Learning can be free!

I am assisting an artist at the Baltimore Convention Center this week for the American Craft Council Show. Yesterday and today are for wholesale items. Meaning gallery owners, boutique buyers, interior decorators, and magazine editors are all right at my disposal!!! Oh and the rest of the four days are for retail.

I am learning so much already though! I was surprised how easy and how quick it can be to make a booth look so professional. It seriously took us two (2) hours to set up his booth. That includes parking, unloading, putting carpet and setting up walls and artwork and driving away. Done, out of there see you tomorrow, and it looks like it is a gallery space.

Yesterday was the first day for the show. After seeing how easy it was to make a booth your own; I was able to have a keener eye to inspecting others booths. Today I will go around and take notes of the booths I like and those I don't and why. Is it because of the work? Is it the display? Is it the spacing, color, size, shape, texture, sound, placing of the displays and booths? So much is put into factor when it comes to a successful booth. Right now, I get all this information for free!

Not to mention I love the atmosphere! The idea of these fairs! It is all too great, and I have been away for too long!

Our neighbor is the best by the way. She is older, in her 50's, and so interested in me and my craft. I think it has to do with the fact that I am young. So she told me to bring in my felted toys today so that she can have a look. Then she went on telling me about the history of craft shows. Did you know it started when World War II ended? Well, it did! Well, officially that is.

So I am learning a lot and it's only the second day out of seven!

Oh and did I mention demos!? I am required to goto the three on felting. This is what the guy I am working for told me.

Gah! I love these events!

A U-Haul Full of Wool

A good family friend is handing me wool that he has saved for 5 years! I couldn't be any more excited to get back into the dye kitchen! Five years worth of wool... with a flock of 13 sheep! All a gift to me!!! All thanks to Jonny!

A little diddy behind this... the old farmer tells me he has a few bags that I may take. All I had to do was fetch it from where it was stored. I go into this thinking a few bags here and there with wool in the worst condition.

On the way to the barn I count the number of sheep. The total 13. Now, understand that earlier that week the farmer told me he had 9. You may ask where these extra 4 came from, but if you knew the forgetful minded farmer you would understand. Either way 13 sheep more or less... producing pelts for the past five years... = a LOT!

We arrive to the bags of wool, and there were just too many bags to count, and Jonny tells me he has more bags else where from prior years that I may have. He jokes that I will need a U-Haul to fetch it all back to Baltimore, but there isn't any joke behind this. I will!

I plan on getting back to Baltimore and start cleaning it right away!!! My hands are feeling way hot, and I need to get making making making!