Since I didn't keep up with this blog for a few months, I'm still catching you up on what's happened in my jewelry-making life. Well, last fall, my glass jewelry was accepted into Vermont Artisan Designs Gallery in Brattleboro, VT.
Brattleboro is a cute, artsy town that's known for its eclectic stores and galleries. On the first Friday of each month, there's a festival and gallery walk, where stores open late and attendees can enjoy free concerts, food samples, etc. We were fortunate to be there for First Friday in August when we visited my sister-in-law and her wife.
After scarfing down a delicious shake and fries at Brattleburger, we attended a classical music concert that was held in the atrium of a nearby mall. The musicians played antique instruments, including a flute from the 1700s. This was particularly interesting for me since I'm a flautist.
We then took in a different "concert" of sorts and joined the town's "Ukulele Flash Mob," which was held in the little park in the center of town. This was exactly what you'd imagine: about 200 people -- all with ukuleles -- played songs together or sang, as we did. It was really bizarre, but amazing, and I'll admit, I shed a tear when the group performed "Over The Rainbow" by Hawaiian artist, Iz.
We finally went on the gallery walk and stopped in Vermont Artisan Designs. The store is full of gorgeous pieces made by local artists, including glass sculptures, pottery and paintings. They also sell jewelry and I purchased a pair of dangling sun and moon earrings. Jon then said to me, "You should sell your stuff here."
Remember, this was the summertime, so I was in shorts and a T-shirt, with my messy hair pulled back. I also had a couple of stains on my shirt from Brattleburger. In other words, I wasn't exactly dressed to impress. Still, I figured I was IN the store, I might as well ask about selling my items. So I showed a few pictures of my work to the manager and she was impressed. She said that they do accept pieces from New Yorkers and suggested I send in some items to the owner. I'm all about taking chances and cold calling. And while I don't recommend "selling" yourself when you look like a mess, I do recommend that you speak up and go after a goal.
Long story short: I did, and he accepted me into the gallery! I made a few more items for the store, but wanted to have one eye-catching statement piece. That ended up being this "fingers" necklace with matching earrings:
This took me a few weeks to complete because I had to cut each strip and then make the chain. It's heavy! But I know some women who love substantial jewelry, and this is for that person.
No that the weather is getting warmer and the days longer, I'd love to return to Brattleboro and actually see my work in the store. Oh, and to see my sisters-in-law, of course.
You can find many more of my pieces on my website, Naomi's Designs.
No comments:
Post a Comment