It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Aah... Autumn...  I love Autumn.  It's been a mixture of unseasonably warm and dropping temperatures that leave a lot of us Chicagoans shocked (and wearing puffy coats? really?), but Autumn is finally here, pumpkin-flavored everything, plaid and sweaters and thick socks, and it's glorious.  I LOVE this time of the year!

Autumn also means it's time for me to make my annual trek to Virginia to visit family, which actually didn't even happen last year.  I can't believe it's been two years since I've seen the rolling Blue Ridge Mountains, and the red dirt roads, and the cars that drive slowly and give each other the acknowledgement wave as they pass on a tree-lined road.

But the point is... because I've been excited about this trip, and because I've been working harder to pay for it, I've been seriously slacking over here in blog-world.  So I'll give you all of the quick updates I can, and get out of here quickly, so that by the next post I can pretend like I never missed a beat.

I started making dream catchers, and other wall-hangings and home decor items:

Lace & Sticks Bohemian Dream Catcher

Black Bohemian Dream Catcher Wall Decor

It's fun to be working on something new!

I also started working on some coin rings, but I don't know if I'm really getting what I want out of them.  My next project is going to involve silver rings, but everything is an experiment, so I don't know long I'll have to practice before I'll be happy enough with them to start listing them.

I also rearranged the working half of the studio, to make a better space for my office/workspace (next to the window, finally!), and to make a nice space for the dining table, and my high hopes for future spaghetti dinners with friends.

This Sunday I did the last Chicago Flea MKT of the season -- it was rather quiet, but I'll take quality over quantity any day.  I'm really looking forward to this market next year -- not just because it's only a few blocks from my studio, but because the people who shop and the other vendors at this one are fantastic, and I love being that close to the awesome food trucks.

So I'll let you know how my attempts with making silver rings go for sure, even if it's just a "Pinterest fail" moment, and I hope you're looking forward to pictures from my lovely home state of Virginia as much as I'm looking forward to taking them.

Autumn Maker's Market

If you're an artist/crafter/maker in Chicago, you KNOW how expensive it can be to run the market circuit every month or every few weekends.  I've spent a fortune before on markets where I barely made back my entrance fee, and I've also been lucky to sell tons of items at markets that hardly cost me at all, but at the end of the day, it's a toss-up.  In the city, it's often a toss-up that costs $100+.  So I got to thinking... I've got this big gallery space, this great location right in the heart of Wicker Park, and a lot of friends who make and sell things... why not host an Autumn (and if it goes well, Winter) market here!?  Something affordable, something for people who appreciate things made by hand and the people who make those things, something FUN -- let's do it!

I'm looking to make Saturday Sep. 21 the first day.  I'm happy to advertise online and around Wicker Park/Bucktown, I just need five (or maybe only four, since I've already had a response) more artists/crafters/makers who are willing to bring 4-foot tables and test the waters with me.  No charge for the first market, because you never really know how it will go... but if it's a success, I'll make it a cheap $20/table every other weekend in Autumn and Fall.  If you want more information about the market, I'll be updating the Facebook page as often as possible!

Once I confirm my people, I'll start making posters and giving y'all bios of the folks who will be here selling, so you can get to know them and start coveting their lovely handmade items beforehand.  ;)