I had planned to pedal down to the 57th Street Art Fair today to visit some of my
artist friends who were showing there work down there. Sadly, I only got part way
there before I had to turn around as I could see the big storm clouds headed my way!
I made it home just before the clouds opened up and dumped on the city. So I hopped
in my car and headed down to the south side.

Luckily, by the time I drove down there, the storm had just stopped and the fair was
just getting under way. So I had plenty of time time to hang out with friends and shop!
It’s always fun to attend an art fair, support my friends and have fun without having my
own booth. So I started with a Twizzlers break with Julie and metalsmith Sarah Chapman.
Centrally located right next to the funnel cakes, so I made frequent returns to Sarah’s booth.
Then it was off to make the rounds… Amy Taylor’s hinged jewelry, Judy Zeddes prints,
Melissa Banks’ chain maille, Glynnis Lessing’s porcelain sgraffito, Karen Patinkin’s glazed
procelain, Roberta Polfus and her carved porcelain miniatures, Marian Castro-Palanyk’s
porcelain, Molly Bitters leather & silver jewelry & Mary Zehnder’s southwestern sculptures.

And a trip to an art fair would not be complete without a little shopping…
including a new chain maille bracelet to add to my Melissa Banks Collection…
and couple great miniature vases to add to my Roberta Polfus Collection! Yeah me!
And yes Sarah, you were “supposed” to help me narrow down my Polfus choices!!!

Followed by dinner at my favorite restaurant, Rose Angeli’s, and a brand new dish of
jerk chicken ravioli with asiago cheese cream sauce, fried plantains and mango chutney!
Yeah… I know, sounds a little strange – so much so that I HAD to try it… and LOVED it!!!

Day Two is finally complete – with all of my pots, shelving and tent back
in my basement storage room. It was a long, warm weekend in Schaumburg,
but it felt great to be out there kicking of another art fair season. The weekend
was quite successful, and a lot of fun seeing some old friends and making new ones.

Today was another beautiful day – just as warm, but a little breezier than yesterday.
There was a good flow of customers all day, including some friends and “groupies.”
Including Bill & Sheila – as well as Mitch, who recently started taking pottery classes
at Lillstreet and is the brother of my college friend Kel.

And now that the Schaumburg Art Fair is done… I get to do it all over again
in just two weeks. The Hinsdale Fine Arts Festival is just two weeks away!
And luckily, we’ve already packed everything up for that fair… at the same time
we packed for Schaumburg. We kind of split my inventory in half… half going
to Schaumburg, and half waiting to go to Hinsdale. So there will be a lot of
new work coming to Hinsdale. Mark your calendars today…

Hinsdale Fine Arts Festival
Saturday, June 12th & Sunday, June 13th.

Well, we’ve survived Schaumburg Day One… and it was a great day!
Good sun. Good sweat. Good sales. Plus it feels good to have one day over with!
One day down, one day to go…

We started this morning early with the full booth set-up… I prefer Friday afternoon
set-ups as it makes Saturday less frantic. But we finished setting up just in time!
The show “officially” started at 10:00am – but customers were already shopping by 9:30am.
So even though we were still doing some finishing touches, we were also more than ready
to meet some customers and make some sales!

I had a good day – lots of fun, lots of sales, and lots of new friends we met along the way.
And not just the new customers, but always great to see the returning “groupies” as well.
As many of you know. I also have my parents right there once again helping out all day.
Plus my Aunt, sister, brother-in-law and niece Taylor stopped by to visit as well!

But the biggest surprise of the day was a visit by my old college friends Keith & Julie,
and their newly engaged daughter Katie – all of whom I had no idea they would be coming!
It’s been about a year since they surprised me last year that the Hinsdale Art Fair. So imagine
my surprise to suddenly turn around, look up and see some “flash-from-your-past” friends
right there at the entrance of my booth… color me shocked, sweaty & glad to see old friends!
It was great to see them (all the way up from Goodfield, Illinois) – and great to hear that they
are faithful blog readers and “Fans” on Facebook.

So I’m home tonight, doing two quick loads of laundry, and hoping to get a good night’s sleep
tonight so that I’m all ready for Day Two of the Schaumburg Prairie Fine Arts Festival!
Let’s hope for another successful day tomorrow… and more fun too!

Trying not to focus on smashed pots… but instead, appreciating the new ones!
Just got home from the studio with some new pots hot out of the kiln!
I’m especially pleased with the latest batch of berry bowls which will all be coming
to the art fair tomorrow. As well as these cute little circular & rectangular dishes!

It’s been awhile since we’ve gone through the whole “art fair packing ritual.”
For the most part it went very smoothly… however…

Mental note to self… and anyone else who wants to learn from my disaster…
ceramic wall pockets versus cement floors is never a good combination.
That damn gravity wins every time!!! Too bad, so sad… gotta make some more…

This weekend is the Schaumburg Prairie Fine Arts Festival… and I’m just about done
packing up for the evening. We finished filling the van with all the necessities… besides
a LOT of pottery, it’s the tent, the shelves, the bags, the supplies and more! All that stuff
that fills up the van quickly… and wasn’t nearly as much fun to make! So now I’m off to
the studio to grab some warm pots out of the last-minute kiln, slap a price tag on
and we’re good to go!

Schaumburg Prairie Fine Arts Festival
Saturday, May 29th and Sunday, May 30th
10:00am-5:00pm both days – Booth #52
At the Robert O. Atcher Municipal Center, 201 Schaumburg Court in Schaumburg
On the south side of Schaumburg Road, between Roselle and Meachem Roads.
It’s a beautiful park with trees, a pond, grassy areas – as well as live music & food.
They’re predicting good weather for the weekend.. so come put and play in the park!!!

I’m getting ready for the art fair season… and the “invitations” are going in the mail tomorrow!
But tonight I need to apply address labels & stamp them all so they’re “postal-ready”!!!
I hope someone shows up to the party…

Two weeks from today is the Schaumburg Prairie Fine Arts Festival.
It’s the official kick-0ff to my Summer Art Fair schedule…
and the beginning of “white tent season.” Gotta dust mine off…

It’s been a long day in my pottery storage room today.
Unpacking pots. Cleaning pots. Pricing Pots. Repacking pots.
Repeat. Repeat… Repeat.

I’ve been putting it off for a long time, and my storage room
has taken over… growing well beyond its limits, piles everywhere,
pots here, pots there, pots everywhere! And with the art fair season
coming soon, I had to dive in a tackle the situation. So with the help
of my parents, the best art fair assistants ever, we made some good
progress… but I still have a long ways to go. I didn’t even make it
to the boxes filled with the new pots from my latest soda kiln.
I can’t wait to see those pots again…

So here’s my Summer Art Fair Schedule as far as I know it…
I just got the good news from the Evanston folks today! So mark your calendars!!!
As I continue to wait for notifications from the other art fairs, I’m keeping busy
in the studio making more work… and keeping my fingers crossed!
Which makes it just a little tough to throw…

Schaumburg Prairie Fine Arts Festival
Saturday, May 29th, 2010 – 10:00am-6:00pm
Sunday, May 30th, 2010 – 10:00am-5:00pm
Robert O. Atcher Municipal Center
201 Schaumburg Court in Schaumburg, Illinois

Hinsdale Fine Arts Festival
Saturday, June 12th, 2010 – 10:00am-6:00pm
Sunday, June 13th, 2010 – 10:00am-5:00pm
Burlington Park on Chicago Avenue between Washington & Garfield Streets
in Hinsdale, Illinois

Evanston Lakeshore Fine Arts Festival
Saturday, August 7th, 2010 – 11:00am-6:00pm
Sunday, August 8th, 2010 – 11:00am-6:00pm
Located in Dawes Park along beautiful Lake Michigan
on Sheridan Road between Church & Davis in Evanston, Illinois