Yoga Journal Conference!!!

Don't miss your first chance to see Em's Gems live and in person for 2009!!  We will be at the Yoga Journal Conference in S.F. January 16th through the 19th at the Hyatt Regency.  We'll have lots of "yoga-inspired" jewelry and other fun stuff.  We'll be in booth #128, please see www.yogajournal.com for complete info...see you there!!

Published in "Stringing" Magazine, and other resolutions

I FINALLY submitted a project to "Stringing" magazine and lo and behold it got in!!  Getting something published was a goal I had set for myself quite a while ago, like about two years.  And like most things I perceive to be as really difficult...I put it off.  See, I can be the queen of procrastination, I'm highly trained and a real expert.  And then when I finally get off my butt and tackle the task, project, whatever I'm usually pleasantly surprised at how little trouble it turned out to be.  I'm my own worst enemy, as so many of us are, and I get so tired of MYSELF!  If I would just get the heck out of my own way I would get so much more accomplished.  So if I were to designate just one New Year's goal for myself it would be to stand back, get the %$@& out of the way, and allow myself to be my true creative self.  Cheers to a new year, new projects and a new self!

Thankful...

May I expound for just a moment on just how much sheer joy I feel when a potential customer walks into my booth, instantly drawn to a piece, and falls head-over-heels in love??

I can spot the smitten from a distance, making a bee-line for my table like a heat-seeking missile achieving it's target.  On their face is a look of equal parts determination, concentration, and amore.  Upon reaching the object of their heart's desire a beautific smile spreads across their face and it's all over with but for wrapping it up.

For me, humble handcrafted jewelry artisan, that feeling of joy is one of the best things on the planet.  That feeling has become the very reason that compels me to transport numerous tables, plastic bins, and a very large and unwieldy canopy to to various locations most weekends to sell my wares.  That feeling is why I will spend good money for the opportunity to spend hours in the rain and cold during the winter months.  And just as many hours sweating under the scorching summer sun.  That feeling is why I will answer innumerable questions as to the location of the restrooms (most frequent inquiry), the ATM's, the information booth, the bar (more important to me that the restrooms!), and the kettle korn vendor.  For the pursuit of sheer joy my hands often look like the victims of an attack by a small ferocious wild-cat, covered in scratches and pinch marks from the legs of the unwieldy canopy.

And it is for that sheer joy that I am most grateful.  That I can touch someone's life with something created by my own two hands and heart is a great honor.  Thank you.

Proof That God is Punishing Me for My Sins...

While in my booth at the Mountain Mandarin Festival in Auburn the weekend before Thanksgiving I received proof that God is vengeful, wrathful and just plain mean.  I know I was being punished for all of my mortal sins...my booth was placed in close proximity to the most dreaded sound that heralds the approaching holidays.  I was within 50 feet of the Salvation Army bell ringer...aaarrghhh!!!  For eight hours on Saturday and seven hours on Sunday I was plagued by the incessant, mono-toned, ringing of the lone brass bell.  The guy never took so much as a five minute break to smoke, eat, or even make a trip to the men's room.  It was constant and loud enough to be heard over the voices of the crowd and the slightly off-tune efforts of the local high school band wheezily playing 20 year old pop-tunes.  The reverberating clang bored into my brain via my poor ear canals and left a permanent bruise upon my grey matter.  I heard it in my car as I drove home.  I heard it ringing in my head as I was attempting to fall asleep at night.  I heard it while I was waiting for my Sunday morning toast to pop up.  I felt like the unfortunate muscle pictured above...with a splitting headache and in need of a champagne "patch"!! Don't get me wrong...I fully support the Salvation Army and all that they do to help those in need.  I just with maybe they'd re-think the whole bell ringing thing...maybe a nice catchy show-tune instead??

Back to life, back to reality...

Yes, Yes...I've been absent from the blogging world for far too long.  And no, I didn't run off to Mexico never to return though the thought did cross my mind a time or twenty seven!  I did have a fabulous time while in Mexico, so good that all of my lofty plans to blog while there faded away like a tequila-induced hazy sunset.  Our little town of Bucerias Mexico is one of my most favorite places on the planet but I did indeed return to the realities of home and work.  In fact I came back more focused than ever on my business and with a clearer vision of what I want Em's Gems to look like in the future.  I'm busily working on adding a few additional features to my already wonderful new website, adding additional inventory to the site, and creating an abundance of new jewelry designs.

Sssoooo...the weekend of Nov. 14th and 15th I was showing off my wares at the Sacramento Garden & Art Center's Fall Arts & Crafts Show.  I was located in a nice building towards the rear of McKinley Park with lots of great artists of many medias.  It turned out to be a good show for me and I even had a record low for people asking for the location of the restrooms...only two for the entire weekend!!  Without being too catty, let me share with you instead some examples of bad vendor behavior.  (O.k., maybe a little catty!)  My dear friend Julie was helping me out in my booth Saturday afternoon and when we had a lull she took a stroll around the booths to check out the other artist's work.  Upon encountering some particularly beautiful ceramic sculpture Julie commented to the artist "You do very nice work!"  (Ms. Julie was quite sincere with her words, by-the-way) The artist, Ms. Very-Self-Important, replied "You have good taste."  Ya know, a simple smile and a "thank-you" would have done just fine.  Perhaps if said artist had been just a tad bit more grateful in her attitude she wouldn't have gone home Sunday night ranting and raving to anyone who would listen about her apparent lack of sales!  And speaking of leaving...another Very-Self-Important artist left halfway through the showing, packing up her wares after closing Saturday evening.  Rumor has it that she left mad, throwing her things in boxes and flounced out.  Now, explain to me how does one expect to make any money while at home sulking, no doubt bad-mouthing the show to her friends??  How can you even hope to recoup your expenses if you don't at least show up?  I will never understand leaving a show early never plan to do so except for reason of bodily harm, personal tragedy, or random natural disaster.  Stepping off of soap box now...

 

So many things to do, so little time...

I had great plans for this next post.  My camera was in good working order in time for Folsom's Gourd and Art Festival last weekend and I got some nice photos of my booth in all of  it's fall splendor and leafy finery.  Not to mention a very decent photo of an exceedingly stately rooster who was hanging out with us all weekend!  I even had a few noteworthy observations and comments to share but alas...I'm leaving for Mexico tomorrow and I've run out of time.  Acckk!!  I do this to myself every single time I go somewhere and one of these days I'm going to actually stop doing everything at the very last second before I leave.  I stress myself needlessly and then, as a result, I forget things and then I'm just plain annoyed.  I will be sure to post about the going's on in the Puerto Vallarta area, maybe even a photo or two!  Adios y hasta luego!

Observations from Murphys Home & Garden Show

Well, I was going to dazzle you with photos from my latest show since my booth was resplendent in fall foliage and burgundy rolls of tulle but my camera had a malfunction.  It's probably just the battery but disappointing not to have it none-the-less.  Suffice it to say my booth was the very essence of fall, lots of leaves, mini-pumpkins, Indian corn...even a leaf-shaped bowl of fall-foiled Hershey's kisses.  I have another show this coming weekend, the Folsom Gourd and Arts Festival, and I will have my camera batteries fully recharged by then!

This was not a weekend for a lot of questions surprisingly enough.  This being a first-time event I was sure I'd be asked about a lot of things...but no, my instincts failed me.  Now my friend, Linda Small CMT of Small Pleasures Thereputic Massage, she had some questions asked of her.  There she was, massage table made up and waiting for a client, massage chair at the ready and someone walks up, looks at her and asks "Are you doing massage here today?"  Followed by "What's a chair massage?"  Poor thing, must not have ever left home before!

I was asked by a lady, after glancing at my booth banner that says "hand-crafted jewelry", if my stretchy glass bracelets came from China.  (Perhaps she thought "hand-crafted" was referring to someone else's hands??)  I assured her no, they most certainly did not.  She stretched a few out to their limit as if testing my answer, put them down and walked away.

I did observe a number of interesting sights.  Here's the highlights:

1.  One very tall woman with very purple hair.  Honestly, it was the color of grape koolaid!

2.  One pair of short, very thin blue bicycle shorts...so thin one couldn't help but notice the 

      flower-patterned undies underneath.   

3.  A very loud, rather obnoxious older gentleman who was shouting disparaging remarks at the      very top of his lungs  about the owner of the vineyard, current politics, and everything else          you could think of.  At first I thought maybe he'd had a bit too much of the tasting room but        then as I watched him make is way among the crowd, no one seemed to be too bothered by          him.  I decided he must just be the local color.  Very loud, local color and all the locals are

     just used to him.

4.  Bat houses.  (Why not...we make houses for birds??)

5.  One very dark restroom, as in pitch black.  The lights for these restrooms are on timers so 

     you never know when you might be sitting there and the timer goes off, leaving you in total 

     darkness.  I finally got the hang of checking the timer before I went into the stall and it only 

     took me one time of sitting there giggling in the dark.  O.k, it took TWO times!!