Thank you to all my Victoria Park customers...it was truly a pleasure!
To those of you you who expressed keen interest in the Lamoore Designs Thinking Bench(not for sale), here's the pic I promised. I'm still waiting on word from the builder(the David) on whether or not there will be other benches in the future...stay tuned.



and here's a picture showing my entire layout:



This year, I really worked at making my booth as spacious as possible. In the past, I've had one main viewing area, and with 2 or 3 people standing in it, the space was filled to capacity, leaving everyone else out of the fun. By adding a second, L-shaped counter, a lot more people could browse at any given time, especially since it could be accessed on all sides...there was no "forbidden" area...all open! The bench, lamp, books, and beachglass displays were intentionally added in to give a cozy, welcoming feel...Customers often comment they feel overwhelmed in the craft show atmosphere, so these touches were designed with the weary show-goer in mind. I was happy to hear your comments on the spinning log fixtures in the foreground...I built those myself and it was fun to see them in action! So, you ask, was it worth all the bother? You betcha! This year, the Lamoore Designs booth was officially recognized by show organizers who commented specifically on the welcoming touches...forgive my pride while I bask(just this once):



Also, some of you were interested in owning copies of the Finders Keepers-themed books I had on hand. Here are some links to making shopping easier. You can follow these links to purchase them online, or simply gather more information to make the purchase from your local bookseller:

Hiking Trails of Cape Breton
Edible Wild Plants
Beach Wisdom
Taking Things Seriously
Pure SeaGlass

All in all, a most enjoyable and rewarding show. I will be doing only this show next year, as doing two shows two weeks apart has become a little unmanageable. I've already begun adjusting the product line you'll see in 2008, and the booth display will change once again...see you next year!

The above books will be stacked upon the thinking bench in my booth at Victoria Park...waiting for someone to sit and browse!
Books are probably my favorite gift to receive, and I also love choosing books that are just right for giftees on my list. Any of these would be an excellent choice for the mermaid, packrat, or treehugger on your list...mine are not for sale, but you're welcome to copy down the ISBN so you can hunt down your own copies...mine came from Amazon and locally at Coles.

My dedicated and valued assistant (okay, it's my mom) is busy preparing a festive display for Victoria Park into which my free-gift jar will nestle.

I have fond memories of us sitting at the kitchen table together at Christmastime, poking cloves into oranges, stringing cranberries, decorating gingerbread men...one whiff of these glorious orbs brings me right back...if you're coming to the fair this weekend, don't be too shy to stop and sniff the oranges!

This is the shopping bag I'll be offering to my Victoria Park customers this year.
I've hand-screened/stencilled a dotty lime green "Reuse" in the lower right corner, and will include a list of all the different ways a person might reuse it once they get it home.
As many of you know, I consider my choice in packaging materials carefully, always with an eye to what's most earth-sensible. I've noticed I tend to keep my large shopping bags around a lot longer than the small ones, and I reuse them more frequently since their size makes them more versatile. I've also noticed craft fair shoppers struggling to hold onto their many bags from all the different vendors and thought, "we could cut down on all those bags by putting everything in one big bag."
Of course, many of you may bring your own bag from home--obviously the smartest choice. And some of you may prefer a smaller bag...I'll have those too, but they're not nearly as fancy...just plain and simple brown paper lunch bags, totally recyclable.

question: Which bag is better for the environment, paper or plastic?"
answer: "Cloth."

Here is a sneak peek at my little jar of free gifts. Each purchase made at Victoria Park this coming weekend will include one of the little "dumplings" shown here in a jar.
These are the Lamoore Designs version of Chinese cuisine's Dim Sum...which, when translated, means "touch the heart" or "a little token"...some translate as "A Touch of Heart".
My "Dim Sum" tokens are not available for purchase, and their contents shall remain a mystery for now...I'll reveal all after the show!

Waking up on the Monday leading up to a weekend Craft show always hits hard...some of the things I wanted to bring must wait till next year--a whole year!--because there simply isn't time to finish.
It is only when I put things into perspective that I start to feel better...I look back to last year and recognize what's different about this year...and there's quite a bit!
Each day this week, I will post a picture on the journal of something I'll be bringing to Victoria Park that is new...Today, it's my wild strawberry blossom necklaces. In preparation for the show, I used all the blossoms I had, so once these are gone, there will be no more till strawberry season rolls around again.

I had promised to post more about what visitors to Victoria Park can expect from Lamoore Designs, so here it is:

Today, I asked Mom to sort through a bag of paper scraps to find the best pieces for the backgrounds of my flower necklaces. The giant mass of hand-dyed bits and pieces had been generously donated to me by fellow Cape Breton artsy gal Katherine Scott. The joy of hunting for colorful little paper gems on a rainy November day is irresistable, it seems, to man and beast alike!

The Marconi show was excellent on all accounts: thanks to each and every one of you who stopped by my table...it was a pleasure to be able to aid in your gift-giving quest!
Because of the hectic pace (there were times when customers were lined up 3 and 4 at a time)I unfortunately could not get a ballot to everyone. If you made a purchase at the show and did not provide your email address but wish to, simply send me an email with "ballot" in the subject line...this will enter you in the draw(it also signs you up to receive my e-newsletter).
It is always interesting after a show to sit down at my kitchen table and figure out what items were the most popular with my customers. This year, I came home with only a few lonely flower necklaces, making this your number one choice. You were also very happy to choose from the seconds and discontinued items from the "oopsie basket". Some exquisitely marked sand dollar jewelry went away to happy homes, and the beachglass pendants really moved on Sunday. Many of you oo-ed and ah-ed over the "Top Mermaid" one-of-a-kind piece, which was soonafter swept away by its new owner...Congratulations, Anna, it will be beautiful on you!
Today, I surveyed my yard and neighborhood for any last glimpses of flora suitable for pressing. Other than a few hardy hydrangea, some dandelions and asters, I think we're pretty much through with the Harvest. *sigh* Till next year!

With the Corolla tightly packed, it's off to the market I go...will I see you there?
The Place: Marconi Campus/AVTC (Sydney, Nova Scotia)
Today:7pm-10pm
Saturday:10am-8pm
Sunday:1pm-5pm

After this weekend, my next and final show of the season is Nov.23-25, also in Sydney, at the Armories (Victoria Park).

These are two very different shows, and the inventory I bring to each is correspondingly very different:
The show at Marconi is where I bring all my standard bestsellers...Sand dollar jewelry, sea urchin earrings, beachglass pendants, plus the maple leaf and flower jewelry.
The Victoria Park show is roomier (I have a 10'x10' booth) so I can be really creative with display fixtures plus I can squeeze in more/more varied stock. The pace at Victoria Park also allows me to attend to details like special promotions, packaging, and custom ordering. I will post more about what you can expect from my booth at the Victoria Park show as it approaches. I'm psyched!

If you're coming to Marconi, awesome! All the merchandise you will see is fresh fresh FRESH...created within the last month, nice and shiny! You will be happy to know I've completely re-designed my receipt-writing process to make checking out a breeze. Excited!

insider tip: to avoid getting stuck amidst the major crowd at the Marconi show, plan to attend Saturday at Suppertime... it's usually pretty quiet around then...good luck!

Happy Halloween everyone!
Hope y'all had fun...the pic above is the David and the Mom decked out for a party. It took me so long to paint those faces, but I think it was worth it in the end...aren't they the coolest parents? Next year, the David will be something a little easier to paint...once I got started, I realized lions are trickier than tigers because they don't have the stripes to really let you know what it is...altho with his mom-sewn mane and natural muzzle, there could never be any doubting his lion-ness!

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