yesterday, i participated in the 33rd annual lazy daze in cary, nc. i've never attended the show before, as a vendor or a shopper, but plan to make it an annual tradition from now on. they had rotating musical performances throughout the day, pirate sword fighting (which, in my opinion, makes any event worth attending), a great selection of arts and crafts, and of course funnel cakes. i did not get see as much of the show as i would have liked to since i was there to work, but i was very impressed by the vendors that were in my immediate area, and i got two amazing necklaces from katie sasser, a jeweler, who was visiting from tennessee. the event was very well organized, i was most impressed by the ease of the setting up and breaking down processes, and they were able to keep all 300+ of us artists in line, a daunting task to say the least.
we had an early start in the morning, arriving to set up at the ungodly hour of 6:00 am, meaning i had to wake up at 5:00 (an hour that i'm convinced should rarely be seen, and then only on your way to bed from the night before, and absolutely never as the start of your day). as i stated earlier, the set up process went smoothly, the only setback my brains refusal to cooperate at such an early hour, resulting in the inability to accurately read a map.
despite ominous weather forecasts the morning started off beautifully. a little muggy, but not too hot and bright and sunny. around lunch time the dark clouds began rolling in and then the rains came. there was a quick downpour in which we frantically tried to get the tent walls hung up, and harbored several soaked shoppers under our tent. since we have never had to use the tent walls before, this process did not go as smoothly as one would have hoped, but we eventually got everything line up even managed to get most everything off the ground before the river of water started rushing though the the back section of the tent. that was the most chaotic part of the day, but things quickly calmed down. it was still showers off and on the rest of the afternoon but traffic remained fairly steady.
we had a great time, met some great people, bought some great items, and then... 12 hours after it all began, still a bit damp and quite exhausted, we were packed and ready to head home for the comfort of home and a nice long nap.
we picked out our pumpkin the other day and i couldn't wait to carve it and to roast the seeds (most of which are already gone). i found so many delicious sounding recipes for roasted pumpkin seeds that it was difficult to settle on just one. in the end i choose simple and basic: coat seeds with 2 tbls of melted butter, add a little salt and some garlic. spread on a cookie sheet and roast at 300 deg F for 20-25 min.
this years pumpkin carving was based on "the scream" by edvard munch.
i am lusting after... Ladybird and Rooster Sushi Plates by heartlayla. so beautiful.
receiving a note on Sushi Splash letterhead by wevegotpaper will surely brighten anyone's day.
this Nigri Bracelet by Carolyn Tillie is amazing.
Tuna Sushi Panel by thisartlife painted on old a collage of old sewing patterns.
Felt Veggie Rolls by feltedchicken. how fun!
knit your own sushi with this pattern from NeedleNoodles. if knitting is not your thing, buy the finished Amigurumi Sushi Set in her store.
bath time is fun with Ikura Sushi vegan soap from DirtyAssSoaps
after several weeks and a lot of trial and error, my website update is finally complete. as always it was a learning experience and once again reaffirmed my need to take a few classes to refresh my html/ dreamweaver knowledge. i think those are definitely going to be on my agenda for 2010. meanwhile, i'm happy with the way the site turned out, photographs and information have been updated and all my current collections are featured, including my new "relic" collection. relic is a new direction i'm trying, the designs are aimed at men but are also appropriate for women who enjoy bolder more industrial pieces. please check out the site and let me know what you think, and especially let me know if you find any typos. :)
horray, The Rock & Shop is tomorrow! and i've been working hard to get ready. maybe even a bit too hard, as i've gone overboard in making pieces for the show and am not sure there will be enough space to display all of them. opps! however, that means there will be tons of new designs for you to check out, and of course all the old favorites will be there too. some of the higlights, found object necklaces (courtesy of all my great antique store finds last week), vintage flower and hardware earrings, and after much procrastination, i've added some new enamels to my collection. i am especially excited to debut my new Crater Ring collection.
