Tips & Tricks - Craft Shows

It's the end-of-year craft show season!!  I've learned so much from being both a seller and a customer at craft shows over the years.  I figured it was about time to share what I have learned.  Hopefully some of these points  will be helpful for you, too.  Here are some things that help me stay focused and organized:

Early prep

I set out tables, packaging and boxes in the few days before the show.  This helps me plan out in advance how I want to display my products. As a visual person, this is vital for me.  I'll take a photo or two to show how it's set up and then I can refer to that again when I get to the site. 

Packing the car (Part 1)

Pack the car/truck/whatever the night before and give yourself ample time before doing so.  I have far too often left things until the last minute and it's extremely stressful - especially when it gets really late at night.  I don't sleep well because I feel like I've forgotten something.  You need all the sleep you can get it.  Tomorrow is going to be a long day!

Packing the car (Part 2)

Packing stock in smaller, well organized boxes is helpful because lugging around big, heavy boxes on the day can make you tired quickly and, if you're like me, prone to back/muscle injuries.  

Seating

Get rid of those slouchy football/camping chairs!  Switching to a small, folding stool may be the best idea I've ever had.  It's smaller and lighter to transport.  It sits up higher.  You can pop on and off it quickly to greet and help your customers.  Overall, it gives a better, more professional look to your booth - you are part of it, after all!  

Prepared for chilly mornings too!

Tent: White or Colored?

When I got my BRIGHT pink tent, I was in love and at the first show I used it, it was a big hit!  What an attention-getter!  The 2nd show, I noticed my customers having to take my products out into the "real" light to see what I was actually selling and what the colors were.  By the 3rd show, I had customers actually shielding their eyes as they walked on by.  Plus...I got a major headache!  Not fun!  So, I am switching to a white tent for future shows.  I have plenty of ideas to decorate and still make it attention-getting.  

See?  Everything is pink!!

Displays

I keep my displays simple, clean and straighten things up frequently throughout the day.  I easily get overwhelmed looking at booths and tables with many different products strewn all over the place.  I want to be able to quickly know what I'm looking at so I can either take a closer look, or move on.  As a customer, I'm more inclined to move on if things aren't well organized.  Eeek!

Signs

Clear, acrylic document stands (found at office supply stores) are perfect for easy-to-read informational and price signs.  Those little ingredient labels on individual products can be hard to read (especially in a pink tent, HA!).  I saw a lot of people reading the ingredient and info signs I had out at a recent show and they were happy to get the information right then and there without having to ask.  Customers love to learn - just in different ways so it's good to give them options.  Make sure you have business card stacks scattered around on your tables, too!

Take a Friend

Even if you're a one-person show, it helps to have a friend or assistant on the day.  Not only are you able to get a potty break, you get a chance to walk around the show, check out other vendors' work and do a bit of networking.  All of that is really hard to do when you're on your own.

Incidentals

Keep a box of these items handy:

Scissors, tape, zip ties

Pen/Marker

Water, snack/candy/energy bar

Painkillers, band-aids, tissues

Extra business cards

Small notepad

After the Show
I pack everything up, go home, unpack the car...and head straight to a hot, relaxing, glittery, fizzy, soothing bath.    Ahhh...

I'd love to hear what little tricks you have learned on your craft show journey!

Howlin' Halloween Cupcake Toppers Giveaway

Having a Halloween party yummy cupcakes?  Maybe making Halloween cupcakes for school or work?  I'm giving away a set of 12 of these super CUTE handmade cupcake toppers to add to your spooooky creations. 

Leave a comment on this post below to enter your name into the drawing.  Answer this question for 2 entries: What is your favourite scary movie? The winner's name will be drawn out of a witch's hat on Oct 1, 2012.  

Halloween artwork by CraftyGraphicsScraps

Aussie Fairies: Snugglepot and Cuddlepie

I want to share a little bit of my childhood here.  Growing up in Australia, I was introduced to very different kinds of fairies.  These fairies were not pink or princessy.  They weren't from your typical fairy tale.  But oh my goodness, they were cute!!  My big sister recently sent me some of my books from when I was 6 yrs old and I've fallen in love with them all over again.  I'm sure this is where my love of fairies began.


May Gibbs was an Australian author and illustrator who dreamed up little creatures like Gum-Nut Babies and Wattle Babies almost 100 years ago!   Her inspiration came from the native plants of Australia.  Gum nuts come from Eucalyptus (Gum) trees and she used the nuts as little hats on their heads.  Apparently, so she writes, "only grown-up Nuts can take off their caps".  Well, of course.  ;)  The Gum-Nut Babies were named Snugglepot and Cuddlepie.  Major aww!

 

I had the bookmark on the left when I was little.  It CRACKED me up every time.  ;)

Wattle Babies were my favourite.  These were inspired by the Wattle or Acacia tree which grows all over Australia.  The flowers are tiny little yellow fuzzies.  I love that Ms. Gibbs translated them into cute little tutu outfits for tiny bush babies.  Adorable!

Not all was cute and lovely though...there was the terrifying Banksia Man.  These Aussie bush critters were based on the seed pods from the Banksia tree.  The pods have an interesting feature...when they catch on fire, the pods open and seeds fall out and germinate the ground below.  With bush fires being quite common in Australia, this is a great survival mechanism for these plants.  Having said that though, Bankia pods terrified me as a child because of their portrayal in May Gibbs books.  They abducted Gum Nut Babies.  Oh no!!

 

But overall, the world that May Gibbs created was one full of happiness and love.  While her fairies didn't possess any magical skills or qualities, they took care of their world, nature - both bugs and baby animals like.  It fills my heart to know that they are still popular 100 years after they were originally published.   I sincerely hope they will still be enchanting little ones for another 100 years!

 

Were you a Snugglepot and Cuddlepie fan?  Tell me more!

Let's Party!

I had been making lip balm for a couple of years when my dear friend Lara back home in Sydney, Australia asked me to make personalized lip balm favours for her wedding.  I wasn't going to make it over to Oz for her wedding but wanted to be part of it all somehow so she sent over her invitation design and we went from there.  The little flower was on her invitation stationary so it tied everything together nicely.  We did a few flavours too!

The lip balms were a huge hit at the wedding and the requests started coming.  Since then I've been creating personalized lip balms for weddings, birthday parties, dance troupes, photographers and all kinds of special occasions and businesses  

"Thank you Beary Much" for a teddy bear party for 2 adorable sisters.  Awww!

SUCH cute nappy/diaper covers.  Flattery.com.au  Check out her fairy designs for little girl bubs!  

You HAVE to check out Gigi Photography  Her life/blog and photography are both utterly divine!  We did strawberry, vanilla mint and pumpkin cheesecake for her client gifts.

This one was for my birthday!  Hehe!

I love connecting with my customers through these projects - I learn a little about them and they let me share in their celebrations and successes.  Party guests definitely appreciate long-lasting party favours and something that is useful and a little "pampering".  There are countless flavours out there that I can get.  I think that's half the fun for me too!

These really are one of my favourite, favourite things to design and create!  Check out my Etsy listings HERE if you're interested in having personalized lip balm favours at your next party.

Have a sparkly day!

A House Fit For a Fairy

"Do fairies have houses?"  she asked me.

"They sure do!  Little teeny ones with bright colors and glitter." 

"Can I see them?" she pleaded.  

"Even better...we can make them a new fairy house!"

"Oh my gosh!  They will be so, so happy!  Let's go!"

We ran to the store and got the cutest little, perfectly fairy-sized, wooden house we could find.  She got out her paints...the brightest colors she could find and off she went.

She made sure to paint every spot - even between the fence posts.  

She sprinkled glitter on the roof and waited patiently for the paint to dry.  It took a little while. Waiting, waiting waiting.  Then finally it was ready!  She found the perfect spot in the garden to place her new fairy house.  She placed a little pink fairy sign to let the fairies know their new house was move-in ready!

We know the fairies love their new house!  We hear them twinkling and giggling all the time!  Or maybe that's just us.  :)

Have you made a house for the fairies in your garden?

In Search of Fairies

Guess where we went this week? DISNEYLAND!  We were on a mission to find Tinkerbell and we knew where to start. We headed straight for Pixie Hollow!

 

We heard the fairies twinkles and giggles!  We knew we were getting close.  So exciting!

We followed the signs...

We searched high and low through the giant grass and flowers...

The girls took a rest on the flowers...

And then we found her!!!

Thanks Tink!  It was lovely to meet you!

Strawberry Swirl Soaps

Here's a sneaky-peek at the making of my newest soaps - Strawberry Swirl Shea Butter Soap.  This is one of my fav melt and pour soap techniques.  It's a little fiddly, but fun and the results are so cute!!  Here's how I do it...

First...I weigh the soap and get my soap mold ready.  (Yes, most of my tools and equipment are pink.)

After the soap is melted in the microwave, I add fragrance and color and stir.  One half stays white, the other becomes a pretty pale pink with a few drops of non-bleeding soap colorant. 

I check the temperature.  I need the the two colors of soap to be around the same temperature.  If it's too hot or they aren't close in temp, the colors will just melt together and not have a cool, swirly look.  130F will do the trick!

Let's pour! 


Ok, so I made a little bit of a mess on that first one.


I flash a silly smile at the photographer while I'm waiting for my soaps to cool...

And they're done!  What do you think?

Available at FairyCute.com

Have a sparkly day!

The History of Glitter

One of our Facebook fans came up with this topic.  :)  Thanks Kelly!

During my research on the history of glitter, I found this cool video that I must share...

The glitter that was used by ancient Egyptians, Chinese, Greeks, Romans was what is known today as mica.  Mica is a Latin word which means "a crumb".  It comes from the earth in the forms of crystals, flakes and sheets and is ground up into fine, shimmery powder.  It was used to decorate pottery, jazz up cave paintings and add sparkle to their makeup.

Mica is in widespread use today and is used in the painting and drilling industries, for example.  It even helps to reinforce drywall (who knew?).   And of course it is found in lots of cosmetic products.  Eyeshadow, lotions, nail polish...do your kids use sparkly toothpaste?  Mica!  I often use mica in my bath and body products, too.

The glitter that we use in arts and crafts like scrap booking, school projects and party decorations was actually invented sometime in the 1930s by a New Jersey cattle farmer named Henry Ruschmann.  In his spare time he managed to figure out a way to cut brightly colored plastic film so precisely and finely that he produced glitter.  He went on to found his own glitter supplying company which is still in business today.  Why am I not working there? 

My personal history with glitter goes back further than I can remember.  As a teeny little girl, it caught my eye everywhere I went - my mum's sugary diamond ring, my Barbie doll's clothes, the sparkly paint on my tricycle...and when I ran fast enough, the ground glittered on my way to school (must have been those mica flakes).

But my favourite glittery ritual is when I put my little one to bed, we put fairy dust in our hands, close our eyes, rub our hands together while making a wish and then sprinkle the glitter over her pillow.  She has sweet, glittery dreams every time!  :)


What is your favourite use for glitter?