To Guild or Not to Guild

The second reason for heading over to the Carolina Craftsmen Guild show today was also to talk with the artists (always on the last day for those who want to follow my lead) to get a better understanding of how they felt about the weekend's show; one of many determining factors to join the guild.

It seemed that many were disappointed and all were desperate to find out why. Some thought it was because the show was situated in the middle of the flea ground (good point) and surrounded by hobbiests who produce much crap (another good point). It could also be a culmination of slow economy and those who feel they can buy similiar stuff at Target and be just as happy -minus any interesting story they might like to share. Who doesn't like to tell a good story?

Perhaps what I'm reading about micro-boutiques taking over this land is the mark of a new trend. Jeanne had sent me an article a month ago about the Alaskans renovating a train car with art and driving from one small town to the next for exposure and sales. What if a consortium of boutiques approached AmTrak with a similar partnership? Think of the unique business plan to help Indie Designers and a failing business like Amtrak to foster more jobs? Perhaps designers accompany the train from station to station or hire folks to man and cashier their rented space as their full-time jobs?

I know that folks walking past department store doors during their lunches and heading to micro-boutiques give the indie designers an opportunity to share their vision and keep the large dept stores continously striving to keep a unique position.

For now, I'm still waffling at joining a Guild or two, but will continue to support those indie designers and artisans as much as I can afford.

Uncorked! A New Exhibit!

I have finally installed a new series at EVOO Restaurant titled: Uncorked! It's a wine series coupled with spirited quotes that just might suit you. It will soon be installed online at Bijouxlled, my annex for ECStewart Collections.

Tell me what you think!

Carolina Craftsman Guild + Boylan Heights Art Walk

Today, I broke free from the holiday festivities -actually, the inlaws went home. Decided it would be refreshing to hit a quality show of exhibiting professional artisans -Carolina Designer Craftsmen- here in Raleigh. I wanted to see more textile artists but it seemed as though they've disappeared, leaving traces of silk designers and few others.

Among the artists I did visit and find noteworthy were my friends Marina Bosetti of Bosetti Art Tile and Carol Owen, the published artist of personal shrines and altered books. You know I just had to pick up her book and have her sign it! Additionally, I remember Dory of FuturisticallyArchaic, the exceptional silver artist who has designed a neat pulley system pendant and picked up some terrific earrings.

Now, I've got to return to my own studio and continue in R&D for new products. Perhaps you'll see a few at the Boylan Heights Art Walk at which I'm exhibiting next weekend!

Fear of Hospital Dramas

Dalton Ross on EW.com talks about his intense fear of hospital dramas, regardless of top ratings and I agree. Like Ross, I'll go into convulsions if I hear "Code Blue" or "50 cc's" of anything and I'll just paralyze in place.

This morning, at O'Freaking early, I had to accompany my husband into the hospital for a spinal-fusion. He does a really good job of remaining calm thru any situation - my emotions swing just a bit -from yelling at the old man who just hit our neighbor's dog to cracking jokes at the nurse who is inserting an IV into Andrew's hand.

I don't much like sitting here in the public waiting room. It's loud and I just want to sleep thru his surgery, however, the staff have other plans. I spied a waiting room for those in ICU and I almost sneaked in to grab a cat nap but I was afraid I'd miss Andrew's wake up call.

Alas, I'll blog and keep myself amused thru this slow news day -I must report any global news to the man as soon as he wakes -like he'll remember. :) Yeah, I get to tell him about the air guitar at least 5 times and make it sound interesting each time -complete with spasmatic convulsions.

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/commentary/
0,6115,1556246_7_0_,00.html

Canstruction

I've seen this artistic endeavor close to home at Exploris -but it's still neat.

To raise hunger awareness, giant sculptures made from full cans of food are built at an annual event held in New York and other cities.

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/11/11/D8LB2C7G0.html

T-Shirt Turns Air Guitar Into Music

How cool is this?

A high-tech T-shirt has motion sensors built into its elbows that pick up the wearer's arm motions and relay them wirelessly to a computer which interprets them as guitar rifts, said Richard Helmer, an engineer who leads the research team from the government's Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization.

Can you imagine having a slew of folks standing around performing air guitar -they'd need a conductor -neat options there. Personally, I'm waiting for air finger painting.

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/11/13/D8LC6K080.html

Options for Gurty's Law

I'm on the road to creating Gurty's Law. I need to familiarize myself with gathering names for petition to get a light, a stop sign, or a maybe a meager little speed bump.

My options are take the license I photocopied from the old man and:

Coupled with Gurty's photo, write a note on flyers indicating this is what he had done and to make sure that everyone is aware how angry we are as a neighborhood and distribute them to every house in both neighborhoods

or

Enlarge a photo of Gurty and print it on a banner. Stake it in the place where she got killed (at the intersection) and have keys words printed such as:

"This Pet Was Killed Last Night Due to Reckless Driving... Slow Down"

or

A Simple Banner that reads:

"Slow Your Ass Down You Rotten, Careless Bastards"

or

"You Must Have Been a Republican to be so Heartless to Kill a Pet"

or

"Heartless Republican Bastards Turn Back, My Gun is Pointed at Your Head"

or

"Stupid Old Man: Relinquish Your Driver's License and please don't have a Heart attach and die because of these circumstances you brought about yourself and heads will turn to me since I'm not afraid of confrontation."

or

"Slow Your Punk Ass Down... We Value People, Pets, and Children, Too."

City Council, Here I Come.

Farewell Gurty

Tonight, for the first time in 20 years, I exhumed my trumpet from it's comfortable chocolate crushed velvet case... to play taps.

I'm devestated by tonights events. Gurty, a neighbor's dog, was carelessly hit by a speeding old man whose license needs to be revoked. Regardless of his self-proclaimed fact that he grew up as the only kid with 25 hunting dogs will never bring Gurty back to her family. A horrible event I witnessed (in my mind's eye) several hundred times just waiting for the real event (actually witnessed) to happen while attempting to unload Andrew's Element of office toys. And now I'm drinking.

My head hurts. It's better than my stomach that's been in knots for several hours after watching her 80lb golden retriever body hit the pavement infront of the children and parents. That 86 year old SOB never stopped nor did he hit his brakes -I ran after him as fast as my damn heeless shoes would let me.

I'm sickened by the thought of that family next door with swollen eyes from crying so hard who must live with the regret of never putting her on a leash -but hey! Why should we when we don't live on a highway? Seriously! It's only 25 thru here and the bastards from the adjacent neighborhood feel it's well within their right to race to the other end of Childers.

I told that old coot that I was waiting from someone from Blenheim to hit a pet -or a child. And it had to be him. He swore he was only driving 25 mph but from a distance I heard Andrew yell, "BULLSHIT! What if that were a kid!!"

For me, kids and pets are on the same equivalency chart. Headhunters in New Guinea rate pigs higher than kids -but that's their social mentality, not mine.

I'd like to have that old man's license revoked for good.

Cops were called and children were babysat while the parents lamented their horrific decision over the life of their family member. I cradled my gut until the parents came home and the cops finally showed. I know the family doesn't want me to make an example out of Gurty but I do want to make an example out of the old man who killed their dog.

Right now, I'll be content with disentombing the brass on a very poignant occasion.

Gurty, this is for you.

Thought for the Day

"Never let your sense of morals get in the way of doing what's right."

- Isaac Asimov

I've done my part today to help bring equality back into the White House. Have you?