Summer's Over

This year, I spent my summer weekends driving 2 hours North to the tourist-town of Sturgeon Bay in Door County, Wisconsin. My good friend Dave invited me up to sell my jewelry at the local Farmer's/Craft Market on Saturday mornings. He was selling his handmade upcycled garden ornaments and home grown produce and thought I could make some money there as well sharing a booth with him. I did make a bit, but mostly just enough to cover my expenses. Even with my Corolla, gas isn't cheap! But I had a great time and am sorry it is over.

Here is Dave standing behind our table. These pictures are from my first time there. My displays improved over the summer.


The plates are Dave's upcycled garden ornaments. He takes old dinnerware and glues them to copper fittings which fit onto recycled copper pipes. They are staked into the garden. Some are purely decorative. You can see some he adds wording to. Others are made from pitchers or bowls and can be used to feed or water the birds.

Here I used my business cards to hold pairs of earrings or hairclips. Later I started using professional earring cards and a homemade display rack. The plastic beaded bracelets were to attract the kids. It worked well. At 2 for a dollar, I sold quite a few.

Here you can see the button hairclips I was selling. I will be posting a tutorial here on how to make them, so gather those buttons!

This was an early morning sky on my drive North. I had to get up at 4 am to reach the market in time. That is something I WON'T miss!

Here is Dave and his father, Ken, standing in front of Ken's Granery Antique Shop. This farm has been in Dave's family for generations. At one time is was both a working dairy farm and an apple orchard.

The market actually goes until the end of October, but I cannot make the remaining ones. So now I am turning my attention back to my online sales as well as the Christmas gifts I need to get started on. Summer squash has made way for winter squash. The last of the fresh sunflowers are currently dying in my favorite vase. Autumn is here, and if last weekend is any indication when we got snowed on at the market, Winter will be here before we know it. Though I was busier than usual with the trips up North and often even staying until Sunday evening, I feel that for the first time in years I have actually experienced Summer. The long drives along Lake Michigan, the days standing in the sun chatting with people, the long walks on Dave's property, harvesting in Dave's garden, the time picking pebbles to make jewelry from on the beach. For once I was a part of the season instead of my usual hiding indoors at my workbench. I have always assumed I would hate person-to-person selling. I am not good with people. I get nervous and jittery. But I learned something. I can learn to relax and just chat with people. PEOPLE, not customers. I know it sounds sappy, but this Summer I really connected with the Earth and with other people, ones both close to me as well as strangers. I feel enriched for that. I honestly can't wait until Spring.