New happenings

As always, it's been a while since my last post. I've been busy with the library, beading, being a mom and web work. But I have still been beading, indeed! I also did two small shows, one at the Louisville Watertower sponsored by the LVAA and another sponsored by our lovely Marion County Public Library. The LVAA show garnered no sales while I was there, but a wonderful lady contacted me afterward. She took a business card and perused my art site, purchasing two of my sculptures. Makes me want to sculpt again!

I've also been working on promoting myself. I recently was accepted as a new artist at Swanson Reed Gallery on Bardstown Road in Louisville. It's exciting to me, as it's my first representation in Louisville. I was in the Kentucky Museum of Art & Craft for a while, but it was a very limited selection of my work, only a few pieces. Swanson is carrying a selection of earrings, bracelets and cameo necklaces. I'll also have a trunk show there later this year, which makes me ecstatic beyond belief!

One of the requests that the buyer at Swanson Reed had was cocktail rings in the style of my beaded cabochons. To the left are my first few attempts. I'm pretty happy with them. I'll make a trip to the gallery first and then list some in the etsy shop.

I also listed some of my pieces that I've been making in preparation for Spotlight Lexington during the World Equestrian Games.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/46837471/cobalt-and-aqua-horse-cabochon-necklace
http://www.etsy.com/listing/46838165/green-gold-and-silver-horse-cabochon
http://www.etsy.com/listing/46838957/copper-and-gold-horse-cabochon-necklace
http://www.etsy.com/listing/46839577/silver-and-black-horse-cabochon-necklace
http://www.etsy.com/listing/46836655/purple-horse-cabochon-necklace
http://www.etsy.com/listing/46835696/aqua-horse-cabochon-necklace
http://www.etsy.com/listing/46841476/the-princesss-copper-horse-choker
http://www.etsy.com/listing/46840763/black-horse-cabochon-earrings
http://www.etsy.com/listing/46840137/gold-horse-cabochon-earrings

Friends are Fabulous

After my post fed through to Facebook yesterday, some fabulous friends commented and then I came across this in my News Feed. Thanks, guys!

http://talkmarioncounty247.squarespace.com/a-photo-a-day/2010/4/22/our-artist-chick.html

Our Artist Chick!

Thursday, April 22, 2010 at 09:21PM

Here is Marion County's ARTIST CHICK at the counter of her gallery in downtown Lebanon. Sadly, her gallery here has closed, but I will never be surprised where she turns up next. She is a powerhouse of talent. There was lots of excitement in our community when we learned she had sold a couple of jewelry pieces to...Courtney Love...!

Our Artist Chick has made her mark at a young age and we'll be watching her, with interest, from now on!

The Chattanoogan

A friend of mine tipped me off to an online article about Lebanon and Springfield which mentioned my gallery, These Precious Things.

http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_142355.asp


The portions mentioning my gallery are:


"The first thing a visitor should appreciate once he or she has arrived in the Heart of Kentucky is the small town feel that pervades the area. People greet each other on the street by first name, local coffee shop owners know what customers will order without the customers having to request it and everyone seems to move at a slightly slower pace than people who live in big cities. "

"However, just because the small town feeling pervades this area does not mean that the Heart of Kentucky is in any way a backwoods or "hick" area. I was pleasantly surprised at the menu and selection at the various restaurants that I ate at while in the area. The Oak Barrel, a restaurant that recently opened in Lebanon, offered a little bit of everything. Their crab cakes were filling and tasty. The next morning, stopping in at "These Precious Things," an art gallery and coffee shop, for a latte was just the way to start the morning."

Kate Wilson
kawilson830@gmail.com

Post-Christmas Sale

I hope everyone had a great holiday and isn't too stuffed from the great food yesterday! I'm still hanging out at my mom's with my daughter and dog-sitting today & tomorrow morning, before heading back to the gallery to get a half day of sales in. I'm having a post-Christmas sale in both my brick & mortar gallery and my Etsy store, where my ornaments have been marked down from $15 to $10. That's quite a bargain on a one-of-a-kind piece. There's only a few left on the Etsy store, but more in the gallery that I never had time to list.

Treasuries!

I've been featured in a Bluegrass Etsy Street Team Treasury!
The Best of Kentucky: http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=34752

I've been beading like mad, despite being busy with oodles of other things this week, including the Arts & Humanities Council and some personal issues. I got a few more ornaments made, including a custom one for a friend and another quilt patch. I've got orders for 5 patches and a custom snowman that I need to completely before next week. I have an open house with our community's Dickens Christmas event tonight and then I should be able to tackle the other ornaments. We'll see!

Back in Black

I just found my Onyx earrings in this beautiful treasury created by FleurDeIrk who happens to be another great Etsy Beadweaver! (Don't forget, you still have time to VOTE!)

BLACK and elegant

I've been working on web updates for my mom's business this week, which means I've been coding and doing computer geek stuff and not getting to bead. I thought I'd enjoy the break, but it's killing me! I have ideas for my Snow Queen project, as well as my mom's Christmas present and I still have 3 dozen ornaments I need to bead. Not to mention the fact that I really need to decorate the store for Christmas, despite the fact that I don't decorate my home until after Thanksgiving. All of that topped off with the cold from Hades that kept me from doing a show over the weekend and I'm just one big pile of nerves. Woo-hoo!

Ahem.

Pay no attention to the crazy lady drooling over her beads and waiting for her next shipment of sparklies to come in.

Just Breathe

The auction is over and I can breathe again for a bit. As always, I wish things would have sold for more and I wish the crowd would have been larger, but everything sold and people got some great deals on original pieces. My feet were killing me by the end of the evening after playing Vanna White in heels, but I survived, as did my mother, who happens to be the treasurer for our organization. Kate was a blessing, helping my mom out, as was my step-dad and my awesome friend Patty. Don't know what I'd do without them lately. Even Amber got into the groove, helping Mom bid on Patty's garnet set. And the appetizers! Michele Espinosa and the gang at the Oak Barrel are incredible. I really hope the restaurant is a huge success.

I say I can breathe, but I still have quite a bit to do.

• Barktoberfest at the park today with Amber & Buddy
  
• Amber soccer game tomorrow
  
• Chamber lunch Wednesday
  
• update inventory
  
• Meeting with youth leadership member Wednesday
  
• Finish Halloween costume
  
• trick-or-treating with Amber 10/31
  
• My grant application for marketing materials is due 11/1
  
• I need to get ornaments ready for Lee's open house the second weekend of November
  
• I have a show that same weekend in Somerset
  
• repair work to finish for a customer
  
• the Maker's Mark pendants to finish and get out to the gift shop
  
• the Etsy-Beadweavers Challenge entry to finish
  
• coffee beans to order for the gallery
  
• catch up on my filing
  
• scrub the gallery
  
• Nude 2009 entry to think about (due 10/31) - Nope, not entering this year
  
• Painting series to finish (15 paintings)

Sometimes, to do lists give me an anxiety attack :)