Saturday, November 29, 2008

Busy, busy, busy

Did two craft shows recently--the one I just got back from was my first big show (Art Market in Calgary, Alberta). It lasted four days, and went really well (yay!).

It was a real challenge setting up my booth, as the curtains were black and the organizers turned the overhead lights down--apparently that's supposed to create a cozy atmosphere, but mostly I saw a lot of craftspeople (including myself) wobbling around on step stools, struggling to clamp an assortment of lights onto the flimsy pipe and drape walls of their booths (while trying not to go end over teakettle into their neighbour's booth!), all to keep customers from feeling like they were being invited into a bear's cave!

Here is how my booth turned out--in spite of my determined clamping of lights, it still was dark, but on the plus side, it made the colors of my books stand out:




One of the challenges of doing craft shows is that you never know exactly what conditions you will be working in (in terms of lighting, space, temperature, etc.). There are invariably surprises. One of the first Christmas craft shows I ever did was, as it turned out, set up in a hockey rink, with only a thin layer of plywood put down to cover the ice. I almost froze to death--ah, the glamorous life of the artisan! :)


3 comments:

Hayley Cafarella said...

your books look really pretty all up on display like that...I would stop :)

Dana and Daisy said...

ah, the thought of being on that ice for any amount of time just makes me think I don't want to start selling under those conditions, There must be a better way to get our hand made lovelies to market!

But your booth turned out very attractive! The stepped rack is a great idea!

Deborah Lambson said...

Your booth looks great..I keep thinking of doing shows but I'm not convinced I'd profit after the sort of fees I hear about. I hadn't heart of the Calgary one..I'll have to google it. Your booth looks wonderful!