Panic At The Market...

Every April the panic starts.  I worry about the following

1) I won't have enough jewelry to sell

2) No one will like what I have made

3) I will forget everything and get to the market without any jewelry (that actually happened to me twice)

4) I won't be able to get up in time

5) It will rain and/or be windy and/or freezing

You see, I am a craft show vendor. I sell mostly at our wonderful farmers markets in Napa and St Helena. They are both really nice upscale markets with wonderful managers, wonderful vendors and WONDERFUL visitors. And, this will be my 12th year participating. I consider myself a "veteran" of the market. An old-timer. Experienced.

But every year I start to think about getting up at 5:30. I have to get there at least a half hour before the market opens, set my canopy up, set up my tables, tablecloths, busts, jewelry, say hi to everyone, go to the bathroom, get some breakfast, etc. It's really hectic. (The breakfast part is pretty fun though.)

Here is what I do to get ready.

1 month before

panic

order business cards, bags, etc.

figure out what jewelry I am going to have ready and start to make it

2 weeks before

really panic

make sure I have my jewelry done and packed up

start to tweet and Facebook about the market starting

converse on facebook with other vendors about how we are all panicking

1 week before

freak out and stay up really late making that last bit of jewelry you just know someone is going to love

send out an email reminding folks that the market is starting

clean my tent, tablecloths, tables, busts, etc

start packing it up

the night before the first market

don't get any sleep because I will be afraid I won't hear the alarm in the morning

pack up the car, trying to remember how you got it all in the year before

panic about not having enough change

stay up really late because I want to get that last pair of earrings done

the day of

get to the market on time and see everyone!

It's a happy day

The Farmers Market is a unique and special place. It is where you can get organic produce, listen to music, see your friends for coffee, take your little ones to story time, and shop for unique and original crafts and yummy specialty foods. If you don't visit your local farmer's market you are missing out. 

Here is a link to my market schedule just in case you are around Napa Valley and want to check it out sometime this summer. www.sherrigallagherbeadwork.com

Hope you see you there!

A ballon flies over the farmers market tents in Napa 

Artisans In The News

I was so pleased to see an article in the Napa Register by our own lovely Annie Baker (our fabulous cookie chef). It is a feature about Sebastopol Berry Farm. At the end of the article Annie has listed all of the artisan vendors and a description of our businesses! I know artisans are not the main feature at the market, it is about farmers after all, but it is so great to be recognized. Thanks Annie!

Maybe I should do some writing about all of the vendors at the market... Hmmm.

Check it out:
http://napavalleyregister.com/lifestyles/food-and-cooking/columnists/freshly-picked/sebastopol-berry-farm-and-local-artists/

If you are in the area, come by to say hi and see all of the fun stuff we create.
See you at the market

Love These Clouds

We had the prettiest clouds the other night. I had to try out my new iphone and snap some shots of them...

Happy Monday!

New Farmers' Market At The St. Helena Hospital

I'm really excited to say I am going to be part of the new St. Helena Hospital Farmers' Market starting this month.

The market features a sampling of the same vendors that are at the Napa and St. Helena farmers' markets with a few additions. It is great for people who live in Angwin and Deer Park or for people that can't make it to the early morning markets.

Need to pick up a few things to fix dinner, get by the farmers market for you yummy fresh produce. One of the vendor's, Alexandra Fochi, will even be serving fresh soup and salad.

I'm of course part of the craft group. I will have my jewelry set up there twice a month for your jewelry shopping pleasure.

The St. Helena Hospital Farmers' Market takes place at the north end of the hospital parking lot every Tuesday until the end of October. The hours are 4:00 to 7:30pm.

I will be there this month on July 19 and 26.

And The Winner Is...

I'm so excited to announce the winner of my giveaway for February is (insert drumroll.......)

Jean Deziak!

Jean answered the question "What do you do with all of those organza bags you get from me when you buy my jewelry?" with the following:

What do I do with all the bags you put the beautiful jewelry in after I buy from you?
Last year, I gave them to a friend who taught kindergarten. She used them to put the student's gift to their mom's on Mother's Day.
I will do the same this year with a different teacher as my friend retired at the end of the school year last year.


Thank you so much to everyone who participated!

I will be posting a new giveaway for March sometime next week with a new question.

In the meantime, I have new jewelry in my etsy shop to check out.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/sherrigallagher

 Enjoy!

February Give Away

In honor of my being more organized in 2011, I plan on doing a monthly drawing. For the month of February, I am giving away a cute little pair of my freshwater pearl heart earrings!

How do you win you ask? I've given out a lot of organza bags through the years. Every time someone purchases a necklace, earrings, or bracelet from me, I put it in a cute little organza bag.

The question is: What do you do with the organza bag or bags you have gotten from me?
Do you keep your jewelry in it, or do you use it to store something special in? I use them for everything. What about you?

Post a comment on my blog or on my facebook page answering this question by midnight on February 28, and I will randomly pick a winner.

I will announce the winner the next day on my blog and facebook page. You can keep the earrings for yourself or give them as a gift.

Good luck!!!

 

Mother's Day Weekend

My intention when I started this blog was to write on a regular basis, weekly maybe. But, I've been doing A LOT of craft shows and haven't had a chance to write. The neatest one was the open house at Morningsun Herb Farm. Every year on the Saturday before Mother's Day, Rose and Dan have a great open house at their nursery. Because it is an herb nursery, there are lots of foods to sample made with the herbs they grow there. Yum! They have speakers on growing lavender and how to improve your soil. And also, craft vendors, which I have been lucky enough to be one of for the last few years. It was absolutely wonderful weather. We were very, very lucky.

I loved the weather!

Owner Rose making her selections

Ana of Napa Valley Au Natural helps a customer

Shea hanging around.

Of Being A Geek And Being A Beader

Here it is. My first beading blog. I want to write a little about my journey with beads and all that entails. I've been trying new techniques and new materials this last winter and will be incorporating them into my jewelry this year.

My immediate goal is to incorporate metals into my work. This has become a little more difficult than I had originally thought. Mostly because of the cost. Everything cost so much money. (whine). I have taken a few classes and bought a few tools, so we shall see.

That is the beady part of this. Now for the geek part. The reason I decided to call this The Geeky Beader is because, besides making jewelry, I LOVE science fiction. Always have. Always will. I want to write a little bit about this here. (I know there are others out there like me. Come on, you can say it out loud)

So here I go! (or as Matt Smith's Doctor says, "Geronimo!!!!")