ALL THE THINGS

Things are heating up at AWHQ (Argyle Whale headquarters... I can't pretend to be cool enough to acronym myself like everyone will know what I'm talking about).

I recently noticed that aside from going to craft fairs, I don't have much of a local presence for my art. That is just dumb. I should be neighborly and participate in the scene of my surrounding area instead of solely selling and sharing online.

The situation is being remedied. Argyle Whale IRL (that means in real life... people know that one right?) is coming to a gallery or shop near you if you are near me.

Galleries:

Washington Street Art Center- Somerville, MA (ok, this one is over because I had this post in draft mode too long)

Gallery Della Piana- Hamilton Wenham, MA for the animal themed show called The Beauty of the Beast

The Gallery at Porter Mill- Beverly, MA (This one is a pending maybe because it is up to the juror if I get in the show)

Pop up shops:

Concord Handmade- Concord, NH

GOLDMINE- Northampton, MA

Regular shops:

Magpie- Somerville, MA

ARCworks- Peabody, MA

Of course I'm doing a few craft fairs too. I kept the list a little slim because it is my first year as a Bazaar Bizarre organizer and I didn't want to have too many commitments.

Montserrat College of Art Holiday Sale- Beverly, MA on December 2nd

Bazaar Bizarre- Boston, MA on December 4th

Mass Market- Boston, MA on December 11th

I'm also running a handful of workshops at the ARCworks in Peabody!

The photo above is some sketching I'm doing for a secret project with Meagan.

This seems like a lot going on but next year I hope to be doing twice as much. Maybe three times as much. Must hustle.

My fingertips are tingling.

After months of halfhearted occasional posts, I think I feel like blogging again. I hope so. It's like exercise for me in that I rarely am in he mood but I feel super excellent after. I just need to get back in the habit. Besides, I have loads to catch up on!

Justin and I moved into our new home. It is the best feeling ever. When the boxes are fully unpacked and the art is hung, I'll be eager to share. It's kind of a disaster right now though. The best part is having an entire room to make things and store products. I haven't had a real studio in a few years and I don't know how I managed.

Another thing I don't know how I managed without is a car. Neither Justin or I had access to a car for the past two years! We did lots of walking and train riding and, in general, enjoyed the experience. But we decided that the limitations of carlessness were getting too aggravating so we bought an old white Volvo and I think it's the best! We are reveling in our ability to go ANYWHERE at ANY TIME! I have some driver anxiety that I need to get over but I'm thinking that this manageable and exceedingly safe car will be the one that helps me learn to drive again.

I'm actually tackling a rather long and significantly out of my comfort zone trip this weekend. I'm driving across Massachusetts from Salem to Northampton for the Twist craft fair I'm participating in. I'm usually a bit nervous going to a big show but I'm extra extra nervous with a long drive to boot! Today, I'm getting in some driving practice and putting the finishing touches on my display. Wish me luck!

Ok, I'm ready to talk.

Ohhh I have been a very bad blogger. Sometimes, I have so much that I need to talk about that I feel overwhelmed and put it off. But, silly girl, the passage of time leads to much more stuff that piles up needing to be talked about! So, instead of infinite procrastination, I'm opting to write tiny manageable tidbits so I can get back on track. I know most of these things are deserving of their own thorough post but I simply do not have the stamina at the moment. I am also going to go ahead and blame Twitter for making writing full paragraphs seem like hard work.

Renegade Craft Fair, Brooklyn, NY: Holy woah! This fair was fun city. Justin and I had a super time and met so many people we internet-adored who we now IRL-adore! I ate corn-on-a-stick for the first time and loved it a lot. I also celebrity-spotted Paul Dano. I made only a little bit of money but ended up pirate-rich in trades! I'm blaming Renegade for my current state of lethargy. I did months of work preparing and the event was so energy-sapping that I needed to recuperate for a week or two. I'm that delicate! Here are some photos: flickr

Mass Market, Boston, MA: This fair was my Renegade remedy. It was a small but well attended event that felt very friendly and relaxed. I finally got to hang out a little with Alice of Forest Bound and Francesca and met a nice new person who happens to also be named Elise.

Tattoo: I got my very first tattoo! It is, of course, bunny related. Here is a photo: flickr. Turns out, it's true what people say about tattoos being addictive; I'm already thinking about my next one.

The Internet: Soon I'll be spreading myself all over the internet (Goodness! That sounds racy!). I was invited to be a guest writer for both Hello Craft and North Shore Art Throb. I am feeling my usual combination of both excited and nervous. I'm excited to be sharing with a much wider audience but I'm nervous about writing for someone else's site and using PROPER PUNCTUATION!

Also, I have the honor of being this weeks "Artsy Wonderbug" on my friend Leah's website today. Please head over to read my little interview here.

Snorg Tees: My very exciting opportunity to have some of my designs turned into tshirts for Snorg is still slowly coming along. They will be made soon though and I can't wait!

What now?: Yes, this post has been catching up on the past but what I'm really excited about is what is coming up in the next few weeks. Nothingness! Yes, it's true, my fair season is over and my commitments are dwindling. I finally should be able to have time to make some new things! It has pained me to put fresh ideas on hold so that I could complete tasks like set up credit card processing accounts and make signs for my fair display. My next post will be all about what has been brewing in my mind for weeks and I'll be able to show off a couple projects in progress.

Now I'm wondering why I put off writing for so long. I enjoyed that.

Big happenings this weekend. RENEGADE!

Today is my last full day of work before heading off to New York City as a vendor at The Renegade Craft Fair! I have been crazy nervous for weeks while I tried to amass inventory, work on my display and get a credit card machine. It's all coming together just in time and I'm finally feeling genuine excitement. I am so very thankful that I am able to participate in Renegade this year! I have actually had this as a goal in my mind before I even had a business! There are so many makers that will be showing at Renegade who I hold in such high regard that I am proud to be beside them. This is by far the biggest event I've ever been a part of!

Are any of you fine blog followers going to be selling or shopping there? Please let me know so I can look forward to meeting you!

PequitoBun and Ranunculae are nice!

I made it safely to Design Hive thanks to the heroic helpfulness of my upstairs neighbor. Whew!

The event was tidily organized and all the vendors were real pros. I also had the lucky surprise of sharing an extra-long table with Sherry of PequitoBun. I met Sherry a couple of years ago at the ReCraft fair and we bonded because we both have beloved pet bunnies (her little black lop is named Pequito). I had a happy laughter-filled time catching up with her and geeking out about our pets.

I also met fellow gocco-printer and blogger Maeg of Ranunculae. She was very friendly and I hope to see her again soon at the Twist Fair in Northampton (I'm crossing my fingers that we both will be accepted as vendors!).

These two new friends made the event worthwhile even though business was slow. I am hoping that it was just the foul weather that kept the customers away. I still have high hopes for my future dates at Design Hive.

Design Hive is tomorrow!

I am currently experiencing the familiar nervous excitement that comes with trying something new. Tomorrow will be my debut at Design Hive which is a local designer's market in Cambridge, MA. I don't really know what to expect but I have a good feeling about this show. My nervousness comes from the fact that this is the first show I've ever done without a helper. When I applied, I was uncharacteristically confident that I could navigate a new route on the train and subway by myself while carrying MY ENTIRE DISPLAY. I was trying to be independent but I am beginning to think I was foolish. Wish me luck!

Bazaar Bizarre was super!

I'm so happy to report that the Bazaar Bizarre was a big success! Jenn, Justin and I had a long chilly day but it was full of people smiling and enjoying my work so we have lots of stamina for that kind of thing. It snowed for hours and the crowds still showed up and waited in a line that was two blocks long (so I hear).

My greatest enjoyment was meeting a few fellow vendors I really admire. I wish I had the chance to mingle more. I also was really pleased to meet folks who already knew about Argyle Whale and were eager to meet me. That was a neat feeling for sure!

Being a vendor at Bazaar Bizarre has been a big goal of mine for a few years (even before I had a business!) and it was every bit as good as I'd imagined. Gigantic heaps of thanks to the organizers and volunteers who made the event so spectacular.

Photos from the event along with all the loot I brought home can be found here.

Bazaar Bizarre creeps closer.

Today was my first day with Jen (Argyle Whale's first ever intern!) and I am extremely thrilled to be working with her. She is so efficient and focused which helps balance my tendency to be a scatterbrained dawdler. We got so much done for Bazaar Bizarre in the hours we spent together that I'm almost relaxed approaching this big event. Almost. I do have plenty of butterflies though.

Ok, I've got to get back to work. I'm not stopping until Sunday at 7:00.

Montfest

I just got back from my college's alumni festival (aka Montfest) where I was selling my Argyle Whale wares with Justin. Justin was bored to tears while manning my table but I had a nice time socializing with my classmates and attending a lecture called "artist as a small business".

I got myself all worked up the night before Montfest and ended up with little sleep. I left so much to the last minute with my display. It's embarrassing to admit, but I was also afraid of seeing people I hadn't seen in a long time and especially intimidated that my old professors would be seeing my new things. My designs now are so different from the type of art I was making back in school that I feared being criticized for becoming too commercial. Y'know, I used to make installations and now I draw bunnies wearing scarves.

Of course, nobody was tacky enough to criticize my wares or comment on my belly fat and most people seemed genuinely tickled by my new work. I left with a pocketful of cash, some dates with friends and a free brownie. Yes!