Fall is upon us...

Nothing like a weekend filled with good weather, wonderful crafty friends, supportive art enthusiasts and a brand new EZ UP tent to make your spirit soar. I spent a beautiful Saturday in Hopkinton at the Polyarts Festival with some familiar faces including My Urban Kitchen, iDazz, Little Man and Lucky Bird Studio.. and some new friends including Tiffany and Melanie from Look at Me Designs. They have a fabulous collection of clothing and accessories that make a statement and are truly unique.  And as an added bonus, all pieces are made with recycled felted wool sweaters. You can find them at the SoWa Open Market or the upcoming Wellfleet Oysterfest (I'll be there too!) on October 15 + 16:

After a long day, it was nice to stumble into the cozy Zio’s Bistro in Hopkinton Center for a quick bite and glass of wine before heading home.  And then before I knew it, I was up bright and early on Sunday morning to meet Heather and Kerry from Twigs & Heather to get ready for Worcester’s StART on the Street.

It was a great event with several hundred exhibitors and I always love being part of such a festive day. I ran into some fellow crafters including Red Staggerwing Designs, Ansel Blue Design and Guilday Glass... and I’d like to thank the gentleman who stopped by my booth near the end of the day to let me know that the sign hanging on my tablecloth was backwards, yet again, (oops).  And most importantly, to all the wonderful customers who expressed interest in my work and made purchases, thank you, thank you, thank you.

Up next, I'm returning to Newport, RI (September 24 + 25) for the rescheduled dates of the Newport Art Festival.   I'll be in section 10, booth C - it's the second tent on the pier.  Wish me luck... it shall be an adventure.

Sorry I’ve been out of touch.  I’ve missed you too.  So here are the highlights of recent happenings.  I'll start with this photo of a shopper checking out my booth at the Providence Art Festival on June 4^th.  Hey, even big eyed creatures need some art glass. Right?

Exhibitors from the North River Arts Festival on May 28 + 29:

Sisteria Designs - colorful pendants created from repurposed materials.

Len Shartle and his beautiful, earthy sculptures

Ron Wilson Photography - if you're in Plymouth Center, be sure to check out the Wilson & Heywood Gallery at 17 Main Street.

Brooke Stanton’s hand dyed scarf collection.  Check out at all that color and her long locks!

Hard to believe that just a week earlier, Twigs & Heather and I were huddled together  wearing gloves, hats and winter gear in Worcester at Start on the Street.

Several friends have art exhibits this month in Boston and I was fortunate to attend the openings.  May 27: Lot F Gallery featuring paintings by Percy Fortini-Wright and...

and Jamie O’Neill.

May 12: South End Realty Group – Solo Show for Sean Flood

My next stop is Connecticut for Celebrate! West Hartford on June 11 & 12.  Can’t wait!

  

Studio Move Update

So far this month I moved to my new studio in Abington, MA, shipped an order to a store in North Carolina, painted the walls of the new space (see pic below), and exhibited at the first outdoor show of the season.  I’m a little banged up from all the activity and lifting but everything's gone smoothly and I’m settling into the new place and work routine.

This studio is a dream come true and I'll post more photos of the space as it comes together. 

My set up in Andover at Crafts in the Park.  We were so fortunate that the rain held off all day.  Thank you to all who came out in support of this great event.

My wonderful neighbors and friends, Twigs & Heather, and their beautiful sterling silver creations.

In case you've never seen this, here’s what happens to tents that are not properly secured.   Those folks are so lucky that no one was hurt and that the huge tree behind them stopped the tent in its tracks. 

Next stop is StART on the Street in Worcester, MA on Sunday, May 22.   There are 140 plus exhibitors at this street fair which takes place on North Main Street, between Belmont Street and MLK Boulevard.  Hope to see you there!  

Another sunny day in Worcester...

With 300 exhibitors, there's a lot to take in at Start on the Street... and the crowds were out on Park Avenue! I didn't get a chance to mix and mingle with other artists except for my fantabulous neighbors Twigs & Heather. (that's Miss Heather in red...)

The day flew by so quickly... lots of great people and interesting questions including my favorite question of the day: "How do you make the candleholder stand on six legs?" After going through a somewhat lengthy, technical explanation, the young lady still had a puzzled look on her face so I asked if she needed more info.. to which she responded "but WHY do you make a candleholder with six legs?"  Ahhh my dear, that question requires a shorter and less technical explanation.  It goes something like this... "Because I'm a little odd".

Next stop on the outdoor show train for Dasken Designs is Jamaica Plain! See you at JP Open Studios, 284 Amory Street on Sept 25 +26 (11am to 6pm both days).  If you're looking for something to do after visiting the many talented artists and you're craving an adult beverage (along with discovering how it's made), you can tour the nearby Sam Adams Brewery... or head to Bella Luna / Milky Way Lounge..


stART on the Street in Worcester – Sept 20

On Sunday, I participated in stART on the Street in Worcester, an overwhelmingly organized event from beginning to end. There were several hundred vendors plus musicians and food kiosks and the plentiful volunteers made everything from arrival to departure seem like a breeze. And nothing brings people out to a show like clear blue skies and sunshine. Yay people!

This week’s “forgetfulness” award goes to none other than moi… ah yes, #1: I left all of my business cards at home (seriously, they serve no purpose sitting on the kitchen counter); #2: though I remembered to actually bring my camera this week, it was rendered useless since I forgot the battery back home..errrrr....; and lastly #3: the forgetfulness continued on site when I left the table covers in the car and had to retrace my steps up a mountainous path to the artist parking lot to retrieve them. Yup, I’m losin it folks! Fortunately, I made lots of new friends and had my lovely iphone to capture at least a few pics of the day.

I tried a different set up, the old inverted "L" which I'd say worked out quite well except it was a bit cramped, only leaving me a foot and a half of space behind the table. Overall, I think this set up was a success especially if I have more items to display but I need to work on it. So the pursuit of the ideal setup continues as well as the hunt for a clever way to display and simultaneously protect the more delicate glass items (hello!) from little hands... because as much as we love 'em, those little creatures touch EVERYTHING!!