So, a little background for you: on Etsy, there are these things called "Teams" which are groups of sellers who have something in common - they all make a similar craft, use the same medium (like beads!) or are all from the same geographic region. I had been looking and looking to see if there was a team for those of us from the Adirondacks, since this is such a huge area, and I knew that there were a wide range of artists and craftspeople in the area who sold their work on Etsy. To my surprise, no one had started an Etsy Team for the Adirondacks yet! So, being the "take-charge" kinda person that I am (yeah, right!), I decided to start one. I sent messages to about 35 sellers, and got responses from 25. Six of us met together for the first time the night before last, and it was great!
We had a great range of people at the table - there was one woman from Croghan, out near Canton (which is the only major town that I can think of near there), a couple of folks from Plattsburgh, and me from Jay. We met at the Great Adirondack Soup Company on Oak Street in Plattsburgh, which has always been one of my favorite places for soup and a sandwich, but sadly, I haven't eaten there in YEARS because I'm never in Plattsburgh at lunchtime anymore!
At any rate, we met and talked for about two and a half hours, and I came away with a bunch of typed notes that still won't make any sense until I re-write them out, and a whole lot of ideas for the group. I was amazed and pleased that there are so many talented people in such a variety of mediums - mixed media art, fabric art, spinning, dyeing, basketry, jewelry, crocheting and knitting, and of course, traditional Adirondack rustic-style furniture. Someone pointed out that it was great to see so many working artists who didn't necessarily create what is considered "traditional" Adirondack art.
So now, among the other things that I need to get going, I will be writing up the notes and compiling a list of shows and internet resources for the artists in our group. I'm hoping to somehow get the Northern Adirondack Trading Cooperative involved, because a lot of us want to participate in more online marketing classes and maybe a marketing idea exchange. (Oh, that's a good one!)
The other thing that's very exciting for me is that I am going to be participating in Artbeads.com's "Blogging for Beads" program. I will be getting beads from them, using them to create projects, and then posting reviews of the products here on my blog. I got a notification that my first shipment has been sent, so I'm looking forward to receiving it so I can share! Give me any excuse to play with beads and then write about them, and I will.
And today is a perfectly beautiful day here in the Adirondacks. It is sixty degrees out right now, sunny and clear, and it finally feels like spring! Colden and I went to Plattsburgh this morning because we were almost out of diapers, and on the way home as I was driving down I-87, I could see clear into Vermont across Lake Champlain. I would have taken a photo with my camera, but ya know, I thought it would be better if I kept both hands on the wheel with the baby in the car!
So for this afternoon, more beading and then writing up my notes from the ADK Etsy Team. Anyone who is interested in the team can see our Yahoo Group by clicking on the link.
Hope everyone is having a great Thursday - it's almost the weekend, yay!
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