When Jansjems first began we did a few church fairs to try out our displays and get our feet wet. We learned quickly that our customers didn't attend church bazaars. Its been about 3 years now, so since I wasn't selling anywhere, I decided to drop in on a local church bazaar just to see if things had changed.
I was surprised how this craft fair had grown. There were definitely more booths than my last visit maybe 3 years ago. But in touring the room I noticed that 5-6 of them were raffles of one kind or another. I recognized a few members of the congregation selling hand sewn and knitted items. Really beautiful things that were selling well at prices that didn't cover the cost of materials. Food was also selling well.
Glimmerstone was one of only 3 people there with professional set ups, business cards, and packaging. I bought a Christmas present for someone from her. She weaves beads to frame gemstone cabochons. It's the kind of jewelry that takes a great deal of time, and patience that I don't have in great supply.
She'd make a great addition to the Artisans of Western Mass. I'll have to ask her if she wants to join us.
Jan, thank you for the kind words; they mean a lot to me as I am just getting started in the craft fair world.
ReplyDeleteEllen of Glimmerstone