The Future Is Bright

I thought that was an appropriate title, given what my post is about, today.  I've been contacted by a product rep who is interested in...

Yep.  You guessed it, the infamous "Rulasaurus."  I'm experimenting with some different base styles as part of an exclusive line for her to bring to exhibitions around the country.  Pretty cool. 

In the mean time, I've been working on a centerpiece for a holiday party, if you can believe that.  I was approached by a company to do an "industrial metals" theme and we came up with an art deco styled illuminated tower, much like you'd see in an old Superman comic. Here's a little teaser...just the top.

  And, it's going to move!  How 'bout them apples?  

  

Post Renegade

It seems as if every move we made during the last 6 weeks was geared toward the Renegade Craft Fair.

  We had a great time, met a lot of people and set up some pretty substantial future business.

So, we're excited about that.  And, since life in the village was kind of slow this week, we spent our time catching up on our online sales shipments.  The rhythm is working.  It's a bit tiring, but that's what happens when one tries to expand a business.  It'll probably be this way until we climb high enough up the food chain to actually hire people full time.  We're not quite there, but we're warming up to it.

One thing we really need to do is get our couch moved out.  We're expanding what up until now has been our gallery space into a book section.  A lot of people here in the village complain about the lack of book stores to satiate the need for some accompaniment to that cup of coffee.

Along with that, the website now has an expanded e-commerce section and better visuals that clearly show what we've got going on here at the store.      

Building the arsenal

Santa's workshop is alive and well.  I believe the phrase has already been coined by Father Retail, "Christmas in July."  More stuff, please.

Throwing in a side dish

I thought I'd add a little spice to our Renegade event with a newer and improved version of something I made last year - the book light.  Last year's version was made literally by hand.  I carved out the hole with a knife during a two day long stint of rain here in southern california.  The store was still new and people weren't coming in just yet, so I had plenty of time on my hands, back in those days.  My how things have changed.

I got smart and decided to do my next incarnation with some proper tools.  Super clean. 

We also put together some fun mason jar drinking glasses...

We call them adult sippy cups.  We dropped one off a table and it held up just fine.  

And, our friend John Neiuber delivered one of his newest floor lamp creations.  He affectionately refers to them as "Floor-Deliers."  He takes chandeliers and attaches them to floor bases.  Good times.

Burning the candle at both ends.

It's been pretty hectic around here as the Renegade Craft Fair approaches.  The bottle cutting has gone basically nonstop for a few weeks, now.  

We tried a new glass chandelier with Voss water bottles and they've been a big hit.  

The first one left our shop the same day we finished it.  And, the next one is on it's way to Reno, only 5 days later.  I think we're on to something.   For Renegade, we're going to be displaying two or three chandeliers and several pendant lamps.  We've also decide to make a small selection of the ruler lamps. I've started cutting the bases.  Now it's sanding, staining and attaching the ruler.  

And, we did a photo shoot with the luminaries. 

Our catalog mock-up is ready for print!

Stay tuned for progress on the amazing centerpieces we're doing for an aluminum manufacturing company's holiday party!  Whew!  

   

It's a rough business.

Graveyard of broken dreams.  It's sometimes a rough business breaking glass for a living.  Today wasn't my day.

But one good thing...I realized that with all the leftover pieces of bottle bottoms, I could place the tops that I don't use right over a little tea light and make a neat table top hurricane lamp.

Pretty cool.

Been busy at the shop.

We've been pretty active over the past week, here.  First, Emily stopped by to see if we could help her with an idea she had.  That's my favorite question in the whole wide world, and the answer is always, yes!  She has an old guitar case and wants to turn it into a wall mounted jewelry cabinet.  Hmmmm.  I never met a project I didn't like.

 My first thought was to do it out of wood.   But, that wouldn't have been very inclusive since I'd have to make it at home.  I also wanted to use materials that could be cut right here at the store.  Aha!  Old books!

Luckily I have a pretty badass paper cutter that can make quick work of those thick covers.

Then, we scored the back sides of the covers for the contoured portions of her framework.

This thing is getting crazy!  She didn't know what she was getting herself into.

Clamps, for Pete's sake!  I taught her the art of clamping and glueing.   We finished our three days together with the first drawer, shaped like the bottom curve of the guitar.  

Emily is out of state for the summer, but we'll be resuming the build in August.  Good times!

Shortly after that we got cleaned out of our stash of bottle lamps.  I whipped up the first four-light pendant chandelier, which I think came out pretty cool.  

And now, all sights are set on Renegade.  Only 5 weeks away.  Lots to do!