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Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Playing catch up.

During the past couple days I have been busy trying to catch up around here after having been gone the previous weekend. As some of you may already know, one of my "other" jobs is making polymer clay figurines that I take to various craft shows, and for unknown reasons, some folks actually buy them. Last weekend I was in Des Moines at the Iowa State Fairgrounds for one of the larger shows that I do...in fact, it is one of the largest craft show in Iowa with approximately 300 vendors with all types of handmade arts and crafts. I usually do this show every year so it is fun to see some of my favorite customers and fellow crafters, but it is a really looong weekend. The show starts Friday at 5pm and goes until 9 pm and is held all day Saturday and Sunday as well..by the time 4 0'clock Sunday afternoon rolls around I am throwing my wares in boxes and stuffing everything in the back of my truck in record time. Normally my sister, Marie, comes along and helps...er...shops...actually, she does both, but she was not able to come with me this time so there was a noticeable drop in profits to all of the vendors.

I tried to take a few pictures without getting any individual artists products in the photo (there are strict rules against photographing or sketching people's work since some unscrupulous people have no imagination and feel that it is necessary to steal others' ideas....can you tell that stealing ideas is a pet peeve of mine?). Anyway here are a few pictures of the venue. I took these mostly for Kristi, since she is a craft show addict (sorry for outing you Kristi).
I make all different kinds of figurines, mostly whimsical animals, seasonal items and holiday decorations. Of course I make sheep! They are really hard to photograph because they are actually pretty small. Yes, I know that they don't have eyes...I just didn't feel like adding eyes, but people have bought them for years without eyes, so I just keep on making them with no eyes!


One of the things that I was hoping to get accomplished since retuning home, was to get fleece samples of all of my sheep to send for micron testing. I did get the fleece samples, sort of. I KNOW that I read somewhere that I only needed a pencil sized sample from mid side, but when I finished taking samples and reread the instructions for sending the samples in, it said take a two inch square from mid side.....so now I have to re-catch all of the sheep and snip and clip AGAIN! They are not going to like me at all!

13 comments:

Nancy K. said...

OMG!!!

Those are SO unbelievably cute!!! I want one of every color! Rams & ewes. Tell me what I owe you and I'll send a check.

I can't BELIEVE you never showed me those before.

I might be pis#_d!!

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Unknown said...

okay, I am totally with Nancy on this one, how could you not have shown us those??? Definitely like them w/out eyes. I am so excited that you remembered my craft addiction....I biggified the pics to get a better "look". You know, I have never been to Des Moines, let alone Iowa. But between you and Claire I am thinking Iowa is becoming a neat place, a place I really need to visit in the near future. Just the thought of spring craft shows coming up makes me smile.....I should have my income tax refund by then too:)

Claire MW said...

OMG, no WAY! You were at that show?! Why didn't you SAY you were going to be there?! I totally would have gone! I am so annoyed. I would have bought one of those sheep, if not several. I didn't go to that show because I was kinda busy, and figured it would be same old same old. But if I had KNOWN!

Grrrrr.......

I LOVE those sheep. ARGGHHHH!!!!

Miss Effie said...

Ok -- the sheep are really cute. But you guys have got to see the chickens!! they are cute too. Claire, you would have bought one of everything! They are too cute.

Rayna said...

Gimme gimme gimme! SOOOO CUTE! :)

Michelle said...

Enlarge your market here, and tell us what they cost!!! I want a flock! I want a BIG flock!

melanie said...

Add me to the list! Of course I want a sheep, but what about a chicken? Show us a picture!

Crosswinds Farm said...

Nancy, I was going to stuff one of the clay sheep in the cake that I mailed to you, but I was afraid you might not see it in there.

Kristi, you should come and visit some time....and take some woolies home with you...lambies in April!!!

Claire, I do that show every February and then again in September.I should have mentioned it earlier, I would have loved to meet you! I will send you some free passes when the September show rolls around! Otherwise you should come here for a visit sometime. You could see my sheepies and then go up to my neighbor/friend Miss Effies flower farm, and as an added bonus Sand Hill preservation is 10 minutes up the road :).

Thanks, Miss Effie and Rayna!

Michelle and Melanie I will try to get more info on my website about them...I am trying to find what the most inexpensive way of shipping them would be.

ChristyACB said...

I'm chiming in with everyone else here. Why, oh WHY haven't we seen these before? They are too adorable and I want some. Yes, I want some little sheepies.

Do you make other animals? Can you show us, pleeease?

Please don't forget to post if you are going to sell us some?

Anonymous said...

I am chiming in with everyone else-those sheep are adorable and I want A LOT of THEM!!! In EVERY Shetland color, and spots, and gulmogets, just like my real shetlands!!!
Angela Rountree

Anonymous said...

Yeah Corinne, I told you so. Shouldn't keep your talent hidden!! So missed being with you at the show but we will totally do the next one : )

Becky Utecht said...

OMG, what cute sheep! I love them and I think they are look great with no eyes. Do you do chickens too? I'd love to see them too.

Becky Utecht said...

Oops, I meant to mention about the micron samples, if you're sending them to Texas A & M, you only need a quarter sized fleece sample. That has worked twice for me in the past, with no complaints. Good luck.

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