Soapbox Ramblings

Alright, so it has nothing to do with the song, but it got your attention, didn’t it?

I went to the Panther City Bar Bazaar at Lola’s Saloon in Fort Worth this past Sunday. The artists there were absolutely amazing! I know the heat or other obligations kept some people from coming out for the Bazaar, but they really missed out if they haven’t seen the artwork from these DFW area artists.

I love going to festivals and bazaars so I had a great time, plus they had a live band playing that kept everything festive. I loved that the band wasn’t so loud you could actually talk to the artists too. This bazaar was really well thought out. When you arrived and paid admission to get in, they had a comfortable wrist band so if you wanted to leave and come back, you could. Not that you would need to leave – you could get food and drinks there, and even donate to the Fort Worth Burrito Project by buying a burrito and chips and salsa. Most of the artists’ tables were arranged away from the stage (and speakers). Because they had such a good response for artists, they had to put some of them outside (of course no one knew it was going to be this hot so early in June! thankfully there was a breeze to keep most of them cool.)

One thing that stood out for me about the Bazaar was the attitude of the artists themselves. If you go to many art festivals, you know what I’m talking about. You walk up to an artist’s table and they’re sitting there texting away on their cell phone or reading a book and they never look up. I understand the monotony of being a vendor, especially at a slow bazaar or festival. But one thing I can guarantee with 100% certainty – the vendors that never bother to even speak to a single customer are the ones you’ll find complaining at the end of the day about what a bad show it was for them. (You thought customers don’t hear the complaints? Believe me, WE DO.) And this was what was amazing about the artists at the Panther City Bar Bazaar. Every single vendor there was friendly, engaging and actively interested in their customers. Every one. That, my friend, is Rare. Even the artists who were outside in the heat were happy to be there, and laughed off when the breeze blew their cards off the tables. They were all excited to talk about what they do. Not only that, but the artwork itself was truly incredible. All handmade, and top quality work. If I weren’t a poor, starving artist myself, I would have bought something from everyone there! (That’s a hint, people! Go check out my site and buy stuff so I can go buy their stuff!)

Here are just a few of the wonderful artists that I met.

Shelli of Neke Designs has some beautiful hand-crafted wire jewelry. As a wire-wrapper, I can tell you, she does more than “just wrap stones” with wire. She looks for a truly unique way of hammering and fastening the metal together in a way that is aesthetically pleasing to look at and would be great to wear. Many of her pendants are offset so it doesn’t just “hang” around your neck, plus she combines copper, brass and silver in a way for each metal to complement the other. It’s like wearing a delicately hammered piece of art.

Karla from the Soap Addict makes all natural, vegetarian soaps, and lip balms. I was immediately drawn to her Lavender Palmarosa, which I didn’t get out without buying before I left the bazaar. The scent is a combination of lavender (my favorite, and all I ever wear) lightly accented with rose, and the soap itself has essential oils that are great for your skin and face. It was tough deciding between the Lavender Palmarosa and the Oatmeal Lavender with Honey soap, which has a much more subtle, soft scent. Her eco-friendly soaps and balms are a great alternative to just buying soap at the store and handmade soaps always last longer, so it’s well worth the price.