Solving a Problem

Hey there!

A while back I mentioned doing something different to transport my jewelry to shows. As it was, I layered jewelry, bubble wrap, tissue paper in photo boxes. This kept it nice and safe, but was time consuming in set up and break down.

I was also wanting a more complete look as far as packaging goes. I love my bags, I'm keeping them! The issue is with hanging things in a more presentable manner.

I hand stamped a bunch of these with my tiny seashell stamp, and stapled them together. These will hang on the mini boat cleats/mooring anchors of my display. They would also work on a display like my necklaces are on. I have some hooks for my net to hold the hair things, but I'll have to show that another time. Probably after I have it set up at my next show next weekend!

Michael's had these photo boxes on sale for $2 each. I snagged 10 of them!

Ignore that I have a double photo of one of the boxes lol. I drilled holes in the sides of the boxes to thread a flat skewer through.

You get the idea...and I will trim the ends of the skewers and add rubber ends to them.

I will have a separate box for headbands because I have several of them now, and 4 more to make. Some not as fancy as the others I've made. Something you could even wear about town.

The skewers hold everything in place, nothing moves around, and I can pop them off the skewer and onto the displays much faster than taking each individual item out of the boxes from between layers of tissue and bubble wrap. I'd like a deeper box for the larger barrettes, but this works for now.

Do you have any recommendations for me? Any ideas on improving the system of transporting and set up?

A Learning Experience

I decided before the show that I was going to use the first one as a learning experience. Maybe even the first two. It was fun, I sold stuff! And I did learn a few things.

1. It pays to do your research! I did a LOT of research on setting up craft show booths. I started studying layouts months ago when a friend (Kim!) sent me links to check out. Over the past couple of weeks, I started Pinning ideas. It helped to see others booth set ups.

2. Don't forget the OFF! We were nearly eaten alive in the predawn and early morning hours before the sun came up...which took a while because of the RAIN.

3. Be prepared for RAIN....and I was, thanks to Karen! She suggested tarps, duct tape, and bungee cords. My canopy protected most everything, except for what I had on the ladder, which I moved closer in during the storm. I had rolls of plastic....hubby's tarps are HUGE and far too bulky for me to manage. The plastic saved me. Had it been a blowing rain, I would have covered everything in plastic. It was a downpour, and came down in nice straight sheets.

4. Take an extra shirt! Our shirts were WHITE. They weren't by the time we were done, lol. On the way I spilled some coffee on my nice bright white shirt. UGH! I backed into/rubbbed up against something black. I'm guessing it was that cushy trim around the back door of my SUV. No more white! An extra shirt would have been nice to have.

5. Love Bugs LOVE white, and light colors! They loved me, Laci, and my tent. The poles are white, and the canopy is light colored on the inside. It was very obvious that they were preferring white over dark colors, as we, and the vendor next to us observed this preference. Now I know why hubby's white Tahoe gets so covered in love bugs.

6. I need to streamline my set up for future shows! My vehicle was packed, and I mean packed. We couldn't have stuck a pretzel in there.....but Laci did bring home a cat, so hubby had to load some things in the other car to go home. LOL!

I did get some pictures! Which I was worried I wasn't going to....because I thought I forgot my camera. It was in a ziploc bag in the bottom of my bag, and Lace couldn't find it. After we got settled in, I dug til I unearthed it.

Standing sideways to hide my coffee drippage....not very flattering to my figure.

Laci wanted a funny face, so I gave her one :)

And of course she looks FANTASTIC is both of her pics!

My barrette clipped above a pony tail. I think I really need one of my aqua abalone shell barrettes!!! I sold my favorite one, though. It had the most beautiful color, and was so smooth, too.

A better close up....and you can really see my gray...but hey, those are sparkles. Do you know what gals are paying to have 'sparkles' added to their hair???? A LOT! Mine were free, and came naturally :)

And look who stopped by?! My good friend Diane, from Lavender Dreams, and her hubby!

What a look of concentration! Or indecision? She had a hard time picking out what she wanted....I think she said she wanted it ALL! It was so good to see her! And she was wearing my colors!!! So pretty :)

My momma stopped by too, and I didn't get a picture. I was excited to see her, too...and not sure if I had found my camera yet.

Next time I will try to take MORE pictures....if I have time. People will be Christmas shopping by then!

I did sell 7 items....and not just to Diane, lol.

I'm going to get busy preparing for the next one....well, actually there are 3 next month, and then at least 2 more before the end of the year....maybe more! We have a local craft fair in town, and I'd like to attend that as well.

Have I said what a great time we had?! We did! It was fun, and we are excited to go back and do it again. I will be giving out some info on the next one as soon as I can find the flyers I brought home. I just barely started unpacking before I started this post.

I have some new supplies I haven't had a chance to use, and some on order that should be here soon. I can't wait to get back to work and make some more pretty seashell things!

Thanks for bearing with me for this long winded post!

It's Show Time!

I really thought that by this date and time I would be anxious, nervous, scared, terrified.....or SOMETHING! But I'm not.

I'm EXCITED!

I'm wondering if that means that I'm actually ready for this???
I think so.

These first pictures were before I changed my mind about something.

I wanted to use this crab trap to hold the earrings. But, depending on the length of the earrings determined if they lay nicely against the wire, or if they were short they kind of swung there, and you couldn't really see them. That's why the post earrings are on the bottom. It just wasn't working.

So I went with this earring rack that I picked up on Etsy. It's not very beachy, but it works.

Kim sent me a nice velveteen ring holder, and I still might use it, but I set up my rings on a brand new pair of white flip flops that I picked up on clearance for $1.50. They are so beachy :) The tie tacks and cuff links look like toes! Hahaha!

My book of seashells to display the bookmarks works great! I've had this book since I lived in Virginia in the early 90's.

This oak and glass case is full of sterling silver and 14k gold filled items. It has a lock on it for safe keeping. (shhhh I don't plan on locking it during the show...I'll be right there)

The bracelets work great on the old wood display my hubby made! I really like this! And the tables will be closer together on Saturday. That sticky velcro gave me fits all day. It was hotter than...well, you know what on Monday and they kept coming loose. I'm going to safety pin it in place from behind until I find the time to sew some hook and eye clasps around it.

The necklace stand box pegboard display works like a charm, and I can leave the necklaces in there to transport them without getting them tangled. I've already closed it up and tested it out, and they don't tangle or fall off the hooks at all! It's the perfect depth to butt the hook fronts to the pegboard facing it when closed....they can't fall off. And I have them staggered so they don't touch.

After setting these up, I realized I had a sterling necklace on a bust. That's been changed.

I bought a couple of nets from Hobby Lobby with 40% off coupons for each one. I went a couple of times to do this....I was on that side of town anyway :)

My mirror is not for sale!

I used the other net to clip barrettes on....still playing with this, but I do like it.

I will wrap something (maybe a beach towel?) around the base of the 'head'. Right below her (her! LOL!)
is a wicker bed tray that the hair pins are on.

I wanted them on the net....and may use clothes pins to attach them to it, and use this as my packaging station. Wait til you see my bags ;)

Did you notice the oar with pegs in it? Hanging above....it has table cloth weights on it.

This picture is horizontal on my SD card....thanks blogger. Anyway..... I would love a more attractive package for these, but haven't really had a chance to think of one. This was a spur of the moment thing because I wanted to use my oar. I've had it for years.

This cute metal aqua color coral basket we picked up from Bealls on Saturday. The ceiling fan pulls are in it. And there is the crab trap, sitting lonely at the edge of my 'shop'.

By this time, the sun was in the wrong place to get a good picture of the entire set up. If I stood farther back, it was a complete glare.

So there we have it! A complete mock set up!
My sign was hanging with zip ties, but I'm picking up some thin rope, or using bungees to keep it straight.

I have almost all of my hang tags attached, just a few left to do today, and then I am hand stamping a shell on white lunch bags, and maybe hole punching around it to string some curling ribbon through them. I will wrap the items in tissue paper upon purchase, and into a cute bag they go. Unless they want to wear it right then!

Laci is making signs in my font and colors that have 'HAIR BARRETTES' ....'FAN PULLS' and so on, on them.

What do ya think???? What else should I do? Any more tips of any kind? Have I missed anything?

A big THANK YOU to my hubby for helping to make this happen!!!!! You are the best babe!