Hey friends - both new and old!!!
First......I wanted to say thanks so much to all my peeps who made it out to see my new work at The One of a Kind Christmas Show! I also want to say WELCOME to all my new peeps!
(Hopefully this is the last time I use the word peeps :-)
I am about to take you on a strange journey......a travelogue of my experience at OOAK15 (sorry.....but you gotta get onboard with this acronym NOW!).......
DAY 1 and 2: The set up:
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| Loading my rental vehicle with my entire life's work from the last 2 months!! |
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| Packed with care.....in hopes that the huge crowds, soon will be there! |
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| After a few vehicle cues....you park and unload.... |
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| I was early. (the usual) |
NOW - let me tell you - from my booth to the car - was crazy....I'm not complaining......I just wanted to YOU to note how many steps I took that day travelling from my booth to the van......
I am TOTALLY not joking - it was a huge trek.........I needed a sled dog.....
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This was my booth.
MAN did it seem small.........note to self - lose 50 lbs before next years show!
:-) |
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| Like a butch dude, I was screwing like crazy! |
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| ...or as butch as you can be - when teal is your signature colour...... |
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It was nice and quiet.
SO QUIET!!!! |
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Here I am looking like little Robbie Fixit guy!
Or one of Charlie's Angels!!! |
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| It took HOURS to get this set up ready!!! |
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and....in that time.....I put a screw through my finger!!
OUCH!
That'll teach me to do the Charlie's Angels pose with power tool! |
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um......then I got this paper cut.......
and got blood on my brand new white curtains....
#firstworldproblems |
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| Pano on day 1 |
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The best way to sooth the soul.....and the multiple cuts and abrasions.....
IS WITH GREASE!!!!!!!!!
NOM NOM NOM! |
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It was a lot of little pieces to hang for this show.
There were 33 little 6" x 6" ers alone! |
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| Outside of the booth |
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ON DAY TWO -- I nearly died again!!
Death by banana peal on floor - I mean, come one!!
(It is is a fitting death for a clown like me, I know it!) |
DAY3: Show opening
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I sent this photo to my husband.
I made a funny comment about how everyone on the GO train looked like a cast member for the Walking Dead! |
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At 8:30am.....THERE WAS A LINE-UP ALREADY!!!!
SAY WHHAAAAAAAAT????? |
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| The final booth- all ready to open! |
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| It looked pretty decent I thought! |
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Here is 10 minutes AFTER doors open.
It was quickly WALL TO WALL PEOPLE! |
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Later that night I celebrated my first 11 hour day with red wine and chips.
LIKE A CLASSY LADY, thank you very much! |
DAY 2: SHOCK and AWWWWWWWW.
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I may have had a breakdown on set-up day about how terrible my booth looked.....a
...and my husband may have had to talk me off the edge of a breakdown about it.
Husband: "Rob, I am sure that the booth looks great, go take a break!"
BUT THEN...... |
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BAM!
I got an award for being the 3rd best booth!!
OUT OF 800!!!!
I was so thrilled!!!!
(Although I hated to admit my husband was RIGHT...and that I am a freak!!!) |
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| Day two was crazy busy too!!!!! |
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| Inside the hall - so FESTIVE!!!!!!!!!! |
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| NICE BALLS! |
DAY 2-5: were great and exhausting. 11 hour days are LOOOONG, even when there are THOUSANDS of people to fill the day!
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| My dogs were barking by day 3!! |
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By day 5, I was taking power naps on the GO!
YES....I now see the irony - given how much fun I made of the poor suckers going to work each morning!!! |
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This guy made a real splash!!!
I feel like I could have done 50 of these and sold them!!!
BUT OHHHHH NO..... I have to have "artistic integrity" and have all ORIGINAL pieces! |
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Oh...did I mention that I was in the program too??
I felt a little "rock-star-y"!
I guess every 12 years or so, you get a nice bit of recognition!!! |
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yup...by day 8 I was falling asleep with all manner of chocolate and cookies on me!!
#hardlife #eggnogginitup |
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| X marks the spot!!! |
Let me talk about two of my talented neighbours........both were an absolute delight to spend 11 days with!!! Honestly, it could have been a nightmare.....but they were WONDERFUL!!!!!!
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Gio was a right next door - so kind and helpful - and FUNNY!
His eco-friendly sculptures were wonderful!!!!!
I would put a link to his website.....but there ain't one!
EMOTIONAL LABORATORY
YOU MUST check him out next year!!!! |
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| This was a spooky night - leaving to catch the GO train at 9:30pm! |
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| I really want to paint this! Right???? |
DAY 6: I bought a bowtie of wood!
DAY 6: STILL FILLED WITH PEOPLE!!!!!!
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There were VERY FEW times that I wasn't busy.
Which was a bit miraculous! |
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| By day 7, I had taken to drinking on the job! |
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| ...and randomly passing out on benches!!!! |
DAY 8: The big fire!!!
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| Okay....not a big fire......but we did need to evacuate the building!!! |
DAY 9: replacing the sold works....
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Was so happy to get "Strangers on a Train" on a wall!
She is still available on my website (and prints too!!!) |
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Here husband is doing ALLLLLLLLL the work.
;-)
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| PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN!!!!! |
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| Add caption |
DAY TEN......
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| Started drinking "Mountain Dew: Kickstart" which is basically like free-basing caffeine!!!!!!!! |
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| Which may have worked for a few hours......... |
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| ...and then....... |
FINAL DAY!
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| Eating at the food trucks.....because my homemade salads just aren't cutting it at this point! |
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There were people there shopping un tim the last minute.....
and then...... |
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| WHAMO - the making up and exiting tornado hits!!! |
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| It took us 3 hours to get packed and get home!!! |
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| WE left NOTHING in our booth.......but clearly we were the few that were tidy as we left! |
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| I MADE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
So there you go.......months of work.......2 days of set up.......11 days of sell sell selling (aka 90 hours of talking to people).........several days of unpacking.....and decompressing and BAM you've done it!
I am starting to get life back to normal!
It was an incredible experience!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I had lots of sales, and so many new connections made.
New friends.....old friends........
One of the most exhausting and exhilarating times ev-VAH!
I wanted to thank my hubby for taking such good care of me, and for working for me for the whole show!!!
I also wanted to thank the organizers at OOAK.
YOU GUYS DO AN INCREDIBLE JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So that's all folks!!
See you next year for OOAKX16!!!!!
