So much fun having fresh produce delivered right to my booth at “Art In The Barn” yesterday. My friend Cory McCrory has a pear tree in her backyard that has been overly productive this year. Cory arranged a “special delivery” to Barrington from Sandwich… via Cory’s painter friend Jane Wilcoxson.

Not only was the fresh, homegrown produce a very welcome treat…
but it was also great to meet Jane in person… and her wonderful accent.
We went from Facebook to friends in just a few minutes!!!

Nothing like waiting for the last minute… err, day of the month.
That’s my Sarah. Waiting to the last minute to finish her ornament for the month. But once again, it was definitely worth the wait. Here’s Sarah Chapman‘s entry in our monthly Holiday Ornament Challenge. With just two hours left of September, she made it in “just” in time!!!

According to Sarah, “It’s a fringy bell for September!
Polished copper ribbons curled and held together with a wee bit of sterling silver.”

Meanwhile, back in my studio, I’ve been making a lot of gingerbread men for my September entry on the Holiday Ornament Challenge. They’re made out of terra cotta with some white underglaze & low-fire glazes. They’re pretty thin so I dried them on plastic grid so they would be less likely to warp.

And for the first time, my ornaments are actually DONE & FIRED before the end of the month!!! In fact, those of you who made it out to “Art In The Barn” have already seen them… and had a chance to purchase them already!!!

After a long weekend at “The Barn,” it felt great to get back on my bike this morning for another beautiful sunrise ride.

Sure, it was fun seeing a lot of friends, chatting with great customers, selling a lot of pots and getting a couple ribbons along the way… but there’s still no better way to start my day than on my bike.

During the early hours of Sunday, while a lot of customers haven;t made it to the fair yet because they’re at church or brunch, I made the rounds really quickly to see some of “My Talented Friends” who were also showing in Barrington. When I stopped my metalsmith Amy Taylor‘s booth on The Deck, I was surprised to find that she had lost her voice! But still, she asked about my bracelet… the one that Taylor had made for me on her “rainbow loom.” Amy loved the simple “woven rubber band bracelet” and asked if Taylor would make her one.

With a quick phone call, I placed the order with Taylor and set the wheels in motion. Later that afternoon, Taylor and her mom (my sister) Jen came back to the fair to deliver Amy’s bracelet. We went over to The Deck to deliver the bracelet… which Amy loved and put on right away! We were excited to see that both Amy and I were wearing Double Taylors! A groovy woven bracelet by Taylor, and beautiful metal bracelets by Amy Taylor!

And here they are – Double Taylors!!!

There we go… the last Mummy has just left the building.
And it looks like he’s going to a very happy home!!!

One of the nice things about “Art In The Barn” is that they set a great Fall atmosphere. Bales of hay. Potted mums. Pumpkins. Gourds… and more! Just a quick glance at the mums around us… and a mum visitor!

And oh, but wait there’s more… these are the LAST FOUR mummies!!!
The new Monster was apparently a big hit. Hurry over to snag yours before they’re gone!

The sun is shining and the shelves are restocked.
Lots of great art & many of “My Talented Friends” all around.
Bring on the customers! Bring on the fun!!!

So last night I had a sleep-over with my niece Taylor and her parents. We went out for pizza after the art fair last night, then came back to their house for marshmallows & s’mores! Then she taught me how to make “rainbow loom” bracelets… all the rage with the young crowd! This morning we went out to breakfast at one of Taylor’s favorite places… for one of her favorite breakfasts… CHURRO WAFFLES!!!

Picture this… a waffle baked halfway, then deep fried, then dragged through a yummy cinnamon & sugar mixture! It’s like waffles on crack! So good. So yummy. Crunchy & fluffy all at the same time.’

It was so nice staying at my sister’s place last night. So much closer to The Barn. So much shorter of a commute than back into the city & back. Plus, fun with Taylor, s’mores AND churro waffles!!! What could be better?!

It was nice

All set and ready to go early Saturday morning. Of course, there was a little bit of scrambling going on… last minute pricing, ornament wiring, getting ready. Wouldn’t be an art fair without some scrambling, right?! Anyway, the art fair began and the weather was incredible. So much fun seeing so many of my loyal customers, making new friends, chatting with a lot of “My Talented Friends” and selling a bunch of pottery along the way!!! And with my double-booth, there was a LOT of pottery to go around.

Once again I was pleased to receive this ribbon – TOP TEN SELLER 2012.
It’s always nice to know that you’re in the Top Ten… which also then gets you a double booth!
I must admit that it is my favorite ribbon to receive. A prize for selling my work!!!

And even better, an exciting ribbon to receive – BEST OF CERAMICS 2013.
Another ribbon to add to my collection. Very exciting.

For the record, “Art In The Barn” is a fundraising event for the hospital. I’m not sure that all of the art fair visitors are aware of that. So I’ve made some signs that help clear it up. I think it’s important that customers know that a portion of their money is going to the hospital… while only 80% goes to the artist. In this case… Me.