Words into Action

Well, it might not look like much, but it's a good start. Especially for a holiday weekend. Here's the finished shelf without anything on it:  

Getting Organized

Thanks to those who made it out to the Farmer's Market on Saturday. It was an absolute success!  I saw a lot of faces I haven't seen since last summer. In fact, I got to see a whole new face (a tiny babe) that was growing in mama's belly last summer, and got to hold him too.  The little toothless grin was such a precious gift! What a great way to start the summer.

What does this have to do with getting organized? Well after spending several hours in my tent surrounded by my glass creations, I realized that I'd better get busy because I have more shows than I have product. Now don't worry--I do have a lot of great pieces to sell, but I like to give my customers a lot of color options, because for me, that's a big part of getting the piece just right.  So when I returned home to start work on some fabulous sea turtle color choices, I panicked!

As you can see from the picture of my workspace, chaos reigns.  So the first order of the day is to TRY to organize this "hot mess" as Niecey Nash would say. I'm going to do some Internet shopping this morning just to check out prices, then off to the store with the best price on some type of modular cubes.   I'd like to start with just a few to see how they work holding the glass, then purchase more as sales allow. If you have any ideas on where I can find good buys on this type of storage, please share. Or maybe you have a great success story about how you organized your own studio space. I've got to clean up this mess before the "Glass Hoarder Police" come after me. Otherwise, I'll be sitting in the middle of my living room trying to convince the television universe that "I only brought home what I thought I could use in a glass mosaic."

When you next hear from me, I promise, I'll have at least one "color"  under control.  I think I'll start with green, my favorite.  Or is that the wrong way to start organizing?  Help!

Farmer's Market

Just wanted to let everyone know that I will be selling my stained glass and mosaics at the Cuyahoga Valley Countryside Conservancy Farmer's Market  in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park this Saturday. Wow, that's a mouthful; but there are a number of Farmer's Markets in the area, and I want to make sure you can find me if you are curious. Our summer location is at Howe Meadow on Riverview Road, about 2 miles north of the Smith Road intersection. The Market runs all summer every Saturday morning from 9:00 a.m. to noon. This is our third Saturday this season, and we are still getting used to our new digs. Check out their website for detailed directions and a list of vendors.

The Market concentrates on food for the body, but they throw in a little food for the soul too, allowing a small number of artists to participate. Along with fresh produce and meats, you can find everything from honey and soaps to teas, flower bouquets, hand-crafted stationery, and my specialty: stained glass creations.  I try to limit what I take to the Market to nature inspired items, which is fairly easy for me since about 85% of my work falls into that category. I share a booth with my good friend Andrea, who makes crochet dishcloths, baby hats, and other beautiful crochet masterpieces.

Shoppers can gather at the Market to purchase fresh tasty treats--which are amazing, but it's also just a great place to hang out and meet people. There is an interesting and involved diverse group of people to share ideas with and learn from, and I haven't found a fun-sucker among them. So come on out for the fresh air, vegetables, and ideas. Don't forget to visit me in my booth at the Market on Saturday morning.