Dogwood Arts Festival Market Square Art Fair {one-of-a-kind fused glass art, Knoxville, TN}

:: MARK YOUR CALENDARS ::

Sassy Glass Studio will be displaying our one-of-a-kind fused glass art at the Dogwood Arts Festival Market Square Art Fair from Thursday, April 16th to Sunday, April 19th.

This will be second year Sassy Glass Studio has participated in the DAF Art Fair and we are looking forward to great weather and huge crowds. Last year's DAF Art Fair was our very first show and just about anything that could go wrong did. It was the ultimate learning experience. Our hand-me-down tent literally exploded in a wind storm about an hour after a reporter from the newspaper came by and asked how things were going and I replied "Great!". It was pretty funny because the story was on the front page of the paper the next morning and a lot of people came by and told me about it and then I got to share "the rest of the story". We now have an ultra-fabulous professional tent and that bad boy isn't going to give us any trouble. The first day of the Art Fair coincides with the popular Sundown in the City concert series on Market Square and I am really looking forward to sharing my art with the thousands who will flock downtown to listen to Cowboy Mouth. There are also a number of new activities planned this year such as the chalk walk which should be great fun for the kids (and probably a few adults too).

I get really excited about all things local to Knoxville so when I was planning my art show schedule for 2009 doing the DAF Art Fair was the only show I cared about. I won't be traveling to Blowing Rock, NC or Hilton Head, SC this year for shows that were well attended but didn't leave me feeling like I had connected with any "community". That's why I am keeping it local this year. In order to let people know a little more about me and what I think is important as an artist located in Knoxville, TN I created another tag line for my Studio (aside from one-of-a-kind fused glass art) that sums it up :: Shop Local :: Shop Unique :: Shop Handmade :: Shop Sassy Glass Studio. I also sell my fused glass goodness through Etsy, an on-line marketplace, where only handmade items are sold which allows me to share my art with the whole world while maintaining the "Shop Local" feeling of a friendly market.

I will be sharing more about selling my art on Etsy and how that has evolved into the development of a group of local crafters, artists and creative minds who have come together to raise awareness of creative people in Knoxville and give people the opportunity to feed the local economy by buying art and other products which have been hand-crafted locally. Look for features on my fellow Knoxville Etsians as well.

I look forward to seeing you next week at the Dogwood Arts Festival Market Square Art Fair!

Fred's General Mercantile Crafts on the Green Update

The booth set up at Fred's General Mercantile Crafts on the Green

This weekend Sassy Glass Studio was back in North Carolina for the Crafts on the Green at Fred's General Mercantile on Beech Mountain. Fred's General Mercantile has been the place to stop and grab some groceries, beer and wine or even a meal on Beech Mountain since 1979 and if you have ever been up the mountain you have probably stopped there. Fred's hosted about 70 artists and craftspeople for the annual show on Saturday. The weather was perfect, except for two short rain showers that helped to cool the hot temperatures a bit. People and dogs were out and about for a fun day of art, crafts, music, food and fun. As usual we welcomed all the canine companions at the Sassy Glass Studio booth, but this time we had a special new dog water bowl (the RUFFled water bowl with dog bone) and dog snacks. Paws down our booth was the most popular with thirsty dogs in need of drink!

We had a visit from Gizmo (the laughing dog from Banner Elk) and a poodle in a pink dress named Veronica and a sweet Olde English Sheepdog named Moses and many others furry friends. Special thanks go out to Cheryl and Gregory who stopped by in the morning before a trip to pick blueberries at a farm and came back with a bag of blueberries for us. They were delicious!!

L to R- Gizmo - the laughing dog, Moses, and Veronica

Check out the photos below and don't forget that Sassy Glass Studio will be back in Banner Elk, North Carolina on August 23rd and 24th.

Clockwise- Sassy stems, Allan in the early AM, and three views of the booth


Furry friends

Note: The RUFFled dog bone bowl is available for sale or have a custom bowl created in colors to match your decor.

Banner Elk Fine Art and Craft Show Update

The booth at Banner Elk

Over the weekend of July 19th and 20th Allan and I were in beautiful Banner Elk, North Carolina for the Banner Elk Fine Art and Craft Show. It was a glorious weekend - perfect weather, lots of people getting out of the house and coming to see lots of beautiful, original art from many mediums, and funnel cake. Oddly the funnel cake was only there on Saturday...not sure where it went on Sunday, but there was great barbecue on both days.

Allan and I had a great time at the show and as luck would have it we were directly behind Karen Yearwood of Wound Around Jewelry. Karen makes absolutely fabulous sterling silver and copper jewelry (see her work at http://www.woundaroundjewelry.etsy.com/) and is located right down the street in Clinton, Tennessee. I first met Karen at the Dogwood Arts Festival in April and asked her about making me a pendant that reads "Sassy". I traded Karen a gorgeous platter she fell in love with for my "Sassy" pendant. I will post a photograph of it as soon as it is completed. There were a lot of other great artists there and I particularly liked Regina's silver jewelry too. Allan minded her booth a couple of times for her and there is a photo below of Allan sporting one of her beautiful headbands. If you love folk art, you will love the work of Lisa and Tim Kluttz (see photo below). Brightly colored paintings of a wide variety of cats, dogs, birds and other critters on everyday items such as kitchen cabinet doors and plywood is their specialty.

(L) Allan wearing a beautiful headband by Regina and (R) the wild and bright artwork of Lisa and Tim Kluttz

Allan and I are looking forward to heading up to Beech Mountain on August 2nd for Fred's General Mercantile Crafts on the Green. If you have ever been to Beech Mountain, you've most likely stopped at Fred's. We'll see you there!

This little dude LOVED the gold and silver bracelets, oh yeah, and the magnets too.

Sassy working the booth and photos of Sassy Glass Studio's fabulous one-of-a-kind fused glass art

Nothing is quite as cute as a smiling dog!

Art in the Park in Blowing Rock, NC Update

Blowing Rock lived up to its name, dishing up a blustery wind and temperatures in the low 40's during the early morning set up for the art show. We were not geared appropriately for the weather and tempers ran hot while attempting to set up the tent with frozen digits. It appeared that none of the other artists were prepared for the weather either as many were attired in short-sleeves, shorts and Crocs. The wind was merciless and a few artists had to wrangle their wayward tents back into place and a couple of pieces of pottery were noisily dashed to the ground in a splintery splash of hardened clay. Thankfully Sassy Glass Studio's fantastic new tent weathered the wind with little disruption and we didn't experience any shattered glass. Whew!

Shortly after we had the booth ready for the art-loving public our prayers were answered and the sun broke through the clouds and the temperature climbed to that critical point where everyone begins complaining that it is too hot. It was the perfect day to venture out, head to the Park, wander around, look at the creations of the many artist's, and search for that perfect piece for a gift or just something new to display in the home. Many of our customer's were looking for unique wedding gifts and we were able to help them choose just the right piece. (Don't forget Sassy Glass Studio can custom create gifts for any ocassion!)

Sassy Glass Studio will be back at Art in the Park in Blowing Rock on June 14th so come back and visit us again or check out our schedule on the right to see where we will be next. Also, look for the newsletter later this month. Sassy will be hitting the beach in Jacksonville, FL for a little relaxation over the Memorial Day weekend. Relax and enjoy your holiday weekend too!



Allan makes friends with Marie

The booth

Martini glass suncatcher

Faithful sidekick Allan

Some Sassy Glass Studio creations

Spring has sprung!

Everywhere I look, whether it is around the yard, on the road or in the market; bright colors and flowers look right back at me. I love color and flowers almost equally and have worked to incorporate both into my glass pieces. I created a collection of plates, bowls and art panels embellished with a flower motif that are sure to make your Spring, well, Springier. Here are of a couple of the pieces as well as a couple of new ones. Allan and I are on our way to Blowing Rock, North Carolina for the Art in the Park show on Saturday. The weather should be wonderful which will draw a great crowd. Be sure to check back for my show recap early next week. If you see any pieces on this blog that you would be interested in purchasing contact me and I can let you know if it is still available and if it isn't I can custom create a similar (or whole new) piece for you. Don't forget to send me your e-mail address to be added to the e-newsletter mailing list!

Flower art panel

Flower art panel

Flower plate

Margarita suncatcher

Martini suncatcher

Sunshine open-weave bowl

Independence Day woven plate