June 1, 2009 SHOW NEWS

Our shows are the perfect place to find, love & buy
fabulous tangible assets - handmade by American artists -
investments to enhance your life now & in the future!

new venue & dates for the milwaukee show

October 3 & 4 at the Harley-Davidson Museum - and NO Packers game on Sunday of the show!

Our Milwaukee Fine Furnishings & Fine Craft Show will be held October 3 & 4 in The Garage - a special exhibit & event hall - at the new Harley-Davidson Museum site at the crossroads of 6th & Canal Streets in Milwaukee! This is a venue and date change for the show!

These fun live edge end tables were designed and handcrafted by David Stine of David Stine Woodworking in Illinois. 

We moved the show "out of the Wisconsin September Summer season" to the first weekend in October and from the Midwest Airlines Center, where the show has been held for the first 3 years, to The Garage at the new Harley-Davidson Museum which is a more intimate setting but still open & airy with lots of activity & amenities.

ALSO the Green Bay Packers are NOT playing on that Sunday but rather on Monday Night Football so NO EXCUSES! 

HELPFUL INFORMATION!
- FREE PARKING for over 500 cars!
- Cafe Racer serves breakfast and lunch
- Motor, a restaurant & bar, serves lunch and dinner
- Saturday 10-6, Sunday 10-5,  Tickets: $10 for Adults
- Furniture, accessories, fine art & craft.
- Public & trade invited - wholesale & retails buyers welcome!
- All work is for sale, order or commission.

MILWAUKEE ADVISORY BOARD
Beth Hoffman, Carrie Rodamaker, Dale Osowski, Dwayne Sperber, Greg Kirby, Jenny Rebholz, Laura Monagle, Linda Crawford, Michael Doerr, Nancy Miller, Orrick Nahmmacher, Pamela Anderson, Rebecca Nole, Sandy Weber, Shay Sherfinski, Teri Peterson, Terry Boyle, and Tom Gallenberg

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design & innovation!

I absolutely love this photo for many reasons but mostly because it speaks volumes about design, craftsmanship, the handmade process and what our shows are all about. Whether it is furniture, accessories, fine art or craft this photo represents the process for all.



I find myself contemplating the photo and wondering what came before the group of parts and tools - years of education, apprenticeships, trial & error, evolutions of designs, speaking with a customer, getting it just right? Then I contemplate the raw materials and tools - which wood and why, which part of the wood and why, which tools and why and then the many hours that the furniture makers hands spent on each piece to handcraft the finished chair. And the story does not end there  as I ponder who will sit in the chair, who's home will it be in, will it have many owners and homes in its lifetime, how many generations will enjoy it? One thing for sure - I bet the owners smile everytime they sit in it!

Chair by Michael Doerr of Doerr Woodworking, Sturgeon Bay, WI
See a detail of one of his chairs in the column to the right.

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 DELIGHTS & DISCOVERIES!

These days I am delighted to hear every single story from the exhibitors that has to do with selling their work, taking orders and getting commissions and to see every single image of the new work they are designing and handcrafting. Our exhibitors are not only talented but are interesting people and they are creating some spectacular "tangible assests" and the "antiques of tomorrow"!

I have discovered that the only industry magazines that I read cover to cover right now are The Crafts Report and Woodshop News. 

Rest in Peace - Sam Maloof - an American icon, infamous designer and builder of simple, beautiful, comfortable functional furniture - passed away on May 21 at his Alta Loma, CA home following a brief illness - he was 93.   www.woodshopnews.com for details. Sam died on my birthday. Thus I choose to see this as an omen to wish for his good karma and continue to promote custom furniture making through my shows to the best of my ability. My thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, colleagues, former & current students.

On a lighter note. I have also discovered that I live for the monthly editorial in The Crafts Report by Luann Udell called Craft / Matters. She makes me laugh, she makes me think and she gives me a good idea of what our show exhibitors are experiencing. Even if you are not in the "craft industry" many could clearly relate to her multitude of experiences and benefit from her insightful prose.

Ironically I read her May editorial around the same time I was about to make the big decision to move our Milwaukee show to a new venue & my top choice was the Harley-Davidson Museum. The following made me laugh out loud - "I love funny T-shirts as much as the next person. I'm just saying that people who wear ones that say "I love my lab" or "I'm with stupid" (at a craft show) are usually not my customers. Oddly, the ones whose shirts say, "I love my Harley," sometimes are." Bingo - I thought! Then there is the article in the June issue "Me, Myself, Bobo-head and I" - what a hoot!

Don't have a subscription? Here is the Fine Furnishings special deal: E96262 - 12 issues - $12.99 - worth every penny!

www.craftsreport.com  

Wishing all of you days of handmade delights & discoveries and I invite you to watch for mine in each issue of our show newsletter!

Karla Little



Detail of a clock by Jim Borden of Timeshapes in Zumbrota, MN

PLAN NOW TO EXHIBIT IN OUR SHOWS:

Our shows are "Invitational" and feature the work of those who design and handcraft furniture, accessories, fine art & craft.  If you would like an invitation to exhibit please complete our FREE show application that is available on our show website in the Exhibitor Information section.
- wide variety of booth sizes & prices
- booths come with carpet, pipe & drape, signage & more!
- booth sharing, group displays, guild & associations pavilions

finefurnishingsshow.com »

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