Experimental

It is about one week until the Kutztown Folk Festival, a 9 day celebration of the PA Dutch.  It is like doing 3 or 4 shows back to back- exhausting, but lots of fun! I have been working overtime, making beads during the day and putting jewelry together at night.  One night I decided to work on a new necklace and came up with this.  I don't know if I like it yet- I need to live with it for a while.  But even if I decide it's not right, it has led me to some new ideas.  Maybe right before a huge show is not a good time to be experimenting, but those urchin beads have been calling me.  Sometimes you just have to go for it!

Panic time

It is almost time for my annual panic, making enough beads and jewelry for the Kutztown Folk Festival.  This is a local festival celebrating the PA Dutch culture, and it runs 9 days over the 4th of July- this year it is June 29 to July 7.  That's right, 9 days!  It is a tough show to do but so much fun, with all the music, wonderful food and entertainment.  I set up a mini studio and two friends come and demo all week.  So many people don't understand that I actually make the beads. The photo is my work table, and I see at least 10 jewelry projects that have been started (or beads grouped to start).  The festival is like doing 3 or 4 shows back to back, so I need to have a lot of jewelry made.  A whole lot.

In May, I try to take care of all the little details of life so I can spend June just working in my studio, but somehow it never works out like that. 

Kutztown 2012

Ok, I stole 2 photos from one of my favorite blogs- Brothers-Handmade.  Both Joel and Rob were at the Kutztown Folk Festival.  They travel around the country, take amazing photos and blog about the shows and exhibitors.  I look hot, temperature wise, certainly not style wise.  Maybe because it was hot!  I have one of the coolest spots in the show, under big trees, and there is usually a nice breeze blowing-  sometimes too much breeze. Everything is clamped or tied down.

Talking about being hot, the Wheaton Arts Glassblowers were there with regular demonstrations.  They are a real crowd pleaser and help to educate people about glass.  I love to watch them, but I prefer to work with my torch on a  much smaller scale.  We usually get to discuss glass a few times during the week, which is always fun.  Hope to see them next year again!

The Kutztown Folk Festival is over!

The Kutztown Folk Festival is over!  It is 9 days long, and this year was grueling.  It was hot, hot hot all week!  We drank lots of water, ran fans, used neck coolers, and drank smoothies that were so cold they hurt going down. I had lots of help all week, but there were times when I wondered why I put myself through this!  Doing shows is hard work, and this is one of the hardest.  But I guess the bottom line is I love meeting the people who like my work enough to give me their hard earned money for it.  I would be creating my beads and jewelry regardless, and I feel blessed to be able to have a great business that I love.

Panic time

June 1st!  Well, actually it is June 2, but close enough.  This starts my yearly panic, making beads and jewelry for the Kutztown Folk Festival.  It is a 9 day festival so I need to have lots and lots of beads and jewelry!  My work table is a mess, which means I have been working.   I really do need to finish some of those projects so I can see what I have done, and what I need to work on.

I worked hard in May to cross items off my to-do list so I could concentrate on studio work this month, but fate is playing with me.  Among lots of other things that keep popping up, I have jury duty on June 25.  I will try to get excused from that.  I am all for civic duty, but not 3 days before I set up for my biggest show of the year. 

My pile of beads is growing and the boxes of my jewelry is filling.  While I am torching, I am listening to Water for Elephants and really enjoying it.  Now if I can just keep going until the end of the month!

Kuztown Folk Festival 2010

What a week!  There were 3 days over 100 degrees and one day of rain.  I drank lots of water, used my neck coolers constantly, had fans running, and managed to survive.  In my 15 years at the festival, this was the toughest.  (Well, the year of the tornado and storms was tough too!)  The funnel cake stand was right across the street from me, and I only had 2 all week.

My friend Carrie spent 5 days demonstrating for me.  She made lots of beads and  explained the process to lots of people.  Notice the purple neck cooler, and the bandana on her forehead to stop the sweat from rolling into her eyes.  The kiln is behind her, so she got the heat from all sides.  

My other demonstrator was Jenna, who was there for 4 days.  She started making beads when she was 11, but only gets to torch once a year when she demo's for me.  She managed to miss the really hot days, but still needed a neck cooler.  Both of them are really dedicated and I had to remind them to take a break once in a while.

The old fashioned birch beer wagon is just down the street, but I have never tried it.  Our big treat this year was smoothies- so cold on a hot day!  I also bought a big bag of roasted almonds to munch on all week.  This was not a week to diet- I had an ox roast sandwich, bratwurst, bbq pork, corn pie, funnel cake- you get the picture.  Now to launder my long dresses and pack them away for another year.

Panic mode

Today I loafed.  It will probably be the last day I can loaf for 6 weeks or so.  Tomorrow I start working overtime to have enough beads and jewelry for the Kutztown Folk Festival.  The festival runs 9 days, this year starting July 3 and running until July 11.  This will be my 15th year exhibiting there- hard to believe. It is a tough show to do, sort of like running a marathon, but it is also a ton of fun. My neighbors at the show have become family- one of them started bringing their 3 grandchildren to the show years ago and I have seen them grow up. They still come by and say hello, and see if I need any help.  The photo is Johnny Claypoole, who painted hex signs.  He has passed away and his son Eric has  picked up the paint brushes to continue the family tradition at the festival.

The food is wonderful- the PA Dutch know how to cook, so I eat good all week.  My favorite is strawberry shortcake with vanilla ice cream!  Down the street from me is an ox roast, and the meat is so tender it melts in your mouth.  There are also sausage sandwiches, funnel cakes, soft pretzels, pork and sauerkraut- I could so on and on but you get the idea.

There is music everywhere with strolling bands and musicians, and clog dancing, and wonderful traditional crafts, and of course quilts!  Hundreds of quilts!  It is a great way to spend the day, or even several days.  I will try to take lots of photos this year!

So off to bed for me.  Tomorrow I work!