Why I couldn't have gotten this bright idea to start this new adventure in say, um, October or maybe even March, I will never know. But I didn't. I started it in July. In the Hottest July in Texas History. The local craft fairs are not indoors. They don't have facilities. They take place usually around the court house square in the small Texas towns I live near. So, we set up in grass mostly and if we are lucky have an awning. I was not so lucky this week. Thankfully, there was a lovely breeze that kept the temperature from feeling not exactly as bad as it was. Until 2. Then it was war with the sun.
This Saturday was Trade Days try Number 2. This time, My Sister's Weekend City. We both enjoy the same lake. I live on one side, she weekends directly across from me. I could build a bridge from my place to hers and probably build it in a straight line across the lake. But I won't. I'll just keep driving around the lake to get to her place because its much cheaper on gas to drive the SUV than to try and drive the pontoon boat across and back again. Plus, then I can stay longer! I'm not too fond of crossing a stumpy lake at midnight. No thanks.
So, for this trade days, we are centered in the middle of town around the court house. Online it says "show up and set up and a member of the chamber will come by and collect the booth fee from you" Ok then, small town stuff here remember? So we show up at a little before 9 am, which I am thinking is way late (I need to work on getting out of this house faster!), but see that everyone else is actually just setting up too. There wasn't very many vendors to show up. Maybe 20 or so total. Small in comparison. (But at 2 pm, I understood why.) As the web claimed, the ladies did come around and collect the fee and it was the craziest thing ever. No joke. Probably one of the funniest, and adorable, east Texas events to happen to me yet! We settled in, kids and all, for the long day ahead. Our goal for the day was mostly just to see the difference between the two shows. My sister claims the shoppers were totally different, and that being more of a "craft", my items would probably do better at the smaller venue. She was right. I didn't sell much. Didn't walk away with a ton of money, made enough to cover the cost of the booth and our gas. But, experience.. We gained some really good info. I had people actually talk with me. I had them stop and hold the items, discuss the pictures, ask if I would be back. At the first show, most every customer that entered my booth was after the jam. At this show, hardly anyone even noticed the jam. They went straight to my table with the art. I sold two prints, and even though they weren't a high dollar item (HAHA Highest dollar item I have is $35), it felt really really good. I've still got most every item I've made so far, but that is ok. I've still got items to create, and that is ok... even great. I've decided, to not give up too easily. I'm easily discouraged and two shows, in the crazy heat of dead summer Texas should not be my deciding factor on whether or not this will work out. Now, ask me again after Christmas. I may, by then, have a totally different answer. But I am hoping that things start to look up.
So what is all this talk about 2 pm. OH MY GOSH! I am not kidding, I swear it was like the sun realized it had forgotten to beat us up all day and decided to make up for lost time. By 3, it was unbearable. I can never get over how something so beautiful, can be so deadly!
Some pictures of my products.
Prints. One of my Favorite pictures ever taken of my daughter, actually. I mostly printed it out as an Eye grabber. The other is a hipstamatic of a birdhouse in my mother in law's garden. Then a print I did and framed with a wonderful pic of a fishing pole I toke. The bottom picture is my husbands favorite lake picture of mine. He says it reminds him of hope. So that has become its name. Hope.
Photo albums that I put a cover on. Mostly roses and a few lake photos. More prints and this awesome little treasure box that I transferred the picture of the humming bird onto. In the corner there you catch just the edge of the cool rose box I did. Oh and those cat ears.. LOL.. that is a cute card that has a pic of my sis in laws cat on it, then when you open it up she is walking at you with only one eye open and it says "I've got my eye on you" Way way cute!
I wish I had gotten the top of that pond picture, there is a serenading frog in it! Under that is one of the lazy fisherman transfers. Then you see how I hung up the prints this go round. I'm coming up with a better plan. It worked nicely on the first show, but looked a bit unorganized this go round with out a canopy and side railing to the lot. oh and that round pizza pan looking thing, thats a chalk board. :) I made several, round and rectangle metal (magnetic!)Chalkboards! They are pretty awesome!
This Saturday was Trade Days try Number 2. This time, My Sister's Weekend City. We both enjoy the same lake. I live on one side, she weekends directly across from me. I could build a bridge from my place to hers and probably build it in a straight line across the lake. But I won't. I'll just keep driving around the lake to get to her place because its much cheaper on gas to drive the SUV than to try and drive the pontoon boat across and back again. Plus, then I can stay longer! I'm not too fond of crossing a stumpy lake at midnight. No thanks.
