Craft Show Learning Curve

Wiser people than I have said to not work a show that you have not visited first. This is an often difficult piece of advice to follow when starting on the circuit. There are other, subtler lessons to learn.

Last fall I did a mediocre show at a high school about 25 minutes away, that I had never attended as a visitor. Lesson learned: try not to do a show that is off the beaten path. This school was a destination and attracted no drive-by traffic. Out in the woods may not be profitable.

Yesterday, I worked a new show again. I had been suggested to this group and was obviously flattered. They answered most of my questions well regarding advertising, other draws, size, etc. I knew the location was a good one, also in the previous high school area but on a main drag. They were going to have pony rides and bouncy houses and music and more to draw in the passer-bys. Great! We set up Friday and I 'thought' I had a great spot by the only entrance/exit....you couldn't/wouldn't miss my tables.

Saturday came with 40degree temperatures and a nasty, constant down pour.

Cancel the horses.

Cancel the music.
Cancel the bouncy thingies.

Freeze by the exit/entrance.

The visitors were mostly either friends or family of other vendors or the organizers. I barely made back my entry fee (precisely by $1.00). Of course, it wasn't the organizers fault and I do think with cooperative weather, it might have been a grand fair. Do I venture again, next year if they ask me back?

My saddest reaction to this was not being able to sell even one piece of a friend's wonderful work, shown below. She is an amazing clay artist and I hope at the next show she will be appreciated. Visit her at Clay Art By Daresa. Her work is inspiring!

Oh, the next show? Also a new one, never attended....hmmmm, we'll see!

Buttons and Easter and Eggs, Oh My!

This was just purchased by a button company to use at their showroom and conventions and post on their website! ButtonsandMore

Organizing,part2!

Maybe it's best to just use up what you have before you buy more? Ya' think?!!!!
Here are 2 new boxes, one listed, and you know from the previous post there's more to come...


But then there's the yarn....phew....so much and so little time. I decided all those leftover balls might sell to someone who knits or crochets smaller items so I grouped and listed them. And they sold BUT....yarn balled up becomes heavy. One group I listed for $15 including shipping. Guess what? The shipping was $10. Okay, $5 is gained for something I'd never use anyway, but my advice: Be aware, the shipping will eat your take home!
One more set left and hopefully this time I've learned my lesson!

Organizing a Multi-Use Space

I am generally pretty organized. Ask me for something & I can usually find it within one look, 2 at the most. I can proudly say that I rarely lose things downstairs. And then there's the studio upstairs....not my finest achievement!
The studio is also a storage room, access to the attic, exercise room and often a laundry drying room....a not for public viewing space. It really got trashed during and after the shows in the fall and then the holidays came and all that stuff. The holidays ended and the decorations MUST be put away so the craft items, remember I said this was the STUDIO, were still scattered. Finally, mid-January I purchased some craft item and when I went to put it to use, found I had 3. Okay, this has got to stop....buying what you have is ridiculous.
I spent over 7 hours within the last week cleaning and organizing. Throwing out and consolidating. Buying more bins and drawers. Paring down some materials and noting I needed more of others. The hardest part was finding a particular supply or button or piece of paper and thinking "hmmm, I could make a..." and the cleaning got brushed aside. Then this weekend, I had an off-line sale of this button jewelry box~



I realized that was the last of the 7-8 boxes I had made. Off to the craft store for 6 more boxes. About 10 minutes ago, I started to work on a previously untouched cabinet up there. What did I find? Of course, 4 more boxes.
Moral of the story: Keep like items together and KNOW where you put them!!!

Time Flies Slowly

It's January 26 and this devilish month is finally coming to an end. Even though I'm in the south, it's been cold and we haven't had the normal breaks with 55-65 degree days...just cold. We had a beastly summer, followed by a non-existent autumn and now this winter. And guess what? Our area will be invaded by the 13 year cicada in April....so no spring. Not familiar with cicadas? NOISY, huge and crunchy. They are not harmful to humans but their noise can be deafening...nice,eh? Some people eat them....uh,no!
So with a questionable 2 seasons past,a bad current one and the future, murky, I vow to ignore the weather. Think it's possible? The universal conversation starter? One can hope!
Meanwhile where are my gloves?

Can anyone think of something creative to do with this bugger? Crochet wing covers? Blech!

Think spring, Valentine's Day or even Chinese New Year, but make the snow go away, please!

SOUTH Carolina

The photos tell the story!