Glass of Sherry
I signed up for a booth at the N. Charleston Farmers Market in Park Circle again this year. I plan on being there only two weeks, however. I will be there May 7th and October 22nd, 2020. Hopefully the weather won’t be too hot those days. I may try to add a couple of additional dates, but for now this is the 2020 plan!
I signed up to have a booth at the Charleston Holiday Market again this year. It will be at the Charleston Area Convention Center in N. Charleston on November 20, 21 and 22. It was a tiring weekend last year, but I think it’s a great event! This year the parking garage is supposed to be finished, too.
Today I tried adding windows and doors to a couple of the houses on these Rainbow Row pieces. I just wasn’t feeling the love for them. I’m not good with painting / drawing at all and they didn’t look the way I had hoped, so I removed them and decided to focus on the Palmetto trees today. Maybe I can add enough visual interest with plants. I glued the trees and greenery in place, but I haven’t glued the red glass flowers in the shrubs yet. Still thinking about that.
Maybe if I make them a bit smaller next time I will like the look a little better. I still feel like these need more decoration. I have considered making windows and doors out of glass, but they would really stick out. I decided to try that and see how it looks.
In the mean time, the little trees inspired me to try designing some smaller pieces (larger than ornaments, but about a third of the size of the above pieces) with the Palmetto and Crescent for the South Carolina flag. I often have people ask about pieces with the SC flag (I’ve made large window mosaics as well as stepping stones with it in the past).
I’ll need backer glass that’s about twice this size. I’ll also likely use white and blue glass for the Palmetto and the Crescent, but this is just for brainstorming.
Yesterday I was able to spend a little time adding some trees to the Rainbow Row panels. I haven’t glued any of the trees down yet, but I did glue the houses in place. I still want to add some doors and windows to the houses before I glue the trees in place. I think the trees will really add a lot to the panels!
Today I started a project I’ve been thinking about doing for awhile. I started with a photograph of Rainbow Row, which is a notable row of colorful homes in downtown Charleston, SC. Yesterday I cut out the clear backer glass for these panels, so today I started planning the houses themselves. I cut rectangles out of construction paper to help me determine the sizes of the glass I would need in each color.
Yesterday I set aside some glass that I thought would work well for the various colors of the houses. I don’t seem to have quite enough room to fit all of them on my rectangle bases, so I left the last two houses off for now.
Now I have to think about how much detail to add to the fronts of the houses. I’m not sure if I will paint the windows / doors / roofs or if I will leave them as is. I do plan on adding some trees, however. I’m not very good at painting, so that also factors into my decision. I might try it on the smaller panel and see how it goes.
Today is the last day of the Charleston Holiday Market, and it was a busy day. My Mermaid mosaic, Starfish Trio, and Here Comes the Sun mosaic windows all found loving new homes, along with numerous smaller pieces. I’ve made a *little* bit of room to make some new things, so hopefully I will have time to revisit the sunset mosaic I started a few weeks ago with dichroic glass.
I had a busy first day at the Charleston Holiday Market today (you can get a coupon for a dollar off admission if you visit their website). I will be there from 10am to 6pm tomorrow (Saturday) and 11am to 5pm on Sunday. I don’t think I will have a single coaster left by this time Sunday. My Beach Window went to a loving home, and several ornaments did, as well. Since this is my first time participating in such a large show, it is a great learning experience!
The best part is that I will have a whole year to prepare for next time; I will know what items resonate with people most and be able to work on similar projects. The date for this creeped up on my quickly because I signed up late in the game, but I will have plenty of time to prepare for next year. Since all of my projects (coasters, ornaments) take at a minimum 2 days to make (windows much longer), I can’t quickly make more. That is part of what makes them special, though! I still have some coasters, plenty of ornaments (both glass and resin) and several window mosaics for the rest of the weekend, though. Come on out to the Convention Center and visit – it’s a great time! Another bonus is that my booth is right next to Mountain Mist – I love their products (especially anything in Orange Blossom scent). My family thinks I will spend all of my earnings in their booth, though.
If I sell out of anything you really like, I can make more – just send me a message. My items are all one of a kind, but I can make something pretty close to what I made before (especially in glass – the coasters are more difficult to reproduce).
I will have a booth at the North Charleston Harvest Festival on Saturday, October 19th from 4-7pm. Come check it out!
The City of North Charleston announces the 7th Annual Harvest Festival featuring live musical performances, an artist market, costume contests, trick-or-treat on the street, a pop-up pumpkin patch, children’s activities, and more. The fall festivities will take place in the Olde Village of North Charleston, located on East Montague Avenue near Park Circle, on Saturday, October 19, 2019, from 4:00-7:00pm. Admission and parking are free. East Montague Avenue will close to vehicular traffic from Jenkins Avenue to Virginia Avenue at 2:00pm and remain closed for the duration of the event.
The celebration includes live music by the delightfully eclectic V-Tones of Charleston and singer-songwriter Rene Russell. The Kid’s Zone offers a craft activity led by the City’s artist-in-residence Katherine Hester, carnival games, face painting, drumming with RBM African Drum and Dance, and a variety of inflatables. An artist market featuring local artists, crafters, and makers will line two blocks of East Montague Avenue, along with a few festive treat vendors. In addition, many of the restaurants in the Olde Village will offer food and drink specials.
Other highlights include trick-or-treating on the street with free treat bags for kids age 12 and under (4:00-6:00pm, while supplies last); a pop-up pumpkin patch with on-site decorating stations (cash only – prices of pumpkins vary); a mechanical bull, photo booths, and costume contests with categories for youth, groups, and pets. The contests are free to enter and prizes will be furnished by the City of North Charleston Recreation Department, merchants of the North Charleston Olde Village, and Park Pets. Participants for all contests should be prepared to line up for judging at 5:45pm for the contests to begin at 6:00pm.
The annual Harvest Festival is a rain or shine event produced by the City of North Charleston in collaboration with the North Charleston Olde Village merchants. For information on additional programs and events, visit the Arts & Culture section of the City’s website at www.northcharleston.org.
