Fresh Strawberries and Cherries

Turnips from White Chimney Farm

Ornaments from Toraason Glass

I have a few more pictures from the market on Flickr. I’ll be out there again this weekend (fingers crossed for no rain and low humidity!) If you come out, stop by my booth and say hello. I’ll have some new items this week… maybe I’ll post a peek at them tomorrow.

Anodyne Design at First Friday in Galesburg, IL

This morning was not quite so nice, weather-wise. But a little rain is no reason to miss the first farmers’ market of the season, so we braved the weather and set up downtown. It was clear the rain kept quite a few people away, but I think that just speaks more to the awesomeness of those who did come out. It was nice to see some familiar faces and to make some new friends.

One of my favorite things to do at a farmers’ market or other event is to people watch. It’s endlessly interesting to see the variety of people in this world. (And to see their pets. There were definitely some cute dogs out at the market today.) Some of my favorite observations from this weekend:

Stilts at First Friday in Galesburg, IL

- watching an older woman dance un-self-consciously to the First Friday band, while everyone else just stood around. It was absolutely refreshing to see someone so much enjoying herself regardless of what anyone else was doing or thinking.

- witnessing a Walk of Shame. The parking lot for the farmers’ market has signs clearly stating that no one is allowed to park in it overnight on Fridays, because we need it for the market early Saturday morning. Not everyone always follows the signs though, and sometimes we have to work around the cars. There was one such car right next to my space today. About halfway through the market, we watched a young woman enter the lot in some fabulous heels that were clearly too fancy for a rainy morning of produce shopping. She quickly walked straight to the car next to us, and drove out of the lot with her hand over her face. But she did have awesome shoes.

- watching a man on stilts gently hold his companion’s (who was not on stilts) hand. And then watching that man on stilts be “stalked” by a gaggle of little boys, who would scream and run with delight whenever he turned and saw them.

- I also met a man with a laugh just like Amadeus today. It was marvelous.

Tomorrow, I plan on checking out the Junction City Art Fair. Some artists who are there that I love: Joan Furilla (fine silver jewelry), Razorberries (quirky watercolor illustrations), and metalME (more pretty jewelry!). And perhaps best of all, it should be sunny, or at least not raining. Hooray!

P.S. Help Anodyne Design grow a little, by nominating it to win a small business grant on Love a Local Business. All you need to do is click the link and leave a comment describing why you love Anodyne Design. If love is too much commitment for you, I’d happily settle for “like a lot.” I love being a small, local (and online) business (although you don’t have to be local to vote!), and it will be easier for me to keep doing that, and doing it well, with a little love from you. Thanks. :)

Anodyne Design at the Fancy Schmancy Market

This Saturday I spent the day at the Fancy Schmancy Market. The market was held indoors, which was a nice change from last weekend’s cold outdoors event. Especially since it ended up raining this weekend! The market went well, although it was not as highly attended as anyone had hoped. Those who did come by were a pleasure to see, and as usual, I enjoyed talking with everyone who stopped for a moment in my little booth.

When there was a lull in shoppers, I used the time to get to know some of the other vendors there. There were a lot of great people and things at the market: Sea of Glass Designs was there with some really lovely jewelry, Carrie’s Crafty Cottage was there with the cutest hand-knit cupcakes, and Razorberries was there (and I finally got some fabulous notecards).

Big Hoots

There were also some new Big Hoots in my booth this weekend. They are twice the size of the Little Hootie Owls, and perfect for watching over the little ones.  Most of them were gone before noon, so I think I’m on to something here. I’ll definitely be making more. And thanks to a special request, I’ve started branching out into owls made with cotton prints, in addition to the felt ones.

Next weekend, I’ll be participating in the Craft & Vendor Sale at the Franciscan Recreation Complex in West Peoria. This is in the same outdoor location that Fancy Schmancy used last May, so I know it’s a lovely place to go for a little shopping. Let’s all keep our fingers crossed for nice weather. We’ve had enough cold, windy, and rainy Saturdays. There will be more Big Hoots there, and some new wristlets, Little Hootie Owl mobiles, and journals. I should probably get to work on those now…

Fancy Schmancy Market Radio Ad (click to play!)

The Fancy Schmancy Market is this Saturday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. and the Hult Center for Health Education. I’ll be there, the hootie owls will be there. Will you?

This week started out with the lovely surprise that Liesl (of Liesl Made, and whose work I adore!) really likes the Little Birds Journal she bought from me awhile ago. I discovered this via her interview on Whimsy House. It’s a good interview– you should take a moment to check it out. As if that weren’t cool enough, the interview is paired with a giveaway. Leave a comment over there and be entered to win one of Liesl’s marvelous Butcher’s Aprons. I’d like to win one myself. I love the combination of gorgeous fabric and simple, clean styling.

The Fancy Schmancy Market is coming up this Saturday, so I’ve got a lot of work to do to prepare for that!  Also, the Bloomington Farmer’s Market is starting up this Saturday. And since I can’t be in two places at once, my good friend from yellow dragonfly designs will be there with her jewelry and some lovelies from Anodyne Design. (And in reverse, I’ll have some of her awesome earrings on display at Fancy Schmancy!) The Farmer’s Market runs from 7:30 a.m. until noon, and the Fancy Schmancy Market runs from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. You should stop by and see at least one of us!

Anodyne Design at the Peoria Heights Art Fair (click image to see a larger version with notes)

Despite the cold and the wind (for which I finally had to figure out how to put the sides up on my tent), I had a great time meeting and talking with new people throughout the day. And I love knowing that some of them left with with a new Little Hootie Owl mobile to hang in their baby’s room, or a journal to give a friend. As usual, the general consensus was that Little Hootie Owls are terribly adorable, and that tiny things are cute.

Of course, today the sun is shining and the wind is gone and it would be a lovely day for a street fair. But it will be summer soon, and I expect there will be lots of lovely days like today at the Farmer’s Market, First Fridays, and Rhapsody in Bloom. And next weekend, just to be on the safe side, the Fancy Schmancy Market, will be indoors, where the weather is always perfect.

There are going to be a LOT of artists there, but a couple of the ones that I know of for certain, and whom you definitely should not miss, are Joan Furilla, who makes beautiful fine silver jewelry, Razorberries, whose watercolor art never fails to impress, and Yellow Dragonfly Designs, who makes lovely and unique necklaces, earrings, and bracelets, and awesome tables from vintage suitcases.

I have been working on a lot of things, but here’s a peek at some of the new mini journals I’ll have at the fair tomorrow:

Fabric Covered Mini Journals

I’m participating in an event that has a billboard. I feel so fancy!

Anodyne Design at Earth Day Festival

The Earth Day Festival was marvelous! Despite the constant threat of rain, there was a steady stream of people the whole day, and the rain politely waited until the very end of the festival before it started. I had a great time meeting new people, seeing some familiar faces, and talking about how Anodyne Design is environmentally friendly. From the Little Hootie Owls, which everyone seemed to love and which are made with felt made from post-consumer recycled plastic bottles, to the wallets and wristlets made from vintage sheets and thrifted clothing, I realized as I was talking a lot of the things I make are really about giving a second life to old items. I also realized that saying, “I made this bag from old pants,” doesn’t sound too pretty, but there you have it. Even though it didn’t sound pretty, the bags are pretty, and the fact that they’re using recycled materials is beautiful.

Thank you to everyone who came out. It was great to see you!

It’s rainy and miserable out today, but I have it from a good source (yeah, weather.com) that the rain should let up for the whole duration of the festival, the sun should peek out, and the temperature will be a positively balmy 70 degrees. Seriously, take advantage of the break in the rain to come out, hear some music, eat some food, celebrate being good stewards of the planet, and check out the local art and craft scene. While I can’t speak for everyone, I know I will have lots of specially-prepared eco-friendly goodies out, and yellowdragonfly designs will be there with some awesome vintage luggage that she has transformed into tables.

I have a few other events to tell you about,  too! First, did you notice that I have a little “Upcoming Events” box in the right sidebar? In case you are looking for Anodyne Design this summer, you can find out where I’ll be by checking that space. After the Earth Day Festival, I’ll be at the Peoria Heights Art Fair on May 8th, and the Fancy Schmancy Market on May 15th. I will also be sharing a space with yellowdragonfly designs at the Bloomington Farmer’s Market all summer long, starting on May 15th.

I’m really excited about the start of market season this year. I just started doing them last year, and being a naturally shy person I was pretty nervous about it. I hadn’t anticipated how fun and satisfying it would be to interact with people who share my interests in buying local and handmade. I’ve missed it all winter. I hope to see some of you at one or more of these markets and festivals. If you make it out, do stop and say hello!