white plastic booths! Luckily I had a battery powered fan or you would have found me in a little melted lump in the corner. I do love this show. The park setting is lovely with (for some lucky booths) big trees for shade and a gorgeous rose garden. The show has 270 artists plus live music, food, raffles, etc. It’s a big deal with over 250,000 attending last year. Hopefully I’ll be accepted next year too...and I’ll remember to bring a patio umbrella to create more shade!
I just got word that I’m accepted into the Phinney Winter Festival on December 5 and 6. This is a fun, fun show for both the artists and the attendees. If you haven’t been there before don’t miss it this year. See the sidebar for location and times.
I have a trip to Asia coming up soon. It’s obvious through my jewelry that I have a love of Asian art and I’m so excited to be going to Japan, China and Korea. I’ve been in a flurry of arranging housesitters, building up inventory and engaging shipping helpers to keep the orders flowing. Thank you for your support as my little business flourishes. I hope to come home with new images and inspiration.