Excuse the delay for reporting back on the Secret Santa project we've been working on. It turned into an international gift exchange when Annette Piper joined in so we were waiting for gifts to be sent and received from Australia.
I hope you enjoyed the Secret Santa as much as I did. Some great gifts were exchanged. Thanks to participants Larry Berman, Annette Piper, Steph Mader, Robert Wallis, Elle Heiligenstein, Vivian Leflore Mora, Annette Piper, Deborah Potash Brodie, Melanie Rolfes, Carrie Jacobson, Patricia DeMaria, Susan Kubira, Lida Arthaud, Patty Gamin, Marsha Scherer, Alesia Coppedge, John Weller, Kathy Czopek, Pat Falk, Lois Anderson, Larry Raineri, Jackie Dunford, Sharon Jeter, Ellen Schneider and Maureen Roberts.
I received a gift that I prize from my Secret Santa and others did also as reported here: http://www.artfairinsiders.com/forum/topics/thank-you-secret-santa
As promised everyone who posted showing gifts will be receiving compliments of AFI my two e-books, "Getting Started at Art Fairs" and "Getting into Art Fairs: 20 Questions Answered." Look for them in your mailbox tomorrow.
In addition, everyone who participated will receive our famous Red Dot bumper sticker in the mail. Please email me your mailing address.
Then I had to find a judge to choose the Grand Prize Winner and it had to be someone with impeccable credentials in the art fair community. Thank you to Rick Bryant, Executive Director of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, who took on this daunting task.
Here are the judge's comments:
This was more difficult than I thought it would be!
But I’m going with the woman who got the blue glass ikebana plate. She does a great job holding it like the lovely Carol Merrill from “The Price is Right” and there’s a photo of just the item, and also one of it in use. Oh and I liked the story about the leaf in the package. Points to both Santa for putting it in there and the recipient for mentioning it.
Honorable mention goes to the guy with thePillow. A very simple Get er done aesthetic going there.
The winner of the is Ellen Schneider of St. Petersburg, FL. Ellen wins a portable Solar Charger for iPhones, iPads and other USB powered devices. Hope you can use it, Ellen. Please email me your mailing address: info@artfaircalendar.com.
You guys were great and I enjoyed organizing this. Do you want to do it again next year?
Comments
I can almost ... looks great, Ellen, and so do you. Wish I was there with you.
Thank you for my Secret Santa Prize. It works great to charge my shell phone at the beach. Can you hear the waves?
Good for you, Ellen! See, that's why you were the big winner. We learn very useful things from our mothers if we only listen.
Thank you, Virginia, watch for our announcement for this next year. I got started a little late this year but really enjoyed doing it and plan on getting the sign ups in November next year so more people can participate and plan.
Thank you Connie for the wonderful fun first year of Secret Santa exchange, Rick Bryant for the nomination of being the winner and to Steph Mader for the beautiful piece of your art. I surely could use the solar charger as most of my shows are at the beach and we have abundant sunshine here in Florida. I would also like to thank my mother who raised me well to remember to thank everyone who does something nice for you.
Would like to participate next year will have to sent me a clue as to how it all works , Thanks
It was lots of fun, I'd love to do it again. I received a very sweet thank you note from Ellen today, too. Ellen, what nice manners! Whoever raised you must be proud.