Whew... It's Finally Over!!

Well, I pulled it off. The trunk show that I hosted at my home on March 19-21 is finally history. All of the planning and preparations have been completed, the house is (almost) back to normal and I can get on with real life.

Don't get me wrong... I love opening up my home to show friends and customers my latest designs and offering a fun, relaxed way to shop. However, there is a ton of work that goes on behind the scene. I spent a lot of time doing production, promotion, cleaning and cooking. Setting up an attractive display takes time and making arrangements for the kids is no joke either.

Just over 300 people were invited, and less than a dozen showed up. I had nine actual customers. Luckily, those nine made big purchases and the show was profitable. I was disappointed in the turn out and more so in the number of folks who said they were coming but didn't. I know that the biggest factor is the economy... but does that mean that I put everything on hold until the recession is over?? I'd love to hear feedback on what others think.

Planning My Next Home Show

For all of you who haven't heard, Mama Mayborne Designs has recently turned five years old!! I cannot believe that I am still making jewelry and how much my product line has grown during a half decade.

During the past five years I have made hundreds of items, shown at several places (including the Milwaukee Art Museum) and created an online presence. I'll never forget how it all began with the desire to make a few Christmas presents and my mama's relentless sales pitches.

Now I am planning to do one of my favorite things with my work... show it in my home to family, friends and 5-year's worth of customers! And to do that, I've been very busy with planning and preparations, making lots of new items and figuring out a way to display it all.

Also new for this show will be a giveaway. My first 30 customers will receive a free pair of pink Swarovski crystal and sterling earrings. Just my way to say thank you for helping me celebrate five wonderful years in business as Mama Mayborne Designs!

Making My Own Hang Tags

Just a quick post today for those who have ever been puzzled with hang tags for jewelry or other small items.

I have tried everything from the fold-over sticky tags (aka shark tags), the cheepies from the office supply store (you know, the ones with that loooong flimsy string), ones that had been done by the local printer (only to have the ink run off) and business cards which look way too big on jewelry.

Well, last year before a show, I decided to pull my look together in a more professional manner and in a way that would be lasting. I created my own logo that is just my name spelled out in a simple, hot pink font. Now I use that branding on everything and it reminds me of how much I love the simple things. It is also a great reflection on my art, which will remain simply beautiful.

Anyway... the hang tags. Rather than going the same route, I decided to make my own. I designed a one inch square tag in Microsoft Publisher that had my logo and a matching border. Next, I printed several per page on the color printer and cut out each row of tags. Then comes the genius part. I covered each row of tags with clear packing tape on the front and the back. This keeps the ink from bleeding and makes the tag extra durable.

After that, I cut out each tag by hand and punched a small hole in the corner. Using silver elastic thread, I made a tie to loop on the piece of jewelry. Whew!! A little work, but basically free and well worth the effort!!

Have We Been Hit by the Plague?

I am soooo glad to be back at the keyboard!! It gives me a sense of slow victory and relief from the "germ warfare" that has been attacking my household over the past two weeks. Ailments of every kind first took over the health of my two boys, causing chaos and confusion... to the point of missing school (yikes!). Even I was taken prisoner and brought down from my top post, leaving hubby to fend for the family and dispense lots of medicine, fetch a ton of Kleenex and empty several yucky pails! Yes, the germ soldiers fought hard and dirty, but we fought harder and were dirtier... and survived!

I tell you all of this not just to gain sympathy, but to let you know why I haven't written in a little while. And now that I'm back, I do not know where to begin. I did manage to make it to my metalsmithing workshop the last two Wednesdays. I've been working on making several sterling silver ring bands to sell at upcoming shows. I like them... they're simple but with a flair, just like me! So far, I've made 15 of them in various sizes to sell for about $15 as a show special. I hope to be able to make another dozen before early April.

My Art Show Application Experience: Jury Slides

I'm back with another article on my experiences in applying to art shows. I want to remind everyone that these are just my thoughts on how the whole process works. I've been applying to shows since 2005 and have been accepted to all of them, but I am in no way an expert. But I have learned a lot in these few years and I'm willing to share it with those just starting out. If you missed my first two articles on planning and paperwork, be sure to check them out.

Now, who wants to talk about jury slides??? I must admit that when I first started out, this was a fearful topic! Not only do I hate taking pictures of my work, but knowing that those images would affect my chances of getting into decent shows really had me shakin' in my boots. Actually, for my first round of shows, I intentionally refrained from applying to any that required slides. Then I began to realize that if I was going to be a serious artist doing serious shows, I had to get over it... and fast!

I began to research the topic a little and found out that the images submitted for jury are nothing like the ones you see of pretty objects in catalogs or online shops. In those photographs, items are displayed with colorful backgrounds, props, and "in action" showing suggested use. In photographs used for juried competition, objects are to be the one and only focus in the image. Backgrounds are minimal and drab; lighting, and therefore positioning, is key; and clear, sharp images that make sense are necessary. In my images shown here, it is obvious which of my pieces are pendants because a little of the chain has been kept in the photo.

In a future post, I will be walking you through an actual jury procedure, but for now it is important to know that typically a jury, or panel of judges, will see your images blown up as big as 3-feet wide. Keep that in mind! The smallest flaw on a piece might become very obvious when viewed at that size.

If you've read this far in what has turned out to be a very long post, here is just a little more to keep you busy...

Mama's tips on submitting great jury slides...

• Ask another artist to select items from your body of work to be photographed. When we create our own work, we tend to be biased and think that every piece is the best. Get a fresh pair of eyes to help you select work from a judge's perspective.
  
• Be sure to label your slides according to the shows specifications, making sure to clearly identify your name and the images proper orientation. It would really stink if you had a great slide that was shown upside down!


• Use a professional photographer, and not your cousin who takes great wedding photos. I am convinced that some things are best done by others. So if you think that I created my own jury images, you are CRAZY. They were taken by the extremely talented Larry Sanders, who is based in Milwaukee, WI.


• Update your images every few years or when your body of work changes significantly. Some shows are now indicating that they will check your booth to make sure that you didn't turn in images of your only five things that actually turned out.

Lastly, start where you are and do what you can. Use the jury process as a learning experience and never stop reaching higher and higher!

P.S. Shown are all of my jury images. Soon I will post about booth shots, the jury process and more!

Mama is Back in Action

Hi all! Sorry I haven't written in a while, but my kids have been playing germ tag... seeing how many times they can pass the same cold back and forth. I really can't complain about their health because they are rarely sick, and even when they are they still want to go to school and church. It's just all of the nose blowing, doses of medicine and, of course, loads of special mama TLC that has kept me hoppin'.

Anyway, I'll give an update as quickly as I can while the little one takes a nap. Since my last post, I've been accepted into a wearable art show to be held on May 3rd in Shorewood, WI. There has still been no word on the other four shows that I applied to, but it's still pretty early. I'll let you know how it goes as I get the results, or you can check the "events" page on my website for more details.

I also had another metal smithing class last week at the Terri McCarthy Studios. During my second class, I met more people and got real friendly with the jump ring tool. Never again will I have to pay the high price for retail jump rings because I have figured out how to make my own. I made up several rings using 16 guage sterling silver wire and a #5 mandrel.


This gave me the opportunity to try a pattern in a book for a byzantine link chain. Here is a picture of my progress. Not too bad for the first time. In class, I also made a sterling silver disk pendant with a wide tube bail. It will look perfect on the chain when it is finished... if I must say so myself!

My Art Show Application Experience: Planning

February is not just the time to celebrate love, remember dead presidents and get very mad at a woodchuck. No, not if you are an artist who practices procrastination. Then February becomes a time to pound out art show applications in order to meet fast approaching deadlines.

Application time is not one of my favorite times of the year and I put it off like paying taxes. But it is extremely necessary in developing an art business. It gives me great anxiety when I think about being judged on a few slides and a short blurb about my work. Not only that, but every year I apply to higher level shows that have higher hurdles and I sit on more pins and needles waiting for the verdicts.

Last week, I identified five shows that would be the best fit for me at this time. I found some of them by visiting the Wisconsin Art & Craft Fair Directory produced by the Wisconsin Arts Board. I look for shows that seem to be the most selective and draw big crowds of my target market. I have the best luck with shows that have been recommended to me by other artists. As a relatively new kid on the block I love meeting seasoned artists at shows and learning from their successes (and mistakes).

I have already been accepted to a wearable art show in April and five more (if accepted) would give me one show per month until September. That is the most I can do this show season with two little kids, limited production time and a very limited application fee budget. I also plan to do two shows during the next holiday show season, but fortunately those applications won't be due until the summer and I can put them off for now!