team spirit at the clover market!

Last Sunday was the final Clover Market of the season and my last show for the year as well. I decided not to do any Christmas shows, because if I've learned one thing after doing six shows since May it's this: shows are a lot of friggin' work! Family life is busy enough during the holidays!

a dear little customer checking out Penelope

I don't seem to have the discipline to pace myself with product production between shows. I routinely do all-nighters before each one due to insecurity. Did I make enough new stuff? Do I have enough of a certain item to make an impact? Am I just too lame for words? Once I'm there, though, and the customers start coming in, it becomes fun and feels like it's worth it. In my previous life as a designer for a clothing company in New York City, I never got to chat with customers or see their reactions first-hand. I really value the insight meeting the customers gives me and I feel less and less like I'm blindly making stuff and hoping for the best.

One of my new products: lavender sachets. Finally a use for my precious vintage tablecloth scraps- boy do I hate to waste good fabric! I'm using the lavender I brought back from Willow Pond Farm in June. Gosh. it smells good! Teacher gift anyone?

Michabella

This particular Clover Market was extra fun, not just because of the stellar fall weather. I got to pal around with several members of some of the Etsy teams I am on. Michelle of Michabella from the treasury-curating team, Curation Nation, was there with her jewelry collection. I love her pendants made from geode slices and her lucite filagree earrings. Her fool's gold pendant is on my Christmas list... honey, are you paying attention?

Beeps' Peeps

From the Etsy Kids Team, Brita of Beeps' Peeps was there. I enticed her to come to the show because Ardmore is such a family place. It seems like every other shopper there is pregnant or is pushing a stroller-

Beeps' Peeps

the perfect audience for her play mats and cheerful, kid-friendly accessories!

funretro

I was looking forward to meeting Natalie of funreto, also from Curation Nation. I cannot tell you how many times I've used her cool vintage pieces in my treasuries. I don't know how she does it, being a full-time teacher on top of running a busy Etsy shop, but she does it well.

Almanac Industries

I am such a sucker for letterpress! I met Jacob & Whitney of Almanac Industries at the Brandywine Arts Festival in Wilmington and loved their aesthetic which is masculine and vintagey..

I mentioned the Clover Market to them and they actually jumped on it and did the show. I hope to see them again next time.

youngest member of "team chirp"

My dear husband and kids have been such troopers while I've pursued this craft show adventure. I did not realize the impact it would have on them, having to endure my frenzied hysteria before each show and my neglect of household duties, not to mention the early morning set-up duties. Yay for team chirp! Now back to a normal life for a few months at least ;)

clover market, october 2011

beautiful customers

I don't know if it's the name of the show, or just random luck, but this past Sunday was my third show at the Clover Market in Ardmore, PA and the weather was perfect, yet again! I'm still getting over the nasty cold contracted at Crafty Bastards, so the warm sunny day was a welcome change. I signed up to do all three fall Clover shows, so there is one left on Sunday, November 6th. I really look forward to outfitting my young friends in person. Aren't  these tweenies the sweetest?

As always, there were original and nicely displayed items out the whazoo. From Christine Shirley, hair pins made from vintage earrings.

Paige Sullivan, owner of Christine Shirley, has such good taste and a knack for display- and she should, since she also works at Anthropologie.

Next to my shabby chic booth was Kaye Rachelle showing modern screen-printed pillows, table linens, and wall organizers. There is such variety at this show! The show founder & organizer, Janet Long, is also an interior designer and curates the show with an eclectic eye, everything pleasing.

Fresh Vintage was back, but this time instead of the Tastycake truck, owner Colleen Allison arrived with the coolest old camper recently scored on Ebay.

It did double duty as a the biggest display prop ever and the mode of transport for all of her 1940's & thereabouts wares.

This is definitely the place to come for vintage home accents (sorry, I don't know who this display belonged to) as well as original handmade gifts. People, if it's not vintage or antique, it's HANDMADE here. I had to clarify that a few times with people who thought my things were mass-produced.

November 6 is your last chance to come out before spring 2012...

crafty bastards 2011

Well, I'm back from the Crafty Bastards show in Washington DC and oh, what a day it was!

I'd been compulsively checking the weather all week, and it was looking good, then BAM! The day before, the forecast changed from clear to showers. And cold. Not ideal, but after being anointed at the Art Star show in Philadelphia this spring, I wasn't going to let some dreary weather stop me. Fortunately the rain paused for us during set-up and take-down, but basically it drizzled the whole time and was in the low 50's F and breezy. That gets cold when you are sitting for 7 hours! At least I had my Mom there to keep me company and make me button up my coat.

I was pleasantly surprised by the crowd that came out. I was expecting a ghost town kind of day, but it was downright crowded. It is such a beloved show in the Adams Morgan area of DC, that the people I asked said they wouldn't miss it for anything.

My new mannequin, Penelope, enjoyed her time in my display bassinet. Pardon the fuzzy photos which were taken with my phone and might have had raindrops on the lens.

I tried something new and played a CD of birds chirping to get people in the mood. The doggies loved it.

We were in a fun section of the show near the local roller derby team who were arm wrestling with people for $1 and whooping it up.

We were also near the Young & Crafty vendors, a new thing this year at the show. There were 6 kids' booths with some really cute stuff. I felt bad for them that they didn't get a nice sunny day for their first show. They all looked a little cold & miserable.

I loved their shop names ;) For being mostly under the age of 13, they all did a remarkable job.

Here is Jenny Nelson of Home Sweet, also from Delaware. She had a ton of new hand block-printed patterns this time. She is definitely one to watch- this year she even made an appearance on the Nate Berkus Show!

A highlight of the day was when Tara Gentile visited my booth and bought a onesie. I recognized her right away from her blog, which I have followed for some time. It was neat to get to chat with her and see that she puts her money where her mouth is and supports handmade business. She was there helping out her friend, jewelry designer Megan Auman whose blog, Crafting an MBA, I also follow. I consider them the premier craft business bloggers out there and was a little starstruck to get to meet them in person.

Since I was busy in the booth, my husband got to do the gift shopping for the kids, and I think he did a really good job. For techno-savvy Ben, he found this great little robot t-shirt from redrocketfarm. I think he was getting into the idea of buying directly from the artist.

And for my suddenly tween Emma who is turning out to not be much of a girly-girl: owl print pillowcases from bark decor.

Mom sneaked away to buzz around the show and came back these cards from Katherine Watson. We have the same taste I guess, because I'd bought some of Katherine's cards at the Bust Magazine Craftacular last December.

Goodbye DC! I hope we get to come back again next year...

fall festival season is here!

With hurricane Irene passed (we had a crazy night evacuating the studio) and a definite shift to cooler weather this week, I am excited for fall and the shows I will be exhibiting chirp & bloom in soon. I am very proud to have been accepted into the Crafty Bastards Arts & Crafts Fair in Washington DC! I attended the 2009 & 2010 shows as an enthusiastic shopper/blogger and am still processing the disbelief that I will be a vendor this year on Saturday October 1. I feel like the geek who just got invited to hang out with the cool people. The last two years, the weather was Indian summer-like on the 1st weekend of October, so let's keep those fingers crossed for a 3rd year of the same!

After having so much fun at the Clover Market in Ardmore, PA last June, I signed on to do 3 more shows with them this fall ("them" being Janet Long and her wonderful group of volunteers). Read about how the market got its start here.The shows are one Sunday per month starting on September 18th. Next is October 16th, then November 6th. Even if I weren't going to be a vendor, I'd hop on over there to shop anyway. It's a great group of vintage & antiques dealers mixed with handmade sellers set up in a parking lot along the up-and-coming main street. It's not actually called Main Street, though, it's East Lancaster Ave (12 E. Lancaster Ave, Ardmore, PA, 19003 if you want to program that into the GPS).

Finally, although I am not an exhibitor, I will probably head over to  Brandywine Park in downtown Wilmington (next to the zoo) on September 9th/10th to take in the Brandywine Festival of the Arts. I attended last year and thought it much improved over previous years now that local arts mogul Barry Schlecker has taken it over. It will be a fun activity to do with the relatives who will be staying with us that weekend for a family wedding.

Come out in the nice weather and support your local arts!

clover market, june 2011

After the disappointment of a rainy Art Star show, I lucked out and was able to nab a spot in a lovely local show in Ardmore, PA this weekend called the Clover Market.

It's a smaller 60-vendor event that has shows one Sunday a month during spring and fall.

freshvintage

Unlike a lot of local shows, this one has a definite point of view: vintage! If you know me at all, you know I'm a sucker for vintage.

freshvintage

My neighbors down the aisle, freshvintage, showed up in a Tastycake truck and unloaded a perfect little 1940's homestead.

Poppy & Bean

Just the sweetest mismatched china & silverware ever from Poppy & Bean. Colleen's vignettes remind me so much of my cousin's wedding in Vermont and her selection of vintage clothing looks like it's right out of Brooklyn.

Brandywine View Antiques

Some awesome salvage from Brandywine View Antiques. They had so many great corbels and accent pieces with patina. I was sorely tempted...

Cherry Acres

At first I thought this large trough-like piece from Cherry Acres was some kind of African artifact, but turns out it's a dough bowl for makin' lots of bread. Totally American.

Circa Dee

I was actually too busy to venture beyond my aisle, but my husband is very good with the camera and went sight-seeing for me. What a cool scale from Circa Dee! I feel like I'm back in Lucketts, VA.

Salvation Nation

And some fun vintage broaches from Salvation Nation.

a lovely, little shop

Even sellers of new items, like this quirky jewelry from a lovely, little shop, displayed their products with vintage flair.

Kristen Solecki

All the vintage was rounded out by a sprinkling of modern, but handmade things like these original prints from Kristen Solecki which definitely have that indie feel.

Real Fruit Jewelry

My kids were enthralled by this jewelry made from dehydrated fruit coated in resin by Real Fruit Jewelry.

Marie's Soap Co.

Enticing handmade soaps tied up with string by Marie's Soap Co.

Cool belt buckles from joeyfivecents displayed in old narrow drawers of some kind- from a sewing table, maybe?

Not sure who's bucket this was, but my husband sure knows what I like. He ought to by now, I guess. It's our 13th wedding anniversary today!

And here he is minding the booth for me. Would you buy a onesie from this character?

The next Clover Market will be on Sunday, September 18th. See you then!

art star craft bazaar 2011

Finally the day came yesterday to set up for my first craft show ever, the Art Star Craft Bazaar in Philadelphia. After many sunny, dry days in a row, we awoke to overcast skies and a 50% chance of rain. I was still excited to get underway, because that's a 50% chance of no rain right?

sketch by Curtis Harkin AIA

I had willing help from my family in the hectic weeks leading up to the show and extra hands the day of to help with set up.  Mom & Dad were there keeping the kids in line and toting loads of stuff up the long incline to the top of multilevel  Penn's Landing. I do feel so fortunate!

Here's how the booth came out after set up. Not far from my husband's sketch, right?

My photographer friend Heather took better pictures than I could. You gotta go see these and the rest of her work.

I enjoyed a few hours of nice traffic, enthusiastic reactions (many high-pitched "aaaaaaw"s), and my first sales using my handy-dandy card reader from Square installed on a smart phone generously loaned to me for the show. Then about half-way through, it started raining and continued off and on for the rest of the afternoon. Most of the lookers and buyers fled except for my diehard friends from New York who stayed to help with take-down.

the Ben Franklin Bridge as seen from Penn's Landing between showers

I took the slow period as an opportunity to check out a little bit of the show, not as thoroughly as when I attend a show as a buyer, but enough to see what good company I was in.

Some cool applique pillows, much different from my own birds and flowers, from dirtsa studio. Where would you ever be able to find anatomical hearts and frog dissections emblazoned on pillows besides an indie craft show? Certainly not Pottery Barn!

Festive buntings from Sweet Old Etcetera. I can totally relate to her vintagey fabric choices.

Some purses that caught my eye from hello bluebird, a brick-and-mortar boutique from Reading, PA that features indie crafters.

Back at the booth we packed damp clothing back into their plastic bins, leaving the tent and tables behind in hopes of a better day Sunday. We had an amazing dinner at Cuba Libre in Old City which was walking distance from the show. I felt more optimistic after a good meal and a glass of sangria...

This morning brought drizzle and a forecast of thunderstorms. That's when I decided to leave my wares home, which we'd brought inside to air out, and abandon the second day of the show. As an indiepreneur, every decision is such a risk. Do I do the show and risk drenching my product? Or do I stay home and risk missing a not-as-bad-as-I-thought day? I felt a little sheepish carting my tent away as most everyone else was mopping up the puddles and preparing to make the best of it, but by then there was no turning back. I emailed the news to any friends that might have planned to see me Sunday and bit my lip as the weather steadily improved throughout the day. I finally lost it when a friend called from the show wondering where I was. I am feeling such regret right now!

What a learning experience, though. It was such a bigger undertaking than I ever imagined between making all the product, getting the display engineered, and figuring out how to take credit cards. As much work as that was, the organizers, Art Star Gallery & Boutique owners Megan & Erin, had so much more to coordinate between gathering volunteers (thank you lovely Lisa who looks like Lisa LaPorta on HGTV), arranging security, and making the process organized for us vendors. All the while they had smiles on their faces. I am choked up with gratitude and a feeling that I let everyone down- friends, family, Megan & Erin, by wimping out on the second day.

One thing is for sure though, I will do another show next season. It ought to be much easier now that I have the tent and all the logistics worked out. And next time I will ignore the Weather Channel and be tougher!