Where has the time flown? It is Thursday evening an we haven't checked in with each other.
It looks like mostly holiday events coming up this weekend. Two very big ones in the Midwest -- Chicago's fabulous shopping extravaganza at the Merchandise Mart, the One of a Kind Show. Don't miss attending this if you are in this business. 600 exhibitors from across the country showing and selling every conceivable object in all price ranges.
I'm heading to Columbus, OH, for my other favorite holiday shopping show, Winterfair, at the Ohio Expo Center. Only 400 exhibitors there, but a very festive event. See you there?
A bunch of you will be at these two shows. I'd love to meet up with folks in Columbus. Let me know.
What else are you doing?
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Connie, nice to meet you in person at Winterfair Columbus.. and yes I knew my curtains needed ironing, but I appreciate your comments on my booth being beautiful. I took everything I've learned here and a few other ideas and came up with my new design.
I have to say Friday and Saturday were the best 2 days of the show. Sunday was pretty much a dud, I know a few did better but I heard that from a lot of the artists. Hoping next year to be closer to the front of the show, although the extra storage and easy access to the restroom was a positive for my booth location. I had great neighbors and overall am pleased with my final total. I always say when you try a new show you learn as much as you earn. I also was able to get some new contacts for other shows I am interested in doing.
Yes, Brian! So many AFI-ers were there, as Ruth said. Please share the info and some stories. I'd always heard there was a bunch of buy/sell in this show and bored people attending, lots of tire kickers or people out amusing themselves. Please disabuse me of this.
OK, at least one AFI'er that I missed in my comments earlier regarding the number of us at the show. Sorry Brian, hope you had a good show.
Congrats to Barrie on making $1,950 on the tree and congrats to Cynthia for having such a fantastic coaster order...Wow! Let us know if you decide to go ahead with the advertisement, we'd like to know if you do it and if it pays off.
Yesterday I was out running errands and got an order for 17 sets of coasters. This is a wholesale gig I have in a local higher end gift shop. One of their regular customers is sending out 17 gift baskets and the manager told me, "and they love your coasters and want one set for each basket." I am so excited! Then she turned around did an inventory for replenishing their store stock and ordered an additional 10 for the store!
Today our own retail store had our company Christmas party, actually this evening. It was a dinner party. So I was getting ready for that.
Tomorrow I'll start on the coasters. I have to have the 17 ready by Wednesday. I can have the others ready later. I am going to try to get them all out this week but it may be a stretch.
I have been wanting to place an ad in a local upscale magazine for a VERY LONG TIME. However, pricing has kept me from doing it till recently. I asked dh Thursday if he thought I had enough cash on hand in my business acct to do that. He is one to say definitely yes or no on this, like I would like sometime. However if he definitely thought it was not a wise use of $$ he'd say so but it's kind of on the fence right now if that makes sense. Then, I get the call about the BIG order. I am thinking that God is telling me, yes, go ahead, do it. The money I make from this order will cover the ad and maybe have a little left over.
So that has been my weekend.
Is there some kind of website where you could place advertising that you think would appeal to this demographic, Cynthia? It is so much cheaper to advertise online ...
nonetheless, thanks for sharing this good news!
I heard on the radio about solid changes in the upturn of the economy and just in this thread I'm hearing all kinds of good news. Congrats to everyone.
Connie,
There may be. However, this magazine is widely read, and popular, in our area. It is free to those who pick it up in the stores where they place it. They don't last long on the newsstands. You can also subscribe to it for a reasonable amount. The articles are mostly about local people, places, and events. Certain features run every month such as a home of the month that is a beautifully decorated, etc. Its articles and advertising are geared towards (upper) middle class and above with disposable income. That is what my crafts are geared towards also.
Here is a link ... http://povhouma.com.
Sounds like a great day.
I thought I was done for the season, but received a charming invite from an artists coop art gallery in Evergreen Colorado to show some of our work during December. The gallery representatives saw us at ArtDenver in November, so it was a nice turn of events.
Evergreen's Main Street Fine Arts - I got to meet a few of the artists who are members when I took a selection of work there earlier this week - hope the holidays are good to all of us.
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