Summer Time, Art Fair Time

My summer art festival schedule is pretty firmed up, and it's busy, busy, busy. I hope you can make it to at least one of the fine shows.

May 21 and 22: Art A Whirl Molly and I will be hosted by 4 Angels Creations located at 2653 Stinson Blvd. May 28-29: Sillwater Rivertown Art Fair. June 11-12 Excelsior Art on the Lake. June 26-17 Eagan Art Festival. July 9: Art at St. Kates. July 16-17: Bemidji Art in the Park. Aug. 6-7: Powderhorn Art Fair. Sept. 10-11 Little Falls Art Fair.

Sea Fan makes for a great detail

This bowl is created with batiks that were hand-selected for me in Kenya by my friend Suchinta.I'm so pleased with the stability the new cord I am using gives to my bowls. Both bowls shown here are adorned with dried sea fan that Molly picked up in the Caymans. Nice!

Pssst! If you got this far down my post, you're the first to know that my creations will soon be for sale at Three Sisters Eclectic Arts next to Cafe Latte on Grand Ave., in St. Paul.

New year, new goals

My break from Pure Serendipity is officially over with this post, and I'm setting some lofty goals for 2016:

1. Get my web store up and running; 2. Take photos and post products before considering that creation finished (oh, do you see the little date stamp in the photo above?): 3. Improve my profit margin by offering a greater selection of products that have a track record of being top sellers; 4. Improve "tent" display.

Thanks to another fabric basket artist, I am now using a new cord that makes for a more stable basket.

It's a poly marine cord. It is a little more difficult to work with than the cotton cord that I've been using; but I like the finished product much better. The bowl at the top of this post is made from this cord - it's so stable that it holds alot of "Cuties."

Artists' backstories are as interesting as their work

Strike up a conversation with any crafter or artist at a show, and you’ll usually hear an interesting backstory. Natalie Norman is just one of these people. No doubt you’ve seen her selling her warm, fuzzy mittens at various shows, but it’s the waist bag she was wearing at the recent Salem Covenant Church Art Fair that caught my eye, and thus the questions began.

Norman makes Swedish “kjolvaskas.” She collects vintage Swedish needlework, honed the embroidery designs over the years and incorporates them into new bags. “I would say that the new ones are inspired by the old,” she said. Her passion for this specialized needlework earned her an invitation from the governor to meet with the king and queen of Sweden; and the princess has a special bag (and even one for her doll) created by Natalie. She was also invited to the Swedish Embassy in Washington D.C. to meet dignitaries from the Scandinavian country. Her kjolvaskas are available at the American Swedish Institute and the Gammelgarden Museum in Scandia. Pure Serendipity will be at three shows this holiday season: Saturday, Nov. 21- Christ Presbyterian Church Edina Holiday Boutique. Saturday, Dec. 5- Hudson Holiday Boutique- Saturday, Dec. 12- Womens Art Festival

Three years old- and past the terrible twos

Three years ago this coming weekend Pure Serendipity made its debut at the ‪‎Salem Covenant Church‬ holiday arts and crafts fair (Photo). It's taken a lot of commitment to keep this fledgling business going and I admit it, sometimes, especially during the second year, when the newness began to wear off, I just wanted to give it up. However, what's kept my going are the wonderful, gifted women/artists that I have met through this adventure; the joy of having my creative wheels always moving me forward in new directions; but mostly, that Pure Serendipity has brought me closer to my daughter - a gift of such magnitude that there are no words to express my gratitude I'm excited to be celebrating my third anniversary at Salem Covenant Church this Saturday. Here are the details: Show: Nov. 7 Time: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Location: 2655 FIFTH STREET NW NEW BRIGHTON, MN 55112 Please stop by and say "Hi."

Friendship woven together with a thread

Look what I received in the mail today. Fourteen, one-yard cuts of batiks from Ghana. These fabrics are from my very dear friend, Suchinta, who purchased them for me while in the African country. Batiks are by far my favorite fabric. I love the flow of color, and the idea that the designs are hand-crafted, with colors and symbols that have regional and ethnic significance. I had told Suchinta to send me some batiks, if she could find the time. But I wasn't expecting this truly wonderful gift that also came with a new connection to a place far away. I am overwhelmed. This box of goodies has given me "quilter's block" (similar to writer's block). I am creatively stuck. What can I make that would best honor the women behind these creations and show off the designs? I'm calling on my friends to help me out with ideas. Below is a "selfie" of Suchinta with Esther, the creative force behind the fabrics.

Suchinta's comments on seeking out the fabrics:

"I have been walking around looking for Esther and her gorgeous batiks for days. She designs and has 4 women create beautiful cotton fabrics combining batik and tie dye. Today I found her on my 3rd attempt, and made a new friend. Our meeting turned out to be more about sharing self-healing stories than about batiks."

Learn more about Esther: http://batiksforlife.com/the-art-of-batik-and-more-feel-goodness/

Changing seasons, changing inventory mix

I have only two more outdoor shows this season: Marine on St. Croix Art Fair this weekend and Golden Valley Art and Music Festival on Sept. 26. Then it is time to quickly shift gears to the indoors, and that means an inventory change-up. Here are the three top category items this past summer:

TRIVETS...Total number sold over the summer:26

HATBRIMS...Total number sold over the summer 23

SMALL LIDDED BOWLS My inventory of small lidded bowls is constantly in need of replenishing. (I'd better get busy for the upcoming sales)...Total number sold over the summer: 23