Good Grief 2018!
Hello Friends~
Wowza!
I sure have been lax in 2018. I hope to do a bit of a recap and then get back to more regular blogging in 2019
In December of 2017 we took our family on a western Caribbean cruise for Christmas week. My parents tagged along and we had an enjoyable week with stops in Grand Cayman , Cozumel & Belieze.
January & February were meant for rejuvenation and celebration. Pat & I took a fun weekend escape to beautiful Savannah, GA to celebrate his big 5-0. We enjoyed the southern charm, history, good food & craft beer of many local establishments.
I even talked him into attending a huge Made in the South Craft show. I had been curious to see if these were something I should keep on my radar for the future.
Also in February I did my local 'Art Fiesta'. It was a good show for me weather and profits were excellent.
March - I had several events this month. Lake Mary Heathrow [not good], Deland Indie Market [always fun] & the Old Town Art Show in Saint Augustine. Old Town is a very good event for me. We make a weekend out of it and stay at a nice B&B, eat out and since it always falls on Palm Sunday we get to attend mass in the beautiful Basilica there.
April- This month show things begin to wind down. As the weather heats up, the snow birds fly home and shows begin to taper off. I participated in the 'first annual' Viera Art Show. It was a Howard Allen event and I was happy to be accepted. It's about an hours drive so expenses are minimal as I can stay at home. Sadly the weather Sunday was pretty bad and they let us go early, so not super profitable.
May- My last big events of the spring were the Deland Indie Market, & the St Johns River Art Festival in Sanford, FL. My first time here and hopefully not my last. Well produced and profitable for me despite the rain on Sunday. I was tickled to have my first ever purchase with 'Patron Dollars' at a show. These people pay in advance with the promise that they will spend at the event. I had 3 patron purchases that weekend!
I also donated some work to support the MILSPO auction. This organization seeks to support military spouses across the USA.
June/July/August- Believe it or not, this is the quiet time in Florida. We went on a beach vacation in July to Orange Beach, Alabama with my parents which is always a nice time, but other than that I just tinkered in the studio and lounged by our pool. My wallet took a hit when I finally bit the bullet and bought all new PRO PANELS display pedestals. They really upgrade the look of my display. They were expensive, but I hope they help me get into nicer events in the future.
September- It's still pretty slow this time of the year as the temps are still in the 90's. I did do a couple of stints at a new 'farmers market' but it was poorly organized and sputtered out after just a few weeks. At the end of the month Pat and I took a lovely trip to Sandals La Toc in St. Lucia BWI to celebrate our 25th anniversary. It was a fantastic week and I thoroughly recommend this resort if you are thinking about an all inclusive vacation.
October- This is a busy month around here personally and professionally. Show season is back in full swing and we have our anniversary and my birthday too.
I did the Deland Indie Market [love those!], the Prince of Peace church craft show & The Beaches in Jacksonville, FL. The POP church is sort of my 'annual clearance sale' event. Since it is a traditional old school craft show, I take it as the opportunity to clear out old inventory at drastically reduced prices. Most art shows don't allow SALE merchandise to be offered so this is a good outlet for me to thin out. I also made a connection with a lady who loves my work and owns a local fiber shop. I now have a few pieces on consignment at her shop.
Lastly, The Beaches. This event is put on by the same organizer as Old Town and I really like her events.
Pat always comes with me here too and we enjoy the get away. He is so helpful with everything. This time around we were able to have dinner with my cousin and his wife who live in the Jacksonville area.
November- In the first week of the month I did another home town event, the Halifax Art Show in Daytona Beach. This was not my first time at this event but it was the first time in the FINE ART category and it was definitely my best showing there. Well worth the added cost in my opinion. Later in the month I had been accepted into the Deland Fall Festival of the Arts, but a close friend of ours passed away the night before and I decided to pass on participating. Hopefully I will be able to try again next year. My parents came down for a week at Thanksgiving and brought me a carload of over 25 tins. Here are a few of my favorites from that haul.
December- As the calendar year winds down I like to host my annual Holiday Home Trunk Show. This was my first such show in Florida since we moved almost 3 years ago. I didn't have the client base built that I had in Virginia until now. I like to host it right after Thanksgiving, early in the Christmas shopping season. In this event I basically turn my house into a shop and am able to finally put virtually every piece of my inventory on display. I am pleased to say it was very well attended. I also did the final market for Deland Indie and I was invited to participate in the Jingle & Mingle at the Daytona Museum of Arts and Sciences.
So here it is, December 29th, only a few days left in 2018. I am optimistic about the coming new year even though there are definitely some unknowns.
My husband will be retiring from the Navy in August after 29 years, so there may be a move in our future- who knows???
I am applying to some new events in 2019, always a nail biter as I wait to see if I'm accepted. I am also planning to focus on creating a line of high end work with advanced techniques and more elaborate materials.
I still plan to keep doing my beloved vintage tin, but I'm excited for the upgrades. I even splurged with some Christmas money and purchased a custom made shape cutter. I'll blog about that once it arrives.
So Thanks for reading all the way down to here >>> I appreciate it.
Cheers! & Here's to more regular blogging in the new year.
Warm Regards,
Tammie :-)
A few favs from 2018!
Vitreous enamels continue to play a growing role in my work.
Wowza!
I sure have been lax in 2018. I hope to do a bit of a recap and then get back to more regular blogging in 2019
  |
| Mayan Ruins in Belieze |
January & February were meant for rejuvenation and celebration. Pat & I took a fun weekend escape to beautiful Savannah, GA to celebrate his big 5-0. We enjoyed the southern charm, history, good food & craft beer of many local establishments.
I even talked him into attending a huge Made in the South Craft show. I had been curious to see if these were something I should keep on my radar for the future.
Also in February I did my local 'Art Fiesta'. It was a good show for me weather and profits were excellent.
March - I had several events this month. Lake Mary Heathrow [not good], Deland Indie Market [always fun] & the Old Town Art Show in Saint Augustine. Old Town is a very good event for me. We make a weekend out of it and stay at a nice B&B, eat out and since it always falls on Palm Sunday we get to attend mass in the beautiful Basilica there.
April- This month show things begin to wind down. As the weather heats up, the snow birds fly home and shows begin to taper off. I participated in the 'first annual' Viera Art Show. It was a Howard Allen event and I was happy to be accepted. It's about an hours drive so expenses are minimal as I can stay at home. Sadly the weather Sunday was pretty bad and they let us go early, so not super profitable.
May- My last big events of the spring were the Deland Indie Market, & the St Johns River Art Festival in Sanford, FL. My first time here and hopefully not my last. Well produced and profitable for me despite the rain on Sunday. I was tickled to have my first ever purchase with 'Patron Dollars' at a show. These people pay in advance with the promise that they will spend at the event. I had 3 patron purchases that weekend!I also donated some work to support the MILSPO auction. This organization seeks to support military spouses across the USA.
June/July/August- Believe it or not, this is the quiet time in Florida. We went on a beach vacation in July to Orange Beach, Alabama with my parents which is always a nice time, but other than that I just tinkered in the studio and lounged by our pool. My wallet took a hit when I finally bit the bullet and bought all new PRO PANELS display pedestals. They really upgrade the look of my display. They were expensive, but I hope they help me get into nicer events in the future.
 |
| Our final Navy Ball |
I did the Deland Indie Market [love those!], the Prince of Peace church craft show & The Beaches in Jacksonville, FL. The POP church is sort of my 'annual clearance sale' event. Since it is a traditional old school craft show, I take it as the opportunity to clear out old inventory at drastically reduced prices. Most art shows don't allow SALE merchandise to be offered so this is a good outlet for me to thin out. I also made a connection with a lady who loves my work and owns a local fiber shop. I now have a few pieces on consignment at her shop.
Lastly, The Beaches. This event is put on by the same organizer as Old Town and I really like her events.
Pat always comes with me here too and we enjoy the get away. He is so helpful with everything. This time around we were able to have dinner with my cousin and his wife who live in the Jacksonville area.
 |
| Thanks Mom & Dad! |
So here it is, December 29th, only a few days left in 2018. I am optimistic about the coming new year even though there are definitely some unknowns.
My husband will be retiring from the Navy in August after 29 years, so there may be a move in our future- who knows???
I am applying to some new events in 2019, always a nail biter as I wait to see if I'm accepted. I am also planning to focus on creating a line of high end work with advanced techniques and more elaborate materials.
I still plan to keep doing my beloved vintage tin, but I'm excited for the upgrades. I even splurged with some Christmas money and purchased a custom made shape cutter. I'll blog about that once it arrives.
So Thanks for reading all the way down to here >>> I appreciate it.
Cheers! & Here's to more regular blogging in the new year.
Warm Regards,
Tammie :-)
A few favs from 2018!
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| My favorite vintage tin piece of 2018 |
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| Added repurposed serving pieces to the mix. |
Vitreous enamels continue to play a growing role in my work.
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