my new line of work

here are some photos of my new line of work- capelets. i premiered them at my winter shows last year. people really seemed to like them.
they are capelets made from handmade wool wet felt, hand dyed and constructed by me. the linings are a silk/soy satin also hand dyed.
look for more photos soon. i will also be listing them on etsy in the next week

guest artist 2- heidi fehrenbacker

my second choice is Heidi Fehrenbacher from Michigan. we met at the one of a kind Chicago show this past December. she is a functional potter with interesting glazing designs. i bought a few of her pieces for Christmas gifts.
i love the shape of her curved mugs. also her 'country/city mouse' mugs are so great.
what i love most about her work is the uniqueness of her pieces. while they are standard in function and purpose (like most pottery) her works stands out as the silhouettes are different and her glazes. i like how she almost draws on the pieces; they have some great line work.
Heidi was a great artist to be next at the show, helping the time go by so well.

studio clearance sale

i have not talk about the fact that i'm running a big clearance sale in my etsy store for the next couple of months, til the end of march. i don't believe in discounting work to sell it; i feel it 'cheapens' it and makes the customer think that every artist should discount their work. so i don't normally do it. but i have some stock which is older and i'd like to clear it out to make room of new work.
so if you been looking to get one of my pieces, now is the time. there are some pretty deep discounts.
i am also selling wool roving and grab bags of my felt scraps for those who'd like to experiment on their own.
i am also offering free shipping on any sale through march too!

guest artist 1-amy tavern

there are a few reasons i chose amy as the first artist to highlight. first, she has played a large role in my craft pursuits. we meet back in 2006 at penland school of craft in north carolina. she was an assistant in the metal smithing class while i was elbow deep in some wool in the textiles dept. she has been huge source of information, and never seems to mind giving advice. some artist i meet are real hush hush with their knowledge, but not amy. she is currently back at penland in her second year of their artist residency program.
i have always love amy's work. it's simple lines and shapes with a cheeky quark added through her design elements. have have a couple of her pieces and used her jewelry in my wedding.
another reason i chose amy right now is her production line will be disappearing at the end of january. so check out her work at her site and her etsy store. you can become a fan at her facebook page and follow her on twitter too. i'll be sad to her her production line go, but as she has stated this is the time to experiment and grow into new work.
thanks amy!

2009 to 2010

well it's another year, so i guess it's time for goal setting and year in reviewing.
first, i'd like to change this blog. i've been using this as a forum to talk about my struggles and victories with my art (definitely more struggles at this point). but this year, i'd like to talk about other artist/crafters. i meet some really great people at the shows i've attended and would like to talk about them here. so mondays will be set aside for other artist.
while at the one of a kind show NYC, it came to me... how can i expect people to buy my handmade objects when i don't buy many handmade objects? so, i am going to live a 'handmade year'. i will try to buy as much as possible handmade, mostly from etsy. i'm hoping it might help my online etsy sales as well as support the handmade movement.
another project on the horizon is getting into a couple of wholesale shows this year. i'm hoping for the buyers market and the acre vegas show.
i'm also setting the goal that by the end of 2010, i can go into 2011 as a full time studio artist and retire from table waiting.
i have some new designs that were premiered at the winter shows, i need to get some photos. i finally got my caplettes going. it been something in the back of my mind and finally got them going. more on those later.
and lastly, i'm really thinking about getting a small clothing line going, using only natural fiber fabrics, since that is part of my artist statement and goal with my current work.

as for 2009..... i think over all the year was ok. i raised my prices in 2009, so that had an effect on my slower sales, but i did sell work at the prices. the one of a kind show in chicago was good and i have signed the contract for 2010, but NYC was a bad show and i will not return. the summer shows were the same... some bad, some ok and a couple good ones. i need to find a way to supplement my income in between the show season. which is where i'm hoping wholesale will fit in.