Chai time!!

Oh Hi!! Welcome to my blog -

Today and tomorrow I am participating in a "Link Love" event sponsored by Cabbing Rough, and online vendor of cabochons (lovely hand cut cabochons by the way.) So I just wanted to welcome you all to my blog. Here I post on such things as my jewelry, fashion trends, events coming up and occasionally just on things that are on my mind as a wife, mom, artist, music lover, physical therapist - anything really that I find interesting. My hope is that you may find something on my blog interesting and subscribe. My real hope is that you feel a need to post and discuss and that I can get to know some new people through this fascinating medium.

If you have a blog - feel free to post in the comments section - I'd like to follow you too. I follow a host of blogs on topics from fashion, art, adoption (I haven't but have friends that have), divorce (again, I haven't but I have friends that have), on being a woman (that I am), other people's jewelry, music, poetry - I've got a lot of interests. And if I'm not interested - maybe someone else checking out this blog for the first time IS. So comment below, post your blog and let's see who we can connect with today!

Much thanks to you for taking the time to check out my blog and for setting off on a new adventure each and every day.

I'm off to drink my chai and check out what people have to say!! - oh, and did I mention how much I love chai??? Anyone have a blog about that?

Display Dilemma

Yesterday at my show I noticed something. I have a problem. I have an overwhelming need to put everything i have ever made out at a show. Because here's the thing. I hardly ever make the same thing twice, and if I do use the same pattern, I tweak it here or there or do an entirely different color palette. So, here I am, the seller/vendor/artist thinking about my customer, and what if said customer comes to my booth and wants something similar to what I have made, but in a different color/size/stone/metal, or wants a particular stone that I chose not to put out that day but they are too shy/busy, or distracted by their 3 year old that they don't ask me if I happen to have it in this or that style/color/metal, etc?

Now yesterday was really freaky because I sold two things that have been in my inventory for literally - YEARS. But being very well made and still stylish and lovely, they sold.

So what would have happened had I not put them out? Would I be out $140? or would those customers simply have found something else to their liking? And how many customers simply gave up in my booth because of too many choices and being overwhelmed. Did I lose sales or gain them because of this problem?

Here's the thing, I am going to be put to the test in the Spring. I am doing a show where I will be limited to one 8 foot table. ONE EIGHT FOOT TABLE!! And I am scared. I am scared that I will overclutter it, or that I will not have something out and no one will ask. But I have three days at this show in which to experiment.

So I think I will do this, I will start out with a lot on the table, and slowly through the day, like once every 15 minutes, I will take something off the table. Slowly wean myself to a very elegant, streamlined vision of my work.

I will trust that my customers find me approachable and friendly, and will discuss my work with me and be able to very simply find out if I have something they are looking for - and just in case - I will put up lovely little signs that say - "Just ask - I might have it, and if I don't, I might be able to tell you where to get it" or more simply - "Just ask." (and by the way - had to look up Dilemma to check the spelling - and funny, I always thought it had an "n" but it doesn't.)

Aftermath

Oh, it was a beautiful day at Landis Woods! Thanks to all who trekked out and enjoyed the show. It was a bit dicey last night, the rain was relentless, but it dried out today and left us little worse for wear - My daughter even won second place for one of her paintings!!
Lots of new jewelry coming soon - and next up is my open house in December.

Article Feature

A quick post - a link to an article by Magpie Gemstones on setting up your booth which has a picture of my own booth and many other ideas - I really like a couple of them and while my set up stands up to the others, I'd like to incorporate some new ideas. Check it out! Click on the title above because cutting and pasting just doesn't seem to be working.
By the way - Saturday come see me at Landis Woods in Neffsville.
www.landiswoodsartshow.org for more information. We will be there rain or shine! I am in booth number 2 and my daughter is number 3.

And the Winner is . . .

Congratulations to Theresa Smith, winner of the blog contest, she will get 3 $25 gift certificates - one each to W Jewelry, MastRpieces Unlimited and Crystals, Stones and Wire Jewelry.
Runner up Terry English gets a $15 gift certificate to W Jewelry. Thanks for playing ladies!!
Don't forget to come see us at www.heartoflancasterartsandcraftshow.com this weekend, Saturday September 3rd and 4th from 10 AM until 4 PM at Root's farm market in Manheim, PA.
W Jewelry is booth number 5
MastRpieces Unlimited is booth number 112
Crystals Stones and Wire is in booth 74
Thanks for playing!!