Tulips

Interpretation...........the good, the bad and the ugly. My first attempt at a Dutch shoe was a good one that turned out ugly so it was trashed. My second turned out more like a moccasin but isn't as ugly as the first one.

My first attempt at tulips didn't turn out too badly so this is the arrangement that will be entered in the Guild Challenge along with a second entry, a floral cake topper which isn't finished yet.

Challenge

I am entering a Guild Challenge next month in which we are all supposed to design somethng that celebrates Henry Hudson's Quadricentennial trip up the Hudson River! I didn't know what to do with flowers so someone suggested that I create an arrangement of tulips and put them in a Dutch Shoe. Dutch Shoe???? Where in Dutchess County would I find a Dutch Shoe? I started by doing a Google Search and sure enough, you can order original wooden Dutch Shoes but the size I would need would cost about $35.

Did I want to start my creation with an investment of that size not knowing how cold porcelain tulips would turn out? No! Especially since I've never even tried to create a tulip.

Forget the tulips.....what could I do about a Dutch shoe? Well, create one, of course! An old sneaker, some modeling compound, trial and error, a bit of patience, time and redesign and I finally had my Dutch shoe. It's not a thing of beauty so I added a few flowers here and there to dress it up a bit and plan on spraying it with a gloss sealer. Here's what it looks like before the tulips are created! Check out that sexy point in front!!!

Surprise, Surprise

I consign some of my work in a local craft store run by members of a craft guild that I belong to. My sales last year were rather lackluster until December when they really took off which helped me to make the decision to stay in for another year.

Two weeks ago, a customer requested a necklace and earrings to match a bracelet that had been on display for quite a while and yesterday, I received a call telling me that one of my large 11 x 14 framed pieces had sold. Surprise, surprise..........that particular piece had hung in the store since last February!

When I'm not "out there" doing shows and engaging with the public, I start to question what I'm doing and why I'm doing it. Getting sales through shops, Etsy and Artfire is great but it's not quite the same as being at a show, talking to people, explaining and demonstrating the durability of my bread dough and cold porcelain. I usually bang a rose on my tabletop to show how durable they are which always surprises the customer standing in front of me. It's the only way that I can show that they aren't as fragile as they look. Years ago, I was in a craft co-op and my friends who worked in the store had to stop demonstrating their durability because the roses were creating dents in the top of the counter!

I guess I'm raising this issue because it seems whenever I start to question the reason why I'm still creating, something wonderful happens to help me to realize how much I really do love the entire process of creating and selling my work and I know that I'd feel lost without it. My show activity is not what it was and I'm not traveling around the Northeast like a gypsy any longer but I can still have a local presence and stay active...............how lucky is that at 70????