Feature Friday – Pumpkin Pye Boutique

And now for something completely different.

This week’s Feature Friday is Tiffany of Pumpkin Pye Boutique!

I haven’t featured an FEST (Florida Etsy Street Team) member in a while, and thanks to my mom, I’m paying a lot more attention to polymer clay artwork lately.  And stumbling upon Tiffany’s stuff just cracks me up!

Seriously.  Look at these.

Kooky.  Wacky.  With a dash of awesome.

It’s mac ‘n’ cheese! Who doesn’t love mac ‘n’ cheese? 

(If you just said you don’t, you’re a Communist.)

Check out her Etsy shop for her felts and other crafts too.

Wandering Wednesday

Button Cutting Machine, Illinois State Museum

A little known industry in the late 1800’s and early half of the 20th century was button making.  Although many of the large factories were focused along the Mississippi River, home button cutters could be found anywhere there were shells to be harvested. 

My grandfather was one of these button makers, hand cutting and polishing beautiful shell buttons (popularly known as ‘pearl’ buttons for their shiny mother of pearl surfaces).

Learn more about shell button history here.

Craft Show Tips

Here in Florida, crafters are gearing up for the show season.  The upcoming holidays and the respite from the summer heat make autumn the most popular time for outdoor shopping.

Although my show plans this fall are limited to none (that third trimester will my couch look much more appealing), I wanted to share this article from The Handmade News (tweeted by @ArtFireJohn).  Some great tips in here for those of you looking to take the sidewalk plunge!

A couple of my favorites:

Communicate with fellow crafters when given the chance.
Conversing with the other crafters at events you attend can be one of your most important craft show resources, especially locally. You can gain some fantastic advice and take notice of tricks and trends that work to grab sales for others. Exchange biz info with others, and create a network where you all can keep each other informed of upcoming events, news and info. Be sure when conversing with fellow crafters though, that you are not interrupting sales at their booth or at yours!

This is so important!  My first show was disappointing saleswise, but I have never learned so much.  Most of your fellow crafters are veterans on the circuit,  brimming with wisdom they are happy to share.  Particularly if you are a fairly young crafter like myself—they are thrilled to see new blood keeping the tradition alive.  Look at other displays, find out what works, and take notes.  Keep your ears open and you’ll come out way ahead in information. 

Personal tip:  make friends with your immediate neighbors and, if they are willing, attach your canopies together.  The added weight can be a lifesaver when the wind picks up, not to mention making yourselves a more appealing spot to wait out a sudden shower.

Have business cards or brochures ready at all times.
This is your business's identification after all, you want to make sure you give these out wherever the opportunity presents itself. Also, make sure you include a couple of extra biz cards with every purchase so the buyer can remember where they got it, and can share your information with other potential customers. You will also want to make sure that a biz card goes with every sample you hand out.

 

I try to keep small stacks all around my booth—on the table, mounted to the display wall, on the outside edge of your booth, etc.  The ideal is to physically put a card in every hand, but if you are distracted, your information is still accessible to even the ‘swoop and grabs’.  This may translate to an online sale later.

Another idea:  have a dedicated sign or banner with your business name and logo.  This will make you look more established and make your ‘brand’ stand out in the sea of white and blue EZ-UPs.  (Not to mention help you find your way back from the bathroom!) Show your talent.  If you work in wood, make a nice hanging wood sign.  You may even get a custom commission for something similar! 

Good luck to all of you!

Radiance Art on Facebook!

I’ve been on the fence as far as whether to give Radiance Art it’s own Facebook page.  But after some chatting with the FEST girls this week, however, I think the balance has tipped.

So here it is!

It’s not much now, but I’ll do more once I figure out what on earth I’m doing.

Thanks for being a fan!

Feature Friday--Aquariann

This week I’m spotlighting FAE pencil artist (and fellow Delawarean*) Kristin of Aquariann!

Kristin does so much hard work for the FAE, to include keeping an eye on the site, putting together the exhibitions, and being an all around inspiration for the rest of us. 

And somewhere in between all that, she manages to find the time to produce some gorgeous art:

Kristin has this great way with her pencils that channels Amy Brown while at the same time having that ‘something else’ that is all her own.

Learn more about Kristin and her art here and follow her on Twitter.

 

 

* (I might live in Florida now, but I’ll always be a Slower Lower Sussex County girl deep down!)

Wandering Wednesday

In honor of the Nature Conservancy’s efforts to restore the oyster reefs in Florida’s Indian River Lagoon, this week’s picks feature the humble (and delicious) oyster and the beautiful gems they produce.

 

Passing this along…

…because who doesn’t like free coffee?

I know I do.  Free is one of my favorite words.

Wandering…Friday?

Because I missed Wandering Wednesday, and forgot to pre-write my Feature Friday post.

We can try again next week.  But for now, be distracted by the pretties.

 

Feature Friday--SoapRehab

My mom used to make soap.  I remember one of her first batches:  a (seemingly) massive brick of caramel-colored goat’s milk soap which came to be know around the house just as ‘GoatSoap’.  It sat out in the porch with a knife stuck in it until we eventually whittled it down (breaking the knife in the process).

It wasn’t perfect.  I can’t remember if it was supposed to be scented or unscented.  (It was neither, technically.)  But that soap was awesome.  I was sad when it was gone.  I’ve tried my own hand at working the magic that is saponification, with lackluster results that make GoatSoap look like a spa exclusive.  But since that first introduction, my favorite treat for myself is a fresh bar of homemade soap.  An affordable little reason to get up and get a shower in the morning.

Sara’s SoapRehab soaps have to be some of best I’ve come across so far.  I snagged one of the last bars of ‘Nature’s Child’ a few months ago, and was in love. 

It had a rich lather, yet didn’t melt away in a week like many handmade soaps are prone to doing.  The smell: not overwhelming, elusive but so enjoyable.  My skin felt and smelled great for hours afterward, and the shape fit perfectly into my clumsy little hand.  The grapefruit sample that came with made a fantastic kitchen sink soap, too!

After trying some other Etsy soaps on my list, I made my way back to Sara’s shop.  My recent acquisitions:

(I love the minimal packaging too.)

And samples!  Woot!

Once again, the soaps do not disappoint.  They smell like what they should, but still have that underlying “something else” that is so addictive. Good stuff.

Check out SoapRehab on Etsy and in blog form.

Return of the Prodigal Blogger

I know I’ve been pretty quiet for a couple weeks.  Been on a bit of a roller coaster.

Looked like I had a nice large commission materializing.  I was really excited.  Unfortunately, due to some sucky circumstances I’d rather not get into, it’s fallen through, and most of my good mood and optimism fell with it.  As many of us artists and crafters know, that’s one of the perils of working for ourselves and trying to make a life out of something we love.

Still doesn’t mean I can’t mope and be depressed about it.  At least for a little while.

Time to get back in the saddle.

From high to low to another high:

 

Meet Alice!

This 10oz little girl is 21 weeks old and growing as perfect as she can be.  She enjoys bananas, Comedy Central, and long evenings practicing her roundhouse kicks.  She’s counted to infinity.  Twice.

Sit down and count your blessings sometime.  You might be surprised how many you find.