Moving and Making and Touring, Oh My!

The month of June has come and gone and I am finally settling into my new digs. I am so happy with my new studio. Seems like I said that not too long ago but this time around I am confident I am here to stay!

View from the front window in the studio, including one work area, my computer and part of the showroom in the distance

View from the front door-there is the window where I took photo 1

June was full of all the emotional ups and downs of moving plus the start of what I term "festival season." That term comes from the "good ole days" when my husband and I used to travel up and down the east coast with our trailer full to the brim (and then some!) to fill a 20x40 foot traveling store. We never did a festival of less than 4 days back then because it took an entire 24 hours just to set up! Today I do many one day events, farmer's markets, art shows and the like. It is decidedly less work!

My "Wall O' Beads." of course there are other supplies there, as well!

While my display is now much smaller and encompasses fewer items, it is still something I prepare for, often for months ahead of time. I decided this year to create a dual inventory-one that is left for "festivals" and another for my studio. So when I packed up to move I took the inventory home for travel and began anew in the studio.

That would have been all well and good, had I not been part of the Northwest CT Arts Council's Open Your Eyes Studio Tour! I gave myself an entire 21 days to make a completely new inventory. Didn't expect too much of myself, did I? 

Making a bracelet to match one a customer was buying already during the tour

These lovely ladies came to visit on the tour and here they are showing off their purchases

Happily I did fairly well creating that inventory. I did have to bring in a few things from my festival inventory to round things out but I expect to replace everything in the next couple of weeks-I hope! Once again, I am probably expecting too much of myself, but what the heck? I will do what I can and go with the flow.