Travelling from Calistoga to Sebastopol on Sunday morning is a peaceful meditative drive. Arriving at the Farmer's market around 8:15am I'm usually ready to hit the ground running. Unpacking and setting up my vendor's booth is an enjoyable activity. Seeing other vendors and determining where to set up the booth has been at times a hassle, but remaining flexible is an important asset. The community of vendors are most helpful and encouraging.The vibe is usually one of excitement and grateful support.
Making a table presentable is another task that is constantly being Improved and refined. The first task is to have a sign that announces your booth. Then the table has to look approachable. I have found that the "Your Spirit Rocks™" table looks best in the sunlight because of what I call the "Bling factor" ...that is, some of the rocks have a sheen or enhancement with holographic material that stands out when the light is on them.The problem however is that it gets hot in the direct sunlight sensitive skin can burn easily. This is not to mention that the rocks can get hot and not easily handled without getting dropped because of the heat. So, what to do? Canopies are essential.
Having a canopy or even an umbrella that can be shifted around helps tremendously. Having a way to observe the rocks "glowing"is another important and essential component. People want to see what they look like in the dark... with or without a UV black light. For this challenge I used to use a coffee can. Now I have an apparatus with an observable eye piece, and a cup that fits right over the rock to block out any ambiant light. The UV light comes in from the top and a little to the right to accomadate the eye piece. Voila! a glowing stone! The images shown below are featuring some of my best work. The first shows both the rocks and a poster I created for a backdrop. The second shows what things look like when I turn the UV light off.
