Sorry I have been so absent, it is that summer thing in Minnesota…we are all outside busy!
Last week I took some excellent photos of our booth at the farmer’s market. I have been sending in applications for shows. Some request pictures of your product and some ask for pictures of your booth space and I had none, at least none that were that great. Tell me what you think! We are going for kind of a cottage feel, did we do it?
I love the veggies in the background!
It actually hasn’t rained here today, but it sure looks like it wants to…and rain would be welcome. The trees are starting to bud and I know if we could just get a little rain, the colors of spring would just pop. Until then here are some lovely selections from my HandmadeMn friends that helped brighten my overcast day!
Click on the state map to the right and visit our HandmadeMn website to check out all of the talented artists!!
I have been having so much fun featuring my fellow Minnesota Artisans! Today was a mellow yellow day for me down in the studio dyeing so here are my choices for the day! Aren’t they just delicious!
Remember to visit the HandmadeMn Blog for more information on all my friends!
It’s Monday again…time for those GREAT finds from HandmadeMn Etsy Street Team!! These finds made my mouth start to water!
You can check out all the Artisans from Minnesota at the HandmadeMn blog! Happy shopping!
It is Monday and I am happy to share some Monday morning Etsy finds from my friends at HandmadeMn!
The lovely colors just reminded me of the jelly beans I used to put in my children’s Easter baskets when they were younger.
These wonderful Minnesota artists are so talented!! Visit the HandmadeMn blog site to explore the listings of all the Street Team Members :) http://etsymn.blogspot.com/
Have you found the Treasury clocks on www.craftoplis.com? They are a great tool if you like to post Treasuries to Etsy! Both treasuries are timed to let you know when they will open up for postings.
I put a collection together on Saturday night and checked the clocks…about 8 hours until both Treasuries would open up. But mother nature intervened. I was coming down with a bad head cold and was taking the day pretty easy, fell asleep (much needed rest) and slept right through the time the treasuries opened up. :’(
Below is my treasury. All the beautiful items are made by members of the HandmadeMn Etsy Street Team (http://etsymn.blogspot.com/). Unfortunately you can not click on any item that might interest you as I was only able to take a “snippet” picture but all members of the team are posted on their website above (if you want to check out the Etsy shop of any artisan.)
TANTALIZING TURQUOISE
I just recently returned from a 10 day trip to Phoenix Az. to visit my friend Jennifer and attend the Tucson Gem and Bead Show. Many, many thanks to Jen for putting me up AND putting up with me! I appreciate it :)
The first couple of days were strictly homework and relaxing while Jen was working. On Sunday we drove down to Quartzsite to do a little “rock shopping”. Quartzsite is RV heaven during the winter months. RV’s are parked anywhere and everywhere. We browsed many tents containing all sorts of rocks, minerals, and other items. It was a great day of bargain hunting and bartering with local rock hounds. I purchased some petrified wood pieces that I intend to turn into unique buttons for my felted creations, some beautiful blue jasper from “the ancient one”, and some smaller pieces of Jasper.
Just look at the “modern” scale used by one of the vendors! Everything weighed two pounds, too funny. Jen and Casey on the hunt!
On Monday we packed up the truck and drove west to Saddle Mtn where we spent the day hiking and climbing the scree looking for Fire Agates. It was a hard climb for me, being ancient and arthritic, but I took my time, stopped for photos and did rather well. We climbed across the slopes of the mountain all day and was rewarded by many nice finds. I think we carried out about forty pounds of rock, mostly white and red agate with a little fire thrown in. We had a late lunch back at the truck before heading back to Phoenix.
Saddle Mountain (arrow points to destination)
Climbing this! looking for agates!
Late, Late lunch!
The rest of my trip was spent in Cave Creek, browsing(researching) local yarn shops, and meeting friends (from out of town also in Phoenix!) and on to Tucson.
My husband kindly put us up at the Embassy Suites in Tucson (LOVE those frequent stay/ free hotel rooms). If you have never been down to the show in Tucson you are really missing something! Almost every hotel is booked with vendors/rock hounds with treasures to tempt! The show runs for two weeks and if you were to spend every day there you would still not be able to take it all in. Miles and miles of beads, gems, jewelry, findings, and everything else imaginable. You have to really know what you need, what you are shopping for or else you will be bring home a suitcase full, heck you might even leave your clothes behind.
When I was at the airport going through security I just knew I was going to be pulled aside…sure enough, my suitcase goes through xray and the security person stops the conveyor, calls over to another security person with the most puzzled look on her face. They approach and ask if it is my suitcase and that they will need to inspect it. She goes to lift the suitcase off of the conveyor and says “What have you got in here? Rocks?” Ha ha ha, little does she know!
Paa Puu Prints has been kind enough to include me in her recent Etsy Treasury. Thank you Paa Puu, and excellent choices, I don't mind saying! Follow the Link to see more of the treasury.
The model is my lovely daughter!
Do you ever start a project and then get side tracked? I often suffer from this malady! But this one was a doozie! I started to redecorate my master bedroom last spring and before the paint had dried I was off and on to something else. Now in my defense I must say this was just as I was starting up my home based business. There was an Etsy shop to start, the farmer's market every week, product to create....to make a long story short...everything but the large furniture moved into the dining room, and all the furniture was pushed together in the center of the room. And there it remained. Forever. Lost in the jungle of the dining room was the cord to recharge my digital camera battery.
All summer, fall and into the winter I used my husband's camera to shoot photo's of my creations. My closet had turned into a mini photo studio and I must admit it worked great! I placed a lamp that directs the light up to the ceiling in the closet with a small table. I had a bin in the closet that I used to store props, tripods and back drops. My computer desk sits right next to the closet so it was so easy to take the shots, upload the pics, and upload to Etsy. It was perfect!
Thanksgiving came and went, still my room was an organized but incomplete project. With Christmas looming I started to panic...shows to do, sales to take care of, product to ship, cooking, shopping, cleaning, baking, yeow!!!! I finally said "ENOUGH!" I needed my dining room back for actually eating in so the sleeves were rolled up and off I went. Again.
The room is done, the cord is found. I can finally use my own camera to shoot product pictures with, the only trouble is...my closet is now filled with clothes and I have no where to shoot! Looks like I will have to start another project...mini studio?
(Below are some pics I found on my camera that are two years old from my last trip down to Arizona to attend the Tucson gem and bead show)
A trip up to Tortilla Flats
Volunteering at a horse rescue facility with my daughter Paige
Sedona
National Hoop Dance Competition
