the aftermath

my first show is over and after a few days to recover, here's what happened. i was happy with my booth layout and also the fact that besides the table in the last 20 mins of the show blowing over, everything else held. people liked the display stands, one women wanted to buy them!!
my sale were reasonable, i guess, since i don't have anything to compare it to. i did make enough to cover my costs, which is good. i do think i will get a part time job just to bring a little money during the down time between the next show.
i only sold a little over 20 hats, so with having 200 there..... you know. but now i have the inventory for the next show and to wholesale some out,
that was the biggest question i got, do you have a store?, where do you show?, oh... you're local! seemed to be a plus!!
i did find that most people have no idea what i do. most thought i knitted then put the hat into the washer to shrink it down. so i explained that that's fulling not felting. some understood, most didn't. i had a few people walk and say they could do that! go right ahead then little lady!!!! and tell me how to make a successfully business at it too!!!
but all in all, the show was good, the weather was good, no blown away tents, covered my cost what else could i ask for... a little profit but maybe next time. here's corey and i at the end of the show!

i have to share this...

it's early here, just past 9am and i had to share this story. i was still in bed, not fully asleep, the in between stage, when you aren't quite ready to face the daily stuff but not in a dead sleep and my business phone keeps going off. 'i'll get the voice mail later, who calls before 9am anyway!' but i get up and return the call. its a young women looking for my store!! 'i work out of my house' i tell her, but invite her over as she was just around the corner. so here i am in a lovely pair sweats with some slogo written across my ass, a hoodie and my first hat, a forest green elva. this young women was trying to help her younger sister with a 4A project and has looking for something domestic made i.e. my stuff!!! she bought a hat that i hope she really wanted, i hope not out of obligation cause i was standing there in my PJ's!!! i told her to contact me if things don't work out. anyway it really was a nice way to get woken up, someone seeking my work out!
here are some photos from my building a display rack last night!!
Jennifer Beals (flashdance) eat your heart out!! but i think she had better hair!!!!!

on your mark...

so here it is , the monday of the week of the big show and i find myself surprisingly calm.
as of right now, it feels like its all coming together!!! i have about 200 hats mostly done, just pressing, steaming and photos, which is tomorrow. today is pin making, getting supplies, dropping off another show app, and working on displays tonight.
tomorrow photos, which will be nice to get posted!!!
weds. getting tags on and final prep. also the weekly local paper which has made me their art section cover story comes out!!!
thursday show set up and thats it. that night i plan on fully relaxing before the three days of the show!!!!

the countdown is on

time is coming to a fast approaching end. i have scaled back to about 200 hats, which i really hope is enough, so i have time to focus on other aspects of the sale, new cards, banners, artist bio, etc.
i have about 25 hats to finish by this weekend, then the rest of the time is for get everything ready for the show. here are some photos of the first of three racks that Corey and i designed and built.might not look like much now, but filled with hats, i think it should look really good!
i getting excited about setting up my booth. for what i envision, it should be really sweet!