Happy Earth Day!

I'm sure this is not big news to you all - it's all over the place! - but today is the 40th celebration of Earth Day!

And here's my Earth Day message: You don't have to recycle, and compost, and drive a hybrid, and garden organic, and use rechargeable batteries, and reuse 'gray' water, and use flourescent lightbulbs,and plant a tree, and conserve energy and gasolene usage all at the same time - just do SOME of those things! That's the problem. Some of us are really trying, but many more don't do ANYTHING! And the scariest part is, they don't CARE! Well, they should- especially if they've had children - they may not care, but their descendants might, don't you think?! If every one of us would just do whatever they could towards conservation, it could really make a difference. And if you're reading my blog, it's more likely than not that you already feel the same way, so today, I think we should all find one or more of those "uncaring" folks and try (tactfully) to convince them a little that, like it or not, we're in this together!

Peace!

Nothing Gold Can Stay

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leafs a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
~~~~Robert Frost

Much of the charm of Spring lies in all its ephemeral beauty....

we have to enjoy it while we can!

A Wish For All Of You...

Photo courtesy of The Daily Kitten website

I hope everyone has a peaceful and fulfilling Easter Sunday. And if you don't celebrate - I wish for you to have a happy Spring (or Fall, for those of you in another hemisphere!) day surrounded by those who love you!

~nanci~

To Frou Frou Or Not To Frou Frou

My spousal unit and I have "discussions" all the time about decorations in our booth. Granted, considering all we have to transport (and really don't want to expand beyond our truck), there isn't a lot of room for extra frills. Of course, being a man, he sees no reason for it, but I know that I'm more attracted to a booth that has sparkles, a pretty cloth backdrop or flowers, as most women are. (I'm just making generalizations ~ some men are attracted to stuff like that too ~ heck, my dad collects dolls!). The only concession he has made encompasses some small leaves covered in glitter (craft store-after Xmas sale) that I hang around the signs and frame.

In the past year though, at indoor shows, we have decided to use our canopy frame in our space, since I'm getting to the point where I need the extra display space. Last Fall I purchased some garlands of red and yellow leaves to make the canopy look more like a gazebo, and surprisingly, I'm getting no complaints from my other half! I have since acquired some "Summer" garlands to use when we have the full canopy up at the outdoor shows. I guess because they're so lightweight (and can pretty much fit anywhere), it's not bothering him. I really think it makes a difference, though.

I have only one problem: I really get irritated when someone is looking at my work, compliments it, then points at one of the decorations (that cost me a few cents each) and asks, "How much is that?" (Seriously ~ that has happened several times!)

Note the glittery leaves on each side of the sign (Hmmm...note to self - I was going to look into something to stiffen that sign...)

 I really need to train myself to quote them a (high) price like they really ARE for sale without saying anything else. That would have one of two results: 1) if they're dumb enough to pay it, I make a profit or 2) they would realize how ridiculous that question really was! Hey, a win-win situation!

Nature Bling?

I have always been a "nature girl" who loves plants, animals, the sun,flowers, etc., and being away from the not-so-natural, manmade world.

The soft greens, browns, blue and white skies, just make me happy and content.

Then there's the other me, who loves bling! Not as in 'expensive jewelry' - I just love glitter, sparkles, spangles, mirrors (diamonds are still OK, though!) - anything that reflects the light. I always describe myself as a little monkey, because they like to collect sparkly things. My husband, on the other hand, describes me as a"crow" (well, because they do the same thing - I like MY description better, however!It'd be too easy to throw the word "old" in front of "crow")!

Of course, glitter can be found in the natural world - the evening sunlight on water, the sun coming out right after a fresh snowfall (or an ice storm!), the stars on a clear night, dewdrops on a Lotus leaf,even flakes of quartz in stones scattered on the ground...

So, these days, even as I create my concrete leaves, and want to use the muted colors of Nature, part of me wants to stick just a little bit of flash on them! I have attached clear glass "raindrops" to the Lotus leaves, added a touch of metallic colors on others, pearls and glass beads on the Hibiscus stamens and am now putting tiny iridescent"dewdrops" on the leaf pendants......

And of course, my Fun-Gi, with their metallic impressions and jewels and copper stems, are an outlet for the "wild" side of my imagination, so not TOO much bling ends up on the leaves!

Reuse, Reduce, Recycle, Repurpose, Etc.

My dear spousal unit has been reusing the plastic grocery bags since they first started offering them at the stores (he owns the oldest Comic Book shop in our area!). When I began participating in craft shows, I did the same - and our families all save bags for us.

When I contemplated entering ART shows, however, I started to wonder if I would be the "other side of the tracks" person in the show if I didn't buy new, pretty bags for my customers. I started to check the prices on bags online, and, while I was in the "considering placing an order" phase, we went to an art show (as shoppers/browsers). One item I purchased was an inexpensive pair of earrings for $12 - hey, they had LEAVES on them! Anyway, they wrapped the earrings in pretty tissue paper, placed them in a bowed out cardboard envelope that had a pretty print on it, and tied it with a small piece of ribbon! Was I impressed? Well, actually, sort of, but at the same time I thought A) A tiny bag would have worked just as well and B) The artist would be making more money and/or could charge a little less for his larger pieces if he didn't spend all that for packaging! Between that experience plus the fact that I really couldn't find a bag that would fit my work any better than the grocery bags, I decided against buying any bags.

And, I have to admit, no one has ever looked at us funny or acted insulted because we used newspaper and Walmart bags, from the other artists OR our customers! Maybe ten years ago they would have, but in these "Green" days, it's more appreciated. If I feel that maybe the customer is a little funny about the packaging, I just smile and say, "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, right?!" and they laugh and nod! I'm really glad that I decided to stick with my reused bags, and I have since discovered several artists who do many of the larger art fairs and still use recycled bags.

Only one problem I can see - most stores now sell inexpensive cloth bags to use in place of the plastic bags for responsible shoppers, which I DON'T use because, of course, we need them to reuse in our respective businesses! Now I feel that everyone thinks I'm not environmentally conscious! (Can you tell I worry a little too much about what other people think?). Also, the idea of a "bag tax" of 5 or 10 cents per bag is being considered for the people who don't use the cloth bags, which I would think was a good idea, except that, again, I need those bags!

Things You May Not Know...

My work has sometimes been seen in unusual places. The most interesting setting might be here, at St. Luke's Hospital in Maumee, Ohio, where a red cabbage leaf decorates the Birthing Center!

It's a cute spot ; I guess I shouldn't have moved the baby in the picture below- but it was covering my leaf! 

The next spot we are visiting is the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, in Oak Harbor, Oh.....

 

Some of my work has been in their Visitor Center - here are some of my leaf pendants in a display.

Curb's Candle Co. in Toledo has carried some of my castings as well.

I am in the process of collecting photos of any of my leaves displayed in the gardens  or homes of people who have purchased them or had received one as a gift. If you also have one, please send it- when I compile enough of them, I'll post those, too.