Art Shows are Fun!

This is such a busy time of year and I love it.  As long as people leave me alone so I can do what I need to do!
Last Sunday, two of my very talented friends and I had an art show at the new local coffee shop.  We had a steady flow of people show up and a very good response.  This was just a show, no selling.

l-r - Anju, Alma and me

Anju does beautiful mosaics.  She designs them from start to finish.

Alma is a very talented painter.  She has been painting for about 20 years.

I displayed my miniature quilts.  Most of them are framed, a few aren't.

This one on the right is a piano counted cross stitch and then borders added and quilted.

This upcoming Sunday some other local artists, including myself, are having an Open House where we'll be selling our creations.  I'll include my smaller framed quilts, pincushions, and knits.  My mother is also going to be including the dog tag pendants that she's working on.  I think we're going to have a very large turnout for this event.  I'm looking forward to it and a little nervous.  This is my first show for selling.  Will people buy?  Do I have enough to show?  And if I do sell, my Etsy shop will look empty!  O.K., let it go and whatever happens, happens.

I have just finished knitting two neck warmers and listed them on Etsy.  I can make these fairly quick so they're good items to sell.  They are really warm and fashionable, too.  Isn't my model cute?  She's very cooperative!

This one is made from 100% Sherpa Wool.

This one is brushed Baby Alpaca with a ruffle on the end.

I just started a pink one that I'm making very similar to this blue one with a ruffle. 

I would like to get a few more pincushions done by Sunday, too.

I'm also in the middle of putting up Christmas trees.  I put up about six of them in various sizes.  All with a different theme.  I'll be posting them on my other blog eventually.  I want to get them all done by this weekend because we're leaving the day after Thanksgiving for Spokane to visit my son, DIL and granddaughter.  Very excited!  Check my other blog for more details on this later, too.

I'll keep you posted on the Open House.

Teacups, quilts and headbands.

I am so loving my little teacup pincushions.  I love buying the antique tea cups and little shoes and little vases.  I love picking out the materials and colors to transform them.  I love putting all the pieces together.  Here's the one I finished last night.

I call it "Sand and Sea".  This turquoise color is so pretty and the cup itself is very delicate.

I also have another little quilt I need to get framed.  Maybe I'll get that done tonight.  I'd like to start on another quilt, too.  They are a little more time consuming, so I need to really be in the sewing/quilting mood.

I finally finished knitting my pastel rainbow headband last night.  What a pain this had become.  I thought I had it finished according to size a few nights ago.  I bound it off, sewed up the ends and it was too small.  Must be that my head is larger than I thought!  So I took it partially apart and made it longer.  I have to say that it turned out pretty good after all the frustration with it.

It goes with this scarf that I finished a while back.

I'm not putting these up for sale.  I'm keeping for myself.  I actually should give as a Christmas gift, but no - I'm keeping and wearing myself.  Way too much time involved to sell at a decent price.  And besides, I love the colors for me.

Now, I also have to mention my blog and Etsy friend, Cathy Strate of Tolentreasures http://tolentreasures.blogspot.com/ .  She had an Open House at her home on Saturday and since I realized we live fairly close and I was going to be down her way on Saturday, I looked her up and visited her at her open house.   She felt like an old friend, even though we met face to face for the first time.  We both have grandsons named Logan and granddaughters that were born on the same day.  She has a wonderful Etsy shop and is very creative and talented.  I think this world of blogging is so amazing.  You meet people that you have so much in common with and it is such a thrill if and when you get a chance to meet in person. 

So pay Cathy a visit.  She's  a very sweet, warm person with a great blog and shop.  I hope we get to see each other again soon.

My First Sale!!

Woo Hoo!!  Finally!  I'm so excited.  Last night I had the e-mail from Etsy saying I made a sale.  So now I have to get it wrapped, packaged and mailed.  I'll be doing that this morning.  Good customer service is just as important as the marketing and promoting. 
I sold the little yellow pincushion, Buttercup. (See it it my previous post)  It is darling.  I better get busy getting more things made.  I've had more e-mails from people possibly interested in Christmas presents.  And two of my very talented girl friends and I are having an art show next Sunday, in which I will be showcasing my mini quilts.  The following Saturday, another girlfriend is hosting a arts and crafts bazaar at her home and I'll be selling  all my things there.  I was given advice that I should put my Etsy shop on "vacation" mode that particular day so that I don't end up selling the same items to two different people at the same time.  That could get a little sticky. 
This is fun.  It's a lot of work, though.  At least now I feel it's a step in the direction of being worth it. 
My mother is now going to get on board.  She has been wanting to turn some of her creative ideas into the real tangible deal.  She saw this done by the daughter of a friend.  You take just plain, silver, dog tags and decorate in various ways, then cover with resin to make it shiny.  That's a very simplified description.  They turn out very unique and different.  Each of them One Of a Kind that invites many Oohs and Aahs and compliments. That's the goal, anyway.   I'm helping her with these to get started.  I also had the idea of making tiny little quilts to apply to the tag first as a base or background.  This is all still a work in progress and I'll show pictures once we get some finished pieces that we're happy with and ready to "take to market". 
Believe it or not, there is even research that we had to do on these tags.  We have found out that you don't want to go with nickel plated, but instead want to use silver plated.  Nickel can cause allergies and other problems with many people and is actually not allowed to be sold to or used in Europe.  Who knew?
I sure wish I had more time to spend on these fun hobbies of mine.  My family can be very time consuming and needy.  They are my priority, though, so I just wish I didn't have to sleep.  The middle of the night is the only time I have to myself.