Happy New Year! It's been darn cold up here in Vermont! Sixteen below today was too cold for my old CRV to start, thank goodness for the charger thing to get her going! It's my birthday tomorrow and we went out for a birthday lunch in town. It was a new restaurant in town we'd heard was nice. We ran into friends that joined our table. Fun!
Last year was a busy one in my shop. Our lamp shop in town closed and brought quite a few customers trekking north out to my shop. I was sorry to see them go; they had a nice shop and did a great job, but I had a hunch business would pick up a bit filling in where they left off. I recently started ordering silk sewn fabric shades for clients that were once available at The Lighting Place. I got a kick out of the first custom order I did. The woman said, Judy, you can make money without having to make everything! Hahahaa, good idea I said.
Also great news this year was that my neighbor, The Pawlet Station Restaurant is open! It opened this summer and has been just what the community needs right now. They have been rebuilding their customer base and I for one is thrilled to have them. It was pretty dreary having a closed restaurant as well as a closed general store; no news on the general store. Guess it will eventually open. The rural economy still hasn't rebounded from the crash.
I've been up to my ears involved in a school merger with our town and the neighboring town. We had a vote after 2 years of haggling and educating neighbors on it's benefits and it passed in both towns!!!! Wonderful! But the big but the other town had 30 days to contest the vote and ask for a re-vote and guess what--- they did it just before Christmas! Yup. Must admit knowing these folks and the misdeeds they have done I'm not surprised. Small town ____ , fill in the blank!!! Our neighboring town of Rupert had 2 "self-appointed" members on this committee, both over 80. They came to the table without the ability to compromise or to look to the future. Urgggg. I got involved as I had been on the school board a million years ago and helped get a bond vote thru for a new elementary school- they said it would never happen either! It did! And they love it now and those same folks that didn't want the school are the exact same ones that showed up for the Merger meetings and were the NO's! That's all it took for me to jump back in the frey. I was only a little cog in the process but I'd had the history of the past 30 years of change! No excuses, but my blog was again the first thing to be set aside. Now the town of Rupert has to re-vote our Merger and has to pass it by 2/3 of the vote... just annoying after everyone's hard work. Fear of change, so much misinformation they are spewing.... oh well, back to lampshades, you don't want to hear this, thanks, just needed a little cathartic writing! You can see the handy work of the No's!!! I had a little touching up on my sign....bah...
I just listed this new square bell lampshade in my Etsy shop. I've been working like crazy to get my shop full for January's busy lampshade season. Did you know January can be a very busy month for lampshade makers? I have found it to be my busiest month. The shade measures 4" across the top by 8.5" bottom and 8" high. It is made from a vintage European Grain Sack. It's $85.
Bet you can recognize the check board house as Grandma Moses's House. I found a small piece of this vintage bark cloth before Christmas and made this pair of hex clip shades. This pair of shades measure 6" across the top by 8" bottom and 6" high and clip onto the light bulb. They are $75 each. Link above. I do not have any more of this fabric. It shows up periodically but quite hard to find.
I love this pair of grain sack lampshades. I made a pair for a client and decided to make a pair for inventory. They are blue and cream and have the most wonderful texture. They measure 4" top x 8" bottom and are 6" high. Clip onto shade. Here's their link on my Etsy shop.
A Bistro Linen Shade, shop classic. Love this with the vintage monogram on the bottom. Only one of these @$75.
If you need a pair I have a similar set here. These are a little darker but with the same great red stripe in vintage linen.
I'm pretty fond of this. It's a floor lamp size or good for a large table lamp. It's 16" across the bottom and 13" high. The vintage needlepoint is in the front and a cream handwoven fabric is in the other 3 panels. I think it would be stunning in the right room!
Last one for now. This is a vintage Japanese fabric made in a drum shade + vintage orange and green tassels to finish! Super cute. Just what we need to kick the year off. Funky fun! Don't we need bright this time of year.
Wish us luck with the school vote.... yikes strikes! A book could be written on all the devious things a town will do to not change and grow! You JUST wouldn't believe them if I told you! To think of my little business if I never grew and evolved. It would not have survived all these years! That's for sure.
Hope you will plan a visit to my shop in 2018. No workshops scheduled, life is just too busy. No promises of lots of blogging but it is fun and I did remember how to do it. hahah. The way technology changes so fast I wasn't sure how this post would go.
xo
Judy
PS check out my Instagram page, I'm Lampshadelady there too. And I promise I post everyday, almost! It's a fun way to connect with fellow artisans.
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