Busy Birthday, Sister, Llama Weekend

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I am not sure which is the busier time of year:  fall or Christmas.  Really, every weekend is just PACKED with activities.  This weekend was busy and fun!  My sister is a teacher and she was visiting for teacher conferences in Milwaukee, WI.  She was gone most of the time Thursday and Friday, but we managed to visit the rest of the time.  She accompanied my daughter, another sister, and me to the Meadowbrook Pumpkin Farm in West Bend, WI on Saturday.  My daughter is a high school student, but every year we make it to the pumpkin farm and visit the petting zoo.  We really like the llamas!

Tina (to us)

We also celebrated my daughter’s birthday Saturday evening.  I have edited her name from the cake for privacy.  She would KILL me if I put it on the internet! 🙂

Tinker Bell Birthday Cake

We did not get to pumpkin carving yet.  Tomorrow is Halloween.  I was thinking of putting on “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!” on TV, and carving pumpkins, then.  We have “..Great Pumpkin..” on DVD, but I like watching it on television with the rest of the world.  If feels like everyone is in on the fun!  I feel the same way about “White Christmas” and “It’s a Wonderful Life”.  I have those too, but I like watching on TV more.

Make your Tuesday count!

Missie

 

Post Craft Fair

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This last Saturday giggleFritz and Co. was at Fall Fair to Remember in West Bend, WI.  I had commented in an earlier post that art/craft fairs are like a roller coaster of emotions: ups and downs, good things and bad things about these events.  This was by far the BEST fair I’ve participated in, yet!  My sisters and I have been to this event three times now, but this year was my best year.  I actually sold out of an item! Yes, Socktopus was a big hit!  I sold all of the Socktopus creatures and people wanted to know if I had more.  That has never happened to me and I feel GREAT!

The only “down” of this weekend was I severely strained my back.  I think it was from lifting things and carrying stuff for the craft fair.  Saturday night I could not lay down in my bed, I had to sleep in our recliner with a heating pad.  Ibuprofen was my best friend.  It is feeling better now, but good grief did that hurt!

I am off to work now.  I need to create some sweet little Socktopus guys for the shop!

Have an excellent Monday!

Missie 😀

Craft Fair Prep

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No new sketch today.  Tomorrow is fall fair to remember at Washington Co. Fair Park.  I am getting ready as I type this.  I hope when I post again I can tell of a successful fair!

Come visit me here:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Washington+Co.+Fair+Park+west+bend+wi&hl=en&sll=43.413278,-88.178673&sspn=0.193779,0.445976&hq=Washington+Co.+Fair+Park&hnear=West+Bend,+Washington,+Wisconsin&t=m&z=13

Have a great weekend!

Missie

Earlier Sunrise and Sketch No. 2 – Teapot

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The days are getting shorter.  This morning when my family left our home it was not very light out yet.  While I was finishing getting ready for the day, I noticed quite a beautiful sunrise.  For once I had the notion to photograph a sunrise!

We bought a NICE camera in June before we went on vacation and I have been working with it to produce good pictures.  It takes WAY better pictures than the camera on my phone (which I had been using for everything).  I photographed the sunrise with the new camera.

 

As I said on Monday, I am trying to take time each day to practice sketching.  I practiced yesterday and was going to post my sketch, but time got away from me.  The tea pot sketch below is from yesterday, Tuesday, Oct 16, 2012.  I will practice again later and post the outcome.

Teapot Sketch with Model

Off to work I go!

Missie

Sketching – Off the Beaten Path

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I am getting things done today and I got much done over the weekend.  Sometimes it feels like never enough.  That’s when it’s a good idea to veer off the beaten path.  Lately, I have wanted to get back to sketching.  Besides coloring with crayons, drawing and sketching were my first art loves.  My sister and I would draw houses and blue prints of what our houses would look like one day.  We would draw ladies in big poofy dresses from Gone with the Wind days.  Sewing and crafting are both great creative outlets, but sketching is unique.  Each sketch is different in perspective, shading, shape, size, line.  It is even incredible to me that we see an object, our eyes take the image in, our brain translates that image, and it projects its own version of the image back out.  It’s incredible and unique.  (Note-to-self: I will have to find my high school sketch book one of these days!)

So, I took a short break from sewing a few minutes ago and made a little sketch.  I thought, “Hey, taking a little time for a little sketch sounds like a good idea to me!”  My coffee cup was my victim of choice.

“My Favorite Coffee Cup” Sketch

 

 

Hey, I didn’t say I was a GREAT sketch artist.  Anyway, maybe I will take a few minutes each day for a little sketch practice.  We will see what I come up with!

Have a great day!

Missie

Craft Fair Roller Coaster

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I am getting excited in good and bad ways about our upcoming craft fair.  We will start out with the good, I think:

Good Excited:  I get all excited and make things that I’m really proud of.  I look forward to all of the people walking around and the excitement of the day.  People say nice things about the things I make.  People love Sock Monkeys!  I get to sell my things.

Bad Excited: I look around at what everyone else has made and get intimidated.  Their things are better than mine!  Some people say mean things, like, your thing-a-ma-bobby is nice, but not for THAT price.  People may not buy things because they are all “just looking”.  Lugging tables, props, products, etc. in and out of vehicles and buildings is not fun either.

Yikes! Every time a craft fair comes up it is a big roller coaster of emotions.  I often wonder if I should stop participating in art/craft fairs and sell online and at “Inspired for You” (consignment) only.  But then I also think art/craft fairs are important for my business.  It’s a good way to get your name out there and your products seen.  Sales are important! (duh!)  It is a good way to set deadlines for yourself to finish more products you’re working on.  It has also been exciting to watch how my business has grown.  I always take pictures and looking back at them is enlightening.  I like seeing the first pictures of the booth and items sold and the changes I’ve made in both.

Excited good or bad, next Friday night and Saturday giggleFritz will be at the Fall Fair to Remember at Washington Co. Fair Park South of West Bend, WI.  The booth and items will be ready to go, and I will be waving from the craft fair roller coaster!

See you there!

Missie 😀

 

 

Save $5.00 on all Books!!

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Kids are on their way back to school.  What better time of year is there to get organized and keep little ones busy as older brothers and sisters leave for school?  For the final two weeks of August giggleFritz and Company is having a sale on Books! Visit the shop and check out our Child’s Art Keepers and Note-to-Self Books.  Get a good start on a great new school year!

Good Time Again at Coffee Break Fest

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Coffee Break Fest Mug 2012

Our second year in a row at Coffee Break Fest in Stoughton, WI was a blast!  We entered our booth late in the year, but we still had a good spot on the end with nice traffic.  The other vendors were nice people with great wares.  The nice people in back of us selling throw pillows even put up a shade cloth for us when the sun was beating down on us!  We sampled outstanding coffee in this year’s lilac and purple mugs.  Near the end of the day I tried to purchase a bag of coffee from Valentine Coffee Roasters of Milwaukee, but they were sold out.  I was very disappointed.  I will have to suck it up and either drive 45 minutes to Milwaukee, or buy online and pay shipping.  It’s well worth it!

We strolled around the car show and saw some old and new beauties.  I am not only amazed by the shapes and curves of older cars at car shows, but also by the wide range of colors they paint them now.  There isn’t just blue, there are 10 shades of blue and each one prettier than the last.  Yellows, purples, reds – there are some wild colors that truly compliment those cars.

I always fall in love with the older models.  One of the oldest models at Coffee Break Fest was a Model T Ford.  It is not only the neatest car, it reminds me of the Model A my dad always had when we were growing up.  The A was not in as good condition, so it’s nice to see what it would have looked like.

When we weren’t dreamily gazing at gorgeous cars or sipping rich dark coffee, you could find us dancing and singing in our booth.  They were playing swingin’ oldies music the whole day and it contributed to a fun nostalgic atmosphere.  We will definitely be back for our third year in 2013!