It's been a few weeks now since the craft fair my sister and mother and I participated in, and I haven't even touched my sewing machine since that weekend. It's not that I've been too busy, really. I have had plenty of evenings available, I just haven't wanted to make anything.
Maybe it's because I only sold one bag at the fair. I was pretty discouraged, and frustrated - I thought that they were great (I know they are great) but am not sure why no one else feels that way enough to pay for one.
Or maybe I'm just so busy learning my new job and getting all that part of my brain up and running again, that I don't have any synapses left for creativity. Probably, it's a combination of the two. My lack of space on my inner hard drive feeds my feeling of frustration and I shrug my shoulders and say to hell with it. Admitting I have a problem is the first step to recovery, right?
Hopefully it will pass. I can't just let those stacks and stacks of fabric sit there forever...
6 comments:
Your shop is very cute and I really like the totes! I'm sorry the show wasn't what you had expected- that has happened to me more than once.
Keep your chin up and don't let it get you down- remember it isn't just about sales- but networking- getting your name out there, talking to the other vendors and handing out your business cards! Good Luck :)
Listen to Hobocamp - she's wise! Your bags are GREAT. They looked great hanging. They were colorful, pretty, and fun.
Had I not sold some bracelets to friends, I would have only sold that one set to the lady from California. So don't be down about that. Just start concentrating on holiday goodies because the fall fairs (better fairs) are just around the corner
Let me just tell you that I have gotten countless compliments on the little bag I got from the swap. I've actually had two or three people ask where they can get one just like it.
The problem wasn't your bags, or your aprons, or anything else in your shop. The problem was the venue. Your items definitely have an audience - it just wasn't the group at that craft fair.
This is what pisses me off so much to hear about event planners who change the rules AFTER people have signed up for the fair. They said it would be handmade only, but then didn't follow through. That meant that you were competing with mass-produced, which gives the other booths an unfair advantage with pricing. And then because they weren't limiting the types of merchandise, the audience they drew in was then not appropriate for your items.
The event planners earned a few extra bucks doing this, but in doing so they hurt the artisan vendors. Financially in terms of the low sales, which is probably a bigger impact to you than they think. If you've never put together a booth, then you don't realize the time & upfront $$ that goes into supplies to create your stock. Then there's the impact to your morale. If your stuff doesn't sell at one event, it really sucks your energy and motivation to make more.
Keep in mind that this was NOT A FAIR GAME for you. It is NOT an accurate assessment of the salability and quality of your items. Don't be discouraged because the people in charge changed the situation on you.
Your shop ROCKS. Your bags ROCK. Your aprons ROCK. You have such a good sense of design and balance, and a creative eye for repurposing. You're able to see possibilities where others do not. Don't let the assholes take that away from you.
Getting offa my soapbox now...
OMG I think that was my longest comment EVER.
Wow. You are so freakin hard on yourself. Girlfriend, you do not have to be in high-production gear every minute. Your stuff is da bomb, and the Universe will connect it with its lovers. And when you're ready to sew, you will. And you will do it brilliantly. As always.
Nice postt
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