Fall, Glorious Fall!

After a productive day, I thought I would reward myself and my pup, Akyra, with a relaxing walk in the park. One of our favorite places is Tinker's Creek in the Bedford Metroparks.

The colors in the park are absolutely beautiful this time of year! Reds & oranges & yellows...ohh my!!

Akyra loves to wade in the creek...even if the water is freezing...she just loves the water. She had some water fun-time while I searched for rocks to photograph my fused glass jewelry on. I found lots of great rocks, I am excited to use them tomorrow when I take some new pics for Etsy.

After I lugged all my heavy rocks to the car, Akyra and I headed to Bridal Veil Falls, a picturesque spot deeper in the park. It's a secluded, hilly hike that really gets the heart going and Akyra loves it cuz she doesn't have to be on her leash. We hiked for a while and finally ended up at the overlook, with a breathtaking view of the colorful valley. It's was a perfect photo opp! I wish it could be fall all-year long! Soak it up while you still can, before long it'll be gone and you know what will be here!

What a day!

I have had quite the day today....lots of great things are happening! I had my interview for the Executive Director position for the Art House
Check out the website at: http://arthouseinc.org

It was a very positive experience and I think I made a great impression. I may not be the most experienced candidate for the position but I know that I would do a fabulous job at the task at hand. I hope that they can see past my lack of experience and see the hard-working, high-energy, creatively gifted and determined individual that I am. All I need is a chance and I will prove to be the best Executive Director ever!

Can you imagine what an awesome experience that would be? The Art House is an amazing organization that helps bring art into the lives of children and adults in the Northeastern Ohio area. The outreach programs that they provide are a key investment into the future of Cleveland's art community and the city as a whole. I hope I can be a part of that!
Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Until Then,
Jenn

I have press!

I am proud to announce that I have been featured as an artist in a fellow blogspotter's blog....Katherine Robbins is a Cleveland based artist who creates beautiful paintings, drawings and prints. Check out her stuff at: http://stuffbuykwr.etsy.com

So Katherine keeps a blog about all the great things, places and people that Cleveland has to offer...and I'm one of them! Check it out at: http://katherinerobbins.blogspot.com

Top 5 List of Lists

bad blogger...very bad blogger...

So it's been about a week since my last post, its amazing how fast time goes when you're working like a mad-woman! Unfortunately, most of my work has been at the restaurant and not on what really matters, the Craft Empire! After all, empires can't be expected to build themselves.

However, I have been making lists...

lots and lots of lists...

so I thought it might be fun to make a top 5 list of my top 5 lists, at least then you can get an idea of what I would be working on if I wasn't a Chinese Food Hustla!

Top 5 List of Lists

1. Fusion Glass Studios To-Do's: Kerri and I are starting the arduous task of converting the back space of the Lake Erie Artists Group Gallery into a glass studio for class instruction and our own personal work areas. The Lake Erie Artists is a co-op for local artists, with a Gallery and Shop located in Tower City Center. The wonderful group of artists display their work for sale in the shop and work together to exhibit at regional craft shows. Check them out at www.lakeerieartists.com

I am super excited about having a place to create my own art and be able to share my knowledge with others! Recently, I have been working in a small space on a small table in the garage....but watch out, cuz I'm movin on up!

So we have a ton of work to do, starting with the elbow grease to clean it up...but I think we can accomplish most everything on the list in the next two weeks! Yah!

2. Class Ideas: In the creation of Fusion Glass Studios, we are creating the opportunity to teach classes in glass techniques. I am psyched because I love to teach and work in an artistic studio environment where creativity can actively flow!

I am putting ideas together for the fusing classes (and hopefully soon, glass beadmaking classes!) and Kerri will be in charge of the stained glass and mosaics classes. Some of the projects that will be offered are: fused pendants & jewelry, magnet sets, windchimes, glass ornaments and tiles!

3. Open House to celebrate the (soon to be) brand new Fusion Glass Studios: So after all the hard work to set up the new studio I, of course, wanna share the excitement with everyone I know! I am putting plans together for an Open House to help introduce and promote the new studio. The educational facilities will be highlighted with demonstrations and discounts on class tuition. Add some munchies, wine and great conversation....and you have got one fabulous evening!

4. Galleries for Display: I've been seeking out local art galleries and shops for exhibiting (and hopefully, selling!) my work. I am hoping to target every artistic neighborhood in the greater Cleveland area, and some old haunts....like Kent and Hudson. Keep posted for updates on where you can find my work in an area near you!

5. Christmas Wish List: I know it's just October but it's never too early to start thinking about Christmas wishes!....I've been such a good girl this year, no really!...and Santa has to appreciate all my hard work and patience!

What is tops on my wish list?...a digital SLR camera to create beautiful images of my artwork...so I guess its really a business expense when you think about it....

Do you think Santa would be interested in the tax write off, hahaha?!


So as you can see, I have lots of tasks to accomplish...I best get to it!

Until next time,
Jenn

building an empire is hard work...

So it's been a tough weekend....

Kerri and I did a craft show this weekend that was fairly disappointing, I don't think it was for lack of anything to do since there was lots of fun things to do....picture sheep searing, alpacas & llamas, a corn maze for exploring, a pumpkin cannon and a winery with tastings for the adults. I really believe that the problem lies in the lack of advertising.

But nothing ventured, nothing gained.

At least we were outside, where all the action was. I could only imagine being in the barn, where even less was going on. There was literally a point where I thought we weren't going to sell a single thing all day. It was a quite deflating feeling, but things turned round (only slightly) at around 3pm, when I sold a $1 corded necklace, no pendant, just the necklace.

Just bear in mind that we were sitting there since 10am....it took 5 hours to sell a single, stupid cord.

There rest of the day was just as painful, but I am happy to report that I made enough to just barely cover the table!

On the bright side, it was a simply beautiful day to be outside and I had great company and fun friends who stopped by later in the day.

AND!!...I got to feed a donkey fruitloops! It was awesome...the icing on the cake for sure!

There was also an amazing hot air balloon lift off with over a dozen balloons. It was amazing to watch them grow from a flat bag to a massive, colorful balloon! I got some great pics and I will post them soon....just as soon as I figure out how! :)

All in all, the day was disappointing for sales but rich in experiences and memories of other fun activities! There's that silver-lining that everyone keeps telling me about...I just thought it was an old wives tale!

Till next time,
Jenn