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It's time to shine up our homes for the holidays... get out the silver polish and treat yourself to a couple fresh new lampshades! All in-stock shades in my shop are 20% off through Nov. 22nd.
To order on my Etsy store: use coupon code: TURKEYDAYPREP
CALLS ARE WELCOME, if you prefer to do it that way. I ship UPS on Tuesday and Fridays. shop # 802-325-6308.
xo
judy
Life in a small town can be life at it's very best in times of a loss, a fire or a sickness. Everyone knows what happens in a small village.
The past few days my little village has been in mourning. Life is short we heard Neil Young say just a few weeks ago at The Farmaid Concert in Saratoga Springs-- he said it twice as a matter of fact. Yes, it's something I say quite often. I remember as a kid my Grandmother Gulian saying life goes by too fast; I thought she was nuts. At the time it seemed like I'd never be 18....
This Monday Wednesday (days have been a blurr) my neighbor, Brian was out for his everyday walk with his dogs. They are great dogs, rescue buddies that love him dearly and he loved them back. They were always together, whether out for a hike or hanging in his car as he painted the beautiful Mettowee Valley, the Pawlet Mountain Road, the Village or out into the countryside.
One hard fall and a hit to the back of his head and his life was over. How could it be? How could one of the most talented painters ofour time, one of the most kind and gentle guys, dark and handsome, intelligent, reserved, insightful- I'm trying to think of all the amazing qualities Brian had. I was just his neighbor. You know those moments at the mail box, the times when I'm headed home, the quirky sweet comments in passing on School Street, the gift of a stalk of his pretty foxglove last week- just a kind gesture. Kindness in life, simple and caring as neighbors. A smile. A wave. A offering of his art for a silent auction, always giving.
A few years before Brian moved into town, he was set up painting just down from my shop. I stopped to say hi and to say, oh that looks beautiful... opps. I was interrupting the light; the moment. How jerky I felt... lesson learned and note taken. A serious artist not to be interrupted. To see the light, meticulous vision of this artist. I never got one of his paintings; it was always someday or the next show. Life is short.
The gift of a small town. My shop has become the stopping off spot to find out what happened, how to reach the family, share a hankie, grab a cup of tea, who to feed the dogs, where's so and so, who's at the hospital, is the family coming, is there .... a small town cares. I do try to keep my head down and stay out of most town gossip, but times like this friends care and only want to help. Such a loss, such shock. Our heart breaks at the random fall.
Life is short; be kind to your neighbors, share a stalk of your foxglove.
xo
judy
ps thanks Julie and Skip for the photos.
Today was a day off. Yikes, it's always hard to take a day off when you know tourists are still around... but when the neck gets stiff and one of my eyes start twitching from over work... It's time to get out of the shop and "play" being tourist. I've been itching to drive around and "leef peek". I had my millions of errands in Manchester today and took a little round about on way home to Pawlet.
The foliage is still really beautiful! Sykes Hollow, just off Rt 30. I used to live just around the corner and the colors drew me right down the road.
Pretty, pretty. Old barns- a lovely farm nearby.
I arrived home to be greeted by my Aussie, Ziggy! And showing off the vibrant crab apple by the end of weedy vegetable garden.
And in the door with loads of groceries! And ready for a short nap. Just made homemade pasta with spelt and semolina / roasted red peppers, basil, etc. YUM! A nice day off after working a 7 day week. Now I'm ready to get right back at it down at my shop, Lake's Lampshades.
Just got a bunch of new shades up on my ETSY page.
This was one of my favorites. Just love this thick embroidery/crewel.
Hope you too get to play tourist for real! I still didn't get to pick apples or even get those cider dounuts...yet. We've got another pretty week ahead.
xo,
judy and ziggy
It's been years since the foliage has been this beautiful! Coming home tonight was really pretty. I live up on a hillside in the foothills of the Taconic Mountain Range / Woodlawn Mountain. The hillside was vibrant with reds and oranges. Heck, I was tucked in my shop all week working like a crazy girl... guess I need to drive around a little and play tourist with the "leaf peekers"!
Just posted this lampshade on my Lampshadelady Etsy Shop, Bird Needlepoint Lampshade
I've been back home in Vermont a couple weeks and trying to get my inventory back in shape. This has been a tricky week with our dear ETSY proclaiming big changes to their policies... It been pretty hard on many of us that really put our hearts into our product and make many ONE of a KIND items, aka OOAK. I have done well on Etsy, really loved my time there, but it does mean committing a significant amount of time and energy into making a great shop and keeping it FULL and fresh. And just figuring it all out--- photos, seo, titles, tags... there's more than meets the eye. I do feel like the artisans feel like they own a piece of the company but were somewhat jolted at the stake... Etsy has just announce in their Town Hall Video Event that they are now allowing designers to outsource some of their work--- what will this bring? how do we standout amongst the other "factory made" lampshades in Thailand...? or wherever. There are tricks that companies use to make their products come up in different searches... constantly and mostly infuriatingly often and hence---- they get seen more often. Not to mention the curated pages are by a "young sensibility" ie. trendy young/ hip styles while the rest of us land and languish on perhaps page 20.... sorta sucks. humm. we've all been fuming in the forums. All in all with that said....Etsy is a wonderful resource for small, creative businesses.
Fresh inventory---just listed:
Vintage Manglecloth Hex Bell Shades
One interesting thing I noticed last night... someone posted in the forums... something like... do you feel like you've been a jilted lover by etsy.... my feelings have evolved from really furious at first, then resolved to continue my high quality and then mad, mad again when I checked my category, lampshades--- we mostly know each other, some as friends, some as students, some as acquaintances, luckily it's not the biggest category-- but last night I looked on and there was a big ass company from Europe- must have been right after ETSY's Town Hall Pow - Wow- they were ready to pounce. And a little further investigation and then there was another new company with a very similar situation.
Yesterday afternoon I loaded up 6 or 7 new lampshades I was pretty happy with- trying to catch up from being away for almost a month with my family. After I load on new inventory I usually check it out later to see how it looks and see if I need to change anything... easy to make mistakes or whatever. So I checked under "recent" listed items and saw several NEW companies loading on their NEW very commercial lampshades... just barely after the ink had dried with the new word from Etsy's CEO Chad Dickerson. yikes. I think Etsy has NO idea what they are in for... which makes many of us sad, mad as hell, feels like a sellout... --- I know my customers what quality, great and creative work. Let's see how EtSy will help us rise above the dull factory crummy quality. Here's what I wrote in a forum last night in my continuing furry:
oooh, dear etsy, dear etsy, first i was really pissed, then this morning i was coming back around.... then I listed up some great stuff this afternoon and was feeling pretty proud.... and tonight I checked to see what new stuff was in my category... we mostly know each other.... and now already there are some big, new slick boys already arrived. big factory is already at your door. one "new designer" has 400 listings and one sale....they've been busy since yesterday loading on their new crafts...??? red ones, blue ones, polka dots ones... oh etsy, do you have any idea what you have invited to the party???
Another Vintage Needlepoint that was added this week: Vintage Needlepoint Cut Corner Rectangle Bell
Okay, enough for now. I'm sticking around ETSY as I have just figured it all out, sort of, but others vendors are flocking to other craft sites by the hundreds.
Did I say how great the foliage is!!!! BEST in YEARS! Come to Southern Vermont the next couple of weeks and you won't be disappointed. It's a short time but wow the colors are vibrant. We have had pretty crummy leaf color the past 4-5 years and even "the locals" are excited. Today was overcast and the colors were even more beautiful.
just listed this week: Pretty Vintage White on White Embroidery Hex Bell Lampshade- 7" top x 12" bottom x 8 high. I've got a pair of them at time of listing.
To wrap it up in a very Vermonty way- A pair of Rare Vintage Grandma Moses Fabric in Square Lampshades
We shall see what happens with Etsy. As I was grabbing my links I just happen to read that even someone on Ebay thinks Etsy's move was pretty bad... I guess, I will just try an keep on doing work that rises above without being TRENDY and 30something.... yikes. guess I'm starting to feel like the old bag. ha, ha. It's been a long week in the craft world--- I can only imagine how many Advil the staff has gone through... I wouldn't wish to be in their shoes. In the meantime, I'm working on my "back links" to improve my seo.... how's that for this techno turd!
Vintage Ticking Hex Bell Lampshades 5" top x 8" bottom x 6" high, easy clip on.
Happy Leaf Peeking! Have fun eating Cider Doughnuts, apple picking, craft shopping, antique show going, Cider sipping.
thanks for putting up with my disjointed blog post,
xxx0x000x,
judy lake