Margaret Almon’s Glass Mosaic workshop is a must for those of you hoping to learn to mosaic.  In this two day beginner workshop, you will be taking a piece from start to finish, working with the design and placement as well as gluing, grouting and finishing a piece. 

This workshop will be held at the Goggleworks in Reading.  Sign up today!

Bev Zimmerman, of Lancaster, is an incredibly talented potter.  Her work is inspired by nature, often involving impressions from leaves, seeds or twigs and sometimes incorporating words or phrases.  I like her work for many reasons, one of which is that it reminds me to notice my world.  To look a little closer, to take a breath, to try to notice the beauty that Beverly does. 

On her website, Bev says:

“I hope to convey an honest simplicity in my work”

From her choice of inspiration to her organic forms and soft color palette, her work evokes a peaceful simplicity the is both comforting and beautiful. 

If you like her work as much as I do, come see it in person at our Guild Store!  252 N. Prince St.  Lancaster, PA 17603

Have you ever wanted to try something completely out of the ordinary? If so, the upcoming glassblowing workshop might be just the thing.  Joel Bless, from Glasslight Studio will be teaching a 1 day workshop on the basics of glassblowing on March 27th.  You will be learning how to gather, marver, blow, shape, color, and finish a punteed piece.By the end of the day, you will have completed three pieces!  Interested yet?  Sign up right now on the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsman website.

Jupi Das, of Camp Hill is a juried paper cutting (or scherenschnitte) artist.  Her beautiful pieces are hand cut out of a single piece of paper and then mounted 3-dimensionally.  Often, she will even hand paint sections to highlight particularly important areas.  The art of paper cutting can be traced back many years through many different cultures.  On her website, Jupi talks about how her work is influenced by the folk cutting traditions of the Chinese, Japanese, German and Swiss.

Jupi creates as much for others as she does herself.  On her website, she says:

“I create, so that the energy and enthusiasm that I put into each piece will bring as much joy to people as the process of creating them brings joy into my life”

We have decided to start a new weekly blog post about frequently asked questions.  I will start with a few I get a lot but if any of you readers have questions, please post comments with them or email me, at jenny.pacrafts.org, I would love to address them.

One thing I have gotten asked quite often: Are the crafts shows the Guild puts on for juried members only?

No.  While our shows are juried, we do not require that members go through the state jurying process to apply for our craft fairs.   Any applicant does have to go through a show selection process and is required to be a member of the Guild.  But juried status is not required to apply.  However, juried members do receive a bonus point during selection that can improve their score, but the bonus point is hardly enough to guarantee entry.

Are you looking for something warm to do this weekend?  Check out “The Craftsman’s Journey-Enhancing Peoples Lives”, the newest exhibit at the Mechanicsburg Museum.  This exhibition features the work of craftsman in the Yellow Breeches chapter of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen, including woodworker Doug Starry and enamelist  Averill Shepps.

Opening this Saturday (Feb. 13th), the show goes through May 1st.  There will be a public reception on Sunday (Feb. 14) between 2-4pm.

Here are a few tips for newcomers to the craft show world related to both customer relations and general best practices.

1. Keep your identity as a craftsperson. Be friendly. People are buying you as much as your work.
2. The customer isn’t always right, but keeping the illusion alive can be beneficial to everyone involved.
3. Say thank you when someone compliments your work. Compliments eventually turn into sales.
4. The answer to ‘How are you doing?’ is always positive.  People are attracted to success and people who aren’t miserable.
5. If you hear the same suggestion three times… do it.
6. Dress for weather and pack for alternative weather since the weatherman rarely gets in right. Pack extra socks
7. Never, never read or look bored while in your booth.
8. Always smile.

These tips come from Guild members at our October craft show.

Brian Cunfer, of Kirkwood, is the current President of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen.  He is also the instructor for our popular ‘Women-Only! Stool-making’ workshop.

We’ve officially scheduled our 2010 session for May 15 & 16.  It’s a very enjoyable two-day class for women to explore and discover the processes behind wood-working and furniture-making.  For details visit www.pacrafts.org/workshops.

That's my mom on the left.

Our gallery in Lancaster is open until 9 pm today for First Friday.  Stop by and check out the great selection of handmade crafts in our popular Handmade Holiday store.  I’d like to give you some suggestions of what you can do tonight while you’re in town.

• Catch the James Ransome exhibition at PCAD (Pennsylvania College of Art & Design)
• Open Studio at Kevin Lehman Pottery
• A must stop is Veleska Jewelry on Orange St.
• Warm up at  Square ONE Coffee on Duke St
• Gingerbread houses at Lancaster Convention Center by Hempfield High School students
• Catch Annie at the Fulton Theatre at 8
• Or dinner at the Belvedere Inn or Annie Bailey’s

Hope to see you this evening in Lancaster.  Come out and support the arts by giving handmade this holiday season.

If I were to admit I had an obsession with pottery, the top of my list would be Pam Cummings.  My wife and I have nearly 10 mugs, a pie pan, countless platters, several teapots and a full set of dinner plates, which I’m pleased to know she doesn’t regularly make.  Not to mention a pile of tiny bowls that creep into every day’s cooking.

This upcoming weekend, she’ll be showing at the Craft Reunion at Fort Hunter outside of Harrisburg.  The Guild also has a wide selection of her work at Handmade Holiday, which is open in Lancaster until January 2.