Years ago, when I was making and selling cloth hand puppets, I used to do the craft fair circuit. The first couple were fun, but after that it got to be a lot of time and work for very little return. It’s hard to listen to people discuss your creations as if you weren’t sitting there. And it’s tiring to spend a day and not get any sales. I said, "That’s it, I’m not doing this anymore.
Now, many years later, the internet has revolutionized the craft market, but the fairs and festivals are still around. Recently, through my membership in the Hyattsville Community Arts Alliance http://www.hcaaonline.org/index.php, I had the opportunity to participate in the Annapolis First Sunday Art Fair http://www.firstsundayarts.com/. Several League members would be sharing booths so I wouldn’t be sitting out there all alone. I had different wares, so I decided to try again. 
It was fun to decide how best to display the jewelry and to create a "shop" that would appeal to the crowd. Besides jewelry, I also planned to sell notecards made with photographic reproductions of my paintings. At the last minute, I decide to bring along some small framed and unframed paintings. But I didn’t expect anyone to buy one off the street.
I’d like to say that the day was a huge financial success. At least I made more money than I spent. I thought I would sell some notecards (sold 1) and maybe some inexpensive jewelry (sold 2), but I did sell TWO paintings. A day well spent. And it gave me the confidence to try again.
Four women, seated in a room, looking at each other. "What have we gotten ourselves into? " we each were thinking. After weeks of planning and preparation, the hour had arrived, but there was no one knocking on our door. Had we miscalculated the interest of our friends and family? 
But then, one person arrived. And then another. And before we knew it the house was full and we were BUSY. 
The recipe we used included 15 boxes of Knox gelatin which was poured onto a cookie sheet until gelled (see recipe at end of article). After that it can be used whole or cut into smaller pieces. Using a brayer, printing ink is rolled onto a smooth surface and then used to ink the gel. Flat objects are laid on the inked gel in a design and paper is laid on top. A negative print is made. Than after taking the objects carefully off the gel, another paper is laid on and rubbed gently. This is the positive print.
We brought our bounty back to the classroom and the fun really began. The eight of us went crazy, laying out various designs, using different colors of ink and printing those pictures. It was interesting to see how differently everyone was thinking when planning their prints. And the results were AMAZING! The detail that was picked up on the paper was incredible. We spent a happy morning creating print after print.
After lunch, we learned about bookmaking. Using accordian folded paper as the base, we sewed covers on our books and added our best prints. Some of us used inked stamps to add words or designs to our books. Each of us made two books....and they were beautiful.
Thank you all for being patient. I hope I haven't lost your interest. Much has happened in the past 5 months since I last posted and and I will be talking about that in future blogs. But today I wanted to let you know that after these months of living life at a slower pace, I am coming back busier than ever. Besides continuing to add new pieces to my shop at www.bluegatorjewelry.etsy.com , I have two craft events scheduled for this fall and my paintings are featured in a solo show.
In December I am participating in a "Home Show." This was the idea of my friend and she has generously offered her house as the sale site. At least four artists will be showing their work and there will be a variety of things to choose from. I am most excited about this sale.
It was fun to decide how best to display the jewelry and to create a "shop" that would appeal to the crowd. Besides jewelry, I also planned to sell notecards made with photographic reproductions of my paintings. At the last minute, I decide to bring along some small framed and unframed paintings. But I didn’t expect anyone to buy one off the street.
