Workin' Girl

As much as I would love to say that the jewelry business has put me into a higher tax bracket over the last few years, that just isn't reality (or at least not my reality). I've got two expensive dogs, one moderately priced studio, and a bad, bad expensive cigarette habit, so the time has come -- I got a real job.

Before you think this means I'm dropping the mic on the jewelry thing, I'm not. This is just a little something to sustain me during the dry spells and artists blocks. A little guarantee that I'll be getting a certain amount every month, so I can relax a little bit, and go back to enjoying making and selling jewelry, without the enormous weight of the vet bills and the once in a while coffees and the car repairs breaking my shoulders.

I'll be working at Ragstock in Wicker Park, which happens to be a store I shop in all the time anyway, and I think it's going to be a blast. I'm starting on Friday, and I'm so hyped about it!  That's the cool thing about a part-time gig -- you can have a little fun with it.

Ragstock - Wicker Park - Chicago

So yup, working this Friday, and next Monday and Tuesday, and I'm super-excited about it!

You can also find me this weekend at the Randolph Street Market! So it's about time I get to work on some more baseball pieces, because they have been selling like crazy this week and I'm running low... It's a lot more fun to work next to that huge (drafty) window though, now that it's not freezing outside. Am I right, Chicago? Seriously, we really put in the work this Winter, it's about time we get to enjoy ourselves.

Spring Break, My Foot!

No, really, my foot. My feet -- both of them -- are tired. My dogs are barkin', figuratively and literally. I decided to take on a project through Taskrabbit to get a quick stack of cash, and it's turned into so much more than just a little project. I've probably walked 40 miles across this city in the last two weeks! It's the reason I've been quite absent, on here and on Facebook and on Etsy, and on all of the platform I'm usually so active. I plan to be done with the project by Tuesday next week, but until then I might still be a little scarce.

However, I do have things in the works. I've got another sale on GroopDealz -- you'll be able to purchase many of my City Map Necklaces for only $13.99 starting Sunday April 20th!

I've still got many of my pieces available at Paperish Mess here in Chicago, including the ever-popular MLB Game Used Baseball Pendants, Earrings, and Cuff Links. This wonderful little shop is full of treasures from artists around Chicago, and it's well worth a visit if you're wandering around Chicago Ave. on a relatively warm Spring day.

I'll be a vendor at my first Randolph Street Market of the season on April 26th and 27th -- this is the best place in the city to see tons of amazing vintage pieces, and the Indie Market (where I'm stationed) is a real treat, too. So many things you didn't know you needed (but you do).

We're going to be hosting another Orange Dot First Friday at the Flat Iron Arts Building (studio 215!) on May 2nd, and as far as I know, Atom Basham will still have his fabulous paintings here for viewing and for sale, and now he has prints available! Get ready to part with your paycheck, because once you see them in person you won't want to leave without taking something of his home. There are temporary mural paintings going up in the hallways as I write this, and it's very much a "now you see it, now you don't" sort of thing, so see it while you can.

You can view all of my show/market updates on theBigCityBumpkin.com

So until then, I'm going to make myself a faux-chicken sandwich, and watch the Brady Bunch. See y'all soon!

Giveaway -- Randolph Street Market 2014 Season Pass

It's that time, again! If you live in or around Chicago, you've probably been to the market before, and know how awesome it is -- vintage goods, an indie market, a fancy foods market, and all kinds of fun and revelry. If you haven't been to the market yet, this is the perfect time to visit! In the Summer it's held both inside (air-conditioned) and outside, and also includes a lot of great food trucks and vendors.

I'll be vending at the Randolph Street Market for the first time of the season on
the weekend of April 26-27, and I'm excited to be able to give one lucky follower a season pass!

It includes admission for TWO to all 2014 Randolph Street Market events including off season and regular season markets & other special events. You can visit

randolphstreetmarket.com

for more show dates and times.

The contest runs from March 6th until March 13th.

Enter below, and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sweet Home

I've lived in Chicago for five years now, but I still have those "I can't believe I'm here" moments.  It probably helps that I don't go out that often, so when I do, when I'm downtown at night and the buildings are all lit up, it still has a magical feeling to it all.

I've been having a lot of those moments this week, with the Chicago Dancing Festival going on.  On Tuesday I attended the opening night performance, and saw the Chicago Human Rhythm Project, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Brooklyn Mack and Tamako Miyazaki, Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, Brian Brooks Moving Company, and the Joffrey Ballet.  Front row, dead center.  I could hear the dancers breathing, and their shoes squeaking on the floor.  I learned that I'm not the only person who cries at these sort of things, thank goodness.

Tonight I'm going to the performances at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, and I'll see Ensemble Espanol Spanish Dance Theatre, and more performances by the Joffrey Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and Lar Lubovitch Dance Company.

The festival continues through Friday and Saturday, but I wasn't able to get tickets for the event tomorrow, so I'll be waiting patiently in the stand-by line.  Saturday the performances are all FREE and open to the public, in Millennium Park, so if you're in the Chicago area, you should definitely go!!

I've also got Randolph Street Market again this weekend, so needless to say I'm going to be busy, and running on a tight schedule, if I'm going to do everything I want to do.

I'll be in the same spot as last time, so come by and say Hi!  I'll have a few new pieces with me, including vintage international map necklaces and gold-glitter rings (for only $5!!), and I finally re-stocked the Chicago map necklaces, so I'll be ready to roll with those.

If you've never been to the market, or even if you're an old regular, I have two season passes still up for grabs.  There are only two more markets this season (August, and September), so if you're interested in going, now is your chance!  Both passes are good for admission to the remaining markets this season, for two people, for both days.  One of the passes includes free valet parking!  The other does not include the free valet parking, but is still good for shopping to your heart's content.

If you're interested in the season pass WITH free valet parking, enter here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you don't have a car, and want the season pass WITHOUT free parking, enter here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck, and I'll see y'all at the market!!

Celebrating in Chicago

If you follow me on any of my social media sites, you've probably noticed that I'm a very excited Chicago Blackhawks fan right now.

For those of you who don't follow sports, they just won the Stanley Cup for the second time since I've moved to Chicago.  This time, they won on my Chicago Birthday.  Good times, all around.

For those of you who do follow sports, here's the necklace!

Chicago Blackhawks 2013 Stanley Cup Champions Necklace

If you live in the Chicago area, or if you are visiting this weekend, I'm offering free pick-up (I will refund your shipping charges, and I'm also able to accept cash or credit cards in person) at my studio in the Flat Iron Arts Building in Wicker Park, Chicago tonight (Thursday, June 27) until 10pm -- that way you can have the necklace in time for tomorrow's parade and rally!  I'll have some with me at the parade as well, but good luck finding me in the proposed crowd of 2-3 million fans...  ;)

I'll also have them with me at my second Randolph Street Market this weekend -- and exciting news, we will be outside this time, with a 10x10 canopy tent in the East parking lot.  If all goes as planned, we will have drinks (at least water, at best lemonade or sweet tea), a sweet lil' pups (my dog Ike), and game used baseballs from Wrigley Field!

I'm also excited to have Pride necklaces, rings, and earrings, some new terrarium pieces, and titanium-treated quartz necklaces with me!

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend, whether you're cheering at the Stanley Cup parade and rally, dancing at the Pride Parade, or shopping with me at the Randolph Street Market -- stay cool!

June -- upcoming shows

Although I'm sure this isn't an absolutely final list, here are the places you can find me out and about in Chicago this month!

Sunday June 16, 9am-5pm; $3

Vintage Garage Chicago

Wednesday June 19, 7:30pm-12m; $5 benefits the Awakening Center in Chicago

Phoenix Rising Presents: Gynaeceum

Sunday June 23, 2pm-10pm; $6

Artopia Chicago Fest

Saturday & Sunday June 29-30, 10am-5pm daily; $3-25 (pricing levels vary)

Randolph Street Market

All of the links lead to Facebook events that I've created for these festivals and shows, click through for more info!  Hopefully I'll see some of you there.  I try to have unique items when I go to events, something that might not have shown up in my Etsy shop yet, so come out and get ahead of everyone else!

New Pieces, Upcoming Shows, and Non-stop Action!

I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend!

Things are hoppin' around the studio (and around the city) these days!  Saturday and Sunday I set up shop at the Randolph Street Market for the first time.  I'm ashamed to say that I had never even visited as a customer, but now I really wish I had -- one booth was even selling a real human skeleton!!

Oh yeah, and he's even got a name.  I had half a mind to put this guy up next to my table, wearing my necklaces... but alas, he was a little out of the budget for me.

I was in the lower hall, which was a little slower than outside or the ballroom, but things got pretty busy around 1pm each day.

I haven't decided yet about next month, but I think it would be fun to try my luck outside!  Especially because I (finally) ordered my festival canopy tent today, and I'm sure I'll want to show it off.

I premiered my terrarium-style pieces this weekend, and they were a hit!

I've just started listing them in my Etsy shop, you can see them in the Nature Girl // section HERE

This weekend, you can find me at the

Off The Beaten Path SOHO market on Saturday, and the

Chicago Flea MKT on Sunday!

You can always make appointments with me in my studio by emailing me at

vanessa @ thebigcitybumpkin.com

and of course there's a good chance you'll catch me on Waveland and Kenmore, outside of Wrigley Field on game days.

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!  :)

Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to...

Emily Purpura!

I've contacted you by email about how to get your season pass -- I hope I'll see you there this year!

Thanks to everyone for participating!

Randolph Street Market Season Pass Giveaway!!

So I've never done a giveaway on my own blog, and to be honest with you, I'm not even completely sure how this works... but, seeing as how I'm going to be poppin' shop at the Randolph Street Market this season, I thought it would be fun to giveaway a season pass.

Yes, I said season pass, so that's a value of $100!

It's good for two people, to every show this season (May-September).  Because this is a Chicago-based market, I'm going to have to keep it all in the family, so unfortunately this is for local residents only (anyone in the Chicago IL/Indiana area who can actually use the pass for all or most of the shows).  If you want to enter on behalf of a friend, and have it shipped to an address in the Chicagoland area, that's cool too.  :)

The giveaway ends on 03/23/2013 at midnight.

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