Beyond The Picket Fence
About The Team
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Sneak Peek #3: Fishkill Art & Craft Fair Vendors
We are less than a month away from the 20th Annual Fishkill Art and Craft Fair and we can't wait! So to get you and your shopping list ready, here are some teasers of the vendors who will be joining us.
The Pudgy Rabbit
Beyond The Picket Fence
Karmabee
Rockerbox Garlic
Mundus
Beyond The Picket Fence
Monday, May 20, 2013
5 Things to Do Now to Get Back on the Goal Train
Remember
those goals for the year you wrote down back in January when the year was your
oyster? Now that we are almost halfway
through 2013, it’s a great time to re-evaluate the goals we set, dust them off
if they have fallen to the back of busy schedules, and perhaps re-adjust where
necessary. A high five to all of you who
have been actively working on your goals since the beginning of the year. For those of us who may have let them get
away from us, let’s look at 5 ways to get back on the Goal Train.
1.
Review your goals
Read through
the goals you wrote down at the beginning of the year. If you didn’t write them down back then, take
some time now and record them. Put a
giant green check mark next to any goals that you have met thus far, along with
words of praise for yourself for following through with your game plan. Come up with some kind of reward for yourself
to acknowledge your accomplishments. If
you haven’t met any of your goals yet, don’t let negative energy overtake your
thought process. Be kind to yourself and
commit to following through with the following steps.
2.
Re-assess your goals and priorities
For goals
that you haven’t met yet, review their order of priority and rewrite your goals
so that the most important ones are at the top of the list. If you have goals that you want to meet but
the deadlines you assigned have past, contemplate why you missed those deadlines. Did something unexpected come up that
prevented you from meeting it? Did you
forget that you had that goal? Was the
goal too ambitious or unrealistic? Is
there some kind of fear or apprehension that is preventing you from tackling a
particular goal? You may want to record
your thoughts in a journal so you can better understand where you are
struggling and therefore be better equipped to address these challenges in the
coming months. Set new deadlines for
your goals before moving to the next step.
3.
Make clear and feasible action plans for each of
your goals
Breaking
down each goal into actionable steps makes achieving big things less daunting,
so on a separate sheet of paper for each goal, write down step by step what you
need to do to achieve it. Make sure that
each step is a clear-cut task that you can schedule. Now schedule it! If you have a calendar that you use, record
the steps on the calendar with due dates and reminders. I use Google Calendar. Our very own Marilyn from Pulp Sushi introduced
me to a great organizational app called Wunderlist. You can create a separate list for each goal
and it will feel so good to cross each step off the list as you complete each
task.
4.
Commit to reviewing your goals regularly
It’s really
easy to let time go by and not work toward your goals if you forget what they
are. When you review your goals
regularly, they will remain at the forefront of your mind and it will be more
likely that your daily actions are those that lead you to accomplish those goals. Added bonus is that if it’s in your conscious
mind, then it will be in your sub-conscious mind too. You may even come up with powerful ways to
meet your goals while you are sleeping!
If you often wake up in the morning with ideas, you may want to keep a
pen and paper near your bed so that you can write these genius ideas down as
soon as you wake up.
5.
Be your own cheerleading squad
Even if you
haven’t been able to put a green check mark next to any of your goals, be
compassionate with yourself. Negativity
and beating yourself up is not going to help you achieve your goals. Congratulate yourself on your re-commitment to
meeting your goals and think positively about the coming months. Remember that you are the custodian of your
life and you have the power and the will to achieve what you set out to
do.
6.
Visualize your success
Spend at
least 5 minutes visualizing what your life will be like when you have accomplished
your list of goals. What will it feel
like? How will your life be
different? Don’t just imagine it, but
put yourself there and feel the emotions.
Believe that you have already attained your goals. If you can do this exercise every day, it
will reinforce all of the previous steps you have taken to get on the Goal
Train and cruise to your destination.
What I
realized when I did my re-assessment of my goals, is that I have way too many
of them and they were too ambitious. I
didn’t leave any room for real life to happen.
I’m paring down my list and putting more focus on the ones that are the
most important to me.
In
revisiting your goals, was there anything you changed? What insights did you
gain in your evaluation of your progress so far? What goals have you accomplished this
year? I’d love to hear about your
successes and wins!
Take Action Now! Revisit your goals then leave a comment
below.
Friday, May 17, 2013
Where To Find The Hudson Valley Etsy Team This Weekend
Pulp Sushi is introducing us to The Kingston Rock n' Roll Flea Market! She'll be selling her rockin' cool jewelry on Saturday, May 18th, from 10AM-5PM, at the Murphy Center, 467 Broadway (next to Rite Aid Pharmacy) in Kingston, NY.
Wishbone Letterpress are making their debut at the National Stationary Show at the Javits Center in New York City, May 19-22. While this show is not open to the public let's wish them lots of luck and sales (and it you have a retail shop that sells paper products you should definitely go) .
Happy shopping!
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| Pulp Sushi |
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| Pulp Sushi |
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| Wishbone Letterpress |
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| Wishbone Letterpress |
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Sneak Peek #2: Fishkill Art & Craft Vendors
We are just a few weeks away from the FBA's 20th Annual Fishkill Art & Craft Fair and we're so excited! We will be sharing this month the vendors who will be participating just to get you planning ahead and your shopping list together.
View our sneak peek from last week .
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Garden Fair Recap
Last Saturday on May 4th, some members of the team shared a booth at the First Annual Garden Fair in Montgomery, NY. A great time had with beautiful weather to boot!
Friday, May 10, 2013
Where To Find The Hudson Valley Etsy Team This Weekend
Let's keep our fingers crossed for some good weather this weekend because there are lots of great fairs scheduled this weekend. The team is spreading it's wings and hitting the road.
Amber H Lynn will be selling her wonderful creations at BAMCON at the Crowne Plaza in Pittsfield, MA, Friday, May 10 - Sunday, May 13. The convention starts Friday morning at 10AM and ends Sunday evening at 8PM.
Meerwiibli by Sarah-Maria will be selling her clothing at Art Star Craft Bazaar at Penn's Landing in Philadelphia, PA, on Saturday, May 11 and Sunday, May 12, 11AM-6PM.
Lisa Jane Norman will be at Crafts on Columbus this weekend, so if you missed her last week go and say hi! Lisa and her colorful pieces will be on Columbus Avenue in New York City Saturday, May 11 and Sunday, May 12, 10AM-6PM.
Knot by Gran'ma is participating in the "Making Waves" Nautical Art Show & Summer Fashion Show at Cornell Street Studios in Kingston, NY, on Saturday, May 11, from 6-9PM.
Happy shopping!
Amber H Lynn will be selling her wonderful creations at BAMCON at the Crowne Plaza in Pittsfield, MA, Friday, May 10 - Sunday, May 13. The convention starts Friday morning at 10AM and ends Sunday evening at 8PM.
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| Amber H Lynn |
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| Meerwiibli by Sarah-Maria |
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| Lisa Jane Norman |
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| Knot by Gran'ma |
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Sneak Peek #1: Fishkill Art & Craft Fair Vendors
We are just a few weeks away from the FBA's 20th Annual Fishkill Art and Craft Fair and we're so excited! We will be sharing this month the vendors who will be participating just to get you planning ahead and your shopping list together. More to come next week!
Monday, May 6, 2013
In My Studio: Quality Control
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| Sarah with a basket making group in Northern Namibia |
I was lucky enough to work in Namibia in Southern Africa for 3 years helping crafts people to make and sell products for the burgeoning tourism industry.
The crafts were mainly made from natural resources such as basketry, wood carving and pottery. I helped to design products they could make which would both appeal to tourists and be easily transported.
One of the main problems with the products was maintaining good quality control. As one way to illustrate this for people who spoke many different languages we came up with a list of '10 Commandments For Making Quality Craft Products'.
I was looking at this the other day and was amazed how relevant it is to crafts people everywhere- including us. So I thought I would share these Namibian 10 Commandments so we can all keep in mind the importance of quality control and to remember that we are only a small part of a much larger community of crafts people working all over the world.
Quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten. Gucci Family Slogan
Good Luck and Good Making!
by Sarah Omura, SO Handmade
Friday, May 3, 2013
Where To Find The Hudson Valley Etsy Team This Weekend
Six members of the Hudson Valley Etsy Team will be featured at the Hudson Valley Garden Fair on Saturday, May 4, from 10AM-4PM, at the Orange County Arboretum in Montgomery, NY.
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| Huzzah Handmade |
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| Karmabee |
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| DiGiglio Designs |
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| Merry Alchemy |
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| Get Glassy |
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| New Prospect Pottery |
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| Lisa Jane Norman |
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| Lisa Jane Norman |
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Featured Member: GetGlassy
Hudson Valley Etsy Team's April featured member shop is GetGlassy, the fused glass creations of Patti Ursel. Congratulations!
One busy April evening, I got a chance to speak with Patti about her wonderful works in fused glass! I certainly learned a lot about the process, but first a bit of background on this lovely lady. Patti has always been a crafter, starting with crocheting when she was only 7, from there going on to knitting and then everything from polymer clay to stained glass. So how did GetGlassy get started? Patti had spent years working for an advertising firm in NYC before moving to the Hudson Valley and taking an early retirement. She promptly got bored and started taking a stained glass class. Through this, she learned much about glass but was continually drawn towards the fused glass process, eventually breaking down, buying a kiln, and becoming a self-taught fused glass artist. And thus GetGlassy was born in March of 2007!
So what does Patti love most about fused glass? Definitely the color, she says. There are just so many different choices and gorgeous combinations. I’m personally a fan of how shiny Patti can get her jewelry. She does this by using Dichroic glass which was developed by NASA. The shiny effect is caused by the various fumes the glass is subjected to.
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| her booth at the 2012 Fishkill show |
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| Fish (SOLD) by GetGlassy |
Fused glass itself is an interesting and relatively new practice especially when compared to the long histories of blown glass, lamp work, and stained glass. It involves cutting different types of sheet glass, then layering and fusing them together inside a kiln to create the desired effect. Glass kilns run a bit cooler than ceramics kilns, going from 1,300-1,500 degrees Fahrenheit depending on how melted you would like the glass to become. When preparing the glass to be fused, you have to be careful what types of glass you use. If you mix the wrong types of glass, cracking and other disasters could ensue. You also have to run the kiln for approximately 24 hours without peaking, as glass needs slow temperature changes to prevent cracking.
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| getting ready to fuse! |
Once the fused glass is done and out of the kiln, cold work must be done, like grinding, molding, and placing it in jewelry settings. Also, on occasion when the kiln is done, you open is up and everything has gone wrong. Patti compares opening the kiln to Christmas morning, the excitement she gets to see all the glittering colors she may have created but sometimes she ends up with coal. When that happens, she has to repair the pieces and then put them back in the kiln. I was intrigued to hear that glass work has such incredibly low waste; every little piece can be used for something. There are even frit artists who use the tiniest shards of glass to create their works.
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| Blue Green Link Bracelet by GetGlassy |
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Filigree Ring with Dichroic Fused Glass Stone by GetGlassy - Looks like space to me |
Patti loves creating pieces with nature themes, inventing new designs, and finding ways to work the glass that no one has tried yet. She even does lamp work beading for accents for her fused glass pieces, so, if the unthinkable happened and she lost her kilns, she wouldn't have to stop working in glass. She also keeps up her knitting and crocheting, as you can see in her other shop GetTangled, which she creates on the train as one drawback of glass work is you can’t really work on it outside of the studio!
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Fused Glass Cheese Board in Warm Ambers by GetGlassy |
So I hope you enjoyed learning about Patti and her fused glass! I know I did. Keep an eye out for her at local craft fairs for goodies you can’t find in her etsy shop, including large fused glass pieces on canvas. She’ll be at the Hudson Valley etsy team Fishkill show on June 2nd (and so will I, so don’t miss out!). And don’t forget to check out her creations at her shops GetGlassy, GetTangled, and GetGlassySupplies, like her on Facebook, and stop by her website. I’m sure you know someone who needs a little glitter in their life!
Enjoy!
Amber
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