ART SHOWS 101: Survival Tips for Show Artists and Crafters Vol. 5

     

                               Volume 5: Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Outdoors?

Have you read Al's post this week? It’s all about accepting the scrapes and bruises we get on the road to success and not being afraid to fail -- because without initial failure, we often times do not succeed:

http://buffaloetsyteam.blogspot.com/2013/04/following-your-path_18.html

I smiled when I read his post -- in part because it was well written and inspiring, but also because I’d like to talk about one of those topics too: fear.

It’s occurred to me that, in an effort to prepare new show exhibitors for possible weather related issues, I’ve scared the hell out of them! I’d like to say right now, LOUDLY, that that was NOT my intent! 

In truth, outdoor shows may not be for everyone. They really are a lot of work -- and our inability to control the weather does put us at risk. But let’s face it, there is risk in everything we do! 

So -- instead of talking about the “what ifs” of outdoors shows, I’d like to point out some of the well known positives of exhibiting al fresco.

I’d also like to correct the comment I made last week about $200 canopies not being a good option for outdoor festival shelter. I’ve since learned that one of our team members, and a rather successful one at that, has been exhibiting at outdoor shows with a canopy she purchased at BJ’s Wholesale for, you guessed it, $200! I’m so happy to eat my words about this that I'm going to purchase one for myself as a back-up canopy. But I’m NOT going to budge an inch on weights! Be sure to weight/anchor this and ANY canopy as if your art and craft work safety depends on it, because it does.

Here’s a link to BJ's canopy info:

http://www.bjs.com/e-z-up-10-x-10-instant-shelter.product.159064?dimId=2003159

                  TOP Reasons to Exhibit at Outdoor Art and Craft Shows:

• Outdoor shows are community events so they are well advertised. 

• Most outdoor shows have MUCH higher attendance than indoor shows.

• Most outdoor shows attract a MUCH more diverse audience than indoor shows.

• Outdoor booth spaces are bigger than most indoor show spaces. A LOT bigger!

• A well advertised show that draws a large, diverse crowd to view your large display of work 

  can often time lead to more sales

So -- before you make a final decision against outdoor exhibiting, visit a few shows, ask some questions, and do a little research. You may find that the great outdoors is the perfect setting for your work.

Until next time -- keep creating!

Alison

https://www.etsy.com/shop/SilentMyloStudio

Everything Old is New Again ...in Collecting Vintage Advertisement Posters

What do I love most about vintage advertisement posters?  There are so many things-the colors, graphics/artwork, the movie stars and recognizing some of today's products in their early days. These pieces make interesting pieces of art to liven up any room in your home.  

If you are interested in collecting vintage advertisements you may want to start with choosing a category.  Some of the popular advertisement categories include: cars, kitchen/household products, smoking/tobacco, movies, food, military, medicines, airline, brewerianna, etc.  

Advertising posters are very collectible because they were not meant to be saved, especially those from the early 1900's. If you cannot afford advertising posters themselves, a great alternative is advertisement pages from old magazines that can be removed and framed.  

Some General Tips:
-Choose a category
-Research pricing
-Handle them with care and mount on acid free paper. 
-Look out for condition as it effects value.  Stay away from pieces that have folds, tears, rough edges, discoloration, water/grease marks



Above is a favorite piece from my Lucille Ball collection.

Following YOUR Path...

                                                                                             Following YOUR Path...


Simple is always better. It adds clarity and focus.

Here are four simple
truths we all know, but, for many
of us, fail to use to our advantage.

We will continue with updates from Allison
next week and Sarah the following week.

In the mean time: simplify your life


Simple Truth #1
There are 24 hours in a day. Every day - for everyone. How you prioritize the things you do in a
given day,week, month and year determines what you will accomplish. "I don't have the time" is
actually another way of saying "it's not as important". If it is TRULY important to you, you'll find a way to make the time.

Simple Truth #2
Never failing is a result of never trying. The more you fail, the more likely you are to succeed.
No matter how many things you try that fail; just keep trying. You must fail if you want to succeed.

Simple Truth #3
Our attitude is the most influential and powerful tool we possess. As the late Earl Nightengale pointed out in his program Lead the Field; great attitude = great results, fair attitude = fair results,
poor attitude = poor results. People don't develop great attitudes because they are successful, they become successful because they have great attitudes.

Simple Truth #4
Fear is the main reason most people never reach their goals or take a chance or try something new.
We fear everything - failure, embarrassment, rejection, ridicule, change and even success!!

Ask yourself what would the worst possible outcome be if you did ????????. Chances are, in the big scheme of things, it's nothing to really worry about. Take a deep breath, swallow the fear now that it's in perspective and get busy.


Good Reads

Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable - Seth Godin
The Icarus Deception: How High Will You Fly? - Seth Godin

Monday Interview with The Cotton Road

 This week we have with us Mel from The Cotton Road!

Please tell us a bit about yourself?
My name is Melissa but everyone calls me Mel. I am married and have an 8 year old son. We also have a dog named Zoey who is very active. I grew up in the southern tier in farm country. I love nature and natural fibers. I started crocheting when I was 12. I would watch my aunts crochet and slowly picked it up. I use crocheting as my stress reliever. My crocheting gives truth to the old adage "if you do what you love you never work a day". My crochet business started over a year ago and I still love crocheting everyday, in fact not crocheting can make my day worse.

What do you create? How long have you been working on your craft/art? I crochet primarily baby items, but I am very picky about the patterns I choose. I make hats and slippers for adults. I have begun to make toys, rattles, and pillows for babies. Mason jar covers, doilies, mesh tote bags, and things for the home. I learned to crochet when I was 12 but have been doing it regularly for about 5 years.

How did you come up with your store name?
I love cotton and primarily crochet with cotton, but wanted to pay homage to where I came from and learn my trade it was on a dirt back road tucked back on the farm in between cornfields. So I combined the two for The Cotton Road.

How does Buffalo influence your work?
The seasons are what inspires me here. I have to change the type of item and the thickness of the yarn for the warmer months. I know Buffalo weather changes fast but most people don't wear winter hats and boots in July.

What is the best thing about having a etsy shop?
The freedom to make and sell what I want and to control the amount of items in my store. I also love that I can sell to more people than just here in the WNY area. I have sent items to Australia, Canada, Hawaii, California, among other places. I am trying to create an interactive map so that I can pin where I have sent items. I'd like to send one item to every state I think that's be cool.

How do you promote your work to the world? Twitter, Facebook both personal and business pages, Instagram, Pintrest

Where can your work be found locally? I am a member of Gallery 464 and some of my items are featured there. I am working on a few open work hats to take there in the next few weeks.

Do you have any advise or suggestions for new sellers to etsy? Don't get discouraged if there are not a lot of sales in the beginning. Focus more on building a fan base that will refer others to your page.

  Do you do this full or part time? If full time how did you get yourself to that status? If I really tally up the amount of time it would be full time, but it is realistically a part time thing. I work a full time and part time job on top of Etsy. My dream would be to open a little store front someday where I can sell my items, yarn, other local artist work and teach the art of crochet full time.


Have you had any formal training in what you do? I have had no training beyond my Aunts instructions.

Do you teach any classes in what you do? I have taught before at JoAnn's but I am not currently teaching there.

Where do your ideas come from? I love nature and things that are functional. I just bought a wire lamp shade a flea market and hope to crochet a lamp shade. I like to make things that people can pass down to others.

What do you do when your creatively blocked? I go to Pintrest or Etsy and search crochet.

 Where can you be found online? 
www.etsy.com/shop/thecottonroad
 www.facebook.com/thecottonroad,
@thecottonroad on twitter, intstagram, and Pintrest.
http://www.mindweb.us/#!linton/c1b0h is the website from Gallery 464.
thecottonroad.blog.com/.

Creative Challenge Update

Fused Glass Buffalo Suncatcher by buffaloartglass

Wasn't it nice to wake up to some sun this morning? Let's forget about all that rain from last week and talk about our creative challenge for the month of April: Spring in Buffalo.

Here's a recap of our rules for the challenge:

1. Create or find something inspired by the theme.
2. Put photos of that something somewhere online where the public can see it. You can list your item on Etsy or post it on your blog, for example.
3. Next Sunday, April 21, I will make a new post and you can post a link to your entry in the comments. You have until April 26 to submit your entry.
4. On April 28, I will post pictures of all the entries here on the blog and we will vote for our favorite in the comments. Voting will be open through May 1.
5. I will contact the winner, who will pick the theme for the next challenge, which will be announced on May 5.

The theme is Spring in Buffalo, and you are welcome to interpret that theme any way you wish. You can incorporate Buffalo imagery, like our architecture, parks, events, people, and our beloved bison, like in the above suncatcher from buffaloartglass. Or you can be inspired by anything that makes you think of spring in Buffalo. Here are a few items I found made by Buffalo Etsy Team members that remind me of spring:

For the Birds Pisanki by rosiedazecreations

Easter has past, but nothing says Buffalo like pisanki and nothing says spring more than birds and eggs, except for perhaps flowers:

Lilac Body Mist by MartinsvilleEmporium

I love the smell of lilacs; these flowers are one of the best things about spring, in my opinion. And does anyone remember those little butterflies that arrived in town last April? They had been swept into the area by a warm front and for a while they were just about everywhere you looked. I saw this antique lithograph from team member teardrums and immediately thought of those lovely little creatures that visited us last year:

Antique handcolored lithograph from teardrums

I am looking forward to making my own entry and to seeing what our talented, creative team members do!

Art Shows 101: Seeking Shelter

Volume 4: Canopies

Art shows are about creativity, individual achievement, and personal style. Right? 

Well -- maybe not so much. At least not when it comes to display set ups.

Many years ago, shows were casual events. Painters laid their canvases on the sidewalk, potters stacked their bowls on homemade shelves, and photographers hung loose prints on A-frame stands. While you still may find that relaxed atmosphere at a small, local show or two, most larger festivals somewhat demand conformity in the size, shape and color (white) of your outer display canopy.

If you are just starting out, or plan on doing only a show or two, you may want to borrow a canopy from a friend or look into tent rentals. You can also check Craig's List and other Want-Ads for sales of used equipment rather than going to the expense of buying your own, brand new tent.

There are a number of canopy manufactures and styles and prices vary -- but from the research I have done, you will probably need to invest upwards of $500 to purchase a reliable 10’ x 10’ canopy with a roof and 4 water-resistant side walls. And yes, there are MANY canopies available under that price point, but keep in mind: you get what you pay for. A $200 canopy that's great for a backyard gathering on a sunny, windless day may not cut it as a show canopy on a rainy weekend.

Here are links to the best known canopy dealers:

http://www.crafthut.com/
http://www.ezup.com/

And a few things for you to consider:

• EZ UP, and other pyramid roofed canopies require less set-up time than dome roofed canopies because they are pre-assembled. The roof is attached to the frame and set-up is basically accomplished by two people pulling part (expanding) the frame -- kind of like an accordion. Side walls can be attached on all for sides once the frame is expanded.

• Dome roofed canopies, like Craft Hut, have no pre-assembled parts. You have to connect poles, legs and roof rafters before attaching your canvas roof. They are more time consuming but, if set up properly, tend to hold up better in rough weather conditions.

• the roofs of EZ UP/pyramid roofed canopies tend to collect water and sag during a rain storm. Many exhibitors use hulu hoops, wedged between canopy frame and canvas roof, to lessen this. 

• Regardless of tent style, keep in mind that you are setting up a mini store that is at the mercy of the weather.  ALL tents MUST be anchored in some fashion! Stakes, ropes and tension straps are great but can’t be used on concrete or blacktop. In addition to staking, you should have 40 pound weights (or heavier) for each corner of your canopy (see picture below). Keep in mind that this isn't only for your protection. In addition to destroying your art or craft work, an airborne canopy can damage other exhibitors set ups, or worse yet, hurt other artists and show patrons. 

• Always come to shows prepared for bad weather. Bring stakes and weights, bungie cords, plastic sheeting and dry towels. In this case, over-prepared is a good thing!

Until next time -- keep creating!

Alison

https://www.etsy.com/shop/SilentMyloStudio

Vending Opportunity:

Everything Old is New Again .....In Weddings

            Weddings are a very costly endeavor.  One of the best and unique ways to save money is to use vintage items or re-purpose items into crafts for decor, accessories, etc. It's also a great way to inject your own creative personality into your wedding design.  Brides are embracing these trends fully. If you are looking for inspiration Pintrest is full of beautiful ideas.  

            If you choose to buy a vintage wedding dress avoid dresses that need repairs or have stains.  Avoid the oldest dresses, those before 1900 because of deteriorating fabric. Remember sizing is very different today than in the past.  

Below are some of the top vintage trends this season.

Colors: mint green, orange, pink, print

Grooms:  hats, bow ties, seer sucker suits

Dresses:  1920s flapper style dresses, satin gowns, vintage lace sleeves

Accessories: birdcage veils, vintage jewelry pieces, lace and crystal garters

Decor:  aged wine barrels, colored bottles with flowers, lanterns, mason jars, antique books, crates, dried flowers

 Below is a photograph from my wedding circa 2008.  I chose a new Michaelangelo gown that had a vintage style-lace overcoat.  I wore my mother's (1978) bridal veil.  We slightly altered the veil to make it less heavy.  

My Three Favorite Items From Local Etsy Shops!

Oldendesigns- custom handmade luminaries

https://www.etsy.com/listing/111311742/10-large-vintage-sheet-music-luminaries?ref=shop_home_active

DeLoop- Bridal Whimsical Accessories and Fashion Hair Accessories

https://www.etsy.com/listing/74010122/white-feather-hat-vintage-rhinestone?ref=shop_home_active

 

Ageless Heirlooms/Laurenrosedesign- fine and antique vintage jewelry

https://www.etsy.com/listing/97888207/10k-antique-art-nouveau-baroque-pearl?ref=shop_home_active