Sunday, March 30, 2008
The lovely Art Deco MASONIC HALL on Utah Street in North Park, San Diego!
It was supposed to rain today, so I was happy and relieved to see that it was a beautiful, sunny day. I think it really would have been bad for business, but we had nothing to fear. The SPRING LINE-UP by the NORTH PARK CRAFT MAFIA was a HUGE success. Over 800 people perused the 60 vendor tables selling fabulous crafts of every type you can possibly imagine. I was so impressed by the variety and quality of the crafts being sold. I wish I could have photographed all the tables, but I did take some time before the show started to walk around and photograph those whose tables were ready!
Eric and I left the house a little after 10:00am and were there before 10:30am. Unfortunately, they weren't ready for us, so all the vendors started unloading all their merchandise and were lining up outside the MASONIC HALL on UTAH STREET in NORTH PARK.
At 10:45am they let us in (that's the time they told us to arrive, but we were all early!). They were so organized with different people signing in the vendors alphabetically by name of your company. It worked so well and we moved so quickly that before long I was at my table -- ready to set up! I was along a wall, which was great, since I brought my 3-panel screen, which I opened next to me, behind the table. It really attracted the eye!
I spread out my beautiful red, bedazzled tablecloth with my enlarged business card border and set it up on the table. Eric got a spot and came in to help me. He was so great and put out all the pieces for me, while I repaired a piece that needed some hot glue. When, I was all set up and ready to roll, Eric left.
I walked around the show, taking pictures, introducing myself, looking at all the fabulous merchandise and wishing I was there to shop, instead of to sell! There were so many things that caught my eye!
Here's a picture of my favorite new artist -- Lisa of OLD CAKE PAINTINGS. She's so talented and her artwork is so whimsical and fun. I think she should have a showing in an art gallery! Her sister, Laura, was there with her gorgeous baby, Stella. You'll see pictures of them later!
At noon they let the customers in. Since they had promised free "swag bags" to the first 100 customers, there was a huge crowd outside. Instantly, the place was PACKED. It was so crowded that people actually had to wait to move down the rows of tables. It turned out to be a good thing for the vendors, because people were forced to spend a minute or two in front of each table, before they could move on. It was a traffic jam and we were all enjoying every minute!
This married duo of fantastic artists were amazingly talented and I'm SO mad that I don't have their information. He was a great artist; she created beautiful purses, cell phone and IPOD cases. Together, they were creative, innovative, and very much in love!
This is one of the wonderful paintings by this talented artist. I am so sorry I forgot his name, but he was a lovely British import! He said he liked my accent and I told him I didn't have an accent -- he did!
These girls were right across the aisle from me and sold great-looking pillows and purses!
Within 5 minutes I sold one of my decoupaged "maps and travel" mirrors. I was so thrilled! I thought to myself, "This is going to be great!" I sold a second piece a half-hour later -- a small silver bejeweled photo frame.
This lovely artist, NEA WISEMAN (on the right, with her daughter) was sitting right to my left. Her whimsical fairies, dragons and elves were made into paper puppets, coloring books and story books. Her table was SO busy all day and she sold a lot of her beautiful artwork! I was really attracted to her beautiful fairies, mermaids and elves. They were so cute!
One of Nea Wiseman's whimsical characters!
These lovely vendors were also across the aisle from me and were selling delicious-smelling soaps. They did very well, I think in part because their price point was very low, yet you were getting a high-quality, home-made soap that was luxurious yet practical!
There was plenty of entertainment. They had belly dancers, who were fabulous, a fashion show, featuring fashions from some of the fabulous vendors and other local designers. There were bands playing live, and a DJ mixing it up, in between sets. DR. SKETCHY'S ANTI ART SCHOOL had "Art class...without the class." They invited you to take a moment to challenge your sketching skills with gorgeous burlesque models!
This sweet young lady created fabulous cards for every occasion. Hand-made and one-of-a-kind, they make a lovely gift!
There was a long lull between my second and third sales and I saw that other vendors weren't selling much either. It seemed to me that people with a lower price point were able to get more sales, although they were making much less per sale. People were just not willing to spend $50 or $75 for one item, so a lot of my merchandise was too high-end for the buyers.
This colorful woman had pieces that reminded me of my own! She uses decoupage, paint, vintage frames, and other found objects to make gorgeous artwork and jewelry that really reflects her personality. I was very drawn to her work.
They were selling wine, beer, coffee, tea, and other drinks, and gave us wrist bands for free drinks, but I thought it best that I sell with a clear head! I got an iced tea and a piece of pound cake (okay, bad choice, but they didn't have much else!).
These two cuties produce fun hats and other accessories for children and child-like adults!
I friend from the office came and she was lucky number 99 on line, so she got a swag bag. She showed me everything in there and it was a lot of cute little gifts. Fun!
This artist had all sorts of fabulous pieces, but these really turned me on!
I did a lot of sitting and standing around until someone came and bought another of my decoupaged "maps and travel" mirrors. I just had one left! Then, a friend from my office came with her husband. She fell in love with the small double mirror compact I had with the 1940s faux coral brooch on top and purchased it. I was thrilled! Not only did she take the time to come and see me and my work at the show, but she liked something enough to buy it!
This adorable diva creates fabulous custom-designed train cases with different fabrics, ranging from leopard to faux fur, and whimsical poodle designs. Her company is ASIAN INVASION SALOON and I just fell in love with her logo!
My last sale of the day was my seashell and pearl mirror, which the woman said she wanted for her desk at home. I thought that was a wonderful idea, since it's small and decorative, but will also serve a purpose when she needs to check her hair or lipstick!
This is the booth of DESIGNS DE LUNA selling gorgeous jewelry!
The show was over at 6:00pm, and I was exhausted and ready to pack everything up and go home. Eric was going to meet me outside, so I quickly packed it all back up, and carried out as much as I could. Eric packed the car while I went back and forth with all the boxes, the lamp, and the screen. I said my goodbyes and got in the car.
Although neither of of these lovelies is called Shirley, their business is SHINDIG SHIRLEY and their business cards were in the shape of an old-fashioned book of matches. So clever! Their purses were even MORE fabulous! Created entirely of gray duct tape, black electrical tape and applied flowers made of fabric and felt, the straps of their purses were made of bungee cords. I'm so mad that the picture I took of the purses came out really blurry. They were so great looking -- industrial, whimsical, practical and fashionable. I just loved them and was so impressed by all their products. They also sold CD holders and other products made of all recycled and repurposed materials. FABULOUS!
It was such a great day and I had a lot of fun. Everyone was so friendly and supportive and I really enjoyed the camaraderie and social aspects of the day. I made a few friends, exchanged a few business cards, and got and gave a lot of compliments!
These are the beautiful pendants created by Nichole Moraila of MUCHA MUCHACHO fused glass jewelry. My friend, Susan, went online to look at all the vendors who would be participating and fell in love with a pendant by MUCHA MUCHACHO. She ordered it and had it shipped to her in New York! Fantastic!
Okay, so here's the piece de resistance of the entire day. The sweetest, most beautiful baby in all of San Diego. Stella, who is just two months old! Her Aunt Lisa is the artist who creates the magical, whimsical paintings of OLD CAKE PAINTINGS and her mom, Laura, is a lovely girl who gave me the best present -- I got to hold Stella! She put her in this leopard outfit, because she knew she would see me and knows I love leopard!!! What I really love is Stella! I've offered to babysit every time I see her and I'm hoping she'll actually take me up on it some day!
Here's Mom, Laura, and beautiful baby, Stella!
Eric and I decided to go to HAIKU for sushi. We had a fast dinner and were treated to a sushi dessert by our favorite chef -- David! He's such a sweetie and a FABULOUS sushi chef. I think he's the best in San Diego!
This is rice with mango and kiwi. It was so refreshing! The perfect end to a perfect meal!
All in all, it was a really great day. I wish I had sold some of the bigger items, just so I didn't have to pack them again next time we move, but I was happy with the response my work got. A LOT of people took my business cards, so I'm hoping they will go to my website, read and see more about my work, and spread the word! I did a lot of networking and I really think that's the best way to promote business!
Here's an ad I found for a set that resembles this very closely. I guess when they were new they looked like ivory and were quite beautiful, but they stain and discolor and don't have the same appeal.
The 
She said their price point was lower than it would be at the 
