Copper in the Arts

The Copper Development Association Inc. is the market development, engineering and information services arm of the copper industry, chartered to enhance and expand markets for copper and its alloys in North America. Each month the CDA publishes an online magazine, Copper in the Arts, featuring innovative and artistic uses of copper. I am honored to be featured in the August 2010 issue.

The Festival of the Little Hills in St. Charles was awful this year. Downpours on Friday left the grounds of Riverfront Park a total swampland. Neither the City of St. Charles nor the Festival staff cared that people could not walk into artists' booths without sinking in the mud. I've been at other shows where storms created problems, and the staff at those shows busted their butts to help the artists. In Des Moines when our tent was blown down, unknown volunteers appeared to help us salvage what we could. In Mt. Vernon, IL, a muddy site was transformed by scores of volunteers scattering straw so people could walk. But in St. Charles, we were handed one bag of OilDri, which covered approximately one square foot of muck. No assistance at all was given to those artists whose tents were destroyed by wind. And then the staff just disappeared. So after 2 days of watching people go by carefully stepping around the water pools on the concrete sidewalk while studiously avoiding the muck in the booths, we gave it up, tore down our booth, and left. The complete lack of concern for the artists left a bad taste in my mouth and I would not recommend this show to anyone.

Terrie's had a lot on her mind this month. In addition to being the responsible party for her aging and ailing grandfather in the nursing home, school, and dealing with our business, she was convinced she was just minutes away from a heart attack. So.....she had a cardiac cath and should now be able to rest easy because she does not have any problems. However, recovery from the procedure is limiting her activities somewhat and is driving her nuts. This, too, shall pass.

We haven't seen an oriole in a few days, so they must have headed south. Also, our gaggle of hummers is thinning somewhat. Sure do hate to see them go, but understand why they must.

Next up is the Harvest Festival at Silver Dollar City in Branson. Yay! We love the time we spend there and meeting all the people who come by. After the summer show season we've had, we're both ready to "move in" to our booth in the City. Come see us! September 11-October 30, park is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

Hummingbird fact for today: Male hummingbirds orient their feathers toward rivals to best display their brilliant iridescent colors.

The King of His Realm

A customer and fellow hummer fanatic managed to capture the personality/attitude of the male Ruby-throated hummingbird regarding HIS feeder. This photo is published here with permission of the photographer, Cam Schutte, Kansas City, MO. Thanks, Cam, for sharing!

Cam and his wife Shirley are prime examples of how easy it is to fall victim to the charm of the Ruby-throated hummingbird. We met them at an art show a few years ago. They knew there were hummers in their area, but they had never had a feeder. They purchased one, followed our tips, and soon were enchanted by the amazing creatures. They added another feeder a year or so later so that Cam could enjoy watching them from his home office. They stop by to visit every time we do an art show in their area - not to purchase another feeder but to share their new-found infatuation with the little charmers. They are now almost as smitten as we are. And thankfully, Cam is a much better photographer than I am!

We are shipping orders to two new wholesale locations, and shipping more items to an established customer. Thanks to The Flying Pig in Algoma, WI, for the re-order. New retail locations are Bear Creek Cafe & Gift Shop in Bear Creek, PA. And Wolfe Gallery in Deland, FL.

The last outdoor show this season for us is this coming weekend. The Festival of the Little Hills in St. Charles, MO, draws an attendance of over 100,000. The hours are long and the weather is supposed to be hot and humid. We're just keeping our fingers crossed that there is no rain!

After we get home from St. Charles, we'll put away all of our "modern" display and start gathering everything we use in our booth in the 1890's setting of Silver Dollar City, the home of American craftsmanship, in Branson. The National Harvest Festival runs Sept. 11-Oct. 30. If you've ever wanted to visit Silver Dollar City, this is the time to do it! Literally hundreds of artisans are on site with their amazing handcrafted items, including over 50 Best of Missouri Hands Juried Artists.

Hummingbird fact for today: The 17 species of hummingbirds that have bred in the United States and Canada represent approximately 5 percent of the world's hummingbird species.

Such Fascinating Little Birds!

We are totally amazed at the feeding activity we are blessed to witness each and every day while these guys are here. The season is MUCH too short!

Handfeeding!!

Traplining in My Yard

Hummers feed by sight and will generally check out anything to see if it is a source of food. Many birds follow a regular route through their territory checking out the food sources. This behavior is called traplining. But judging from the activity on my porch all day every day, the only traplining these birds are doing is in my yard! This gaggle of eating machines has consumed 12 pounds of sugar in two weeks! This feeding is going on with rain coming down, so you have to listen carefully to hear them chittering at each other.

Hummingbird fact for today: Hummingbird nests are raided for eggs and chicks by snakes, large birds, and some mammals but adult hummingbirds are not regular prey. The most common danger is the family pet that gets lucky enough to ambush one.

Artists are People Too

We were accepted in a big show in Indiana scheduled for August. We had heard varying reviews about this show and it required travel expenses. Then we learned of the Summer Art, Food, and Wine Festival at the Gala Event Center in Union, MO. We carefully weighed the pros and cons, comparing costs to traveling to the east side of Indiana or traveling a couple of hours from home. Both were unknowns, but we decided we'd cut down on expenses and promote a festival in Missouri. So we cancelled the Indiana show.

The deadline for entry for the Summer Art, Food, and Wine Festival was May 31. The stated artist notification date of June 30 for the Gala Event Center show came and went. We began to be concerned but thought perhaps the event coordinator was busy. A week went by. Two weeks went by. Emails went unanswered. Phone calls went unanswered. Finally, on July 13 someone called back to say the event had been cancelled and letters stating that went out "last week". We received the letter and our returned check on Friday, postmarked July 14. No explanation was given for the cancellation of the show.

If there was little interest in the show, the show's promoters would have known this when the entry deadline of May 31 came and went. The cancellation notice could have been sent then. Surely by the artist notification date of June 30 they knew they were cancelling the event, and artists could have been notified then. Instead, I learned of the show's cancellation a mere 3 weeks prior to the event dates. At this point, I cannot go begging to the Indiana show that I cancelled out on. Entry deadlines for any other shows I can locate are long passed. The Gala Event Center in Union, MO, and the Art, Food, and Wine Festival have left me without any avenue to generate sales.

Artists are people, too. We apply for shows and take our chances, but we also plan a schedule so that we can generate sales on a fairly regular basis. The abrupt cancellation of a show with notification of said cancellation a mere 3 weeks prior to the event is, in my opinion, extremely thoughtless and shows a distinct lack of consideration for the artists.

Hummingbird fact for today: As night approaches, a hummingbird will feed as heavily as the nectar supply allows, storing as much as a third of its weight in nectar in its balloonlike crop.

How to Spend a Saturday Morning

Okay, we're just a little bit crazy, but Terrie says the view from her angle was absolutely amazing!