Calendar Time! Inspiration from a Kindergartener

Every day in Julia's kindergarten class they have "Calendar" time. They each take turns putting cute little cards in the pockets, learning to read a calendar and talk about the weather.

Need a gift idea? Something personal? Calendars are great gifts to give your family. Every year my Mother in Law loves to have photo calendars made for each of us. Looking back over the years its a nice keepsake and sort of picture journal of the years events.

This Saturday, I'm hosting a girlfriend crop at my house. It's from whenever they get here to whenever they leave...even if its on Sunday! We'll move the furniture out of the way and make room for tables and loads of fun. We are even planning a swap for all those things you just had to buy when you saw them, but have never used. What better time than to get out the photo's and scrap a couple of calendars as gifts? Once the layout is done, it only takes minutes to duplicate it.

I tend to keep my calendar pages quick and easy. I especially love the 8 x 8 format. This gives you a bit of extra coordinating paper to use throughout your layout. Call me the frugal scrapper! I am so excited about this weekend. I'm sure I'll have lots to talk about.....

The Keepsake Box

I took a creative writing class in high school. During one of those creative writing sessions, a guy in the class wrote this poem. I really connected with the poem and still have it memorized. I have no idea where he is now, it seems that all of us who graduated from the 1984 Hollister High School class have all gone our separate ways, but in any event, I'd like to share the poem with you.

The Keepsake Box by Chris Bridges

The box in the corner is...

Filled with treasures from past friends,

Broken dreams and promises

of endless loves......with ends.

I always had a box like that....full of notes to girlfriends and crushes and stuff. Just like a high school girl I always had those "endless loves" and they always had "ends". (I'm happy to say though that now...I have found my endless love!-just took me a while!)

In my studio, I have still have that box. It's not a glamourous box, it's just a really big box that I got when I bought a pair of leather boots. (You'd think that I'd decorate it huh??). Inside the box, you can still find all the trinkets and awards from my high school days, school photos of friends, napkins from restaurants with doodles and thoughts, there's even letters from school friends and cards from my grandma. On rainy days, or on days when I need a little pick me up, I dig thru the box and reminisce. More recently, I've added pictures that the kids have drawn, their favorite school work. The memories in that box span more than 30 years.

As you might have guessed, I'm thinking about that box now (and it's raining outside) I'm thinking about how quickly the time has gone buy since my first addition to the box. I'm thinking about Alex's kindergarten school work and I've now just added some of Julia's.

Mariah and I are really looking forward to this weekend. My Mother-In-Law, Louise is coming to visit. Friday morning we'll join my mom really really early and head down to War Eagle, a gi-normous craft show in Arkansas! On Saturday, Im hosting a huge crop at my house. I don't think Louise has ever been to a crop like this. There's nothing like the camradarie of great girlfriends! Maybe it's time to get out that box and see exactly what's inside it. Maybe I can work some bit of ephemra into a memorable layout and give it a much better life outside the box, rather than a life inside a box. Maybe you have a box like this, what have you filled it with?

I'm off to do some reminscing...seems like a good day for it!

The Art of Selling 101 - Arts and Craft Shows

There is more to art, than just creating art, especially if you want to make some extra money or work full time at it. You have to develop the art of selling your art. And believe me, that IS an artform! That also means you must SELL YOURSELF. Self promotion is one of the hardest things to do.

When I began my art career 16 years ago, the last thing I wanted to do was sell myself or show off my artwork. I might have feared rejection...no, I definately feared rejection! I chose to market my work thru art and craft shows. I thought if they came into "MY" space, they must be interested and then I could sell, I wouldn't come across as pushy.

Though, I no longer use this means to sell my art, it can be very effective...IF and a big IF...you do it right. As I shop the Arts and Craft shows I take note of who's selling and what is selling. I look at displays. I look at how crowded and how well attended the event is. Is it well advertised? What is the quality of the show.

Today I visited an event put on by the Springfield Arts and Craft's guild called ART IN THE PARK. (If you want to take a walk in a park...this is definately a much more interesting way to do it). What I appreciated about this JURIED show, was that, although it was small in size, each artisan had their own presence and their own style. They set themself apart. All of the jewelry artists did their own thing. And you know what? They were selling. I saw everything from watercolor artists, raku pottery, jewelry, stained glass. Lots of beautiful work!

Maybe you use this time of the year to put a little extra income in your pocket or maybe you are preparing for your first show. In either event, here are some tips I would like to share with you to help make your show successful.

• Dress up! This doesn't mean you have to be in an evening gown all decked out. But it definately doesn't mean you wear your sweat pants and comfy clothes either. Jeans are okay, maybe you have an artsy blouse or shirt. I had crafty and artsy shirts that I only wore when doing shows because they fit the occassion.
• Greet everyone with a smile and a hello regardless of what they look like. Everyone deserves to be treated respectfully.
• Do NOT have your nose stuck in a book or talk on your cell phone or be busy playing Words with Friends.  . If you are on the phone when customers arrive, excuse yourself from your call and attend to your future customers. If you are not interested in your customers, believe me, they will not be interested in you. Do not look bored. One way to overcome boredom at a slow show is by doing the next....
• DEMONSTRATE! It draws a crowd. Everyone loves to see an artist work - it's intriguing and you may be able to engage them in a conversation. This builds relationships and over time relationships build customers
• YOUR DISPLAY SAYS IT ALL! Don't think of spending money on your display as money down the drain. Think of innovative ways to display. Keep it neat and uncluttered so that you don't detract from what it is you are selling. Today, I saw a tree made of copper wire which was twisted together. The branches held beautiful jewelry and earrings. Shelves might be the answer for displaying miniatures. Try to set up your display so that the customer can picture either wearing your work, or picture how it will look in their home. If they feel a connection, they will buy.
• Start a mailing list - an email list if possible-it's a very inexpensive way to promote where you are going to be. Send an email a month, and a week before the show.
• Give the customer a reason to buy, maybe mention that these make great gifts. Pick up on clues that they give you regarding their taste. Show personal interest.
• Scope out the show BEFORE you sign up or ask for references. How well is the show attended, advertised. Are there other artists selling things just like yours? Don't be afraid to ask for references, this is business and a shows promotor should be more than willling to provide this information. It's their business to have you in business!
• I used to sign up for every single show that was local. Big Mistake!! Even though the shows were well attended, the attendees would say "Where will you be next?". That's code for "I won't buy from you today, because I can get it next week. I'll save my money for something I can only get today". Only do selective shows so that you become a "special treat" to the attendees and make them look forward to seeing you and knowing they can only buy from you right THEN!
• SET YOURSELF APART! This is typically not a problem when you are showing at a juried art show, but in general art and craft shows this is a huge necessity. Why sell the same thing as the competition??? I noticed a lot of jewelry artists at the Ozark show. They were all selling very nice jewelry, but the problem was, it all looked the same after a while. Anyone can string a bead onto a headpin and make a set of earrings, so how can you make your's different? Follow color trends for home decor and fashion trends for accessories. Mauve pink is a beautiful color...but that was the 80's and not alot of people decorate or wear it anymore..see what I mean??
• Lastly, but definately not in the slightest bit least. DO NOT SELL YOUR SELL CHEAP! Cheap doesn't always sell. This tells the customer your work is not worth anything. If you don't value your work, no one else will. It takes a lot of time to manage and run a craft business. Do not work for minimum wage or just to recover your costs so that you can make more.
• Okay...the above one was supposed to be the last, but this one needs to be said. Make sure what you are selling is handmade by YOU or your friends. Please don't purchase imports and pass them off as your work. This will RUIN your reputation!

I hope these suggestions make for increased sales for you!! Remember this is business, treat it like one. It takes time to build any business so give it sometime...and in the meantime...have a great time at the shows and ....enjoy it with girlfriends.

Share your experiences with me! Until next time on the ARTBUZZ.......zzzzzzzzz it's bedtime!

Spruce up your table for fall - a sneak peak project from the Project of the Month Club

Today in Missouri we're waking up to a very beautiful, yet cool autumn morning. I think the birds are delighted to have a break in the temperature too. They were singing quite happily when I went outside around 6am this morning. I'm welcoming fall with open arms! I love the crispness of the air, the beautiful colors of all the trees and the thought of pumpkin pie! MY FAVORITE! I can resist alot of sweets, but cookies and pumpkin pie are not on that list!

I had to run to Michaels and get a few things I was out of and desperately needed. I love to decorate with pumpkins, I think they create such a "homespun" feel in the house. But, have you noticed just how expensive fake pumpkins are? OH MY GOODNESS!!

In hopes of curbing some of your fall decorating expenses, I thought I'd share a favorite project of mine from the PROJECT OF THE MONTH CLUB - volume 2 CD rom collection. Made mostly from scrap clay and some aluminum foil, this pumpkin centerpiece will last for decades to come and it won't hurt your budget. You can make it as big or as little as you would like. There is even a variation for turning it into a candle votive. (ooh pumpkin pie scented candles...)

For more information about all the projects featured on the Project of the Month Club - CD Rom collection - click here.

Click on the above picture to view a larger printable version...and don't forget to take sometime out to smell the pumpkin pie! YUM YUM!

A fascination with words...........

My friend Jen has been blogging lately on how opportunities or events in her life inspire her art. I've enjoyed reading her posts every morning and consider it a creative boost to my day.




This year my oldest, Alex graduated from High School. How could that be? I just graduated from High School a few years ago...(okay...so it was actually 1984! Don't laugh...I just gave away my age...) It was 1982 that I first took a graphic arts class at the local Vo-Tech school. I just thought it would be interesting, not knowing for the slightest where this early journey would lead me.....

My parents thought it was a waste of time, but nevertheless, after much convincing, they let me go my junior and senior year. We didn't have word processors back then. Business cards and stationary were made the hard way. We had a strip printer. It was this little machine in a closet. Sort of like a camera. It had a film strip with different letter typestyles and you exposed each letter - one at a time. There was no automatic spacing, you did that with your eyes. When you had your words all spelled out, you stuffed it under your shirt and ran as fast as you could to the dark room to develop it. Then it went to the wax machine. After that you literally cut a pasted it to your layout.....the process continues until it finally reaches the press and your "whatever" was printed.





My senior year we were in style - we got a typsetter machine. This machine was HUGE! Full of buttons and options and little one line screen that held about four words. I became a pro at the machine. I would sit for hours just playing with words, different typestyles, different sizes of letters. I love titles, writing, though I'm not a poet...I just love words.

Fast forward to NOW. Im sitting here typeing to you on a laptop computer that is way more powerful that that huge typesetter we had in 1983. I use all the skills I learned back then everyday. Whether Im designing for publication. laying out a project sheet, or just for plain ole' fun. In fact, I wonder what graphic art's class would be like now?



While I love scrapbooking, I have a real love for digi scrappin. It takes me back to High School days and makes me feel young again! Here's a sample of my latest layouts to share with you. I did it on the plane on the way to England last month. I hope you enjoy.

I use Photoshop Elements. The papers and other accessories and embellishments I downloaded from Scrapgirls.com (i think...it's been a while).

Well...since my ice tea is gone, that must mean it's time to go to the studio and reminisce some more. I think today's theme will be metal jewelry memory crafts.....