Lots of reasons that things are changing……….. none of which I need to bother you with……… but if you’ve bookmarked Uli’s Creative Corner and would like to keep following my updates, please change your bookmarks and feeds/readers to
http://www.creationsbyuli.ca/creativecorner
The look and feel and content is all the same……. just a different home. So please, come on over.
The first show of the season is done and over with and I’d like to thank all the fabulous people that stopped by yesterday and today. I enjoyed meeting each and everyone. I was at Christmas in Cloverdale. It was a nice event and I really enjoyed my table neighoubr who was selling on behalf of her friend Momma Nellies. Fabulous, fabulous salsa!!! Thanks for the samples.
I also stopped at Sandra Jensen Photography where I bought this fabulous little Bolivian Peppers 4X11″ Clip Art Print.
My next purchases were some fabulous soaps from The Other Eden. I got Black Raspberry, Peppermint Spearming, Vanilla, Rosemary Citrus and a Holiday Spice flavour. I’m such a sucker for fabulously smelly soap.
As for my own selling experience, my earrings were probably the best selling items. I’ve had shows where I couldn’t sell an earring to save my life and sold only bracelets and necklaces but it seems that this time around, earrings were on the hot item. We had busy times and slow times this weekend. It was the first time for this show. I think my biggest complaint would be the lighting. People couldn’t see my stuff well and although I had lights, it was difficult to set them up properly to get things lit up right. I had hubby bring me an extra lamp but I couldn’t use it because I couldn’t attach it to the table. The table top was too thick and the screw on clamp didn’t fit. Here’s a shot of my set-up:
Cloverdale in Christmas - Nov 20 and 21, 2009
I’m tired. I had fun. I guess I’d better make some more earrings for the next big one, next weekend out in Abbotsford.
And I let another weekend pass by without blogging…. I have stuff I want to blog about!!! I’m just so absorbed in craft show prep and really worried that I’m nowhere near ready. I’ll tune back in soon.
I had a little bag of a red/pink mix of beads and I loved the colour play so much that I just went ahead and created a whole little medley of items. I think they all look fab. There’s a shaggy loops bracelet and matching earrings, a fancy beaded bracelet as well as a Euro 4-in-1 bracelet. I think the set needs a necklace but I don’t have enough beads left.
These 2 pieces are part of my “special piece” inventory for this fall/winter…….. these are some elegant pieces made from solid sterling silver and these fabulous clasps that just make your jaw drop when you see them. I’ve loved these clasps for a long time but never really jumped in because of the cost factor. I was hesitant because when one clasp is more than the rest of the materials that go into the pice, it’s a bit of a gamble but now that I’ve done a few pieces, I’m so hooked. The clasp really turns a gorgeous piece into a spectacular piece. These two creations are elegant and lovely and I’m so in love with them.
First is a heavier gauge European 4-in-1 sterling silver bracelet with a gorgeous 3-strand sterling silver clasp with inlaid pearl and garnet. On the bottom row of the picture gallery is a beautiful sterling silver necklace woven in a weave called Jen’s Pind. This weave is a real pain to start but once you get it going, it’s a pleasure to weave. The toggle clasp in this necklace is the focal point of the necklace and acts as a closure as well as the pendant for the necklace. I love these pieces and as I can afford it, there will be more pieces like this using these fabulous clasps.
I’m getting ready for shows……. I can’t quite keep up with photographing everything but believe me, I’m creating lots of fun stuff. Up on the top, if you’re local, there is a tab that shows all my shows, dates and times so you can come and stop by and say HI. I’d love to meet some readers.
I’ve been working on some jewelry. Of course - I am getting ready for the craft shows I’ve booked and want to have a nice selection of newer pieces and some of my standards available again this year.
Here are some of the pieces I’ve been working on:
I’m getting so excited about this year’s events and for my local friends and customers, I will soon share where and when I’ll be showing off my goodies. For now, there’s still tons of work to be done to create new pieces and designs. Some of them are well on their way!!!
This post got screwed up the other day and I had some thoughts to share about craft shows and being a vendor vs. the craft show organizer so I’m trying to re-create my original thoughts. I respect the organizers of craft shows for all the hard work they do. They have a huge job at hand and I’m not jealous of that job. Being in the jewelry category, there is so much competition that I know the craft show organizer can be rather picky. However, as the artist and vendor, I have also learned to be picky and rightfully so. We put a lot of money out to participate in a show, often months ahead of time and by doing so, we put all of our faith into the organizors of a show to do their best to put on a great event. So, I guess the organizers are in charge and they get to call the shots but without us artists who are willing to put ourselves and our art out there and out on the line, for jurying and to the critical eye of the public, we reciprocally are what makes a craft show work in the end. Our creativity and hard work and effort is what in turn will contribute to the show being a success or not. If it wasn’t for the artist, there would be no show. So, even though the organizers seemingly have “all the power”, the artist and vendor still deserves the right to be treated with respect, with the realization that we put our hearts and souls into these events and into creating our pieces. So, as an artist, if my thoughtfulness about an event involves weighing all the angles, asking questions and being selective and then making a decision to participate even if the situation isn’t perfect is considered as a lack of enthusiasm and therefore having the offer of a spot withdrawn, then I must be missing some crucial point about the process. Fortunately, I haven’t had many encounters of that kind and most people I’ve dealt with have been absolutely marvelous to work with. ’nuff said…………. but I had to get it off my chest.
This weekend has gone by so quickly and I have more to share but I’m falling major victim of having some stuff (mostly pictures) on the laptop and others on the desktop and so, since I’m on the laptop right now, you get the laptop pics and not the desktop pics. But stay tuned for one, absolutely fabulous piece I created this weekend.
And if you feel like keeping an even closer eye on what’s new, feel free to joing my “Creations by Uli - Facebook Page”. I update things quite regularly over there.
Up here, north of the border, it’s Canadian Thanksgiving today. We had our turkey feast last night so today is a day to hang out. I started my Thanksgiving weekend celebrating in fibery style with a quick shopping visit to 88 Stitches. There was a great Thanksgiving sale going on and what’s a girl to do but to support the sale and do some shopping.
Here’s the stash:
Bottom right is some Malabrigo sock in the sought after (or so it seemed at the store) Tiziano red. I have no idea what this one wants to be yet. Malabrigo sock does look and feel a bit too yummy for me to actually use it on a sock project. I’ve kind of had a hankering of doing another Diamond Fantasy scarf from Sivia Harding. There are several other good options as well for a lovely skein of yarn like that. Then the other two skeins on the outside are a solid and a multi skein of Araucania Rancho. These two coordinate and I think are destined for a future weaving project. In the middle are two skeins of lovely, vibrant Frog Tree Brushed Suri. It’s fingering weight and I’m maybe thinking of an Ishbel. That yarn comes in some lovely colours and it was very, very difficult to decide.
Last weekend was the farm market and it was lovely. It was freezing cold inside the barn on Saturday but Sunday was warmer. I had lovely company at the table across from me. Benefiting the horses was a good thing. My sales were okay. Not stellar but okay - but I didn’t expect much more - jewelry, I think is an easier sell than the fibery creations.
Enjoy the lovely fall time pics:
The weekend was good. I have a cold now and I think I got it because of the cold but hey………… no big deal!!!
Didn’t think I’d be back so soon but I’ve been meaning to mention this upcoming event for everyone who lives in and around Surrey, Langley…. all around here anyways.
I’ve had the fabulously fun opportunity to display and offer up for sale some of my fibery goodness at the Field’s and Flower’s Farm Gate Store in South Langley. This little store is a little gem and has great future potential. There are dried flowers, ceramics, wonderful photography, soaps, breads, and other little artisan gems. There is even chainmaille jewelry. It’s beautiful sterling silver chainmaille jewelry (unfortunately, it’s not mine…… I got into the game a little too late and what were my odds……). I digress. The store is small, built right off the end of the hourse barn. It’s lovely, it’s quaint.
This coming weekend, there is a special event at the farm and that’s the Shed Row Farm Market. It promises to be a wonderful event with all kinds of goodness and some of the proceeds going to the New Stride Thoroughbread Retirment Foundation.
Shed Row Farm Market Poster
I’ll be there - I won’t have a ton to sell because most of you know what my life is like in September - and it’s not the funnest, nor my most creative part of the year. I’ll probably have my spinning wheel and some gorgeous fibre to show off how I spin my handspun yarns. Look for some baby pumpkin hats, some dishcloth sets and a few goodies. I’m still figuring out the details, one day at a time right now. As I said earlier tonight, the last few days have been a struggle and a challenge - to say the least.
But this market is a “GOOD THING” so, my local friends, come on out, do some fall farm market shopping and support a great cause all at the same time. Check out the links above and you’ll get the address and details…….. but it’s easy to find - there’s a great big orange pumpkin at the farm gate!!!
I’ve been so busy, I really have nothing new to tell…….. work has just thrown me a bone and I’m working hard to chew it up and get it all done. Tomorrow is “D” day so hopefully by the end of the day, I’ll be able to sigh one big sigh of relief…….. I mean the deadlines will continue all the way into early November but this is the **BIG** one so once that’s done, I’ll feel a lot better.
I just wanted to say that it’s officially sock weather. Have you noticed? At least if you live around here……… I officially have cold feet tonight and I’m officially in hand knit socks, around the house, all eveing long!!!
I proclaim it FALL…………
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