Monday, July 29, 2013

CRAFT FAIR DAY



First off, I want to say a big 'Thank You' to everyone for your sweet words of encouragement from my last post.  I really appreciated those comments.  They gave me that last boost of energy to finish everything.  Sorry it's been so quiet over here, but I'm happy to say that all the craziness is over for a little bit.  Yesterday I packed up all my wares I’d been feverishly working on the past few weeks and laid them out for strangers to peruse.  Craft fairs are really like the grown-up version of a lemonade stand, except now I have more of a vested interest since to make what I’m selling I put in a lot more time and effort and succumb to countless hot glue gun burns.  Maybe it would have been easier (and cheaper) to just throw some crystal light lemonade packets into water and call it a day.
At any rate, I was excited to be at the Strawberry Swing Indie Craft Fair.  Throwing “Indie” into the title is really what peaked my interest initially.  This wasn't your grandma’s craft fair.  Instead of quilts, there were vendors selling old suitcases that had been turned into speakers and vacuum cleaners that were now lamps.  Who couldn't use a vacuum lamp?  Kill two birds with one stone, right?
The weather had been one of my biggest concerns, since it’s usually 100 degrees with high humidity here at the end of July, but it was beautiful out.  Mid-70s, and the rain held off until long after we had gone home.  This was my first time sharing a tent with another vendor.  It worked out so well, probably since my friend Nicole is so awesome and an experienced craft show expert.  She is a master sewer and makes the coolest pouches, luggage tags, and more.  Check her out on Etsy
I really couldn't have done it without my parents and Wade, though.  Wade put up with all my nervous (crazy) antics before the show, and my mom was there to help finish the packaging and last minute details the day before and then stayed with me throughout the whole craft fair.  She’s the best craft fair buddy.  Last but not least, my dad printed off all my amazing packaging cards after a handful of revisions and helped set everything up the day of.  What would I do without them?  

Here's a few photos the day before the craft fair when everything was a mess, and my mom was tying tags onto bags.  At least I gave her a pop for all her hard work.
Did I do as well as I thought I would?  No, but overall it was a pretty great day surrounded by fun and talented people.  I really appreciated my friends who stopped by to say hi and support me (check out my friend Jessica's blog about her sweet family).  Boy was I tired last night, though.  Wade and I went to Chipotle for dinner, and I couldn't even finish my burrito bowl!  GASP!  I’m one who normally finishes off a burrito bowl and the chips and guacamole in record time, but I guess I was too worn out to eat.  I came down from my craft fair high pretty quick and still feel brain dead today.  I better take it easy tonight and put off cleaning up everything.  That's what I should do...

How was your weekend?  Check back this week for some thoughts I have on what success means.  I didn't sell as much as I would have liked, but I have been thinking about a different way to view my results.  I’d write it today, but I don’t think I can put together much of a coherent thought.  I need some TV watching time in order to get back to normal.





8 comments:

  1. Told you you'd do great! The most important thing is the experience!

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  2. Even though you didn't do as well as you wanted, I'm sure it was a great experience. Your stuff is so cute & what a cute set up you had. I'd like to go to an indie craft fair. I think I'd want to buy everything in sight! lol

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  3. So proud of you Kari! It's hard to put yourself out there, but there is so much to gain. You've made some wonderful friends and had some fun experiences through selling your "wares" and your blog and that's really, really cool.

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  4. I've heard other people say exactly the same thing about the way they feel after a craft show. Your stall looks wonderful, you should be very proud of what you have achieved. Well done you!

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  5. You're setup was so cute and you packaging is adorable. I love your pieces. That's so nice of everyone to help you out, it's so great that you have them. I'm sorry you didn't do as well as you'd hoped but it seems the experience was great. :)

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  6. It was lovely! Shar wore her necklace today. It was really cute the way she grabbed it and put it on. :)

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  7. I have done a lot of craft fairs. Your stuff looks great, sometimes some shows are better than others, you just have to keep trying different venues and you'll figure out which ones are better for you. The hard part is the first time getting everything ready so now your all set and your next few will be a breeze! good luck with it all. :)

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  8. ah, craft fairs <3 they're always so fun and inspiration! These photos are lovely!

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I truly appreciate each comment! I love hearing from you guys and treasure every one. I respond to comments via e-mail if you have yours enabled. This is going to be a great day!