Calling all North Florida crafters!

The Sassy Crafter at GLAM 2009, a photo by sassycrafter on Flickr.

I know it seems way too early to start thinking about Christmas, but now is the time to start applying to holiday craft shows. For crafters like me who live in North Florida, that means GLAM Indie Craft Show. Here's a shot of me in my booth at the 2009 show.

Last year GLAM had more than 30 unique vendors from around Florida. This year the event is moving to a new, larger space, so it promises to be even better!

Think you might be interested? Here's the link you need in order to apply:
http://glamcraftshow.com/apply

Don't delay--the application deadline is Sept. 30.

Here come the holidays!

I'll bet most people are still nursing their Halloween candy hangovers right about now, but I'm ready to start thinking about the holidays -- namely holiday craft shows!

Atomic Holiday Bazaar 2009

First up is GLAM Indie Craft Show, taking place Sunday, Dec. 5 from 1-5pm right here in downtown Gainesville.

Each year, GLAM serves up a veritable smorgasbord of handmade gifts just in time for the holidays. We'll even have a few delicious sides for you -- a DJ spinning tunes, tasty treats for sale, and a few surprise guests to entertain you. Think of it as the crafty version of a meat-and-three.

Head on over to the GLAM website to check out the full vendor list, which was announced this week. If you happen to look closely, you may notice that yours truly isn't listed. That's because I'm going to be busy busy busy running around behind the scenes helping make sure that everything goes smoothly for all of the crafters and shoppers. Putting on a craft show is takes a lot of work, and this year I figured I'd be better off focused just on the show and not on selling things in my own booth.

But never fear -- I haven't retired my scissors and sewing machine yet. A week later, I'll be selling my own creations at Atomic Holiday Bazaar in Sarasota. For those of you who don't know, Atomic is the mother of all craft shows here in Florida. It's in its fifth year (wowza!) and has morphed into two whole days of crazy craftiness, music, and all-around fun.

I'll be set up during the day show on Saturday, Dec. 11 (11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), which my dear friend and Atomic producer Adrien describes as the "dysfunctional to well-adjusted family-friendly show." Then my man and I plan to stick around for the night show on Saturday (6 p.m. to 11:45 p.m.), which includes a few live bands, edgy crafters, and even a burlesque show. It's funny to me that the show is scheduled to end at 11:45 -- I guess the place must turn into a pumpkin at midnight or something! Actually, the Sarasota Regional Auditorium looks more like a spaceship than a pumpkin, but I digress.

So anyhow, I hope to see you at one or both of these great events this holiday season!

And if you live farther afield and want to find craft shows in your area, check out the brand spankin' new website Indicative Indie, which includes a listing of craft shows from across the country. It was put together by one of the gals who'll be at GLAM -- Stephanie of Chirping Bird Press. I'm tellin' you, the craft community NEEDS a centralized resource like this. Thanks, Stephanie!

Meet the stars of GLAM!

We've got an all-star cast lined up for GLAM -- Gainesville Local Art Mart -- which will take place on Sunday, Nov. 22 at the Thelma Boltin Center in Gainesville. Let's hope that it becomes Gainesville's most talked-about holiday shopping source.

• 13 Tones
• bullyrocks designs
• Evon's Muse
• GocheMoche
• Hclark Jewelry Designs
• How to Use Art
• Joffe' Creations
• LisaJaydesigns
• Loop de Loop
• love, lindseykaye
• Mandorla Designs
• Mary's Granddaughter
• McCartney Ann
• MegganColleen Designs
• Michala Designs
• Moja Creations
• Ophelia's Swim Team
• Princess Froglips
• Recollections Jewelry
• Sandhill Arts
• Sugar
• Sunfunnels
• The Sassy Crafter (me!)
• The Two Thieves
• Tried and Trued
• Twink Beauty
• Various and Sundry
• Velvet Seahorse
• Waldo Wild Crafts
• Wearing Skirts
• Wendy Starr Handmade

We'll also have tunes from The Terrazzo Four and DJ Phred, and The Original Pizza Palace will be serving up tasty treats.

Want to RSVP or see photos from vendors? Stop by the GLAM Facebook event page.

Be there or be square!

So it's your first craft show...

The holiday craft show season is upon us! While some crafters are seasoned veterans on the craft show circuit, others are gearing up for their first shows. The picture on the right is from my own craft show debut. I've learned a lot since then so I figured it might be nice to share some tips. You can also find a great post full of craft show tips from the folks at Etsy.com.

1. Bring a tool kit

Okay, so you may not need a screwdriver or hammer, but it does help to pack a few tools of the trade. My tool kit is a vintage train case that includes receipt books, pens, Sharpies, scissors, safety pins, a glue stick, extra price tags, clothespins (great for attaching informational signs to products), business cards, and a bank to make change from.

Some people like to wear an apron that has pockets and stash their cash there. The OCD part of me can't stand all of those loose bills getting jumbled up. Instead, I use a coupon organizer to keep all of my ones, fives, tens, and twenties organized so that I can make change quickly. Speaking of which, be sure to come prepared with plenty of $1 and $5 bills, since people typically arrive with a stack of $20 bills fresh from the ATM.

You'll also need to bring some sort of bags for your happy customers to put their purchases in. I use plain brown bags with handles and then tie on a few pieces of vintage ricrac or hem tape in advance to give them a personal touch. And of course, always include a business card with every purchase. That way if people like your products, they'll know how to contact you for more. If you have an Etsy shop, consider adding a coupon that offers a percentage off of any sale within the next month. This can be a great way to drive new people to your Etsy site.

2. Sell the sizzle

You'll no doubt be surrounded by other talented crafters, so it's important to make your table/booth stand out. The goal is to make people want to cross a crowded aisle just so that they can scope out the amazing things that might be tucked into your booth.

I can still remember the first craft show booth that blew me away. It belonged to Christie Dickens, aka "Evon's Muse." You may recall that I blogged about her back in April. Christie incorporates vintage linens, books, and other items to give her booth a comfortable feel, making it seem like you just stepped into some funky granny's living room. You don't have to use vintage items, but try to use fabric and other elements to give your booth its own cohesive feel.

Christie also elevates some of her items using old wooden crates. This is great because people appreciate not having to stoop over to look at items that are laid flat on a table. And again, giving your booth some height can help it stand out from the others.

Make sure you bring something to cover your table(s) with. I typically spread a cute vintage table cloth over a larger, basic white tablecloth. The vintage cloth adds personality while the white cloth allows me to hide extra junk under the table. Bed sheets work great, too.

And before you leave the house, do a test run. I cannot stress this enough. Try setting up your stuff on your dining room table. Play with the placement of things. In some cases you may not have much time to set up your booth before shoppers arrive, and if you've practiced at home then you'll be able to set up your booth lickety-split and still have it look fabulous.

For more inspiration, visit the SHOW ME YOUR BOOTHS group on the photo sharing site Flickr.com.

3. Think big (and small)

It's a good strategy to have items available at different price points. If you're a mixed media artist whose specialty is large-scale collages, chances are they may be beyond the budget for some shoppers. An easy way to create lower-ticket items would be to scan or photograph the collages and print them onto greeting cards, magnets, or journal covers. Less expensive items also provide shoppers with a comfortable entry point to your work. They may buy something small this year, decide they like it, and then buy a more substantial piece down the road.

4. Tell your story

As a general rule, people who come to craft shows do so because they prefer to buy things that are made with love by real-life people. They often enjoy hearing about your creative process and inspirations. For example, I make most of my items out of recycled materials and typically use small signs to tell the story behind the final product. I love seeing the look on a shopper's face when he or she learns that the jewelry box they're looking at was made from an old waffle iron. I have found that these little signs can help shift people from window shoppers to true customers.

5. Make friends

This is important for several reasons. (1) Your booth neighbor might be willing to keep an eye on your booth when you head to the loo, which is bound to happen at some point in the day. (2) Crafters like selling their wares, but they also love checking out what other crafters make. This means that your fellow crafters are also your potential customers. (3) The connections you build with other crafters can lead to future business opportunities. As a result of conversations I've had with fellow crafters, I've booked workshops and found new stores that are interested in carrying my items.

So now that you've learned the inside secrets, what are you waiting for? Get on out there! And above all remember to have fun.

Be a part of GLAM -- Gainesville Local Art Mart!

Be a part of GLAM -- Gainesville Local Art Mart!
Originally uploaded by sassycrafter

Some of you may remember the Handmade Holiday Bazaar that I helped organize last holiday season here in Gainesville. Well it's back (albeit with a facelift) and we're looking for artists / crafters / creative types who want to be vendors!

Last year's event was such a success that we're expanding and offering spaces for 30 vendors at a cool new venue. We also gave it a fresh new name that we hope will better reflect the cool factor of the event.

Here are the deets:

Event: GLAM -- Gainesville Local Art Mart

Date: Sunday, November 22, 2009
Time: 2:00pm - 6:00pm
Location: Thelma Boltin Center
Street: 516 NE 2nd Ave
City/Town: Gainesville, FL

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=171190742463&ref=mf

Applications can be downloaded online and should be emailed to me (sassycrafter@gmail.com) or dropped off at Loop de Loop (205 NE 16th Avenue).

Once we receive your application, we'll let you know within a few days whether or not you're in. If you're in, you'll need to send the $35 registration fee via PayPal to sassycrafter@gmail.com by November 9 Monday, November 2. If we don't receive your payment by the due date, we reserve the right to give your spot to someone on the waiting list.

So what are you waiting for? Apply today!