Sunday, July 27, 2008
WestFair Update, Treasure Chest, Custom Pendants
I am having a wonderful time at Westfair this week. Today is the last day. It's always a little sad to pack up, but life goes on!
I promised a couple photos of my set up. I capitalize on a corner spot by setting up in an "L" shape, with a large opening at the front to get in and out of. I really like the set up this year, and I'm going to request the same spot for 2009, as well as that terrific counter that I "borrowed" to set up my cash register and supplies!
A great idea from
Rena Klingenberg that I've used at the last couple of shows is to "showcase" my older stock to move it along. Here's my Treasure Chest (chest purchased from
Hobby Lobby using a 40% off coupon!).
I've really moved a lot of my older bracelets, earrings and necklaces using this little tool. I left the old price tags on the items, so customers can see what a bargain they are getting!
Finally, Michelle and Alyssa of the
LumberJills asked me if I'd make them some pendants with axes on them. I was up to the challenge, and worked yesterday on designing prototypes and finalized the pendants late last night. It was an unusual request...but I had so much fun doing it! After I get pictures of the finished pendants, I'll post the "work in progress". Hopefully you'll get as much of a kick out of them as I do.
Off to the fair!!
Labels: craft shows, fair, jewelry business, jewelry sales, lumberjills, pendant, treasure chest, westfair
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Fair Week!
First off all, I had a big "DUH" moment this morning. I was in a panic to post my Ornament Thursday project and happened to open an email from Michele in the OT group.
OT is NEXT Thursday. <---smacks self across head
I am only vindicated by the fact that several others in the group also thought it was this week. ;-) Tee Hee, I guess I will just tease and say that my "Red Hot" project is REALLY hot! Watch this space
next Thursday for the final instructions on a project that's red hot AND perfect for summer.
Back to fair week....my big county fair is this weekend. Jeremy and I spent Wednesday setting up, and then he took off to investigate all the "bad" fair food and watch the queen coronation.
Congratulations to
Kerrie Denning of Neola on her coronation as 2008 WestFair Queen! Wonder if she needs any new jewelry.....
I am quite pleased with my set up for this fair - I used some artistic license and moved a HUGE shelf unit from behind my booth, covered it with black fabric and it's perfect for my cash register and other Point-of-Sale type things. I'll get some pictures of the booth later today and post them Friday.
One thing I changed this year - I added a sign with my business name, some graphics, and HANDCRAFTED JEWELRY to my booth. I constantly have folks who seem surprised that I make everything...so I want to capitalize on it! I think I will have a banner or sign professionally made...this one was just printed on my computer at home and isn't as big as I'd like. (Funny conversation last night: Customer: "Oh this is such nice jewelry! Who are you associated with?" Me: "I'm associated with me...I make all of this".)
Nothing wrong with promoting handcrafted. ;-)
Labels: fair, handcrafted jewelry, jewelry sales, Ornament Thursday
Monday, July 14, 2008
Busy Weekend Stamping and more
I'm working on some items that I think will be good for the county fair next week, simple things that are relatively inexpensive. I thought I'd share some ideas - I'll update with some photos soon.
Silver-plated chokers from
FireMountainGems are a hard wire that you can add a pendant to for a quick necklace. I purchased two different styles, one has a ball that you can unscrew to slide on a pendant, the other has a thin chain to clip a clasp to, and it slides through a pendant bail. The only problem I've got with these is that the bail opening needs to be fairly large to accomodate the size of the wire, and I want to rethink that component before making too many more. Might do some dabbling in making some soldered bails instead of simple
wrapped loop dangle.
I also made a bunch of discs from some of the re-purposed copper tiling I got from Mom & Dad and stamped them with metal stamps from Beaducation...I'll use some of them for simple charms that can be personalized (using letter stamps from
Contenti) and some for a couple of charm bracelets.
The discs are more labour intensive than you'd think - clean the copper (it's got adhesive on the back, and some kind of coating on the front), cut out the discs, drill a hole to hang from, stamp, tumble, file, hammer, stamp...whew, I'm tired just thinking about it!
I'd gotten a new "Paw" stamp from Lisa Niven-Kelly (Beaducation) and made Rex a cute little name tag that he's test driving. I think he likes the way it jingles against his other tags, LOL.
Finally, I made 6 copper bracelets using Beaducation's bracelet blanks. Again, more work than you'd think just looking at them! I came up with 6 different phrases to stamp on the bracelets, figured out how to best lay out the text and stamped it. Filled in some design stamps, oxidized, drilled holes to attach clasps, made the clasps, formed the bracelets using a bracelet mandrel, and attached the clasp using jump rings.
Of course, this is only the start of the busy season. Thank goodness I have all of August to recover before the big shows start up!!!
Labels: beaducation, bracelet, charms, chokers, copper, fair, Fire Mountain Gems, inexpensive ideas, lisa niven-kelly, Rex, stamping
I've really moved a lot of my older bracelets, earrings and necklaces using this little tool. I left the old price tags on the items, so customers can see what a bargain they are getting!
