Hoboken Arts and Music Festival

All set up at the #Hoboken #Artsandmusicfestival ! We're here until 6p!

Brooklyn Renegade Fair and Future Events

Thanks to everyone who came out and stopped by the booth; you're the ones who make the Brooklyn Renegade Fair great!

I'm looking forward to the Jersey City All About Downtown Festival next Saturday, 20 September:

and Highland Park's Arts in the Park on Sunday 21, September:

See you then!

Half the kitchen :(

And today shall be spent unpacking from the fair!

Berkeley Heights, New Jersey!

It's a superb day at the Berkeley Heights fair!

Hackettstown, New Jersey!

Pleasantly breezy in Hackettstown! I'm here 11a to 5p! Come say hi!

Summit Fair

The forecast cleared up for a beautiful day in Summit! Stop by and see some Monsters!

Super-♥ my new planter from Lindsey Shevkun Fine Arts! Thanks!

The vegetable stand is well-stocked today!

Bernardsville Fair

It's a perfect day for a fair! Come out and see us in Bernardsville! 11a-5p — in Bernardsville, NJ.

Pequannock this weekend, Nutley next.

This Sunday I am in a street fair in Pequannock, New Jersey. I am, rather shockingly, mostly caught up. And it is only Friday. I need to work on some more habitats and maybe some themed--I'd like a few graduation Monsters to go with--but! I'm already printing Monsters cards. This is a huge deal. Normally I just get the chance to start printing cards at about 11p on Saturday, and there goes my going to bed early.

Anyway. Yeah. I actually did replenish my stock. It is rather amazing what can be accomplished when one doesn't play WoW for a week. Though tonight, to reward myself for all my hardwork, I am raiding ICC.

Next week I will be in Nutley. Both of these shows are with a different company which puts all the artists/hand-crafters together in a section. I feel this will be advantageous, but will have to wait until Sunday to actually know.

Well, if you've read through all that boringness, congratulations! You get to see about Paul and Barbara!

Paul never liked the way bananas looked, so yellow and jaundiced. He prefers colorful fruits and vegetables like candles and staples. His favorite food is deep-fried honey dipped in ranch dresshing. Paul is afraid of soccer balls, toilet brushes, and onions.

Barbara likes to rearrange books in the library, eat at sushi bars and follow pigeons. She sometimes follows them to the library, where she then rearranges books. Barbara is afraid the pigeons will refuse her invitations to go get sushi.

Excited and Nervous.

I am both excited and nervous. I sold almost all of my stock at yesterday's street fair, so... excited! Yay! However, I have, I'm assuming (still waiting to hear back with confirmation), a show again this weekend and the weekend after that. So yeah, nervous.

And, I had intended to catch up on posting things to both TimidMonsters.com and to my Etsy.

I think today I will be taking stock of what needs to be made and figuring out how much more clay I need. Then I will work on processing photos and posting things while I wait for Vytas to finish at school today, at which time he has promised me a trip to Michael's to buy said clay. The rest of the week I might try to get a few things posted per day, before making many, many, many more things.

I know. What a boring entry. Maybe this will make it more exciting. Or at least interesting.

You might tell me that my firefighter appears to be topless. However, I would counter that the police officer is wearing naught but a hat and belt. And has handcuffs. Just saying.

Anyway these are the first two in, hopefully, a new series of career Monsters. Well, I suppose the next two, seeing as how you could argue that being a ballerina is a career and being a Roman Centurion WAS a career. Though I'd much rather make the Centurion part of a historic series. I am dying to make famous dead people from history, and I think Elizabeth I would be a particularly fun one to do next.

We'll see. First I have to catch up on stock. Second I would like to expand the career series as several people at yesterday's show asked about teacher Monsters and librarian Monsters.

On the list of Monsters I still secretly (some not so secretly) want to make are:

• a sports fan with a beer helmet--see why I want the freedom of not having these aimed at kids?
• a Monster with a pet bee on a leash
• a tomato Monster that doesn't look like it belongs in Attack of the Killer Tomatoes
• an eggplant Monster
• a Queen Elizabeth Monster--duh I just mentioned that
• and a black and white Charlie Chaplin Monster. No, you're a giant dork.

EDIT: And because I do feel like I'm out of touch with... things... For instance the past couple of shows have given me a crash course in Silly Bands--which, I might add, are the stupidest things I've ever heard of. Give me ideas of what you'd like to see! Chances are I haven't thought of it or am avoiding thinking about how to do it. Your suggestions just might give me that shove I've been waiting for.

Today's street fair in Metuchen

A photo from today's show. You might notice that many of my shelves are emptier than usual. Well, this photo was taken late in the day, and you could say it was very good day.

Metuchen, New Jersey

Well, the forecast calls for scattered thunderstorms, but barring the cancellation of the show by streetfairs.org, Timid Monsters will be at the festival! So, if you are intrepid enough to venture out, please stop by and say hello.

To help entice you, here is a sampling of new work that will be debuting there.

I'll post more views of her later, after I finish processing photos.

6 June in Metuchen, NJ

Timid Monster will be in yet another street fair on 6 June in Metuchen. If you are in the area stop by!

After the 6th, I am hoping to try a new street fair company. I am still in the process of applying, but with any luck I will be in Pequannock, New Jersey on the 13th and Nutley, New Jersey on the 20th.

Whoa! Booth upgrade! And my thoughts concerning finger puppets.

That is not my real banner (it is printouts on a recycled vote-for-me piece of corrugated cardboard from my town's recent mayoral election). But those are my real tablecloths that I spent the last two days sewing to perfection.

I would say this is much improved over my booth display from last weekend. And next weekend in Metuchen, NJ, I will have my actual printed vinyl banner.

Now on to a matter that upsets me. Why do Timid Monsters need to be something to justify their existence? People come up and ask rather hopefully, "What are they? Finger puppets?" When I tell them that no, they are in fact figurines, little clay sculptures, they say oh... with a dissatisfied air and walk away.

Now here is my (and Vytas's) question(s): REALLY?! Finger puppets? How would them being finger puppets somehow legitimize AND justify their existence? Do finger puppets play a larger role in the good of society than I realize? Perhaps they are used to settle international disputes. I could see if people mistakenly thought they were a miracle cure-all medicine and then were disappointed. Or even the newest, best invention to rid a person of fat without having to change to healthier eating habits or exercise and were then disappointed. But finger puppets.

Really.

I don't understand. It is almost worse than people who expect them to do something--ANYTHING--rather than just sit there and look silly and make you smile. Because it just doesn't make any damned sense. Finger puppets. Because finger puppets are better than a quirky, little Monster sitting on your bookcase. If they were finger puppets would these same adults buy 18 of them? Do finger puppet collectors comprise a much larger percentage of the population than I think? Should I be pandering to this demographic?

Also--while I'm at it--does the greater population of adults live such dull, monochromatic lives that when they see splashes of color (such as in my Monsters) they assume that surely these are meant only for children for no mere mortal adult could handle so much excitement? Are colors supposed to scare me now that I'm *gasp* an adult? Adults seem downright appalled when I tell them that they are meant for older persons and not necessarily kidlets.

But, to end on a positive note, there were lots of people (read adults) who LOVED my Monsters, bought multiple, took several business cards to hand out to friends, and told me that while they were thrilled to be able to get more online, they couldn't wait for me to come back with more next year. So that was fantastic!

Maybe I'll start making some finger puppets for all the finger puppet enthusiasts in the meantime.

A banner for my booth

Lots of crafters/artists/sellers at the last street fair had banners. So I designed this one and ordered it as a 3' x 1.6' vinyl sign. I ordered it late last night and am hoping that today will be one of the three business days for rush orders. Otherwise I will not get it until Monday. Though I would still have it for subsequent shows, I would not have it for West Orange this weekend.

EDIT: Apparently this file hates me. I tried repeatedly, and with consistent failures, to upload from my computer. I finally gave up and tried a rather ghetto version of uploading it from a url. Which worked. Sort of. *Sigh* If you click on the picture, you will be able to see it in full. Sorry. I'm too annoyed with it to fix it any better right now.

Photos from Highland Park, NJ

We forgot to take a photo of the booth set up without people in it. We were going to do this at the end of the day before taking it down, but it rained from 430 util 450--just long enough to get all my stuff wet so I had to take it out to dry at home. But at least it didn't rain all day like last time.

Next Sunday I'll be in West Orange, New Jersey.

Street Fair in Highland Park, New Jersey

My Timid Monsters and I will be at the Highland Park, New Jersey street fair today from 11:30a to 4:30p. I will also have some jewelry with. So if you are in the area, come say hi!

(This is the picture from the last show. My booth will be even better at this one!)

23 May in Highland Park, New Jersey

This Sunday, 23 May, I will be participating in the Highland Park street fair/craft show.

Here's the fun part. Saturday's forecast is 75degrees and sunny. Monday's forecast is 79degrees and sunny. Sunday's forecast is 68degrees and rain.

But! I'll be there rain or shine or lots of rain. So if you are intrepid enough to venture outdoors in the rain, be sure to come by and check out Timid Monsters and the rest of the fair!