SMAF NO MORE

Some shows are worth it and some are not. You have to take the good and bad and hope that you take something from it and learn a lesson or 2. This past weekend was filled with both. What lesson did I learn from this all - Be sure to ask "What is the vendor return rate from the previous year?" OK so the other sign should have been there are only 22 vendors and that was counting the food people, and only 2 returning vendors... I do have to say thanks to the girls from DITC, the weekend would have been a total bust if ya'll had not been there to keep me laughing.

After packing up the car on a cool Friday morning, stopping by the bank to get cash for change (which I ended up not needing) forgetting to stop by the church to pick up the last load out of the kiln (no big deal) and stopping for coffee with a friend, I started the drive up 95 for Darlington, MD. I thought I was getting a late start but things went well over the river and up to Baltimore, into the long tunnel (which I would HATE to get stuck in with traffic) and to Havre de Grace. I headed to the camp grounds but I was in search of ice so after not passing anything by the time I was turning off the main road I turned around heading back toward the Mc Donald signs and went searching for a 7-11. Found the ice, a bathroom and headed to the campground.

I arrived around 2:00 to set up for the day - in the cold...After I set up the tent and laid out the glass, I was told that we would be moving inside the gym for the night and I would be sharing half of a table with the DITC girls...But in the mean time I should go get a bed in the cabin. So I head to the cabin to find out that the one they placed me in was coed and not female only like requested. So I had find Erica who then told me to move further down the hill to the spider web filled cabin 17, without heat for the low 40's that were coming that night. I moved into the gym away from the wind, where I would only make one sale for the night. But the people watching - the girl with braids and blue hair doing yoga and praying during the singing was quite a site, Bren who acted as if she was my new best friend - a little on the drunk side- wanted to talk about glass - she did give me a good idea on how to display the cufflinks on the cards... so I was entertained and at least beer was cheap to help warm me up. By the end off the singing and packing the car back up I crashed in the cabin, I forgot how small those beds are and almost rolled off in the middle of the night and just tried to stay warm.

Saturday morning started off with the trickle of warm water for a shower and cold air...I was then greeted by my helpers Jackie, Nikki and Ashley with a thermos of HOT coffee to help me warm up, and bagels too. We had to unload the car again and set back up in the wind...the sky was clear but the winds were kicking... We chased the signs and the earrings all day till I put the earrings in the change drawer of the cash box. Sales were still slow and the music, well some of those people we would have paid to have them kicked off the stage. At least the sun was out and we just hung out for most of the day soaking up the sun, eating PB & J's and junk food...by 5:00 Jackie and Ashley had to head back to DC and we had to move back into the gym again. Sales would pick up again but I still had a lot of lookers and not so many buyers. The girls from DITC had to go out, so they came back with some Captains & Coke and we enjoyed the night listening to Dar Williams play. Later Nikki and I had to listen to the breaded girl snore all night and did not get all of the sleep we would have liked.

Sunday, it was warmer out, but the vegan guy had run out of food the night before so options of PB & J would be it by lunch time. The tent would be hit by a 30 MPH wind gust that would bend one of my tent poles, to were I could not fix it there so we just took it down (and it would not fit in the car the same way I had gotten it up there) The same wind gust broke the DITC tent too and would continue to knock everything of theirs over so they packed up and left before noon. Nikki and I would sit in the sun for the day and try to make the best of it. I had a few more small sales and ONE big one. I left to go to the cabin to come back to some girl, who I think was on Dar's crew, buying 5 pendants & necklaces and a pair of hairclips - she alone doubled the sales of the full show and covered the cost of the table and cabin fees. After that sale they announced that they would be closing the CD tent at 5:00 and I would be out of there by then too. I was more than ready to head out of that place - so by 4:30 I started making trips to the car to pack it all up and head out...we needed some real food - ok so taco bell is not the best real food on the road but it was fast and open. And I wanted to get back to Reston for Sunday night TV.

So the spring show was a bust, in total I think I sold 10 pendants (max), 2 earrings and 2 sets of hairclips. So now with all of the stock that I have I want to find a summer show or start getting friends to sell them at the office. Things will work out and I know that the DC area is ready for me, but northern Maryland was not sure what hit them. The next show will be better.

Here comes the Show

So the crowds of Tuesday nights returned this week, after 2 weeks of less than 10 people. We were back to the packed class and fighting for kilns and the squirrel had well, squirreled away some more glass. In the rush of getting ready for the show and after counting the innovatory this weekend I found out that I had to make some pinks and reds for the show. I feel like I have been having some good runs with some new styles over the past few weeks, this weekend will be a test for them. I am still really looking forward to the down time that will start next week to try some of the things that I have wanted to for a while. Madeline offered to open the studio for me and Laurie on Wednesday so that we could get some extra kiln time in. I Have to say it was SO NICE and quite and I got a lot of last minute fusing finished. Now I just have to stop by the office on Friday morning to get the keys and get my stuff out of the kiln.

My big spring show starts tomorrow in Darlington, MD. I have over 175 pendants, 22 earrings, and a mix of hairclips and cuff links...lets just hope the glue holds this time... I have some friends who are coming to help me keep my voice so I dont have to talk to everyone. I am a lot more relaxed about this show than I was about Crafty Bastards. It might just be that I know what should happen and know how to put up and take down the tent. Friday will be the hard day, since I am going up by myself to set up...Nikki, Jackie and Ashley are coming up first thing on Saturday to bring coffee and to help. Nikki will be staying over night and helping on Sunday and then will ride back home with me and keep me awake. I know that I am going to be worn out after it all. But I am also looking forward to the weekend and the bonding with other artists.

So I have lists of things to pack running in my head, tables, tents, buckets, bags, sign, chairs, GLASS, business cards...PB & Js, Drinks, water, snacks...pillows, sheets, sleeping bag, towels and why bungie cords I am not sure but for some reason something is telling me to take them and of course you cant do an art show without Duct Tape. So tonight I will be packing the car and wrapping up all of the last minute things for the show.

The weekend is off to a good start in the sales department since I sold 2 pendants and necklaces this morning in the office. lets just hope that is the start of many sales to come.