Slowly easing my way into 2020 and getting ready for a huge art show in Miami, Florida. The Coconut Grove Art Festival is one of the biggest in the country and this is the first time I will have my jewelry there so, yeah, I am kind of nervous about it! Not only that, but I am pretty short on jewelry to show there so I am in a little bit of a panic right now. 

Anyway, I used to make black jewelry with pearls a few years ago & decided to make some more of this jewelry. I love the combination of black, gold and pearls!

These brand new pieces will be on the website very soon so sign up below if you want to be notified when new designs hit the website!! 

Chimneyville Arts Festival held every December in Jackson, Mississippi is one of my favorite shows for a lot of reasons but one big reason is that I get to reconnect with friends and customers who I don't get to see very often!

These two ladies are both artists and also both fans of Laura Teague Jewelry! On the left is weaver, Lynn Langhoff, of Lafayette, Louisiana, and glass artist Debbie Delashmet, of Jackson, Mississippi.

Both ladies are wearing their own Laura Teague bracelets in sterling silver purchased at Chimneyville several years ago. You can check out Lynn's bracelet in my online store by clicking here. Debbie's bracelet is not on the website but you can email me if you want details about that one!

One of my very favorite art shows is the Chimnevyille Arts Festival in Jackson, Mississippi the first weekend in December every year. It's a beautiful show and the people from Jackson and the surrounding areas come out to start or finish their Christmas shopping! 

I think my favorite thing about the show is seeing people shopping and buying gifts for each other. Mothers and daughters as well as husbands and wives come to the show and just have such a good time spending time together. It really kind of gets me in the spirit of the holiday! 

That silver thumb ring is available in my online store. The large silver chain bracelet is not yet in the store but you can click here to sign up for my email so that you don't miss out when new jewelry hits the website!

 I was so honored to be accepted into the Fountain Hills Fine Art and Craft Festival held every November in Fountain Hills, Arizona. Fountain Hills is a beautiful little town about 30 miles east of Phoenix in the mountains. Wonderful people, wonderful show! 

That silver bracelet is available on my website (in both sterling silver and sterling silver/gold, if you prefer a mixed metal look)!
​
                     Click here to shop the bracelet now!

Last weekend, I was at the Abita Fall Fest in Abita Springs, Louisiana and I was next to a fabulous potter, Kent Follette (https://follettepottery.com). At the end of the show, Kent gifted me with this wonderful little "wishing well" vase! I love handmade pottery and this is my new favorite!

                     That big, bold, fun, jacks-inspired bracelet is available on my website -
​                                                   click here to shop the bracelet!

Last weekend at the Pink Palace Crafts Festival in Memphis, Tennessee, I was given a Merit Award for this brand new, jacks inspired sterling silver bracelet. I was totally surprised and thrilled - recognition is always a good thing! 

The bracelet is available in my online store so you can click here to head on over & check it out! 

I enjoy photography as a hobby so, sometimes, when I am at an art show, I play around with different photographing my silver jewelry. This was kind of a happy accident - I was at the St. James Court Art Show this past weekend and, just before the show opened, I decided to see how it could look to photograph this new silver bracelet on a mirror. I like the sharpness of the image but I especially like the reflection of the trees! 

This bracelet is in my online store - CLICK HERE to shop now! 

I am seeing a lot of my studio lately - getting ready for an art show like St. James Court in Louisville, Kentucky means making new silver jewelry, taking photos of the new jewelry, cleaning and polishing the jewelry, pricing and packing. 

This year, I even rethought my booth colors (basically, it had no color in the past, which I thought was elegant and perfect at the time) and had new posters made to hang in the booth....PLUS new business cards and postcards to reflect the new "feel" of the booth. 

I love the new colorful booth! It's playful and bold and eye-catching! It's going to be a fun place to be for three days this year in Louisville! 

Click here if you want to join my email list - you'll be the first to see new designs as soon as they hit the website! 

We will be on the road for 2 back to back art shows starting October 4th in Louisville, Kentucky for the St. James Court Art Show, then on to the Pink Palace Art Show in Memphis, Tennessee the following weekend! 

So, I am cleaning and polishing all the silver jewelry, pricing, packing & generally getting everything ready to go. 

We are REALLY hoping for cooler weather on this trip -it's been SO HOT here in south Louisiana!!

Want to know when new jewelry hits the website? Join our email list to be the first to know!

The Monte Sano Art Festival has been a tradition in Huntsville, Alabama for sixteen years. This art show will host 140 of the region’s finest artists in an array of wonderful media. Along with the art, there will be local food trucks and musicians throughout the park.

The Monte Sano Art Festival, a wonderful art show in Huntsville, Alabama, will be held Saturday and Sunday, September 15 - 16th. The hours of the festival are:
Saturday, September 15 -
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, September 16 -
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

The festival is free to attend - Monte Sano State Park will charge $10 per car for parking. (cash only)

We had a great time at Festival International de Louisiane in Lafayette, Louisiana, as we always do. This lovely lady picked out some new sterling silver bangles and midi rings (also called stacking rings) for herself! 

The best thing about these shows and festivals is getting to connect with you (and, sometimes, your family)! 

The street entertainment is wonderful at this festival - this is one of the "stilt walkers" that are there every year! 

Lovely day at the Fitness Center in Baton Rouge, today! It is a Christmas event with several vendors and I am here with my jewelry. Very festive and fun!

Click here to join our circle of jewelry lovers!*

  (*We will never share your contact information)

So happy to be able to participate in the wonderful Covington Three Rivers Arts Festival this weekend, November 11 - 12!

This has always been a great show and will be better this year than ever -perfect weather forecast and lots and lots of wonderful handmade art!

This is me getting ready for fall shows. There is quite a long list of jewelry that I would like to make before the shows start in earnest but, you know what? 

I am not going to stress. 

I will not worry about it. 

I will happily make the jewelry (because that is truly what I love to do) and let the shows take care of themselves. Oh, yes, one other thing....

I will enjoy this life I have been given. 

​I hope you will, too! 

Since I participate as an artist every year at FIL, I thought I would share a little bit of the history of this wonderful festival. 

Did you know that FIL is the largest outdoor, FREE Francophone event in the U.S? Herman Mhire, a Distinguished Professor in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, is the founding president of FIL, which began in

1986 as a community-supported, non-profit organization whose goal was to produce an annual visual and performing arts festival celebrating the French cultural heritage of southern Louisiana.  FIL emphasizes the connections between Acadiana and the Francophone world; each year, musical artists from Europe, Africa, Canada, the Caribbean and the Americas come to Lafayette, Louisiana to share their talents with the community.                             

The original missions of the FIL were to enrich the community with a celebration of its native cultures through performing arts, educate the public of the achievements and artistic expressions of related global cultures, to develop culture and tourism, and to enhance economic development by expanding Lafayette’s reputation as an arts center and a destination for artistic events.

Originally primarily a musical event, FIL also now features workshops, theater and visual artists who are primarily members of the Louisiana Crafts Guild.  The Marché des Arts, the FIL Fine Arts Market, showcases artists from all over the country. You will find handmade artisan jewelry, pottery, and many other handcrafted items.

In the Marché du Monde, FIL’s World Market, you will find commercial imports such as sculptures, art, clothing, jewelry, ceramics, paintings, photography, instruments and much more.

Click here to see the complete list of artists for the FIL2015 Marche des Arts (handmade art/craft):  http://festivalinternational.org/artists-eats/marche-des-arts/

Click here to see the list of vendors for FIL2015 Marche du Monde (commercial imports): http://festivalinternational.org/artists-eats/marche-du-monde-hidden/

This link will take you to the complete musical schedule for FIL2015:  http://lineup.festivalinternational.org/events/2015/04/22/



#FIL2015

One of my very favorite things about participating as an artist at festivals and shows has got to be the people I meet and the connections I make.  It gives me such joy to have someone walk into my jewelry booth wearing a piece of my jewelry that they purchased at a previous show!  It lets me know that what I do and how I choose to spend my time means something to someone - such a simple thing as handmade jewelry gives others happiness and makes their journey on this earth more pleasant.  

At a show I did recently I had the extreme pleasure of watching a young couple pick out a gift for his mother for Mother's Day - this was two months before Mother's Day.  I would have loved to have video taped their search for exactly the right gift of handmade jewelry for this most important woman.  When they finally settled on a dainty sterling silver necklace with a heart stamped on it, they were so happy and completely satisfied that they had found the perfect gift.  

How lucky am I?  I get to be a part of all sorts of wonderful and warm interactions among people - it's just doesn't get any better than that!

Be happy today!
L.

I send out codes every month for free shipping on my website for those on my email list - VIP list!  Interested?  You can go here to sign up:  Laura Teague Jewelry Newsletter Sign Up.

Yesterday was the first Saturday of the month & that means the monthly Baton Rouge Market happens in downtown Baton Rouge.  I knew that it was going to be a VERY hot day (here in south Louisiana, we still consider September to be a summer month) but got myself in gear, organized everything the day before in order to minimize having to do much thinking at 6 am!  I took lots of pictures, mostly of other artists who are also members of the Louisiana Crafts Guild, for later posting on the LCG Facebook page - go here if you want to check out that page: www.facebook.com/LouisianaCraftsGuild.  We feature an artist member of the group every morning.  

It turned out to be a really nice market, in spite of the intense heat.  Shoppers were out and ready to support local art and artists which is always so wonderful to experience.  My top sellers at this market turned out to be my simple sterling silver bangle bracelets and sterling silver "stacking" rings.  The brand new "pebble" rings were popular as well, especially paired with a couple of simple stacking rings - such a great combination!   Although other items sold, these were by far the most popular items this weekend.  I had to put all three of these items on my list of jewelry to make this month - in several sizes, so that I'll be ready for the next market.  It's always fun to see what the popular pieces are - it can vary so much from market to market.  

After unpacking & reorganizing so that I'm ready for next month, I am already looking forward to the October market!  Hopefully it will be much cooler a month from now!  Here's hoping......:)

Well, the fall season is really going by quickly and I am staying very busy with special orders, requests for quotes (wedding and other special occasion pieces), web orders and, last but not least, craft shows!  Fall is always a busy time of year for any craftsman/artist but this all is particularly so for me since we have a "new kid in town" with the Lafayette Horse Farm Market.  This market is less than an hour from my house and is open EVERY Saturday.  That is a serious commitment from the organizers!  So, I signed up for a few Saturdays this fall; I do believe now that I have every weekend from now until Christmas booked with shows.  

Wanted to share pics of the Festival Acadiens last weekend and a minor disaster.  First the pics. 

So, here is what happened.  Big storm came through unexpectedly Saturday night...we innocently went by to check on the tent after dinner Saturday night (after a long but wonderful day at the festival that day) and, OMG, the top of the tent had peeled back in the storm and it was just pouring rain into our space.  HUGE mess but we put the top back in place (in the rain) and arrived early the next morning to clean everything up....including about 2 inches of mud & dirt on our rug.  We recovered, had a great show on Sunday - left the tent with a friend in Lafayette!  Above right, pics of the tent sides drying out in our backyard after returning home.  Oh, man - hope that experience doesn't get repeated anytime soon.......gotta love outdoor craft shows!!  Carry on!