Show Season

Well, it's show season in the Phoenix area. Unlike most parts of the country, most of our art shows/craft fairs, etc., are held in the winter months. When other parts of the country are battling snow and ice, we are just coming into prime outdoor season.

This is an urn I made for a friend's dog. It was a special request for a very unexpected passing of his English Bulldog. I used a piece of Olive I had and filled some cracks with Turquoise. For the top, I used Texas Ebony. I know it's hard to see, but the small "finial" or top of the lid resembles the top of a fire hydrant.

As Christmas approaches, my sales tend to go way up, as well as special requests for items. This is a two edged sword. As great as it is to be able to spend time in the shop, it can get a big hectic making sure I am meeting everyones needs. It can also be a big overwhelming turning a bunch of different things. My preference is to turn one of a kind, larger artistic items such as hollow forms and decorative bowls and platters. However, in this economy, they are sometimes cost prohibitive for people to buy. I find most shoppers are more attracted to the less expensive items such as bottle stoppers and small vases. This isn't a bad thing, turning is turning. I just have to make sure I keep enough of those items in stock.

Finally, my peppermills are really taking off, and more design ideas are flowing fast. That is a good thing. However, finding antique doorknobs on the internet has gotten more expensive, which drives prices up.