boulder opal magic
jillian rose
Two weeks ago, after getting home from a little road trip to Utah and southern Colorado, and still without a "job" (I applied to be a baker but it didn't work out), I decided to apply to the waitlist for the Jackalope Art Fair in Denver. What the hell! Why not? I hadn't been as busy making jewelry as I had been taking photos of our little adventures during Tim's unemployment. There were big cuts at work and he lost his job in the beginning of October. Security became a theme for us. What do we really need right now? Good food, nature, time together...somehow jewelry making and new tools took the back burner.
So anyways, I applied to Jackalope, and within hours was notified that I had been accepted! Awesome! Yay! I'm doing it! But then...oh shit. It's really happening. This is in 2 weeks. I don't have a very big inventory. I'm out of business cards. I'm out of 22g silver. I need to get a tax license, and figure out display. I need a shop sign. Maybe I can have loose stones for people to choose from for a custom order. I need an order form and price sheet. I need an inventory sheet and packaging. I have 2 weeks to put this together...
And as I'm writing, I have 2 days to finish this shit up. My first market. In a city that makes my armpits sweat just to drive into. I'm not a city girl. I like hiding out like a hermit in the woods or in the back laundry room...ahem "workshop". After moving to Colorado and checking out some awesome holiday markets with my friend Nina last December, I knew I wanted to do a craft show...eventually. I felt like I wasn't ready yet, though. Not enough inventory, too nervous to talk to people about my work for 7 hours straight. At that point I didn't have a home studio and was busy setting off apartment alarms with my torch and throwing baking soda down over the railing, trying to aim at the puddle of etching mordant that the crazy wind just spilled all over the downstairs neighbor's deck. Eleven months later, I feel like I was given a swift kick in the bum to get back to work and get out there. "Your roots are nourished, it's time to blooooom!"
Jackalope Art Fair. This weekend, November 14-15, 10-5p at the Exbo Center in Denver, CO. Come say "hi"!! (I made new stuff!)
Shop update Friday 12p noon mountain time.
