Monday, August 16, 2010

Our busy season continues...

The clock is ticking down toward the opening weekend of the Kansas City Renaissance Festival, where we own a booth.  It is without question our single biggest event of the year for our business so we're making tankards as fast as we can. We have the world's most awesome husband-wife team of booth managers who sell for us.  If you're in the area, stop in at booth #400 (we're called Tri Canis Nox - now figure out what that means) and say hello to them!

But meanwhile back at the ranch, we're frantically working on a production run of 500 pieces to get to KC before the doors open on Labor Day weekend.  All four of us have been involved in the production.

And this is part of the result.  Here's what our upstairs work room looked like this afternoon.  In other words, a mess.



While the girls and I are upstairs working on various aspects of the production, my poor husband was in the shop cutting 500 handles.  Oh my.  Tedious at best.


We'll get it done.  We always do.  These pieces will be shipped in time for the opening weekend.  Then it's constant 150 to 200 piece production runs with weekly shipments to KC until mid-October, when the Festival ends.  After that - we collapse!

13 comments:

  1. Three Dog Night? Just a guess. Love your stuff! hope you sell out!

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  2. Tri Canis Nox = Three Dog Night! Very good! Don't ask, it's a long story, but I'm always tickled when someone gets it.

    - Patrice

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  3. That was to be my guess. I was beat out my mizdeb. Congrats. I'm betting long, cold winter nights need 3 dogs to keep you warm. My mom used to say something like that.

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  4. I own a couple of your albums. (Three Dog Night was a musical group.) :) My favorite piece of your music is "Eli's Comin'" That really rocks!

    Tankards and more tankards. Wow! Many years ago I attended a Renaissance faire in Marin County, California. Once was enough. Not exactly my type of event. LOL Queen Elizabeth I came past in her sedan chair and her Beefeaters commmanded all of us to curtsey or bow. I refused, and was sent to the dungeon for a half hour. That's as close to royalty as I ever want to get again. LOL Nope, I'm definitely not into Renaissance faires. Give me Mountain Man reenactments and I'm there! Wonder if mountain men drank out of tankards? If so, could open up a whole new market for your wares.

    Wishing you Bona Fortuna with the sales of your tankards at the faire.

    Anonymous Twit
    USA

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  5. LOL I thought you looked familiar and the tankards too.

    Spent alot of time at that ren fest. Usually fighting in the glen. Although not recently.

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  6. Yes, Three Dog Night.

    Now, bonus question: Who knows what a Three Dog Night IS, other than an awesome, ancient rock band, heh heh?

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  7. a three dog night is one where it is so cold you need three dogs in your bed to stay warm. And Patrice or Don please tell your sales couple (if they are still the same ones you had 5 or 6 years ago) that Ottar/Jamie says Hi.

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  8. still have those vinyl lps...three dog night..classic now my other definition of a three dog night would be possibly more than two coyotes howling at the moon or a pack of dogs on chase of deer, coon or possum - they are loud and can go on all night. your living quarters and that of my sister in law could be one and the same-except hers is birdhouses, and other yard art from recycled items..we have the prairie arts and craft festival coming up in two and half weeks or so and things are chaotic at best...even our caravan at four in the morning thru 50 miles of mississippi fog and swampgas can be mindspinning at best.

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  9. Beautiful, precious pictures of the American dream made manifest.

    God, please bless the hands that make these humble vessels and those that offer them to their new owners. Thank You for their unimpeded completion, knowing that each and every one will sell and be useful for many years to come. In Jesus' name, amen.

    A. McSp

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  10. I bought 5 of your tankards at the Portland Brewer's Festival a few months ago. They have been a huge hit with family and friends. I sure wish I knew how to order a few more online.
    Thanks.
    Phoenix_1024@msn.com

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  11. Glad to hear you enjoy the tankards! We do plan to open a retail page in a couple months, once our busy season is over. Kansas City ends on Oct 17, so we'll start working on the retail web page at that time. I'll announce on my blog when it's open, of course, and meanwhile I've saved your comment into a separate file for folks interested in retail purchases. Thanks, and glad you like 'em!

    - Patrice

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  12. I was thinking about possibly wholesaling these mugs at Estrella. Can you contact me by email? Thanks Angie.
    uaxf082@carlson.com

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  13. I was thinking about possibly wholesaling these mugs at Estrella. Is that possible? Please email me at uaxf082@carlson.com
    Thank you
    Angie

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