Fresh Art Class Schedules...

Stopped in at the local print shop and printed up a few hundred flyers...only noticed 2 dates that were wrong, so will be changing those by hand. Hope that is all there is... Oh well, what do I expect with 52 different classes offered, boy am I going to be busy the next few months.

Now I just need to get the schedule into everyone's hot little hands... I have it posted on my website: artgardenpottery.com which is still a miracle to me that I figured that one out. I posted it to my facebook, my Artgarden Pottery facebook page and now I am in the process of entering about 400 names I have collected over the past 7 weeks to create an email mailing list...not to mention the legwork I need to do of passing brochures all over town, if you want to pick up some to share with your friends..feel free to grab some & Thanks!

So alas I will be on the computer today...after this email list, I still need to do paperwork: paying artists, figuring out tax stuff, you know all the fun stuff of running your own business! It's these days that are not my funnest, when people say to me "oh you don't work, you get to do something you love everyday..." when I hear that I would like to dump all this paperwork in their lap! But the more organized I get the better this job gets.

I am really looking forward to next week, when I can throw again and make some new product.

Started the day...cleaning the birdcage, washing dishes, and now off to inputing email addresses, oh the glamour of it all. The Fed Ex gal should be coming with a frieght truck full of bisque pottery today, so that should be fun to unpack and restock the shelves...

Living the dream...have a great day,
Laura

New Art Class Schedules....FINALLY!

My eyes are bugging out of my head from looking at this damn computer for the last several days, but today I did it...I finished my Art Class Schedule Brochure!

I just have to go print some off in the morning...I just finished posting it to my website, which is a miracle for me. Go look at it: artgardenpottery.com

I am just not that tech savy. Still need to tweak the fonts, boy is it tiny, but you get the idea.

Class examples to follow...

Calling it a night..yay me,
Laura

Today is my store's SIX week anniversary...What a crazy whirlwind!!!

What a crazy ride it has been...the last six weeks seem like a blur. The flurry of opening the new store, trying to figure out systems for running the Paint Your Own Pottery Studio: keeping up with firing & reordering...

Selling out most of my Pottery in the gift shop... and just putting in the long hours to keep this place going.  Oh ya,  and I was famous last month on the Venue...great way to get the word out. Thanks Melea!

Today I finally cleared off a little bit of desk around my computer....I had a chance to take a breath. Most kids go back to school tomorrow, people are back to work now. I expect things might slow down just a bit and that is okay. I've got my bills paid, customer work firing in the kiln, and class schedules swirling in my head.

Trying to figure out which fire to put out first. Class Schedules!!! should have that done by Friday. Need to do some remaining custom orders for customers. Really need to throw some pottery and refill the gift shop. Busy girl....but busy is good.

So thankful for the new store, so much busier...trying to get it all done. I will try to post more regularly as you follow me on this crazy ride.

Thanks,
Laura

BIG PROJECT...I think I can see the end in sight!!

It is all starting to come together, this little dream of mine. So much hard work, but I am nearing the end of construction and ready to make some work to fill up my amazing gift shop.

Spent the week finishing the pottery painting studio: floor, shelves, loading & pricing bisque, and building classroom tables ( which are all painted bright red and orange, thanks to my mom)...

I am going to take a few days off starting Sunday and hope to recharge my batteries before the last big push before I get this project finished...Need to make lots of product, I have two shows in Moses Lake in November and my last big one of the year in Spokane on the 18th, then I am done with shows and can open my new fabulous store in downtown Moses Lake!

Just in time for a HANDMADE HOLIDAY...SEE YOU ALL TUESDAY, NOV. 22...YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS IT!!

Happy Fall,

Laura

The NEW ARTGARDEN Pottery...coming together....

The shop is finally starting to come together...

 I now have the front window full of some Halloween Bats and Bowls...

 Meanwhile inside the store, I am busy building my front counter complete with columns and trellis. I am using my old barn door from my Saddle Club Barn that I had when I was 6 years old with my first pony and then again in my 30's when the Saddle Club was torn down to make way for Walmart. Such great memories around that barn door....

Took a week to build but I love it!!!

 My old fashioned windows and cabinet remind me of stories of my grandfather's City Bakery in Okanogan in the 50's....I like the idea of an old fashioned Mercantile Store, makes me think of my grandmother Edna working the counter at the Bakery....

 A great orchard ladder, one of my many treasures I have found this summer...will become the trellis between the gift shop and the pottery studio...check out my great grandmother Josephine Mayer's Potters wheel from the wheat ranch on Sagebrush Flats, she was out there in 1902, loving painting, pottery, and gardening...never met her but think of her often....

 Transforming old fixtures and furniture from my past store with paint and plywood to update my look..

Fabulous heavy farm windows that will hang between the gift shop and pottery studio...

So many fun things in store for ARTGARDEN...Follow my progress on facebook @ Artgarden Pottery and under Laura Mayer, come friend me... I update facebook constantly.

Today, going to take a break from remodeling and sit and make some product...just me and the CLAY!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS....GRAND OPENING OCTOBER 1, 2011!!!!!!!

Bellevue Art Festival=Great Success!!!!!!

Sold almost all of these fabulous flowers!!!

Mushrooms....New Popular Item!!!

We had such a great weekend...all those late nights of glazing and creating really paid off!! We had the best booth location smack dab in the middle of everything!!!



We're not Angry....We're Happy Birds!!

Now I am getting ready for the next big thing....BUGGY BARN Quilt & Craft Show at the end of the month & then my GRAND OPENING....FINALLY SEPTEMBER 22!!!! Be sure to mark your calendars...would love to see you there!!!

New Store vs. New Product

Just spent a fabulous weekend in beautiful Everett at Legion Park at SORTICULTURE GARDEN ART SHOW...it was awesome! The people were great, show was a nice mix of artists and plants and sales were good. Nice once in awhile to find a good show with good sales. Found out that these birds are very popular...had one left Saturday afternoon and I sold out first thing Sunday morning. Need to make lots of birds between now and my next show in Bellevue and then watch them fly away.....
So now I have come home and in looking at the calendar, I have a lot of BIG SHOWS between now and the end of August...so much to do! And I am trying to open a new store, that just might have to wait, I need to get so much product made and I have a show almost every weekend in August...so who knows when I will open, I'm doing the best I can and I will keep you posted...maybe mid july...maybe, oh but it will so be worth the wait!!! I am very excited about it.

This week I am trying to make as many platters as possible...I need to do some illustrating and get some of these new drawn platters done. They are turning out to be quite popular as well...busy girl! But busy is good...

Come find me on facebook...friend me under Laura Mayer. I will try to figure out how to post and link and all that to my facebook page Artgarden Pottery. Be patient... I do post a lot to my facebook/Laura Mayer page...easy to do from my phone.

Happy Summer....