CABBAGETOWN 2014: "HOMESENSE NONSENSE"

Hello friends old and new!
If you are just discovering this blog…..WELCOME!
To all my loyal friends…..Happy Monday!
So let's get into it! This past weekend was The Cabbagetown Arts and Crafts Sale…..

It was quite an experience! Oh, the ups and downs….

I laughed I cried, it was better than 'Cats'……

This  is my second year at Riverdale Park for this show!
So Friday…..as I mentioned last year, is an early start.

SIX HOURS before the show opens a hundred sweaty artists must try to outwit each other to get the very best spot available…..yes…..it is shades of:

The HUNGER GAMES

Just sayin'.

So then after you get your spot you can start your set up.

Now THIS year, the spot I had last year had a new bench….

Sadly, the City of Toronto also put in brand new sidewalk…..which left a foot of dirt on each side of the sidewalk, before the grass starts. 

For those of you who have never been to an outdoor show -- you must know that dirt is NOT a friend to the artist…..even if it is totally dry!!!

Here is the math….THIS:

…plus standing in THIS for 12 hours:

…equals THIS:

No. That is not a tan.

EW. I KNOW!!!!!

This year, after 10 years of being a cheapskate I invested in this beast...

WOW! What a difference.

I know this doesn't seem like a big thing….but trust me…..it was as though I had invented fire…or the wheel or something…..

Anyways, so I got my tent set up on Friday and it looked like this:

Nice huh?
FILLED with art and merch!!!!
I picked a nice shady spot that was on a side sidewalk….which I thought would be good given the fact that it was 32 degrees (and 42 with the humidity!!!!)
I did NOT take a photo of myself…as looked something like this:

Mid afternoon I changed…..but within an hour looked like this guy:

Honestly, I sweat through 2 shirts….it was rather dreadful.
Thankfully the park was just TEEMING with people:

…..this was taken at 3 in the afternoon….

Nothing makes a day in the park fly by like standing alone for 8 hours waiting for someone to come into your booth. ;-)

Thankfully none of the artists got caught in this:

We closed up at 6 and at 7:30…..THIS happened:

THIS MADE ME GRATEFUL!
The next morning post crazy storm weather…..things in the park were not the best!
I arrived to this:

Inside the tent, I had put an extra layer of plastic and had put a LOT of work into making my tent 'weather resistant' ……ok……maybe my husband did the work….but still…

The wind and rain had filled the plastic with yellow water, but all and all, I faired rather well!
Other artists were not as lucky!
AGAIN - SO GRATEFUL!!!!
Speaking of yellow liquid…..the only downfall of my spot location was this….

I was kinda close to the johnny-on-the-spots.
Good - when I needed to go…..but not so great when downwind from them!
IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK…..It was the pungent smell of cheap hand sanitizer that seemed to linger in the air a bit…….
NOT COMPLAINING -- much better than the alternative smorgasbord of smells!!!!
ANYWAYS….
Saturday was about 20 degrees……so it was much better for me!
(It meant I could wear a little bow tie! And that helps me get though art events! Like Superman's tights or an orange Home Dept Smock, it helps me identify that I am working!)
The WONDERFUL organizers -- who work hard to put this event on yearly
(A BIG THANKS TO THEM!!!) fed us artists on Saturday with coffee and delicious muffins…….mmmmmmmmm………
(Yes, my affections can be can be bought with a designer banana chocolate-chip muffin!)

Now on Saturday, I sold ONE $30 print…..and let me tell you why…..or better yet, let me show you:

UGH. Not great it didn't help that it was a bit muddy……
There just were not a lot of people……and the people that were there were either scouting for the next day……or were 'Henny-Penny-ing"….

It made for a long day too…and sadly, at one point I heard this:
IGNORANT TRASH: "Um….if I wanted art, I would go to a Homesense!"
EQUALLY STUPID: "Ya. Me too!"
ROB: (dying a bit inside) "Good for you guys!"
Then I bludgeoned them both to death with a piece of original art and buried them under my tent.
Oh….wait…..that was too graphic…..sorry….

BUT THEN THERE CAME SUNDAY!!!!!! And it looked like THIS most of the day:

Thank goodness!!!!!!!!!!!!

I really have no complaints at all about the day. I feel grateful and appreciative of all the great encouraging comments (Yes….and the sales……what keeps me in business is people spending their hard earned $$ with me! Thanks guys!)

Look this sun!!!!!!!!

 This is my spot as I left that night….

I was lucky that I had a couple outstanding neighbours too!

A special shout out to JohnVisser (and David):

Jyne:

and Ivano Stocco:

All three had lovely work and it was a pleasure to chat them with during the slow times!!!

Make sure to check out their websites too!!!

A special shout out to the organizers and volunteers for the show! GREAT JOB!

Always glad to be a part of this show!!!!!

So there you go….THE LAST of my outdoor shows for 2014!

I MADE IT…..still sane (kinda) and not divorced (yet) , and not poverty stricken (mostly ;-)….

I call that SUCCESS!

So now I can do this:

Oh….except……I have a show to get ready for the Ottawa Art Expo in a month……

Look for more about this SOON!
(No rest for the wicked I guess!)
Ok…..back to work!
Thanks to everyone that visited me this weekend, and this summer!
It was all appreciated!