We had seven people sign up again this year: a glass jewelry artist, three painters, a folk artist and myself.  Plus one of our members who spins and weaves was going to be demonstrating both of these skills.

Last year we had a super turn out, and were very well received.  This year, unfortunately, was not as good.  Part was the weather - it was quite cold and damp, with rain later on in the day, and since the day activities are mostly outside this really reduced traffic.  I went by the outdoor stage which last year overflowed with people into the roads, and if there were 30 people there this year I would be amazed.  They were all huddled up into blankets, determined to hear the jazz, but freezing!  Plus both of our major state universities, Clemson and the University of South Carolina, had home games.  College football is huge around here, so probably half the area was at one game or the other instead of at the jazz festival.  Add the economy to the weather and football, and the smaller turnout was not totally unexpected.

None of the painters did very well in terms of sales, but my sales were almost where they were last year in terms of dollars.  The number of people buying was considerably less, but I sold more higher end items this year.  I had done a casting of Dizzy Gillespie with his horn on one side, and some notes from one of his original pieces of music on the other, and had earrings, necklaces and charms for sale to benefit the jazz festival.  These are still available on my Etsy shop, www.bethwicker.etsy.com

I am going to meet with Vicky McLain, one of our members who was involved with visual arts in the festival before the ASCCT was formed to discuss how we want to adjust things for next year.

The SC Jazz Festival is always the third weekend in October, in Cheraw, SC - Dizzy Gillespie’s birthplace.  Hope to see you at next year’s festival!  There is great music, great food and great art - can’t beat it!

The house hasn’t been used in at least 4 years, since my father-in-law died, and has gotten a bit run down.  So in budgeting for start up costs I included having the plumber come out to turn the water back on - just in case there were any leaks that had sprung up since the water was last on.  I could tell when the plumbers came out - finally! - that they thought this was pretty silly - all I had to do, after all, was turn the handle on the pipe to let the water flow.

And then they turned the handle - and boy did the water flow!  It poured out all under the house, like a huge rainstorm!  They got it turned right back off, and didn’t think I was so silly anymore!  Turned out that the water had not been drained after the last time my father-in-law had used it years ago, and every single pipe under the house, and some leading up into the house, had burst.  Since I don’t need a shower for a class space I was just going to cap that off, instead of paying to have them tear out a wall to fix it.  When they cut off the pipe under the house to cap it, the whole pipe from inside the house fell out on top of them.  One of those things that is funny and awful at the same time…sigh…..

So they got the plumbing all fixed Friday, and today I went over to do some cleaning.  I filled the kitchen sink with water to wash the dishes that had been sitting there all these years, and made some headway.  Then I needed to let some water out, since the sink was getting too full.  And the sink stopper split in two, with the stopper part still in the sink - and no way to get it out!  After messing with it using a fork and a knife, with no success (bent the fork prong nicely!), I started using a pitcher to get the water out.  At about that time I realized the “drip, drip, drip” I had been hearing was a leak under the sink.  Sigh.  That is going to mean I get to have the plumbers out again this week!

So I got most of the water out, and went out to dig around in my car and see what tools I might have.  Added tool kit to my list of things to get for the house…  Found an adjustable wrench (doesn’t everyone keep one in their car????) and after a bit of struggle finally was able to get it to grab onto the piece of plug that was sticking up, and pulled the #@% thing out.  Whew!

So I filled up a bucket with water and pine sol, got a rag, and started scrubbing doors, window frames, etc. - which had years of grime on them.  I started at the front of the house, and worked my way around to the back side, which faces our pond.  The house is quite close to the pond, maybe 20 feet or so, and the back yard is wooded.  The front of the house faces what used to be cow pasture.  My husband and I have planted hardwoods selected to provide food and shelter for wildlife in the pasture, and it is now a certified tree farm.  The house is near the dam, and below the dam is a forested swampy area.

So I’m cleaning the back windows, and see a feline slowly walking through the yard.  I think what a pretty cat it is - and then realize that yes, it is a cat - but not a house cat!  It is a young bobcat!  Headed very leisurely for the ducks my renters keep!  I watch until it disappears into the wooded area between the two houses, and I can see the ducks settled on the lawn by the pond through the trees.  I can tell when the bobcat gets near them as they quickly got up and waddled to the pond and paddled away from the shore.  They are about twice the size of the bobcat, so I didn’t think its hunt was going to be successful!  Shortly after that I saw the bobcat making its way back along the pond edge towards the forest and swamp.  I assume the den is there.

This is going to be such a fun place to hold classes!  How many people get to watch bobcats and great blue herons while they learn?

I’m hoping to hold my first classes in the next two weeks.  Keep your fingers crossed for me - I don’t need any more unexpected expenses!

At the same time, especially with jewelry, you don’t want it to be obvious that you are carting around merchandise worth major bucks!  How to meet both needs can be a challenge.

After trying several different methods, I am fairly pleased with my current set up, and wanted to share what is working for me.

I purchased a rolling soft-sided carrying case from Rio Grande, item 400469.  It is 19″ high, and holds a nice number of display trays, depending on the depth of your tray.  It has an adjustable handle, so is easy to pull.  The wheels make it easy to maneuver, and it looks a lot like a rolling overnight bag, so is not too obviously a jewelry carry case.

Rolling case

Rolling case with display trays

I arrange the jewelry in standard display trays with inserts.  I have recently found some that I love - they are black plastic display trays, and they stack.  The bottoms have slots, and these fit over the top of the tray beneath, holding them very securely, so they don’t slide around as much as my “nicer” display trays do.  These are from Fire Mountain, item A28-1095PK.  You can see in the picture above, that the plastic trays at the bottom are all nicely aligned.  The “traditional” trays at the top are decidedly NOT aligned!

Plastic tray on the left, traditional tray on the right

Bottom of the plastic stacking tray

Now I just need to come up with a way to keep the jewelry in place on top of the display pad in the tray while traveling.  I’m going to make some tray “pillows”, and see if that will do the trick.

www.bethwicker.com

www.bethwicker.etsy.com

www.facebook.com/ThreeCatsandaDog

Copper and sterling earrings

I love teaching others to enjoy the things I enjoy.  I have been fortunate to have the Cheraw Arts Commission hire me to offer a series of metals classes for beginners this summer, and the response has been great!

We are working in the craft room at the Cheraw Recreation Department, and I carry all the tools and equipment needed in from my studio for each class.  I kept my daughter’s wagon from when she was young, and it works great to load everything in and haul it back and forth from the car.

I take my air/acetylene torch for annealing, and saws, blades, a variety of hammers, chasing tools, files, stamps, steel wool, sanding sticks, permanent markers, and so on.  I also provide each student with ear plugs, and have safety glasses for those who don’t have their own.

This summer we have been working in copper, as it is affordable and a good metal for texturing and shaping.

I have started with basic skills, and as students take additional classes they can add more skills.  Each class since the first one has had a mix of old and new students, which has been a bit of a challenge, but we have made it work!

They have learned to saw, to file, to sand, to use a punch, to chase, to hammer, and to stamp.  They have learned how to open and close jump rings.  We’ve used both templates and freehand drawing to mark our metal.  I’ve also brought in a solution for texturing copper - 3 parts vinegar to 1 part hydrogen peroxide, which makes a very nice all over texture on finished pieces out of copper.  I mix it in a glass container.  Do NOT put a lid on securely, as I have been told it will eventually explode!

So far I’ve only had one gentleman student, the rest have been ladies.  They have had a blast, and have gained a new appreciation for the jewelry they wear and purchase, and what went into making it!  None of them have any desire to become jewelers, but they all enjoy making things in a variety of media, and have enjoyed working with metal, and creating things they can wear.  I have been very impressed with the results - we’ve had some really nice work created!

Unfortunately I keep forgetting to take my camera with me, but one student brought two of her pieces back to me to put in the texturing solution, so I have taken pictures of those as examples.  The copper bracelet is filed, hammered, and stamped.  She got “tangled” in it, and had me finish it for her.  The silver highlights are not metal, but are painted on.  The earrings are sawn, punched, and stamped, with sterling silver jump rings and beads.

Copper Cuff Bracelet

I have been asked to continue the classes, with at least one a month, and am looking forward to coming up with new things we can do with the space and equipment we have available.  I plan to add rivets, and to come up with some projects where they can set stones without soldering using the rivets to hold two or more pieces of metal together.  We are also going to experiment with brass in addition to the copper.

For more information on classes you can contact me or the Cheraw Arts Commission.  I also offer workshops outside of the immediate area, and you are welcome to contact me if you are interested in having me come to your area.  Additional information is on my website, www.bethwicker.com

The show was pretty well planned and run, with lots of help moving in and moving out, which was really nice!  They provided security at night, and the location had plenty of parking and easy access.

We had an outside booth, which had its good and bad points.  The inside booths were cool - the building had AC - and outside on Saturday it hit 102!  However the inside was a central room with a large side room, and then hallways off the central room.  So a bit tricky to navigate, and if you were on the halls people often stood at the end and looked in without going down the hall.  Whereas outside they had to pass our booth coming in and going out.

Unfortunately the promoters did not allow ANY extra space between outside booths, so each tent was crammed into the one beside it.  This was a bit awkward setting up, and became a real problem when we had rain Saturday night.  The tent next to mine collected water on top, and on Sunday when we opened a wind came up and whooshed the water in a cascade onto my display. Sigh.  Wet earring cards just don’t look very good!

Everyone was very friendly, and I received a great response to my work.  I had numerous people tell me they thought mine was the best, most interesting and original jewelry there, which was nice.  If they had followed the positive comments with purchases it would have been even nicer!

In addition to the arts and crafts show they had a small juried event, where each artist/craftsperson could enter one piece for judging.  My entry received third place in jewelry, which I thought was pretty good, considering they had over 15 jewelers at this fairly small show!

Turquoise and Sterling Silver Pendant and Necklace

This is the necklace that won 3rd place.  It is a lovely Turquoise cabochon that I purchased from Beth Rosengard last year, set in Sterling Silver.  The necklace is composed of Turquoise, Agate and Jasper beads to tie in with the colors in the cab.

Other jewelry artists included one lady working only with pearls, one doing lovely filigree, a rather traditional jeweler, and a range of more bead oriented pieces.

The combination of the heat and the economy had the attendance several thousand people below what the promoters had indicated, which of course hurt sales.

Our booth got the most attention because we had our newest family member with us - a tiny kitten someone had dumped at the house.  He had his own cage, two fans, a water spritzing bottle, lots of toys and food.  Everyone had to come and see the tiny kitten in his harness and leash, so he was a good attention getter!

Tenzing with his harness, leash, and fan.

Tenzing is sleeping while we worked at the show.  With his thick black fur he got hot quickly, so we kept wetting him down. Since he is a kitten who loves baths, he enjoyed the water very much!

Booth at the SC Flower Festival craft show

You can find more of my work at www.bethwicker.com, or on my Etsy shop, www.bethwicker.etsy.com

When I send out e-mails to my list about upcoming shows I am doing I always include a few shots of my newest work.  I think this whets the appetite, and encourages customers to come and see what is new.  I make sure to size them for e-mail, so they don’t bog down anyone’s download, since some folks are still on dial up.

Successful trunk shows involve being prepared, on time, and supportive of the store hosting you.  I always bring new work aimed at that store’s market, made for that show.  I bring some simple display accessories - necklace stands, bracelet and ring stands - and am flexible in where/how the store lets me set up.  They are usually very excited to have the artist there with the work, as are the customers.

I clear with the store in advance for me to arrive an hour before we are scheduled to start, so I have time to get set up and have my containers stored before customers arrive.  I always bring some extra work, just in case it is needed.  I don’t bring work that is not a good fit for that particular store.

I dress up a bit, and stay near my work ready to introduce myself to customers, and to offer information on the jewelry.  I bring business cards, but leave it up to the store owner whether they want them put out or not - some do, some don’t.  I make sure to give the store credit for referrals - they need their slice of the money pie if they sent me the customer.  That ensures a positive ongoing relationship with the store!  It amazes me the stories I hear store and gallery owners tell, about artist not giving the store/gallery their share when they were the ones who sent the customer to the artist.  Way to cut your nose off to spite your face!

When I do trunk show I get 60% of the retail cost, and the store gets 40%.  I figure they have done the pr, and usually refreshments, but I’m there selling all day, so that is worth my extra 10% over wholesale.

I always make sure to point out that the store does regularly carry my work, and that customers can have the store contact me if they want custom work done.  Porter’s carries china, crystal, and silver for brides, so there was a lot of interest in the jewelry I make for bridesmaids and mothers-of-the-bride.  I’m hopeful that a good bit of custom work will come from that, and of course Porter’s will get their share of the sales since they initiated the contact.

We discussed doing another trunk show leading up to Christmas, and I am excited about that opportunity!

If you want to do trunk shows, make sure you have a decent selection, check out the stores you are interested in to make sure your work would be a good fit without repeating work they already have, and then call and ask for an appointment to show them your work.  Take a representative sampling of your work when you go, and your calendar in case they want to set a date right then.  Be sure to be clear on percentages, on what time you should arrive, and how long the show will run, and get an idea of the space they plan to allot to you.  The precise location in the store may change, but usually the general amount of space won’t.  Remember - if you make money for the store, you are making money for yourself - and they are likely to ask you back!

Here are some of my tips and observations on what seems to be working, and what I see some folks doing that I think is not best business practice.

First, realize this IS business - you are a business person, the people you are dealing with are business people.  Even if you are a hobbyist, the minute you try to sell your work you have moved into the business realm.

Dress for success is real - and it matters.  Be clean, be neat, dress so that no one can possibly be offended by your attire - no t-shirts, no skin showing between top and bottom, no underwear showing anywhere, no tears or tatters.  You don’t have to wear a power suit, but you do need to present a clean, professional appearance.  You want them to instinctively treat you as a professionaly, and presenting the proper appearance helps subconsciuosly set the stage for that to happen.

Be prepared.  Do your research before ever officially contacting the gallery or shop.  What do they carry?  Will your work overlap work they already have, or fill a hole in their product line?  Are your prices in line with what they currently sell?  Is their clientele who you envision as your clientele?  If you are looking at consignment, check out their reputation with other artists - do they pay on time?  How easy are they to deal with?  Have they been in business long enough to have a track record?

Then, if you feel your work might be a good fit for them (remember, if they can’t sell it you don’t benefit either!), call or drop by to ask if they would like to set up an appointment to bring your work by for them to look at.  You can have a selection in your car in case they ask to see it right away, but that won’t happen often!  Business people are busy people, and they will want to schedule a time when they can sit down and look at your work without lots of distractions.  I find they often want me to come before they open, when they won’t be dividing their attention between my work and customers.

Once you have your appointment set, make sure you know how to get there if you did this by phone!  Print out a map, be sure to write their contact phone number and name on it, and leave extra time both to get lost and found, and for a pit stop before arriving.

Arrive on time!  Being a few minutes early is ok; being quite early is not.  Being late is not acceptable at all!  If you should run into an unexpected traffic jam, DO call while on the road to say you have had a problem and might be a bit late, and make sure that is ok - they may have other appointments after yours, and you may need to reschedule.

Have your work ready to view.  I have found that using the portable jewelry display trays works very well.  I bought a tray carrier on rolling wheels from Rio Grande, and load my trays in that.  I arrange the work on the trays by price or by stone, depending on what I think would work best for that store.  Then when I get there, and they indicate where they want me to show the work, I can start unloading trays.  The jewelry always moves in transit - not a problem.  Invariably, the store buyer/owner will reach out and start helping me straighten the work….and once they have touched it, they are well on the way to buying it!

Do mention if certain types of pieces are selling very well for you, or if there is a special holiday or event coming up you think certain pieces would sell well for.  I just took work to one of my wholesale accounts, and pointed out pearls for graduation - a very traditional graduation gift.

Have a form ready to fill out with the information on what they choose.  You need to keep track of which accounts took which work, to help you target what you show them the next time.  Plus, for consignment, you need your own record of what they have.  Good consignment galleries will have their own consignment forms, and will give you a copy.  Do NOT assume a gallery has this though - be prepared with your own form!

Wholesale accounts will probably pay you right then.  It is up to you if you are willing to give them terms, such as net 15, or whatever.

Be sure to leave a business card or contact information with them, so they can reach you when they want more jewelry.  I try to check back every 2-4 weeks, and ask how the work is moving, and if they want me to set a time to bring more by.  With my consignment galleries, I will check in once a month, and after 2-3 months if it hasn’t sold I suggest that I take it back and bring fresh work.

If customers come in while you are showing your work be ready to step back, and let the owner take the time they need with their customers; after all, it is their ability to sell that you are interested in!  You do not take priority; the customer is always the priority.

Be sure and thank them, whether they buy anything or not.  Leave on a positive note, so that you have the door open for future possibilities.

As I said, I am a member of a juried artists’ group, and I have found that this is opening doors I am not sure would be open if I were approaching them as an individual artist.  If you are not a member of such a group, you might contact your local or state arts commission about the possibility of starting one.  Any group is only as good as the effort its members put in, but when done right these can be a great support and wonderful marketing tool.

The artists pay a small fee to show, the supporters pay to come for the evening, local elected officials donated and poured the wine, and it was a wonderful evening - black tie optional.  And to my surprise, most folks were dressed to the nines!

They had a great crowd, the jazz band was absolutely fabulous, food was good.  I got lots of attention but few sales at my display, but one sale was a major one, so the night was definitely worth it!  The jazz was so good it would have been worth it just for that….

Plus another arts group was there to check out the event, and got my card to invite me to something similar they are planning!   I handed out lots of business cards, so I’m still hoping that some sales will come from those also.

I never thought this was “my” audience, but the organizers (our town recreation department) asked me to show this year, and I decided to give it a try.

When I do show reports folks ask me to give them a “feel” for the show, so I’m going to try to transport you to Cheraw, SC “The Prettiest Little Town in Dixie”.  Cheraw is in Chesterfield County, adjacent to the NC state line.  The town has a population of under 6,000, and the county has about 43,000.  Cheraw is the biggest town in the county.  Most of the county is state or federal forest land, with the majority of the remainder being farming land.  Most of the industry the county use to have participated in that “great sucking sound” and went south to Mexico, or overseas to China, in the last 20 years.

The Festival takes place all around and outside of town, and included a tea and book sale, a Black Heritage Jubilation, a Ham and Grits Supper and Breakfast at the Masonic Lodge, a Canoe Float at the Cheraw State Park, a Children’s Fair and Wagon Ridges, a Centennial Park Fair, a Fire Safety Exhibit, Trolley Car rides, Antique Fire Truck Parade, a Fine Arts Show, a Duck Regatta, Down by the Riverside Living History Expo (reenactment of the 26th SC Volunteers from the Confederate Army), Civil War Lantern Tours, a Confederate Church Service, and the Spring Arts and Craft Show and Celebration.

The rec dept description of the SACSC is:  “From the festival’s center stage come fabulous live performances by local bands, gymnasts and dance students.  Magic shows, juggling and clown acts round out the fun.

Browse or buy as over 100 crafters and artists display their wonderful wares and demonstrate their art.  This is one of the best craft shows in the Pee Dee (our geographic area), so you’ll be sure to find great buys.

The front entertainment lawn is also the site for exhibits, strolling clowns, costumed characters and children’s activities.

Add delicious Greek foods, barbeque, drinks, baked goodies, ice cream, hot dogs, hamburgers, hot popcorn, and funnel cakes and you have the perfect way to spend the day!”

So the scene is set - a small, rural, old Southern town in the US, with its annual town-wide festival, that draws a huge crowd from the surrounding area and into NC.  The craft show is held in the old National Guard Armory, which is now home to the Recreation Department and the Arts Commission, and includes the huge gym space where the craft show is held, and a small gallery that  houses the Fine Arts Show.

Walk into the craft show, and you discover that the definition of “arts and crafts” is quite flexible here!  To your right is a large booth hosted by a local framing shop, with a collection of art prints.  To your right is a booth by a local outdoor clothing store, with t-shirts, cups and mugs, etc. promoting local sports teams (high school).  In front is a large booth by a local general and tobacco store, including an old timey drink machine dispensing Cokes in glass bottles, and selling college sports afghans, coolers, etc.

I didn’t get a chance to really see all the show, but what I did see included a face painter, a caricature artists, a man who made moving airplanes for your yard out of soda cans, a mother-daughter team who made really cool pet day beds (www.furbabybedsbypb.vpweb.com) - and yes, they made the wooden beds and the covers all themselves!  There was a painter who specializes in lighthouses.  Next to me was another Cotton Trail artist, Cheryl Postlewait, who did painting demonstrations thoughout the festival that drew huge crowds (although not as big as the face painter, whose line stopped traffic entirely on Saturday!).  Sort of across from me was a lady who paints large glass vases with floral motifs, and then stuffs them with tiny Christmas lights.  There were at least two booth specilizing in hair ribbons and such for girls.  There were two folks with soap and bath products, at least one of them handmade.  One booth had refinished old wood furniture and boxes and such.  A local Hospice group had a booth. One booth had imported jewelry.  Two booths had strung jewelry that they did themselves.  And then there was me….

So perhaps you see why I did not think this was my market?

And boy, was I wrong!  I am SO glad I went on and did this show!  It was the best show I’ve had in ages in terms of sales, and VERY interestingly, the strong sellers were my mid to high-end pieces, not the low end pieces.  I think the reason is the other jewelry booths.  They all had strung or imported items, and generally did not have genuine pearls or genuine stones.

I do some stringing, but usually to make a necklace to go with a stone I have set.  All my pearl necklaces are hand knotted on silk, with genuine pearls.  Every piece is tagged with what it is - which folks love!  I can tell them about the stones or pearls, and I do custom work and repairs (took in several repairs, and got several custom orders at the show!).

So what I had that was different was set stones; I used genuine pearls and gemstones; I use sterling silver and gold, gold-filled, copper and brass.  I make most of my own settings and findings.  I form the metal myself.  Quite different from the other jewelry booths - and while it meant some folks flew past, it meant others came back and brought friends back around with them.

It was quite interesting, and a big surprise to me!  I am encouraged to broaden where I look for shows based on this, and see if the pattern will hold in other places.

In addition, two ladies from a neighboring town came by and invited me to participate in an invitation-only show they were having, so that was a great contact from the Cheraw show.

All in all a great experience, and I will definitely do the show again next year.  I bought a mini-bench from Rio this year, and next year will get a double booth and set up my mini-bench and do some demonstrations (no torch! grin).

So there we sat with three sets of metal shelves, already paid for, standing out in the cold right before Christmas - and only one would fit in the car.  A gentleman comes up, sees what we are trying to do, and stays and helps us for 30 minutes.  Turns out he has shelves just like these, knows exactly how to dismantle them, helps us take all three sets apart and get them loaded - and will accept no monetary compensation in return.  Just a totally random act of kindness.

I always try to do this, whenever I can - pass it forward.  One day I’ll be the one needing the kindness.

So when I saw John Rasmussen’s recent post on Random Acts of Kindness I had to participate - such a neat idea!

So here’s the deal:

Give Away & Pass It On - Random Acts of Kindness Alert - my turn to pass this on after participating with John Rasmussen.
The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me.This offer does have some restrictions and limitations so please read carefully:

-I make no guarantees that you will like what I make.
- What I pick will be just for you.
- It’ll be done this year (2009).

- You have no clue what it’s going to be. It will be something made in the real world and not something cyber. It may be a handmade card, or jewelry, something lovely made out of paper, beads, or a random treasure (like candy!) Who knows?

- I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.
And in return, all you need to do is post this text into a blog of your own (or promote it in a way that works for you and makes it random, not just folks you already know) and make 5 things for 5 others.
Won’t this be fun????

Just be sure you give me your e-mail so I can contact you!