It’s going to be a very busy fall with all the craft shows coming up, which means I need to start getting ready. On more than one occasion I have forgotten very important things, but this list helps me to cut down on making a mad dash back to my house to pick up what I forgot (or sending my poor husband to do it for me).
Table & Chairs Unless they are provided
Tent For outdoor events. Also bring some water jugs to use as weights so your tent won’t blow away, and have a plan for protecting your merchandise if it starts to rain.
Table Cloth Make sure it covers the sides of your table so you can stash all of your boxes underneath. I made one for
my table that has my shop name on the front.
Banner Great for hanging on your tent at outdoor shows, or for your table at indoor shows so people know who you are.
Display fixtures In my case this is a
card rack and a magnet display. Even if you don’t have any display fixtures, try to create height on your table. I use boxes that are covered in the same fabric as my tablecloth.
Merchandise Make sure it is clearly priced. Also think about how you are going to carry your merchandise and display fixtures. I put everything I can in suitcases with wheels so I make fewer trips back and forth to the car, and I don’t have to carry as much.
Lint Roller For fabric merchandise and your table cloth.
Business cards I also have stickers and 1" pins to give away.
ScissorsTape Packing tape and scotch tape is all I have ever needed.
Clothes pins Bull dog clips are also good to have.
Twine Cooler, drinks, and food Some places have snacks, some don’t. Better safe than sorry. I also like to put out a bowl of candy for customers if there is room on my table.
Paper towels You probably won’t need an entire roll, but I like to have a few on hand in case of spills
Money apron I use this instead of a cash box. It has three pockets for cash, and a small pocket for quarters.
Cash Bring more than you think you will need. I have run out of change before and lost a few sales before my husband could bring me more.
Calculator Make sure the batteries are good.
Receipt Book Bags Some events provide bags for shoppers, but I bring my own just in case. I use the “thank you” bags that you can buy at any office supply store.
Notebook For a mailing list sign up and last minute signs.
Pens Bring extra. People accidently walk off with your mailing list pens.
Price tagsInventory list This is really optional. It’s how I keep track of what I have sold; I just mark things off of the list. I used to write everything in a receipt book, but this is much faster, and lets me get back to helping customers more quickly.
Garbage bag For your garbage and your customer’s. Even though it’s really not nice, some customers will leave their garbage on your table.
Allergy medicine and sun screen For outdoor events.
Hand sanitizer Hopefully you’ll be handling money all day, and money is very dirty.
Camera It’s not vital, but I like to get some pictures of my booth and the rest of the event.
A good friend It’s nice to have
someone sit with you, and watch your table so you can go to the bathroom.
Something to do For those times that your booth isn’t slammed with customers, it’s nice to have something to do other than twiddle your thumbs. I like to make extra price tags or my
afro baby magnets.
Everything you need to process credit cards Make sure you have your card imprinter, slips, and that you take down all of the customer’s information you need to process the cards (like the billing zip code)
I had the pleasure of hanging out with her during the Indie Craft Experience Holiday Shopping Spectacular, where I got to see some of her latest jewelry designs. I especially like her award pins, made from vintage ribbons.
After the Indie Craft Experience was over I drove to Savannah for the Mutation fair. It was a welcome change after the slightly chilly and very packed ICE . Mutation was held in a parking lot where there was plenty of room to spread out, and the weather was perfect. One of the tables adjacent to mine was Stinky Lou Lou (aka Kitsch niche on etsy) Across from me was The Family Chicken, so I got to spend a fair amount of time ogling her fantastic vases.
Hooray! I got my sampler in the mail today. There is a ton of cool stuff inside, and lots of websites to check out. I received one because I made a contribution for the November sampler. I sent in 100 of my "you rock my socks" cards. I hope they make someone's trip to the mailbox as fun as mine was today!
I bought an awesome old slide projector, complete with hundreds of someone's old vacation slides, at an antique market a year ago. I brought it home, rifled through the slides a bit, and then promptly forgot about it. For some reason I thought the man who sold it to me said the projector needed a new bulb, so I never even plugged it in. It took a friend asking what it was for me to even take it out of the case, and lo and behold- it works. It smells horrible, like your grandmother's musty old basement, but it makes a really nice sound when you advance a slide.
I somehow wound up with a slide carousel, even though this machine uses a different type of tray, and I already had a case full of glass slides (that won't work either) from a previous thrift store purchase. They are mostly vacation photos from the 1970's, but the glass slides are from the 1950s. I think I'll remount them and use them as inspiration for some paintings sometime in the future.
Axel (who was the inspiration for the Happy Birthday card above) turned one year old today. We had a party for him, and invited some friends and a boston named Hansel. I made them "pup cakes" with muffin-cup-liner-shaped ramekins filled with dog food. I "iced" them with easy cheese (Axel thinks it's fantastic, I think it's revolting) and then topped them with a dehydrated chicken treat. They were a big hit with the boys. 
I'm super stoked. I LOVE making Christmas cards, and these are the best ones yet! They will be available in my Etsy store, kateisgreat80.etsy.com.
Meet Rocket (the cat) and Axel (the dog). They are sworn enemies. Yet, this morning I found these two cuddled up in bed after I got out of the shower, noticeably closer together than they were before I got into the shower. They actually have a great deal in common, and if the cat ever figures out how warm the dog is I'm sure they will be best cuddle buddy friends.
*Here's an updated picture from 9/26/07, just one day and they are TOTALLY snuggling. How can they be so content at night and still fight all day?*
David the Gnome came to live with my husband and me when we first moved to Atlanta four years ago. He was a good gnome, and will be missed. His death came as a surprise; he was knocked over by our puppy, Axel. His arm fell off, and was partially eaten. David was the last of the Gnomes that lived in our back yard. His brother (also named David) died a year ago in a tragic basketball accident that crushed his skull.
Over the past few months I have been concentrating on adding new greeting card designs to my store. In June I added four new card designs and a postcard set, and there are lots more on the way. These designs are a sneak peek at what's to come. Each will be a part of their own 5 card series.
