What a Way to Start a Day!

I was thrilled to see my new "coaching à la carte" Mentorials featured in the PMC Connection newsletter this morning. I'm really excited about this new aspect of my business.

I've been teaching for about 9 years and can't imagine myself doing anything else. I love the pride and excitement I see in my students eyes when they create a beautiful work of art out of a little "lump of clay". I love to foster that excitement by encouraging them to move further and take their passion to the next level. I love it so much that I want to work with more students, in more locations and in more personal ways than I can by just staying in my home base comfort zone.

I know I've told you about my Mentorials on Etsy before. I'm happy to say they're off to a great start! My clients appreciate the one topic format. Together we're able to focus in on a single aspect of their business which helps to inspire targeted problem solving and creative solutions. It's a very inspiring format for me and a comfortable and easy to access location for my "ascending artists".

You'll be seeing this postcard image in print soon too! I've taken a big step by advertising in Metal Clay Artist Magazine and in the Easy Metal Clay issue of Jewelry Artist magazine, which will be out in August. Woo Hoo! 

And to celebrate I'd like to offer 10% off your first Mentorial. Convo me first and I'll adjust the listing for you. Include Ascending Artist in the subject line. Let's journey up your path to success together!

Just Goes to Show ya...

I'm so happy to be able to report that I had a great show! Now, just what does that mean?

My booth is conveniently located between the Men's and Women's rooms. Which you might think is a good thing. But I think that the horrible Feng Shui flushes my potential profits down the facility along with other matter.

I teach almost every weekend and don't put a lot of energy into selling my work. I only do this one show, which is put on twice a year. I call it my hobby show. So, I have different criteria for judging what makes a good show than others might.

This booth space is the smallest in the entire show. Only 5' x 6'. Good on the wallet and excellent for someone who doesn't have that many pieces to display. My new set up was perfect and allowed viewers to look at my wares without the usual crowding that happens at table booths.

• I made more than twice my booth and expenses. Maybe even three times (haven't done my finances yet). Because I bought new display items, I'm counting that expenditure in my break even figure. Most information I've seen suggests that five times your booth fee is the minimum "take" to aspire to.

I used earthquake putty to attach the laminated photographs to the cardboard pedestals.

• Friday (always a slow day) I made two big sales. Yay! Saturday was a fabulous day with 7 great sales. Sunday was a fun (but tiring) socializing day with only one little pair of earrings leaving the nest all day long. Three days is too much for my old body I think, and with my lower energy on the last day - the energy of my booth also flagged and visitors to the craft market felt it and weren't inclined to look my way.

I got the little battery powered LED lights at the same lightbulb store where I found 6500 K daylight bulbs for the Ikea floor lamps.  

• Lots of friends and fans dropped by to visit which is always energizing and inspirational. Thanks. You know who you are. ;D

Using black lentils or rice seemed like a great idea, but it's messy and the jewelry tends to sink down into the grain. Especially when customers like to poke it down intentionally. I guess even adults like to poke and prod unusual material to see how it reacts. Sigh.

• I've done this show enough times that I feel a part of the community of vendors. As I walked around the show before it started, I was greeted by artists I used to admire as an attendee.

Love the little plastic stands for my rings, but amused that customers tried on said rings without bothering to detach aforementioned stands.

• I got lots of admiring comments, good long looks and interest in my eclectic work from attendees and vendors alike. And that always adds up to a successful enterprise.

Too many folks thought the Look Book was a freebie and I replaced it with postcards on the second day. The wrought iron screen is there to act as some kind of a barrier or separation from the men's room door.

Weekend Eye Candy - Booth Shot Edition

1. Booth Shot, 2. Booth, 3. booth at JA show, 4. indoor booth shot, 5. My Festival Booth, 6. Corner booth at Fiesta 2010, 7. Moira K. Lime Jewelry Booth Resized, 8. My jewelry booth!, 9. My new booth setup, 10. Table One, 11. booth shot close up, 12. My booth at Bayou City in Houston, 13. OOAK booth 8, 14. My booth in all it's glory, 15. gift show display, 16. new booth 9-09 d

Today is the first day of the Contemporary Crafts Market. I can't wait to take a picture of my new booth set up. I think it turned out really well. Wish me luck!

Prep Please

I'm getting ready for a show this weekend at the Contemporary Craft Market. This is the only show I do, usually twice a year, and I'm really looking forward to it. The CCM is a wonderful, high end, craft show filled with textiles, ceramics, glass, jewelry (of course), art furniture, and more. No imported objects allowed.

I had photos printed and laminated at Staples, then used earthquake putty to attach them to the pedestals.  The spot where my booth is has lovely wood paneled walls that I'm not allowed to touch! So this was my make-do way of displaying pictures of my work.

I ordered two new pedestals for my tiny 5' x 6' booth and will supplement those with lightweight furniture from home. My previous set up involved Ikea screw on legs and a piece of 2' x 6' pine from the hardware store. I loved the rustic look, but putting the legs on and off and moving a 6' board by myself finally got to be too much. The Easy Pedestals are made of corrugated cardboard and fold for easy transportation. Wood plaques from the craft store (Michael's) will feature the jewelry.

I'm a do it yourself kind of gal. I also make my own price tags. I hate the way commercial ones look on handmade jewelry. I punch a 1/2" hole out of black construction paper and use a piece of whatever heavy thread is in the sewing box. Last time it was pretty gold cord I used for an embroidered pillow years ago. This time it's just plain black string. I was thinking that the tags look a bit like a cartoon bomb with the fuse about to be lit! But that will change (hopefully) when I add the price with a silver or white pen.

This is all very last minute. 'Cos that's the way I evidently roll. Unfortunately. And I still have errands to run. Get some black lentil beans, find another daylight bulb... Luckily my friend Dawn is helping me set up my booth, so maybe it'll get done faster so I can get those errands out of the way and finish making chains for a couple of necklaces. Tonight. For the show tomorrow. Sigh.

I certainly hope to see some of my local readers at the show. It's three days and you can download a free pass for two, so there's really no good excuse not to come. ;D

The 29 Steps

How do you find inspiration when your creativity seems to flag? What tricks do you have to jump start your artistic tendencies? Sometimes I wonder if I spend too much of the work day practicing my favorite avoidance techniques - playing with the kitties, checking in on Oprah (don't have that distraction anymore), or surfing Face Book. I don't respect the time I spend doing "nothing". I think I should be productive at least 8 hours a day. But according to this list, doing nothing *is* doing something. Yay me!

How many of these tips have you tried? 

Accolades and Appreciation

I've been very honored to have been recognized in very exciting venues recently. The other day Metal Clay Academy (MCA) featured an interview with me in their wonderful newsletter. It was doubly sweet because Lorena Angulo was also profiled. I admire the work and service that MCA does for the metal clay community and being introduced to their readers is very exciting for me. Thanks to Emma Gordon for her great questions and nerve settling attitude. Join the mailing list to get the newsletter and see my feature.

I'm also so thrilled to be included in the SNAG/RAD exhibit at Punch Gallery in Seattle. The Society of North American Goldsmith's is holding their yearly conference in Washington and the exhibition of rings is a fabulous honor for all of the RAD artists. Their were 16,000 rings made for the challenge last year and 365 were chosen for the display. 65 artists are represented in the show and four of my creations are included. Angela Crispin and Lorena Angulo of the metal clay world also have pieces in the exhibit. You can go here to view more photos of the gallery. Many of the artist's tagged their rings, so be sure to get to know all the wonderful people I played with last year.

Many Thanks to the curators - Shannon Conrad, Colleen Baran, Kathryn Cole, Nina Gibson, and Sara Westermark for the wonderful display.  I love the way the rings were grouped and displayed. Thanks goes to Sarah Hood as well for all the auxiliary support, displays and SNAG liaison-ing.

I wasn't able to find my Paintbrush ring, but I'm sure it's hiding somewhere. Wish I were hiding there too. If any of you get to see the rings in person, please let us know just how fantabulous the exhibit is. It's at Punch Gallery until May 29, 2011.

A New Look and a New Website

I guess you can see that something's changed. Paled a bit. Dressed down. Made Under. I'm playing around with a new website that will house all my various cyber spaces in one convenient home base, and I wanted them to all have the same look.  The Gallery and shopping cart will be the last to appear, so please bear with me during my construction process.

The drop and drag template builder I found is wonderful. So easy to use and just as simple as I would have had a web designer create. I found it by just clicking on the link at the very bottom of a site I admired. It pays to look at every nook and cranny online. Now you can find the link at the bottom of my new site! Gotta make you work for something. ;D

I'm open to suggestions - so don't be shy. Tell me what you think so far!