Another Perfect Gift Boutique for the Record Books!

Janene lives in Three Rivers and makes all this wonderful natural skin care stuff.

Ja Nene Natural Body Products – for the whole family

Nikki is a Master Weaver who also makes soy candles – and she draws beautifully too!

Handweaving by Nikki

Marn sold poppy seeds for the Three Rivers Arts Alliance.

Arts Alliance of Three Rivers CA

Wendy is a versatile artist with a terrific studio/art shop in Three Rivers called Colors.

Wendy McKellar, Three Rivers artist

Perfect Gift Boutique

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Three Rivers Arts Center

10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Here is a look at the building and some of the vendors and merchandise:

my space

some of Ginny Wilson’s photography (it will make you want to travel!)

Homepage

Sam McKinney’s Gourd Art (you should see her miniature ornaments!)

We  pierced women can always use another pair of earrings from Tina!

Tina St John Designs – Home

The painting of the wreath sold but there are plenty of other items from which to choose!

Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving!


I’m thankful for more than I can list but here I go in random order anyway:

  1. Living in Three Rivers where there are wild turkeys, quail, and yes, even thankful for bears and deer and raccoons and skunks (but not opossums or wood rats)
  2. My good husband
  3. My Mom, sisters and their families
  4. Technology like this blog where I can express myself
  5. Cats, even Zeke the Terrible
  6. Knowing God
  7. American freedoms and abundance
  8. Not having to fly anywhere any time soon
  9. More authentic friends than any human being deserves
  10. Painting, drawing, teaching drawing lessons, my students, people who read my blog and people who buy my art
  11. KNITTING! (deep calming breaths, don’t get overly excited)
  12. My friend Dave who deep-pits my turkey every year

Show Summary

Shows take a ton of work:  gather the work, package it, price it, load it, unload it, set it up, and THEN sit there for a day hoping people come, hoping they buy, hoping they buy lots of things and mostly big things.

It rained hard the day of the Senior League Bazaar.  There were hardy vendors who set up outside the Memorial Building with canopies. My space was dry inside the building, this year near the windows for better lighting (and a beautiful view of the Chinese pistache trees). Some neighbors of mine had no canopy for their outside space, so I squished my stuff and myself over. Who knows if it enhanced the visitation to both our spaces or if it diminished each of us?? I just know they needed to be dry in order to sell their wares. (Where is that dad-gum crystal ball???)

The show seemed crowded and noisy, always a good sign. It is always a bit surprising that I can walk great distances at a fast pace and feel fine but talking and listening in a noisy room for a day wipes me out. Felt as if I talked and listened to a ton of people but wasn’t selling much. When it was time to pack up, it seemed as if I was taking the same amount of merchandise back to the studio that I brought. Funny thing is that I made money – an average amount for a 1 day show. Go figure! And, I picked up a commission and perhaps another drawing student. Shows are about marketing, exposure, and public relations just as much as they are about sales.

Senior League Bazaar

Holiday Arts and Crafts Bazaar

Saturday, November 20, 9 AM – 4 PM

Three Rivers Memorial Building

Free Admission

Hot Food

Drinks

Bake Sale

Door Prizes

Handmade Gifts

50 booths

Auction

Rummage Sale

Getting Ready for another show

It is Show Season – one per weekend through December 11! This is what it looks like to prepare for a show after doing 2 already (or was it one and just feels like 2?) Packaging prints and cards, pricing everything, getting the right mix of merchandise for the crowd (anyone have a crystal ball I can borrow??), remembering all the little hooks, hangers, bits and pieces of the display systems. . . you’d think I would have this all figured out. The truth is that every single show is different. Repeat shows also feel brand new each time because sometimes we are placed in new locations and merchandise varies from year to year. I am a bit spoiled since doing more Three Rivers shows than any other town. If I forget something, I race back to the studio and get it!

Peculiar Sights #11

In Three Rivers, it is common to watch the river. We cross over certain bridges, or take certain walks and always check out the river to see how it is changing with the seasons. When one frequents the same routes, one comes to accept the sights as normal. I’ve been walking across the Dinely Bridge regularly since January 1999, and I am used to the views. However, there is something rather curious there- it is this vase of flowers, regularly updated and replaced.

The story is that someone’s Mom’s ashes were scattered from the bridge, and her son keeps fresh flowers there in her memory.

A Painting is Happening

Kind of terrible looking with only one layer! Terrible, but with hope.

When all this new background dries, I’ll start on the large sycamore tree.

Peculiar Sights, #10

Yesterday Michael and I took a stroll down to the bridge to see the river. It was peaceful, not too slimy and slow for October.

But wait! What is that??

Someone has been stacking rocks! Now that is a peculiar way to spend one’s time.

Good thing I got the photo yesterday, because this morning all this was under water.