Archive for September, 2009

Sep 26 2009

Sell Your Quilling at Craft Shows — Choosing the Right Show (Part 2)

Published by Charlotte under Sell Your Quilling

The best advice I can give you about finding out whether a craft show is right for you and your quill art is to ask questions.
 

Talk to the Customers

 
As you wander around, talk to the customers.  Have they been to the show before?  How did they hear about it?  Are they looking for anything in particular?  If a regular attendee, do they have a favorite vendor?  Did they have any problem finding a parking place?  Do they attend other craft shows?  If so, which one(s)?  You don’t need to ask each customer you talk to all of the questions or they may feel like they are being interrogated, but I have found people to be quite friendly and willing to chat at a craft show. 
 

Talk to the Vendors 

 
You will want to wait until the vendor doesn’t have any customers and then let them know that you are thinking about participating in the show next year.  Explain that you create quill art and be prepared to briefly describe what it is if they are unfamiliar with it.  Once the vendor knows you won’t be a direct competitor they will be more likely to answer your questions.  Find out their opinion of the show.  Have they participated in the show in the past?  Have they had any problems with the show management?  Do they do other shows?  If so, which ones and how do they compare with this one?  You might be tempted to ask them about sales, but it is so subjective that the same dollar amount might be seen as great for one vendor and dismal for another.  A better way to determine show sales is to stand back and see if people are buying.  Are customers walking around with bags of goodies, or are they leaving the show empty-handed?
 

Talk to Those in Charge

 
Find out who is in charge and ask them how to obtain a vendor application for next year.  Ask if attendee and sales information is available.  You’ll want to know:
 
  • Fees:  What is the booth fee?  Besides the booth fee, are vendors required to donate a craft item for a silent auction benefiting the sponsoring organization (this is especially common for non-profit and church sponsored events).  This donation needs to be added to the entry fee when comparing costs.  In addition to the booth fee, some show promoters charge a percentage of sales.  Many times, this percentage is different for those exhibitors who are members of the sponsoring organization versus non-members.  There may also be an additional fee charged for electricity (if required), or for the use of tables provided by the show venue.
 
  • Booth & Setup:  What is the size of the booth?  Booth sizes generally depend on the exhibiting venue and are are not standard.  Some sizes I have seen through the years are 8′x8′, 10′x10′, and 5′ x 15′.  Each show I have been in required that tables be covered to the floor so that boxes and extra merchandise is neatly hidden.  Usually, the nature of this covering is left up to the individual crafter, but I did run across one who required that all tables be covered in black.  If you have brown table covering and need to purchase black, it will add to the cost of entering that show.  Not all shows require a booth, however.  I have been accepted into a Christmas House sponsored by an arts organization I belong to.  I bring my specially tagged merchandise to the house several days before the show and the show volunteers display my wares.  There is nothing for me to set up — but I have no control over the display. 
 
  • Length of Show:  While weekend shows are most common, shows may be anywhere from one day to two weeks.  You need to be aware of how much display time in front of potential customers you are buying with your show fees.   
 
  • General Info:  Find out the set-up schedule.  If you are required to set up by 7:00pm Friday night for a Saturday show and you don’t get off work until 5:00pm, you might have a problem and will need to pass on the show or get someone to help with the set-up.  Are only handmade items accepted, or is buy/sell merchandise allowed (mass produced items imported for resale).  Is it a juried show?  Will you need to submit a photo of your booth set-up along with photos of your art to be considered?  Most craft shows have an application process with deadlines much sooner than you would expect.  I enjoy shopping at a local craft show that takes place mid-November.  It is so popular that returning vendors must reserve their spot by May 1st and the show sponsors stop taking applications from new vendors on June 1st.  
 

Take the Next Step

 
If you kept good notes, you should be able to compare the various craft shows you attended and pick one or two you would like to participate in.  There are no guarantees, but at least you will be making an informed decision to give yourself the best possible chance for a successful show.  Be sure to mark your calendar with the application deadlines for your chosen show(s) so time doesn’t slip away and you find yourself next fall wishing you were in a Christmas craft show instead of just attending one.
…
If you missed it, click here for Sell Your Quilling at Craft Shows (Part 1).
 
Craft Show Tip:  Talk to your crafting pals to see if anyone is interested in sharing a booth space.  It is a great way to dip your toe into the craft show waters without jumping all the way in.
…

3 responses so far

Sep 22 2009

Sell Your Quilling at Craft Shows — Choosing the Show (Part 1)

Published by Charlotte under Sell Your Quilling

craft-show-displayFor those of us in the Northern Hemisphere (United States, Canada and most of Europe) autumn begins today at 5:18 pm EDT.  And you know what that means — cooler air, changing leaves, and craft shows are right around the corner.  I have participated in many craft shows over the years and have learned a few tricks along the way which I am happy to share with you. 
 
If you have been toying with the idea of selling your quillwork at craft shows, now is the time to start preparing for the 2010 season. 
 
Keep an eye out for all of the shows in your area and attend as many as you can.  You may see an ad in your local newspaper or hear about it on the radio.  Where I live, some craft shows are listed in the Events section of my water bill and electric co-op monthly magazine.  If you live in large cities, you could try Internet searches. 
 
Before attending any show, purchase a small purse-size notebook to take with you to record your comments and observations.  This will become an invaluable reference guide in deciding which show(s) will be the best match for your quilled art.
 

The Craft Show Itself

 
Promotion.  For each show, make a note of how you found out about it and whether it was promoted in several places and how often.  Why is this good to know?  If you have a hard time finding out about a show, so will the paying customers and attendance will be off.
 
Location.  Is the show an outdoor show or inside show?  Your booth display needs will be different for indoor and outdoor shows.  Personally, I have chosen not to do outdoor shows since I don’t want to deal with possible weather issues, but that’s just me.
 
Type of Venue.  Is the event primarily a craft show, or is it a family fun day like a community or school fair (pony rides, games, face painting) with crafts added as an additional revenue stream for the sponsors?  If people are paying for other activities, they won’t be buying the crafts.  The craft section of the event will be viewed as another form of entertainment and won’t draw serious shoppers.
 

Show Observations

 
Spend some time just looking around and try and get an overall feel for the show.  You also want to see if sales are being made.
 
Parking.  After parking and while still in your car, take a moment to jot down a few observations.  Were there signs along the route announcing the show?  Is there adequate parking?  Is there a fee to park?
 
Show Venue & Layout.  Is there a fee to get in?  Are the isles wide enough for people to stop and look at the booths without blocking traffic?  If the shoppers are constantly being bumped into, they won’t linger over your merchandise.  How is the general lighting?  Are there dark spots in the room?  Is music being played over the speakers?  Is it pleasant or too loud?
 
Vendors.  Do you notice a diversity in the crafts being offered by the vendors?  If more than one vendor is selling a particular type of craft (beaded jewelry or pottery, for example) and are they dispersed fairly evenly around the area?  Are the booths attractive with covered tables and display pieces, or are the vendors using card tables with their wares scattered about?  What is the general quality and pricing of the merchandise?  If you are trying to sell high-end framed quill art in a church bazaar setting, you probably won’t make many sales.  Smaller pieces such as quilled magnets, bookmarks, and coasters might work better.  Jotting down the price range of the other vendors’ merchandise allows you to adjust your product line and pricing should you decide to do the show the following year.
 
You’ve walked around and written down your initial observations — now what?  I’ll answer that question in Choosing the Right Show (Part 2)
 
Craft Show Tip:  Selling at craft shows requires a certain investment.  To keep costs down, at least until you know if you even want to do shows, choose local shows so you won’t incur additional traveling and lodging expenses. 
….

One response so far

Sep 08 2009

Steampunk Quilling ATC

Published by Charlotte under Quilling Inspiration

steampunk-quilling-atcI have decided that this is the year I am going to quit saying, “someday,” and start doing the things I have wanted to do.   When I had the opportunity to go to Dragon*Con this past weekend with my daughter, I went.  In the organization’s own words, “Dragon*Con is the largest multi-media, popular culture convention focusing on science fiction and fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music, and film in the US.”  I have no idea how many attendees there were, but the event took over four hotels in downtown Atlanta.  It was unbelievable — the costumes were amazing, the panel discussions enlightening, and the celebrity guests were quite charming.  I personally spoke to Patrick Stewart (that’s right, Jean-Luc Picard himself), Bonita Friedericy (General Diane Beckman from Chuck), and John Billingsley (Dr. Phlox, Enterprise – but my daughter recognized him as the coroner on True Blood). 
 
But, what really caught my attention were those dressed in “steampunk” costumes — women in beautiful Edwardian dresses with bustles and men in fun leather riding coats complete with goggles.  And they carried the coolest brass-looking gadgets.  Steampunk denotes works set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used (1800s), but with prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy, such as fictional technological inventions like those found in the works of H.G. Wells and Jules Verne.  Other examples of steampunk contain alternative history-style presentations of “the path not taken” technology, such as dirigibles, analog computers, or digital mechanical devices, presented as if they were in common use today.
 
I had run across a little bit of steampunk art on the internet several years ago, but had no idea how far this art had come.  If you have the time, Google steampunk on the internet, or look at steampunk art on etsy.com or artfire.com.  For the artist, it is a wonderful mix of found art — brass parts, watch gears, and cool keys.
 
I was exhausted when I got home, but had to make my own version of steampunk art the next day.  I created an ATC (artist trading card) with paper punched gears rimmed with crimped quilling paper — I used both 1/8″ and 1/16″ wide paper and used my gold leafing pen to color both sides so it looked like crimped metal.  The keys were clipped from some scrap collage paper I had in my stash.  I found the old typewriter key font online which really went with the theme.  I added a small piece of torn handmade paper for texture and glued all of the pieces to parchment card stock mounted onto chipboard for stability.
 
I have spoken about creative inspiration in several of my previous posts.   The next time you are inspired by the events in your life, create your own ATC. They are the perfect size for creating miniature works of art that allow you to capture the moment without spending a lot of time.  I will definitely be making more ATCs in the future.
…

4 responses so far