First Annual Harsen's Island Bluegrass Festival

Hey all! I'm doing a show tomorrow with my wonderful friend Starr (the one who designed my logo) tomorrow at the First Annual Harsen's Island Bluegrass Festival. If you are in the area come check out some art and bluegrass! http://harsensislandbluegrassfestival.eventbrite.com/

We will also be seen together in September at the Art-A-Licious Art Fair and Festival in Adrian, Michigan. http://www.artalicious.org/

P.S. anybody noticed how near that 100th post is getting? I've only had a few responses to requests for that giveaway. Jewelry seems to be the consensus so far. Get your suggestions into the comments! 

new stuffs a brewin! giveaway ideas?

Things have been very busy and exciting here for me with Bricolage Studios. When I set out to make a go of being an artist, I knew it was going to be an awful lot of hard work and recently I have been trying to remind myself of how much I have accomplished when things seem hairy or I'm feeling like maybe I'm doing something wrong. Here is a small list of the big ones for me anyway:

1. I have been creating and teaching classes at the local art center for almost 3 years now
2a&b. I have team taught a college level course AND providing the class runs in the fall will have the opportunity to teach it on my own
3. I have done AT LEAST 5 art/craft/fiber shows for the past two years, some with a fair amount of success
4. I have branched out on my own and been able to teach a few private workshops which were a lot of fun
5. I have reached over 100 sales in my etsy shop, which is actually nearer to 150 now with a majority of those sales having been within the last 7-8 months.
6. I have designed and executed several new jewelry lines
7. I have set up a home studio that function quite well for me for most of my needs.
8. I have done all of these things while working a full time job and also managed to spend time with family and friends on top of doing all of these things
9. I bought a house with my now husband, got married 2  years later, and have made it my little family's home with a rather large flower garden out front (this was always a very important to me, must be all the women in my family that love their flowers so.)
10. AND, perhaps most importantly, I have done all of these while maintaining my sanity, though that was debatable.

I could go on to say that if I can do this, I don't understand how people say, "i just can't seem to find the time," but I won't get into that whole subject. I know that I am driven individual and it takes that drive to be successful at anything. I've gotta say this being a working artist thing is tough and there are times I think that quitting would be easier, but where is the fun in that?

I love every part of what I do. I might dread picking through and washing a greasy OM and VM filled fleece (OM = organic matter which is just a nice way of saying poo/urine really and VM = vegetable matter so all that hay, straw, grass, burrs, sticks, etc. that sticks in the poor little sheepies fuzz) BUT, I find it very gratifying in the end once I have it all dyed up that I can blend it, spin it, and make something out of it. There is just something incredible about knowing that you had your hand in on nearly every step of a process. I mean sure, I didn't raise the sheep or shear it but someday... :D I think that the whole concept of handmade was lost on people for a long time and now that there is a wonderful shift back to it happening, the more you do, the more it is appreciated.

So anyhow, now that I've rambled on I'll get to that new stuff I was talking about. First of all, I am VERY pleased to announce that I have been accepted into YARNCON in chicago. This was a really big deal for me. I have never done an out of state show and in CHICAGO?!?! WOOHOO! I had already begun work on some new items for the shop including: hand dyed silk hankies and cocoons, OOAK freeform knit and crochet wear/accessories, more OOAK fiber and metal necklaces, handmade custom metal diz’, and some non fiber related jewelry. I also had a happy experiment the other night when carding up some batts for Friday's shop update. I was picking some fiber open in my picker box and wondered, "Could I blend fiber directly in here?" So I tried it and the answer was YES!

And so, fiber mixes were born. More coming to the shop in next week's update. Keep a look out for all of these new items that will be filtering soon. They won't be huge updates because I'll be beefing up my stash stock for my upcoming show but you will certainly get a good preview of the items.

Also, please hop on over to the 2010 schedule tab. I have updated it a bit with websites for the shows through the rest of the year. I will start posting my 2011 shows as soon as I know more details about them. I already have a few lined up that had early sign up (some new ones even!) I am also looking into vending at a few different music festivals in northern Michigan. *fingers crossed* :D

OH! and don't forget, for my 100th post I am doing another giveaway, please leave comments with your suggestions for that!

nearing the 100 mark

I just realized I am rather close to the 100 post mark. Perhaps another giveaway is in order? Howzabout some idears for giving? Jewelry again? yarn?  Leave em' in the comments so I can narrow it down and post the announcement. You can go to the shop to browse around for those ideas too. :D

Objects and Elements = Amazing :D

Hi everyone! I just wanted to shoot a quick blog  out there to say that my talisman piece I shared with you all a few posts back is featured on the Objects and Elements blog today. Objects and Elements is the online store/blog etc. for Susan Lenart Kazmer's book, findings, etc. with the exclusion of her new line for Michael's Industrial Chic.  Recently, they had a reader challenge/submission. They had so many wonderful entries they have been featuring one each day rather than one gigantic post and today it is me! So hop on over there and check out today's post and all of the other beautiful pieces people have made with the Industrial Chic line. You can find it HERE and if you miss it today, just look at the July 15, 2010 post. They are so kind and supportive there and even sent me a very nice personal email to let me know when my piece would be featured, not to mention their kind words in the actual post. Thanks to all of you at Objects and Elements, you are all truly inspiring.

Days 4, 5, and 6 TDF and some Ren Faire fun

Some superfun ladies and I are all participating in the Tour de Fleece over on Ravelry during the Tour de France. Basically, every day they pedal, we treadle. Kinda nerdy but very motivating and a blast to be participating in my second year now. The team I am on is Laila's of laigrai who is an amazing fiber artist and super fun gal. Anyhow she devised a point system within our little group that feels like an amazing chuck e cheese prize counter so I've really been trying to spin a yarn a day. So far I'm doin' pretty good, but we're only on day 8 now. Here's some eye candy of days 4-6

Today was a really jam packed day of activity for me. I still haven't gotten a chance to spin but I did get to see one of my teammates Dani of pumpkinhaus (the second photo of yarn above is made from one of her fabulous batts) at the Ren Faire Adele and I went to today. Adele got a beautiful butterfly painted on her face. I took the window of opportunity while she was occupied watching the joust to snap a few candid photos of her. :D

When Adele and I got home, I got stuff ready for tie dying. She was outgrowing the ones we had done about a year ago and I wanted to get some onesies dyed for my niece so it was a perfect activity... right after we had an epic super soaker battle in the backyard.

Now that's how to spend a summer Saturday. :D

just a quick one

I got featured in a little treasury on etsy today. It is a really pretty one, I'm not sure my little pendant was quite worthy. You can check it out here while it lasts and you can of course just look below because I always try to get a little screenshot. I was pretty thrilled that it was one of my jewelry pieces. Will this be the one that makes the front page? Fingers crossed on my end to get my first front page one.

All right... enough, I need to do lesson plans...