The Harvester Center

We recently went to The Harvester Center in Rocky Mount.  This is a small town on the south side of Roanoke.  They took a building in the center of town and turned it into a music venue.

Up until this concert, we had only gone to the ones in the Roanoke Civic Center, renamed the Berglund Center.  We have gone to some really great concerts there: Brad Paisley; Carrie Underwood; Toby Keith among others.  The problem there is the acoustics.  It is a fairly small venue and these act usually perform at huge places.  I don't know if it is the band's sound people, the venue sound people or my old age, but I have resorted to taking foam ear plugs.  If I don't, I come out with my ears ringing, sometimes for hours.  This is not good.

I decided to quit going to inside concerts there, unless it is an orchestra.

We had heard good things about The Harvester  They are attracting some good artists and I decided to take a chance on seeing a musical program there.  But, I took a couple of ear plugs, just in case.

  

We saw Christopher Cross.  The sound was a bit loud for me, but there was no ringing in my ears, so that was good.  He played some songs I knew and some I didn't.  My favorite Christopher Cross song is Sailing.  It was released shortly after I got a sailboat and lived on it in Marina Del Rey.  I love that song.

a terrible picture with my phone

The Harvester Center earned my ear's seal of approval.  The acts that will go to Rocky Mount won't be the same ones that will play bigger arenas, but the parking is easier and the crowds are smaller, so I am OK with that.  It is a long drive for us, but I would rather do that than return to the Berglund Center.  We'll go back.

Stocked Market II

I am selling some baskets at the Stocked Market.  This is a fund raiser for the Junior League of Roanoke Valley held at the Berglund Center.

In a previous post I showed some of the Christmas themed baskets I made from clothesline and fabric strips. 

Here are a few of the other baskets I have been making.

 

After I make the baskets, I try to find an embellishment that coordinates with the fabric.

 

 

 

I'm trying different shapes and ways of finishing the baskets.  Then I added a stripe!

 

 

I got tired of the fancy and made a simple.

 

I have a lot of ideas and a lot of fabric, but only two weeks until the sale to make them.  If I sell any baskets, I will make up a bunch over the winter and then try again at a different craft fair.  If I don't sell any, I will be set for all birthday and other gifting opportunities for quite some time!

Stocked Market

I have a friend that sells hair clips made on piano wire.  They are beautiful and make many different hairstyles with ease.  She is coming for a visit soon to sell them at the annual Stocked Market at the Berglund Center, put on by the Junior League.

I have been sending her pictures of the baskets I make from clothesline and fabric strips and she has been telling me I should sell some at a craft fair. I was intrigued by this idea.  Plus, it gives me the excuse to keep making them as I experiment with color and shape.  I gave her one of my early baskets when she demanded hinted that she would like one.  Her hair clips don't take up a lot of space in the booth she has rented at the Stocked Market and she arranged for me to sell a few baskets from her booth.

Since then I have been making baskets like a crazy woman.  Well, she said in a humble voice, an exceptionally talented and organized woman with a touch of OCD.

Here are a few that I made with Christmas fabric.

 

You can really change the appearance by changing the thread color.

 

I bought a lot of little findings and things and have enjoyed combining them with the baskets.  I will bring scissors to remove them if potential purchasers don't like my choices!

 

It is a bit harder to make handles so I will have to charge more for them.  That is my big problem.  How much to charge.  I have seen little plain baskets for around $25.  And huge purses for hundreds of dollars.

 

There is about $5. worth of supplies, if I purchase fabric for a specific basket.  It is a little less if I use fabric left over from another project.

 

So I have to figure how much my time is worth.  And how much people are willing to pay for a basket.  Even one that is one of a kind and handmade by an ARTIST!

 

Can I charge more if I call myself an ARTISTE?