Fanfare-A Fan For All Reasons
Where Did the Summer Go?
Greetings everyone! I cannot believe that we are headed for Labor Day week-end.
I am doing one more show this season for all of you local fan fans. On Sunday, September 7th, between 11am and 7pm, Fanfare will be at the 7th Annual Narrows Festival of the Arts in Fall River, MA. This should be a wonderful event with some amazing music, including the fabulous Holmes Brothers as well as Jeremy Wallace and many others. It’s on the historic waterfront and is absolutely FREE to attend. For more information and directions, go to www.ncfta.org
I am sorry for abandoning the blog for two months, but I have been working away on delivering the new collection to you-more or less on time for holiday shopping. Thanks for the emails and orders. You ladies and gentlemen are wonderful. Based on your suggestions, I have specifically designed some subtle everyday workplace styles in navy, taupe and gray. There are also some not so subtle great colors.
Of the 12 styles I had planned to bring you, 5 fabrics have been discontinued by the suppliers. I will either work myself into frenzy to find more fabric, or we’ll just have 7 styles. I’ll keep you posted.
I’d love your input on fan cases. I can make one signature color- a soft pearl gray with lavender lining, or I can make cases to match fans. I like this second choice because it takes the guesswork out of which fan is which when I’m choosing my fan of the day. Let me know what you think.
And, last but not least, here are the first two samples of the new collection-in very poor resolution. I’m not so good with image editing and the originals were HUGE! There should be a few more within the week. I can’t wait to hear what you think.
Posted by Deidre Brown on August 24, 2008. Continue Reading
Summer has arrived!
What a beautiful first day of summer we had here in RI!
I’ve been so pleased to see so many ladies using their fans this season-some of them bought right here from my own little shop.
I’ve been working away on the new designs and my workshop in China has begun production on the new line.
The line will of course be fashionably late, but there will still be plenty of warm weather, stuffy airplanes, concert halls, and many of us who seem to never run out of hot flashes.
For all of you local fan fans, I will be doing one show this summer. If you are in the area, check out the 25th Annual Black Ships Festival in Newport next month. Our tent will be in Touro Park on Bellevue Avenue on Saturday, July 19th from 10am to 4pm. You can get some early holiday shopping done. Fans are a lovely personal gift, especially for she who has everything.
It should be a lovely event with great Japanese food, arts and crafts, and of course, Fanfare with lots of fans!
As always, thanks to all of you for your emails and orders.
Posted by Deidre Brown on June 23, 2008. Continue Reading
Back In The USA
Hong Kong was as always a veritable treasure chest of fabrics to delight and boggle the mind. I have been pouring over them and designing styles that I think you’ll just love. I will definitely be producing a plaid!
The weather was great but China was rather hot and travel there can be something of an endurance test. But, all of my flights were all on time. Sitting and waiting for take-offs, I was so glad to have my trusty fan “Amy” with me. The envious looks from others on board and their requests for my business card tells me that I may have made a sale or two in transit!
Thanks to all of you who are visiting the website, and shopping for fans. I’m always very happy to hear from you.
Posted by Deidre Brown on May 12, 2008. Continue Reading
Live From Tokyo
Hello Fan fans, I’m here in Tokyo on my way to Hong Kong to find beautiful new fabrics for the next collection of fans. One more time zone and I will have lost that pesky 5 lbs and all of those little wrinkles around my eyes will have disappeared as if by magic-or is it the other way around? Oh well, the airport lounges have very good coffee and that’s the primary source of my ability to write this entry.
I’m glad to hear that so many of you share my love of glittery sparkly things. I will be adding some beautiful lacquered guard sticks to some of the new designs and am looking for those pretty little cell phone type charms that some of you have been asking about. I think it’s a great idea and can’t wait to see pretty little charms hanging from my fans.
Ok, I’m heading off to board my next flight, so I’ll be back on the blog in a week or two-depending on how jet lagged I am when I get home.
As always, thanks for those orders and feedback emails. You ladies are marvelous!
Posted by Deidre Brown on April 26, 2008. Continue Reading
Oh Canada!
Thanks to a kind and patient customer in Canada, we now have a shipping option for you guys to the north. Nice ay?
It’s still in the funky stage, so don’t be alarmed if your shipping for one or two fans comes to $25.00. Just email me and I’ll straighten it out.
My trip to China is getting closer, so keep those emails coming with your suggestions and wants for colors and patterns for the new line.
I love hearing from everyone and hope to fulfill some of your desires with the new line. The black patent look was a real hit and I will be pursuing it. I’m sorry, but the “plumbing supplies” motif has been voted out. We’re still considering tiny submarines, but don’t hold your breath (get it?-submarine-don’t hold you breath?) Yeah, we have a lot of fun here.
Posted by Deidre Brown on April 15, 2008. Continue Reading
Postage Calculator Up and Running!
So far-so good, with this new fangled aspect to your shopping experience!
As always, you may still email me with special requests for shipping options other than USPS and for discounts on larger orders.
Have fun and don’t hold back!
Posted by Deidre Brown on March 27, 2008. Continue Reading
A New Face for Fanfare
We are ready for our close-up! Thanks to Stephane Seguin of Reconfigure.ca -one honey of a web designer!
Now that we’re dressed and ready to better serve you, we ask for your patience while we figure out the process for an automated shipping option. In the meantime, continue to email me about shipping and I am, as always, happy to assist you.
We are headed to China next month to pick out some beautiful new fabrics and to design some new styles for you. We should have the new collection out by June 1st.
Does anyone have any suggestions or requests for colors, patterns, rib tones? I know that some of you are looking for plaids and brighter colors. Ok, plaid is definitely on the list, and brighter colors too. And how about a little sparkle? Oh yes, sparkle is one of those necessary ingredients in life, and shall not be overlooked by this fan-atic!
Keep sending those (virtual) cards and letters! Fanfare loves to hear from you.
Posted by Deidre Brown on March 20, 2008. Continue Reading
New Face For Fanfare- Still Coming Soon!
These things take time, but we are optimistic that our new face will be here before the week-end.
So, check back towards the end of this week.
Meanwhile, you may of course, still enjoy your shopping here at Fanfare!
Thanks Everyone!
Posted by Deidre Brown on March 10, 2008. Continue Reading
New Face For Fanfare- Coming Soon!
I am happy with the capabilities of this new e-commerce structure-the thing that allows you to actually buy the fans and get them shipped to you, but I haven’t been happy with the rather crude appearance of the whole thing.
As a result, I’m now working with a wonderful web designer who assures me that Fanfare will be a prettier place to shop by next week.
So keep those fans handy, things are going to be heating up around here!
Posted by Deidre Brown on February 27, 2008. Continue Reading
Back from the Cruise!
My fans came in handy, and I was delighted to see quite a few other “fan handlers” on board. So ladies, if you’re planning a cruise and are wondering if you’ll be the only woman waving a fan, I can assure you that you will not be. And if you’re taking one of my fans along, you’ll get lots of compliments and a question or two about where you got it!
I’d like to say that I had a wonderful time on the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise to the Carribbean, but I am one of the unfortunates who was not meant to sail the seven seas. Still, the lure of 7 days of amazing rhythm and blues music was too much for me. I threw caution to the wind, called my doctor for an Rx for the “patch” and off we went.
The music was all that I could have imagined, in spite of being groggy and dopey from the effects of the patch. I got brave on the third day and took the darn thing off. Big mistake. Not only did the preventative effects wear off rather quickly, but seas get a little rougher as well.
Let me tell you that the Holland America’s Westerdam crew were top notch-especially the stretcher crew who transported my seasick self to the infirmary. And the ship’s infirmary was nothing short of a mini E.R. The two nurses were each in their own way, perfect at their jobs. The doctor was a huge comfort as well. As laid back and casual as you could imagine but absolutely professional.
I was the perfect picture of “Weekend at Bernie’s” for the next three days. In a deck chair, sunglasses and Red Sox baseball cap.zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Posted by Deidre Brown on January 28, 2008. Continue Reading