....kpfa crafts show

This is the show I am getting ready for now...
I was fortunate to jury in again this year...loved it last year.  
Met many really nice people 

and sent a few of my Spirit Figures out into the world...

This year I will be sharing booth space with joyce Wycoff...amazing digital artist.

I hope you'll put the date on your calendar and come to the show. 
It is such eye candy...so many wonderful artists and craftspeople...

the clothes, oh my.  Great place to holiday shop for unforgettable gifts. 

xo

ps...I'd love to see you...met you...
and it's for a good cause...the show benefits Free Speech Radio

....going to Berkeley

http://www.liveoakparkfair.com/pages/preview.html

I'm happy and excited  to say I will be at this show with my Spirit Figures.  

This show is presented by jan Etre, who was the force behind the KPFA Arts and Crafts show I was part of in December.  I know this is going to be a lovely, fun, experience for exhibtors and visitors alike.  
There will be good food, good music,
 and the amazing art will be a feast for the eyes...

I hope you'll stop by and spend a little time...I'll be booth in #77 come and  see what me and my muse  have been up too..
Looking forward to seeing old friends and making new...xo

Mother

Dreamweaver..Inner Child...let her out!!

.Peace Seeds

...kpfa, spirit figures and me

Kpfa Craft Fair.... journey....

With my friend, and co-exhibitor Valerie Runningwolf bravely behind the wheel of a really big monster cargo van...really BIG....we headed for San Francisco to participate in the two day KPFA 40th Annual Crafts Fair...

as we left Clovis, where Valerie lives I noticed this...and wondered if it was an omen?

I didn't take many pictures that were good but I  like this one crossing over the Bay Bridge into the City..

And this billboard, I love this billboard...
it overlooked the parking lot at the Concourse and a friend sent me this photo..
isn't it beautiful?....they were so talented, everyone knows their amazing music..
their music is in the background of my life...
and at one time or other I had a crush on each of them....except Ringo,
 he was just a little to silly.
I miss George and john....I saw Paul in concert not too long ago and it was wonderful, but the 4 together.....truly magic...and the magic lives on...very cool.

We arrived for Friday night set up....I have never seen a crazier parking lot....
artist everywhere...all 200 maybe...
Parking and unloading into the building...a very narrow parking lot with a lot of cargo vans and very small cars...people every where...hustle and bustle...lot's to do in a certain time span.  The parking lot was even crazier when it came time to load up and leave.  A woman in her little car was telling her friends she had been in 3 wrecks in that parking lot and then she pulled forward and hit a trailer hitch... #4.


A very special part of Friday night was a vegetarian dinner for all the artists...
it was free and fabulous...and sort of set the tone for the weekend.
 We checked into the Cow Hallow Manor, a cool place  in the Marina District...and it includes parking...a big deal....and I love the name.  The we took a 
we walk that evening,,,,checked out restaurants and did a little people watching people watching...
The City is gorgeous ....all lit up for the holidays..
Morning came quickly...we took a taxi to the Concourse to avoid parking the monster van in the tiny parking lot...

Me of course...Saturday morning...

I have to tell I had the best time...I met so many interesting people...people who wanted to share their story or hear mine...people who wanted to know why I do what I do...What the figures mean....the stories.

It was awesome for me to get to share....it was an outer body experience at times...often very spiritual in nature...

Some of the people who came to my booth knew who I was...

knew about my figures...amazing!

I talked more in those two days than I do in two months normally.....and Valerie and I talked a lot to.....

Sunday after the show we talked until 3AM...

We got to know each other in a whole new way..

I was a little hoarse on Monday..

This is Bruce Smith...he was across the isle from us exhibiting beautiful block prints...

he is a veteran of the show...9th year I think...

he was really helpful and somehow had a very calming effect on me...

I liked having him there...

My beautiful goddess friend Maggi Belle...Look at those amazing pants...
I was so happy to see her!  

She is an inspiration.

Music and Honey

Our shared space....

Valerie looking cute.

I love her masks...

Another view..

and this sweet couple.... more inspiration!

Mr and Mrs Claus maybe?

and the clothes...oh my...so wonderful...unique...exquisitely  crafted..
.these where some of my favorites and there were others...
I just didn't have the time to take photos of them all...

there were beautiful hats and scarves...everything wearable art...there was even a custom  designer shoemaker...

Lot's of functional art...these clocks were georgeous...and custom childrens clothing, functional pottery...and the jewelry...
just so unique and every piece a work of art...

.

The patrons of this show were serious about who they wanted to see, and they were there to shop and seemed to know they would find something that they couldn't live without...
or the perfect gift...
there are going to be some happy people on Christmas morning.

And this is Franklin....

a knight in shining armor... 

And a cheerful one...

I was always a little happier seeing his smile...

and he made sure I had the help I needed when it came time to break down...

truly a gift

I really can't say enough about how wonderful this show is...well run...a great cause that really resonates with me, .a lot of caring for the artists, great food and music...

beautiful venue, friendly people, free trade items, amazing artist, cheerful volunteers, helpful volunteers...

new friends...

a memorable time.

....San Francisco...almost here

 

Valerie Runningwolf

It's almost here...the KPFA Craft and Music Fair...and I'm almost ready....

Whoever said the devil is in the details wasn't kidding....so much to think about from pins to pens, receipt book, business cards, artist statement, screw driver, lights, tables, boxes and bags, grids and stands, and Spirit Figure...

My art sister Valerie Runningwolf and I will be sharing a double space...

She is a gourd artist, focused on the spiritual...I adore her work.

We have rented a cargo van and booked our room near the Marina.  

There are many perks for the artists at this show...lot's of press AND a meal is provided during Friday night set up...isn't that nice?


I'm also excited about the prospect of meeting some of the people I listen to regularly on KPFA Radio...Caroline Casey will be there and we have a plan to meet.
She is an amazing storyteller...
she blends myth and current events in the most poetic and thoughtful way....love her...
http://www.coyotenetworknews.com/productcart/pc/radioshow.htm
and there will be music both days...


Can you tell I'm getting excited?

Valerie and I want to go out and play a little in the evening...and I'm hoping we can have one meal at the amazing Herbivore restaurant....it is a vegan food heaven...lol....

I must be hungry this morning...

AND we have been invited to a Trance Dance gathering, 
but I'm thinking dancing all night can't be on our agenda...


I hope if your are in the area you will stop by and see us...
We will be in booth 142..
http://www.kpfa.org/craftsfair/exhibitors-home.html

"When in doubt......dance!"
xoxo

....monday night stuff

 becoming
 it wasn't that she was growing and changing, was it?
t was that she was finally allowing herself to become.

 ~terri st. cloud
 Oh! Do not attack me with your watch. A watch is always too fast or too slow.
 I cannot be dictated to by a watch. 
Jane Austen

I'm really busy getting ready for San Francisco....the show is in 12 days...oh my.  My muse has stayed with me this whole creative time....bless her. ...even came back when I told her to leave one night because she had a little to much input... 
I've discovered she really likes to work with trance music, the more primal the better...and she likes it loud....lol....like I do.
I'm almost done creating and now it's time to turn to display,transporting, bags and boxes and receipt books, business cards and how many tables and stands, lights....so much stuff to think about. ...and what to wear....I am a country girl, going to the city,
 what to wear is a consideration... 
 Peace Seeds....one of my favorites...
 Faces in Waiting
I believe, and I've read, that what we wanted to become when we were 8, 9, 10, 11, is our hearts calling.....
 Unity...

Life wants us to know so much more light....em claire


And this...a goal...xoxo

"she laced up her dancing shoes every day,
opening her heart as she did so.
stepping into the all,
she kicked up her feet,
touched the stars,
and danced with life."   

.....mindmapping

A couple of months ago my friend, and fabulous artist, Valerie Runningwolf and I decided to see if we could jury into

the KPFA Crafts Fair..

.a really big fine craft show in San Francisco....on the Concourse....we put our best photographed pieces on a CD, filled out our applications along with the jury fee and sent them off, holding the vision of acceptance.

...and on Wednesday the 15th of this month when I opened my email I saw this in the header of an email in the box....

Congratulations, your application was accepted to the...

http://www.kpfa.org/craftsfair

I am so excited ....

I did a happy dance.....Called Valerie to see if she had checked her email...

I was flooded with energy that night and my Muse showed up with a zillion figures we could create....

....my mind was going into overload with all the things that will need to be done to get ready besides the creating.....

a new adventure!

New opportunity..and loads of discipline and work required.

What is extra cool about this is it is a benefit for Pacifica Radio an independent radio station in Berkeley that I listen to all the time....

there are Pacifica radio stations all over the country..

About 4 years ago I attend to a Mindmapping gathering at a friends house. Mindmapping is picking an area of your life you have a vision for and making a collage about it from photos and words. Being a specific as you can...details, details....It was an amazing afternoon...sitting on the floor...cutting and pasting our dreams...talking about our hopes...in depth.....sharing why what we were mapping about was important...how our visions would change our lives and those of others we care about.

We laughed and cried....

Some of the women did mapping for healing, relationships, material things, vacations, dream homes...

Of course I did one around my Spirit Figures...things I hope to experience in my art life...

my pursuit of sending my figures out into the world...

workshops I'd like to do and places I want to show...

My map is in my studio....hanging on the bathroom door, not exactly and elevated place...lol...

but wall space is limited!

Wednesday evening I was looking at it and I realized that I have had several of my wish/visions come into form....

I've been blessed...

And somewhere on my map I stuck the words KPFA Show...

and now I'm going to be part of it!!

ecck...it's exciting and intimidating....but I'm going...2nd weekend in December...OMG so soon!!

apologizes for the color or lack of it here...my little color selector doesn't work today..gremlins.