Sadly Sitting This One Out

 

I should be in my car, heading north to New Hampshire for the Squam Art Fair right now, but I'm not.  We were invited sometime mid-summer, well after I signed on to start a new teaching job, and I really should have known better than to plan a big family trip following the first real week of school.  I have been known to let my enthusiasm trump my good sense, and this is yet another example of how good intentions aren't always enough.  Squam is magical and restorative and utterly gorgeous, but it is also a whopping 7 hours away.   I am only one woman, and an exhausted one at that (13 kids in one multi-age classroom will do that to you).  Squam, I'll see you in the Spring, when life, kids, and my sanity are a little more settled.  Until then...

Sqam, Fall 2012

Now that July is coming to an end, it's hard not to start thinking about September.  My oldest son is 5 and getting ready to start school and I'm getting ready to go back (after 9 years) to teaching.  Maybe we're totally crazy, but in the midst of all that, we're planning to attend the Squam Arts Fair as vendors on Saturday, September 15th. 

We're in great company...

If you live in the New Hampshire area we'd love to meet you there!

Our Leather Goes to Summer Camp

Due to the inconsistent nature of leather, there are portions of hide that aren't optimal for shoe production.  We're left with boxes full of leather scrap and are thrilled when we can put some of that scrap to good use.  Some day we hope to come up with our own uses for the pounds of scrap that pile up, but for now, we are happy when we can put it into the hands of people who have the time and inclination to use it. 

April, the Director of Environmental Education at the Fern Hollow Nature Center in PA, just sent us these photos of kids using our leather to make dream catchers at their first camp of the summer season. 

What about you - any ideas for projects made from scrap leather?   We'd love to hear your ideas or share your work on our Facebook page.  Link your photos and we'll share them with our friends.

10 Year Old Shoes

 There was a lot of leg lifting at Squam.  Everyone wanted to see the shoes on somebody and not just sitting on a shelf.  Thank goodness for leggings, because from behind our table, the only way to show mine off was to lift my foot up, dress and all.  I was wearing these, my warm weather favorites. 

I bought these shoes in 2002 when I was waitressing and needed a pair of comfortable black shoes to adhere to the restaurant's dress code.  Believe me when I say that they've had a lot of foot traffic.  In the 10 years I've owned these shoes, they've seen me through waitressing jobs, a teaching job, a job at a local college, and several years of mothering.  Now they're about to take me back to the classroom in the fall. 

Good quality leather gets better with age.  I wonder how they'll look after another 10?

What about you - how long have you been wearing your Auroras?

Squam Art Fair

My mom and I left on Friday afternoon and drove the seven hours north and east to Holderness, New Hampshire where the Squam Art Workshops are held.  We arrived in darkness and woke up on Saturday to the most beautiful day.  The sun was shining, the air was warm, and the scenery was beautiful - winding roads, huge boulders, and the smell of pine in the air.  I found myself feeling more relaxed than I have in a long time (I'm sure that leaving my boys at home had something to do with this) and tried to soak it all up.


I carried my camera around, but was so busy chatting and looking, that I only snapped a few photos.  What I didn't capture, and want most to share, are the people.  SAW attracts some of the most creative, sensitive and supportive women (to be fair, there were a few men there, and they were also lovely).  My mom and I both felt very welcomed and honored to be a part of this magical event.

a welcome banner at one of Maya's workshops

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We did manage to take more foot tracings than expected, but that was just icing on the cake.  It was a great experience and I'm already looking forward to doing it again (though next time, I'd like to stay all week and attend the workshops). 


What about you?  Have you ever attended?  Could you use a creative retreat like this? 

Gearing up for the Squam Arts Fair

We're excited to be joining an impressive list of vendors at the annual Squam Spring Art Fair.  I hear that Ravelry will be there (if you know the online fiber community, then you know that this is HUGE).

I'm making lists and gathering supplies for our little booth and am trying to figure out just how to take orders for shoes that have not yet been made.  Thanks to a brilliant suggestion from Maya, I'm thinking about bringing a huge roll of butcher paper and taking foot tracings on the spot.  What do you think?  Will people be okay with placing orders and waiting for a package in the mail?  I sure hope so.  Handmade to order is probably not typical art fair fare...