Three weeks from today… and three weeks from tomorrow…

“My Home For The Holidays” Home Show
Saturday, November 19th – 10:00am-6:00pm
Sunday, November 20th – 10:00am-6:00pm

Mark your calendars now for my annual Holiday Home Show.
On the north side of Chicago in the Edgewater neighborhood.
It’s the perfect chance to start your holiday shopping…
or just stop by to hang out on my sofa for the day!

It’s my biggest pottery sale of the entire year. Every room of my condo
is decked out and filled with pottery. The biggest selection of pots you’ll see
from Fire When Ready Pottery all year long! With food & drinks in the kitchen…
and the annual “Tired Of Shlepping Sale” on the back porch.
More details to come… or e-mail me for specifics : gary@firewhenreadypottery.com

It’s always great to get pictures from your customers of your work.
Actually seeing your work being used and loved in their home… or campsite!
I got these pictures from Amy Higgason who organized the ART DETOUR.
One of her friends had purchased one of my candle votive cups!

And here’s the message from Sally:
“Just getting to this now! loved your Art Sale! So nice to have such talent presented
so wonderfully! Look how wonderful the votive holder was for my campout!!!

If any of you have photos to share, I’d love to see them!

A couple days after I got home, I had a chance to finally check in on Facebook…
only to find this wonderful & insightful posting from our friend Pam.
I’ve known Pam, and her husband Pat, for a couple years now. Pam has been in
my pottery class, and has become friends with Amy while in the Northwoods.
So Amy & I have had plenty of time to hang out with Pam… but I think this was
the first time that Pam has actually watched a group of artists go through the
“glamorous” part of packing up after a long art fair weekend. So many people
think that these art fairs just kind of happen by themselves, and that it’s all
fun & games for the artists. Let me just say that it’s not.

Well… here’s Pam’s comment she posted on Facebook!
Thank you Pam for noticing all we go through, and taking time to share your insights…

Last weekend Pat and I had the good fortune to spend time with a few very talented
artists at ART DETOUR hosted by Pigeon Road Pottery in Northern Wisconsin. As well
as fun, good conversation, lots of laughter, and gourmet s’mores we were able to witness
just how much goes in to participating in an art fair. Countless hours of perfecting the art,
buying and making displays to exhibit the art, finding the perfect containers to transport
the art, hours of set up every day, hours of tending to the customers and manning the booth followed by hours of re-packing all the pieces and fitting them back into the car/truck/van with all the display shelves/cases/tables and the now dismantled tent only to return home to attend to tons of paperwork, returning customer emails, collating your customer mailing lists, inventorying what you have left, planning what you need to make for the next art fairɉ۬Next time you pick up a handmade bowl, necklace, watercolor painting, etc and look at the price please consider all that went on behind the scenes for YEARS before it was created and you saw it. It is an amazing amount of dedication these artists have to beautify your world and feed your soul. Be honored to be able to take a piece of that home with you.

_______________

Thank you Pam!!!

Since it was the last day of the tour, I felt that Sarah had to take a spare moment to
enjoy the surroundings. So we went for a VERY short hike on our way back to Amy’s place.
So we stopped off along the McNaughton Trail for a little snippet of nature.

When we finally got to Amy’s place on Pigeon Road, it was a little bittersweet knowing that
today was going to be the last day of fun! We all set up, got the fire started and prepared for
the customers. Sundays are generally a slower day. And it was again. But it felt good.
It gave us all a little more time to hang out and chat. Once again, my friends Pam & Pat
were there for a large portion of the day… helping, chatting and serving lunch!

While we were sitting and playing around the campfire, I learned a new trick. Pam showed
me how to make marshmallow taffy! Apparently if you just keep squishing the marshmallow
with your fingertips, it eventually loses its puffed air… and becomes taffy like!!!

Once the day had ended, it was time to pack up. But first, we had to have some fun
with the signs that had drawn so many people into the ART DETOUR. The signs were
spread out along the highway in the traditional Bermashave style. But the show was over,
and the signs had to come down. And we had to have a quick photo shoot!

But then it was time to get back to work. The glamorous part of packing it all.
Putting all of my pots back into the crate. Breaking down my shelving units. Taking down
my tent. Being careful & working methodically to get everything taken care of. It always
takes longer than you expect. And as night was drawing near, and the sky was getting
darker & darker… we were still packing. And trying to get everything packed back into my car.
Every thing has a place. And every place has a thing. And a HUGE thank you to Pat
for helping me fit everything back into my car… including my tent which came up North
on the top of my car! Now it fits inside… thank you Pat!!!

Once everyone was packed up, and the sky had turned dark, we all finally had a chance
to hang out around the fire, enjoy a bunch of leftovers for dinner and relax. And share stories
of our experience in the Northwoods. The good. The bad. The crazy. And a little ceremonial
“closure” to the inaugural ART DETOUR…

Okay, so the s’mores may have gotten the best of us?!
But if you’re going to do something, be sure you do it in a big way!
So Amy came up with the brilliant marketing plan to hype our sugary addiction.
And after a little friendly “name-calling”… we were all S’morons! … with groovy t-shirts!

Amy was truly getting into the spirit of things… and was “bedazzled” with buttons & necklaces
galore! As part of our clandestine marketing campaign, we thought it would be fun for “our”
Art Detour customers to wear ART DETOUR buttons as they went around on the “other” Tour.
We had ART DETOUR buttons, as well as S’MORON buttons for anyone who made a s’more!
Plus, Amy & Wendi had each had buttons printed to promote their own “brand.” And if that
weren’t enough, Amy was also excited to show off her new collection of necklaces made by
Sarah, Wendi and myself (top to bottom).

But a shirt is just a shirt, and a button is just a button.
And with the addition of some hi-octane sugar, you can see where the real fun began!
Caught in mid-air, and Amy’s going to kill me for this, but I LOVED the reaction that came
after I caught her trying to get the first mouthful of her breakfast s’more! Simply adorable!!!

Plus, we couldn’t keep all of the s’moron fun to ourselves, so we also raffled off a t-shirt
for our customers. And there was enough interest by people who wanted their own t-shirt
that Amy actually started taking orders for t-shirt reprints!

So the fun continued this morning… with fun around the fire!
One of the “selling points” of our marketing campaign was gourmet s’mores!
So we’ve been playing with various combinations of yummy ingredients.
Sure, we had the traditional graham crackers, Hershey’s chocolate & marshmallows.
But we also had an assortment of cookies, crackers, chocolates, spreads and more.
My personal favorite was gingersnap cookie, Reese’s peanut butter cup & jumbo
marshmallow. We even had vegetarian marshmallows (who knew?) and gluten-free
graham crackers. Plus, Amy’s cousin’s wife spoiled us all with homemade graham
crackers & marshmallows!!! Yes, homemade… again, who knew any one would even
take the time to make marshmallows?! Thank You Kirsten!!!

But then this morning, Amy decided to up the ante… with gourmet breakfast s’mores!
Those of you who know me, know that there is nothing too sweet or too rich for me.
I have the palette of a four year old. I could easily eat the whole bag of jumbo
marshmallows right now! But I digress.

So Amy brought out her “gourmet” ingredients.. and the toaster!
Picture this if you will… in order of the bowl “stacked” s’more…

Toasted Eggo Waffle. Chunky Peanut Butter. Hershey’s Chocolate. Bacon Bits.
Then a toasted JUMBO Marshmallow… toasted to gooey perfection!
Another Toasted Eggo Waffle… with homemade raspberry preserves spread on it.
Squish… and then drizzle with Real Maple Syrup! I know.. sounds like a lot…
but it was great!!!

Here’s Sarah making her s’more… which was a group effort to get the layers ready…
as Sarah toasted her very own vegetarian marshmallows!

And here’s mine… with the “real” jumbo marshmallow squishing out the sides!!!

And then Amy made her’s, complete with some spiced apple compote that Wendi made.
Which too was awfully scrumptious – with a kick of hot pepper!

And as if one weren’t enough… I had to go in for another one. So I went “deconstructed.”
With a layer of crumbled gingersnaps, graham crackers, crunchy peanut butter, chocolate,
toasted marshmallow, spiced apple compote… and some more real maple syrup!
Can you say “sugar high”???… Followed by “sugar coma”???

Many of you know that I’ve always said “it’s so nice to have talented friends.”
And this weekend, I get to play with some of my favorites! So if you can’t make it
to ART DETOUR, here’s a quick preview of my very artistic friends…

Amy Higgason : Pigeon Road Pottery
As the local Northwoods host of ART DETOUR, Amy invited a few of us to join her
at her studio & home for the weekend. Amy’s work is very detailed, textured and often
very illustrative. She splits her time between the carved, textured & glaze colored pots,
and the more illustrative “brown & black” collection.

Sarah C. Chapman : metalsmith
My favorite metalsmith… with unique designs using textures, inclusions and oxidized silver
to create one-of-a-kind pieces that can be worn everyday. Or special events. Or whenever!
I must admit I have quite a collection of Sarah’s work… and always hoping for more!

Wendi Powalisz : Back 40 Arts
With a vibrant color palette, Wendi creates this beautiful pictures which I think
tend to resemble “batik” paintings. Her Northwoods imagery is punctuated by her vivid
color choices. In addition to her two-dimensional works, Wendi also makes jewelry using
vintage glass beads, buttons & findings. Wendi also lives in a log cabin which her husband
built on 200 acres of woods. Her home & studio are “on the back forty!” Hence the name…

Kathy Furda : Northern Light Glass
Although Kathy wasn’t able to join us this weekend for ART DETOUR, her work was
on display in Amy’s studio space. The play of light streaming across & through her glass
windows & beads was quite refreshing. We all hope that Kathy and her family are all
doing much better. And we all missed having Kathy here to play with.

So there they are… the talented friends playing with me this weekend at ART DETOUR.
I hope you have a chance to come play with us. It’s a beautiful weekend in the Northwoods!
We’ve got lots of art… and lots of s’more fixins’ to share!!!

After the sunrise, it was back to Pigeon Road Pottery for another day of ART DETOUR.
So we re-built our displays after packing everything down for the night. The “fear” of
stay animals wreaking havoc in our tents overnight, plus the chance of wind & rain,
made us all very cautious. So we all had a lot of re-assembling to do. And just in time,
as the customers were coming in full force.

While we were meeting customers and enjoying ART DETOUR, I was also taken by the
natural surroundings. Fall was definitely in the air. The colors. The textures.

And then, just to make Wendi’s flowers even prettier, this little butterfly decided to hang out
with us for quite awhile. Flitting around, sucking nectar and basking in the sun.

And by the end of the day, Amy, Wendi, Sarah and I were all quite pleased with how the
ART DETOUR was going. Not only were we having a lot of fun, and eating a lot of s’mores…
the customers were actually showing up, buying art and having fun with us! There were
a LOT of s’mores being made. And we were all on a bit of a sugar-high by the end of the day.

The merry group of artists hanging out at Pigeon Road Pottery after another long day.
Sarah, Wendi, myself and Amy (left to right) were pleased with the day, and happy that it
was almost over. Only one more day to go…

Well, here it is… the first day of ART DETOUR.
And it’s still beautiful her in the Northwoods…

We got up this morning and put the finishing touches on our tents. Generally, I do the
majority of my set-up the night before. But this time, Amy discouraged us from setting
up too much as there could be some overnight “visitors” wandering through and it
would be terrible if they got into our tents and caused some damage.
Deer… and raccoons… and bears, oh my!

With my tent & shelves all assembled, and all of my pots in place, flag flying, and my
holiday ornaments in really cool muffin tins from Amy… we were ready to kick-off the
ART DETOUR. Not a moment too soon… as our first batch of eager shoppers arrived
just moments before 10:00am. A wonderful car full of women from Indiana who have come
to know Amy, and collect her work. It was such a great feeling to start off the day on such
a high note. Keep in mind, this is the firs time for the ART DETOUR, and Amy’s first time
“going rogue” cutting herself off from the “official” tour. We were all a little concerned
that maybe no one would show up?! But they did…

As part of our clandestine marketing strategy, we’ve also created some wonderful buttons
for our new-found Detour Friends to wear… especially when they go onto other locations on
the “official” tour. Just a “subtle” reminder that we are out there doing our thing… and hoping
to make ART DETOUR a new “event” in the Northwoods art community.

And if a souvenir button isn’t enough, we’re also offering up the making for gourmet s’mores!
Sure, you can make the old-fashioned, traditional variety. But you can also make one with
gingersnap cookies & peanut butter cups! Or mushed inside a mint Oreo cookie! We’ve got
gluten-free graham crackers & vegetarian marshmallows for those with dietary concerns!
We’ve covered our bases, and now we need to roast some marshmallows!

And if you made a s’more… you can be a “s’moron” too! And get a button to boot!!!
With a great flow of customers coming through, and our spirits high… who wouldn’t be happy
especially when there’s an overflow of sugar going on!!! We were all having fun…
everyone except for Wendi’s sunflowers which didn’t seem to be holding up too well
in the surprisingly warm October day in the Northwoods!

So this morning Amy and I set out to run some errands about town… and I
use that term loosely, town. While Amy was at the dentist first thing in the morning,
I had a chance to go for a quick hike in the woods. And it was a great start to the day.
You know how I love to start my day with some beautiful nature! So Amy dropped me off
at this bridge which also serves as the trail head. I got to hike… she got to swish & spit.
I definitely got the better part of the deal…

Then we got back on track, and head off to the hardware store, Wal-Mart and more getting
some last minute supplies… like more s’more fixins’!!! After the errands, it was time for
Amy and I to figure out were the tents were going to go. And then we started to set up
our tents before Sarah & Wendi got there. Once we had a plan, we both got started.
Of course I had to tackle my over-loaded car… slowly so nothing fell out…

And with our signs all ready, we were hoping to get people either coming or going…
we’ll place them along the highway tomorrow, hoping to pull in the tourists!!

Once I had my booth all set and ready to go for the night, Sarah and Wendi arrived
and we helped get them set up. My parents showed up as well since they were planning
on spending the weekend in the Northwoods doing the “official” tour and doing some
undercover espionage & marketing for us along the way! Unfortunately, Kathy Furda
of Northern Light Glass was not able to join us for ART DETOUR. She had some last minute
family health issues to tend to, but her beautiful glass work will be with us all weekend.
So even though Kathy may not be making s’mores with us this weekend, you can still see
her beautiful work while we’re at Pigeon Road Pottery.