Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Salmon Days 2011



Salmon Days is happening this coming weekend. I think it's supposed to stay mainly dry, mostly cloudy, a few showers. Posh. We're used to a lot worse. A few raindrops and clouds is nothing, right?

It's Sat and Sun, Oct 1 and 2. Hours are 10am-6pm both days. It's the whole downtown area of Issaquah, with the main streets closed off. There are so many activities and vendors it always amazes me. There is a new gal in charge this year, so a few things have been moved around a bit. I won't be in the same spot I've had the last few years on that beautiful corner to the entrance of the fish ladder across from Shishkaberries. But I'm just over a few booths in another corner. The old booth number was #318, and I'm now in #315 this year. It's just 3 spots up in a corner that faces north instead of south, same side of the street, basically in the same place. Hopefully you'll smell me, and not miss me.

Click the link above for all the scoop on the parade, the live stage entertainment schedule, parking and shuttles, food booths, artist vendor lists, maps and all the rest. This is a super huge show, great fun, and so much to do and see - don't miss it! Free admission, did I mention that?

Studio Closing Announcement

Fall is here! And it hit with a blast the last couple of days. Big winds, dumping rains - that's the weather we have come to expect.

Are you starting to think about ordering the fall seasonal soaps right about now? If so, just a word about what's coming up.

I'm going to be at Salmon Days this weekend, with all the fall goodies. And I'll post about that in a minute. But if you're planning on placing an order, please do it this week.

I am taking a short vacation before all the winter and holiday show season gets under way. I need a break from the grind and we've got a big family celebration to boot. So I'm closing the studio from Monday, October 3rd through Monday October 17th. Yes, two whole weeks! I don't remember ever going that long. But it's necessary and much anticipated.

Since it's just little old me over here behind the green curtain, that means no orders are going to be shipped during that time period. You will still be able to place orders on the website. But there will be a message informing you that it won't be shipped until Tuesday, Oct 18th. I'll start in on them right away and take them in order that they are received, getting them all out as quickly as possible.

Any questions or comments or whatnot, please give me a shout this week too. I'm working like a crazy person trying to get everything in order. If you need something from me, just let me know as soon as you can.

The Puyallup Fair was good this year, just a smidge better than last year, so as of yesterday, that is in the rear view mirror. What a long haul those two weeks are. I think it turned out ok. We're still calculating some of the sales and numbers overall. But for myself, I did alright this time out, and have a few good ideas for new stuff to do there next year.

Oh, and while I'm thinking about it, the Winter Holiday newsletter and new products announcements will still happen as usual during that first week of November. No change in any of the schedule for the rest of the year. Just a little time-out in October.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Puyallup Fair


So uh yeah, I was supposed to yap about the Puyallup Fair last week, and give you all the deets. I sort of got busy and forgot. But it's already happening. The fair, that is.

Dates: Sept. 9 - 25
Hours: Sun - Thurs 10am-10pm, Fri & Sat, 10am-11pm
Place: The Puyallup Fairgrounds, or Western Washington Fairgrounds, or whatever you call it. And if you don't know where that is, wow. It's the biggest thing in the town of Puyallup and signs for exits and where to go are plastered on every corner. Plus all the highway exits. But of course there is a map and directions too, on their website.

So as I mentioned earlier, I'm located in the "Artists in Action" area. It's a gallery/store located on the ground level of the Grandstand. The Grandstand is where the concerts are. Artists in Action is right next to the Fisher scone line, which is always loooooong. It's the west end (north end?) closest to the Red Gate. Gah. I've been there 5 years and I still know nothing.

Well I do know something: this year the "Totally Fried" booth is serving up deep-fried butter. Just to keep up with all the other insane fairs around the country. The deep-fried oreos and snickers looked alright, but I'm still pretty scared of the Krispy Kreme Chicken sandwich there.

Ok, back to the art. There's close to 70 artists in our show, doing fiber stuff, pottery, wood work, metal work, jewelry, clothing, hand-painted all kinds of things. Some new artists and new stuff. We've mixed it up and changed around the booths a little bit. We're still doing demos all day of how we make our wares. I'm working a bunch of little small shifts in the mornings, so I'll be in and out.

The rodeo part was last weekend, and I guess that's over. But there is a pretty good concert line-up. And lots of stuff to do. Just don't eat the butter.

Tuesday, September 06, 2011

Autumn 2011 Newsletter

The new Autumn newsletter is on its way! Snail mail versions are en route and should arrive tomorrow. The email version has just been popped off a few minutes ago. So to cover all the bases, I'm posting the info here too. The full text is below the photo. And a LINK TO ALL THE FALL GOODIES IS RIGHT HERE. That linkie-poo gets you to the Seasonal page on the web site, where you can travel around and check out whatever else you'd like to see too. Cheers!


Dear Friends,

The lazy, hazy dog days of summer headed out of town. It’s a bit of a shock, I know. Frolicking about in the glorious warmth of summer, it feels like it will go on forever and ever. And then suddenly summer is gone and we’re dumbstruck. How could it have passed by so quickly, we wonder?

September heralds the advent of autumn, with shorter days, cooler nights and a return of the “routines.” Like a well-worn path, fall has a welcome familiarity that brings us both comfort and a quiet joy.

Autumn has its own special pleasures - cozy snuggling by the fire as the leaves dance in circles and the rains patter against the window. It feels good to head inside and rediscover the warm comforts of hearth and home.

AUTUMN SEASONAL SOAPS

Autumn’s cool, crisp air crystallizes our senses. The whisper of wind and the crunch of dead leaves shoo us back indoors to the warm delights of home – soups stewing, goodies baking and fireplaces crackling. This year’s Autumn Harvest soaps highlight our favorite fruits and spices, taking the best of the season and celebrating the bounty. ($4.25 each or 4 bars for $16.00)

Sugar Pumpkin: This year’s version of the ever-popular pumpkin soap is scented with creamy pumpkin, vanilla, a sprinkling of spice, and warm brown sugar. Sweet and cinnamon-y, it is the quintessential fall fragrance, sure to mark the start of the season.

Cranberry Harvest: Tart, juicy cranberries and zesty orange peel, loaded with cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and pepperberry. This is a soft red bar - brightly fruity with a nice compliment of traditional spice.

Honey Orange: Fresh honey is the special ingredient in this soap, gently soothing and calming skin while adding extra moisture. Scented with sweet orange and a luscious honey fragrance, it’s soft and comforting.

Milk & Cookies: Who doesn’t love this treat? Especially on a rainy, blustery day. This soap is brimming with fresh, pure goat milk. The scent, however, is fresh-from-the-oven snickerdoodles – yummy, buttery, sugary vanilla and cinnamon.

HOLIDAY SPICE HOME FRAGRANCE SPRAY

It’s not too early to start spritzing a little festive spicy holiday spirit around the house! Holiday Spice is is our most requested seasonal spray, every year since the very beginning - oranges, cranberries, spices and greens all blended together for the perfect scent of magic and delight. Cinnamon spice and harvest fruit pair well with our fall soaps and set the mood in your cozy home. (4 oz bottle - $ 6.00)

HELPING HANDS SOAP SETS

Just introduced last fall, these charming packages of mini soaps have been a huge hit! The set features small 2 oz bars in the most popular year-round fragrances: Lavender Lemongrass, Clove Mint, Vanilla Bean & Honey, French Lavender and Moroccan Fig. One of each of the 5 fabulous scents are piled up in a little stack, and tied with bakery twine. Such pretty colors. Such a great idea for guest baths, travel soaps, or small gifts. Such a reasonable price too - it’s only $10 for the whole package. You’ll want loads of these for the upcoming holiday season. And with a portion of the proceeds for these Helping Hands soaps dedicated to the charitable organization Kiva, it’s a gift that multiplies around the world too.

DEAD SEA BATH SALTS

Our rustic, chunky bath salts come directly from the Dead Sea. Completely unrefined, these salts are sun dried from the waters of the Dead Sea in southern Israel. Pure, fresh salts with a mineral content that is 7 times greater than other types of sea salts, they work wonders on purifying and detoxifying, improving circulation, moisturizing skin, soaking away stress, and relaxing muscles, aches and pains.
The Dead Sea salts are quite concentrated in their healing and nourishing properties, so a little goes a long way. Just toss a small handful, or approximately a quarter of a cup into your bath water, and use even less for foot soaks. The fragrance may seem a little strong at first whiff in the bottle but they are scented to fill a full bath.
Just for fall, I’ve added a new seasonal scent: Red Currant – a gorgeous deep fruity berry scent. And the every day favorite fragrances are: French Lavender, Vanilla Bean & Honey, Sandalwood Jasmine, and Almond Ginger. (16 oz bottle - $ 8.00)

THE SEASON OF SHOWS, SHOWS, SHOWS

The next few months are chock full with craft shows, fairs and festivals too. I’ll be doing what I can to bring the goodies to your neck of the woods. See the enclosed calendar or log onto the website to get more details on the “Show Schedule” page.

As always, I sincerely appreciate your loyal business throughout the year, and wish you a brilliant and abundant harvest season!