: vervain - Viewing Profile

clay lover, on 22 May 2013 - 08:58 AM, said:

Yeah, the tent makes me crazy, and it WAS going to be the first thing I bought with my show earnings, but then the kiln gods said $%*& you! And my kiln died. So now all my fundraising is going toward that. :wacko:src="http://ceramicartsdaily.org/community/public/style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif">

I really like the idea that they have to come in (forced browsing!) to pay, but heres a question for everyone-- So, there isn't any electricity, and since I can't afford a non cow-print tent, obviously a generator and lights are out of my price range. So how to I utilize my booth space so that people are encouraged to come in and look around, but so that everything can still be seen? Or is there no good solution to that? It's not dark under the awning, but it still doesnt show off the glazes very well. I hate to ditch a tent altogether because I feel like I'll either bake in the sun or guarantee that I get poured on...

oldlady, on 20 May 2013 - 09:44 PM, said:

*raises hand* I'm reading!

Yeah, I am still having fun doing it, its a really interesting challenge for me. I do have some stuff in baskets, but I never thought about putting stuff like my spoon rests or egg separators in baskets. Might help de-clutter my display as well.

Also on my agenda? Get a tent that isn't cowprint. It was free, and everyone laughs and says "well, at least it's eye catching!", but I'm beginning to suspect it's undermining my legitimacy as a craftsperson. lol

That's why I keep posting this. I don't figure most people aren't terribly interested, but for posterity sake, it's good to hear these things. I know I appreciate show wisdom from people.

This past weekend I did a larger market the next town over, and know what? I made out almost exactly the same as the weekend before when no one showed up and it snowed! (except, of course, that I paid 4 times as much to get in). Basically, I spent all day getting snubbed by a really big crowd instead of a small to moderate crowd. The lesson? Definitely scope out a venue before committing to it. It was totally not my key demographic (who wears stilettos to a farmers market, honestly?!)

But the good news is that the next day when I went to grab some groceries at the farmers market I had been at previously, I was stopped by a bunch of people who recognized me and were disappointed I wasn't there with a booth. Maybe there is something to be said for just getting people used to seeing you.

My layout was better this time around though, I think I'll try this setup again. I put 2 6ft tables out in the very front of my tent half shelves on top of them and with my chairs behind. Inside the tent was just for me and my partner, and a third banquet table that we had setup with all of our packaging materials. I hung all my windchimes and hanging pots on the front of the tent too, and mostly just stood behind. I feel like it created enough separation between us and the marketgoers, so they didn't feel trapped, but we were present to answer questions. It also put all the shiny pretty glazes out in the light where they are best viewed.

So, lots learned once again. I've got a 2 week hiatus now before my next show, thank goodness. All the early mornings and loading, unloading, and setup are brutal.

Woody Sheep, on 16 May 2013 - 01:29 PM, said:

As I said above, you can't get to the elements in my kiln. They're encased totally. Kiln is a Nova18, a brand that has been discontinued since the early 80s as far as I can tell. No manufacturer to contact.

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OooOOohhh. Valid. I like that idea. It's a decent shell, the metal and the fiber are in great shape, its just old and the elements are slowly going. I think I'll definitely look into a raku kiln conversion once it's gone for good. I've never done raku, but I want to (my mother did it a lot back in the 70's).