Kerrytown BookFest!

Last Sunday (September 9) I had the opportunity to have my first, official, by-myself booth at an event. I had a table at the 10th Annual Kerrytown BookFest!

BookFest is a fantastic, local event focusing not just on authors and the literary arts, but also on the art and craft that goes into creating the physical books, including bookbinding, printing, and papermaking. As a librarian and artist, I couldn't resist the combination!

Held in the space where the weekly Kerrytown Farmer's Market occurs, my booth was in a great location just outside of Sweetwater's cafe, next to the information booths for BookFest. I was also right at the T-insersection of the first aisle of the market.

I had consistent foot traffic all day, so much so that when I took a couple of brief breaks, my volunteer relief (both BookFest volunteers and also my husband!) reported that I had folks stopping by and browsing and asking questions. Great to hear!

 

My offerings included the full range of items that I have in my Etsy shop, including wrap bracelets, jotter journal sets with prints of my original artwork on them, natural stone pendants, hand-knotted macrame gemstone bookmarks, and some handbound mini-journals.

<-- Jotter Journals with Prints of Original Art

Handbound journals, bookmarks and pendants -->

In addition to my products, I had a couple of other things that were incentives for folks to stop by and linger:

1) A giveaway! I thought it would be a nice sign of appreciation to the folks who came by to have a chance to win a gift card to my shop. I put a sign on the front of my booth and had a  sign-up sheet on the table for folks to win a $50.00 gift card to my Etsy shop. I had over 60 entries and picked the lucky winner (Ellery) during the week after BookFest.

2) Something informative! One other item I had on my table that seemed to be helpful in drawing folks to the booth and giving them something "no-pressure" to do was an informative display about Stones of Michigan. You can see the sheet in front of my jewelry stands:

It included samples of five different stones, all from Michigan, with descriptions of the origins of each.  Most Michiganders are familiar with the state stone - Petoskey Stone - which is a fossil coral, specifically Hexagonaria, found off of the shores of Lake Michigan. In the course of making wrap bracelets and researching the state's natural history, I have discovered a number of other stones that I have started to use in my creations. These include Leland Bluestone, which is actually a glass/stone mix that resulted as a by-product of smelting in the 1870s; epidote, a gorgeous, green stone; mid-mitten alabaster; and kona dolomite (a fossil algae.) People were drawn into the booth and it gave them something to look at, and learn from, while browsing around.

The content of the booth also includes the finishing touches, such as a nice table covering and display stands, professional signage (I printed pricing cards up and laminated them) as well as some decorative items to fill up the space so that the table doesn't look too sparse. All of this contributes to creating an attractive, inviting, and professional display that speaks to the quality of your products and your business as a whole.

I am thrilled to report that I had a nice number of sales at BookFest as well as some inquiries from folks about my presence at other local craft venues. I am very grateful for everyone who came out and who supported my first foray into craft booth selling!

What did I learn? While having a craft booth is invigorating and exciting, and potentially lucrative, it is exhausting! I spent a great deal of time preparing my booth materials, making extra product so that I had enough to offer my customers, and then spending the entire day on Sunday setting up, staffing, and cleaning up the booth. It was a wonderful opportunity to talk with my customers and potential customers directly, get my products in front of people, and make some sales, but when I started to tally up my time spent on the whole endeavor, I began thinking about my pricing. I will explain more about that in my next post...stay tuned!

Have you ever sold your wares at a craft booth? Do you do this frequently, or just at a select few shows per year? I would love to hear your perspective on the subject.

Happy September!

Welcome to September! It is starting to feel officially like fall, even if it is going to be 80+ degrees today. :)

I have been busy with end-of-summer activities and haven't posted in a month, so here's an update for you!

I have been creating like crazy lately, among other things, adding some new mini-journals to my Etsy shop:

 Natural Dragonfly Mini Journal with Bead and Button Closure

Approx. 5.75” x 3”, hand-sewn with walnut brown waxed linen thread in a chain stitch or Coptic style, and designed to lay flat for writing or drawing. Heavyweight, 100% cotton, acid-free, warm-white Wyndstone paper in three signatures included for 18 sheets (36 pages) total.

 

Thai traditional paper in a natural buff-white color was used to cover the book board and is finished with a flower-shaped, bone-white button and more waxed linen thread for easy closure. The thread has a beautiful dangle of beads that include a 6mm Jupiter jasper bead surrounded by two gold metallic beads. Inside, the end papers showcase gorgeous green and gold dragonflies on a buff background.

Sienna Mini Journal with Mookaite Jasper and Apple Blossom Button Closure

Approx. 6” x 4”, hand-sewn with dark orange waxed linen thread in a chain stitch or Coptic style, and designed to lay flat for writing or drawing. 70 lb, acid-free, Canson drawing paper in four signatures for 128 pages total.

 

Thai traditional paper in a beautiful sienna color was used to cover the book board and is finished with a delicate, antique gold apple blossom button and more waxed linen thread for easy closure. The thread has a beautiful dangle of gold metallic beads and a Mookaite jasper flat round.
 

And I am also preparing for next weekend's 10th annual Kerrytown BookFest. I am excited to be participating for the first time as an exhibitor. If you are local to the Ann Arbor area, stop by booth #138 and say hi!  Here is a sneak peek of some of my new items that will be available there:

New! Flower Jade and Mum Macrame Bookmark. Hand-knotted light green S-Lon thread and featuring beautiful flower jade beads and an antique silver-plated mum charm.

New! Lapis Lazuli and Starfish Macrame Bookmark. Hand-knotted medium blue S-Lon thread and featuring gorgeous lapis lazuli beads and an antique silver-plated starfish charm.

Petoskey Stone Triple Wrap Bracelet. A rare find, beautiful, authentic 6mm Petoskey stone rounds were used to create a stunning triple wrap bracelet. Petoskey stone is the official state stone of Michigan. It is a variety of calcite and was formed by the fossilization of ancient coral, Hexagonaria. Petoskey stones are found on many beaches of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, as well as in rock quarries from Traverse City to Alpena.

And more bracelets, bookmarks, and journals to come! Have a Happy Labor Day!

FOLK Magazine, Issue VI - My First Ad!

The mail arrived yesterday, and as my 5-year-old always says, "is there anything for me?" Since all the mail is usually for me (and my husband), I usually rephrase a bit to, "is there anything FUN for me?" Well, there was!

My first issue of FOLK Magazine arrived. This is issue VI of the young magazine, which started up in September 2011. The magazine is, by their own description, "devoted to presenting a fresh and youthful interpretation of simple country lifestyles. We focus on the stories that make America our collective home sweet home. FOLK reaches across the many representations of American Country style to celebrate personal expression in our homes, businesses, and lives."

FOLK Magazine is put out bimonthly (one issue every two months) and each issue has a particular theme. Issue VI is Vintage. This is my actual copy - sitting on my bead mat :)

Not only is this my first issue, but it is the first issue in which I have put an advertisement for my Etsy shop! I was thrilled to see my little ad in the middle of the magazine:

I have yet to sit down and read through the articles, but it is gorgeously laid out, and I can't wait to take a peek. Maybe when the kids are out in the sandbox this afternoon...

Being a new publication, FOLK Magazine is also growing by leaps and bounds, so if you are interested, check out their subscription page for details on how to get your own issue. They are distributed via most Barnes & Noble stores and other independent retailers nationwide so check out their store listings page to find which retailers carry it. (NOTE: as of today, August 1, the store listings page is being updated, so check back later to see if the full list is up!)

The thing I love about this magazine, in addition to the content, is the fact that they put an emphasis on helping American, small businesses and artisans obtain affordable placement in a national magazine. The current list of advertisers for this issue, including myself, are listed on FOLK's Advertising page. Links to online shops are included.

And if you have a small business that fits the FOLK genre and you are looking to advertise, you can contact Hillary Lewis, Director of Sales and Marketing, advertise.folk@gmail.com.

Enjoy!

Cat Portrait Commission - Pen and Ink

Ahhhh...how I love pen and ink! It has been some time since I have done a pet portrait, but I recently had a commission for a beautiful, Siamese cat. 

I worked from photos like I normally do, but the cat itself was difficult to photograph because of the dark markings on the face and there was some glare on the photos. It was a bit challenging to render, but even so, I think it turned out very well.

The final drawing was approximately 10" wide by 8" high and was done with my Rapidograph 3x0 (.25) pen on smooth Bristol paper. 

The fine pen was terrific for the face, but I started to question my sanity when I began to fill in the fur on the back half of the cat, most of which was dark brown to black. It went faster than I anticipated, though, and I think the fine pen lines worked really well to captured the subtle fur patterns, rather than just filling it in as a solid black.

This is an early photo of the pencil work as I blocked in the fur markings, etc. I always make sure my pencil areas are marked in before beginning any ink. If it doesn't look right in pencil, it won't look right in ink.

I did NOT fill in the fur on the back entirely with pencil (except for the tail), but rather just marked where there were changes in the direction of the fur as a sort of map to doing the pen work.

 

The final, finished drawing.

Once I finished with the pen work, I let it dry thoroughly overnight and then took my kneaded eraser to the whole thing to remove any stray pencil marks. I think the final turned out well and hope that the owner enjoys both the cat and the drawing for many years.

Trip to South Carolina!

I recently returned from a wonderful vacation to South Carolina. We spent a week in Myrtle Beach and had the opportunity to explore the area a bit.

Of course, we spent a good bit of time at the beach. I don't know who had more fun collecting seashells, my 5-year-old daughter or me! I was fascinated by the beautiful colors often found on the underside of of the big chunks of clamshells that wash up on the beach. I also found a few interesting shapes and sizes and even a bit of coral.

 

The whole lot.

Some coral in the center and although it isn't obvious in the photo, the shell on the left has beautiful pink and purple tones on it.

Loved the shape of this one in the center. Beautiful spiral.

Lots of interesting textures, patterns, and colors.

I didn't have much time to draw while there, but I did a few quick sketches. I can't wait to do more and in color!

In addition to the beach, we had a chance to visit the gorgeous Brookgreen Gardens. Located just south of Myrtle Beach, Brookgreen Gardens is "a National Historic Landmark with the most significant collection of figurative sculpture in an outdoor setting by American artists in the world and has the only zoo accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums on the coast of the Carolinas." 

We took a Lowcountry boat tour through historic rice fields, saw a wonderful sculpture exhibit on the American West, had a fantastic lunch there, and while my husband, sister and brother took my girls to the zoo, I did a quick walk through some of the gardens near the main visitor center. 

I really enjoyed the magnolia trees everywhere and saw many trees with the fruits developing and flowers just starting to emerge.

One of my very favorite parts of the garden was Live Oak Allee. Here, huge Southern Live Oaks, approximately 250 years old, line the walkway. Spanish moss hangs down off of them and their majestic presence is just amazing.

 

Of course, I took more photos than I have room for here. I can't wait to go back for another visit. One nice thing about the gardens is that if you are down for a visit, your tickets are good for 7 consecutive days, so you can return to see more without additional cost. We only had time for one day, but next time, I'll be sure to plan some return trips!

New Pendants!

Gemstones - I just love 'em. The natural colors and patterns that the earth creates and that people shape and polish grab my attention every time.

What is your favorite semi-precious gemstone? Do you have a "thing" for a particular natural object that inspires your art or jewelry? Let me know!

For me, I really enjoy the small rounds that I have been using to create my bracelets. I tend to use the 4mm (which are fairly small) and the 6mm stones. Recently, however, I ordered some larger stones that caught my attention - some Mookaite jasper nuggets and some fossil coral puff squares. I ordered them thinking I might use them in my bookmarks. But when they arrived and were actually a bit larger than I thought and it started the creative juices flowing...rather than use them for bookmarks, I thought they would make fantastic pendants!

One thing I love about a chunk of gemstone is the simple beauty of the stone itself. I strive to use only natural stones that have been cut and polished, but otherwise not enhanced. I want to emphasize that naturalness and simplicity in my pendants whenever possible. Also, my personal wardrobe is pretty simple these days as I have young children, so I love a simple necklace or pendant to add some interest to a solid-color shirt or other casual outfit.

For my first pendant, I used black leather cord (1.5mm) and a beautifully patterned fossil coral square (approx. 3/4 inches square.)

Instead of metal pins and jump rings, I preferred to attach the stone using some matching S-Lon thread, looped through, knotted and carefully glued so that the pendant can still be moved on the cord. It turned out very well. 

I made the next few pendants with various Mookaite jasper nuggets, which come in a gorgeous, earthy range of deep maroon, dark red, pink, pearly white, and goldenrod yellow, some of those all on the same stone! This time, I experimented with some 1mm waxed cotton cord. Although I am sure I will make more with leather, the waxed cotton offers a nice alternative for those who do not care for leather, and I really like the lighter weight and drape of the waxed cotton. I used both dark brown and black waxed cotton cord, but also a lovely light yellow that went very nicely with the goldenrod Mookaite nugget.

Dark goldenrod stone with dark brown markings. 

Pink and goldenrod stone - already sold! :)

Toffee-colored stone with some dark gold markings on the bottom.

Another Mookaite nugget - this one with beautiful deep maroon, red, and cream colored markings.

As you can see, I paired some of these stones with some complimentary Czech glass beads, which add a little sparkle to the design without overshadowing the stone.






I purposely made the pendants longer and with an adjustable closure so that the wearer could easily slip them over the head and choose the length.

Finally, here is one that I did with a gorgeous malachite teardrop-shaped bead and a 4mm malachite round. With the silver Czech beads and black cord, it makes for a striking pendant. 

I have some great ideas from my bead stash and some new waxed cotton cord colors that should arrive this week, so definitely stay-tuned to the Etsy shop for more beautiful pendants! 

Trillium Print - Combined Composition

I recently ventured into creating my first, small, print run of my artwork to be used in a gifting event. This was for the Christmas in July gift bags, an event for the indiExhibit, which were gifted to a small group of twelve celebrities.


I have participated in events before, but never gifted a print of my artwork before. I had to keep it fairly small, as there were items from other artists in the bags also.


I knew which drawings I wanted to use - two drawings of a white trillium (Trillium grandiflorum), from sketches and reference photos taken at an art retreat last year (see my first post here.) I love wildflowers and really enjoyed getting to know some of the local ones, including the beautiful white trillium. The triangular, pointed leaves and petals really appealed to me. 


I had completed one drawing in color (ink and colored pencil) of the plant in bud, and had an ink drawing of the plant flowering, so I thought it would be interesting to combine the two into a simple, botanical print. I scanned both drawings into my photo editing program and played with the composition until I felt it was right.  I really wanted to showcase the full color drawing, so I wanted that in the foreground. Personally, I found it more interesting that the drawing of the plant in bud, not full flower, was emphasized.  Rearranging it several times, and printing out drafts, I settled on the vertical presentation. 


I added some italicized text at the bottom to identify the plant and printed it out on acid-free, white cardstock. The final, matted print was only 5x7 inches, and I thought of it as similar to a note card (not intended as an archival, fine art print) that showcases my work, but isn't expected to last 500 years. I am hoping that maybe the celebrity recipients find it to be a little piece of botanical interest that they can put in their home or give to another friend or relative who likes this style of art.

The final print in it's white mat.

Back of the print with a small printout with my contact information and information about the trillium plant itself. Might as well educate a bit while I am at it! :)

Of course, I finished the gift package by putting the print/mat/backing into a clear bag, including my business card and wrapped a little green, waxed linen thread around it with a gift tag on the front (that included my holly painting, since it was for Christmas, after all!) 


It's unusual to get any direct feedback from the celebrity recipients (understandably), unless they are exceedingly gracious to each artist included in the gift bags or happen to really take to a particular artist's work. However, I love that this gave me an opportunity to "expand my horizons" (thank you, Mrs. Pletcher!) and think of how I could present my work and share a little of my artistic interests with a different audience.

Have you ever ventured out of your comfort zone or usual routine to do something different like this? I would love to hear about it!

The Versatility of Glitter - Who Knew?! Fantastic Designs by ArtisticWill Studios

I have been waiting months to do this post! I have had the pleasure of getting to know one of my fellow indiExhibit artists recently by way of having her complete several commissioned pieces of art for me. One as a gift for myself, and several as gifts for others.

If you haven't yet seen the work of ArtisticWill Studios, check it out!  She uses glitter in a way that I haven't seen before. When I first think of glitter, I think of my two young kids and glitter pens on construction paper. This could not be further from what ArtisticWill Studios does!

According to her Etsy shop description, the artist, "developed a technique using multiple layer of irredescent glitter paints on clear acetate in a stained glass style for an unique art and keepsake."

The result is just stunning. One of my favorite birds is a great blue heron. I decided to order a custom paperweight of a heron for my desk. The artist worked very closely with me to make sure the design was exactly what I wanted. I was thrilled with the final product! It's a beautiful addition to my desk.

Once I received my heron, my mind started thinking about some upcoming gift occasions and so I went back to ArtisticWill Studios for more!

I had this custom paperweight made as part of a wedding gift for some friends (one of whom loves penguins).

 

Purchased this beautiful paperweight for my Mom for Mother's Day.

  

And commissioned this birthday present for my sister, who loves golfing.

ArtisticWill Studios also offers beautiful keepsake plaques, pendants, bookmarks, and, of course, custom pieces. If you have someone on your gift list that is hard to buy for, this might be exactly what you are looking for! Take a peek and see glitter in a new way!

New Bookmarks and Saline Farmer's Market!

I have been happily plugging away at some new bookmarks for my Etsy shop. I have a few listed there:

 Midnight Sodalite Macrame Bookmark.

 Rhyolite Macrame Bookmark.

Pietersite Macrame Bookmark.

Golden Sunflower with Botswana Agate Macrame Bookmark.

And have created some new ones (with more on the way!) Here's a sneak peek:

Green Enamel Leaf Macrame Bookmark.










 

Black and White Sardonyx Macrame Bookmark.

I am trying to get some extras done this week since I will have the opportunity to sell my wares at the Saline Farmer's Market this Saturday, June 9. An artist friend of mine had an extra spot in her booth and kindly invited me to join her. I am very excited! If you are local, stop by and see us! We will be there from 8:00 a.m. - noon.

My First Exhibit!

I am very excited to announce my participation in this wonderful exhibit on scientific illustration that opens tomorrow, June 2, at the Ann Arbor District Library downtown.

The exhibit, "Illustrating Science: From Anatomy to Zoology", showcases scientific illustrations on a range of subjects, done by local illustrators. Four of my botanical illustrations are on display.  It runs for a month and a half and includes not only finished artwork, but also field studies and sketches. If you are local, be sure and stop by the downtown branch of the Ann Arbor District Library!