Tales From the Trove: Haddonfield Fine Arts and Crafts Festival

SquidFire

Whimsicology

Pee-wee Herman-inspired Pocket Mirror purchased from Original Abbie by my sister and gifted to me.

Yin-Yin

I knew that it would rain on Saturday. I'd been stalking the weather all week, my apprehension increasing as the estimated precipitation jumped from 40% to 60%, and finally to 80% just a day before the Haddonfield Fine Arts & Crafts Festival. So it was with a resigned mood of that I watched water pour down from the sky and sluice off of tent roofs. Truth be told, it could've been worse. Only minimal raindrops sneaked through the creases in my tent, and there was no thunder or lightning (always a good thing when you're fenced in by a metal structure).

This show was kind of different than any I'd done previously. For one thing, the two hundred-plus vendor tents were set up right on the street (King's Highway) in the downtown district, an arrangement that required everyone to arrive before 7:00 a.m. to set up for the 11:00 a.m. show. As for the art, it ran the gamut from fine jewelry to hats to pottery to wall art; quite honestly, I'd never seen anything like it. This, my friends, was art with a capital A. It made me feel a tad bit sheepish about my luridly colored plastic jewelry and cartoonish totes.

Yet as always, The Tote Trove was something of a curiosity spot for the passers-by. Several browsers told me, "You can't walk by without smiling!" and "This is the most colorful booth ever!" In a way, this was what I came to accomplish, which made me smile.

The rain stopped somewhere around 2:00 p.m., which wasn't so terrible because the show ran until 8:00 p.m. My parents dropped by just before 7:00 p.m., even though I told them it was too far of a drive. They also bought a bunch of stuff, even though I told them not to.  It goes without saying that the bf went above and beyond. He dutifully awoke with me at 4:30 a.m. to load our rented U-Haul, assembled the tent upon our arrival, hung all of the totes, and assisted and engaged the customers. Although the tone of this blog coupled with my outlandish outfits may suggest otherwise, I'm kind of shy and not always comfortable talking to the public. The bf, on the other hand, is very charming, approachable, and friendly, and for this I'm eternally grateful.

EtsyNJ team leader Abbie of Original Abbie was two tents down from me. My sister, who was kind enough to hang out all day Sunday, bought one of Abbie's art blocks as well as a pocket mirror featuring a genie and the Pee-wee Herman reference "meka leka hi meka hiney-ho," which she gave to me. Hilarious. Of course, she also bought more than a few things from me. Oh, that family of mine.

I also had the pleasure of meeting Marisa of Purplicious, who was also vending, and Stacey of Deepshade Creations, who was shopping. It's always very interesting to meet fellow EtsyNJians in person. I don't often have the opportunity because most of the shows I do are in Atlantic County, by the beach, and most of the group members are located toward Philadelphia or North Jersey. On the flip side, I saw only one of the vendors I've come to know from my usual shows.

True to form, I couldn't help but do a little shopping of my own. I was especially glad to find Janet of Whimsicology in attendance. I purchased one of her polymer clay fruit barrettes at the Brigantine PTA show last year (I wear it often, as evidenced in my Photo Shoot Friday posts) and had been wondering where I could find more pieces. Having spotted her booth, I happily snagged a matching fruit-themed bracelet as well as the all-important business card. You know, for those future purchases. I also nabbed a colorful flower necklace from another polymer clay artist and a funky fruit tee shirt from an outfit called SquidFire. I must confess that I never bought anything at craft fairs before I became a vendor. But now I have an inside perspective, so if I see something I like, then I get it.

That's about it. Next stop Ocean City on Saturday.

A Trip to Smileville

I've been trying to walk more lately. Mostly because I loathe exercise and know I should engage in some sort of physical activity, but partly to take more advantage of beautiful Brigantine. Anyway, I always pass this really interesting little house on my route. Last weekend the bf and I were both walking by and noticed a sign that read, "Studio Tour in Rear." I should have known another artist lived there! I was nervous about going in, but the bf reminded me, "hey, there's a sign." So we went. And our hostess turned out to be Popo Flanigan, a local artist and fellow local art and craft fair participant! The bf had been struck by her gorgeous, color-drenched paintings at the Brigantine PTA craft show. Ms. Flanigan told me that she was signed up for the July 17 Ocean City Indoor & Outdoor Extravaganza, as was I, and even invited me to join her plein-air painting group. (Sadly, I had to decline, as I work during the week.)

Ms. Flanigan's entire home was decorated with her countless paintings, the colors even more wild and vivid against the stark white of her décor. The effect was utterly charming. Curiosity piqued? Then check out Popo's work on her site. It's sure to give you something to smile about!

Tales from the Trove: Brigantine PTA Craft Show, An Adventure Close to Home

This past Saturday I did my first outdoor craft show of the year. I was excited. Nerve-wracked, actually. I had my brand-new tent banner, I was accepting credit cards via ProPay, and I was doing a giveaway to promote my Etsy shop. As the bf and I unpacked my inventory, I realized I had more items than ever before, so many that I barely knew where to put them. In my highly agitated state, I picked about a dozen petty and unfounded fights with the poor guy, apologizing immediately each time (honestly, the man deserves a medal). The thing about doing craft shows is . . . they're hard. You have a couple of hours to set up an entire shop, usually in oppressive heat (and in the case of this Brigantine show, merciless wind that periodically knocked down my and several other sellers' displays). And no matter what you do, you always feel dirty thanks to the combination of labor, heat, outdoor elements, and greasy sunscreen. Add the only-too-human jumble of anxiety, worry, and excitement, sprinkled with Type A perfectionism, and you have all the ingredients for a nervous breakdown.

Once we were finished setting up, the bf went to work (across the street, actually). I slathered myself with sunscreen. I took dozens of pictures for this blog and my Etsy shop. And then I waited.

One of my first sales of the day was this necklace. The buyer was one of my repeat craft show customers, a spunky lady with great style. "You should make earrings," she suggested. I told her that that was definitely in the works.

Not much later one of the bf's customers stopped by. She'd bought one of my charm necklaces at last year's Brigantine show and said that she'd intended to give is as a gift but liked it so much that she kept it for herself. She went on to say that she received lots of compliments on it, then purchased this heart and butterfly charm necklace for a friend.

As luck would have it, fellow EtsyNJian Doreen from Seahorse Designs was set up across from me. It was truly a pleasure meeting someone I'd known only from the email list! I purchased these two button and wire rings from her, and immediately put them on, as they went perfectly with my outfit.

Midmorning I called my dad to wish him a happy birthday (we were celebrating the next day). When I asked him what he was doing, he said he was on his way to see me! I was certainly surprised. We had a lovely visit, and before he left he purchased this Ladybug Creek Tote (even though I insisted it wasn't necessary).

I was thrilled (and initially a little nervous) to make my first credit card sale when I sold this pair of large totes (Electric Palms and Mandarin Magic) to a local couple who compared my designs to Betsey Johnson! Now, that was a compliment. Many Etsy shoppers had admired the Electric Palms Tote, and the Mandarin Magic Tote had always been one of my favorites.

Here's a smattering of the other items I sold. By the end of the day, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I'd done pretty well, much better than I had at last year's show. It was a big day for necklaces, and kooky ones at that! I found good homes for both my Fruit Gel Necklace (made of pencil grippers) and my Calculator Necklace, two tried-and-true conversation pieces. I'd better get busy crafting some new wacky wares for my next event, which is Harborfest in Cape May on June 19.

Yes, craft fairs can be hard. Sometimes, in the less-than-stellar moments, I wonder why I'm not at the beach, movies, or mall on a Saturday afternoon like a normal 9-to-5 cubicle dweller. But then someone says something really nice about my work, or a little girl gets really excited about her new necklace, and I realize that all the trouble was worth it. And that I can't wait to do it again. :)

Turquoise and Yellow Kitsch: And Maybe a Little Bit of What Was I Thinking?

I have mixed feelings about this ensemble. I wore it to work a couple of weeks ago, where I caught sight of myself in the bathroom mirror and thought, hmm. In retrospect, I think it was the unsleek silhouette that was niggling at me more than anything (I rather liked the yellow and turquoise combo). But that's ok; it's all just part of the adventure. (The barrette, by the way, came from last spring's Brigantine PTA craft show. A local artist made it, as well as loads of other fabulous jewelry and accessories made from colorful clay. I probably should've snapped up more of them; I didn't even get a business card. Oh well. Maybe I'll run into her at Wawa one of these days. :)

Tales from the Trove - Brigantine PTA Craft Fair - Eat Your Junk Food

Pictured here are my Junk Food Bracelet and Junk Food Necklace, both available on Etsy. The junk food charms are actually dollhouse miniatures I found in a craft store. Kids are usually attracted to jewelry like this; I sold a similar bracelet (i.e., not identical, as I make only one-of-a-kind pieces) to a little girl at the Brigantine PTA Art and Crafts show this past June. Last weekend I bought two sets of these charms to make a chunkier version of the necklace for myself. I can't wait to make and wear it because I'm a kid at heart!