Pay the rent

Wow, where have the days gone? Last week I was getting ready for a show and this week I am doing the same. I had a great show this past Saturday, surprising me by doubling my sales from last year! Yeah, can you believe it, and I thought last years sales were good for a one day show...who knew! I know I have said it before and I shall say it again....Newsletter! I send out a newsletter via Mail Chimp and it sure works because my local customers know where they can find me. It is well worth the effort!

 Do you have an item that "pays the rent"? What I mean by that is a good inexpensive item that covers your booth fee. My "pay the rent" items are my typewriter key pendants on a stainless ball chain, these are reliable sellers and at a good price point of  $20 at shows.

I always tend to sell more necklaces than anything else, especially religious  How about  you? What are your strongest sellers?

Busy Hands

My fall shows are creeping up and the calendar is getting full. I just signed up to do a show in East Nashville in a historic/trendy area (...does that make sense?) The show is called NashVegas, how cool is that. My hands have been busy and they look like I work on trucks, no pretty nail polish for me!
This piece is made with antique glass beads, copper and sterling. I love combining sterling with copper, they play off of each other so nicely.

 The earrings were kind of a mistake, I had roughed up a stamped piece a bit that was intended for etching but decided I liked the stamping just as it was. Modern earrings with a vintage feel.

 

 

 

Accepting Credit Cards at Shows

With the craft and art show season upon us I wanted to share with you a way you can accept credit cards at shows. People are more apt to make a larger purchase if they can put it on their credit card. At one show I had over $700 in credit card sales, I wondered how many I would have missed out if I had not offered this option. I use the ProPay service to run my credit cards and this can be done on any cell phone. However if you are busy or it is noisy as is usually the case it is hard to do this, it takes time and is hard to hear the prompts on the phone. I just learned about PocketPay.ME, this is a 3rd party service that allows you to key in all the info and charges a yearly fee of $9.95 (10% disc. with code "etsy") and a 10 cents per transaction fee. I feel this extra service is worth it. You do need a Propay account to use Pocketpay. I called Propay and emailed PocketPay to double check on the fees and it is correct. This service works on all smart phones, Iphone, blackberry and cell phones.
I am not getting paid for this information, just wanted to share with you what has worked for me.

One project done..

One project done and lots more to go. We had been wanting to add some detail to this wall since we bought this home over 3 1/2 years ago...so finally the DH got going on it. I am showing you the pictures backwards,the finished wall to the way it started with just paint. We really like the detail it adds to the room and the addition of more white brightens the space as well.
I would love to find a cushioned bench for the space, the search is on.








Getting all my wares packed up for a show tomorrow. Not sure how it will be, as I have not done this particular show before. Hopefully I will get my $40 worth in advertising and giving out cards. I have had lots of luck with people visiting my sites after they have taken cards at shows, so if anything that would be a good thing.

Rockin Around the Christmas Tree

Last night we went to Lipscomb University (were my son is attending school) for their annual "Lighting of the Green". Thankfully the weather was nice and balmy at 49 degrees. This was the first time we went to this event and It was really incredible! The stage was set with groups of various local children' s choirs as well as Lipscomb's. Amy Grant was just wonderful, her guests included "Brenda Lee" the original singer of "Rockin Around the Christmas Tree", what a great performance from this little lady. Guy Pernod was outstanding with my very favorite "O Holy Night". The acoustics for an outdoor event were perfection. Additional musical guests such as Buddy Greene, a guitar pickin’ singer/songwriter, the Annie Moses Band, a family ensemble that plays a blend of classical and contemporary, and Sterling Gittens, a local Christian artist. Hot chocolate and cookies were served by strolling costumed wenches provided by the Drama department. It was a wonderful evening shared with our dear wonderful friends and neighbors. I forgot to tell you this was a free event, gotta love Nashville!

The day after...

I had a fantastic show yesterday....the best yet, I still can't believe it! The show had great traffic all day with customers that were buying. I could not believe how busy I was! I do believe offering to accept credit cards is a huge plus, and I have been extremely pleased with Propay, the service I have been using, half of my sales were credit card sales and it makes me wonder how many sales I would have lost if I did not offer this service.

These photos are not the best, as I used my I-phone to take them. My booth is always a work in progress, tweaking the best way to display my wares and draw people to the booth. My use of antiques is a big help , people are drawn to the antique typewriter and pictures and such. Half of the battle is to get people to come into your booth. As I looked around the show and saw many booths that did not have traffic, I believe it is the lack of a good display. You can have the best things but if if they are not displayed well no one will notice. A back drape would be a good addition to my display, but I need to figure that one out. Like I said, it is a work in progress and evolves until it feels right.



There was one booth that was very simple but eye catching, called "Squirrel In The Attic". The name itself was a stopper! Jennifer a young military wife is the creative graphic designer behind this greeting card business. Her cards make you smile, laugh and say awwww! I kept going back and buying more. After talking to her I learned that she has an Etsy shop, so I told her I would post her to my blog. I sure hope you will go and check out her shop and her wonderful fun cards.

Peddling my Wares

Getting ready for a show is a lot of work, but I love it! I enjoy setting up and creating an inviting space for shopping. This afternoon I head over to the Embassy Suites Hotel in Murfreesboro Tn. to set up my wares for the Holly Day Marketplace to be held tomorrow. With a pre-show sale starting at 8:30am and the admission costing $35 I sure hope we have some serious shoppers ( maybe the mimosas and appetizers will loosen them up!).

A last minute bracelet I finished at 11:15 pm ( I am a night owl) featuring one of Summer Studios wonderful ceramic charms. I just LOVE Leanne's work! Have you checked out her little birdies, they are the cutest! You can find Blue Moss in my Flapyourwings Etsy shop.

Have a great day and weekend, I hope the sun shines on you where ever you are!

Autumn in Tennessee

Today was a stupendously warm and sunny day! A perfect day actually! The DH and I took a nice walk on the greenway and took in all the warm sun and autumn smells. I just love the sound and smell of the crunching leaves! The greenway is a few miles from our home and goes through the meadows and meanders around the creek. It is a great walk and so pretty.







Yesterday I had my second show and it was great! I was a little apprehensive at first because there was so much jewelry, but only one other real "handcrafted" jewelry booth. I guess the show was more of an upscale bazaar with a lot of company's showing their wares as well. It turned out well for me and I was able to get lots of names for my new newsletter that I have been working all day on! (be sure to sign up!)

I was very pleased with my display, however it is still a work in process. Lots of people are drawn to the antiques I use as displays so that is a big help.

Craft Show Sucess

I had my first show yesterday and it was a success, I am so glad, I was so worried that I wouldn't sell anything but a pair of earrings! It was so nice to hear the oohs & ahhs and how people responded to my jewelry...I guess I needed the affirmation to know I am on the right track on what I am creating. I thought the less expensive items would sell the most but the average sale was around $50.00 , so that was a surprise and the most items sold were necklaces.

An antique oak frame makes a great display with chicken wire attached to the back. I found the perfect floor easel at Hobby Lobby, and it even looks old.


My display is a work in progress and I use a lot of antique pieces which people just loved. Way back in the day I use to do around 25 shows a year, that was when I did a different medium so shows are not a new thing for me. It is a good way to get noticed and get my cards and websites out there. I did make a great connection for a shop so I will connect with the owners this week.
My next show is in about 3 weeks or so and I also am planning on having a trunk show in my home sometime in November. I did it last year and it was a big success, if you jewelry folks have not done that I would highly recommend you give it a go.

So for now I will continue with what I love to do and create one of a kind jewelry.

Busy...busy

Busy day today, I worked at the antique shop and now I am home getting ready for a show on Saturday. I have to finish pricing and packing tonight as tomorrow I need to pick up my son Nick from college and then go set-up at the show. I love Friday evening set ups it makes the morning of the show so much easier and I am not far from the show at all. I have not done a craft show in about 8 years so I am really looking forward to this. I hope and pray I sell something! I am all set-up with Propay so that I may accept credit cards via my cell phone, hopefully this will help with sales as well.
Here is what I have so far:

Mirrors (can't sell if they can't see...)
alcohol wipes ( for those who must try on earrings)
bags, tissue paper, boxes
receipt pad
signs....booth and MC/Visa
Mailing list clipboard
...and all my great props for set up.
Can you think of anything else I may need?

Here are some of my favorites that I will have for sale....