Shows have ended, now what!?

For those wondering, I am still alive and kicking. For the past few weeks I was plugging away, preparing and doing art and craft fairs, which hasn't given me much time to blog. But now that I have finally finished my last show - whoo hoo, perhaps you all might be thinking, now what?

All I can say, and I can't speak for anyone else but myself, is the huge sigh of relief I let out knowing this is the last time you have to pack a car, set-up the display, sell-sell-sell, break it all down and go home. Now that it is all over, I do a couple of things, not to mention have that long deserved Margarita.

1. Store it. I finally don't have to keep my display furniture and products in "limbo" around the house, but finally put it away. This means rearranging storage areas, purging items that I just don't see needing anymore, as well as organizing and cleaning. Something I must pass on to everyone when it comes to putting items away for storage is DO NOT store items in cardboard boxes as you will never know when mold and mildew can rear its ugly head. Mice can easily gnaw through cardboard and the weight of multiple boxes can crush the boxes on the bottom. Do invest in some good plastic/rubber made totes. Go a step further and buy several of the same style and/or color as this will prove useful when it comes to stacking and locating specific totes.

2. Reflect. Reflecting is a big thing each craft artist should do during their down months. When I talk about reflecting, I am referring to looking back over the year of the shows you did - were they really as bad as you thought as the year progressed? Were some shows real gems and do you have next years application filled out and ready to go? What made some shows good or bad and can you find the turning point of what made them that way - was it "me" just really having a bad day or was it a downward spiral throughout the day? Analyze the good shows by putting them into categories as far as distance (from home and relation to other good shows), how much profit did you make, how did you keep expenses low, booth fees, etc. This is important when looking forward to signing up for future shows and doing so with a clear, level head vs. acting quickly upon ones emotions.

3. Enjoy the time you have off. While focusing all of my waking time to shows, I have been paying the price. One of those prices is catching a cold and needing to take it slow to recuperate. I have been looking forward to going to the movies, on a weekend, with my husband - something we really enjoy doing together. Two times a year I treat myself to a pedicure and manicure. I am not a girlie girl - after all I am out in the garden or in the workshop a lot getting dirty, however the wear and tear from working with your hands and standing on your feet all day do show is rough. Doing things like proper hygiene - trimming of nails, brushing and flossing, exercising, eating right (or getting back to eating right) are all things that many craft artists take for granted, but something we have the power to change. Also during our off period it is a great excuse to spend more time with our families and friends - let them know you love them by hanging out with them or calling them on the phone!

4. Invent. While you will enjoy your time off, it doesn't take long before you get itching to want to play a little. Take this time to reinvent - re-work some old stuff into something new. Exploring a new medium can lead to a renewal in ones own familiar medium or lead to new cross over art or craft work. I highly recommend taking a course at a local community college, art school, or one on one by a local artist - this can lead to new insights and techniques in the medium you work in. Whether you are self taught or considered a veteran in your field, the information gained by learning from others will enhance your own work (make it more personal) as well as know your competition if invaluable and fun at the same time.

5. Research and apply to future shows. Now most people have already signed up for the hard to get into shows, but to round off your show schedule, most people are left scratching their heads as to where to sign up. As you head into 2010 do keep in mind that the economy has had a huge affect on attendance, sales, demographics, the number of artists at the event compared to the past. In other words, don't just compare a show to 1 year ago but over a span of at least 5 years ago. Rely on your close nit art/craft fair friends and ask them what shows they recommend. Turn to art and craft fair social networks - like www.artfairinsiders.com , craftlister.com, www.sunshineartist.com, and other guides/publications. Rule of thumb - if a show advertising in said publications, they have money and truly want good quality artists, those who have never heard of the event before. Also, if you have questions about a show - contact the promoter! Introduce yourself and how you learned about their event and then ask questions. It is best to ask questions that aren't loaded - promoters hate the question "how many people have you had in attendance". This is because it is always relative year to year - it could be due to bad weather. Giving a promoter information about how long you have been doing shows, what medium you are in, etc. helps them get to know them.

As you all slowly find time to catch your breath, think about some of these ideas if you starting wondering - now what?!

Please take care of yourself this holiday season and hope it is filled with many wonderful memories. If you care to reflect on your show experiences from this year, 2009, please feel free to use the comment button on this blog to share your thoughts. All stories, funny or serious, are welcome. Merry Christmas ~ Michelle Sholund, www.quickcraftartisttips.blogspot.com

Stay stocked

I have been hitting the holiday craft shows just about every other weekend. This weekend I sold at a high school show - one that is much better than the typical high school show most think about when you say "high school show". Anyway, I couldn't help but hear the comments from patrons how exhibitors don't have as much for sale as in the past. I too noticed this as one person who takes up about 2 spaces has it filled with decorated wreaths. This year there wasn't a whole lot to choose from - didn't have a whole lot to start out with. I then looked all around the area my booth was and could see the same trend with other exhibitors.

A rumor is going around - and starting to think it is true - that due to the economy retailers are buying less stock as they don't have enough money to devote to stock. In other words, what you see now is all "I" have until the next year. What does this mean? Well, for those who procrastinate until the last minute for holiday gifts, it will be REAL slim pickings this year. What many customers (albeit retail, craft show or other) is if people don't patronize the store, in other words buy something, then it will be inevitable that the business may have to close their doors for good. This is what has been going on over the past 2-3 years. It is forcing many to retire early or just plain cut their losses. It makes some reevaluate their market as well as what they are doing to attract customers. Those who are offering something different, unique, functional - then they are able to stay ahead of the curve. The best way fellow craft artists can do the same is simply making sure you do bring enough stock to a show to make sure it is worth your while.

How much is enough? Great question! Each exhibitor at a show should have enough stock to fill their space with some extra stock stored nearby - i.e. under a table or behind their display. As items are sold the over stock should come out and fill vacant space. The more sparse a display looks, the less likely it will hold a person's attention enough to want to enter and shop. This was evident with a candle seller who sold large jar candles - only one size - and had about 2 dozen candles, that's it. This person, in my opinion wasn't thinking about what happens when 1/2 of these sell. Will the amount of candles available cover their expenses as well as help him/her turn a profit and how does this look from the customers point of view. Although some are limited in the amount of work they can bring and display it, it is still important to make ones booth look full. Eliminate stock found on bottom, non visible shelves and bring that stock up higher to a better height so people can see it - don't make people work to find your art/craft. If you use 3 tables yet items are selling fast, put away one table and maximize the vacant space with the remaining tables to make your display look more full. Also come up with better ways to display your work and don't be afraid to create dimension with the use of risers, mesh/gridwalls, shelving, etc.

In the long run, having a full display all the time will appeal to those who come to shows later in the day as you will still have something to offer while others do not. This means increased profits. At the past show I was in, I was starting to run out of some seasonal items and as a last resort added some packaged items that didn't have labels (I ran out). People were not afraid to buy the non-labeled items, something I thought would be a big issue. The thing I learned is if something is a hot seller, most people will over look something like a missing label or a smudge mark.

To recap - keep your booths stocked during the holiday season. Black Friday is just a few days away with several big shopping weekends to follow. Plan ahead of what you will need in the next few weeks to make sure you are ahead of the game. This also helps keep expenses low preventing the need to make last minute supply orders which may or may not come in time of when it is needed. Also, realize that this is the time of year more people are apt to place orders for work too and to plan for that as well.

Have a great next couple of art/craft fairs everyone! Please share your ideas about this topic via the comment button on this blog. Wish you all much success, Michelle, www.quickcraftartisttips.blogspot.com

3 Ways to Prove Your Work is Your Own

Do you do juried art fairs? If you do, you are probably familiar with the rules that go along with it - provide good quality slides/photos of your work, giving the show coordinators artist statements, and giving details as to how your work is made. As some promoters are really starting to crack down on buy/sell they are coming up with new ways to combat buy/sell.

Here are a few ways promoters are asking artists to show how they make their work...

1. Supply a copy of receipts. As most artists don't make their raw materials - paint, photo paper, precious metals for jewelry makers for example, they are requesting copies of receipts to prove they do manipulate raw materials to create art. Everyone who makes their own work should be able to provide this information.

2. Add photos/video on your website or submit them with your application. More and more artists are using cameras with video capability and taking videos of themselves making/demonstrating how their work is made. While some worry that it makes it easy for people to steal their ideas or copy their work, some counter this by not revealing all the details. Showing the use of machinery (like saws or drills as well as the kilns used in firing pottery) or demonstrating a technique used to create your art are easy ways to clearly show jury members you are a true artist.

3. Mention on your application that you can demonstrate at shows. Not only do promoters find this helps in validating handmade art by the artist, it also is something promoters eat up as those who do demonstrate tend to draw a crowd. People who can engage show patrons by demonstrating how one creates their work is a great way to educate patrons and open up dialog with customers to start selling as well as shows that the work sold in your booth is made by you as well.

These are just three ideas that are starting to be accepted into the show circuit, don't be surprised if more pop up. If you are one of the artists who want to battle buy/sell yet get questioned about the authenticity of your work, don't fly off the handle. Jury members are simply trying to dot their "i's" and cross their "t's" and questioning people work shows they are really trying to eliminate buy/sell from their show. Just as some of these extra steps may be time consuming, they are all very clever ways to show buy/sell is not welcome in juried art fairs.

Do you see these practices at shows you apply to? Have you come across something else show coordinators are doing to combat buy/sell? Share your info via this blog - www.quickcraftartisttips.blogspot.com ! Thanks in advance for sharing!

Light it up and Get Noticed!

Light it up and Get Noticed!

This past weekend I had my booth at the Howard County Craft Spectacular, located in Maryland. During some down time I took some photos, several of which I will be posting in future blog posts. The photos above are ones I took at the show and the 2nd one is of my Christmas booth display. During this holiday season as we get closer to Black Friday and the weekends leading up to Christmas, it is time to pull out all the stops in order to be noticed by customers.

The best way to do this is with good lighting. Why? It is a known fact that if people can't see it, they will never see it in the 5 secs it takes to walk past a booth display. For example, look at shops you shop in or other booths at shows. Do you find yourself gravitating to those who do use lights? The booths with no lighting gives subliminal messages that it isn't open for business or nothing in there is interesting. On the flip side there is no doubt that a booth is warm and inviting when it is well illuminated. People can read labels, items are easily visible several feet into the aisle walkways, etc. This is what attracts people - light.

Forget the idea that lighting costs a lot. I know there are some shows where electric costs are $50 or more (not all mind you) and good lighting can be costly, however it doesn't have to be. Many clip on lights, you see at shows, can be as affordable as $5 - $10 at Walmart or Target. IKEA has several lighting options as well as office supply stores and home improvement centers. There are professional lighting companies on the internet that are geared more to those who do 2D art and offer some great ideas/products too. During the holidays simple strands of holiday lights work very well too, all at about $2-3 in cost plus they add a festive look to your display. Shop around and really look at their design and see if it is something you can easily haul to shows and set-up. As for weighing the pros and cons of buying electric at a show and determining if shelling out an extra $50 or so is worth it, think about this. Having a display that is well illuminated is 30 times more likely to be noticed by customers, therefore you are more likely to get more customers in your booth than without electric, and from that pool, more customers will buy. I have done some high school shows in a gym and the lights there are yellow/orange and very hard on the eyes. In using electric in several areas throughout my booth, I noticed that more people, when walking by, noticed my booth over my neighbors who opted out of the electric option. The other booths that didn't have lights reminded me of dark alleyways - scary areas to enter, not that the booths were scary. I just felt uninvited.

Although you may understand where I am coming from, you still might be saying, but how will this make my profits soar? Here's a small story regarding a place I work at part time, The Maryland Store (www.themarylandstore.com). About a year ago The Maryland Store was in a transition period where some old merchandise (antiques) was removed to make room for a larger selection of Maryland made items. The before picture would have shocked you as there were a lot of haphazard displays and the store was dark with the exception of overhead lights and natural light from the windows. Since then the owners have added more fixtures and lots of lights, both inexpensive clip ons as well as antique lights - as they do sell the antique lights. As a result, customer's jaws dropped and couldn't believe how much brighter and more welcoming the shop was. The owners, Jeff and Patty say "We've noticed people are shopping longer. We get a lot of compliments about how much more warm the space is and it is a fun place to shop. In the past, this wasn't always the case. And in the long run we have noticed more sales when we have compared sales from before the lighting changes to after. Although there are other design and layout factors contributing to the overall improvements, the feed back from customers as to how inviting the shop is now, compared to a year ago, we have to think lighting has something to do with it." Photos of the store are located on their website - www.themarylandstore.com .

Lastly, are there some exhibitors that should have lighting more so than others? YES! Jewelry and 2D art/photography are the main ones that come to mind. Others I think could use it are fiber artists, woodworkers, potters, and the like. Jewelry glimmers and shines and is easily noticeable in good lighting. The same for art work - especially if the art work is small. Lighting helps pick up details such as brush strokes, finger print marks or blending of glaze colors in ceramic bowls, as well as signage. To be honest, those who do not use good lighting will be passed up by those who do. Try it out and see for yourself, you may never go back to being in the "dark ages" again.

Please share this article or other past articles with friends/neighbors at future events who too might be needing art/craft show advice. - Michelle (www.quickcraftartisttips.blogspot.com

You Need Signs!

I just read a great article by Bruce Baker in the October 2009 issue of the Crafts Report. While I was a free lance writer for the magazine from 2007 and 2008 I wrote on topics regarding business basics for those in the art and craft fair industry. The practice of using good signage was one topic I failed to write about, however do practice. Here's my thoughts about how good signs can be a really good marketing tool to sell your work at shows.

I have definitely encountered many people who fail to read the most basic of signs, placed in the most obvious of places. "Pull, don't push", to open a door is one of many that comes to mind as well as having priced work in very visible places, yet folks still ask, how much is it. When I encounter these people I do shake my head and think how could you MISS that sign, but it doesn't make me stop using signs. Whether they are used to alert someone of safety issues, to help eliminate confusion, or to simply answer a common asked question, they are necessary.

We do see signs every day and some of the best used ones are in grocery stores. Farm Fresh Produce. Helps Soften Skin for Pennies on the Dollar. Buy One Get One Free. But some of the best signs I have seen at shows and boutiques encourage an action - a dare if you will. This is also prevalent in ads in newspapers - bring this ad in and get 15% off... Some signs inform people of why people should buy a product - "Our soy candles are soot free and smell great - see for yourself". This
type of sign is great to not only get people to think about whether or not the candles they burn are clean, but "dare's" them to smell and "see" for themselves. Some photographers use signs near each photo to tell the story of how they achieved such a perfect shot. Fiber artists use signs effectively to get customers to touch their work to show how soft or durable their designs are.

The purpose of getting people to read a sign and then do what the sign is telling them is simple. The more likely a person touches, smells, or is engaged in a piece of art or craft, the more likely they will buy it. It is human nature to want to touch items - glass, ceramics, wool, use a wood turned pen, wind chimes... Those who try something out are often pleasantly surprised - "Gee, that pen is light, dad would like something like this" or "Wow, that is a soft blanket" - and then decide if it is for them and buy.

Signs are the perfect tool to break the ice as well as make something stand out. At Roots Market, an organic market in Maryland (where I live) there are signs in each section of the store showing employee favorite picks. This is suggestive retail at its best. I have found myself buying the employee favorites more so than those without signs as I feel if someone else liked it and can tell me why - that's good enough for me. It would be great to see this at shows - "This is my best seller because..." or "This one is my favorite because..." A little nugget of joy piece of info can go a long way in getting your point across and of course, make sales.

When creating signs follow these rules of thought. Make them simple and easy to read - no fancy cursive letters, but bold, simple printed letters are ideal. Use two colors - one for the background and one for the lettering - that is all. The main objective is to draw the eye to the work, not over shadow it. Use short phrases - Smell this, Functional yet decorative too, and Guaranteed for life are great examples as people have short attention spans especially when shopping. Don't over do your signs - too many signs is a quick way to loose people's interest.

Lastly, observe people as they feel compelled to read your signs. There may be times people don't acknowledge you when they enter a booth, but are drawn in by a sign. When they are done reading a sign, acknowledge them and let them know you are available to answer any questions they may have. Don't be disappointed if someone reads a sign and then walks away from your booth, chances are they may think what you offer was something different from what they are thinking. I got this a lot when I first started out selling jams as passersby confused my work with fake food or jar candles. However when they learned it is real food, they either bought (being pleasantly surprised) or exited looking for the person with jar candles. No one should be offended by this, it just happens.

Do you have any signs you use for your displays at shows? Have a photo of them or of someone you know who uses signs effectively? Perhaps you are contemplating starting to use signage for your work, but don't quite know how to get started. Please leave a comment via the comment button on this blog - www.quickcraftartisttips.blogspot.com and someone will be happy to answer. Thanks for your time and have a Happy Halloween! - Michelle