Thursday, December 29, 2011

2011 Year in Review

Kewish Designs at High Hill Ranch, October 2011


January 2011
Like most artists...January is the Great Black-Out time. Staying quiet and resting is the game plan. Maybe some cleaning and organizing in the studio...nothing is in my calendar for January 2011!

I gave myself a challenge to do a "Piece a Week"...I did fairly well with that until Apple Hill hit! At that point I was making leaves, leaves and more leaves.

February 2011
Still quiet...but a lot was stirring!

March 2011
We were the featured artists at Arareity! Even had a radio ad that mentioned "Kewish Designs." That created  a lot of excitement! It was fun to walk into parties and have people say, "Hey! I heard about you on the radio!" We had a fun evening!

And then...I started running again...one particular day I was having a GREAT run...except I tripped...fell...bounced and slidddddddddddddddddddd. I was at the furthest point out from the house...so...left arm, hands and knees bloody and swelling...I hobbled back the two miles to get back home. And then sat down covered in ice packs. I was unable to do any studio work for the rest of the month.

April 2011
Studio work...to the best of our ability!

May 2011
Fire and Rain Gallery opened up a 2nd store on Sutter Street. We had pieces in both locations!
The end of May (Memorial Day weekend), we began our Tahoe shows...it SNOWED that weekend. Horrible snowy, windy weather. bleh.

June and July 2011 - Tahoe every weekend. The 17-day run from July 1 through the 17th. Not much action for us up in Tahoe. We had to seriously think about that commitment. Frankly, we were losing money and our spirits were really, really down. We did not feel the love. We hung in there. At the last minute we contacted Mendocino's "Art in the Garden" organizer..."we know we are late, but can we still get in?" They were THRILLED to hear from us and were delighted that we wanted to do the show. So...

August 2011
A great kick-off to August by doing the "Art in the Gardens" show at Mendocino's Botanical Gardens! We did well and that helped to boost our spirits. We did one more weekend up at Tahoe and then got ready for...

September - December 2011
High Hill Ranch/Apple Hill!!! What an amazing experience that was! We did very well...almost too well at times. We were working seven days a week at the Ranch, then coming home and doing studio time. Because we make each piece, one at a time...it, well, TAKES TIME! We were so busy in fact...that the calendar on our wall is STILL on September!
Even with all THAT going on - we added a trunk show at Vintners, and a show at Gold Hill Winery!

Our big winners were wire wrap rings, hearts, leaves and the Key to Self. I (Lisa) am sold out of my artsy pieces. I believe that Josh's silver flower pendants have sold...except for one with an opal.

Still available!
We made a conscious choice to not do so many street fairs this past year...it just isn't our scene.
We also made a conscious choice to get into a few more galleries and stores. For now we are in Fire and Rain, PeraDice, Vintner's and Journey. We pulled out of Arareity and The Market Place.

In between everything else we did a few Mid-Town Bazaars and Ladies Night at Vintner's.

Looking forward we are thinking about wholesale...and finding some stores in Berkeley and San Francisco that would carry our work. We will apply for "Art in the Gardens" for August 2012 and we will be at High Hill Ranch next September - December. Right now as I write this, I am aware of an approaching deadline for a show in El Dorado Hills in May that we are pondering... yikes! In March we are going to jury in for the St. John Craft Fair in December. That show is HUGE.

We are also trying to figure out ways to introduce and sell our other creative work...Josh's drawings and paintings and my photography. I still have a few other creative ideas that need to get out of my head!!

It has been a splendid year and we thank you all for being a part of it! I have a feeling that some amazing things are going to happen in 2012...because they have already been set in motion! :)

Have a GREAT New Year and see you in 2012!

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Last Show of 2011!

Saturday, December 17. 12pm to 8pm.

Vintner's Cellar Custom Winery
12401 Folsom Blvd
Rancho Cordova, Ca 95742

Sunday, November 27, 2011

NEW SHOW! December 10 and 11, 2011

December 10 and 11 will be our last weekend at High Hill Ranch/Apple Hill! It has been an amazing experience! We have already turned in our application for the 2012 season!

We have also added a show (yes, we will be in two places at once!):


Holidays in the Hall
Craft and Gift Fair

Saturday and Sunday,
December 10th and 11th
10:00 am to 5:00 pm

  Hand-crafted items from local artisans.
Unique gift ideas. Pampering Station.
And, of course, excellent
Gold Hill Vineyard wines!

Help support Placerville Animal Services by donating money or items! 

Gold Hill Vineyard
5660 Vineyard Lane
Placerville, CA  95667
(530) 626-6522



Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Trunk Show at Vintner's Cellar Custom Winery

Yes! We are still up at High Hill Ranch/Apple Hill seven days a week... AND we have added a trunk show!

Vintner's Cellar Customer Winery
12401 Folsom Blvd, Rancho Cordova

Wednesday, November 16, 6-9pm!

We are bringing our top sellers; hearts, leaves and wire-wrap rings!

This is a great opportunity to get some holiday shopping done...for yourself, for others...and support local artists. We even have gift boxes!

These have all sold...but we are making MORE!




These have all sold...but we are making MORE!

Monday, October 24, 2011

Pieces for week 42: Turtles!

I was sitting in the booth last week staring at a piece of copper....wondering...hmmmm ...
and then I heard a little boy yell, "TURTLE!!! Look mom...a turtle..." he had seen one of the sun-catchers that our neighboring vendor sells.

Turtles. What a good idea.

So, I made some...and a key and another leaf...with a dragonfly!


One of the turtles sold the same day I put them out! A woman had just returned from Los Cabos, Mexico and had spent time with the conservationists who are working on saving the sea turtles. She saw my little turtles and ... well... had to have a little reminder!

It's the stories that are told to me that are amazing.
And now that I think of it...interesting timing!

Monday, October 17, 2011

Introducing "Yimmiys" and fun Halloween jewelry!

Introducing "Yimmiys". Yours Is Mine, Mine is Yours! LOVE THEM. Here they are, mother and daughter:
Taylor and Teri Lafferty of "Yimmiys"
What you are seeing in the picture is "garden art". They take old plates and cups and re-purpose them...add a stake and VOILA...pretty art for your garden...they also re-purpose frames - picture, bed, door...and ... TA DA...we are re-doing our booth with their work! I have been wanting to add this kind of look to our shop, but haven't had the time to add the wires and all the other details. But Taylor and Teri do DO this work, and do an excellent job at very affordable prices.

Look!

"Yimmiys" large frame with a strong wire grill. PERFECT for earrings! I got swooshy with the fabric!

The white oval frame is a "Yimmiys"!
The white frame on the left was the first "Yimmiys" we purchased! You can see a larger white grilled frame on the right. For now we are using it as a "prop." Future booth building will have the frame holding our work.
BUSY! And the "Yimmiys" frames look fantastic!
Again, their prices are very approachable. If there are any art/craft vendors out there that would like to add a "Yimmiys" piece or five to their display...here is the info:

Yimmiys
P.O. Box 10614
South Lake Tahoe, CA  96158
yimmiys@hotmail.com

They said I could put their phone numbers on this blog...but right now that doesn't feel right...but you do have their email address! I believe the next time they will be at High Hill Ranch is November 19! I know I'm saving some dollars to get a few more....somethings...don't know what they will have, but I want more!!

They also make the frames with a cork board backing...one very cool frame has the wire and a chalk board ... kinda want that one, but I would need to have a 10x20 booth!!! 

One more share:

Our limited line of "Halloweenies"... Josh made little pendant charms to charm the spirit...

The little family of Halloweenies. Not sure if we have any pumpkins left!

Fierce, yet charming. I think each of these guys needs a name.






"OH NO Mr. Bill"







Boo!
However you think about yourself is who you are! Have the most excellent thoughts about yourself!

Friday, October 14, 2011

Pieces for weeks 40 and 41: heavy panting...

ok, so, we have made lots of new wearable art pieces...
All have sold. No pictures! Well...I did take a few pictures so that I could have a record, but the pics didn't come out as well as I would have liked (so I'm not sharing...).

This is good...to make something and have it sell just as fast...Some things have taken longer to find a new home...this piece just sold today to someone who "got" that...if she loved it, she had to buy it...because it probably wouldn't be there the next time...

Sold today! "The Experiment"... named after what it was...I wasn't sure my plan was going to work!



Josh and I worked on these hearts this week... Only a couple remain!! Josh is working on more as I write this post...

Hearts! (and a beaded thingy and an abstract something)

Ah...and last night my ship(ment) came in with new silver-fill sheet. Although I was really in the mood to be out and about doing non-artist/designer/vendor things...I just couldn't wait to get my hands on this stuff. 22 gauge silver fill...or silver clad...I made a leaf (on auto I think) and then did these cool scratches on the surface. Filed away the edges to created a silver leaf with a "gold" outline.

I made two more silver leaves while sitting in the booth today! No pics though! :( Too busy! :)

Silver clad leaf. Hand fabricated. Light and delicate.

ok - there you go. 71 days until Christmas by the way....next week I hope to post some pics of our "Halloweeny" line! }:-}

Sunday, October 2, 2011

On being a vendor...

*Your booth is your store and you are the owner/manager/artist/ruler - so be professional.

*Open early and close late. (Even if you haven't seen a single human since 2pm...YOU NEVER EVER KNOW....)

*Follow every rule that the event has...to the letter. Have questions? Find the organizer.

*No complaining, bellyaching, or backbiting in your booth. AT ALL.

*No complaining, bellyaching, or backbiting in another vendor's booth. AT ALL.

*If you must vent then find a neutral space away from it all.

*If you are visiting with another vendor, be aware when potential customers walk into the space. Back off. The event is about connecting with customers and selling.

*Raise your tables. This isn't the 1960s and we are not hippies.

*Use lighting. Regardless of your product. Light it up.

*Smile.

*Laugh

*Ignore the strange comments that passers-by make. They aren't your customer anyway.

*Do you know who your customer is? Write a profile of your perfect customers. Review this profile when it's slow.

*Keep a mirror handy to make sure spinach isn't stuck in your teeth...or other such debris!

*Stay out of vendor gossip. Some of it can get so far off base it's ridiculous.

*Don't worry about that other jeweler, photographer, fabric artist in the show. You have your unique look and customer and s/he has their own.

*Stop talking about the horrible economy. There are individuals who WANT to spend money on original work. There is plenty of money.

*Make a quality product with a guarantee.

*Customer service is EVERYTHING...

*Smile (worth repeating)

*Laugh (ditto)

*Ditch the "victim/artist" mode.

*Artists are visionaries and innovators. That is a powerful position.

*Offer the world something irresistible.

Friday, September 30, 2011

Pieces for Week 39...How to Make a Copper Leaf

My painted leaves are a big hit at our booth at High Hill Ranch! That is all I have been making. Instead of sending another batch of pictures of leaves...I thought I would share some pics of the process!

I cut out a piece of 18 gauge copper for the leaf using metal shears.
Using a template that I designed, I scratch the outline of the leaf.

I use the metal shears again to cut out the leaf. I prefer the shears over a jeweler's saw because the shears create shape in the leaf...as opposed to the saw which creates a flat piece with no movement.

While the shears create "movement" in the copper, they also leave behind a rough edge. Lots of filing is needed.

More filing....
Filing in the corners...I file at an angle to begin to sculpt a shape in the leaf.
A leaf!
I use a colored ink to create unique designs on the leaf.
We will be at High Hill Ranch, Apple Hill, CA every day through December 11, 2011! I am already coming up with a ivy leaf designs for the Winter Solstice!

Friday, September 23, 2011

Pieces for week 38: Happy Fall Equinox!

Lisa's Leaves...celebrating the Fall Equinox. Top leaf can be found at High Hill Ranch, leaf on left at Journey Spiritual Center, leaf on bottom (sold!) Hand fabricated copper with silver. Inked for color.

Little matching earrings! Hand fabricated, ink on copper.
At High Hill Ranch. Hand fabricated copper with copper wire, fused silver. Light ink coloring. On jade beads.
Crescent Moon. Hand fabricated copper with copper wire. Fused with silver. Silver granulation. At Journey Spiritual Center.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Pieces for week on hold...I have something to eat


Homemade peach cobbler. Want some?

The official name of this is "Wheat-free, Refined Sugar-free, Vegan Peach Cobbler."

And yes, before I began this project...I was a doubter.

I lu-UV ooey-gooey peach cobbler. (one moment, leaving the computer to go grab some of this luscious stuff....).....

mmmmmmmmmmmmm....wait....now I need a cup of coffee to go with this................. brb.

ok. So the Kewish household has been following the Ways of the Vegan.  Also going wheat-free (due to my allergic reaction to all things wheat)...and toss in refined sugar avoidance to help with blood sugar levels. You ask...what is left to eat in the world...?.... I've taken it on as a challenge.

(and if you are wondering where we get our "protein sources"... we get it from plants...) ok...

So...peach cobbler. Made my way. (btw...this recipe DOES contain calories. I do not know how many. I do not want to know.)

Kewish Designs.....FOOD!

Provocative Peach Cobber
(that title is much sexier than Wheat-free, Refined Sugar-free Vegan...blah blah blah)
Preheat oven: 375

6-8 desperately seeking meaning for their existence peaches (meaning: very ripe)
Make them naked and without seed. (skin and pit)
Cut into slices. With awe and wonder...put in large bowl.

Bathe them in Agave Syrup (about 1/4 cup)...delight them with cinnamon...mmmm and sprinkle in some ground cloves. Just a touch.

(Aw....come on...this is the BEST way to cook...makes all the ingredients happy to have such attention!)
Mix up this wonder and let it all sit together and co-mingle. They are all happy together. Let them have their time.
New large bowl.
1 cup Gluten Free Bisquick
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup Earth Balance Spread
a bunch of cinnamon
Squoosh this mixture up (I used a potato masher, you can struggle with a fork)...keep squooshing/mashing until the Spread is broken down into little pea size nuggets.
add:
¼ cup + 2 tbsp So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut milk
1/2 cup pure maple syrup (yes, I used two different sweeteners...try it...be wild)
2 tsp vanilla extract

Mix it all together.
Feel free to taste. Nothing "raw" in it...make sure you have enough cinnamon....mmmmm

Spray an 8x8 baking pan...place the happy peach slices in pan...pour the batter over....kinda urge it over all the peaches with a knife or spatula.

Place in oven for about 40 minutes. Do something vibrant and time absorbing...for 40 minutes. There are many options.

When your 40 minutes are up...take the yum out of the oven. Let cool...a bit.
Add icecream...we used Luna's and Larry's Organic Coconut Bliss...

indulge, eat, wallow...gasp with wonder.


It's amazing.

ok...here is something else I made. It can be found at Journey Spiritual Center's gift store.

Sterling silver on copper moon with silver granulation



Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Pieces for week on hold ... I have something to say

A ten-year old girl said to me, "I am stupid. I didn't know what four plus two was, so I'm stupid."
I had a talk with that ten-year old.  I made it clear to her that she wasn't stupid.

Ten. T.E.N. Ten...already deciding this belief about herself. It doesn't get better.

I have heard twenty-somethings' say things like;

"I am stupid."
"I am bad."
"I can't do that."

I have heard thirty-somethings say things like;

"I am stupid."
"I can't change."
"Oh well, that's just the way life is."

I have heard forty-somethings' say things like:

"I am stupid."
"I give up."
"This is all too hard."
"Life sucks."

I have heard fifty-somethings' say things like:

"I am stupid."
"I should have, could have, ought to have..."
"I'm gettin' old."
"Sex isn't all that..."

I have heard sixty-somethings' say things like:

"I am stupid."

These lies that we tell ourselves...these insidious, flat-out-wrong beliefs about who we are - male or female - are keeping us all from evolving and advancing and progressing and being alive and vibrant.

There are many writers out there that write about loving your self and being gentle on yourself...peace - light - and all things holy.
I am not quite on their page.

Sometimes an individual has to take the warrior's stance against the bullshit that inundates us.
From our upbringing, to our media choices, the music we listen to...even the food we consume....

Few understand the challenge of "inner-warriorship." Many are apathetic. There IS a fight. There IS struggle and temper-tantrums and a whole lot of  things "I don't wanna give up..."

Most settle in with, "Oh, well....things seem ok...why fix what doesn't seem broke...."
Life is adequate. Life is satisfying.


I would challenge you on that...
You may find that you are more apathetic than you think...
Apathy will bite you in the ass.
And then it's too late.

A good way to move past apathy is to ask questions. Really? Yes, really.

Last night I was making a purchase and there was another customer with questions. She kept apologizing, to the other customers, for asking questions. I had to step in.

"There is nothing wrong with asking questions."

What I should have said was, "Asking questions is a sign of intelligence."
 
The Less-Than, Not Good Enough, Not Worthy, I'm Stupid labels...will be ripped off by me. One by one. As I find them.

And frankly - sex should get better and better with age. Because you SHOULD be learning more and more about all the bodies involved, your own and any other body involved.

Nothing about us is stupid, is lost, should ever whither...
We can break patterns, change, create new things, invent lifestyles and constantly educate ourselves.
This is why we are not stupid. We have amazing minds that move us into amazing lives.

I can write of this because I know.
Ask me.

[Lisa}

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Good Day...or not!

On Saturday, September 10, the vendors at High Hill Ranch/Apple Hill received a notice that "Good Day Sacramento" would be filming a segment...and if we were interested in being filmed...be at our booths at 7a.m. "working."

Well...what artist wouldn't love some free promotion?

We did. As did others.
So, most of us crawled out of bed EARLY, to show up EARLY...and then wait.

Note: usually we show up at 8:30am-ish to open at 9am. So...many of us were minus sleep and coffee. By the way - not a drop of coffee to be found anywhere. :-/

To make a short story - shorter - We did not get on the segment...nor did most others. Just two. The candlemaker and the glass blower.

I can't find the segment to embed. But I did take some photos...just for fun.

Camera guy sets up while artists wait....

More set up....

And yet more set up...wait...it gets better...

LIVE!

More LIVE!


LIVE! Explaining how a glass bead is made...

Setting the glass bead in the clay to cool...

Wrapping it up...

"Did ya see us on TV?"

Mike vows he will never EVER show up early again. Three years in a row...he's done this and has never made it on TV.

Dazzling Dawn...I think she should win the most beautiful booth award...if we gave them out! She hand-paints all her glass!

Meanwhile, while most of us were just standing around being disappointed...he just kept working.

And Josh and Michael did some yoga.

And least our booth was pretty.
So...I think next year Good Day Sacramento should send someone up the day before...have him/her choose the artisans they want to film. That way only TWO will have to get up early...and the other TEN won't be sleepy, grumpy and without coffee.

(such are the things that make stories in our lives!)

:)

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Pieces for week 36: Losing track

We have been creating so many new pieces that I am, frankly, losing track of what was made when. Some pieces I have posted on the Kewish Designs Facebook page...others are sold before I can post pictures!

I decided to show a representation here...


Copper teardrop, added a layer of silver, ran it through the rolling mill with textured fabric, hand painted. Green has been an extremely popular color!

Hoops with sterling silver


Some of Josh's wire-wrap rings. Made with bronze wire and various beads.

Sterling silver flower on a sterling silver band

Hand painted copper leaf

Hand painted copper leaf

Sterling silver on copper.