Kickin' It!
.
I'm kickin' ass at this show, I have to say. Actually, let me clarify - I'm kickin' ass 2008 style. That is to say I'm very pleased - but if the economy wasn't in the toilet, I'd be goosebumpy with happiness, I just know it.
I only talked to a few vendors and they all reported slow sales. I have a big-time policy to not be a whiny vendor so it's a challenge to talk to my vendor friends sometimes. I don't want to not respond when they ask me how things are going. I want to be honest. I just think, besides the fact that it's never a good idea to be overheard by a customer complaining about anything, it's bad karma to be negative at a craft show. It just is.
I told one of the Junior League women that I thought they did a great job and I hope they continue to hold this show. (She thought they would if there was sufficient vendor interest.) They had live music throughout the day! The food in their cafe was delicious. Those Junior League women are also shoppers, I tell you!
My friend Pam worked with me for 4 hours Saturday (thank goodness - and thank you, Pam!) - and she won one of the raffles. She won a beautiful turned wood pepper mill, a box of 3 bottles of marinade, vinegar and something else - and an acoustic guitar music CD, all stuff donated by vendors. That and the turkey sandwich I bought her for lunch - she had a pretty good day considering how much I pay her, which is zip. (I try to do something nice for her and my other friend Linda who works with me on occasion - a gift card, dinner, something.) She was even a good enough sport to sell the paper pin right off her shirt to a customer who admired it!
I was approached by not one, but two other Junior League chapters. The woman from the Buffalo chapter invited me to apply for their spring boutique. They create a store of hand crafted items in the carriage house behind their showcase house. It runs for 3 weeks in May and is a consignment operation with a 40/60 split. (I get the 60%. I'm surprised how often I get asked that question by people not in the business. Understandable.) I can ship my product there and she'll ship it back at the end, at my expense. Steve and I thought maybe we'd drive to pick it up, just to see the place - kind of a spring day trip. (For you non-locals, Buffalo is about an hour away.)
The woman from the Syracuse chapter gave me a flyer on this year's show. She said there are about 10 spaces left but she figured I'm already booked for that weekend and I am. But she encouraged me to apply for next year. (Syracuse is about an hour away in the opposite direction from Buffalo, for those of you playing the home game.) That show is in November all day Friday, all day Saturday and Sunday is 12:00-5:00. I think she said it's about 4 times the size of this Rochester show - that's big! I'm seriously considering it. Steve already said he's agreeable to go with me. He's instrumental to the set up and tear down process - and the rest of the time, he could hang out at the hotel, watch ESPN, read Sports Illustrated and do work on his laptop - the same stuff he does at home. We love staying in hotels so I think it would be fun too.
I was thinking today, of all the projects and product I expected to have done for this show season and haven't gotten to yet. I wondered, if I didn't work full-time and spent 40 hours/week working on Pine Tree Designs stuff, would I get it all accomplished? I think not. I think ideas expand to fill and overfill the time available, no matter what.
I bought a candle from my friend Rachel and some black raspberry jam from another vendor who was in my room at Casa Larga last May. (She's bringing me some homemade granola today - I bought some in May - it's killer.) I really haven't gotten around to see all the other vendors yet. I hope to walk around before the show starts this morning.
This is exactly the high quality show I expected it to be. It's an expensive show to enter but they did some major advertising. The show runs today 10:00-5:00. For any local readers, I encourage you to stop by and see the work of these top notch vendors.
(Click to enlarge to read the print.)
.
I'm kickin' ass at this show, I have to say. Actually, let me clarify - I'm kickin' ass 2008 style. That is to say I'm very pleased - but if the economy wasn't in the toilet, I'd be goosebumpy with happiness, I just know it.
I only talked to a few vendors and they all reported slow sales. I have a big-time policy to not be a whiny vendor so it's a challenge to talk to my vendor friends sometimes. I don't want to not respond when they ask me how things are going. I want to be honest. I just think, besides the fact that it's never a good idea to be overheard by a customer complaining about anything, it's bad karma to be negative at a craft show. It just is.
I told one of the Junior League women that I thought they did a great job and I hope they continue to hold this show. (She thought they would if there was sufficient vendor interest.) They had live music throughout the day! The food in their cafe was delicious. Those Junior League women are also shoppers, I tell you!
My friend Pam worked with me for 4 hours Saturday (thank goodness - and thank you, Pam!) - and she won one of the raffles. She won a beautiful turned wood pepper mill, a box of 3 bottles of marinade, vinegar and something else - and an acoustic guitar music CD, all stuff donated by vendors. That and the turkey sandwich I bought her for lunch - she had a pretty good day considering how much I pay her, which is zip. (I try to do something nice for her and my other friend Linda who works with me on occasion - a gift card, dinner, something.) She was even a good enough sport to sell the paper pin right off her shirt to a customer who admired it!
I was approached by not one, but two other Junior League chapters. The woman from the Buffalo chapter invited me to apply for their spring boutique. They create a store of hand crafted items in the carriage house behind their showcase house. It runs for 3 weeks in May and is a consignment operation with a 40/60 split. (I get the 60%. I'm surprised how often I get asked that question by people not in the business. Understandable.) I can ship my product there and she'll ship it back at the end, at my expense. Steve and I thought maybe we'd drive to pick it up, just to see the place - kind of a spring day trip. (For you non-locals, Buffalo is about an hour away.)
The woman from the Syracuse chapter gave me a flyer on this year's show. She said there are about 10 spaces left but she figured I'm already booked for that weekend and I am. But she encouraged me to apply for next year. (Syracuse is about an hour away in the opposite direction from Buffalo, for those of you playing the home game.) That show is in November all day Friday, all day Saturday and Sunday is 12:00-5:00. I think she said it's about 4 times the size of this Rochester show - that's big! I'm seriously considering it. Steve already said he's agreeable to go with me. He's instrumental to the set up and tear down process - and the rest of the time, he could hang out at the hotel, watch ESPN, read Sports Illustrated and do work on his laptop - the same stuff he does at home. We love staying in hotels so I think it would be fun too.
I was thinking today, of all the projects and product I expected to have done for this show season and haven't gotten to yet. I wondered, if I didn't work full-time and spent 40 hours/week working on Pine Tree Designs stuff, would I get it all accomplished? I think not. I think ideas expand to fill and overfill the time available, no matter what.
I bought a candle from my friend Rachel and some black raspberry jam from another vendor who was in my room at Casa Larga last May. (She's bringing me some homemade granola today - I bought some in May - it's killer.) I really haven't gotten around to see all the other vendors yet. I hope to walk around before the show starts this morning.
This is exactly the high quality show I expected it to be. It's an expensive show to enter but they did some major advertising. The show runs today 10:00-5:00. For any local readers, I encourage you to stop by and see the work of these top notch vendors.
(Click to enlarge to read the print.).
Labels: Craft Shows
posted by Stefani at 5:26 AM
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3 Comments:
How wonderful! I'm delighted for you!
Yay!
Oh, this sounds like a wonderful show!! And the one in Syracuse would be so fun.
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