Paideia Art & Craft Show, This Weekend!

Last year was my first year of being a part of the Paideia School's Art, Craft, & Jewelry Show. And it's coming up again this weekend, the 14th and the 15th. Although I'll be one of the many artists who will participate, it's well worth a visit. For me, going to these art shows is eye candy galore!

I am about 8.5 months pregnant with Baby #2, and I almost didn't sign up for the show this year... but I just couldn't miss it! I figured if I can't make it, at least my jewelry will be there and represent.

If you get a chance to visit, you'll see that the prices are reasonable and it's for a great cause, art programs at Paideia. You'll also see a lot of my pals from the Beehive Co-op who will also have their wares on display.

In case you need their address or more information, just click on the link below. Paideia's address is 1509 Ponce De Leon Ave in Atlanta.

Art Visions

The Paideia School's 27th Annual

Fine Art & Craft Sale

• Saturday, November 14
  10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Sunday, November 15
  12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

An artist market featuring the works of local and regional artists

• Offering affordable art during the holiday season in all mediums
• Fine art, decorative art including Chanukah and Christmas gift items, ornaments, garden art, folk art, funky and functional art in all mediums
• Annual fundraiser for Paideia art programs
• Admission and parking are free

Artist Information

What is Art Visions?

A fine art and craft sale featuring work on consignment from established and emerging artists

Art Visions is . . .

A successful fundraiser for the Paideia School's art programs, grosses over $60,000 in revenue each year.

Art Visions is . . .

The perfect venue for artists to sell a variety of fine art and decorative art including Hanukkah and Christmas gift items, ornaments, angels, garden art, folk art, funky and functional art in all mediums.

Art Visions is . . .

A wide range of artistic mediums including: oil, acrylic, watercolor and mixed-media painting, wood, metal, textiles, glass, pottery, ceramics, photography, jewelry and more.

Art Visions is . . .

An artists market offering affordable art during the holiday season.

Who Attends?

The sale receives generous support from the Paideia community and the public. Newspaper listings and area flyers attract hundreds of shoppers.

How is the art priced?

Artists price their own work. Art Visions strives to be an affordable holiday shopping venue, so the majority of the work is priced under $500.

How is artwork displayed?

This year, we will be using our beautiful new art gallery and practice gym to display your artwork. A team of dedicated volunteers will transform this area into a visually appealing retail space. Art Visions volunteers handle all aspects of the sale from set up to take down. Artists do not need to be present and Paideia provides round-the-clock security during the sale.

Rag Ribbon Rainbow, Thurs-Sat

If you've never been to Rag Ribbon Rainbow before, well all I gotta say is you need to go! Yes, it's true that I have my jewelry on display, but I'm only 1 of about 100 artists whose artwork is for sale. Not that I'm telling you what to do, but I highly recommend it!

Here's what they do to make it so cool! Sally and Lou, sisters and fantastic artists, have been putting Rag Ribbon Rainbow together every October for the last 25 years. They ask a friend if they can take over their home for about a week, and literally turn their home into an art gallery... Everything on the furniture, counter tops, walls, bathroom sinks, tables, etc. is for sale. It's hard to describe, so I suggest the experience even more!

If you like art, it's like eye candy for your soul. This October will be my third year as part of the show, and I have to say that most of my coolest and most unique artwork around my house I've purchased from Rag Ribbon Rainbow. I have a wire cowboy and cactus in my foyer, funky jewelry that's so cool I had to frame and hang it in my dining room, a felted wool throw pillow on my couch, and poetry and found artwork from Lou hanging in my studio. And that's just from the past 2 years! I wonder what I can get this year? I'd love one of Sally's bird nest oil paintings, but I think I will have to save up a little bit more before I can invest in one. I also spotted some blown glass while I was setting up yesterday that I really want to look at again...

Plus, did I mention that my mom is also a part of the show? I recruited her last year and they didn't have to ask her twice to be a part of the show again! Her company is called Flirttea Aprons and it's handmade aprons... She also has a few wrap skirts for ladies and some children's clothing, but it's mostly aprons. I'll be there, hope to see you!

Location: 696 Mountain Drive NE, Atlanta, GA 30342

Times:
Thursday 10am-5pm

Friday 10am-5pm

Friday Evening "Meet the Artists" 7-9:30pm

Saturday 11am-5pm

Studioplex Update

Sunday 12-5pm

Monday Closed

Tuesday thru Saturday 12-9:30pm

Wow the Traffic has been Incredble!

The market has been incredible, great people visiting and living in the Old Fourth Ward. We have discovered that not too many folks are walking around during the morning, so we are changing hours as follows:

Sunday 11:30 to 5:00pm

Monday Closed

Tuesday thru Saturday 11:30 to 9:30pm

Keep spreading the word, we will be bringing in new artists and vendors on a daily basis, and start thinking about your Halloween Costume. Remember the best get up wins $100

Month of October at Studioplex

I don't get out as much as I used to. By saying "getting out", I mean, I don't get out of the house in the way of shopping like I used to. Isn't that what a girl likes to do? We need to shop, it's part of the whole guy "hunts", girl "shops" thing, right?

We grab our friends, maybe buy some coffee or grab a bite to eat, and shop. I used to make a weekly habit of it. When I had my 9 to 5 sales job, I would go to a "meeting" where it was conveniently located next to a lunching/shopping area, and shop. There's that whole adrenaline rush you get, yeah you know what I'm talking about, when you find that really good deal... Anyways, you're wondering where am I going with this as a jewelry artist? Well, there is this live/work community in Inman Park called Studioplex. I never heard of it until recently, or maybe I've been under a rock, I dunno. But, all I know is that I need to spend some more time downtown and do what a girl does best, shop...

And to float my own boat, Throwing Stars Jewelry is a part of a A Fine Market for the month of October at Studioplex. I got a glimpse of who will be down there for the month, and I have a feeling I'll be doing some damage to the checking account, by of course, SHOPPING!

Here are a couple of factoids: A Fine Market at Studioplex is a 1st time event in Atlanta. It's an urban market featuring local designers and artists. (Which means it's really cool and unique!) It's open from 11:00am to 9:00pm, Tues thru Saturday and 12:00pm to 5:00pm Sunday. CLOSED ON MONDAYS

And here's a quick peek at their calendar of events:
October 1, Opening night

October 9, 2:00pm tea party with Just Add Honey (you must try Brandi's tea, awesome!)

October 17, 11:00am to 9:pm Breast Cancer Event, 10% all sales donated to Breast Cancer Research

October 24, 6:00 to 9:00pm Green/Heal the World

October 30, 6:00 to 9:00pm HALLOWEEN PARTY AND COSTUME CONTEST, PRIZES

GALORE

I only got to check out a few of the booths because I was setting up, but I can't wait to get back. It's a good thing she takes credit cards too... Yikes!

The New Studio Buzz

I went away on vacation last month, and I came back to find I have a newly remodeled studio! Yeah! It was something that we talked about for a long time, more like talking about what my dream "creative space" would be. But, I wasn't totally sure it would really ever come to fruition. Just talking about it was overwhelming for me, and I wasn't going to do any of the manual labor! I only get away with it because I'm preggers. Otherwise I would have been in the throws of it all.

With it all done, and not being witness to all the hard work. I'm not going to get into how freakin' awesome it was that my husband, his dad and mom did all the work. Nor am I going to tell you about the 3 years worth of grime they had to scrub away before they could even start moving furniture around. Pretty much, I don't have a clue of what they really did in there. All I can say is that the studio is awesome. Even better than I could imagine.

I mean, I knew I needed to clean up my studio and make it more orderly, but I had no idea how much I needed the extra counter space. Now that I have Hope helping me in my studio, I definitely needed to explore a better use-of-space. We were literally on top of one another. If you only knew how often I used the floor as my assembly line, storage, and dumping ground (isn't that what the floor is for?). My creative space was quickly becoming an obstacle course. Try being 5 months preggo, and hopping over boxes and jewelry just to get a tool or turn on a light. Yeah, I know safe! But I just thought that was the way it was... working from home and making due. But no more people, I really feel a new wave of inspiration in my new space!

Here is a picture of the updated studio! I know it may not be the most exciting picture to look at, but for me, it's my dream!

The soldering station on the left, directly underneath the vent. The pickle pot just to the right of that. My photo booth is up, permanently. (Now I have no excuse, I need to get better about taking pictures of finished jewelry). Then the hammering station straight ahead. Notice how it's on a different table then the rest. That was on purpose and needed to be thought out and talked about for a long time. We didn't want to choose between someone soldering and someone hammering, we wanted to be able to do both at the same time. Now we aren't competing for space, we're able to do it both at the same time! Genius! Actually totally logical, but it took us a while to figure out how to make that work in the space...

Lovin' It!

Heat Wave

No excuse for not updating my blog for the past 3 months... except for the fact that I've been battling morning sickness and trying to not get "get sick" in my studio. All I have to say is, thank goodness for modern medicine and anti-nausea drugs!

I was telling my friend at Frolic Boutique that if there was a cure for morning sickness it would be the Twilight books. Yes, I'm in my thirties, happily married, with an amazing daughter, and #2 on the way, and I can't get enough of Edward Cullen. Sorry people who are "team Jacob", I'm "team Edward" all the way! I couldn't stop reading the books; it was the only time I forgot about feeling nauseated. I can honestly say that I'm sad I've finished the books. What happens now to Edward and Bella? They just live "happily ever after"... There has to be more!

So, what does Twilight have to do with Throwing Stars Jewelry? Inspiration all the way, baby! If you were only a fly on the wall in the studio, you would see how much Edward, Bella, and Jacob go into every piece. My friend, Hope, who is helping me out in the studio, "my star apprentice", got me started on the books. That's all we talk about when we're making jewelry! While she's soldering and hammering away, and I need her insight and counseling on Twilight. I guess I could make a line dedicated to Twilight... Name every piece after a character? The "New Moon" Fall Line perhaps? Maybe that will be my fall preview, dedicated to the release of the movie!

I know, it's only fiction!

Inspiration

I sometimes get asked, where did the name Throwing Stars Jewelry come from?

If you have one of my business cards, take a look at the back of the card. You'll see that my website is posted on the bottom. And above that you'll see some writing:

...I took a chance late one night
I threw those stars in the sky...

I used to write poems and thoughts, and one night I wrote about taking chances. I needed to be inspired. The whole poem goes:

I looked up into the night sky
The sky was dark
And it sparkled with light
It was then that I saw it
I took that star and I threw it
It was hard, prickly and rough
But I did it anyway
Over and over again
I took a chance late one night
I threw those stars in the sky
And the way that those stars shined
They shined so bright

On the other hand, it's funny because when I wrote the poem, I didn't realize that "throwing stars" is also a karate term. Ninjas throw stars too? You mean that there is such a thing as a karate star? Come to find out, karate stars are used as a weapon. I guess Throwing Stars Jewelry couldn't be more opposite. So, if you aren't a ninja, throw your stars. Take chances and make them shine bright! Be inspired, stay inspired.

Sleep is Soooo Overrated, Yeah Right!

I thought I didn't need that much sleep, I actually wish I didn't need sleep at all. I could be so much more productive if I didn't sleep, but unfortunately I do... Let me rationalize for a moment and maybe I'll convince myself that I don't need that much of it... Late at night is when I get my best work done. No interruptions, just some music and me working in the studio.

If I'm working during the day there's phone calls, emails, web surfing, updating Etsy, procrastination galore, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, mommy needs, thank-you notes, Stroller Strides, cartoons with my daughter, Grey's Anatomy, Oprah, bathroom, playdates, park, grocery store, holding hands with my husband, etc. At night, I usually can work for 5 or more hours without leaving the studio! Great, right! So I'm in bed by 2 or 2:30am and I've done a tone of work!

Until I need to wake up at 7am because my daughter wants to get up. Then, I'm in trouble. Full mommy attention, when all I want is sleep! I can almost cry, I'm soooo tired from the night before that I can barely be a mom. All I can think about is sleep and coffee. By the time my husband gets home from work, I need to find the bed and sleep. So, I've pretty much missed out on some quality time with my daughter because I can't keep my eyes open; and I give my husband a high-five and hit the sheets as soon as he walks through the door. Who needs sleep anyway?

Oh, there's another thing, studio injuries and random home injuries. If you look at my hands on any given day, you'll see random cuts and scabs. I know, gross, but another casuality on lacking sleep. Even opening mail and getting random paper cuts is cause for major injury. I'm taking a jewelry class and I totally stabbed my thumb. It took 3 1/2 weeks to heal. Not that I'm looking for sympathy, well maybe a little... But, there's no winning the sleep game. I guess the best answer is that I need my 8 hours, if I can get it... Or, at least get close to it. Last night I fell asleep as soon as my daughter went down, 7:45pm, and I woke up about an hour later to brush my teeth. I didn't wake up this morning until 8:30am, and I can't even tell you, I feel so much better!

Sleep is soooo necessary!

The Down and Dirty

I'm not down (in the dumps) and I don't think I'm dirty... or smelly. But the 'down and dirty' of it all is that I'm fighting against all the 'down' of the 'evil "E" word'. I don't even want to say the word; it's like "he-who-shall-not-be-named" from the Harry Potter series. If I say it, then I've succumbed to it. And I'm not going to!

Anyhoots, so here's the 'down and dirty' with Throwing Stars Jewelry. I stayed nice and busy for Valentine's Day. And the stores who sponsored me with trunk shows, asked me to keep my jewelry there for at least another week! Fantastic! Mitzi & Romano in Virginia Highlands and Frolic Boutique in Buckhead. My theory is, as long as the jewelry is available, it has the potential to sell. I'll go with potential any day.

And about my Flower Necklace, I wore it the other night for the Ryan Cameron Foundation event at Core Fitness, and I literally sold it off my neck. The lady who bought it wouldn't let me take it off until the end of the night because she said that I marketed it so nicely with my strapless coctail dress! Dude, it was great! Until I post it to the website, here's a refreshing look at the Flower! And it's versitle too!
























































Not that I'm an "E" expert, but I think the trick is, stay positive! I'm also going to be a part of the Trinity School, Spotlight on Art show starting tomorrow, Tuesday, Feb. 17th night. I'll be there tomorrow night, opening night, and Friday night with my hubby. Here's the information below:

February 9, 2009 I am proud to announce my participation in Spotlight on Art 2009 and invite you to come see my latest work. Artists Market February 17-21, 2009 February 17, Tuesday, 6 pm - 9 pm February 18, Wednesday, 8 am - 4 pm February 19, Thursday, 8 am - 4 pm February 20, Friday, 8 am - 6 pm February 21, Saturday, 10 am - 6 pm Please join us for Cocktails & Canvases February 20 from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm for complimentary cocktails and a chance to meet many local artists participating in the show.
Trinity School 4301 Northside Parkway Atlanta, GA 30327 Phone: 404.231.8100 Fax: 404.231.8111

Despite what they all say...

I just came back from a much needed vacation. I worked my arse off through the holidays, and although it's been slower than it was, I'm still staying a bit busy making jewelry. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, but I think there's always a reason to buy jewelry!!

About my trip... I went to Vail, Colorado for a snowboarding vacation with my husband, without my 2 year old daughter. I was gone for 5 days, and that was almost too long to be away from the little munchkin. My hubby and I lived there for 5 years. Maybe it was the altitude, or maybe the jaw dropping sight of the mountains, or being a smidge closer to the stars, but living in Vail was my inspiration behind Throwing Stars Jewelry. It's really where it all started for me... love, life, passion...

We did a little bit of shopping. One of my favorite past times that I don't get to enjoy much with an active 2 year old. I went by my old favorites, like the Silverthorne Factory Stores and strolled by my favorite name brand stores. I used to go to the Factory Stores and do some damage. Not totally crazy, but I would get my long sleeve shirts, sweaters, shoes, underwear in one fell swoop. I could always find that perfect item and feel like I could have bought a whole lot more. I mean the selection was fantastic! The reason I'm going into such detial is that I was so entirely dissappointed. It's like with this whole "economy" garbage people have given up. The quality was waaaay down and the stores were pretty bare. Shelves were empty and the attitude of the sales associates were off too. Just doom and gloom feeling. It's hard to describe, but I used to feel a jolt of adrenaline when I'd walk into these stores, ready to take on the shopping experience. And a couple of days ago... not so much.

The truth is, I don't have as much money to spend... I happen to be like the rest of America caught in this economic scariness (not crisis, just scary), but I also have a lot more responsibilities than I had when I lived there. We have a mortgage and a daughter. 2 major responsibilities that I really don't want to screw up, period. However, I still want to shop for goodness sake! It's like the female version of football. Just because your team might not make it to the Superbowl, doesn't mean that your not going to watch the game! I don't watch sports, but you get the point. Retailers, don't give up on us!! I still have some money to spend, and when I'm going to spend it I want to know I'm going to get something worthwhile. If these retailers could get it through their thick heads, I would have bought more if they had the same quality they had a couple years ago. Honestly, I could just keep on going with the complaints. But the real lesson is, my dissappointing shopping experience has made me really think about the jewelry I'm making and selling.

I feel silly, but I almost feel like I should make a pledge. "I, Amy Goldschmitt Leff, promise to make jewelry of the same quality, if not better, that I used to make before. I promise not to give up." Retailers, please please please don't give up on us! Seriously, the economy will turn around, like it always does and people will start spending more again, like they always do. It's all good, seriously!


The photo is taken from Vail Mountain, looking down into the Vail Valley. Frickin' beautiful, right? No wonder I was, and still am inspired by it!