preparation for a show...

i am exhausted.

so much to do still and so little feels done.

it surely will all come together at some point.

(i truly hope that is sooner than later).

i have a show

next weekend in Boston.

the south end to be exact.

http://www.cabinfevershow.com

it is the brainchild of Chris Masci.

he is also responsible for the

SOWA open markets held in Boston's South End.

They happen almost every sunday between may and october.

(i plan to participate again, more vigorously this year.)

I participated twice early last autumn.

the vibe is very pleasant and

dogs on leashes are welcomed by regularly filled water dishes

clever craftspeople

talented artisans of all kinds

and some groovy foods from the fleet of ever-changing

"catering" trucks.

i have a big personal goal this year.

i want to get less unnerved by my insane process of getting ready for these things.

this could be a very very tall order.

anyways, here are some pics from last year at the first ever

Cabin Fever Show !

this is what my table looked like

there was a really nice window behind my table that allowed a lot of light in.

this was great since the lights kept going out.

it seems that the electrical service was not quite up to our needs.

this was my sweet friend kelly.

she and i met in real time at this show.

she is totally adorable and with her equally adorable partner,

michelle, they sold knit goodies from their space.

they also sell on etsy under the clever name

"knit happens".

i can't wait to see them again this weekend.

oh yeah, she snagged this groovy green bracelet for her birthday too.

a little different view of my table ...

this is a random customer that tried on a necklace.

ultimately the aforementioned adorable michelle and assorted friends

snagged this exact necklace with the frozen charlotte, for their sweet friend kelly for a celebratory gift .

I love seeing what my necklaces look like on other ladies.

it gives me a broader perspective.

also a swelling appreciation for what i love doing.

and

some of my

SOWA appearances last september.

i snagged this bracelet rack at a flea market earlier in the summer for a whopping $4.00.

it was ugly and a random wooden color, so i spray painted it white.

(I imagine that All of my neighbors think i am fully crazed.

I spend a lot of time spray painting things out in front of my house all summer long.

It is very gratifying and quick for a change of color or freshening update).

anyways, i figured the display should blend in

or serve as a neutral foil in the sea of white crafters' tents,

for the myriad of colorful flowers i planned to hang on its rungs.

its use is part of my "fly by the seat of my pants"

show set-up.

this is my dressmaker's dummy.

i found her while on a mission seeking a form for some of my larger necklaces.

she keeps me company in my studio space... and reminds me of my maternal grandmother.

the woman could sew like nobody's business.

the glove form is useful for holding some bracelets.

i have always regretted not buying a fleet of hands

when i used to frequent the flea market in Norton, Ma.

that was when i was in architecture school and had nothing in the way of spare money.

the treasures i passed up out of waiting too long,

being uneducated, and not having any real disposable income.

not to mention a much narrower vision due to youth.

my earring stands are tomato cages inverted and cleaned up a little.

i thought that they were not as good a display as i had hoped for.

it is good though to keep striving for a good solution and flex those design muscles.

I plan to be a participant in the Providence Open Markets this year too.

they will be held on Saturdays in Lippitt Park.

for you local Providence denizens,

this means at the park created where

Hope St. intersects with "the Boulevard".

just next to the farmers' market.

so i am going back to my preparations now,

and leave you with this shot of sunshiny earrings in progress.

perhaps tomorrow, they will be all kinds of sparkly and hung on earring wires.

this will free me up to make some more for filling a treasure chest or two.

i have a display idea in motion

and will hopefully find it a good solution for my set-up and break-d0wn.

i need to make things easier on myself so my family can still live here

while i am losing my mind.

did i mention i am not very nice when stressing out about shows?

i admit i am horrible.

random and miserably cranky.

if i do enough shows, perhaps i will become a more relaxed citizen of the show world.

i have plenty to look forward to this time.

i now have some friends at the shows that i look forward to seeing.

perhaps you know them already?

let me just start name dropping for a bit here:

1}my friend, confidant, coffee appreciating, partner in jewelry crimes...

pam of "black sheep designs"

2} the adorable girls kelly and michelle of "knit happens"

3}then there is trish.. who makes gorgeous jewels from

treasures that ali baba would be envious of...

stones, pearls,vintage buttons etc. ... "IDazz Design"

4} my friend Lisa who will be at another show, representing her "Glamourpuss Designs"

will be missed at cabin fever, but will be busy at the "rock and roll yard sale" in

Providence that same day.

5}Luckily, her sister Amy will be selling her own felted warm gloves, mittens, scarves etc.

from her store, "ABCowls".

6} if you love local beaches, don't miss my pal Anne of "Anne Made Designs".

she integrates beach sand into her graphically popping, resin filled hand made jewelry pieces.

there are other artisans that i have my sights set upon to meet.

perhaps i will babble about those fine folks in the hindsight of this show.

i feel that this is going to be fun. fun. fun.

until my daddy takes my T-bird away.

or the show ends.

so that is all for now.

i am grindingly tired.

so tired that i surely will walk into a wall tonight as a drunkard might.

i hear sleep deprivation is much like having a high blood alcohol level.

not gonna disagree.

see you soon hopefully.

i love that you may have chosen to read this far.

thank you for that commitment.

night night... xow.