Out With the Old, In With the New

Lacey is Leaving the Building! And unlike other dogs in my past, I am glad this one is going. I know you've also had it up to HERE (!) with my whining about this stiff pup, but I am posting this, her final portrait, to show you MY NEW HOMESOTE WALL...It goes on and on, a fabulous new addition. Now, to get the damn dog out of the way so I can get to it- I have work to do!

Had a wonderful two hours skimming the Fine Craft Fair yesterday. It goes quickly when nobody is showing me stuff they are interested in, which is OF COURSE the way to be introduced to new fabulous work that I might miss myself. Oh well. I did get to visit with some artists I've known for quite some time, wish them good luck with the show, and move on questing for something I hadn't seen already. Actually I kind of felt like I was in a show in Hong Kong so many of the exhibitors were Chinese. I know some years they have a slant towards certain countries and invite artists from different places but I was too lazy to actually read the brochure so maybe thats what was going on. Whatever, their work was exquisite and seemed to concentrate mostly on fine jewelry.

But for jewelry I had already fallen in deep lasting love with two exquisite bracelets by Jaclyn Davidson from Middlebury VT. They were, unfortunately for me, 18k gold and deeply carved with images with amazing detail but way out of my price range: Mini Cooper/Bracelet...Month at a Villa in the Italian Alps/Bracelet...Ummm, I guess it's no bracelet in this life.

What I DID buy was a favorite from last year- Kathy Wegman, who, with her husband, beads household items like old bug sprayers or skates with keys or old tricycles. They had a booth again and I got their least expensive thing- three spools of thread all beaded and sparkly. I love these, but of course I REALLY wanted the toaster which was quite spectacular with it's message "Queen of Toast" beaded on the side. They are out of Iowa City and their website is kind of rudimentary so you can't get the full effect.

I probably could have made another quick turn around the place but my shoe had broken and my foot kept slipping out- I was afraid I would fall flat on my face or have to resort to barefootin' around. Once I got to the car I resorted to my emergency flipflops to drive, threw out my shoes when I got home and decided they weren't worth fixing. They predate my days in Florida, have had them since 1990 so they got a decent burial. The end result of my foray into Craftworld is that I still have some money set aside for my next piece of art. But damn, I loved that toaster and it would look so spiffy next to my other art-toaster! Maybe I should install a Paypal button for donations? Maybe I should buy shoes...

OK, enough o' this- I have to get myself out the door and into the car to the studio to practice a bit of IMMERSION in work! What a novel concept.