Yippee! Our two artist signings on Friday and Saturday were great! I hope you were able to come by the store and meet Mark Roberts and Dean Griff in person, because they were each a delight to host here for their exclusive product signings. These were the first such events I have experienced, and it was terrific to meet the creators and their collectors as well.
Friday night, we had fun “fluffing fairies” under the tutelage of Mark Roberts and his associate, Peter. We learned to twist-twist-twist those fairy wings as well as curl their toes and caps properly. That’s it, we have to redo all our display pieces – well, those that are left after the event! The fairies, Santas, and elves were all gorgeous and were leaving the store at a brisk pace.
Mark, on how to display fairies on your treePeter, expert fluffer
My favorite family of the evening decided to purchase their first Mark Roberts item, one of his new elves, to start a collection of their own ~ and not only was Mark here to sign it for them, it was Number 2 in the Limited Edition, numbered collection ~ they were thrilled. Several long-time fans and collectors came to visit with Mark, and he greeted them warmly, answered questions, and shared tips and laughs throughout the evening.Mark makes Fairies, Santas, and Elves like this Peppermint Fairy:
On Saturday, Dean Griff, creator of the aptly-named Charming Tails collection, greeted many old friends in the store throughout the afternoon. Some of his devoted followers even went through the line several times, they purchased so many new characters ~ and each piece was signed with care.
Waiting in line
Turns out several members of staff are collectors of both artists’ works, and they took turns in the signing lines as well. Our representative, Iris, has hopefully inspired Dean to develop a piece featuring her namesake flower next time around. Keeping our fingers crossed with yours, Iris!
Dean’s creations include the cutest woodland characters like this Christmas Elf figurine:
As we head into the “dog days of summer” (thanks to
Sirius, the Dog Star- which doesn’t appear in our modern skies until sometime in August), we’re already thinking about October and our next signing events, including Ne’Qwa hand-painted glass ornaments, Department 56 & Snowbabies collectibles, San Francisco Music Box, and Jacquelyn Kent dolls. Keep checking in for further updates.
Have a super week!
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
