Top 10 Craft Fair Tips: Part 1

***Okay, I'm starting with 5 tips because I have so much to say & this post is already too long.***
*** I will post Part 2 tomorrow.***

After having a booth at the Queen Bee Market,

I wanted to share with you some tips I've picked up.
This was about the 6th show I've been a vendor at,
so I'm not a veteran, but I always learn so much at each show.

 Above all else:

1. Invest thought, time, & energy into your booth display.

I was so focused on my art for the first few craft fairs that I didn't

spend much time thinking about the display.

I ended up hanging some originals in weird awkward ways because

I didn't have a good hanging system, and putting all of my prints

in wicker baskets so they couldn't be seen.

Without a thoughtful, engaging display,

all of my hard work and time and money seemed wasted.

Be sure to research and figure out the details of your set up.

Practice setting up your booth way before the big day.

My booth display this time...

As you can see, it's super simple,

but all of the space is used and

the product can be seen.

You booth needs to be:

Practical:
My art need to be seen!
Think vertical & varying heights to maximize your space.
Easy to set up and take down.
It all has to fit in my minivan.
I need to store it in my garage without
driving my husband crazy.

Affordable:
It can't break the bank.
My budget goal for Queen Bee was $100 for the whole display.
I ended up spending about $170 after going back
to Home Depot about 17 times. (See # 4).
*Tips: Make friends with the guys at Home Depot & ask them how to make stuff.
*Look in the used wood bin at Home Depot. $.50 for some great, big pieces.

Adorable:
Pay attention to detail.
It needs to make people want to stop & look. 

Queen Bee had the best, cutest both displays I've ever seen.
There is so much more I will do next time to cute it out.
But this was a start.

Source: craftshowdesigns.blogspot.com via Jenny on Pinterest

2. Know thy venue. 

I can't stress this enough!
an art fair, a street fair, and a craft fair
are 3 very different venues with very different clientele.

Don't just sign up for anything!
Take time to think about your product and where it will fit best,
and your target market and where they will be.
Attend the venue and take note of booths that stand out
and get attention, what they are selling and their price points.

My experience:
My first venue was a street fair in a small town.
I only brought original paintings. I sold not one thing. Not one.
 I was so discouraged. But duh...
When I go to a street fair I bring $10 to spend on kettle corn & maybe a pair of earrings.
I don't go there looking to spend $125 on original art.
and neither does anyone else.
That doesn't mean I can't do street fairs,
it just means I need adjust my inventory & price points.
Which brings me to # 3...

Source: ohhellofriendblog.com via Jacqui on Pinterest

Source: ohhellofriend.blogspot.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

3. Have a variety of price points.

Honestly, I don't like selling cards.
I barely make a profit and they are a pain to fold and package.
But, I view them as part of my marketing.
They provide an inexpensive price point for someone who wants to buy a piece of my work
and when someone sends a card to someone they care about
with my name and information on the back, it's free marketing for me.

I know when I find an artist I love, and want to remember,
I usually buy a card, or a set of cards (what I can afford).
And if I have that art work lying around, if I love it enough,
I'll purchase artwork when I can.

Also a variety of price points (having inexpensive items) draws people in to your booth.
I can't tell you how many times people stopped to look at a $3 card
and ended up purchasing a print, or even an original.

With a variety of price points, and more inexpensive items,
you're going to have a lot more sales.
Which is just way, way more fun and engaging,
and gets you connecting with customers, too.

Source: emmallamb.blogspot.com via Nesha on Pinterest

Source: renegadecraft.com via Rachelle on Pinterest

Source: farm5.static.flickr.com via Little Pretties on Pinterest

4. Be prepared to spend way more money than you expected. 

Whatever you think your budget is, double it.
It's really annoying. An emergency trip to Kinkos. 73 trips to Home Depot later.
A $50 budget can easily turn into $300. Just be prepared.
I'm sure the more shows I do, the less unexpected costs will pop up.
Plus, I think I have most of the emergency items I need now.
But I also know that I will probably always spend more than what I plan.

Source: flickr.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Source: renegadehandmade.com via Amy on Pinterest

 5. Be prepared to spend way more time than you expected.

So far, every time I've done a show it doesn't just take up the time during the show,
it consumes my whole world for at least 2 weeks before.
Countless hours are spent  thinking, listing, planning, and preparing.
which takes away my focus on my family, which is the whole reason I'm doing this:
For my family, to be home with my babies.
I have to believe that, if I do this more, the learning curve will even out
and it will take significantly less time and energy. Right?

 I try to keep track of every hour spent,
in order to find out how much money I'm really making.
But the bottom line is that it will always take way more time than you plan.
So just plan on it.

And remember:
Everything is a learning experience.
Flickr has some great groups with photos & creative ideas for booth displays.
Here and here and here

Tomorrow I will get to Part 2!

Creative Business Tips: Find your tribe.

Creative Business Tip #1: Find your tribe.

I know this isn't a new idea.
Everyone's talking about tribes.
But that's because it's so true.

Last year I won a scholarship to Artfest
and it changed my life.

Mostly because I met
all kinds of my peeps.

 In person.

 Doing what I love to do.

I felt so at home.

I met her and her and her and her
And do you know what all of them are?

They are not only are they fun, creative, wonderful women and artists.

They are business owners.

They are real live, flesh and blood people making a living from their art.

And I met them. face to face.

I sat down and had conversations with them.

I saw that they were just people.

Not women with superpowers.

Just people who decided that they were going

to make a living making art.

and they did it.

They made it happen.

photo credit

hm. (head tilt.)

Honestly, that's the first time it crossed my mind that I could do it too.

If all of these women can do this, there's no reason why I can't do this too.

And it totally changed the way I thought about myself and my art.
It opened up worlds of possibilities for me.

Before I went to Artfest these were only women I knew of.

Women I read about in magazines and stalked on their blogs.

Art goddesses. The chosen ones.

And since Artfest these (and so many other) women have been a

constant inspiration to me through their blogs.

As I see you climb your mountains

so make me wanna climb my own.
Here are some women/artist/business owners who
constantly inspire me with their creativity and and perserverence and resoluteness.

I can honestly say that I would not be where I am on this journey without you.
Without your encouragement & support & courage & example.

My creative business tip:
Find the people who have gone before you in this journey.
People who spur you on and inspire you.
People who make you keep at it and grow and get better.
And tell you to keep going when you feel like quitting.

Becoming a Business Owner. Part 2: The Stories We Tell Ourselves

 

Don't let the title mislead you.

This isn't a how-to.

It's just my thought and feelings
 and fears and process.

I want to share with you this journey.

I also want to help you, anyone, who is doing the same thing.

And continue on this journey with you.

It's really weird.

I so hesitate to write about the business side of things

because the gremlins come out in full force.

I feel realy embarassed.

"Who do you think you are?!?"

You're no business owner.

You just like to paint.

But I am writing and publishing and putting this outthere
because I am convinced that we believe the stories

we tell ourselves over and over every single day.

Whether we are concious of them or not.

So I have to become aware of my thoughts

and grab and put them in the Lord's hands.

These are the verses that I keep coming back to:

If any of you lacks wisdom, ask.

and

not by might not by power, but by the spirit of God.

and

apart from me you can do nothing.

and

we take every thought captive

Dear Lord,

I have no idea what I'm doing.

Please help me and lead me a guide and

take me where you want me to go.

Please provide for us.

Amen.

How about you...

Do you struggle to see yourself as something new?

anything new?

an artist?

a runner?

a photographer?

a business owner?

What is it for you?

The best way out is always through: Lessons from a Bear Hunt

We love this book.

Over and over and over again.

There's profound wisdom that lies hidden in it's pages.

Listen carefully:

Can't go over it.

Can't go under it.

We have to go through it.

The best way out is always through.
Robert Frost

I am an expert procrastinator.

Expert avoider of all things not-so-fun.

Show me something I don't want to do

and I'll show you 1,037 other things that must be done instead.

This was my mantra in college.

Mostly for writing papers.

I finally came to the conclusion (my senior year)

that the only way to finish a

paper/project/whatever

was to start.

Brilliant.

I know.

Can't go over it.
Can't go under it.
We have to go through it.

And I haven't been challenged

in the way that this artistic journey

challenges me since college.

Little mountains to climb, everywhere I turn:
taking decent photos of artwork
learning photoshop
learning blogger
learning etsy
packaging
publishing
marketing
shipping
printing
taxes
sales
mountains everywhere.

 And I have to climb each and every one in order
to do what I really want to do :
Stay home (part time) with my babies & paint.

And they are a gift
(these ugly mountains)

because every single time I come through

even the smallest of challenges

I'm so stinkin' proud of myself.

I did that. I can do the next thing.

yay me.
The best way out is always through.

Robert Frost
So what is your mountain today?

What do you need to get through to get where you want to go?

Becoming a business owner? Part 1

Such a fun weekend with my baby

doing nothing at all.

And everything important.

Taking it easy.

Spending time together.

Reading lots of books.

Mowing the lawn.

Having lots of picnics.

Riding on lawn mowers

in Home Depot.

Does it get any better?

I can almost taste summer.

Working part time again.

Sipping coffee.

Staying in jammies.

Going out to breakfast with Papa.

Taking naps.

Playing with friends.

Being home.

I ache to be home.
With my babies.
I know it's where I need to be.
For a very long time.
Like, for the next 25 years, minimum.

And painting.
 I know I need to be painting.
so I've come to the realization
that I need ot start taking this fun
thing that I love so much,
this art thing,
seriously.

Start taking myself a little
more seriously.
as an artist.
as a business owner.

weird to say. scary to think.
even more scary to act on and announce.
 but I know where I need to be.
It's here. At home,
making a home
for my little guys.

So it's not about me and my art any more.
It's not about my fears and my doubts
It's about my boys and my husband and my family.
It's about living the life I want to live.
Not really sure how it's all gonna work.
But I know I have to try.

Creative Business Tips: Pretty Packages

I love a pretty package.
Especially when it's for me.
All wrapped up.

So when I read this post on Meylah I decided it was time to think about my packaging.
Here's what I came up with.

A hand written note is a nice touch.



After wandering around blogland I found so many beautiful ideas for packaging handmade products.
Here are some flickr groups with some fun ideas:
Nice Package
Etsy Packaging
Crafty Packages
Warning: This could consume the next 5 hours of your life.
It's so hard to stop wandering.

Oh, we had this little visitor in our backyard today.

I trimmed the grape vines and I didn't put them in the yard waste bins.
We were eating dinner inside when we saw him.
Booboo was had a huge smile. He kept saying, "Hi bunny. Hi bunny."