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Crazy as a Loom

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Easy Peasy

Here are my two booths at the Larac festival. This is early morning, before the crowds arrived.
This show is a huge social event in downtown Glens Falls. Thousands of people come.
Unfortunately, they are not big shoppers. There are 170 new vendors, and 75 were new this year, an indication to me that 75 "old" vendors weren' t happy with their returns.
Of course, the ailing economy certainly has an impact on how much people want to spend at craft/art shows.
I took my Baby Wolf with me, and demonstrated. People were very interested, most of them were clueless. And it passed the time nicely.
Here are some of the bags I have; the large, beach size bags, and the smaller purse size bags.
The ground was wet from LOTS of rain this past week, including last night, so they put down straw to keep it from being a mud hole. I kept thinking I was at the circus.......damp straw gave off an odor reminiscent of that.
Here is a bag I made while I was there.....I wove up several of them in different colors.

All this stuff is heavy. The tents, the racks, the rugs, the bags, the placemats..........all very heavy. As my husband and I were packing it all up tonight, grunting and groaning, and working together to get it done, I realized that this is not really much fun.
And just like that, in an instant, I decided. No more shows. I am canceling the two I have scheduled. And I'm done.
Enough already.
I can't explain it, maybe I am just too tired right now. but it feels right.
No more nursing.
No more shows.
There, now wasn't that easy????

12 comments:

Life Looms Large said...

Wow! Big decision!

I am a fan of the big decision made quickly like that....I've had very good luck with big choices made when I trust my intuition and just head in the direction that really feels right.

Hope you will too!

Sue

PS: Your booth looked great in those pictures! You make really cool stuff!

Need A Latte Mom said...

It will be a very liberating decision. I HATE doing shows. There is way too much pressure and they are REALLY expensive.
I still love your rugs.
Man to I need to get a warp on my loom and a triangle loom staring at me from across the room saying "Get busy already!"

Sharon said...

Interesting. That's what my neighbor Joe the potter said. He had schlepped stuff all over and one day he was done. He's found enough established venues that he is comfortable. I was chatting him after his last open kiln show and he said that he's found people are more willing than ever to purchase his stuff, in spite of the economic downturn.

I think the craft festivals have run their course, for whatever reason. I don't go to them anymore either. There's just too much sensory competition.

Hilary said...

Thanks to all of you for your support...I went to bed at 8:30 last night, I couldn't keep my eyes open. And you are so right. I do have other venues that I do well in, and I agree that shows have run their course pretty much......and sometimes you just know when something is right.
It just makes sense.
Liberating, that too.

Delighted Hands said...

I am a pretty quick 'decider' and the nice part about this one......you can always rethink it when you think the time is right! The booth looked great btw!

IowaCowgirl said...

I agree with "need a latte" (which by the way I DO need..), this will be very liberating and exciting!

Congratulations! (Although now I suppose you won't be coming to Iowa to tutor me...I'm serious here.)

Anyway, I love your site...when I have time to peruse the Web

Hilary said...

Is that your little church made into a house???? Love it.........I would love to come to Iowa to tutor you, sounds like just what the doctor ordered.

Hilary said...

Hmmm.. your playlist covers about a third of the comment box so I'm typing half-blindly here. Might be a Mac thing. Your work is beautiful and those photos so colourful, but I imagine you're wise to follow your instincts and you know what's right for you.

I spent a week in Glens Falls when I was a child. You brought back memories of an amusement park called Gaslight Village. :)

Bety said...

The hubby and I do at least 30/40 shows a year, we have a coffee cart. We see all the vendors every show the setup / breakdown it is very exhausting, I don't think the patrons every realize how much organizing, scheduling and work the festivals take.

bspinner said...

Can't agree with you more especially for outside shows. To much work for to little reward. The only one I do is the New York Sheep And Wool Festival. Not only is it held in a very nice location, I'm also in one of the new buildings and there are loads of customers.
Sure do like your display!!

Anonymous said...

Sorry to hear you are cancelling shows, but to tell you the truth I would find it a lot of work as well.

Sure do love your wares!

Di
The Blue Ridge Gal

Mare said...

I don't blame you for making that decision. I was working at my daughter's shop in downtown Troy today where they celebrated Riverfest. And halfway thru the day it started to rain and all the shoppers left. I thought about all the craft tables out in the rain, and how much money they paid for a table...I cannot imagine doing that every week like the farmers at the Farmer's Market do...

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