This weekend was busy (and it’s only Saturday night)! Friday afternoon I drove to the next town over to set up for First Fridays. They shut down the main downtown street, and local restaurants set up some outdoor seating and do a bit of cooking in the street. There was a band (whose cover of Sarah, by Hall & Oates, I thoroughly enjoyed), and local artists set up their tents along the street. The street was full and lively all night long, and the forecast rain never appeared, which was marvelous.

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. :)

The Urban Art Co-op is a shop in Collinsville, Illinois that features work by local Illinois artists of both the “traditional-painted-on-canvas” sort and the more crafty, handmade bags and furniture sort. The shop also has an event space and hosts regular art-focused events, such as Wine and Watercolor, which sounds like a fabulous way to spend an evening. If I lived closer to Collinsville, I would definitely be signed up for that.

Ali McCarthy, who runs Urban Art, was kind enough to send me a few photos of my handmade items in her shop. Currently, you can find Anodyne Design wristlets and card wallets, fabric covered journals, keychain pouches, gift tags, and magnets in the shop. Oh, and of course, Little Hootie Owls.

Photo by Ali McCarthy

Photo by Ali McCarthy

If you are near Collinsville, which is right by St. Louis, you should really stop in and check Urban Art out. There’s lots more to see there than just what’s in these pictures, and the frequent classes they offer sound very cool. You can find out more about Urban Art on their blog or Facebook.

You may have noticed by now that I’m a fan of photos of Anodyne Design items in “action.” Most of these photos come after someone has purchased the item, but it has recently come to my attention that there is whole other realm of possibility for action shots: wandering photographers at craft show and farmers’ markets. Farmers’ markets in particular seem to be especially appealing to the itinerant photographer, and apparently even photographers cannot resist the cuteness of the Little Hootie Owl.

This photo of the Little Hooties recently appeared in the Bloomington Farmers’ Market weekly newsletter:

Photo by Gemma Billings

And this one was taken at the recent craft fair at the FRC:

Photo by Natural Habitat

Thanks for taking, and sharing, such lovely photos! Oh, and if you happen to be the sort of photographer who’s drawn to farmers’ markets, check out the flickr pool I created for photos taken at the Peoria RiverFront Market. The Market starts up again the first Saturday in June. Bring your camera.

This weekend I participated in a craft show at the Franciscan Recreation Complex, organized by the Peoria Park District. It was in the same location as the first Fancy Schmancy show last May, which is a lovely park with lush green grass and big old trees filled with allergens. I had the pleasure of sitting directly under one of these trees, and it dropped little presents on me all day.

Anodyne Design at the FRC Craft Show

Holy cow, I had no idea I could have such bad allergies. Thanks, Illinois. I never had allergies before I lived here. Unfortunately, I had a lot of time to think about my terrible allergies, because this craft fair currently holds the title for Least Attended Craft Show of 2010. To those of you who did come out, stop by my booth, or even buy something, thank you!

On the positive side of things, I met some great people, both shoppers and other vendors. In particular, I met the ladies of Garden Glitz, who were my booth neighbors. They were a pleasure to talk with, and their garden art truly does look lovely in sunshine. Not to mention the fact that they recycle old glass pieces into something beautiful, which speaks to my eco-conscious heart. I heard them mention that they will also make custom garden art with your own glass pieces, if you have something special that you don’t quite have a use for.

I also continued to work on my booth set up, and I think I hit upon a great use for the antique shutters I bought a couple weeks ago. I used them to support little “clotheslines,” which I used to pin up my clothespin magnets. It’s always been difficult for me to come up with an attractive way to display these, so I’m extra happy with this one.

Clothespin Magnets on Display

Next weekend will be filled with a much-anticipated visit with a friend, instead of a craft show. Although I won’t be there, a little bit of Anodyne Design will be at the Bloomington Farmers’ Market next Saturday, sharing space with Yellowdragonfly Designs. The next place you’ll be able to find me is at First Fridays in Galesburg, Illinois on Friday, June 4th, from 5-8 p.m. I hope to see you there!