This is Where I'll Be...

So, I got sick as soon as the store was all moved out. I had been holding it off because I didn't have time to get sick. So, it makes sense that once I did have time, that I would get sick. I'm better now. Even though there were snow flurries today. 

In sweat shop mode now that I'm feeling better. Making new jewelry for upcoming shows and what's it. Which are:

Stormville Fleamarket on April 26th. Look for me in the New Section just past the food vendors in Stall #T349. I have a new - regulation for most craft shows - white 10x10 tent so, look for one of those with my name on it and jewelry under it;}

Then, on May 3rd from noon to 3pm, I'll be making customized picture frame jewelry at Paper Presence in Beacon, NY. 

The next weekend (May 9th & 10th) I'll be in Griffin, Georgia for the Hatch Market. I'll be heading south on the 6th and heading back up the 11th. If you live in any of the areas along the route from NY to Atlanta, and would like to host a Jewelry Party, let me know and I'll schedule you in somewhere in one (or maybe even both;) of the directions. 

Hope I'll see some of you at one or more of the upcoming listed above and, that I'll get to do a whole lot more jewelry parties now that I have more free time. Hint, hint;}

It's All-Most-Over!

So, Saturday was the closing day - thanks to everyone who came and drank cheap champagne and brought gifts and enjoyed the evening with us! 

Then yesterday, Sunday, all the remaining jewelry and bits and bobs got thrown into boxes so the furniture could be removed - dragged hither and yon by various people who had use for it. Cleaned out and cleaned up and now the new old store is waiting for new tenants once more. 

Final store closing, unless you count online stores. That one will remain until the remaining jewelry from that chapter is safely in loving hands. Which will then be the final pearldaddy chapter finished and shut.

Exhausted and somewhat relieved, I dreamt all night that I would be going back on Wed, then saw the empty room I had just left behind... 

Bitter sweet. 

So, now I have to rest up for the big reorganizing at the homestead so what's left can find it's way out to the public - and out my doors. Not much, really. But, in such a tiny space, it's a little oppressive. 

Naturally, the next step will be finding more room to work and store work supplies in... 

Enough of the exhausted ramblings. I'll write a post listing my next few "gigs" in a couple of days and again when my website is all updated for the new directions. 

All the best to all and sundry. Happy Spring - szzzzzzznnnnnnnnnnnnaaaaccchhllllzzzzzzzz!

Rant and Roll - AND Updates

Ok. So, I did have a big rant planned, but I think I'm all wound down now. I'm sure I'll wind back up, so I'll just start with what's going on this month. And next month. Well, I did manage to eliminate February from the blog roster, and since there is so much going on right now, I just want to put it all in just in case I wind up not writing anything for another month plus. 

So, pearldaddy's last day is March 28th. Going to have a big closing party on that last Saturday - the 28th - and I'll be doing deals all day and we'll party until I get tired and throw you all out after that. One of Phil's bands might play and all musicians are invited to bring instruments and accost our ears until we beg them to stop too. Then, I have to have it all cleaned out and give the keys back by evening on the 29th. So I'm a little stressed trying to get that to happen on schedule while making as much merch and all the display furnishings disappear by then. 

AND, if one more non-buying blankity blank comes in just to ask me "Why are you closing" I might say something not nice. See, I got wound up again. 

Well, not really surprising since I was talking about pearldaddy and Sunday was another day where 90% of the people walking in asked that exact question and walked back out without purchasing anything. Way to answer your own question, don'tcha think? Actually, without fail, every single person who's asked that question hasn't bought a thing. Oh, Wait. I know what I'll say next time: "Let me ask you this: are you going to buy something or are you just browsing?" When they say: "Just browsing." then I'll answer: "Well, you just answered your own question." Of course, what I really want to say will be this: "@@#$(!&&$#)#)$#!$!*#$&%"

And, while I'm at it, Carbon Offsets?! Either you pollute or you don't. Buying someone else's good intentions doesn't make you a better person! And what about all the wasted money NY State has spent on roads that just have potholes - even worse than before - just two months after they're repaved?! That winds up being good for mechanics and just about no one else! Ok. That's the rant - for now;}

Let's see, what else? 

Well, right now I'm really just too busy getting everything sold off and moved out and cleared up at pearldaddy to teach any beading classes, but I'll try again in April. Don't have a schedule yet, but you can check on the Pink Cloud blog site at the end of March and look for the classes taught by Andrea - cause that's me - if I don't get around to listing the classes and dates here before then. 

Oh, and I have some exclusively made for, one of a kind jewelry at Raindance in Beacon. Be sure to drop by if you like the following pictures because Raindance is the only one who has them - well,  it's all one of a kind, isn't it? - 456 Main Street (next to the Piggy Bank parking lot).

Seven one of a kind Sterling necklaces and seven matching earrings. All with Vintage beads and gemstones.

Also, I'll be making customized picture frame necklaces in conjunction with Paper Presence in Beacon (296 Main Street) throughout April for Mother's Day. I'll have sample necklaces on view there by the end of March. Basically the way it will work is: you pick a frame style and metal type, choose the birthstones (or tell us the birth months) of all the children giving the frame to mom, and give a picture of the kids in question to Lydia to miniaturize. A week or less goes by, and you'll get a customized picture necklace to give to mom.  We're still finalizing all the details but, as I mentioned, should be up and running with that by the end of March. 

In other news: Still waiting to hear back about craft shows for May and the one planned for June was cancelled for lack of location, but I'm definitely going to be at the Park Silly Sunday Market in Park City, Utah on July 26th and August 9th. If you live in that area and want to host a jewelry party while I'm out there, get in touch. We have to speed through to get there in July but, if you're along the route back to NY, and want to throw a jewelry party the second week of August, let me know that too. 

Ok. Well, that's pretty much it for now. Hopefully I'll get time to update ya'll in the near future. If not, I'll make sure I get at least one in for April. Oh Ya. Almost forgot: mark your calenders if you're in NYC and not otherwise engaged on April 9th. Phil will be playing at the Delancey with the Children.... Larkin Grimm is on the bill too. Should be a really good time. 

Right. That's really it for now. So. All the best of the best to everyone until I type atcha again.

Teaching Jewelry Making Classes in Harriman

Hello Everybody! 

I'm just logging on to make a quicky announcement:

Marci at The Pink Cloud Boutique (in Harriman) asked me to teach classes at her shop. 

Yes, I'm teaching classes in the fine art of jewelry making starting February 6th. That's a Friday. It's going to be a very basic wire wrap class to teach the most basic technique used in wire wrap jewelry to link beads together or hang them from things or whatever you want to do to connect something to something. I'll have everyone finish a bracelet by the end of class. 

The class is $15, runs from 7pm - 8:30pm, and there's a $25 materials fee which includes everything you need. Even the tools. Plus there'll be enough beads etc. to make a matching necklace when you get home. 

Oh, and I'm teaching a Peyote Stitch class on the 27th. That one will be earrings by the end of class and is $20 for the class plus $15 for materials - again, everything you need for the class plus enough to make another pair of earrings when you get home. It runs from 6:45-8:45, also on a Friday. 

And those are the classes I'm teaching in February. 

In March (still have to figure out the dates and times I'm available) I'm teaching a Brick Stitch class - earrings made in class - and a Pearl/Bead Knotting class - bracelet made in class. I'll put up the specifics of those as I have the dates and times finalized. 

Gonna try to teach two classes a month until I get too busy with home jewelry parties and craft shows to have time {any help on filling up my time that way is always appreciated;} Of course, I don't know when that might be. Maybe in the Summer, when I have to move out of my apartment in June, and then I plan on heading West in the middle of July; coming back in mid-August only to do another craft show - hopefully. I still have to get the apps in and get accepted... 

And then maybe again in November and December when I hope to be doing a show every weekend and will need to be making things non-stop in between... the plans are not always what happens as you all know, but keep checking back for details as the acceptance letters start rolling in;}

In the meantime, if you live in the Hudson Valley, and might be planning to be going down to the Woodbury Commons anyway... Pink Cloud is just a short drive down Route 17 from there so you might as well sign up for some classes! ;}

Don't forget to leave me a post if you want more info or have requests for classes!

Is Obama the Reincarnation of Honest Abe?

Following the same train route prior to the inauguration aside, it does seem that there are more than just a few similarities between President Obama and the 16th President. 

The "Honest Abe" aspect is very evident in the way that the new president has a tendency to answer questions without guile, and speak about things that others tend to hide. Of course the common trait of being tall and lanky doesn't really help to dispel comparison either. Then there's the matter of both being eloquent, convincing and popular orators. Lincoln certainly knew the constitution inside and out and Obama taught constitutional law. Which brings us to the point that they were both lawyers. Lincoln also represented Illinois in the House and Obama was an Illinois Senator. 

Now, I'm not sure if Obama has any patents pending or if Lincoln ever wrote a best selling novel or two but, aside from these two things, it would be hard not draw the parallels. 

Throw in the fact that Obama swore into office on Lincoln's bible and it's completely understandable to say: Hmmm...  Which is to say that it's a little easy to assume that Obama could be Lincoln reincarnate. If you believe in reincarnation that is. Which I do. Though, I'm not making a declaration; just throwing it out there;]

Ok. Enough metaphysical politic musing. I need to wrap this up quickly since the day is more than half over and I still have way too much to do. 

I'm applying for craft shows alllll over the place for the coming year and more than half of the applications are due in the next 4 weeks! So, I  have to get all the best pictures of a variety of my work (some of them are still waiting to be photographed while the other's still need editing) in all the corresponding correct formats and views, then put onto discs in all the right numbers and sizes - everyone seems to want something different. Then, I have to fill out the forms and get the money together for the application fees and show fees and get them all in the mail on time. Without double booking! 

Which is not that hard if you have nothing else going BUT, the store is finally done. Yes, the end of the year sales were only enough to pay the current month's bills and January is just as slow as it always is so there is no money for February. Absolutely none right now. 

So, March 31st will see the physical incarnation of pearldaddy over and out. Still going to sell off the remaining jewelry online, and take some of it around to the fleas when I do those. Plus, I'm going to do jewelry parties so the option of bringing pearl jewelry will come with that too. No more boutique and gallery after March though. So... I have to find people to buy all the furniture - since it's going on the street if no one buys it because I'm not moving it again! No room in my garage anyway. Plus, I have to redo the website, add more jewelry to the online store (gotta take all the pics and write the descriptions as well), clean things out and pack stuff up. 

Oh, and I'm going to be doing some jewelry making classes starting next month too. 

AND, we have to find another place to live by June as well. 

I'm feeling a little overwhelmed. But, not unhappy. 

So, even though I haven't gotten nearly enough done today and still have pics to fix and laundry to do, I did feel like I should get a blog on about everything that's going down; even a short one. Since all that stuff about Obama and Lincoln was roaming my head like a wild beast, and since it's inauguration day, you can thank that for today's writing impetus. 

I'll post again when I have new pics of work to show and some dates and places for upcoming craft shows (the first one might be in Albany at the beginning of April, and then there are a possible two at the end of April and beginning of May in Atlanta). Keep you posted. 

All the best and hope the New Year and New President bring nothing but better days - for EVERYONE!!! 

Indiemade Craft Market Report

Well done Ann and Terri! 

No one could believe it was the first ever... not the vendors, not the attendees. It was crowded and really well organized and great vendors were selected to be there. Of course, being only the third of my year's experiences for shows, I don't have quite as much experience as a vendor. But, all the more experienced that I spoke to concurred with me on that point. There were even a lot of great customers there I would love to see again! It was a great show, and everyone said so to the organizers as they were packing up and heading home too - I heard quite a few of them. 

Another one is planned for June and of course a repeat of the December show as well next year. I've already expressed interest in being at both. I'll let you know. 

Yes, a good show also means I sold a bit of jewelry - and gave out even more cards. The music was pretty good too, but the first of two was an acoustic lilith fair style cover band - yes, two chicks and their guitars - that eventually drove a few of us batty. Really, that was the only disappointment of the day though. 

Phil even helped out a lot. I'm really glad he was with me. 

And now for the pics:

Phil was sitting right infront of that vintage santa poster and, of course, now has a close up of the poster on his phone. Some of his friends to now as well;} 

Thanks to everyone who was there. It was great to meet everyone and I hope I get the chance to run into you all again in the Summer, if not before!