Projects End, Projects Begin

Coffee in the University of Montana Grizzlies travel mug, "Goodbye Earl" covered by Me First & the Gimme Gimmes for music. Started the morning by taking the 7th graders their re-fused mirror for signing and trying to find the mask reference books I lent to the Waldorf auction committee to promote the summer camp item. Need to get curriculuming! Back home to post then off to ikebana to use my roll-up nageire vase for the first time.

The week ended with a couple more orders coming in so I have about a half week's firing to do--just the right amount to leave enough time for ACRE travel arrangements, Georgia sales tax, summer camp planning, studio maintenance (getting the gas back on and the hot water heater working again) and website updating. Oh yes, and enough time to finish Johnathon's most excellent book and put the finishing touches on my nefarious coldworking studio plan. Who knows, I might even get more workshop editing done. If I don't do it now, it's going to languish forever.

Four months into permanent showroom leasing and I am not too excited about it. I had reservations about doing something so far from home where I wouldn't be able to check up on it at least monthly, and my trepidations are being realized. I have had one order for one piece from a designer equaling about 1/3 of one month's rent. Part of it is definitely the economy, but I think another part is that nothing sells itself. People have to see it through advertising and other marketing activities--and seeing it in person is the best of all but that means going to the showroom and shopping.... something I don't think many people are doing these days. It might have been better to start in Atlanta, but I wasn't impressed with the permanent showroom space I saw at the Mart when I did the Atlanta's Mart winter show. It felt dirty, dingy and dark--the three big dings.

Time to motor. I leave with pics of happy 7th graders signing their mirror.