Letter J custom order

Got the face down. Onto sewing! :)

Today's Projects!

quick sketch of a custom order for lisa

the nose picker, soon to debut on a new card

children's book dummy-ing

i'm pooped!

Maker Faire 2011!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm trying to understand what made this fair 130849230842081309482048 times better than any other fair. I think it has everything to do with the people--the attendees & fellow makers, crafters, and innovators. Every participant and attendee came with a pre-existing appreciation and respect for DIY, and came because of this appreciation. It wasn't to find a cool gift for their friend, or a sweet handmade t-shirt. And every vendor was of the highest skill, quality and caliber. It was definitely an honor to be amongst the hundreds of makers & vendors. Really. An honor :)
I knew they expected 80,000 in attendance but honestly, I didn't know what that meant until it was 12:30pm and people were squeezing their way through the aisles. It was awesome!

nearing the bottom of the bin
closing up shop

I had quite a few favorite moments:

• Met three amazingly clever and chatty kids who wanted to email me their own drawings. Devon, Kalia, and Ian (sorry if I misspelled), I was serious when I said I'd do a drawing exchange! We can be drawing pen pals! Email me :)
• the little girl who went through each painting telling her mom an improvised tale
• the clink doppelgangers(!!!!!!):
• the woman who requested the 'love of my life' tin can card & sent her friend on a mission to distract her girlfriend at a neighboring booth while I made the card
• kids digging through the trunk in search of the few elephants with eyes
• Kevin telling customers I had stepped out but that I look like her, pointing to the cardboard sign
• oh, and this email: "I just wanted to tell you that when I asked my daughter what her favorite part of the Maker Faire was this year she said seeing your work :) It was one of my favorite parts too."

Warm fuzziness all around. I will definitely apply for next year :)

Craft Fair Preparation Demystified! part 5

I think I should rename the series to something else because we've moved past preparation and onto THE REAL DEAL! I completely failed to blog about what happens during a fair while the actual fair was happening because I was so dang tired. But! Here it is!

9. Vending like it ain't no thang

I look terrified but don't be! It's all gravy! :)

There are a few things to remember while vending:

• Greet your customers. A lot of stores & boutiques even have 'greeter' as a duty & there's a reason for it. It's important to make them feel acknowledged & welcomed to do more than just a glance-and-a-walk-away. And if they do pull that move, don't be discouraged--there's always someone new to talk to!
• If they decide to hang around, engage! Chat 'em up by asking a question as simple as 'how are you?' or tell them a fun fact about what they're eying. Make it interesting & don't be shy! If they ask how much it is, don't just say the price. Give the product a story so it's personal.
• Accessibility. When I say accessibility, I mean it to describe your products and YOU! You are the face of your business so make sure you're visible, smiling, and able to easily engage with your customers. You can do this while standing next to your booth, sitting behind, whatever. Just make sure you can be seen. Regarding product, I usually keep display copies in the front and the purchasable items in the back for safe keeping. And when I organize everything, I make sure everything I'll need urgently is immediately close by.
• Your supportive, visiting friends are important & of course you want to show your appreciation. I learned from experience that it's good to let them in behind the booth and talk to them while keeping an eye on the front of the booth. Friendship crowds are good but not so much if they're blocking access to your booth. Don't worry--your friends will understand.
  
• Making the sale. Congratulations! You did it!!! I think it's good to develop a rhythm--deliver the price, package the item, $ transaction, change, thank you & hand off, inventory log. If you have a helper--even better! I tend to handle the verbal/face action while my helper is backstage prepping it all.

here's my helper :)

• Stay hydrated, sit, take breaks, and eat. It'll be hard to find a moment to eat a complete meal without being interrupted so plan on lots of snacking. Bring fruit, granola, nuts, cookies and chocolate for a lovely pick-me-up. Oh & mints for that after-snacking breath :)
• Keep a notebook at your post in the event of artist suggestions, notes on customers, custom orders, good stories or suggestions. There's so much happening you probably won't remember unless you jot it down.
• The last moments of the day are the toughest because you're pooped but try your hardest not to take down early. You never know who will come by in a hurry & with an intent to buy. & when you do pack up, make sure to keep the money on you. You have much more at stake than the starting $100 in change. Take your time to put everything away in an orderly & organized fashion. It'll be a lot easier to unpack when you're home or if you're readying for another fair.

Mmmm... I'm on a roll so I'll finish this series with the final step:

10. Craft Fair Wrap-Up
By this time, your brain is putty. You're exhausted & want nothing more than to veg. To counterattack this impulse, I created a post-craft fair to do list so I don't have to think about the steps. It's all spelled out for me & it's pretty consistent with every fair:

• unpack supplies & inventory
• input finances in log
• check inventory for loss/theft
• blog/fb/twitter about event
• update mailing list
• email follow ups/inquiries
• email 'nice to meet you' coupon
• deposit money
• plus/delta
  

I usually get this all done the day after the fair. Afterwards I feel a sense of closure and can move on to whatever is next on the plate.

Everything on the list is important but IMO, the most significant is the plus/delta (photo above). Writing out the good & bad very much informs what my intentions are for the next fair, and in some cases, what the next fair will be. Big questions to ask are: do I need to change or add to my inventory in light of how people responded? Do I need to work craft fairs at all? Should I share a booth or have my own next time? Do I need to change my display? Of course, this is all from one fair and it's up to you to test & see if it's an actual trend or simply a fluke.

Overall, as you can see fairs are kiiiind of a big deal. A lot goes into a day or two of vending, but I think it's well worth it especially because it'll tell you more than just a thing or two about what it means to be a business.

Huzzah!!! :)

Here are previous posts part 1, part 2, part 3 and part 4

Craft Fair Preparation Demystified! part 4

So I'm back from San Mateo. Set up went well except for the fact that it's hella windy with ish blowing EVERRRRYWHERE. Add that to the cons list of an outdoor fair. Oh, and I FORGOT A SHEET! I even mentioned it in the first post. duh-DOY! Anyway, let's recap the day as:

8. Setting up the booth
So you've gone through the checklist. Checked it once & twice. You've packed the car so neatly and off you go. On the way to San Mateo, I took the liberty of stopping at an Ikea. Ikeas are just soo far away from the center of civilization I feel like you should take advantage whenever you're within a 4 mile radius (at least!). So I stocked up on frames in the event I run out this weekend. It's better to be safe with an option of returning than sorry.

The first thing you do on-site is check-in! I know the impulse is unload the car but really, slow down. Have your friend/parent/lover/chauffeur wait in the car while you check-in and get your bearings. The lovely folks running the fair will probably give you a map, any freebies, IDs of some sort, information on where to load and then park your car, and most importantly, they will direct you to your booth. Some craft fairs offer a free dolly service which is always wonderful and always should be taken advantage of.

Unload the lot, then have your friend park while you carry it all to your booth. It's courtesy to those fellow vendors wanting to get in there and unload. Of course, it's always good to watch your belongings but I've never witnessed or been victim to any thievery at fairs. To be on the safe side, be sure to keep the pricey goods and monies on your person.
What works for me is unpacking big to small. Establish the big furniture like tables, shelves, tablecloth and just keep moving all the smaller pieces around it. When I pack things, I tend to group it together as first unpack this, then this, then this whole bag is just under the table, etc. You'll get the hang of it the more fairs you do.
Even though Maker Faire is one of those fairs where you set-up only to vend the next day, I set everything up as if it were ferreal (see the first pic above). It's just so I know what works and what doesn't and I'm not panicking moments before the fair. I let the booth be for a while and assessed what needed to be fixed based on its orientation (i.e. gauging from which side the crowd will be moving), how it looked squeezed between two neighbors, WIND FACTOR (ugh!!), lighting, etc. I take note and figure out ways to solve the problem, hopefully fixing it right then & there or bringing a solution tomorrow. For example, to combat the wind, I'm bringing putty to place on the bottom of the cards and white linen to place behind the shelf so my HOWL doesn't fly away.

Oh! And when driving to the fair, take note of your surroundings. Remember that sheet problem I had? I noticed a Ross on the way and had my parents pick up a sheet for me while I set up ;)

Once done fixing the booth, it's good to wander the grounds, establishing where the nearest bathrooms are and of course, FOOOOOD! Don't be shy--chat it up with your new neighbors and fellow vendors!

Here are some of the sights I saw while wandering Maker Faire with my mama santos.

big ass bike

2 R2D2s!!!

This thing shoots out lightning or something. CRAZY!

Anyway, I'm excited for tomorrow. I aim to get plenty of sleep tonight and my helper, Kevin, has just arrived. So seeeeyaaahh :)

Craft Fair Preparation Demystified! part 3

Aha! It's the day before the day before the big day. Although the day before the big day is actually a pretty big deal because in the case of Maker Faire, as also Unique LA, Friday (tomorrow) is set up day. So I treat tomorrow like the BIG DAY because it's all outta my hands after that.

So:

7. Getting Everything Ready for Move-In

I usually use this day to stay calm & add the finishing touches on things. I go through my check list and make sure everything is in order. Extra business cards... check.

Double check inventory numbers & print my inventory sheet, which doubles as my sales log.
Dress up the extras like stamping craft bags & adding tags to all my plush. I print tickets/directions/information if there are any to be printed. In the case of Maker Faire, I bought a ticket for my weekend helper, Kevin (yay see you soooon!).
& I neatly pack away the goods (top left clockwise):

• packaging: plastic bags for the big prints, newsprint if they want it to be rolled instead, craft bags for prints & cards, and paper bags. My clipboards are also in there with the inventory sheets & extra sheets of scrap paper for my hand-drawn sign up sheets. Pen is also already tied!
• 8x10 prints already packaged and taped in individual plastic sleeves, divided in their own section. Extra plastic sleeves & tape are also included.
• all things SQUISHY & sewn very carefully squeezed into the green chest I put in front of the booth for you to 'sift through & find a friend!'
• framed prints & cards: you can see a glimmer of the new print in the white square frame ;)

The furniture, like the table, shelf, chairs and all that stuff is either in the garage or in my car so that will be taken care of tomorrow when I load up the car.

I learned from previous fairs that the less time I spend preparing a sold item for a customer at the fair the better. I used to have my prints loose and in a big pile, all mixed up. Now I take the time to sign each print & place it in a sleeve well before the fair. I don't know why but my brain goes crazy whenever I make a sale and I suddenly feel all this pressure like, oh my god this customer just bought something. What do I do?!? What do I do!? So I don't know. It helps to have it all ready & good to go.

Okay, time to do yoga & hit Trader Joes. I need my usual snack ammunition of seaweed, gallon of water, coconut water, and dark chocolate peanut butter cups. Oh. And ice cream. For the 15 min drive back home. Whaaaat!? It calms me! :)

Happy

get ready for magic:

F5 2011 RE:PLAY Film Festival. Inductance from Physalia Studio on Vimeo.

thanks for sharing, jo!