Funny Craft Fair Stories

Craft fairs are a great way to spend a summer afternoon, unless you live in Minnesota where the wind can howl at 40 mph off the big lake. No kidding! I went to a craft fair today and learned a vital lesson regarding displays. All of the crafters (poor things) had outside displays and the temp was about 58 degrees with a serious wind blowing off the lake. They were spending more time holding onto the canopy to keep it from blowing away than talking to potential customers. So the lesson here is, be prepared for anything, especially when you live in Minnesota. If you don't like the weather, just wait a minute. Sheesh...

Do you have a funny craft fair story to share? Tell me about it here. Thanks and I will look forward to hearing your funny tale.

Rainy Day Crafts

I've tried some new clay techniques over the past several days with some beautiful results. I use Sculpey Polymer Clay for my projects and have found it to be very versatile. I love the way it blends and how I can use it to make abstract "scenes" with it.

It's raining and cool today so I will spend the day in the studio, (I love it when a plan comes together) and not feel one little bit guilty about not getting anything else done today.

I'm interested in connecting with other artists who are doing handmade items and finding out how they are selling their wares.

Away for a Day

Taking the day off and heading north along the shore I hoped to relax a little and maybe hand out some business cards, after all I do like a little get away by myself once in awhile. The farther north I drove, the darker the clouds and my mood. All I could think about was my husband, my family, my home and my work, pretty much in that order.

Returning home felt good. Checking on the family, the garden and getting back to the details of my life and my work was what the doctor ordered after all. Like Dorothy says in the Wizard of Oz, we don't have to look further than our own back yard...

It's good to be back.

Another Day, Another Dollar or Two

Making a sale is always so exciting. The feeling remains new and exciting even after the first few sales. There is something so validating in selling something that you have made with your own two hands. Making something that you love and finding out that someone else loves it too and is willing to buy it from you remains one of the best highs I have ever experienced. It keeps me going into the studio day after day and makes me want to be a better artist.

I am interested in how other artists have felt during this experience. Please let me know if the presure of making a sale has influenced who you are as an artist. Do you feel free to create what you want to create or are you creating what the public wants? Does where you live influence what you create or are you flexible enough in your craft to be able to change depending on where you are and what the local flavor is? So many questions and so little time... Take the handmade pledge!

I also love vintage items and when I am not making handmade items I spend my leisure time collecting and selling vintage items. Feel free to check out my store at:
www.goodneighborvintage.etsy.com
Have a great day and until next time, craft on!

Keywords

Okay, business owners, I've seen websites where we can pay big bucks that will help us find "keywords" that our customers use to "find" our products. What do we as "salespeople" need to know about "keywords" to better sell our products? Again, any ideas?

Marketing Ideas

Marketing ideas will be fully appreciated! Some that I've heard so far are as follows:

• craft shows
• flea markets
• street vendors
• websites
• ebay
• consignment shops

One that really intrigued me was the farmer's market. A woman had that gig every year for a very long time. Any ideas?

Shameless Promotion North Shore Clay

At age 50 most of us are starting to think about retirement, settling down or at least slowing down, maybe just a little.

But at age 50, I feel like I'm just getting started. And it feels pretty good. What started as a therapy for arthritis has become a passion, and a passion has turned into a small business!

Those of us who make handmade items can get lost when we try to sell on eBay. I've found a smaller venue that serves my purpose well and WOW, there are so many talented people at this place! My website is http://www.northshoreclay.etsy.com/

I make handmade clay jewelry and as I said, what started as a therapy for arthritis has become a passion to make beautiful things. I like to think of my pieces as "tribal" jewelry. They are not glitzy or glamorous. They are everyday jewelry. You can wear them with your jeans or to church on Sunday!

Etsy is a great place to sell all things handmade! They only charge 20 cents to list an item for 4 months and only charge a small percentage if your item sells. They even set you up with a store front...The only charge is for the items you list!

So all you fellow crafters, get busy and get crafting! I would love to hear about your adventures and marketing ideas...Craft on my friends, craft on!