A Creative Bust

This weekend I took rag rugs to a craftshow and shared a booth with four other members of the Palmetto Fiber Arts Guild. It was outside the insanely busy Earth Fare, so a great location. 

Somehow, I had built it up in my mind that they would all sell so I was taking pictures so I could remember what they looked like, how they were warped, etc. I posted pictures on Facebook and Twitter, I really hyped it. Nothing sold. Nothing. How disappointing. And um, embarrassing.

But hey, that pot of daffodils coming up through the pansies looks great, doesn't it? Mom and I did that when she visited back in the fall.

And I did meet a guy who makes the frame for bottle trees. I've got to have one. They keep away the bad spirits, you know.

East Cooper's Crafter's Guild Fall Show

The Craft Show was an interesting experience, if not profitable. Most people walked right by me, obviously there for the jewelry, lighthouses painted on oyster shells and Santa Clauses made from dish towels. A lot of people stopped and looked at all the boxes, sometimes picked one up and looked inside, then looked over at me and said "This is really neat!" And then moved on. But some few people took a look, lit up and said "I have to have one!" Those were the people I liked the best.

I was definitely one of the rookies at this show. Most people came in with very elaborate display set ups with the exact right cart of move it in on. They had professional signage and their own cash registers. I felt a little bit like the kid with a lemonade stand on the sidewalk in front of the house.

I had good conversations with people who gave me ideas about ways to go about it in the future. #1 Don't pay such high entrance fees. Look for shows that cost $10 or less. #2 Configure "floors" for boxes so they serve better as gift boxes. #3 Get business cards made at dot.print.com. #4 Fewer boxes -- the most distinctive ones are the ones that sell. #5 I need bags next time. It was a rainy weekend and I needed to help people protect their purchase from dissolving before they got it home.

I think my bargain basement prices were about right.