There comes a time in our lives when we start thinking about what our future holds and where we need to be. For me that has always been about every five years!

I guess I just need to shake things up a bit, every now and then.

In 2015 I bought the building where I currently have my studio with lots of plans for it. I wanted to hold Painting Parties, I needed a space to offer Reiki and Reiki Classes. I needed a small storefront to hold and sell my finished pottery and of course, I needed to make and fire my pottery.

The building was perfect for all of that. Its an artists dream studio space.

I held Painting Parties, I gave Reiki classes and sessions, I sold pottery from my little storefront and I made Lots and Lots of Pottery!

But as time rolled on and I grew a bit older, I started to release a lot of these things until all I used the studio for was…..to make pottery.

Meanwhile, my hubs and I found a pretty messed up lot on a sweet little lake in Arkansas. It was always on my bucket list to live on a lake. We cleared and cleaned the land and built a tiny one bedroom, one bath “cabin” with a big picture window that looks out over the lake.

We so fell in love with this lake home that we found it harder and harder to go “home” (a mere 20 drive from my studio!)

After thinking about it for over a year! We have decided to make the lake home our permanent home.

But what about the studio?

I know for many of you being 20 minutes from work is nothing. A drop in the time bucket. However for me, I felt so inspired and creative at the lake that I found it harder and harder to make that drive.

Good thing Emily and Max needed my love and attention!
So two weeks ago I woke up one morning and said “time to sell the studio and build a small shop at the lake when I can work and play, garden and bake bread, read a book or work on my website, with my hubs, my dogs and of course, Max and Emily, by my side.”

I called a Realtor and listed the studio not expecting a quick sale but I was wrong and within 3 days I had an offer…not just one but two!

I didn’t expect it, but since the studio sold right away I had to get my butt in gear to get the new studio up and running! I quickly ordered a 12 x24 Portable Building to be my new studio. It should show up any day now and we will begin to make it into a perfect little studio where I can work to my little hearts content.

For the next few months I will be concentrating on making this move. I have to fit 1600 sq ft of stuff into a really small space! But I am so excited for this next phase of my life. I have a feeling I will be able to really concentrate more on my art!

I will keep you posted on how its going. My next big show is at the end of July so I will be back at it soon!

Please note this post may contain affiliate links and I may earn a commission if you click them and make a purchase.  This is, of course, at no cost to you, and I only share products that I use and love myself.

In 2015 I bought the building where I currently have my studio with lots of plans for it. I wanted to hold Painting Parties, I needed a space to offer Reiki and Reiki Classes. I needed a small storefront to hold and sell my finished pottery and of course, I needed to make and fire my pottery.

The building was perfect for all of that. Its an artists dream studio space.

I held Painting Parties, I gave Reiki classes and sessions, I sold pottery from my little storefront and I made Lots and Lots of Pottery!

But as time rolled on and I grew a bit older, I started to release a lot of these things until all I used the studio for was…..to make pottery.

Meanwhile, my hubs and I found a pretty messed up lot on a sweet little lake in Arkansas. It was always on my bucket list to live on a lake. We cleared and cleaned the land and built a tiny one bedroom, one bath “cabin” with a big picture window that looks out over the lake.

We so fell in love with this lake home that we found it harder and harder to go “home” (a mere 20 drive from my studio!)

After thinking about it for over a year! We have decided to make the lake home our permanent home.

But what about the studio?

I know for many of you being 20 minutes from work is nothing. A drop in the time bucket. However for me, I felt so inspired and creative at the lake that I found it harder and harder to make that drive.

Good thing Emily and Max needed my love and attention!
So two weeks ago I woke up one morning and said “time to sell the studio and build a small shop at the lake when I can work and play, garden and bake bread, read a book or work on my website, with my hubs, my dogs and of course, Max and Emily, by my side.”

I called a Realtor and listed the studio not expecting a quick sale but I was wrong and within 3 days I had an offer…not just one but two!

I didn’t expect it, but since the studio sold right away I had to get my butt in gear to get the new studio up and running! I quickly ordered a 12 x24 Portable Building to be my new studio. It should show up any day now and we will begin to make it into a perfect little studio where I can work to my little hearts content.

For the next few months I will be concentrating on making this move. I have to fit 1600 sq ft of stuff into a really small space! But I am so excited for this next phase of my life. I have a feeling I will be able to really concentrate more on my art!

I will keep you posted on how its going. My next big show is at the end of July so I will be back at it soon!

In just a few more hours I will be heading to my last show of the year.

I am not a big fan of doing shows because they are so much work. I am pretty much on my own since hubby is not a fan of helping me. This year, however, I really have looked forward to them.

Please note this post may contain affiliate links and I may earn a commission if you click them and make a purchase.  This is, of course, at no cost to you, and I only share products that I use and love myself.

Seeing all the people, hearing Christmas Music, smelling Cinnamon and clove, green and red color everywhere and a slight nip in the air really helps put me into the Holiday Spirit.

For this show, I was given an 8 ft table which really helps during setup. You can read more about my show setup and suggestions for a successful show here. 

I don’t mind lugging in all my pottery. I pack it into wooden crates that I use for my displays. But the folding 5 ft tables I have are not all that easy for a 5’3” person to transport. I either need to be 5” taller or my arms need to be 5” shorter but now I have to bend my arm just enough to not drag the tables and they are heavy. I sure do get a workout.

For my display, I really love these wooden crates. Not only do they give height to my table and make it more interesting but they are perfect for transporting my pieces to the show. They have cutout handles for easy carrying, they stack nicely on top of each other, I can’t overload them so they aren’t that heavy and they are protective of my pieces.

I always use Risers to raise my tables up to a more comfortable level. You can get bed leg risers. The risers I use are similar to these.

It’s not just a mug but a handheld piece of art

I think I need to make that my new motto!

One thing that I did at my last show that worked well was to play a video of me working on one of my Sgrafitto pieces.

I found that this really helped people understand the work involved in my artful pieces and that “it’s not just a mug but a handheld piece of art”.  That their mug or bowl was unique and special.

Once people could actually see the techniques and skills involved in the making of my artful pieces they more fully understood why I charge more for them. And that made them appreciate them more and want one.

So here’s to everyone’s successful shows. If you have any questions about shows please drop a comment! I will be glad to help