Counting down to the art festival and a baby

I am really starting to freak out....just a little bit....in my head.

The Art Festival Street Fair is coming up this Saturday (the 23rd) and the baby's due date is creeping closer.

I am pretty ready, OK, I am not really ready at all but am trying to get there for the festival.

It's the baby thing that is kinda weighing heavy on my mind.

What if I go into labour the night before?

What if my water breaks that day?

What if I have the baby tomorrow and I am fresh out of the hospital with boobs bursting with engorgement for the festival?

But then again I am probably just freaking out over nothing and the baby will just wait until June. Why do I do this to myself?

What does it profit except for some rattled nerves?!

I must get my head in check and focus!

Sheesh!

So, let's get on with the preparations.

I have been trying to get ready by doing some last minute touch ups and digging out of my secret basement painting stash, well, I don't really have a secret stash but I have a few pieces that I haven't shared.

The kids have been keeping busy destroying the living room, painting, and crafting as well.

Here are a few that are in the print shop getting prints made.

And a few others kicking around. (the boots are staying though)

We started to set up our small kiosk tent. I think it is around 8x8 or 10x10 and the standard white top. However there are no walls and it has been sitting outside behind my parents garage for four years. 

It is a little rusty.

So Dave decided to invest and got a huge garage style tent. We will just set up two of the sections and part of the walls. I hope it works...we might just stand out like a sore thumb amongst all the little tents and tables but we'll be covered.

We have an hour and a half on the morning of the festival to get the tent set up and all the art displayed. I sure hope we can do it. (I mean Dave)

On my list of to do's there is the float situation, a log book to keep track of what sells and plastic sleeves of some kind for the prints.

The table will need to be covered and I have yet to create a banner. My banner designer friend (Hi Maria, waving sheepishly) is probably scolding me though the screen right now. 

I totally forgot to get what I needed sent off to her.

So I will have some sort of painted canvas little thing to say who I am. If all goes well this year then I will know and be better prepared for future festivals.

Kaitlyn has been quite busy crafting her own thing while I craft and would much rather that I sell her stuff than me sell mine.

She has laid claim to all the kid inspired stuff and is quite adamant that she "NEEEEEEDS IT!!!"

I did think that her double sided hand puppet was quite clever. She directed the cutting of felt and did the rest.

Ethan started to make a lion puppet of his own but never got past tracing his hand.

While he played cars endlessly Kaitlyn kept going by moving on to paints.

She is really quite abstract with her techniques. I wish I could learn from her, I am just so controlled, even when I try to be abstract or sloppy.

A few of the 'windy day' paintings have been whipped up. I shouldn't say whipped up, they take forever to create with their multiple layers and dry times. Then with my hand forever going numb I only get to sit and work on them for a few minutes here and there.

So the kids and I have made magnets instead. (notice the dots? Inspired by BA's  amazing dottery) My hand can survive this. I think the prices will be revised though, the wood ones would be a steal at $4 a set. 

What do you think is reasonable? I don't know what I would or wouldn't pay. 

Pricing is tough.

My mom has decided to contribute as well and has been working on some magnets of her own.

Oh, right, I almost forgot about the pendants. Above is one I made for Kaitlyn a few months back.

And above is one (click on the photo to see the detail) that was custom ordered through my shop by a friend for a friend for her birthday.

I have painted the large wood ones before (10 years ago,I will upload a photo of them one day) but fell so in love with the miniature ones that I just had to make more.

And then since I couldn't stop at the pendants I decided that they might be cute as magnets.

I am not sure if they will be for sale yet or not since Kaitlyn is quite in love with them already.

Well see.

Now back to the preparations. Dave just called and is done work early. Nice for me but not for the pocket and he is off to get hooks and try to figure out how to hang paintings in the tent.

Are there any ideas out there for this?

The only thing we can come up with is to use either dog run fencing and the square S hooks or use that thin board with the holes in it. I cannot remember what it is called but it would be sturdy and we could use the hooks with that too.

I keep thinking there must be a cheaper and better way to do it but I have never paid enough attention at past festivals to see what other artists do.

So if there are any ideas I am all ears!