Running late on getting Netwalk’s Children up today, plus I’m running behind on Pledges of Honor. But I did have a good excuse…as in two craft shows plus a flying overnight to Portland to deal with possible basement issues after the deluge there…
So a quick catch-up. The first weekend in December I participated in my first craft show in years. At least 13-14 years, perhaps? I can’t remember when I stopped doing them but I know I stopped for certain by 2003, when I went back to school to get the teaching certificate. Even with giving jewelry away as presents and selling or trading a couple of items at music festivals, I still had a sizable inventory of earrings, necklaces, and wineglass tags. I noticed that several bazaars/craft shows were happening in Wallowa County over the weekend, and I couldn’t do them all, so–I went for the first one I heard about.
It was–underwhelming. My sales were minimal and the audience wasn’t really there for jewelry. If anything, most of the sales went to several people who had an established clientele that came in to buy their stuff and maybe look at other things. If it hadn’t been for some trades for morels and essential oils, I would not have made my booth fee. If I hadn’t had previous experience with a poorly performing show, it would have been more discouraging than it was.
However. An organizer for a show the following weekend, in downtown Enterprise, talked to me during this show. We had been toying with the notion of a quick run over the weekend to attend a party, but the forecast didn’t look good. So I went ahead and contacted the organizer, who had a positive memory of my booth management. I got a space.
Then the son called. There was water in the basement but he wasn’t certain how bad it was, and he was reluctant to try and sort out the mess. So we raced down (eyeing the forecast as those two days were the only mellow trip days available this week) and surveyed what happened. Fortunately, when I’d been piling potential garage sale stuff in the basement, I’d used my head and very little outside of boxes got wet. Things got sorted and moved, and we were back on the road early the next day. Got to Enterprise, then had to run down and set up my booth.
Show Two was much different. I sold earrings (and only one necklace; this does not appear to be a place for necklaces). I could also bring my books and sold three copies. Along with that, I got to meet a local bulk leaf tea source, get some ideas for crafts for next year, hook up with another massage therapist, and trade for homemade chocolate. We also got serenaded by carolers both days, and watched the parade of lights on Saturday. For such a small town it was a pretty good parade, too.
Am I getting back into jewelry full scale? No. It just isn’t going to pay. I am going to pick up some findings but otherwise, I’m looking for craft stuff to help me use up my stock of beads, craft, and paper supplies laid in during years of beading, 4-H leading, and teaching. Besides having fun with some of this stuff I want to get a little cash back from it, so…I’m keeping notes on the shows, looking for some local outlets, and tiptoeing into the art (well, okay, the craft) world.
I guess I also do some pretty decent embroidery which is another thought, too.
All this and writing too…but damn it, the writing’s got to take off soon as well.
Anyway, I need to head out. The Netwalk’s Children chapter will get posted later, and I PROMISE I’ll do more than post chapters. Okay?
