Saturday, November 22, 2014

Sorry I haven't posted for a week - but I was getting ready for another Craft Show

Yes, another craft show!  And following on the heels of that is my all day Christmas card making class tomorrow.
Last weekend I sold out of a number of products.  True, a nice problem to have, but now nice if more shows are looming on the horizon.  So, I spend the week making more products, some of which can be quite time consuming.  I made my last one an hour before I drove out of my driveway at 5 p.m. yesterday.

This time the show was in a Public School, North Cavan Public School, a fund rasing initiative for that facitlity.  The table cost only $20 and a table, chairs and table cloth were provided. What a help that was, especially for setting up and taking down.  I did this show last year, and customers coming to this event were expected to come and place orders with the various artisans there.  I was the only one selling craft items they could take home with them.  Apparently the school population liked my approach so much, this year more artisans were asked to actually sell items rather than take orders.  It's not that orders couldn't be taken, it was just not the focus of the evening.

This was my table, one of many set up in the school gymn.  I always struggle between the fine line of putting too much on my table, and not enough.  There is at least 2 more containers of products under that table, that I put out as things get sold.

I made some items that I thought might appeal to the children.  After all it was their school, and they were probably given an allowance to buy some Christmas presents, or just gifts for themselves.  I made a lot of Owl bookmarks and some Stepper boxes and I had some other lower priced items.

I sold over 1/2 of the bookmarks I brought with me.  I didn't put them all on the table, so when a child wanted to buy one I had them select the one they liked.
One bought one of my snowflake ornaments, and she was tickled pink she could pick out the box to put it in.

In other craft shows I had trouble keeping these on the table they sold so fast.  That was not the case tonight, but I was ready just in case.  This is one I made from retired DSP and I displayed the purple one on purpose as so many children have told me they like only purple and purple only!!

One little girl took an hour to decide which one of these decorated note pads she would buy for her mother.  She ended up buying the one if the DVD case.


There were door prizes, and even I won one.  I haven't checked to see what it is yet, but I was excited just to win one.  I provided some small SU hand made items and packed them in a wine bottle container and packed a few items on the side (e.g. box of 3 by 3 cards).

10% of my earnings were given back to the school, and I didn't mind as I knew this event was a fund raiser.  I just wish I had earned more money for them, but I was pleased with the $70 seeing as I was mainly selling to children.

I met a number of vendor friends this time.  Here is one of them.  Her name is Christie, and she and her mom sell jewellry.  I can't tell you how many shows I have done with her.
Tomorrow I am doing an all day Christmas card making class with my clients.  Each will make 10 Christmas cards and a tag.  I'd better get myself ready.  Check out the Facebook page here

One more craft show at the end of the month!!

Oh, I almost forgot.  At the end of the show a lady came up to me and invited me to their Craft show in the spring.




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