Craft Fair Booths

I just finished a 3 day event - the Tucson Museum of Art Spring Artisan Fair. Beautiful weather, friendly people, wonderful artists. I love doing fairs, as it gets me out in the public, and I have fun!

However, it is with a very critical eye that I examined my booth this past weekend. I am NOT satisfied. Although acceptable, it doesn't POP, it doesn't really draw people in. I have both of my product lines displayed - Woolies on one side - and that side has color and life to it. I have a few ideas for better displays for Woolies, but on the whole, it's ok.

It's the OTHER side that is pathetic. I sell typewriter key jewelry. Mostly pendants. The keys (pendants) are displayed in a jewelry display. The customer must bend over to examine them. I do have a 1937 Royal Typewriter on display, that draws LOTS of attention. Lots of ohs and ahs. But then they have to bend over to look. WRONG. So I'm going to take away the small table, and replace it with a typewriter stand, if I can find one. All the pendants will be already hung on chains (see, I give the customer a choice of chain, which is why I haven't done this before). So an entire wall of my booth will be typewriter pendants. As well as the other pendants (harmonica, glass pendants, skeleton keys, etc). Each area will have a sign above it, with price clearly marked.

The other thing I'm going to do is have large signs made at Fast Signs. They will hang either from the front of my booth or from one of the sides - haven't decided. And, with that in mind, I think it's time for a name change.

Buster and boo = cute for Etsy. But in the bigger world, this name doesn't describe one iota of what is available for sale. When I launch my website, I want to be able to give the world some clues as to what I offer for sale in my shop.

Which ones do you like? Can you think of more??

Bygone Keys

Keys from the Heart

Antique Key Jewelry

Nostalgia Key Jewelry

Days Gone By Jewelry

Keys and Antiques

Please let me know if you like any of my name ideas, or if you can think of more! Thanks!

Now some pics of my booth for you to LAUGH At! Ugh.

Busy Busy!

It's that time of year - the weather FINALLY isn't in the 90's! Craft Fairs galore! Last weekend did a 3 day fair that benefits Big Brothers Big Sisters - check out the link! (On the site, there's even a link to my shops). So much fun!

My big news is that I was invited to be a vendor at the Tucson Museum of Art's Holiday Craft Market next weekend, another 3 day fair. Watching the news on TV last night and there was a TV ad for the fair!! Wow! And I'm scared to death that I don't have enough Woolies inventory!

So just wanted to say hi, I'm sorry I've been incognito! Here's some pics of recent work:!

Have a great weekend!

Tohono Chul Holiday Lights

What a great craft fair - that really isn't a craft fair.

Tohono Chul Park, in Tucson, Arizona, is a combination arboreteum, native american-sonoran desert, tea room, native plant store, that is not a store at all. For 4 nights in the beginning of the holiday season, the park is decorated in lights. There is live music and a celebration.

With just a few vendors, it's great fun! My friend Kathy brings a few goaties and an angora bunny.

Tonight is the last night for the event, leaving shortly!

Craft Fair Season!

Summer has lasted for five (That's right - 5) long months here in the desert southwest of the USA. The heat is relentless. I c a n n o t s t a n d i t.

I would like to announce - it seems to be ending! I did a craft fair today, and although it wasn't super-duper busy, it wasn't bad. And I was in ecstasy just sitting there, in the semi-shade, with a breeze blowing, and I wasn't going to pass out from the heat.

Fall is here!!!!!!!!!!

Earrings!

Yep, I did it. I started making earrings and actually plucking up the courage to list them on Etsy.

Just wanted to share here - and welcome any constructive criticism. !

Feel free to come visit my shop; Buster and boo !!! I'll be listing many more in the weeks to come.

Next weekend, I have a big 3 day craft fair in Tucson - the Flair-A-Fair. It benefits Big Brothers/Big Sisters. I'm making tons of earrings and scrabble tile pendants. Keeping my fingers crossed.......

XXXX

Stay tuned to my blog, because next week I'm going to be doing a giveaway of a pair of earrings!

Totally different and new

Once in a while, I think it is good to step outside of your comfort zone. Challenge yourself. do something totally different. No, I'm not talking about sky diving, I'd be way too terrified !!

I made earrings. I made wet-felted beads (nothing too new or different there). I bought head-pins (who knew what a head-pin was??), and sterling silver earwires. Then I picked out freshwater pearls. (OK, I knew what they were). Then I put them together. My sister in law was in town this past weekend, and she makes jewelry, so she sort of showed me how. Then had the audacity to leave it up to me! So I did it.

They are not perfect - the beads are not identical, nor are they perfectly round. The pearls are also not identical.

And THEN I had the hutzpah (is that how you spell it? Have to ask my mother in law) to LIST them in my shop. Right there with the stuffed animals.

GASP!

Craft Fairs and a Wonderful Shop on Etsy

Wow it's incredible how I have little luck at craft fairs. Did one yesterday (after showering in the morning with pool water - see previous post) and hardly anybody came. It was at a small private school, their "spring fair". Really, I think it was simply a fundraiser for the school - at $25 per booth, 40 booths, the school made $1000, and I'm quite sure not a single booth sold more than a couple of items.

I sold NOTHING.

However, the head of the school, gave me work - she has an afghan that she needs to have finished. So I will finish it - so it wasn't a total loss.

So I came home to a sale on Etsy, and had one the previous evening. Here are the two items I sold this weekend:

I sold Caroline the little lamb to an incredible Etsy shop that I "discovered" the other day, because she was on the front page.

You have to check out her shop - Fantiny. And LOOK at this:

Is that amazing? I would like to point out that other people must have discovered her as well, cause she's made a lot of sales in the past few days! Yay!