Inktober Day 6! Even though it's the 7th...

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The Inktober prompt for the 6th was Sword, and all I could picture was a daddy long-legs waving around those plastic sandwich swords :-) image

This weekend I am visiting the Bedlam Farm Open House, which started with a flurry of socializing with wonderful people yesterday late afternoon... And this morning I have been lazing around in my motel room sketching and reading and sipping coffee... This is just the mini-vacation I needed...

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That was the last fair of 2017 for me...

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If anyone from the Danville Craft Fair is reading this - hello! What a day we had! I'll admit, it was a bit of a madhouse at times, far too many people in one place for my comfort, but we muddled through and had a great time. Wonderful folks in the tent next to us, and OMG whoopie pies in the tent across the way... The best part for me is that moment when something catches a persons eye, and they stop and then laugh out loud over one of my cards, really, is anything better?! Teenagers, folks in their 80s, and all ages in between, it was wonderful. Even my slugs got some love.

Next week I'll be updating my online "presence" which means holiday cards orders! And new products in my Zazzle store... PHEW! October isn't shaping up to be as quiet of a month as I had thought ;-)

Almost October

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This morning I was updating my planner, and chatting with both my Mom and my best friend about life (and death!), and realizing that the next 2 weeks are bringing about some closures (and openings!) in my life. The woman whose dog I've been walking is moving, so no more dog-energy in my weekly routine. I've been taking hospice volunteer classes twice a week, and tonight is my last night. This upcoming Sunday is my last craft fair of the year. And finally it seems like this freakish hot and humid weather is breaking, and it will start feeling like fall. PHEW. I'm ready for October to be a little more mellow in some ways than the rest of summer has been. I need to do some serious nesting.

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Learning Curve: Craft Fairs!

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I appreciate craft vendors SO MUCH MORE now that my second fair has passed! This is a lot of work! swanton-fair

On Saturday my friend Carolyn and I hit the road at 7:30 in the morning and headed up to Swanton, VT for the Swanton Arts Spectacular. We had practiced setting up our borrowed tent only once... and it had taken a few hours, lots of laughing, and promises of pinched fingers if we weren't paying attention. All we hoped was that it wouldn't be raining when we got to the venue...

Not only was it not raining but we had a fantastic jewelry vendor next to us who helped with the tent (it was up in no time... we were both stunned)! We had pre-cut some greenhouse plastic (and said a quick prayerful thank you to mutual friend Barbara) and quickly wrapped the booth to ward off the drizzle... and we were up and running!

Great space, with a view of the gazebo and musicians; family and friends and strangers and lots of laughter, and enough sales to cover the booth and a piece of jewelry from next door, and some change in the pocket. It's so interesting watching people react to the offerings, I love that moment when they realize that my cards are... well... funny! Grumpy Holiday Toad made LOTS of people laugh, and that just made me smile from ear to ear  :-)  and a few folks bought Namaslime cards and one even took the time to  explain that slugs carry important spiritual medicine!

I'm starting to get energized again, and will be updating my notecards as well as what products are available from my Zazzle store -- and putting pen to paper to get all my muses out of my brain!

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I'd like to stick a bow on today and move on

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Seems like I complain on here quite a bit. I'm fine. Life is fine. There is just too much of it. I should be joyous at the amount of "stuff" that happens in my life. Instead, I am having too many days where it feels like this... spider-bow-card-front

... and yes, this will be a holiday card as well... Although it really is an all-purpose phrase. I need more bows to slap on things, literally and figuratively.

Toad-ily...

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Apparently "toad-ily" isn't a word and spell check keeps fixing it... and yet with words that I can't actually spell it offers no help at all <shaking my head>... I'm finally making progress on my holiday cards! I did a first sample print run to get a feel for how they are looking... a little more playing around, and one more illustration in the works, and then I'll be in good shape for the two craft fairs I signed up for this fall, AND uploading images for mugs! I am personally in love with my toad and will be getting a mug for myself of him...

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The mosquitoes are still ridiculous here at home, and have really been limiting my "in nature" time. Very annoying. I have a brief lull in work projects so this afternoon I'll head out for a quick paddle in the kayak and soak up some sunshine. There has been a chill in the mornings warning that winter isn't too far off, so time to enjoy the sun while I can!

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Where is the time going?

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I hate it when I have a day set aside for art-ing and I sit down and just don't "feel it." I did finish up 2 holiday watercolors, and scanned them in, but just don't have the patience for cleaning them up in the computer. I also settled on some new banner art for my Facebook and Zazzle pages... in-my-nature_FB-banner

Can you believe that holidays are coming right up? I'm going to be uploading some Halloween art...

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....and Christmas art...

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... relatively soon because I need to start getting notecards and products printed for craft fairs!

I guess I'll go wander around outside for a while since sitting at my art desk isn't going as well as I had hoped. Carry on everyone, and have a good Sunday!