Yes my dears, fall is coming.
Yeah, i know it’s a flower and thus not strictly a fall motif, but I’m the artist so get over it. I was really into this whole mechanical flower concept, and I think it’s pretty cool. Note: I’ve constructed this piece so that the flower’s spokes may turn freely and the stem can swing side to side. Tick tock.
There’s a fabulous new gift shop in the Lakewood neighborhood of Cleveland - GreenSmartGifts. I met the owner’s daughter, Erin, at the Green Dream showcase in Beachwood and we hit it off instantly. It helped that she really dug the Buzz. In fact, she liked Buzz so much that last week I was asked to drop off a whole slew of Buzz Jewelry and Bags to Erin and her mother, Mary Evans, for their lovely shop.
Above is super-friendly Mary photographed in her warm, modern shop for a local newspaper feature. I’m excited to have such a great eco store in the Cleveland area and look forward to this new partnership for Buzz!
So I’m attending a 3-day workshop (9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday-Sunday… yikes!) called the Artist as an Entrepeneur Institute, which is put on by the CPAC, a local arts organization. Sure, Buzz is kicking some major butt this year, but if I really want to make the future Buzz “empire” a reality, I figure a little planning and strategy couldn’t hurt.
The workshop takes place in a gorgeous old cathedral so airy and full of light that I felt energized and positive even before the sessions, which have so far proved to be informative and engaging. But, for me, the real showstopper was this guy:
Meet Stephen R. Cook, Esq, an unlikely combination of lawyer, comedian, teacher, and snappy dresser (love the bow tie). From the looks of this photo he graciously posed for today, I suspect that Mr. Cook might also make an intimidating jousting opponent. Well, he certainly had me in stitches with his old-school comedy styling.
Case in point: A discussion of the business type “sole proprietorship” began with Mr. Cook pointing out that the Bishop of our hosting cathedral could perhaps be considered a “soul proprietor”. Classic.
I can’t wait to see what tomorrow will bring. I just wish it started at 10:00.
Ever heard of ZeroLandfill? I hadn’t until a couple weeks ago, but fortunately it was just in time to catch the last in a series of material-dispersal events in Akron.
ZeroLandfill, like Buzz, is really into the notion of putting to use perfectly good materials that would otherwise be headed for the garbage. Volunteers very kindly gather samples from interior decorating and other companies and then let people like me loose on them.
Upholstery samples are my favorite. While larger fabric samples have always made up Buzz wristlets and totes, at this event I grabbed lots of little vinyl and leather squares that were just too cute to ever let go to waste.
And I do mean lots…
70 pounds to be exact. You’re wondering what I could possibly do with 70 pounds of small upholstery squares? They just might be the perfect canvas for sewing little works of art. Hmmm…
So it turned out that my 10-year-old Kenmore sewing machine, while fabulous for occasional crafting, was not up to the challenge of producing Buzz’s new line of super-sturdy, super-roomy tote bags. I kept the old girl around for more lightweight sewing assistance, but I knew I was ready to take on something a little faster and more powerful - a commerical machine.
I discovered this wonderful decades-old, family-run, independent sewing machine shop a short drive away, the Domestic Sewing Center in Warren, Ohio.
The wonderful owners helped me test-drive and purchase my new Janome 1600P commercial machine. I never knew a machine could be so powerful and fast yet easy to use. I got it set up as soon as I returned home and gave it some vintage upholstery fabric to chew on.
A short while later I had a new tote to add to the Buzz spring line-up… but more on that later.
So I get a call from my new friend Joyce who says she has a large collection of vintage neckties that were her father’s and she would like to donate them to Buzz, if I want them. Ummmm yeah!
So, you know, it was only a few hundred of the most fabulously stylish vintage ties I’ve ever seen but they just might keep Buzz Bags in production for a few more months… or years!
Do you have vintage jewelry, fabrics, ties, notions, etc that are languishing in the attic, just begging to be put to use? Email or call me and I’ll be happy to pick them up or cover the shipping cost. And, if you’d like, I’d be happy to whip up a Buzz heirloom for you from your donation that you can put to use.
But that’s not the only reason I hired her as my part-time assistant. She’s an art major, is a natural with scissors, glue, and hole punch, and loves the Buzz so much she was willing to hang her head (and arm) out of a wreath for like an hour in freezing rain so Don could get this amazing holiday photo showcasing the Buzz wristlet:
Her usual less inclement-weather-impacted assignments include making the lovely Buzz product tags, cutting fabric for Buzz Bags, and stamping “Buzz” on anything that’s not moving. Thus you just might just find me with a little more time to work on the Winer line. I swear, it’s coming soon.
Yep, you heard right. All the modern whimsy of Buzz Jewelry in greeting card form…
While this completely recycled vintage card may be blank inside so you can express yourself… yourself, to me it says “hey baby we got so much passion we better keep a fire extinguisher handy… or at least notify area wildlife to create an evacuation plan.”
This one sold for $5 at Craftin’ Outlaws, but, don’t worry, there’s more where that came from (in the brain behind Buzz Greetings?)
So where was I? Ah yes…
The less-than-delightful:
* two hundred dollar EZ-up canopy deciding it just didn’t want to go up so easy that whole 3rd use and expressing said desire by breaking in four places… because you know one break wouldn’t have made the point as well… sheesh how overdramatic can you get?
There he is. Looking like something that fell off a space station…
* ridiculous storms in the McCarren Park pool, resulting in the pool once again functioning as a pool (see definition of pool: “an excavation that is (usually) filled with water”)… this time with more booth wreckage:
Note that none of these are my tents. Perhaps my tent karma was finally paying up.
Okay, so those were the highlights. Unless you’d like more on the giant locusts that splattered the windshield driving to Georgia… or perhaps a riveting description of the big-box megastore in North Carolina where I picked up Canopy II.
I did, however, find a delicious stash of never worn vintage jewelry pieces with which to play… stay tuned for Summer 08.
Hey, you try two weeks on the road in 100-degree temperatures driving an SUV for hours so packed full of Buzz biz paraphernalia that every time a door is opened bits of old jewelry and booth shelving jump out, desperate for escape.
The trip was an amazing experience… and exhausting and interesting…
Let’s start with the delightful:
* Meeting Melissa, the lovely proprietress of The Makery, a super-cute indie shop chock full of wonderful handmade goods (like Buzz Jewelry!). I think she’s making air quotes here, which as someone who talks with my hands I can totally appreciate.
* Making all kinds of new friends along the way, several of whom couldn’t wait to stock Buzz in their fabulous stores… you’ll have to check my website for more details.
* The awe-inspiring crowds of indie shoppers that is a Renegade craft fair… this would be before the crowds arrived obviously. See, there’s me. Talking with my hands.
* Sleeping in a wigwam. Who knew a wigwam could be so claustrophobia-inducing? The best part was the outside, complete with Charlie-Brown’s-shirt zigzag print:
Next up, the less-than-delightful…
