Quick answers…

Lots of private and open questions in my notes after photos on my last entry—so here’s some quick answers.

1) I am making the birdhouses as well as other ornaments and gifts for upcoming craft sales in November-December.

2) This is one of my main sources of income for the year, so I work hard to make as many ornaments and gifts as I can to sell during the next couple months. I make each ornament by hand and do not use molds, so no two are ever exactly the same. The clay is a polymer clay called Premo, and it is baked in my oven.

3) The time it takes to do my IttiBitties varies–depending on how detailed I get. Often times I can set up a little production line and do different steps until they are all finished. Some go very quickly and others are more painstaking. A tray of 50 simple little angels in a production line may take 12 hours or less. 50 one of a kind birdhouses may take 25 hours or more. (Which is why the angels sell for $7 and the birdhouses for $15.)

4) My most popular items change from year to year. Last year I sold out of all the birdhouses and all the white-on-white nativity sets. The year before, I could never seem to make enough angels. Consistently people are crazy about the local college and high school sports mascots and the little graduation guys in school colors.

5) I have a blast doing this, and my face hurts from smiling at the end of my craft weekends. This is the one “cute” thing that I do, and I have gained quite a word-of-mouth following of loyal customers here in town. Because these ornaments are so small (2” high or so), people do not always see them right away. I love watching craft sale wanderers do a double-take, come back to look more closely and then see their faces light up as they exclaim “Cuuuuute!” or “Adorable!” or “How sweet!” (This is always very fun and gratifying—but by January, I am completely cuted-out and have urges to do big dark angsty paintings just to balance out the overload of sugar coating.)

6) I don’t travel to towns outside a 20 mile radius to do this anymore…too much work. (Plus strange things happen to our cars, as some of you may recall….) This year I am hosting two weekends of “Artsy Stuff”, a craft fair in my house. I jury my own little show and invite other (amazing) artists whose work I like–to come and sell their wares. I’ve done this home show over the past couple years and it has been quite successful for all of us—and way, WAY fun!

7) Yes, I have a website: ittibitties.com

8) I am very flattered that some of you want to buy my ornaments, and yes, of course you can! If you would like to order directly from me, rather than the website, I can offer all my OD friends free shipping. Leave me a private note with all your info and what you would like….and thanks! I truly did not expect this!

Okay…back to birdhouses!

:)xo

Adagio