The Best Part of an Art Show

 Ask a dozen artists, and I'll bet you get several different answers. I have my own favorite parts of the day.  It's not set up. And, it's not tear down, that's for sure.  

Packing up, loading the van, hauling everything everywhere is, honestly, a drag.  It's usually early. I am not nearly caffeinated enough, and I probably need second breakfast before we're done. 

And, tearing down makes setting up look fun. Before every show, I tell myself I'll be tidy and organized but, by the end of the day, stuff gets wrapped and packed. I don't care where, just get it done. Let Future Me sort that out.

Meeting our neighbors is great. It's always a good idea to have a vendor buddy nearby. An extra set of hands, or eyes, and somebody to cover your booth if you need to step away. It's a little like camping, in a way. 

Even if it's just a quick hello and good luck today, I look forward to seeing my vendor buddies at events.  It's helpful to compare notes, share advice, and commiserate when needed.

SMURF: ADD A CROWD PHOTO-ASK PAUL

But, my favorite is seeing the familiar faces.

The older gentleman who always asks how I stain the glass.  

The family that surprised each other with stained glass for Christmas. (Yes, I'll help you be sneaky!)

 The little girl who bought her very first piece of art from me.  

The trades I've made with other artists.  

These are the things that make me smile, especially on the rough days. Somewhere along the way, customers become faces. And familiar faces start to feel like friends.  

Of course, I hope for lots of sales. That's what keeps me making art.  But, even a good market day can feel ... off... without making memories.

So, the next time you're near an art fair, wander thru the booths. Talk to the artists.  You never know, you might go looking for art and come home with a story, too.

  

Until next time,

Ailsa

Thomas Critchlow Art Glass - Gifts for all Occasions

Stained Glass Christmas

Every year, I add a few new designs to the Christmas Collection.  

I started with Classic Christmas Trees, Christmas Pickles, and Round Christmas Ornaments.  Over the years, I've added Holly, Mistletoe, & Angels.  

Classic Christmas Tree ornaments 

Some designs become part of the studio's history. The Old-fashioned Christmas Lights, created from vintage glass from my Grandpa Thomas's collection, were released as a limited edition and have been retired.

Christmas Pickles are back for another year

Now,  it's time to welcome the newest additions to the 2026 Christmas Collection.

Whimsical Christmas Trees

Available in Snowy White, Plum Purple, and Crisp Green, they're equally at home hanging in a sunny window, decorating your Christmas tree, or standing on a shelf with an LED candle glowing behind them. 

Iridescent Trees - New this year

They also make thoughtful host gifts and neighbor gifts. 

They are beautiful hanging in a sunny window, on your tree or on a shelf (try sitting an LED candle behind it!). Makes a thoughtful host gift or gifts for neighbor. 

Snowflake Charms

Iridescent glass makes another appearance in these miniature hexagon ornaments. Each one is laser engraved with a delicate snowflake before being finished in lead came and tied with ribbon.

Snowflake charms are wonderful tiny gifts

Fun fact: even our ribbons are made in the USA.

Measuring just over an inch, they're perfect for decorating a tree, hanging from a rearview mirror, or tucking into a gift. They make wonderful office gift exchange presents, Secret Santa surprises, and thoughtful little gifts for friends and grandparents.

Mystery Misfits

Mystery Misfits are back for Christmas! With seasonal colors, and holiday wrapping, these are fun stocking stuffers and Secret Santa Gifts.  Just remember, stained glass is not a toy!  

Christmas Mystery Misfits

Christmas is just getting started in the studio. Over the next few weeks, I'll be busy making stockings, pickles and more! If you want to see them before the rest of the world,  join the TCAG Insiders and get early peeks and special treats.

Until next time,

Ailsa

2026: The Year So Far and looking forward

Well, the first half of 2026 is a wrap and it's been a year of big changes at TCAG.

My plans for 2026 were to grow my email list and event schedule.  Those took a backseat when I learned goimagine was closing shop.  I shifted to building an ecommerce site and let the emails slide. Since I was already committed to several local art and craft vendor events, I stuck with it. But, man, I sure felt pulled in a lot of directions for a while!

I've added a few fun new designs to the line up. Fan faves have been the Mystery Misfits.  Look for seasonal versions of each as we move in to fall and winter. 

If you're already a subscriber, you know the new site is up and running. With items added as I can, it's a growing collection of my current items for sale.  I have created some smaller mini-suncatchers, which I think of as charm sized. Most measure around 2 inches by 2 inches and make great little gifts for moms, dad, friends, and grads.  Gift boxed options are available on most.

This spring, we attended Zionsville, IN's Brick Street Market for the second time. We added the Hoosier Hometown Markets and Spooner Market, both impressed us and we hope to add them to our schedule in the future. And, we returned to historic Franklin, IN for the Ethos Celebration of the Arts.  

For the second half of 2026, I have added several new events this year while keeping my previous events on the books.  From local fundraisers to huge art fairs, I'm still scheduling event for September thru December.  You'll find a running schedule at the top of this page.  

And, lastly, the Fall and Winter collections will drop soon.  With traditional black and orange, pretty pastel, and spooky gothic color palettes for Fall, you are sure to find something you'll love.  Stained Glass Christmas will be back in classic green and red, whimsical iridescent pastels, and playful personalized pet ornaments.  Join the TCAG Insiders for early access to these limited edition suncatchers and gifts.

Until next time,

Ailsa