An artist's worst enemy is weather!

An artist's worst enemy is weather!
Last weekend started out as a comedy of errors for me - first I accidentally double-booked myself .... Park Point Art Fair in Duluth and the Eagan Art Festival. I did the same with a rental vehicle.
Molly and I were able to make it all work, but the weather gods had it in for us.
The photo was taken Sunday morning at the Duluth show after a Saturday night rain flooded out many tents, and that same evening wind wreaked havoc at the Eagan show.
Fortunately, our tents held up well, BUT many vendors at both locations didn't fare as well. They cut their loses and went home. The rest of us were left with the decision of should I stay or should I abandon ship. Molly stayed put in Eagan until early Sunday afternoon when another storm threatened. I made it through the day in Duluth. Needless to say, our sales were.... shall I say a near washout?
This art fair season so far, the weather has not cooperated. Heat we can deal with (portable fans and lots of water), off and on rain is OK too, but wind? ..... You can do a great job of securing your tent, but if your neighbor doesn't, then your due diligence is for naught as their tent becomes a flying torpedo.
Anyway, let's hope the weather on July 13th for the Anoka Riverfest is better. It traditionally is one of our best shows (saleswise) of the summer.

Whew, wrapping up my summer art show schedule

Just added to my inventory. This hatbrim fits a head 20 inch head circumference.

Whew! I finally finished my summer show schedule ... except for a couple events that I haven't heard from yet. (Look to the side of this blog page to see the list where you will find me.)  There's some new ones on my list, and some that I attend every year.
Art shows are all about LOCAL. And it's such a showcase of artisans and crafters. Creativity just flows - and that's what I love about 'em. I am inspired, and so appreciate the people who turnout - even in the rain as they did last weekend in New Richmond, Wisc. (That was a tough one for us as it just poured. But there were some folks who came anyway.)
So it's back to wrapping rope.

Ideas: You never know when inspiration will hit you

And here's another example of why I call my work Pure Serendipity. Part of my booth decor is a garland of disks (from leftover fabric) that adorns the entrance to my tent. At every show, at least one person wants to buy them. I have been reluctant to sell them, simply because they are very time-consuming to make. At #HighlandFest, a woman asked if I'd custom make a 20-inch string for a small wall area in her new kitchen. I made it, I loved it, and now I'm adding this gem to my inventory mix. It will debut at the upcoming Art in Bayfront Park event in Duluth, Aug. 15-16. Here's a sneak peek.

Besides Molly, there will be some special guests spending time in the booth - my sister and two of my grandchildren. Stop by if you can, and also, please pass this invitation on to others who may be in the area at that time. Share the joy - it's Pure Serendipity.

Art fairs: Do we have too much of a good thing?

Does Minnesota have too much of a good thing? My experience at last weekend's Highland Fest included good conversations with my vendor neighbors about the future of Minnesota's art fair scene. These folks have years of experience participating in art shows, so I was very interested in what they had to say. "John" says that, for vendors, the experience is not like it use to be. .... fewer purchases and lower price points. He thinks that Minnesota just can't support the number of art fair opportunities that are available during our all too short summer season. Maybe he's got a point. Add the number of music festivals and beer and wine tasting events, well, the dollar just can't stretch that far.

I do believe that the proliferation of these events has something to do with the available grant dollars from the Heritage Fund supported by the tax increase we approved a few years ago to support arts and cultural efforts. At least two vendors told me they wouldn't be back next year to Minnesota events, and expressed their frustration at the cost of the events (around $200 for mid-sized shows) with minimal return on their investment. Being a newbie to all of this, well, I'm just taking it all in, learning and still applying for participation in more shows..... looking forward to selling more sun brims.

By-the-way, my next gig is Duluth's Art in Bayfront Park.

Sewing complete, packing started

It's now time to cover the sewing machine and price and pack my creations. The fall selling season has begun. Here's a list of the events where I will be a participant: Chickadee Boutique Oct. 2- Dec. 7 Shoreview OCT. 4 Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church Craft Show 1509 27th Ave NE Minneapolis, MN 55418 9-4 NOV. 1 Salem Covenant Church Arts and Crafts Fair Salem Covenant Church New Brighton, MN 10:00am NOV. 29 Holiday Classic Boutique Faithful Shepherd Catholic School Eagan DEC. 13 The 22nd Annual Women's Art Festival, Colin Powell Center, 2924 4th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN