RAWards 2013

I had an awesome time at the RAWards, and NO I didn't win, but honestly I didn't expect to -- the other two girls nominated in my category are so talented, and it sounds cheeseball, but it really was an honor just to be nominated along with them. Catherine of All Things Esque took home the prize! Jane Steele was also nominated, and is of course also quite fabulous.

It was a really fun night, I met a lot of cool people, was highly entertained by all of the nominees in the other categories, and I made a few sales, so that's always good!

If you want to become involved with RAW, go here: RAWartists.org

Kara is the organizer in Chicago, and she is so awesome, that I feel kind of bad for the other cities... but either way, if you want to get involved, it's a very supportive community with great opportunities for emerging artists of all mediums.

I hope everyone out there is having a fabulous weekend! I woke up really late this morning (afternoon) to SNOW, so I'm pretty pleased with that. I've got a little bit of lazy-football-time, before it's back to making/packing/shipping all of my sales. Etsy has been blowing UP this month, hurray for the holidays!

So Many Shows!!

I've got a busy month ahead of me!  If you're in the Chicago (or in one case, Milwaukee) area, I've got five shows ahead of me this May, so you should stop by to say hello!

May 16th -- RAW Chicago, 1572 N. Milwaukee, Chicago IL

May 19th -- Vintage Garage Chicago, 5051 N. Broadway, Chicago IL

May 23rd -- RAW Milwaukee, 2401 W. Wisconsin, Milwaukee WI

May 25th & 26th -- Randolph Street Market, 1340 W. Washington, Chicago IL

All of these events are going to feature TONS of amazing artists, performers, vintage sellers, and all types of creatives -- so while the weather is nice, get out there!  :)

Coming Soon... Jewelry Preview!

So I mentioned on Facebook that I'll have some new pieces for sale soon.  I wanted to bring them out for the first time at the RAW Discovery showcase, but I couldn't help myself from giving just a little hint here, first.

Geode Pendant Necklace

How gorgeous is this!?  I've had a fascination with beautiful, smooth geodes for as long as I can remember, so I love being able to wear them and carry them with me everywhere I go.  I remember that every field trip I took to the caverns or natural history museums when I was a kid, I was so intrigued by the smooth rocks they displayed in barrels in the gift shops.  Who am I kidding, I'm still intrigued with those bins of rocks... but I suppose it's a little more grown up to turn them into a piece of jewelry, than it is to carry them around in my pockets like I did when I was eight.  :)

I'm not planning on listing these in my Etsy shop until the first of March, so if you want this piece (or one of the others like it), you'll have to visit me at the RAW showcase on Feb. 21st!  My ticket sales have really picked up, so get them now while they're still available!

Then there was... the sunshine!

Today was the first day in a long time that I went outside voluntarily.  Does that make me sound like a hermit?  Well, I am a bit of a homebody (my Mom calls it "being a houseplant"), but it's not nearly as dramatic as that made it sound.  Sure, I go outside to walk the dog, or trek to the grocery store, or to ship packages, but usually I put that off for as long as I can.  It's cold, and windy, and cloudy, and my couch is more comfortable, accented with a hot cup of cocoa and warm wool socks, than any Winter city sidewalk could possibly be.

But today, the sunshine came out, I heard birds chirping in the tree outside of my window, and so I went outside of my own will, and rather enjoyed it.

It's so nice to be reminded of Spring.  I'm sure it's still a long way off, but these little teasers don't really do any harm.  Of course, the ground is still covered in snow.

Ike LOVES it.  He'll walk in the snow until his little paws go numb, then come back to the sidewalk and look up at me, waiting for me to pick him up like an infant to carry him home.  Last year we bought him little rubber booties to wear in the cold weather, but I can't find them for the life of me...

These ladies seem to always be outside, walking up and down the sidewalk with the help of their walkers, all of them interrupting each other in what sounds like Russian.  I've never seen them acknowledge anyone else on the sidewalk, they're pretty much in a world of their own.  Their conversations get really animated sometimes, too.  I wish I understood... probably a lot of old lady gossip.

Just in case you forgot (as if you could, with me reminding you all of the time) -- the RAW Showcase is taking place in 15 days!!  Tickets are still only $10, but they'll go up to $15 if you end up buying them at the door.  This is a great opportunity to see new, fresh faces in the art world -- photographers, painters, dancers, musicians, makeup artists, fashion designers -- and to get out of your Chicago-Winter-cave for a night.  Heck, if I can get there on the CTA with all of my booth decorations and wearing a dress (unheard of, I know), then certainly you can do it too.  You can also use that opportunity to come to my booth and tease me about how silly I must have looked getting all of that stuff on the CTA while wearing a dress.

Buy your tickets here!!

I'm going to be right next to the downstairs bar (y'heard!), outfitted with two very comfortable booth seats, perfect for lounging on while eating our take-out from Native Foods down the block.

Uh-huh, I've got this all kinds of planned out.

Want a free ring?

Okay, so I guess "free" isn't technically right, because once again I am asking for your support in the upcoming RAWartists showcase (Feb. 21st!!)...

But this time, I'm offering you a free ring from my Hearts & Arrows collection, and I'll even cover the shipping, 'cause I'm cool like that.

Just go HERE and buy your ticket!!

I get that not everyone can really use a 40% off coupon (although a few of you have, so thank you!!), but it's kind of hard to resist a free ring, isn't it?  Well okay, it still costs you $10, but gimme a break here, I'm not really used to (or good at) asking people for support.

In fact, that's been an obstacle for me before.  I can't tell you how many times I've needed a little help getting something up the stairs, or a shoulder to cry on, or someone to bounce an idea off of, but pretty consistently, even when offered this help that I need, I've said "no".  I used to blame it on me being Southern-raised, and how saying no was the polite thing to do.  But I'm not really all that polite most of the time, so I don't think that's it.

Maybe I'm just not good at admitting my weaknesses?  (I think Dave would promptly agree with that.)  Maybe I feel like asking for help opens me up to criticism?  Maybe I'm controlling, and would rather take care of things on my own?  Maybe all of these reasons, and then some more?

The thing is, I think RAW is actually trying to equip artists and makers with the tools they need to succeed by asking them to bring in this support.  It also brings people to the event, and helps me with the usual cost of participating in an event like this.  But there is a lesson in there, isn't there...?

I think there's also a lot of guilt that goes along with asking for help, for me anyway.  I've had to say no to plenty of friends, because I didn't have the money or the free time to support them.  It's difficult for me to ask for something that I haven't been able to give when I was asked.

Fellow artists and makers, how do you ask for help/support/sponsorship?

Weighing the Options

I kind of forgot to mention that I'll give you a 40% off coupon code if you buy your ticket to this event through my artist profile.  Oopsy!  Anyone who had previously purchased through my profile has been contacted, but in case you needed that little extra motivation, there it is!  If you purchase a map pendant at $25, you're basically getting your money back on the $10 ticket, so it works out quite nicely.

click through to visit my artist profile and purchase your ticket!

One more little detail... after you have selected "buy a ticket for this artist", my name (the Big City Bumpkin) should be on your drop down menu where it says "Pick the artist you are supporting!".  Please be sure that my name is selected, or it will not count toward my total, and you won't get a 40% off coupon code.

Okay, so what else is going on?  I've been trying to get ahead of myself a little bit, and get a good look at the Summer festivals I want to participate in.  The two I'm pretty sure about right now are Wrigleyville Summerfest, and Randolph Street Market.  Which means, it's time to buy a festival tent (ugh, money), and figure out how I'm going to transport it on the CTA (ugh, effort).  Dave has been trying for ages to convince me that we need a car.  I don't disagree with him that it would make things easier, but it would also make things more expensive, and I really enjoy living right at or below my means.

I suppose I wouldn't say no to this little honey...

It just seems like a really big decision.  There are a lot of benefits: I would be able to pick up a LOT of groceries at Trader Joe's, I could take a trip to IKEA without having to worry about getting my new bookcase on the Pace Bus, I could go camping in the Summer, and yes, I would have an easier time getting to shows and festivals.

BUT, I would also have to worry about gas, insurance, and repairs, not to mention the initial cost of a vehicle.

I don't really know what the best choice is.  I think one of the cool things about living in the city is that I can take a bus, train, or my bike pretty much anywhere I want to go.  In fact, last Summer, we even went camping for a weekend at the Indiana Dunes, with our dog, and we got there by Metra.  So it's not like living in Virginia, I don't need a car... but it really would make things a lot easier.

I suppose I'll keep my mind open to the option.  But I swear, once I get a car (if I get a car), don't all of y'all start asking me to help you move, or pick up a dresser!  Unless you're going to reimburse me with white wine and fresh vegetables, that is.  ;)

RAWartists

Howdy-do, birds & blokes!  Exciting news...

I'm going to be one of the artists at this upcoming show, and I'm SO looking forward to it!  What I really love about shows like this is the opportunity to meet other artists and creators.

It's taking place on February 21st from 7:30 pm until 12 midnight at Double Door in Wicker Park.

So let me explain the deal to you...

I need to sell 20 tickets in order to cover the cost of my booth fee.  They're only $10 (you would end up paying $15 at the door), and you can buy them through my artist profile page to specifically support me.  Yay, me! ;)

Go here: my artist profile, and click on the little black box that says "Buy a Ticket for This Artist".  Easy-peasy!  As I've been telling my out-of-town family and friends... even if you aren't going to be able to actually attend the event, I can still use your support.  But if you ARE in Chicago, and you CAN attend, you really should!  There are going to be a bunch of amazing artists: painters, photographers, performing artists, musicians, fashion designers, and who knows what else.  I've heard rumors of women walking around wearing nothing but body paint, and you know that sounds like a good time.

So thank you in advance, and I'll keep you updated at the time draws closer.  I'm looking forward to meeting some of you in person!