15Th Annual Standing Bear PowWow

This was the event to be on a Saturday night in Ponca City.
(My new camera and I are not friends yet, my pictures don't do this colorful vibrant event any justice)
We enjoyed an Indian taco, fried bread, songs and dance.
We kept our spending to a minimum at the art&crafts booths though. We bought official powwow T-shirts with the artwork and official powwow design of Burgess Roye (and autographed by the artist with a sharpie) to support the funding of future powwows. And braids of sweetgrass and a bag of white sage.
An inspirational night-out.

Maybe it's a good thing NOT to be popular

Sometimes I venture to the blog of Emily of TheBlackApple because frankly I admire her. Even though her art may not be exactly the kind of paintings I would decorate my entire walls with, I have often considered ordering one or 2 prints that caught my eye. But since Sid is the "art person" in our house I have refrained from it.
But back on subject, she is a young lady who has made a name for herself with her paintings, prints and dolls and I love to see women entrepreneurs being successful, especially in the arts & crafts sector.
I just read her last post, and I am shocked about the hateful mail she receives from blog readers.
What is wrong with those people?
I seldom talk about people (on the internet) being nasty because everyone has a different perception about what is nasty or just a frank honest statement. I personally tend to say things without the sugar coating myself and have stopped commenting on most forums for this very reason, because I come across as "snarky" for those who cannot take an open word.
But, posting unsolicitated hurtful comments on someone's blog who is not "controversial" or attacking others, is just wrong.
This "Etsy world" (where TheBlackApple is selling her artwork) can be a good environment for starting out with arts& crafts. There are many helpful people to give support or answer questions about marketing, techniques and sales procedures. But, it can also be a shiny fragile bubble of fake "community" that bursts at closer examination beyond the shallowness and superficial words of some of its members.
Very sad.
But it happens everywhere...once you are good at what you do, gain popularity and exposure, the socalled critiques are in their wings to "bring you down"...as seen in sports, politics, and yes, in the Etsy community.

Childhood memory rediscovered on the internet -- Heilige Schutzengel

This print used to hang in my late grandparents bedroom.
A place where I spent many nights of my childhood.
As a kid in the 1960s there were not many distractions so I gazed at this framed old-fashioned lithographic print for many hours. Little details were engraved in my mind, but forgotten over the decades.
A random thought made me research guardian angels on the internet...one thing led to the other and I found this art print bringing back cherished moments of childhood. It took the blink of an eye to recognize this painting among all the colorful vintage pictures of guardian angel impressions -- it's the one.
I ordered a poster print...and I am excited and will matte it and put it into one of my vintage frames.

Carpe Diem (Seize The Day)

I don't have much time for philosophy or musings these days...it's an action, work and "get it done"
mode of life.

Yesterday I have updated my shops with some of the new tams I had made before the craft show...I have the largest inventory ever since I started crocheting tams.

I decided not to let my acute tooth root canal problems hold me back. The penicillin and other meds took a lot of the pain off, but are rough on my stomach and overall condition. I have had fatigue and dizzy spells, but it's getting back to normal. I didn't want to give into feeling miserable this time.

We went to Sid's company anniversary picnic on Saturday and a local fine art festival on Sunday. The fall weather is just too beautiful to miss outdoor events. It's my undisputed favorite season.
Where am I heading with this?
The quintessence of those statements can read as following: Sometimes you don't want to give into sickness, depression or whatever obstacle may cross your path.
The old "mind over body" saying proves itself not always, but often effective.

My Retro Passion -- Flashback -- Love's Theme

I have always loved this instrumental disco smash hit.
In the 1970s I had no problem (and I still don't) to consider TSOP The Sound of Philadelphia Disco-Soul and rock music as equal favorites. Every song has a place and time.
Some tunes touch you and never let you go.
The late Barry White was a master in creating musical "atmosphere".

Balance -- When to work and when to rest

On this extraordinary beautiful September afternoon I enjoy the fruits of self-employment:
the choice when to work and when to be lazy.
Perfectly in harmony with Oscar who loves to do chores (carrying the mail to the house) but will stretch out under warm sun rays on a late summer day.

Ambition is a poor excuse for not having sense enough to be lazy.
Edgar Bergen

Idleness is not doing nothing. Idleness is being free to do anything.
Floyd Dell

Indolence is a delightful but distressing state; we must be doing something to be happy.
Mahatma Gandhi

Far from idleness being the root of all evil, it is rather the only true good.
Soren Kierkegaard

Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired.
Jules Renard

Know when to work and when to rest; balance is the key to health and happiness.
PurpleSageDesignz (hahaha)

HandmadeFuzion -- A new kid on the block

I am excited about this new selling venue:
HandmadeFuzion
It's juried, handmade only and it's up and running since yesterday.

The overall site design may need an extra punch of color, the navigation still feels a bit clumsy, but it got all the seller tools I could imagine.

Well, here is my little shop...just getting started.

Purple Sage Designz (on HandmadeFuzion)

I have heard remarks like this site looks like "ghetto", the "Z" spelling sounds like "gangsta" from different Etsy sellers.
Well, different folks, different strokes, I am not a sugar-coated cupcake kind of gal.
And I do spell my shop name with a "z"... does that make me a "gangsta"?
Sometimes I am at a loss of words:)

Back from the Art & Crafts Fair

(and sorry, we forgot our cameras, so no pictures)
Sid and I shared a 10X10 booth displaying his art prints and my crochet hats.
Our conclusion after a week of prepping our inventory and props for our booth:
- a conventional craft fair is not really for us, we didn't do well sales-wise among lawn ornaments, handmade fudge, potholders and diaper cakes which catered more to a traditional crowd buying for their homes, kitchens and lawns.
- it's a lot of work, I would have never imagined
- the weather and location can make all the difference
- the fun part was chatting with our booth neighbors
- dressing up a booth is not very easy and costs quite a bit of money
- The term "handmade" was interpreted quite loosely on some tables
It will probably be my first and last. At least I have had a chance to experience the face to face selling adventure once again and I made a few sales.

It rained all day long, the expo hall was very cool and it was sultry and warm outside.
The football game was rescheduled from an evening game to noon which kept many Stillwater Oklahoma Cowboy fans from visiting the show.
The organization of the show was pretty good, no complaints there. We had free coffee all day long and everything was in place and well taken care of.

I am very tired today...and glad to be back home.

These are very different...

My newly crocheted scarves are bright and kind of "young"...like in "teenage girl"...for a lack of better words.
I don't know what happened to my plan to take a lot of black and brown tams to the craft show. I ended up with a row of colorful fuzzy scarves after I had gone through my yarn bins filled with frilly materials, purchased some years back. I started one and ended up with 15 to date.
I hope the cheerful colors will at least draw buyers into our booth.
First craft shows seem to be the hardest.

The Ebay Song -- Hilerious and true for most of us "treasure" hunters

Stepping aside from selling and buying and our worries about online venues it often provokes the ironical side about ourselves.

Shop Vacation

My Etsy shop will be on vacation until September 14th.
I am very excited to have more time as usual to take care of my personal business as I have yet another dentist appointment coming up, paper work to fill out, a craft show to prepare and aching neck muscles to pamper.
I love to work but didn't have a day off since our short trip to Mexico earlier in April.
Yeah for being the boss:)

Season change

An unusual sight for an early September morning. The clouds of a cold front actually makes it feel chilly here in Northern Oklahoma.
There is no doubt that fall has entered early this year. Even though I am not the one who loves to shiver I am always looking forward to this 3 rd season of the year (well, it may not be fall yet according to the calender, but many leaves already turn yellow on our giant trees and cover the ground beneath.)
In a few days the sunny afternoons will be back for sure. But the morning and nights will bring soothing coolness.
I love all the translations for the word fall:
Autumn
l'automne
Herbst
I remember when I was flying my kites as a little girl, breathing in the smell of new crayons and books every new school year and running through the meadows in search for mushrooms and berries.
Here is a nice little poem devoted to the month of September.

September by
Helen Hunt Jackson

The goldenrod is yellow;
The corn is turning brown;
The trees in apple orchards
With fruit are bending down.

The gentian's bluest fringes
Are curling in the sun;
In dusky pods the milkweed
Its hidden silk has spun.

The sedges flaunt their harvest
In every meadow-nook;
And asters by the brookside
Make asters in the brook.

From dewy lanes at morning
The grapes' sweet odors rise;
At noon the roads all flutter
With yellow butterflies.

By all these lovely tokens
September days are here,
With summer's best of weather,
And autumn's best of cheer.