Unique Boutique 07, booth, Tammy Vitale

Another show done.  I did well financially (thanks to the sale of one torso) and through contacts.  At least one person came in who recognized my work from Island Artworks gallery in Ocracoke – which is very cool, one person who had the imagination to see the individual tiles incorporated into commercial tiles – so she bought one!,  an order of 20 small tags for office Christmas gifts, reconnection with old friends and meeting new friends.  All the things you want from a show. The best thing about the show is that over and over again I told people out loud of my plan for 2008 and the Sacred line, the price increase, and my plans for wholesale.  I have now announced it to the world via blog and voice and so it must be!  Speaking of, I heard from the Philadelphia’s Buyer’s Market:  I am accepted; however, they do not currently have a slot for my medium and price point but if I get back to them I’ll be considered for openings.  Talk about Limbo!  So I guess I must move forward on two different tracks:  wholesale show and finding a sales person for one shop at a time.  One of my shop owners from before (she doesn’t have a shop right now) told me she was doing admin work part time and I asked her if she’d like to work with me a few hours a week – and she said that was an answer to a prayer!  Don’t you just love synchronicity?!

Needless to say, having been away from home for two full days, and having grandson with us today, I’m feeling a bit behind answering all the wonderful comments left on my last blog (where I was a bit discouraged).  "Thank you" isn’t enough to say to each and every one of you.  I have you all on my desktop and am going to work through the comments with individual emails, but I don’t want to wait a day longer to tell you how much your comments meant to me.  My spirits were lifted and given wings – and I’ll say it again:  can’t do it without you!

Today’s Art Every Day offering, Pele’s Sister, was created for the torso  by that name.  The start of the prototype for next year’s Sacred line.  While sitting across from jewelers at the Unique Boutique show, I realized that I want to start incorporating wonderful crystals (big ones, not the little pieces I’ve been using) on my torsos, along with scrumptious yarns (I bought a skein yesterday and can’t wait to make the torso to go with it) – these will expand the look of the piece, and according to Crafts Report Magazine it is larger pieces that are needed for bigger houses (my 2008 market).  I also realized that I want the masks to be adorned with crystals and yarn, too and I have this vision in my head that I hope to be able to get to (I need to find wholesale rock/crystal sales – anyone have any contacts?).  I know this vision is influenced by the lovely wands my artist friend Dhyana has been making.  Isn’t it great how we all grow with each other?!

thought for the day:  If you’re presently evaluating your level of achievement based on how much you’ve accumulated, prepare to sense a major shift in your state of personal satisfaction and contentment. …the Tao Te Ching invites you to discover a more peaceful and self-satisfying way of knowing success – and as your determination to acquire more begins to weaken, your new vies will change the world you’ve known.  You’ll find that the experience of inner peace becomes your true gauge of accomplishment.  Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, Change Your Thoughts – Change Your Life:  Living the Wisdom of the Tao