I am in the midst of inventory madness to prepare for September. I have shows two weekends in a row plus a martial arts camp the following weekend. First up is the Mountain View Art & Wine Festival, September 6 & 7. Then, I get to enjoy some coastal time with the Capitola Art & Wine Festival, September 13 & 14. This one has been recommended to me by a few people and I’m really looking forward to it. I was waitlisted, then got a spot. Hooray!
To prepare for these shows, and be in decent shape heading into the holidays, I set some ridiculously unrealistic goals for myself. What’s the saying? Go big or go home? Anyway, it’s a fun game to see what kind of numbers I can get. I have a chart breaking down how many pieces I have in what category – necklaces, earrings, etc. – and in what colors. So if I have twice as many purple earrings as green ones, I know what to focus on for an even offering. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I love the focus I get from an impending deadline.
The third weekend I mentioned is the Pacific Association of Women Martial Artist Camp. My other job is teaching kung fu. I was invited to apply to teach, was accepted, and am super stoked to hobnob with like minded folk. The icing on the cake? There is a bazaar where we can sell wares to promote ourselves and our schools. Do I want a table? YES. Yes, I do. I have some mugs in progress with a special saying and am working on some miniature weapon jewelry. It’s a little challenging to develop work for this while trying to crank through regular inventory, but I guess it keeps my brain fresh.