A Little Fun after the Snowfall

Sometimes you just do a craft show because you know it will be fun.  I occasionally am asked for advice about the criteria I use for selecting shows to apply to.  And I definitely have my list -- well established, good traffic, communicative organizers, no re-sellers, etc.  But Handmade with Love, the little show at Eastworks that happens twice a year, has always been an exception.  While it ticks several of my must have boxes, it's still a small show with traffic well below the 3000 I generally look for.  But the organizers are organized, the handmade arts and crafts are varied and well made, and the vendors are all local and all friends.

So even after Nemo hit and they had to postpone until the next day and a few of the artists weren't available on Sunday, it was still a successful show.  Yes, traffic was lower than usual and sales were a bit off.  But in between groups of customers who seemed to come in waves, we chatted, checked out each others' newest items, got caught up on what shows we were applying to, and even had a little unofficial AWM meeting about our planned Demo Day.  More about that in the future.

Then came a little impromptu treat that I hope will become a tradition at this show. As it got close to closing time, Jen pulled down one of her very ornately painted guitars and she and Karen serenaded us with a few oldies.

You know they were REALLY oldies since I knew all the words.

So for those of you who were unfortunately still shoveling on Sunday, you missed a great little artisan show in Easthampton.

AWM Presence at the Annual Stockbridge Arts and Crafts Show

Craft shows can be a lot of fun if you're lucky to have good tent neighbors or friends at the show.  I had both in Stockbridge.  Across the aisle from me was Beth Russo, fellow jeweler, and her friend Ellen who kept me entertained most of the day.  And several members of the Artisans of Western Mass. were in attendance as well.

Bethany was there to help me, as usual, so I got a chance to walk around and chat with people.  And she was nice enough to booth sit for Amy Love and Steve Nartowitz who were doing the show alone.

Amy had a nice spot in the shade.

I saw Steve a lot as he was near 2 of the most popular places at the show--the food court and the bathrooms.

Jody was situated behind Beth Russo so I could see her colorful clothing from my tent.

Tony is always so happy to have his picture taken.

I'm really going to be needing friends at the craft shows I set up at in the future.  Bethany, who has done every show with me for the last 4 years, will be moving away and, as children should do, will be moving on with her life.  These four years she's made it possible for me to get started selling at craft shows and, while at them, to walk around when I get antsy and to visit other vendors and network a little.

Bethany, I will miss you and the time we spend together.  I hope Denmark is the beginning of a lifetime of wonderful new experiences.

Photographers in Western Mass.

love jewelry and I can create jewelry from many different types of material.  And while I sew a little, knit a little, and crochet a little, photography is beyond me.  Good photography, that is.  You can probably tell that just by looking at the pictures of my jewelry in my Jansjems Shop that I'm still learning.

As a member of both the Artisans of Western Mass. and the Made in Western Mass. team on Etsy, I've come across a few talented local people who understand light and perspective and take phenomenal photographs.  So I thought I'd introduce you to them:

I've never met Moti Zemelman who lives in Northampton, but I love his work.  The photo above is from his travels in Central America. I love that it's calming yet colorful.   And I also found this one "inspired by the Steampunk esthetic", a genre I've come to appreciate these last few years.


Cate Woolner takes stunning photos in places as diverse as Antactica and Martha's Vineyard.  While I've been to the Vineyard and love how she's captured its beauty, I'm just in awe of the scenery from the frozen continent. 

Susan Elkin is from Greenfield.  Her photographs are of rural and urban landscapes.  For me many of them say "home."

Jenn Burdick lives in Deerfield and I've never met her either.  But I've looked at her photographs on Etsy a few times.  I'm drawn to photos that focus in on simple, rather ordinary things.  So I guess that's why I like this one.

                                                   
But my favorite local photographer is Patrick Zephyr.  I see him occasionally at local shows and always have to stop and admire his nature photography.  While many of his pictures are digitally altered, they are all mesmerizing.

I think this whirl pool is pretty well known.











But his amphibians are traffic stoppers.

Ahhh. Mattoon Street

A neighborhood of historic brownstones, brick sidewalks, and old trees.  The perfect setting for a September craft show and another successful Mattoon St. Festival. And unlike some shows that are losing their popularity both with vendors and customers, Mattoon St. seems to be growing.  They hosted 100 vendors this year.  That may be a record.  And I really think the traffic increased as well.  Of course it helps to have good weather.

We showed up with both our steampunk and fine silver jewelry this year.  There are several other jewelers with beaded designs so I left those at home.  I was happy to see that our silver was almost as popular as the steampunk and I saw a couple of my newest pieces go to good homes.  It's really bitter sweet when a piece I've put a lot of time and effort into gets sold.  I tend to get attached.  Well, I can only hope my customers love wearing them as much as I loved making them.

I've talked so much about this particular show that a few of my fellow AWM members applied this year.  And I was pleased when they also reported having a good weekend.  

Awards are given out for first, second and third place in a variety of categories--fine art, jewelry, glass, etc.  This year Jansjems came in second in the jewelry category, losing first place to my good friend
Kathleen Anderson and her polymer clay jewelry.

And then there are the roving musicians.  From a harpist to a lady's barbershop quartet they have something for everyone.  The accordionist and clarinetist got together at one point and even played a couple of polkas. And, no, I didn't request them.

The Mattoon St. Association makes a real effort to make you feel comfortable.  Bob McCarroll is on site both days in case you need anything.  They allow set up on Friday night which I just love.  On Saturday morning I'm cool and calm and not all sweaty from setting up the tent.  The food court only has 4 or 5 vendors but there's alway a nice selection.  There were crepes this year to die for.  And, as in the past, volunteers come around on Sunday just before closing and offer vendors hors d'oeurves or cheese and crackers.  A rather nice touch.

Crafts on the Common -- Successful and Rain Free

Sunshine and occasional cool breezes made for a pleasant Saturday in Amherst at the Annual Crafts on the Common Craft Show.  We were shouting distance from the always wonderful Amherst Farmer's Market and  had a great spot between Amy, who does wood carved sculptures and Shannon, who drew a crowd of children for face painting.

Didn't even realize my friend, Rebecca, was in the background.


And here's Bethany getting into the steampunk spirit of things with Shannon's help--

We at Jansjems featured mostly steampunk designs.  They are really popular with all ages at this show.  We also had a small collection of traditional jewelry just in case.  But we only sold a couple of those pieces.  I did have to say "goodbye" to one of my favorite steampunk pieces.                                                  



Several other members of the Artisans of Western Mass. were there--

Lou's Upcycles had a corner booth and her banner stood out nicely from a distance.



Cutsomers got drawn in by Aviva's bright and colorful Sieberdesigns.

And you couldn't miss Wild Child's tie dyed clothing.

Steve was there with handcrafted soaps and skin care products from Little Birch Farm.

Another jeweler from the group, Mary Risley Jewelry, brought her beautiful silver and gemstone pieces to the show.

It was really nice seeing some of my former co-workers from the Umass Library who stopped by the tent to chat.  The Indian food was great and the snow cones were enormous.  And it was nice to spend the day with artistic friends and appreciative customers.

Even Hamlet had a good time.  I don't think he bought anything but it looks like he chatted with friends.


For an official review of this show, see my side pages.



                 

Lou's Upcycles

 I recently saw my friend, Lou Leelyn, at a craft show and it occurred to me that I haven't done a featured artist in awhile.  Well here's a small tribute to a fellow artisan who not only creates from un-recyclable materials but also makes a real effort to educate others on how we can reduce our impact on the environment. She holds workshops to raise awareness of environmental issues.  And her blog is a wealth of information.  

Plastics.  A new and important commodity to invest in back in 1967 when "The Graduate" was made. It has since been propelled to essential status.   Products made of plastic could potentially last decades,  yet our main use of them is for inexpensive, single-use items the disposal of which contribute to a multitude of environmental problems.


Lou takes those dog food bags, or the plastic bags you get from Target & Walmart, layers them, and, with a warm iron, fuses them into a textile she can use to create tote bags, hats, cosmetic cases, and even a rain coat.  

Sometimes referred to as trashion, her pieces are unique, colorful, sturdy, and very popular, especially when customers find packaging from their favorite products being used.  If you don't catch her at a local craft show, you can purchase from Lou's Upcycles on Etsy.


In her "spare" time, Lou chairs the board for the Artisans of Western Mass. and is one of several dedicated members working on new ways to promote and market handmade in Western Mass.

A Glimmer of Light on a Sea of Sameness

When Jansjems first began we did a few church fairs to try out our displays and get our feet wet. We learned quickly that our customers didn't attend church bazaars. Its been about 3 years now, so since I wasn't selling anywhere, I decided to drop in on a local church bazaar just to see if things had changed.

I was surprised how this craft fair had grown. There were definitely more booths than my last visit maybe 3 years ago. But in touring the room I noticed that 5-6 of them were raffles of one kind or another. I recognized a few members of the congregation selling hand sewn and knitted items. Really beautiful things that were selling well at prices that didn't cover the cost of materials. Food was also selling well.

Glimmerstone was one of only 3 people there with professional set ups, business cards, and packaging. I bought a Christmas present for someone from her. She weaves beads to frame gemstone cabochons. It's the kind of jewelry that takes a great deal of time, and patience that I don't have in great supply.

She'd make a great addition to the Artisans of Western Mass. I'll have to ask her if she wants to join us.

Art is indeed not the bread but the wine of life--Jean Paul Richter

I had the honor this past weekend to exhibit in an art show at the Sinai Temple in Springfield that included some outstanding fine artists. Having a line of steampunk jewelry I was particularly intrigued by Geoffrey Houghton's "Steamfolk" watercolor illustrations. Marcia Reed who teaches at Williston Northampton School set up a beautiful display of her very colorful paintings. I particularly liked the Tuscan scenes she painted while teaching workshops in Italy. Nice. Leon Comstock and I shared a pegboard wall. And both days I had a very nice view of Frederick LeBlanc's photographs of boats and water scenes.

I was told that in the past this festival was strictly fine art. This year other artisans were invited to participate and the Men of Sinai were fortunate to have Peg Gerard and her polymer clay jewelry. She's been featured in books and magazines and creates incredible patterns with clay. Lori Mader, whom I saw at Mattoon Street, was there with her stoneware. And Jan Charbonneau, a member of the Berkshire Made group, showed off her purses made of recycled men's ties.

On the second day I learned that fellow South Deerfield residents, Jane Trigere and Tony Faith also had booths set up. And, of course, there were the representatives of the Artisans of Western Mass., Katie Richardson, Nicole Werth, Aviva Sieber, Adele Tanner and me--Jansjems.

If you want to see uncommon artistry, click on any of the above live links.

Artisan Window

The Artisans of Western Mass. are on display in a window at Copy Cat in Greenfield. Several members contributed their wonderful creations which Lou, Vickie & I arranged in what we hope is a well balanced eclectic display.




If you're in Greenfield, stop by and check it out. We'll be there until mid November.