Busy, Busy, Busy Time of Year

     Since the busyness starts ramping up for all of us as we forge on into the holidays I thought I would take a few minutes to show you what I've been working on since my last post.

  I've been out hustling my wares and I've been asked to participate in a few upcoming events that I'm excited about. Nov. 9, Escalon Booster Club's Annual Fall Art/Craft Fair to be held at the high school from 9-3 - yes, there's only one high school in Escalon. I love that. 

  I just got accepted into the ModShop209 Event - that's sort of a cool, trendy (very young) arts/craft event..... the last time I participated was a couple of years ago. It's held inside a handful of local businesses downtown. It's AN EVENT and there's music, shoulder-to-shoulder steady streams of people snaking through tables looking and buying. The cool thing about this is that it's in the evening 6-10 p.m. on the Saturday After Thanksgiving, Nov. 30. The last time I did this one it was called something different - HandBorn - and it promotes and celebrates the return to handcrafted items rather than imported/mass produced things.This year there is another organization putting it on - MODSHOP209 and a portion of the proceeds will go to the Peer Recovery Art Project.

  Let's get back to personal, quality, and locally made things for our home and as gifts!  I'm all for it because let's face it, we "Makers" take time and pride in what we create with our hands. We are compelled to create. It's how we communicate. So when you purchase something handmade you aren't just purchasing a thing, you're participating in the celebration of ideas, creative effort, all the many hours of trying and retrying an idea to bring it to fruition - never mind the materials and electricity (whatever) it took to produce that one item. *stepping down from my box now*

ANYway - I AM a MAKER!  It IS my business! And there - I've said it!  Pictures for you to enjoy now follow.

Kate

A 10-inch ceramic wall art - $35

My Fractured Angel Sally - she's not for sale, but
her friends are - similar but not exactly like
her there are 7-inches tall and ready to
hang on a wall. She was going to
be an ornament but she didn't want to. - $12.

Fruit of the Spirit tiles - Peace, Joy, Love, Faith,
Kindness, Gentleness, Forbearance, etc. All nine wall
tiles can be sold in a set for $45 or choose one at
$7 apiece.

A close up of a heart shaped "Love" ornament.
They can be personalized with a name or date
or whatever you want. They are about 5-6-inches
and made individually, $12. Allow 10 days.

Terra cotta 5-inch LOVE ornament, some texture.
Glazed only in parts, $8 

Two Loves Of My Life -
THEY ARE NOT FOR SALE.

Just a picture of the raw clay picture I sent you last time.
It's now completed and ready to go. It's a 10x10 piece.
$35.

Two New Watercolors

In a color-thirsty day I tried my hand at a little 7x10 inch abstract of "The Woods."
Would look great framed simply with a 4-inch wide white mat.
This will be posted on my Etsy shop for $25.



This painting is quite a bit more color saturated than my screen shows. The red pot is deeper and the
flowers are a little bit brighter. This painting is on 11x15 inch 140 lb watercolor paper and
would look best framed with a bright white mat. This will be posted on my Etsy shop
for $45.


http://www.etsy.com/shop/DreamrKate

Tomorrow - something different maybe.

Kate



Day Two - What to Do, What to Do

I read this book a few years ago called "Our Wildest Dreams," by Joline Godfrey... well, okay, I didn't actually read the whole book, I read the parts that interested me as I was skimming through. What I got was basically what I've known all along - that you find something that you absolutely love; something that you're passionate about, and then give it your best effort, your complete 150% and absolutely do not sit back on your laurels and wait for it to come to you - go out and get it. That's always the hard part - going out and just "getting it." I also read that women relate to others by sharing, we build business relationships based on empathy, trust, on being 'engaged'. Very nurtury don't you think? I like that. It's a softer side of business. I want to encourage people to do the same thing. Find your talent, your 'gift', that thing (or in my case many things) that just take you to a place that is just YOU!  I've actually gotten a few emails from friends who are now painting or doing something else creative just because they thought I was brave enough to stand up and blurt out my own gig-of-the-day. I say "Hooray!"  Let's go for it!

K

The tiny landscape at the top is 2 inches x 5 inches. It comes in a glass clip frame, floating on a piece of handmade paper. Ready to hang. $25.  The 5 x 7 Beach flower painting comes matted, ready to frame. $25.