Abstract: Creativity isn’t found, it is developed. Creativity is a phenomenon where both something new and, at the same time, somehow valuable is created. While some people come to creativity naturally, in fact, everyone can develop their creative ability. Thinking creatively involves the integration and leveraging of three different kinds of ideas — insight and inspiration, establishing value, and implementing something. We work through creative thinking through divergence (that is, generating many possibilities), and convergence (that is, reducing the number of these possibilities). There are ten attributes associated with creative problem solving: fluency, flexibility, elaboration, originality, complexity, risk-taking, imagination, curiosity, assessment, and implementation. Last, different strategies are discussed for enhancing creativity and overcoming creative blocks.
CREATIVITY ISN’T FOUND, IT’S DEVELOPED
Kierkegaard — and I apologize for getting a little show-off-y with my reference — once described Creativity as “a passionate sense of the potential.” And I love this definition. Passion is very important. Passion and creativity can be summed up as some kind of intuitive sense made operational by bringing all your capabilities and wonderings and technical know-how to the fore. All your mechanical, imaginative and knowledge and skills grow over time, as do your abilities for creative thinking and applications. Creativity isn’t inherently natural. It is something that is developed over time as you get more and more experience designing jewelry.
You sit down, and you ask, what should I create? For most people, especially those getting started, they look for patterns and instructions in bead magazines or how-to books or websites online. They let someone else make all the creative choices for them. The singular creative choice here is picking what you want to make. And, when you’re starting, this is OK.
When you feel more comfortable with the materials and the techniques, you can begin to make additional choices. You can choose your own colors. You can make simple adaptations, such as changing out the bead, or changing the dimensions, or changing out a row, or adding a different clasp.
Eventually, however, you will want to confront the Creativity issue head on. You will want to decide that pursuing your innermost jewelry designer, no matter what pathway this takes you along, is the next thing, and right thing, to do. That means you want your jewelry and your beadwork to reflect your artistic hand. You want to develop a personal style. You want to come up with your own projects.
But applying yourself creatively is also work. It can be fun at times, but scary at others. There is an element of risk. You might not like what you end up doing. Your friends might not like it. Nor your family. You might not finish it. Or you might do it wrong. It always will seem easier to go with someone else’s project, already proven to be liked and tested — because it’s been published, and passed around, and done over and over again by many different people. Sometimes it seems insurmountable, after finishing one project, to decide what to do next. Exercising your creative abilities can sometimes be a bear.
But it’s important to keep pushing on. Challenging yourself. Developing yourself. Turning yourself into a bead artist or jewelry designer. And pursuing opportunities to exercise your creative talents even more, as you enter the world of design.
What Is Creativity?
We create. Invent. Discover. Imagine. Suppose. Predict. Delve into unknown or unpredictable situations and figure out fix-it strategies for resolution and to move forward. All of these are examples of creativity. We synthesize. Generate new or novel ideas. Find new arrangements of things. Seek out challenging tasks. Broaden our knowledge. Surround ourselves with interesting objects and interesting people. Again, these are examples of creativity.
Yet, creativity scares people. They are afraid they don’t have it. Or not enough of it. Or not as much as those other people, whom they think are creative, have. They don’t know how to bring it to the fore, or apply it.
But creativity shouldn’t scare you. Everyone has some creative abilities within themselves. For most people, they need to develop it. Cultivate it. Nourish it. They need to learn various tools and skills and understandings for developing it, applying it and managing it. Creativity is a process. We think, we try, we explore, we fall down and pick ourselves up again. Creativity involves work and commitment. It requires a lot of self-awareness — what we call metacognition. It takes some knowledge, skill and understanding. It can overwhelm at times. It can be blocked at other times.
But it is nothing to be scared about. Creativity is something we want to embrace because it can bring so much self-fulfillment, as well as bring joy and fulfillment to others. Creativity is not some divine gift. It is actually the skilled application of knowledge in new and exciting ways to create something which is valued. Creativity can be acquired and honed at any age or any experience level.
For the jewelry designer, it’s all about how to think creatively. Thinking creatively involves the integration and leveraging of three different kinds of ideas — insight and inspiration, establishing value, and implementing something.
(1) Seeing something out of nothing (perception). Technically, we talk about this as controlling the relationship of space to mass. You begin with a negative space. Within this space, you add points, lines, planes and shapes. As you add and arrange more stuff, the mass takes on meaning and content. The designer has to apply creative thinking in finding inspiration, choosing design elements, arranging them, constructing them, and manipulating them.
(2) Valuing something (cognition). Connections are made. Meaning and content, when experienced by people, result in a sense of appeal and value. We refer to this as desire and expression. Value can relate to the worth or cost of the materials, the intuitive application of ideas and techniques by the artist, the usefulness or functionality of the piece, or something rare about the piece. Value can center on the power to leverage the strengths of materials or techniques, and minimize their weaknesses. The designer has to apply creative thinking to anticipate how various audiences will judge the piece.
(3) Implementing something (acceptance). Jewelry design occurs within a particular interactive context and dialog. The designer translates inspirations into aspirations. Aspirations are then translated into design ideas. Design ideas are implemented, refined, changed, and implemented again until the finished product is introduced publicly. The design process has to be managed. When problems or road-blocks arise, fix-it strategies and solutions need to be accessed and applied. All this occurs in anticipation of how various audiences will respond to the jewelry, and convey their reactions to the artist, their friends, family and acquaintances, and make choices about wearing it and buying it and displaying it publicly. The designer has to apply creative thinking in determining why anyone would like the piece, want the piece, buy the piece, wear the piece, wear it publicly, and wear it again and again, or give it as a gift to someone else.
Types of Creativity
Creativity has two primary components: (1) originality, and (2) functionality or value.
The idea of originality can be off-putting. It doesn’t have to be. The jewelry, so creatively designed, does not have to be a totally and completely new and original design. The included design elements and arrangements do not have to be solely unique and never been done before.
Originality can be seen in making something stimulating, interesting or unusual. It can represent an incremental change which makes something better or more personal or a fresh perspective. It can be something that is a clever or unexpected rearrangement, or a great idea, insight, meaningful interpretation or emotion which shines through. It can include the design of new patterns and textures. It can accomplish connections between seemingly unrelated phenomena, and generate solutions. It can be a variation on a technique or how material gets used. It can be something that enhances the functionality or value of the piece.
Creativity in jewelry design marries that which is original to that which is functional, valued, useful, worthwhile, desired. These things are co-dependent, if any creative project is to be seen as successful. For jewelry designers, creativity is not the sketch or computer aided drawing. It is not the inspiration. It is not the piece which never sees the light of day, because then it would represent a mere object, not jewelry. Creativity requires implementation. And for jewelry designers, implementation is a very public enterprise.
What Does It Take To Be Creative?
Creative people tend to possess a high level of energy, intuitiveness, and discipline. They are also comfortable spending a great deal of time quietly thinking and reflecting. They understand what it means to cultivate emotions, both within themselves, as well as relative to the various audiences they interact with. They are able to stay engaged with their piece for as long as it takes to bring it to completion. They fall in love with their work and their work process.
Creativity is not something that you can use up. To the contrary, the more you use your creativity, the more you have it. It is developmental, and for the better jewelry designer, development is a continual, life long process of learning, playing, experimenting and doing.
To be creative, one must have the ability to identify new problems, rather than depending on others to define them. The designer must be good at transferring knowledge gained in one context to another in order to solve a problem or overcome something that is unknown. I call this developing a designer tool box of fix-it strategies which the designer takes everywhere. The designer is very goal-oriented and determined in his or her pursuit. But, at the same time, the jewelry designer also understands and expects that the design process is very incremental with a lot of non-linear, back-and-forth thinking and application. There is an underlying confidence and belief, however, that eventually all of this effort will lead to success.
How Do We Create?
It’s not what we create, but how we create!
The creative process involves managing the interplay of two types of thinking — Convergence and Divergence. Both are necessary for thinking creatively.
Divergent thinking is defined as the ability to generate or expand upon options and alternatives, no matter the goal, situation or context.
Convergent thinking is the opposite. This is defined as the ability to narrow down all these options and alternatives.
The fluent jewelry designer is able to comfortably weave back and forth between divergence and convergence, and know when the final choices are parsimonious and the piece is finished, and when the final choices will be judged as resonant and successful.
Brainstorming is a great example of how creative thinking is used. We ask ourselves What If…? How about…? Could we try this or that idea…? The primary exercise here is to think of all the possibilities, then whittle these down to a small set of solutions.
Creative Thinking
Creative thinking first involves cultivating divergent thinking skills and exposing ourselves to the new, the different, the unknown, the unexpected. It is, in part, a learning process. Then next, through our set of convergent thinking skills, we criticize, and meld, and synthesize, and connect ideas, and blend, and analyze, and test practicality, as we steer our thinking towards a singular, realistic, do-able solution in design.
Partly, what we always need to remember, is that this process of creative thinking in jewelry design also assists us finding that potential audience or audiences — weaver, buyer, exhibitor, collector — for our creative work. Jewelry is one of those special art forms which require going beyond a set of ideas, to recognizing how these ideas will be used. Jewelry is only art only when it is worn. Otherwise, it is a sculptural object.
There are 10 aspects to creative thought. Each should be considered as a separate set of skills, both for divergent as well as convergent thinking, which the jewelry designer wants to develop within him- or herself. Initially, the designer wants to learn, experiment with and apply these skills. Over time, the designer wants to develop a level of comprehension and fluency to the point that the application of each of this skills is somewhat automatic.
Fluency: Having a basic vocabulary in jewelry design, and the ability to see how these concepts and design elements are present (decoding) and arranged (composition, construction and manipulation). Divergence: to generate as many possible elements and combinations to increase number of possible designs.
Flexibility: Ability to adapt selections and arrangements, given new, unfamiliar or unknown situations. Divergence: generate a range and variety of possible configurations leading to same solution.
Elaboration: Ability to add to, embellish or build upon ideas incorporated into any jewelry design. Divergence: generate the widest variety of attributes of design elements and combinations which have value-added qualities, given a particular design.
Originality: Ability to create something new or different which has usefulness and value. Divergence: to delineate many ideas and concepts which are both new and have value.
Complexity: Ability to conceptualize difficult, multi-faceted, intricate, many-layered ideas and designs. Divergence: to take a solution and break it down or reinterpret it into as many multiple facets or multiple layers as possible.
Risk-Taking: Willingness to try new things or think of new possibilities in order to show the artist’s hand publicly and stand apart. Divergence: to elaborate the widest possible scenarios for publicly introducing the piece, given various design options, as well as all the ways these potential audiences might interact and use the jewelry, and all the ways these audiences might influence others, as well.
Imagination: Ability to be inspired, and to translate that inspiration into an aspiration. Divergence: to think of many ways an inspiration might be described, interpreted, or experienced physically and emotionally, and to identify the many different ways inspirations might be interpreted into a jewelry design.
Curiosity: Ability to probe, question, search, wanting to know more about something. Divergence: questioning the situation from many angles and perspectives.
Assessment: Ability to anticipate shared understandings, values and desires of various audiences for any piece of jewelry. Divergence: identifying all the possible audiences a piece of jewelry might have, and all the different ways they might judge the piece as finished (parsimonious) and successful (resonant).
Implementation: Ability to translate aspirations into a finished jewelry design and design process. Divergence: delineating all the possibilities an aspiration might get translated into a design, evaluated against all the possibilities the design could be successfully, practically and realistically implemented.
Enhancing Creativity and Overcoming Creativity Block
So, what kinds of creative advice can I offer you about enhancing your creativity? How can you nurture your creative impulses? How can you overcome roadblocks that might impede you?
Here is some of my advice:
Success Stories. While you are fiddling with beads and wire and clasps and everything else, try to be as aware as you can of why your successes are successful. What are all the things you did to succeed? On what points does everyone agree the project succeeds?
Un-Block. Don’t set up any road blocks. Many people, rather than venture onto an unknown highway of creativity, put up walls to delay their path. If they just had the right beads. Or the right colors. Or sufficient time. Or had learned one more technique. Or had taken one more class. Or could find a better clasp. These are excuses. Excuses to avoid getting creative.
Adapt. Anticipate contingencies. It amazes me how many people come into my shop with a picture out of a magazine. We probably can find over half the components, but for the remaining components pictured which we don’t have in stock, we suggest substitutes. But, NO, the customer has to have it exactly like the picture, or not at all. Not every store has every bead and component. Many beads and components are not made all the time. Many colors vary from batch to batch. Many established companies have components especially made up for them — and not available to the general public. The supplies of many beads and components are very limited — not unlimited. Always be prepared to make substitutions and adapt.
Play. Be a kid again. Let your imagination run wild. Try things. Try anything. If the world says your color combination is ugly, don’t listen to them. Do it anyway. Ignore all restrictions. Forget about social and art conventions.
Be Curious. Play “What If…” games. What if a different color? What if a different technique? What if a different width or length? What if a different style of clasp. Re-arrange things. Tweak. Take out a bead board, and lay out beads and findings on the board, and re-order everything — Ask yourself: More or less satisfying?
Embrace the New / Challenge yourself. Don’t do the same project over and over again, simply because you have proven to yourself that you can make it. While you might want to repeat a project, with some variations, to learn more things, too much doing of the same-ole, same-ole, can be very stifling.
Create An Imaginative Working Space / Manage Disruptions and Disruptors. You need comfortable seating, good lighting, smart organization of parts and tools and projects-in-process. Some people like music playing. If family or friends tend to interrupt you, explain to them you need some boundaries at certain times of the day or days of the week.
Evaluate / Be metacognitive. Learn from failures. You have invested time, money and effort into making these pieces. And not everything works out, or works out well. Figure out why, and turn these failed pieces into lessons and insights. Give yourself permission to be wrong. Build up your skills for self-awareness, self-management and self-assessment.
Take a break / Break your daily routine / Incubate it / Sleep on it. And if you suddenly find your productivity interrupted by Bead-Block and Artist-Block and Jeweler’s-Block, put your project down. Take a break. Mull on things awhile. Put yourself in a different environment. Take a walk. Sleep. A period of interruption or rest from a problem may aid creative problem-solving in that it lets us let go of or forget some misleading cues, thoughts, feelings and ideas.
Network / Connect With Other Jewelry Designers and Artists / Collaborate on a Project. Here you want to tap into and absorb someone else’s energy, knowledge and insights. Surround yourself with interesting and creative people. Learn different ways of knowing and doing. Get encouragement. Find a mentor. The fastest way to become creative is to hang around with creative people.
Do something out of the ordinary. Something unexpected. Or something just not done. This will shock your system to think in different ways. To see things in a new light. To recognize contradictions. Robert Alan Black gives great advice. He shouts at the blocked: Break A Crayon. He shouts again: Draw Outside The Lines. And I would add and shout: Stick your hands into a bowl full of mud or jello.
These are all great advice.
Make creativity a habit. Make it routine in your daily life.
– Keep a journal. Write down your thoughts and experiences and insights.
– As you create a new piece, keep a running written log of all the choices you are making.
– Challenge yourself. Change colors, arrangements, sizes and shapes. Create forms and new components. Think of different silhouettes.
– Expand your knowledge base and skills. Look for connections with other disciplines.
-Surround yourself with interesting things and interesting people. Get together regularly. Collaborate. Take a field trip together.
What Should I Create?
The process of jewelry making begins with the question, What Should I Create?
You want to create something which results in an emotional engagement. That means, when you or someone else interacts with your piece, they should feel some kind of connection. They might see something as useful. It may have meaning. Or it may speak to a personal desire. It may increase a sense of self-esteem. It may persuade someone to buy it. It may feel especially powerful or beautiful or entertaining. They may want to share it with someone else.
You want to create something that you care about. It should not be about following trends. It should be about reflecting your inner artist and designer — what you like, how you see the world, what you want to do. Love what you are making. Otherwise, you run the risk of burning out.
It is easier to create work with someone specific in mind. This is called backwards design. You anticipate how someone else would like what you do, want to wear it, buy it, and then let this influence you in your selection about materials, techniques and composition. This might be a specific person, or a type of person, such as a potential class of buyers.
Keep things simple and parsimonious. Edit your ideas. You do not want to over-do or under-do your pieces. You do not have to include everything in one piece. You can do several pieces. Showing restraint allows for better communication with your audiences. Each piece you make should not look like you are frantically trying to prove yourself. They should look like you have given a lot of thought about how others should emotionally engage with your piece.
There is always a lot of pressure to brand yourself. That means sticking with certain themes, designs or materials. But this can be a little stifling, if you want to develop your creativity. Take the time to explore new avenues of work.
You want to give yourself some time to find inspirations. A walk in nature. A visit to a museum. Involvement with a social cause. Participation in a ritual or ceremony. Studying color samples at a paint store. A dream. A sense of spirituality or other feeling. A translation of something verbal into something visual. Inspirations are all around you.
Final Words of Wisdom
We don’t learn to be creative We become creative. We develop a host of creative thinking skills. We reflect and make ourselves aware of all the various choices we make, the connections we see, the reactions we get, and the implications which result.
We need to be open to possibility.
We need to have a comfort level in taking the unknown or unexpected, and bridging the differences. That is, connecting what we know and feel and project to ideas for integrating all the pieces before us into a completed jewelry design. We need to become good translators, managing our choices from inspiration to aspiration to completed design.
We need to be able to hold on to the paradoxes between mass and space, form and freedom, thought and feeling, long enough so that we can complete each jewelry making project. We need to be comfortable while designing during what often become long periods of solitude.
We need to know jewelry and jewelry making materials and techniques inside and out. We need to know how to maximize their strengths and minimize their weaknesses. We need to be able to discover new ways of designing with them. It is critical that we put ourselves on a path towards greater fluency, flexibility and originality.
We must be willing to give and receive criticism.
We must be aware, not only of our desires, goals and understandings, but those of our various audiences, as well.
Be motivated by the design process itself, and not its possible and potential external rewards.
We must be very reflective and metacognitive of how we think, speak and work as jewelry designers.
We need to give ourselves permission to make mistakes.
We must design things we care about.
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FOOTNOTES
Besemer, S.P. and D.J. Treffinger. Analysis of Creative Products: Review and Synthesis. Wiley Online Library, (1981).
Maital, Shlomo. “How IBM’s Executive School Fostered Creativity,” Global Crisis Blog, April 7, 2014. Summarizes Louis R. Mobley’s writings on creativity, 1956.
March, Anna Craft. Creativity in Education. Report prepared for the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, March, 2001.
Seltzer, Kimberly and Tom Bentley. The Creative Age: Knowledge and Skills for the New Economy. Demos, 1999.
Torrance, E. P. The Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking-Norms-Technical Manual Research Edition- Verbal Tests, Forms A and B-Figural Tests, Forms A and B. Princeton, NJ: Personnel Press, 1966.
Torrance, E. P. The Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking-Norms-Technical Manual Research Edition- Verbal Tests, Forms A and B- Figural Tests, Forms A and B. Princeton, NJ: Personnel Press, 1974.
Turak, August. “Can Creativity Be Taught,” Forbes, May 22, 2011.
The Jewelry Designer makes many choices when creating a piece of jewelry. Lots of things to manage and accomplish.
Probably the two most important choices, right up front, in creating a wearable art-piece that will be around for future generations are your: (1) Stringing Material, and (2) Clasp
When you work with so many customers in a store, and so many students in classes, you begin to see that people are not necessarily that great in selecting clasps. Many are in a clasps-rut — they use the same clasp over and over again.
Others pick out clasps they find appealing, whether or not they would visually or functionally work with the piece they have made.
Few people anticipate how they are going to attach the clasp to their beadwork, often resulting in an overly long, awkwardly connected clasp assembly.
So, how to you go about choosing clasps?
Clasps always seem like they’ve been someone’s last thought. They should be the first thought. Or at least thought about concurrently with the design of the piece. But they should never be the last thought.
As clasps should be thought of in their entirety — as clasp assemblies. Clasp assemblies include all the rings, loops and other hardware necessary to attach the clasp to the beadwork. The clasp itself may be beautiful, but the entire clasp assembly may not be.
But many people get so excited creating their beadwork, that they forget about the clasp — until the last moment. You can tell when the jewelry maker hasn’t put much thought into their choice of clasp in many ways. Often, the clasp doesn’t look like it was meant to go with the bead work or general design. It might be out of proportion. It might be a different texture or sensibility. Its function — how you open and close it, while wearing your jewelry — might seem odd, perhaps unnatural. And not only does the choice of clasp seem as an after-thought, but how to attach to the bead work to that clasp seems un-thought out, as well.
So it’s not surprising, that when we were repairing jewelry on a regular basis, about 80% of the pieces to be fixed had broken at the clasp.
It is best to, in part, build your design around your clasp. If your piece has a centerpiece or focal point, then how does this link up to or coordinate with the clasp. At the least, when visualizing your beadwork, include an image of the clasp and how it is attached at both ends. The world is full of clasps. Not every clasp is a jeweler’s best friend. But it depends.
The clasp needs to visually fit with the beadwork. It needs to function as the artist intended. It needs to function in a way the wearer can relate to, use and handle. It needs to be appropriate for the piece and the context in which it is too be worn. It should not compete with the beadwork. It should complement it. Ideally, at least from a design perspective, your clasp should look and feel as if it were an integral part of the entire piece.
In a Gallery setting, if you are selling your jewelry there, you usually want a very functional, but not overwhelming, clasp. You are selling your beadwork, and you don’t want your clasp to compete with this.
In a Department Store, setting, however, often the clasp sells the piece. In this setting, choosing a clasp requires a different kind of logic, thinking and anticipation.
Some clasp-types are “expected” to be a part of the piece — even if the particular choice of type would not be the best choice in the world. Traditions dictate clasp choices in some situations.
The former owner of a local Tennessee pearl company was very frustrated with clasps. She sold a lot of finished pearl jewelry at very high prices, and had been using 14KT gold pearl and safety clasps. Her customers sent a lot of their pearl necklaces and bracelets back for repairs, because their clasps broke. And this company felt, because the prices of these pieces were very high, that they were obligated to replace the clasps and re-string these pearl-knotted pieces at no additional charge. 14KT clasps — particularly the pearl, safety and filigree box clasps — do not hold up well, because gold is a very soft metal.
Replacing clasps on a pearl-knotted piece is quite some job. You have to cut up the piece to free up each bead, and then you begin the knotting and finishing off processes again. It turns out, the 14KT clasps were not the only expensive part of the bracelets — making the knots between each pearl was the time-consuming and costly part.
She desperately wanted to reduce the number of repairs. Her first idea was to replace the pearl and safety clasps with other styles which were sturdier. However, these pieces didn’t sell. People wanted the pearl and filigree clasps. The designs of these clasps were so traditional and so locked into their expectations for what pearl-knotted jewelry should look like, that they would not compromise.
Her second effort, she tried replacing the 14KT pearl and filigree clasps with gold-filled ones which were stronger, but this made her customers very angry — they wanted 14KT gold.
So, her final strategy, she returned to using 14KT gold pearl clasps, and doubled her prices. She built in the cost of one repair into the prices she charged. And only then could she present her happy face to her customers, and her somewhat-happy face to herself when she was in private.
A LESSON IN USING COLOR SIMULTANEITY EFFECTS: The Contemporized Etruscan Collar
Several years ago, I had been asked to do a week-long jewelry design workshop in Cortona, Italy. The topic I selected was on Contemporizing Traditional Etruscan Jewelry. One of the projects I developed for the workshop was this Contemporized Etruscan Collar. The challenge, here for me, was to create a sophisticated, wearable, and attractive piece that exemplified concepts about contemporizing traditional jewelry.
Contemporizing Traditional Jewelry has to do with how you take particular traditional forms and techniques, and both add your personal style to the pieces, as well as make them more relevant to today’s sense of fashion and style. The challenge for the designer is how to keep traditional ideas essential and alive for today’s audience.
Things clicked. I found a traditional Etruscan Collar that I immediately connected with.
The Contemporized Etruscan Collar
The contemporized piece basically consists of two staggered and overlapping bead-woven strips. The bead-woven technique used is the Ndebele Stitch (sometimes called Herringbone).
There are many design theory elements incorporated into this piece, including dimensionality, curvature, malleability, and movement. One of the more interesting theories I applied here has to do with color simultaneity effects.
Color Simultaneity Effects
Picking colors is about making strategic choices. Picking colors is very revealing about the jewelry artist’s understanding of how the bead asserts its needs for color. One set of color-theories employed to make these kinds of choices has to do with Simultaneity Effects. Colors in the presence of other colors get perceived differently, depending on the color combination.
For example, a White Square on a Black background looks bigger than a Black Square on a white background. White reaches out and overflows the boundary; black contracts.
Another example: Gray always picks up some of the color characteristics of other colors around it. Gray next to orange will appear to have an orange tone to it. Gray next to green will appear to have a green tone to it. A “Gray” bead is one, the color of which, has a strong gray or black tone to it.
Besides the obvious “gray”, these other colors function as a “gray”: montana blue, alexandrite, colorado topaz, prairie green. Many color-lined and silver-lined beads can function as a “gray”, particularly when the glass color is other than clear. Many metallic or otherwise reflective surface beads can function as a “gray”.
A final example of simultaneity effects has to do with how people sense whether colors are warm or cool. In one composition, depending on the color mix, a particular color might be felt as “warm”. In a second composition, with a different color mix, that same color might be felt as “cool”. You can picture a yellow square surrounded by white feels lighter, brighter and a different temperature than its counterpart surrounded by black. A red square surrounded by black feels darker, duller, and a different temperature than its counterpart surrounded by white.
Existence of these simultaneity effects is a great piece of information for the designer. There will be gaps of color and light between beads. Many bead colors are imperfect, particularly in combination. Playing with simultaneity effects gives the designer tools to overcome some of the color limitations associated with the bead and the gaps of light between beads. These allow you to “blend” and build “bridges” and create “transitions.”
Look back at the images of the Ndebele-stitched piece. When you work with beads, there are always gaps between them. In the Ndebele-stitch, there are many and very pronounced gaps of light between beads. This can be very threatening to a viewer. People are pre-wired to avoid things which might harm them, such as snakes and spiders. This is our fear- or anxiety-response.
We can summarize most color theories as a set of principles the brain uses — both in perception and cognition — to find a state of color or colors which are harmonious. That is, people like to see and feel comfortable and safe with colors which harmonize and go together. When we start to lose that harmonious state of color, this makes the brain edgy. When the brain starts to get edgy, we start to interpret pieces as boring, monotonous, scary, dangerous, will cause death. We innately reject, as part of our pre-wired fear response, that which does not follow good principles of color.
Any viewer’s brain will immediately try to interpret what it sees and make sense of it. This includes jewelry. The viewer’s brain needs to know immediately whether to approach or flee. Each time the eye/brain comes to the end of the bead and is confronted with a gap of light separating it from the next bead, it’s similar to a person approaching a cliff, and getting asked to jump off of that cliff.
No one wants to jump off a cliff. And no one’s eye/brain wants to jump over a gap of light between two beads. It’s risky. It’s work. Things don’t feel harmonious.
We have to fool ourselves, that is, our brain, in some way. Color theories offer us many possible ideas on how to do this. I find using simultaneity effects works especially well in jewelry compositions using beads. Certain colors, when juxtaposed, create their own meanings, and fool the brain into thinking it sees something in these gaps, or is somehow more motivated to fill in the gaps, and proceed from one bead to the next.
In this Etruscan Collar project, many of my color choices were based on an understanding of simultaneity effects.
The DESIGN PERSPECTIVE is very focused on teaching beaders and jewelry makers how to make choices. Choices about what materials to include, and not to include. Choices about strategies and techniques of construction. Choices about mechanics. Choices about aesthetics. Choices about how best to evoke emotions.
These choices must also reflect an understanding of the bead and its related components. How do all these pieces, in conjunction with stringing materials, assert their needs? Their needs for color, light and shadow. Their needs for durability, flexibility, drape, movement and wearability. Their needs for social or psychological or cultural or contextual appropriateness — an appropriateness that has to do with satisfaction, beauty, fashion and style, as well as power and influence.
This DESIGN PERSPECTIVE contrasts with the more predominant Craft Approach, where the beader or jewelry maker merely follows a set of steps and ends up with something. Here, in this step-by-step approach, all the choices have been made for them. They never learn the implications of using one bead vs. another, one stringing material vs. another or one clasp vs. another.
And this DESIGN PERSPECTIVE also contrasts with another widespread approach to beading and jewelry making — the Art Tradition — which focuses on achieving ideals of beauty, whether the jewelry is worn or not. Here the beader or jewelry maker learns to apply art theories learned by painters and sculptors, and assumed to apply equally to beads and jewelry, as well. Jewelry is judged as it sits on a mannequin or easel. Functionality is subsumed under Appeal. Things like the strap, clasp assembly and bail are merely seen as supplemental to the piece, as a frame is to a painting or a pedestal to sculpture.
The Craft Approach and the Art Tradition ignore too much of the functional and contextual essence of jewelry. Because of this, they often steer the beader and jewelry maker in the wrong directions. Making the wrong choices. Exercising the wrong judgments. Applying the wrong tradeoffs between aesthetics and functionality and context.
The focus of the DESIGN PERSPECTIVE is strategic thinking. At the core of this thinking are a series of design principles and their skillful applications. These principles go beyond a set of techniques. These principles and the strategies for applying them provide the beader and jewelry maker with some clarity in a muddled world.
Learning about Design begins with the belief that there are many different kinds of information that must come together and be applied to make a finished and successful piece of jewelry. Art. Architecture. Physical mechanics. Sociology, Anthropology and Psychology. Some Business. Even some Party Planning. It is impossible to clearly learn and integrate all this information all at once.
When all this knowledge which needs to come to bear in creating and constructing a piece of jewelry is learned haphazardly or randomly, as most people do, it becomes problematic. It becomes more difficult or too confusing to successfully bring into play all these kinds of things the beader or jewelry maker needs to know when designing and constructing a piece of jewelry in the moment.
Thus, the beader and jewelry maker best learn all this related yet disparate information in an developmental, hierarchical order, based on some coherent grammar or set of rules of design. Seemingly disparate skills are learned as interrelated, integrated clusters. By learning within this organized structure and informational hierarchy, the jewelry artist best sees how everything interrelates and comes together. The designer develops the ability to decode expressive information, and to fluently organize and arrange it. This is how disciplinary literacy is developed within the DESIGN PERSPECTIVE.
So, we begin with a Core set of skills and concepts, and how these are interrelated and applied. Then we move on to a Second Set of skills and concepts, their interrelationships and applications, and identifying how they are related to the Core. And onward again to a Third Set of skills and concepts, their interrelationships and applications and relationship to the Second Set and the Core, and so forth.
In the DESIGN PERSPECTIVE, “Jewelry” is understood as Art, but is only Art as it is worn. It is not considered Art when sitting on a mannequin or easel. Because of this, the principles learned through Craft or Art are important, but not sufficient for learning good jewelry design and fashioning good jewelry.
Learning good jewelry design creates its own challenges. All jewelry functions in a 3-dimensional space, particularly sensitive to position, volume and scale. Jewelry must stand on its own as an object of art. But it must also exist as an object of art which interacts with people (and a person’s body), movement, personality, and quirks of the wearer, and of the viewer, as well as the environment and context. Jewelry serves many purposes, some aesthetic, some functional, some social and cultural, some psychological.
The focus of the DESIGN PERSPECTIVE is on the parts and their construction. How do you choose parts? How should they be used, and not be used? How do you assemble them and combine them in such a way that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts? How do you create and build in support systems within your jewelry to enable that greater movement, more flexibility, better draping, longer durability? How do you anticipate stresses and strains? How do you parsimoniously use all these parts, making them resonate and evoking that emotional response from your audience to your style, vision and creative hand that you so desire?
The beader and jewelry maker are seen as multi-functional professionals, similar to an architect who builds houses and an engineer who builds bridges. In all these cases, the professional must bring a lot of very different kinds of skills and abilities to bear, when constructing, whether house or bridge or jewelry. The professional has to be able to manage artistic design, functionality, and the interaction of the object with the person and that person’s environment.
Women don’t just wear pieces of jewelry — they inhabit them.
Buying a piece of jewelry for yourself — a necklace, a bracelet, earrings, a brooch, something else — isn’t a task easily given to someone else. It’s often not a spur of the moment thing either. You just don’t rush off to the local boutique or the local Wal-Mart, grab whatever you see, and go home.
I’m not talking about that impulse buy during your leisurely visit to the mall. I’m referring to purchasing those pieces of jewelry you know will have to do a lot of the hard work to accessorize your wardrobe and help you get the compliments and notice of your family, friends and co-workers you comport with and compete with each and every day.
No, buying a piece of jewelry for yourself is a multi-purposed moment, one which must be thought through carefully and one which must be savored. Lest you buy the wrong piece. That doesn’t really go with what you intend to wear. Or is over-priced. Or poorly made. Or conveys the wrong impression about status. Or is out of fashion. Or something one of your friends already has.
The jewelry you buy has to conform to quite a long list of essential criteria before you could ever think of buying it. It is something you will wear more than once. As such, it is your companion. Your necklace is not merely lying around your neck. Or your bracelet around your wrist. Or your earrings dangling from your ears.
Jewelry can cause you to lose face with others. It can irritate or scratch your skin, or get caught up in your hair. It might weigh you down or stretch or tear your ear lobes. Jewelry can break without warning in the most unexpected and embarrassing of places. It can get caught on things, sometimes hurting you in the process.
Jewelry conveys to the world something about who you really are, or think you are. As such, jewelry is very personal. Your private, innermost, most soul searching choices made very public for all to see.
As you caress it, as you touch the smooth or faceted or creviced beads and metal parts or the clasp or the material the beads are strung on, when you twist and move the piece within your hand, you are confirming to yourself the extent to which your jewelry is doing its job.
When you buy new jewelry, the dilemmas multiply. How will the new compare to the old? Will it be able to handle all these responsibilities — looking good, representing you, fitting in with your wardrobe, meeting the expectations of others? Like divorcing, then remarrying, changing your jewelry can take some time for readjustment.
And you do not want to be seen as noncommittal to your jewelry. This would sort of be like going to a hotel, but not unpacking your suitcase while staying in the room. Conveying some sort of social or psychological distance from your jewelry can be very unsettling for others.
So you need to inhabit it. You need to inhabit your jewelry, wear it with conviction, pride and satisfaction. Be one with it.
Inhabiting jewelry often comes with a price. There becomes so much pressure to buy the “right” pieces, given all the roles we demand our jewelry to play, that we too often stick with the same brands, the same colors, the same styles, the same silhouettes. We get stuck in this rut and are afraid to step out of it.
Or we wear too many pieces of jewelry. The long earrings, plus the cuff bracelets on both arms, plus the head band, plus the hair ornament, plus the 7-strand necklace, plus the 5 rings. We are ever uncertain which piece or pieces will succeed at what, so hopefully, at least some combination or subset of what we wear will work out.
In a similar way, we wear over-embellished pieces — lots of charms, lots of dangles, lots of fringe, lots of strands. Something will surely be the right color, the right fit and proportion, the right fashion, the right power statement, the right reflection of me.
And our need to inhabit our jewelry comes with one more price. We are too willing to overpay for poorly made pieces in our desperation to have that right look. The $100.00 of beads strung on elastic string. The poorly dyed stones which fade in the light. The poorly crimped and overly stiff pieces with little ease for accommodating movement and frequent wear.
It is OK to inhabit our jewelry. In fact, it is necessary, given all we want jewelry to do for us. But we need to be smart about it. We need to learn to recognize better designs and better designers.
To what extent do (and should) business concerns influence the artistic choices bead and jewelry artists make?
I’d say “A Lot!”
But this isn’t what a lot of artists like to hear.
You have to market to audiences. You may have to standardize things to be able to make the same thing over and over again. You may have to work in a production mode and repeat making certain designs, rather than freely create and design anew each time. You have to price things so that they will sell, and you have to price things so that you can make a sufficient profit. You can’t undersell yourself, like offering discounts to family, friends and co-workers.
You have to conform to prevalent styles and colors and forms. You have to make things which will photograph well for sale online. You have to make things that local stores want and are willing to buy or put on consignment. You may end up with a lot of “one size fits all.”
You find that if you want to make your jewelry design into a successful business, you may have to compromise with yourself, your artistic drives and sensibilities. You may have to limit what you offer. In order to make that sale. In order to make a profit. And stay in business.
Business involves: – Putting your artwork on a sound cost/revenue footing – Developing market-driven strategies (as opposed to product-driven ones) – Pricing your pieces for sale – Implementing various selling strategies – Compromising artistic and design choices, in the interest of the business — Understanding how the creative marketplace works
Over and over again, I have seen one jewelry artist after another fail as a business. The reasons repeat themselves as well.
1. A reluctance to learn how to conduct oneself as a business.
Many jewelry artists get so excited after selling their first piece, that they think they don’t have to get too involved with business principles. They understand their “business” as a “necklace-by-necklace” endeavor. Make something, sell it. Doesn’t matter what the price. Doesn’t matter to whom. Doesn’t matter if making the piece in the first place is in line with the resources you currently have to make the piece, or will drive you in debt in order to get those resources.
Artists need to focus on what’s called “Velocity” — the rate of sales, rather than the number of sales. You need to have in place sufficient strategies for keeping the money turning over at a constant rate. If you can’t maintain this rate, you go in the hole. You make something. You sell it. You reallocate the money you just made to reinvesting in more inventory, replacing the inventory you sold, evaluating the pros and cons of the sale that just happened, adjusting accordingly, and strategizing how to keep this velocity going at a constant, or ever-increasing, velocity.
And artists need to keep good records, and implement good accounting principles.
2. Gets Bored.
People who get started are very excited. They’ve made a lot of pretty pieces, and someone has bought some of them. But then you need to leave your creative mode, and enter a production mode. You need to discipline yourself to make the same things over and over again. Many artists quickly lose interest.
3. A fear of marketing your own things
You won’t succeed without marketing. Marketing is more than advertising. It includes all forms of self-promotion. It includes doing research on your markets and market niches, how to reach them, how to get their attention, how to get them to translate this attention into needs and wants and desires, and how to get them to part with some money.
Many artists are shy about self-promotion. Time to train yourself, if this is you, to get over it.
4. Trying to please all audiences
When people get started, they are reluctant to use the “No” word. They want to please everyone. But when you get started, you can’t. It will put you out of business.
Let’s say you have some jewelry that is predominantly purple. Someone at work loves the jewelry, but asks if you can make it in red. If you don’t have an inventory of red beads, and will have to go out and buy them, it may make this sale foolish, from a business standpoint. You can’t buy just one bead at a time; you need to buy strands or packages of these beads. You will have a lot left over.
When you start, you need to pursue a strategy of depth, rather than breadth. You want to buy a limited number of pieces in large quantities to get adequate price breaks. So, initially, your designs will be limited, as well. You need to be able to say No. No to your family. No to your friends. No to the people you work with.
In my experience, such as the situation with red vs purple beads above, when you say No, the potential customer tends to make a face. Pitiful. Angry. Frustrated. Sad. Pleading. If you can wait 60 seconds, in almost every case, the customer stops making this face, and says, “OK, I’ll take what you have in purple.” But so many jewelry artists can’t wait that 60 seconds.
And don’t give these people discounts. They’re already getting it cheaper, than if they bought the same piece in a store. One major way your business will get built up is word-of-mouth. You don’t want some of that information to include extremely low price expectations that will never be self-supporting in your business.
5. Doesn’t do homework on the competition
You need to understand how other jewelry artists you compete with function as a business.
How do they define their markets? How do they price things? What kinds of inventory do they carry? What kinds do they NOT carry? Where do they advertise? How do they promote themselves? How do they define their competitive advantage — that is, all the reasons people should buy from them, rather than from anyone else, like you? Where do they sell things — stores, shows, fairs, online, etc? What seems to work better for them?
You can find a lot of this out by Googling. You can look for jewelry designers. Directories of jewelry designers. You can plug in a jewelry designer’s website, and see where they are listed, and who lists them.
6. Doesn’t Educate Self About The Business Marketplace
You already know that you want to sell your pieces. But why would someone else want to sell them for you?
What’s in it for that gallery or consignment shop or boutique? How do they make money? What’s their customer base? Why do they shop there? What are their preferences? What is the feel and flavor of what the businesses carry in their shops?
Most businesses spend years establishing a reputation and brand. They attract customers who, in turn, are attracted to that brand identify. So they are looking for certain similar things they already carry or fit with the theme or perspective of their business. But, at the same time, they don’t want the exact same things. They already have those things. They want things that coordinate and compliment. If your style is avant garde, and the business style is Victorian romantic, there is not going to be a fit. It won’t work out for you in this location.
“She’s CHEATING ME!” the woman from Rhode Island screamed into the phone. She could hardly catch her breath, the anger overtaking her ability to explain why she was calling.
“I read your article about Pricing and Selling, and I’m not getting my $70.00 for my piece.”
She didn’t have to say anymore. I knew right off the bat she was talking about CONSIGNMENT.
I recognize the anger. The frustration. The feeling that someone put something over on you, and you’re powerless to correct the situation. You don’t know what to do. You know the sweat, time and cost you put into all the pieces you let some stranger have, and now what do you do?
“I put 10 of my pieces of jewelry in her shop in Northern Rhode Island — not a big shop, no sales, except, this one piece sold, not in a major place,” she continued, taking breath after breath, to get it all out, in some way that made sense, and some way that kept her from losing it.
“What do I Do?” “She sold my piece for $70.00, and didn’t give me my money?” “Should she have given me my money right away?” “Should I take my jewelry out of her shop?” “Should I never do consignment again?” She peppered me with questions, not waiting for an answer.
She indicated that the store owner told her that she paid her artists 30 days after a sale. Her customers had 30 days to return something. If the store owner paid before that time, she would be out the money. Store owners can set whatever policies they want, and in this case, I told the woman it was reasonable to wait 30 days, given the policy.
Of course, it had already been 7 weeks.
“Should she call her?” Her husband told her not to call yet. He didn’t want her to make waves, or ruin this opportunity to sell her jewelry.
“Call her,” I said. If the store owner said 30 days, then 30 days it should be.
Consignment may be a necessary evil, especially when you are getting started in the jewelry making business. But consignment is not the best situation to be in. Most stores that accept consignment do not understand the consignment business. As a result, when the time comes to pay the artists, there’s no cash flow.
In Consignment, the store is at greater risk than the artist. The store has to make space available for the pieces, and forgo the opportunity to get something else in that retail-real-estate that might do better. The store has to display the pieces, and keep them clean and presentable. The store has to train its sales staff so that they have sufficient information and motivation to make the sale. And, of course, there’s the tracking and accounting that goes with every consignment piece on sale.
Your best clue to whether a particular consignment situation is a good or better one, is the percentage split between the store or gallery owner and the artist. Given the level of risk each party assumes, the optimum distribution is 60/40 with the store or gallery getting the larger amount. But if the split is 40/60 or 50/50, this would be a acceptable sign as well.
However, when the split is 70/30 or 30/70 or outside this 60 and 40 range, yellow flags should go up. This shows that the store or gallery owner is not aware of the level of risk in their business. You probably won’t get paid on time, and not get paid without a lot of time spent yelling on the phone. Your pieces won’t be maintained. They won’t be displayed in a prominent place. No one will be trained or motivated to sell your pieces.
Just because you confront a potentially bad consignment situation doesn’t necessarily mean that you should walk away. There are a few prominent boutiques in Nashville that offer a 70/30 split between the store and the artist. They rarely pay their artists when the pieces sell. It takes a lot of screaming, “Bloody Murder!” before you get paid. But these are very prominent shops. Letting other stores and galleries know that you have pieces in these shops will open many doors for you. You might view the delayed payments and the effort to get your money as “marketing expenses.”
Other reasons you might settle for a bad situation: – You’re just getting started, and saying your pieces are in a shop anywhere has some marketing cache that goes with this – You can direct customers to this shop. At least you have a place to send people. You might not have a central base from which to work. Your main business might be doing craft shows, and here you can direct people to your jewelry between shows. – This might be the only game in town.
But otherwise, if consignment doesn’t have some added value for you, you want to minimize your consignment exposure.
When you negotiate consignment terms with a shop, try to:
Get a feel for the amount of consignment they do (and how long they have been doing this), the range of artists, the range of types of merchandise on consignment, and the types of customers they have
Get a 60/40, 50/50 or 40/60 split
Work with store or gallery owner on final retail pricing of your pieces.
Get a written contract
Get in writing if possible, but an oral agreement would suffice, to convert the situation to “wholesale terms”, if you pieces sell well. (Be sure to define what “selling well” might mean.)
Determine a specific date when to take your pieces out, or trade them out for new pieces. Usually it’s good to trade them out every 3–6 months.
Determine exactly how and when you will get paid, after any one piece sells. A 30-day waiting period is reasonable.
I often get many questions about what glue to use with rhinestones and other beading and jewelry-making projects. I design jewelry. I do some silversmithing, wire working, bead stringing, bead weaving, kumihimo, and other techniques in my designs. I have been beading and making jewelry for over 30 years, and own a bead shop in Nashville, Tennessee.
When you make jewelry and need an adhesive to attach one component to another, to embellish a piece with stones, to secure a clasp, or to finish off or begin a new stringing material, you have certain issues you need to contend with.
First, all jewelry moves when worn. This results in a tremendous amount of force placed on the jewelry, increasing stresses and strains. You want the glue-bond to be able to resist, or better accommodate, these forces.
Second, you do not want your glue-bond to expand when dry.
Third, you want your glue-bond to dry clear.
Fourth, you want your glue-bond to withstand the very cold and very hot extremes of temperature where you live.
You want your glue to be able to bond to the materials you are working with.
You want to easily wipe off and remove the excess glue from your piece.
Nothing is perfect, but based on our experiences, here are some good tips:
(1) Always experiment with your adhesives first, before you use an adhesive on your final project. No one glue works with every project.
(2) Glues vary widely in terms of which materials they stick to, how well they form a bond between two smooth surfaces, and how the glue bond ages, both in terms of durability and color, and whether the glue expands in volume after it dries, or not.
(3) Clean the excess glue off your piece before you display or sell it.
(4) You will probably have to rely on more than one type of glue to accommodate all your types of projects.
Jeweler’s glues are the perfect choice in most situations. Jeweler’s glues dry like rubber, so the bond acts as a shock absorber. They also dry clear and without expansion. Jeweler’s glues take 24 hours to dry hard. They begin to set in 10 minutes, so you can move things and re-position them, if you want, during these 10 minutes. At 20 minutes, the consistency is like rubber cement. Excess glue can easily be rubbed off with your fingers or pulled off with a tweezers.
The two brands I use the most are E6000 and Beacon 527. The glues are very similar. E6000 is very thick. Beacon 527 is very runny. Beacon 527 begins to set a little faster.
E6000 and Beacon 527
My favorite glue is referred to as a 1-part epoxy (but it’s not really an epoxy). “1-part” means that you don’t have to mix anything to make the glue — it just comes out of a tube. One brand is called E6000, and this version of the glue is thick in consistency. Another version of the glue is called Beacon 527. This glue is runny. Some people prefer one or the other. E6000 is the first one I used, and I prefer that one. But I actually use both where I think the thickness or the runnyness might be an advantage. There are other brands as well.
Perfect for attaching findings to base metal and costume jewelry pieces. Also, use E-6000 on bead strands to seal end knots and to provide a strong, flexible seal that won’t become brittle or damage the bead cord. E-6000 is safe for use with virtually every type of gemstone and works on wood, leather, vinyl, and canvas.
Non-corrosive and self-leveling, E-6000 adheres in 5 to 10 minutes, and hardens to a clear, waterproof cure in 24 hours. This means you have about 10 minutes to position and reposition whatever you are gluing. After about 20 minutes, you can take your finger and/or a tweezers and rub off any glue that has oozed out from any edges or around any pieces. If you are making jewelry, you should let the piece dry “hard” overnight, before you wear it.
E-6000 dries like rubber, so the glue acts like a shock absorber, as your jewelry moves.
Drawbacks: It doesn’t bond well between two smooth pieces of glass. Here it’s a good idea to rough up the surface a bit with steel wood or sand paper or metal file. It doesn’t bond well to very oily surfaces.
Superglue
Superglue is not our favorite! Superglue has very few uses in jewelry design. It often ruins rhinestones (it discolors them and makes them cloudy) and other pieces we use in jewelry-making. It’s bond is tough, but it breaks easily when pieces move. Superglue dries like glass, and the bond shatters like glass. Moreover, the shattered bond looks like a piece of broken glass, so if any stringing material is nearby, the bond can cut it. It is terrible with elastic string.
We do, however, use superglue occasionally.
Cement or Glue?
A glue works by surrounding or closing in on an object. As the solvent in the glue evaporates, it’s “collar” gets tighter and tighter.
A cement works by adhering to all the individual fibers or elements of the materials you are using.
G-S Hypo Cement
This is the jeweler’s version of superglue. It doesn’t dry instantly like superglue. It takes about 20 minutes to set. It’s bond is like that of superglue.
We often use it to seal end knots, or coat a frayed strand of cord. We sometimes use it on crimp beads to enhance the closure. Unlike its super glue cousin, G-S Hypo Cement takes several minutes to set, so you can move things around during this time.
This glue has a very ultrathin needle point to get into very tight spaces.
G-S Hypo Fabric Cement
This version of g-s hypo cement is perfect for gluing knots in fibrous materials, especially silk. Great with any bead cord or stringing material made with natural materials.
Fabric Glue or Fabri Tac
Fabric and bead cords are made up of many, many micro fibers. It is important for the glue to bond to all these fibers, else, the bond won’t hold. While I prefer the G-S Hypo Fabric Cement, these glues are a good substitute.
Hot Glue Guns
Hot glue guns are easy and fun to use. When the materials you are using are large and bulky, hot glue guns make the projects go faster.
The glue’s bond will not last forever. The glue will yellow with age. The bond weakens at body temperature. If you made a dangly pair of earrings, and hot-glued a rhinestone to the piece that touches the ear, the rhinestone will likely pop off when the earring is worn. If you hot-glued stuff on the dangle, you won’t have the same problem.
Gorilla Glues
This line of glues is very, very strong. However, the bond expands as the glue dries. Most versions do not dry clear. They discolor with age.
Elmers Glue and School Glue
These glues are safe for kids. They work OK, but the bonds weaken when wet, through washing or sweating.
About Gluing Rhinestones, Marcasites, and other Stones or Components
Your goals for gluing rhinestones into or onto a piece of jewelry or cloth or other surface are simple:
A bond that sticks and is durable.
A bond that does not ruin the materials you are using.
A bond which dries clear and ages clear.
Glue which will not show outside or over the edges of the stone.
Glue where you can easily remove any excess glue that extends beyond the boundaries of the stone.
Glue which does not expand when it dries.
Glue can adversely affect your materials, so you always want to do some pretesting! Also, some of the rhinestone and other glues you may use might be soluble in soapy water, such as when you wash your hands or wash dishes.
Rhinestones are foiled back pieces of acrylic, glass or crystal. Some glues will pull the foil off or make it crinkle. Some glues may make the rhinestones cloudy. This is especially true with acrylic and glass rhinestones, but not necessarily with crystal rhinestones.
I prefer to use E6000 when gluing these into settings, onto fabric, or onto other surfaces. This creates the strongest bond. Most E6000-stones glued onto fabric will survive the washing machine several times.
When we use E6000 with rhinestones, we put a little drop of glue on the end of a pin. Then we touch the glue to the back of the rhinestone. We maneuver the pin-glue-rhinestone over the place where we want the stone to be. Then we push the rhinestone in place with our finger, and simultaneously pull the pin away from the stone. After about 20 minutes, we rub the stone and around the stone with our finger or the pin to get any excess glue off.
Some additional suggestions about glues
A great book to buy is The Crafter’s Guide To Glues by Tammy Young. In it she discusses all the types of glues, including the following:
White glues, such as Elmer’s Glue All
– bond is not strong, so useful for lightweight objects only
– bond is not flexible, so not useful for things where there is movement
– may not dry clear
-materials used must be porous
Tacky glues, like hot glue gun
– usually dry clear and are flexible, but can wash out
– body temperature can weaken bond
Clear Craft Glues
– wash out easily
– for lightweight projects
Super Glue
– instant adhesive, that works with many smooth surfaces, but not well with smooth glass surfaces
– will cloud rhinestones
– especially good with plastic pieces
– water resistant, but not best choice for washable projects
– inflexible; does not work well where there is movement
High Tech Adhesives, like E6000 and Beacon 527
– not water soluble
– bonds to both porous and non-porous materials
– does not bond well to rubber
– sets slowly, so you can re-position things
– dries clear
Fabric Glues, like No-Sew
– holds up through several dry cleaning cycles
– formulated to glue fabric to fabric
– make also work well to glue various embellishments to fabric
Fusibles, where you melt the glue with an iron or another heat source, such as a transfer
– for applying appliques or transfers
– prewash all materials before fusing
Aquarium Glue (glass cements)
– great for bonding two smooth surfaces of glass
Clear Cements, like G-S Hypo Tube or Watch Crystal Cement
– Doesn’t dry as fast as super glue, so can do some re-positioning, but bonds strong like super glue
– Good to use for sealing knots in jewelry projects
– Not as strong as epoxies or high tech adhesives
– water resistant and not affected by temperature
As with anything you do as a bead and jewelry artist, you want to ask lots of questions and get lots of advice. You want to play with a wide variety of tools and glues and stringing materials and metals and beads. You want to experiment. Let yourself try and err.
This is a lot of information. But this Orientation is important. Very important. Making jewelry is very similar to building a bridge — you must be familiar with many kinds of materials, how the materials interrelate, and how you link and connect these materials in a durable and appealing piece which wears well, and moves well with the wearer.
It always amazes me about how many people (studies show that 25% of the population) think that when their sterling silver jewelry turns black, it’s Dead and they throw it out. So, especially if you are selling your stuff, you always need to educate people about cleaning sterling silver.
Sterling Silver tarnishes from the interaction of silver and sulfides in the air. First the tarnish will take on a golden hue, and eventually, it will turn the piece black. This is a natural process.
Higher sulfide levels are associated with humidity and/or pollution. Remember, the more humid the climate, the faster sterling will tarnish. On a summer day in Miami, Florida, all you have to do is walk out the door and the sterling starts turning black very quickly.
Sterling Silver will polish up by rubbing or buffing it with a soft cotton cloth. The best cloth to use is a piece of denim. Yes, rub it on your pants.
Jewelry stores either sell or give away what is called a Rouge Cloth. This is a little bit gimmicky, in that what is taking the tarnish off is the rubbing, not the rouge. In most cases, denim works better. Both denim and the rouge cloth are 100% cotton. Denim has ridges on it. The rouge cloth is smooth.
The ridges of the denim get inside the links on chains. The ridges get into the crevices in your jewelry. The rouge cloth is terrible for chains. However, if you want the crevices in your jewelry to remain black, the rouge cloth, which is a smooth surface, will work better.
You might also invest in what is called a Sunshine Cloth. Many bead stores and jewelry stores sell these. The Sunshine Cloth has a chemical in it that eats the tarnish but does not harm gemstones. And that’s its greatest selling point — it does not harm gemstones.
Sterling Silver dips are fast and easy, but are not the best choices here. Ideally you would never use a dip, or only use a dip in an emergency. First, many dips will take the color and the polish off many gemstones. Second, the dips work by pulling silver out your jewelry and creating a silver salt. The salt is usually white, sometimes black. This salt or residue gets caught inside the links of chains. It gets caught in the crevices in your jewelry. It is difficult to pick it out.
If you do have to use a dip, the way you use this dip is that you take your piece of jewelry, and put it in, and immediately take it out and rinse it off. If not clean enough, repeat. Never leave your jewelry in the dip. Then buff your jewelry with a soft cotton cloth. The buffing brings out more of the shine, and helps take off any residue left on the piece.
Most silver polishes do not work well with sterling silver jewelry. Repeated uses usually cut the shine and leave a white color to the sterling silver in jewelry. They primarily are used for silver plated kitchen ware and utensils. One exception, which I like, is Tarni-Shield — a silicon polish. Tarni-Shield will keep the piece of jewelry shiny until the shield wears off. We primarily us this product when we make a lot of jewelry that has to be on display for a long time, such as when we’re selling our pieces at an arts and crafts fair.
There are lacquer dips which coat your jewelry in order to keep the shine. (This is similar to painting clear nail polish on your jewelry). The lacquer, however, wears off unevenly, allowing some places to tarnish and others not. As the lacquer coating loosens in some areas, the silver will tarnish underneath it, but this area will still be inaccessible to your polishing cloth, until that lacquer actually chips or peels off. This can leave your pieces unsightly. If the piece is a chain, or a filigree, the lacquer will form a film within the openings and cracks. This obviously makes the piece ugly.
If you have some heavy duty tarnishing to deal with, then the easiest thing to do is to make a paste of baking soda and warm water, use a soft bristle toothbrush and scrub and rinse.
Even dry baking soda will take the tarnish off. You ruby your jewelry back and forth into a pile of dry baking soda, then use a cosmetic brush to pat the jewelry to get the powder off.
The effects of the baking sod, whether dry or as a paste, are almost instantaneous. You can also use baking powder. You can use baking soda toothpaste. If you have a large tea-pot, you can make a dip instead of a paste.
Some people sell set-ups using baking soda and tin foil, or baking soda and a sonic bath. These are gimmicks. What’s taking the tarnish off is the baking soda. That’s all you need.
Some Additional Advice
Never use a cleaner with ammonia or sulphur in it.
Sterling Silver is best stored in an air-tight, zip lock plastic bag, and in a drawer or somewhere out of the light. When you put the silver into the plastic bag, be sure to push out all the air before sealing the bag.
[Note: Sometimes you can restore that oily polished look on gemstones by rubbing them with men’s black shoe wax.]
Kathryn was so very excited! She had just finished speaking with a reporter for a local arts magazine. He wanted to do a story about her as a jewelry designer. The magazine was 4-color, very substantial and distributed widely in her hometown area. Moreover, the reporter promised he’d include 5 pictures in the article. They made an appointment to meet in the middle of next week. And Kathryn was thrilled!
The reporter met her at her home. She greeted him, somewhat giddy, not sure what to say, or say next. She thought she would let him lead the conversation and interview. She gave him a short tour of her house — her beading room, her den, her living room. The reporter marveled at her collection of Pez dispensers and puppets. A short time later, a photographer joined them.
After 2 hours, the reporter and photographer had left. Kathryn was satisfied that they had seen several of her bead-woven jewelry pieces. She felt that she had given them a good history of how she got into jewelry making. The photographer had taken at least 20 shots of her around the house. The article was to come out in 3 weeks.
Three weeks later, and there it was.
A 4-color article. In a prominent local art magazine. About her wonderful Pez collection. And the long staircase from the street level to the living level in her house. And all her puppets. And information about her moving from Connecticut to Tennessee and having lived in Georgia. And she had three children.
And no pictures of her jewelry.
Or her bead room.
Or her making jewelry.
And no pictures, surprisingly, of her Pez collection or her puppets, given how prominently these were featured in the article.
There was a picture of her staircase. Three pictures of her sitting on a couch or chair. And a picture of a treasured vase, and quite beautiful.
Kathryn had these high hopes — Now Nashville will know about her jewelry making and design prowess.
Until she saw the article.
And knew now she’d be known for Pez dispensers.
The opportunity to get featured in a newscast or newspaper or magazine doesn’t come around often. However, when the opportunity does knock, this can have a big and positive impact on your jewelry making business. But you have to be prepared.
You Have To Remain In Control
You have to remain in control — even if this leads to a little tension between you and the reporter.
Jewelry Designers At Workshop with Warren Feld, Photo, Feld, 2013
First, pre-prepare.
MAJOR POINTS: Determine the 4 or 5 or so major points you want to make about yourself as a designer and about your jewelry.
No matter what questions the reporter asks, turn the conversation back to your major points. During the interview, keep making the major points. When the reporter returns to his notes to quote you, this will be all the material he has to draw from.
WHAT YOU SHOW AND DON’T SHOW: If you give a reporter a tour of your home, only take him to the design-relevant points of interest. Where you make the jewelry (or other product or project). Where you display your work. Where you have people try on your jewelry or use your products. Where you get inspiration for your designs. And if there’s a photographer or cameraman there, direct and narrow their attention and focus as well.
WHAT PICTURES WOULD BE MOST STRATEGIC: Pre-think what will be the 5 or so most strategic pictures that should be taken. Definitely have an “action” shot that shows you making or manipulating your designs. Perhaps another “action” shot that shows you fitting someone with your product, or them using one of your designs. Have some of your products or projects “staged” so that they are photo-ready, with great background, foreground and pedestal. Don’t wait to take your product out of a box or to boot-up your computer to show your work. If what you design is very detailed or uses very small parts or objects, these might not photograph well. Show the photographer the parts of your work that lend themselves to detailed close-ups.
Make your points. Get your images.
Second, set the stage.
YOU SHOULD BE INTERVIEWING THEM AS MUCH AS THEY WILL BE INTERVIEWING YOU: When the reporter (and photographer or cameraman) arrives, butter them up, and find out how deep and wide their knowledge is about the design work you do. If they only have a shallow understanding, educate them. How do you find the parts? How do you determine how the pieces or projects should be constructed? Do you use specialized tools? How does someone learn to do what you do?
Also, ask them about the “audience.” What kinds of things do they think that their “audience” would most like to know about the design work you do?
Given all the things you have learned from them, you might want to modify parts of your game strategy.
Third, before they begin, ask for tips.
Get them to prepare you so that you look the best, your design work will look its best, your voice will sound the best, and so forth. They are the experts. Use their expertise.
If this is getting filmed, ask about how you should stand, (or sit), the direction you should look at, and any do’s and don’ts, as they see it.
What kinds of things do they like to see/hear in an interview?
Last, when you are done, ask to get a copy.
Be sure you will be sent copies of the written articles, or DVD or video copies of any filming. Don’t assume they will automatically send you something.
Don’t be self-conscious. Don’t think all this will make you seem too pushy.
Remember: Everyone will be happy if the story comes out great!
Often, I have found, creative-types can be shy when it comes to self-promotion and marketing.
If you are a jewelry designer who has ambitions to have your work publicized in books or magazines, or to be accepted into a juried show or exhibit, or to sell your things in a store or gallery, you need to be able to promote your work.
ASK YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS… Write Your Answers Down On A Sheet of Paper
What insights, from your own experiences, can you offer your fellow jewelry designers about self-promotion?
What kinds of things help you to overcome any fears about marketing your work?
How do you handle criticism and other rejection like getting the dreaded “No”?
From an article I wrote….
Jewelry designers often find a self-satisfaction in working intensely on a project, often in isolation or solitude. But when it comes to tooting their own horns — this is not as easy or satisfying for them. There is a discomfort here. You might want to show your pieces to others, perhaps submitting them for review or a juried competition, or perhaps wanting a store or gallery to accept your pieces for sale.
Then humility kicks in. Or perhaps a lack of confidence in yourself. Or a fear of criticism. Or a rejection. Hearing: No, we don’t want your pieces.
We don’t want to appear desperate for a sale, or too eager for acceptance.
But, if you don’t believe in yourself and your products, no one will. Your fantasy of striking out on your own will never materialize, if you don’t find it within yourself to do some self-promotion.
Promote Your Value
And the first step is understanding and recognizing:
that to promote yourself means promoting your value.
Your jewelry has VALUE to them, why….?
If something has value to someone, then they typically want to know about it. Your jewelry has value to them because it solves a problem for them. It might make them happier, more beautiful, more enriched, more satisfied, more powerful, more socially accepted, more understanding of construction or technique or art and aesthetics. It might be better than other jewelry they see or wear or think about buying.
For a store or gallery, your jewelry might be more saleable, more attractive as displayed, better constructed, more artistic, more stylish or fashionable, a better fit with their customer base, with good price points.
You promote the value of your jewelry to your audience. You do not have to brag. You do not have to be shameless. You do not have to do or say anything embarrassing.
Just speak the truth about value.
Share examples of your work and what you have done, not your ego.
Speaking
And that brings up the second point — speaking.
People who are more comfortable speaking about themselves and their products tend to be more successful in their careers.
Products don’t sell themselves. People need to be nudged.
This “speaking-about-themselves and their products” is a basic communication process. This communication process is a process of sharing information.
You want to educate the right people, in the right way at the right time. You want to speak about who you are, and what you make. The values your jewelry has to offer them. And how you would like to develop your relationship — whether designer/client or designer/retailer or designer/jury — so that you may both benefit.
Fundamentally self-promotion is about communication. Communicators frame the narrative. Communicators start the conversation. They begin on favorable terms.
They would not say: Would you like to see my jewelry?
Instead, they would say: I have jewelry you are going to love.
Be Relevant
And this brings up the third point — be relevant.
Know your audience, what their needs are, what their problems are that need solving. You may have created the original piece to satisfying some personal yearning and desire. But if you want someone to buy the piece, wear the piece or sell the piece, you need to anticipate why. Why would they want to buy, wear, review or sell your piece of jewelry?
Do not assume they will figure all this out on their own. You will need to help them along in this process. You will need to communicate about the value your jewelry will have for them. You will need to do some self-promotion.
Inspire People
The last point — inspire people to spread your message.
Your best marketing and promotion will be what is called “word-of-mouth”. So you want to create supporters and fans and collaborators and colleagues. And you want them to be inspired enough about you, your creativity and your jewelry, so that they tell others about you. You inspire your current network of family and friends. You might make a presentation or teach a class. You might share images of your work on social media like FaceBook or Instagram or Twitter or Pinterest. You want to regularly connect with people, so that you and your work are frequently in their thoughts.
There are many self-promotion strategies that you can do. You don’t need to do everything at once. You might try one or two ideas first, and do those, then pick a third, and so on.
Self-Promotion Strategies
Some Self-Promotion Strategies That Have Worked Well For Others
1. Wear your jewelry all the time, and don’t be shy about saying you made it!
2. Have attractive business cards made, perhaps a brochure. Vistaprints online is a good place to start.
3. Have an active presence on social media, particularly Instagram, FaceBook, Twitter, and Pinterest; participate in discussions; get people to click on those LIKE buttons (or similar thumbs-up registers) next to your images and your discussions.
NOTE: When a person hits the LIKE button or adds a comment, look them up on the social media site. Find something about their background or their own creative work, and respond to them: (a) First, re-state their name at the top of your response, (b) thank them for the like or comment, (c) comment on what you learned about them, (d) type your name and perhaps a link to your website or your social media site.
4. Have a website, either as a “billboard”, or as a full-fledged e-commerce site
5. Get your website listed in as many online directories and search engines as you can
6. Generate an emailing list and use it regularly, such as sending out a newsletter; get into the habit of asking people if you can add them to your mailing list
NOTE: Try to maintain some more routine follow-up contacts with at least 50 people on your emailing list. Always point out something of interest about them to you.
7. Collect testimonials about your work, and post them publicly
8. Always speak and act passionately when discussing or showing your work.
NOTE: You don’t want to be sales’y. Simply show your excitement and passion and story about making the piece.
9. Organize your own discussion groups on FaceBook or LinkedIn, or begin a blog (WORDPRESS is a good place to start a blog)
10. Post video tutorials or videos showing you making things on YouTube
11. Submit images of your pieces to bead, craft and jewelry magazines
12. Teach courses, either locally, or as a connection with one of the many websites promoting teachers online
13. List yourself with websites that list custom jewelry makers for hire, such as Custommade.com
14. If your jewelry has done well for a store, convince them to carry more of it and let it take up more display space
15. Doing the occasional craft show, bazaar or flea market is also a good form of advertising and getting your message out to a large number of people you probably would never have met otherwise
16. Create a good, rememberable image to use as your avatar, on such websites as FaceBook
17. Follow up with customers and contacts, such as after a purchase, or after someone accepting to include you piece in a magazine, or sell their pieces in a shop. Thank them. Reinforce your personal brand with a short comment about the value of your pieces for them.
18. Have a clear personal style that you can point to in your jewelry, and that you can speak about.
19. Have a clear idea of what is called your “competitive advantage”. What are those 5–10 things about you and your work that sets you apart from, and perhaps makes you better than, the competition.
20. Search for companies or people that may want to see or buy your work. Use directories on Yahoo, Yelp and Google. Use LinkedIn.com. Search Twitter looking for people who are saying they need custom jewelry work done.
21. Network with other jewelry designers, both in your local area, as well as online. Ask for feedback on the self-promotional activities you are doing. Have any of these worked well for them? Are they doing other things you haven’t thought of?
22. Get out of your studio and meet people in the flesh.
23. Attend trade shows, networking events and charity events, or other types of places where your clients might also attend.
24. Offer something — one time only — for free. A free class, a free repair, a free pair of earrings.
25. Publish or self-publish a book or book-on-CD, and promote that
26. Develop your “elevator story”. Pretend you are stuck in an elevator with someone, and you have 30 seconds to say something about yourself which is very impressionable and relatable. This will prepare you for the frequently asked question: What do you do?
In this article, I discuss critical choices jewelry designers need to make when doing craft shows. That means, understanding everything involved, and asking the right questions.
[Pardon the all capital letters used below in the article. This is a script of a webinar I do.]
Learn How To… …Find, Evaluate and Select Craft Shows Right For You …Set Realistic Goals …Compute a Simple Break-Even Analysis …Best Way to Develop Your Applications and Apply …Understand How Much Inventory To Bring …Best Promote and Operate Your Craft Show Business
Doing craft shows is a wonderful experience. You can make a lot of money. You meet new people. You have new adventures. And you learn a lot about business and arts and crafts designing. That’s how I got started at Land of Odds. We made up a lot of jewelry. We put together some glass covered display boxes. We set up for the public, hoped for great weather, and prayed that our spread-the-word campaign would pay off. And it did. We repeated our success over and over again, with only a few exceptions — what we call “learning experiences.”
16 LESSONS I LEARNED DOING CRAFTSHOWS How To Find Them Lesson 1: Not Every Craft Show Is Alike Lesson 2: Research All Your Possibilities Lesson 3: Know Which Craft Shows Are For You, and, Which Are NOT For You Lesson 4: Set Realistic Goals — Breakeven Analysis Lesson 5: Get Those Applications In Early
How To Operate At Them Lesson 6: Promote, Promote, Promote Lesson 7: Set Up For Success Lesson 8: Bring Enough Inventory To Sell Lesson 9: Sell Yourself And Your Craft At The Show Lesson 10: Make A List Of Things To Bring Lesson 11: Be Prepared To Accept Credit Cards Lesson 12: Price Things To Sell, Minimize Discounting and Haggling Lesson 13: Keep Your Money Safe — Record Keeping Lesson 14: Focus Your Strategies For Generating Follow-Up Sales Lesson 15: Take Care Of Yourself Lesson 16: Be Nice To Your Neighbors
i. Final words of advice ii. Resource links
Lesson 1: Not Every Craft Show Is Alike
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR ANYONE THINKING ABOUT SELLING AT CRAFT SHOWS, FESTIVALS, BAZAARS, MARKETS, OR SIMILAR SETTINGS TO BE SMART ABOUT IT. THAT MEANS, UNDERSTANDING EVERYTHING INVOLVED, AND, ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS.
THERE ARE MANY ADVANTAGES TO DOING CRAFT SHOWS. YOU CAN MAKE GOOD MONEY. YOU CAN JUMP-START AND ENHANCE YOUR REPUTATION YOU CAN LEARN A LOT OF GOOD BUSINESS TRICKS AND FIND OUT ABOUT A LOT OF GOOD RESOURCES IF,… AND THAT’S A BIG, “IF”! YOU KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOING.
ALL TOO OFTEN, JEWELRY DESIGNERS WHO WANT TO DO CRAFT SHOWS HAVE NOT DONE THEIR HOMEWORK. THEY HAVE NOT RESEARCHED AND EVALUATED WHICH SHOWS TO DO, AND WHICH NOT TO DO. THEY HAVE NOT FIGURED OUT HOW BEST TO SET UP THEIR BOOTHS AND DISPLAYS. THEY ARE CLUELESS ABOUT WHAT INVENTORY TO MAKE, AND TO BRING, AND HOW TO PRICE IT. THEY ARE UNPREPARED TO PROMOTE, TO MARKET AND TO SELL.
MEET ROLAND AND ROLANDA. NEW TO THE JEWELRY DESIGNING TRADE.
WHEN THEY STARTED, THEY DECIDED TO APPLY TO EVERY LOCAL CRAFT SHOW AND FESTIVAL AND FLEA MARKET THEY COULD FIND. THEY SET UP AT THE ST. BERNARD’S FESTIVAL. AND THE METRO ARTS COMMISSION “IN THE PARK” PROGRAM, AND THE SOUTH 2ND STREET FLEA MARKET. AND THE FLEA MARKET AT HOUSER LAKE. AND THE TENNESSEE ARTS COMMISSION FAIR. AND THE CRAFT SHOW OF THE AMERICAS.
ROLAND AND ROLANDA DID NOT UNDERSTAND THAT EVERY CRAFT SHOW WAS NOT ALIKE. THEY WERE NOT PREPARED FOR THE CONFLICTING DEMANDS. AND THEIR BUSINESS SUFFERED FOR IT.
CRAFT SHOWS AND SIMILAR VENUES ARE PLACES WHERE YOU CAN BRING YOUR MERCHANDISE, SET UP SOME KIND OF DISPLAY AND SELL TO PEOPLE WALKING BY. CRAFT SHOWS ARE A GREAT WAY TO MAKE MONEY. PEOPLE COME TO CRAFT SHOWS TO BUY. CRAFT SHOWS ARE A GREAT WAY TO GET BROAD EXPOSURE TO A LARGE CUSTOMER BASE. THEY ARE A GREAT WAY TO JUMP-START, RE-START AND RE-ENERGIZE YOUR JEWELRY DESIGN BUSINESS. AND, SOMETIMES YOU WILL MEET PEOPLE THERE WHO OWN BUSINESSES WHERE THEY WANT TO BUY YOUR ITEMS FOR RE-SALE.
CRAFT SHOWS ALLOW YOU TO HAVE LITTLE INVESTMENT IN OVERHEAD, LIKE RENT, INSURANCE AND THE LIKE THAT COMES WITH A PHYSICAL STORE. CRAFT SHOWS MEANS YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SHARE YOUR PROFITS WITH A STORE OR GALLERY.
NOT EVERY CRAFT SHOW IS ALIKE. THERE ARE: ARTS AND CRAFTS SHOWS FLEA MARKETS AND BAZAARS FESTIVALS AND FAIRS JURIED VS. OPEN INDOOR VS. OUTDOOR HOLIDAY OR THEMED LARGE VS. SMALL OPERATIONS WALK-BY-BOOTH SETUPS VS. WALK-IN-BOOTH SETUPS MIXED MERCHANDISE VS. JEWELRY ONLY SHOWS
ARTS AND CRAFTS SHOWS ONE TYPE IS AN ARTS AND CRAFTS SHOW. THESE ARE PROFESSIONALLY PRODUCED SHOWS WHICH PROMOTE THE SALES OF HANDCRAFTED ART AND OTHER CRAFT ITEMS. THESE CAN BE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. YOU FIND THEM IN A WIDE ASSORTMENT OF SETTINGS, FROM PARKS TO COMMUNITY CENTERS TO SHOPPING MALLS. SOME FOCUS ON ART TO THE EXCLUSION OF CRAFT. OTHERS HAVE A BROADER FOCUS.
THIS TYPE OF SHOW WORKS WELL FOR JEWELRY ARTISTS. ARTS AND CRAFTS SHOWS ATTRACT A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO EXPECT TO PAY FOR QUALITY AND WHO COME TO BUY. BUT BE CAREFUL THAT THESE SHOWS ARE NOT “TOP-HEAVY” WITH JEWELRY VENDORS, UNLESS, OF COURSE, IT IS A JEWELRY-ONLY SHOW. THE APPLICATION PROCESS IS OFTEN FORMAL, AND SOMETIMES JURIED. SOME ENTRY FEES ARE VERY LOW. OTHERS ARE VERY HIGH.
FLEA MARKETS AND BAZAARS FLEA MARKETS AND BAZAARS ARE TYPICALLY ORGANIZED BY CHURCHES, SCHOOLS, CLUBS OR ORGANIZATIONS, OFTEN WITH A FUND-RAISING PURPOSE IN MIND. THERE ARE ALSO BUSINESSES IN MANY COMMUNITIES THAT, FOR A SMALL FEE, OFFER A PLACE FOR ANYONE TO COME TO SELL THEIR WARES. THERE ARE FEW RULES FOR ENTRY, AND FEES TEND TO BE VERY LOW.
THE MIX OF WHAT IS FOR SALE CAN BE VERY HAPHAZARD. PEOPLE OFTEN COME LOOKING FOR BARGAINS, OR TO BROWSE. IN MANY CASES, THE ATTENDANCE WILL HAVE HIGHS AND LOWS DURING EACH DAY
THIS TYPE OF SHOW WORKS WELL FOR THE CRAFTER OR HOBBYIST WHO MAKES THINGS DURING THE YEAR, AND WANTS A ONCE-A-YEAR SALES OUTLET. USUALLY, I FIND THAT THE RETURN-ON-INVESTMENT FOR THESE KINDS OF SHOWS IS NOT VERY GOOD. HOWEVER, IT DEPENDS ON HISTORY, TIMING, WEATHER AND LOCATION.
FOR EXAMPLE, A BAZAAR SETS UP EVERY TWO MONTHS AT A LOCAL UNIVERSITY WHERE I LIVE, THEY CHARGE $25.00 FOR A WEEKEND BOOTH RENTAL.AND PEOPLE DOING THE BAZAAR USUALLY MAKE A KILLING.
FESTIVALS AND FAIRS FESTIVALS AND FAIRS ARE “SPECIAL EVENTS”, SPONSORED BY TOWNS, CIVIC GROUPS, OR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, AND OFTEN PUT ON BY A SPECIAL PROMOTER. THESE ARE WELL-ORGANIZED, WELL-PUBLICIZED AND ATTRACT LOTS OF PEOPLE. SOMETIMES THESE WILL TAKE THE FORM OF AN ARTS AND CRAFTS SHOW, AND THAT WILL BE THEIR CENTRAL PURPOSE. OTHERTIMES, THE MAIN PURPOSE IS SOME KIND OF ENTERTAINMENT, AND THEY HAVE AN AREA SET ASIDE FOR PEOPLE TO SELL THEIR WARES.
IF THE PROMOTERS EMPHASIZE THE ARTS AND CRAFTS PART OF THE FESTIVAL, THEN YOU CAN DO WELL HERE. PEOPLE AT FESTIVALS ARE TYPICALLY WILLING TO SPEND AT MID-RANGE PRICES. IF THERE IS VERY LITTLE PROMOTION OF ARTS AND CRAFTS, OR, IF THAT AREA SET ASIDE FOR ARTS AND CRAFTS SALES IS FAR FROM THE MAIN ACTION, THEN THIS MAY NOT WORK OUT WELL FOR YOU.
JURIED OR OPEN ADMISSION SOME SHOWS ARE OPEN TO ALL TAKERS WHO PAY THE ENTRY FEE. OTHER SHOWS ARE JURIED. THAT IS, THEY REQUIRE THAT YOU SUBMIT IMAGES OF YOUR WORK, AND PERHAPS, SOME KIND OF ARTIST STATEMENT A PANEL OF JUDGES REVIEWS YOUR WORK, AND DECIDES WHOM TO ADMIT TO THE SHOW. JURIED SHOWS MAY ALSO REQUIRE THAT YOU SUBMIT IMAGES OF YOUR BOOTH AND DISPLAY SET UP.
JURIED SHOWS HAVE GOOD CONTROL OVER THE QUALITY OF VENDORS, AS WELL AS THE MIX OF MERCHANDISE AVAILABLE FOR SALE. THE FEES CAN BE STEEP. IF THESE JURIED SHOWS HAVE A GOOD REPUTATION AND HISTORY, THEY CAN BE VERY LUCRATIVE. THEY ARE BIG REPUTATION BUILDERS.
INDOOR OR OUTDOOR SOME SHOWS ARE HELD INDOORS. HERE YOU HAVE SOME PROTECTION FROM THE WEATHER. OTHER SHOWS ARE HELD OUTDOORS, WHERE YOU DO NOT. ON GOOD WEATHER DAYS, PEOPLE LIKE TO BE OUTDOORS. ON BAD WEATHER DAYS, PEOPLE LIKE TO BE INDOORS.
WHAT YOU BRING AND HOW YOU SET UP WILL VARY A BIT BETWEEN INDOOR AND OUTDOOR. YOU CAN OFTEN SPREAD OUT A LITTLE MORE, WHEN OUTDOORS. YOU WILL HAVE DIFFERENT SPECIAL LIGHTING NEEDS INDOORS THAN OUTDOORS. IF THE INDOOR SHOW IS VERY WELL ATTENDED, IT CAN GET VERY CLAUSTROPHIC, DUSTY AND HOT. IF THE WEATHER GETS REALLY BAD OR UNPREDICTABLE, YOU MIGHT HAVE A POOR SHOWING AT AN OUTDOOR SHOW. BE SURE TO ASK THE SHOW PROMOTERS WHAT THEIR POLICY IS FOR INCLEMENT WEATHER, IF THE SHOW IS OUTDOORS.
HOLIDAY, THEMED OR TIMING SENSITIVE SHOWS SOME SHOWS HAVE A STRONG THEME WHICH SETS A VERY IMPORTANT TONE AND DIRECTION FOR THE SHOW. YOU NEED TO PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THIS THEME. THERE ARE CHRISTMAS SHOWS AND WESTERN SHOWS AND NATIVE AMERICAN SHOWS. THERE ARE SUMMER CELEBRATIONS AND WINTER CELEBRATIONS. THERE ARE ETHNIC FESTIVALS. TOWN HISTORY FESTIVALS. HISTORICAL RE-ENACTMENTS.
LOTS OF SHOWS AND FESTIVALS AND BAZAARS WITH A HOLIDAY OR OTHER THEME, OR SOMETHING WHICH ARE TIED TO A SPECIFIC TIME OR EVENT. MAKE SURE THE MERCHANDISE YOU BRING, AND HOW YOU SET UP YOUR DISPLAYS AND SIGNAGE, AND EVEN THE WAY YOU PRESENT YOURSELF AS AN ARTIST AND CRAFTSPERSON, COORDINATES WELL WITH THE THEME.
LARGE VS. SMALL OPERATION SOME OPERATIONS ARE LARGE, OTHERS ARE SMALL. OBVIOUSLY, THE LARGER THEY ARE, THE MORE PEOPLE THEY WILL ATTRACT AND THE MORE LIKELY THEY WILL SUSTAIN THEMSELVES OVER TIME. THAT MEANS LESS RISK FOR YOU. HOWEVER, IF THE OPERATION IS SMALL,SUCH AS A SMALL NUMBER OF VENDORS, OR, A LIMITED RANGE OR QUANTITY OF MERCHANDISE, OR, A SMALLER EXPECTED ATTENDANCE, OR, MINIMAL ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION,
THEN, IT POSES MORE RISK, FROM A BUSINESS SENSE, SO, WHEN SETTING UP AT A SMALL OPERATION, BE SURE THERE ARE SOME OTHER COMPENSATING FACTORS. SUCH AS A SPECIAL LOCATION OR THAT IT IS LINKED TO A VERY SPECIAL EVENT OR THAT THE ATTENDEES ARE PRIMED TO SPEND, AND SPEND A LOT.
WALK-BY OR WALK-IN BOOTHS SOME SHOWS LET YOU SET UP SOME KIND OF BOOTH, WHERE CUSTOMERS CAN WALK INTO, WE CALL THIS A WALK-IN SETUP. OTHER SHOWS LINE UP ROWS OF TABLES. YOU RENT ONE OR MORE TABLES. THE TABLES, FROM VENDOR TO VENDOR, USUALLY MERGE WITH ONE ANOTHER. CUSTOMERS WORK THEIR WAY PAST THE FRONT OF THESE ROWS OF TABLES. WE CALL THIS A WALK-BY SETUP.
I PREFER WALK-IN SET-UPS. THESE GIVE YOU MUCH BETTER CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT OF CUSTOMERS AND THE BUYING SITUATION. THEY MORE CLEARLY DELINEATE THE BOUDARIES OF YOUR BOOTH, FROM THOSE OF YOUR NEIGHBORS.
IF DOING A WALK-BY SET-UP, THEN IF YOU CAN SECURE A CORNER SPACE, OR A CENTRAL AISLE INTERSECTION OR A SPOT NEAR THE MAIN ENTRANCE, THESE WORK BETTER. THEY GIVE YOU MORE VISIBILITY.
IF YOU CAN AFFORD TO RENT MORE THAN 1 TABLE AND HAVE THE INVENTORY TO DISPLAY ON MORE THAN 1 TABLE, THIS GIVES YOU EVEN MORE VISIBILITY. THE MORE VISIBILITY YOU HAVE, THE BETTER YOUR SALES.
JEWELRY ONLY VS. MIX OF MERCHANDISE MOST SHOWS SHOWCASE A MIX OF MERCHANDISE. HOWEVER, SOME SHOWS ARE JEWELRY ONLY. WHEN IT IS JEWELRY-ONLY, THE SHOW ATTRACTS BUYERS SPECIFICALLY INTERESTED IN JEWELRY BUT WILL ATTRACT A SMALLER NUMBER OF BUYERS. IF YOU ARE SELLING AT A JEWELRY ONLY SHOW, BE SURE SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR WORK SETS YOU APART FROM THE CROWD.
WHEN IT IS A MIX OF MERCHANDISE, IT MAY BE A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT TO LINK UP TO YOUR TARGET CUSTOMER. HOWEVER, THERE WILL BE MORE POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS OVERALL. SHOWS WHICH HAVE A MIX OF MERCHANDISE OFTEN HAVE TO LIMIT THE NUMBER OF JEWELRY VENDORS — JEWELRY IS AN ESPECIALLY POPULAR CATEGORY.
LARGE MARKETING, ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION BUDGETS VS. SMALL BUDGETS AT THE SHOW, YOU ARE DEPENDENT ON ATTENDANCE. THAT MEANS, YOU ARE DEPENDENT ON HOW WELL THE SHOW PROMOTERS DELIVER THE GOODS. HOW MUCH MONEY DO THEY SPEND ON ADVERTISING AND MARKETING … TO GET THE WORD OUT? … HOW MUCH EFFORT ARE THEY MAKING TO EARN A GOOD REPUTATION?
SO, SHOWS WITH LARGE MARKETING BUDGETS DO BETTER THAN THOSE WITH SMALL ONES ESTABLISHED SHOWS DO MUCH, MUCH BETTER THAN 1ST YEAR SHOWS. IN FACT, I WOULD AVOID DOING SHOWS IN THEIR 1ST OR 2ND YEARS, UNTIL I SAW THAT THEY WERE SUCCEEDING ON SOME LEVEL.
I WOULD ALSO CLOSELY EXAMINE THE SHOW’S MARKETING BUDGET. IT MAY BE LARGE, BUT THEY MAY BE PLANNING TO SPEND ALL THEIR MONEY ON A SINGLE BILLBOARD ALONG THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. THIS IS NOT ENOUGH. YOU WANT TO SEE THE SHOW PROMOTERS UNDERTAKING A MULTIMETHOD MARKETING PLAN.
WHOLESALE TRADE VS. RETAIL TRADE FINALLY, WHILE MOST SHOWS WOULD BE CONSIDERED “RETAIL” SHOWS, THAT IS, TARGETED AT THE GENERAL PUBLIC. SOME SHOWS ARE FOR THE WHOLESALE TRADE. THAT IS, BUSINESSES WHO SHOP WHOLESALE SHOWS ARE LOOKING FOR LINES OF MERCHANDISE TO CARRY. THESE BUSINESSES HAVE THEIR OWN RETAIL OUTLETS FOR RE-SELLING YOUR WORK. THE FEES FOR THESE SHOWS ARE USUALLY VERY STEEP. YOU NEED TO BE PREPARED TO ACCEPT AND DELIVER ON LARGE ORDERS. OFTEN, TWO OR MORE BUSINESSES WILL SHARE THE COSTS OF A SINGLE BOOTH.
Lesson 2: Research All Your Possibilities
“I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE”
THAT SHOULD BE IMOGENE MCALLISTER ROSENSTEIN’S SONG. BECAUSE THAT’S HOW SHE FINDS HER CRAFT SHOWS. BY WORD OF MOUTH BY TWEET BY FACEBOOK POST FROM FRIENDS AND FRIENDS OF FRIENDS AND FAMILY OF FRIENDS OF FRIENDS. LIKE I SAID, SHE HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE.
SHE KEPT SAYING TO ME, “I HEARD SUCH AND SUCH A SHOW WAS GREAT,” “HAVE YOU HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT IT?” RARELY EVER. SHE WOULD SIGN UP FOR THINGS IN PARTS OF TOWN THAT NONE OF HER CUSTOMERS WOULD GO TO. SHE WAS LITERALLY ALL OVER THE PLACE.
THERE ARE PLENTY OF TOOLS AND RESOURCES FOR FINDING OUT WHICH CRAFT SHOWS ARE RIGHT FOR YOU. YOU JUST HAVE TO MAKE YOURSELF AWARE OF THESE…AND USE THEM.
FINDING THEM: CRAFT SHOW DIRECTORIES
At the end of this handout, is a list of on-line craft show listings and databases. You can search these databases to see what shows are available where and when. You can determine what application rules and fees exist. You should follow up on this research by trying to find and talk with vendors who’ve attended these shows before. See if you can uncover an exhibitors/vendors list. If you can visit the show and check it out beforehand, that would be great.
Examine the mix of items offered at the show. Will your inventory complement and fit in? You want to be unique and different, yet you also want your products to have a good fit with whatever else is there. It’s the synergistic effect of all the vendors together which brings the crowds in, and this effect is greater when there are a lot of related things there for sale. Does the show’s style or theme fit well with that of your merchandise and your business? If you’re selling fashion jewelry, you don’t necessarily want to be set up at a country crafts show.
Find out the general attendance at the show, and the number of vendors exhibiting there. Evaluate the numbers with a critical eye. For example, a show without an admission fee might have a large attendance, but many of those attending might not necessarily be there to buy. Another example, all the booths might be full, but many of the vendors might be somehow associated with the event promoters and primarily there to give the appearance of filling up the spaces. Ask questions that get to the core issue: What are the qualities of the customers? What are the qualities of the vendors?
Find out how long the show has been in existence, and how it seems to have fared over time. Shows in their first year or two may not do well, because many people may be unfamiliar with the show. A show’s long-time staying power might reflect on its strength. Conversely, it might reflect on people needlessly holding onto tradition.
Ask about what kinds of marketing the show operators plan to do, and how systematically they’ve evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of past marketing strategies. Hopefully, they plan to do more than putting up a few signs. Successful show marketing requires a multi-method approach, lot of sustained effort and follow-through.
Critically assess the location of the show. Would your customers venture out to this location? Are there parking issues, finding-the-place issues, or related concerns? What are your specific options for a booth location within the show itself? Very often, newcomers start in the least desirable areas. Will customers at the show still find you? Will you be near complementary booths — ones with items that will attract customers you want to attract to your own booth?
Is the show held in conjunction with other activities? Are there entertainment or educational activities? Are there food concessions? Are there adequate bathroom facilities?
If possible, talk with other exhibitors who have done the show. Has it met their expectations? What kinds of people attend the show, and what types of products do they seem to buy? How much does a typical person spend at a booth? How is the traffic flow, and what, if any, peculiarities are there? What is the quality of the merchandise at the show?
If you determine that a particular show is a good fit for you, you should give it more than one chance. You might not do well your first time out because your own marketing efforts or inventory selection might be deficient. Sometimes even a good show has an off year.
THERE ARE MANY ONLINE CRAFT SHOW DIRECTORIES
– CONSUMER CRAFT AND BEADING MAGAZINES
– CRAFT AND ART ORGANIZATIONS, ASSOCIATIONS AND CLUBS IN THEIR NEWSLETTERS, ON THEIR WEBSITES AND FACEBOOK PAGES
– SOMETIMES CRAFT SHOWS WILL TAKE OUT ADS IN LOCAL PAPERS LOOKING FOR VENDORS
YOU CAN ALSO ATTEND LOCAL SHOWS AND TALK WITH MANAGEMENT YOU CAN TALK TO VARIOUS VENDORS AT LOCAL SHOWS. YOU CAN CONTACT LOCAL CRAFT AND FINE ARTISTS.
THERE ARE ALSO SERVICES ONLINE WHICH HELP CRAFT SHOWS FIND YOU. FOR EXAMPLE, JURIED ART SERVICES OR ZAPPLICATION. THESE DIGITAL JURIED AND APPLICATION SYSTEMS ALLOW YOU TO POST A PROFILE WITH IMAGES ONLINE. THEY SEND OUT EMAIL CALLS FOR APPLICATIONS FROM CRAFTS SHOWS THEY REPRESENT. AND THEY ALLOW YOU TO TAILOR FIT YOUR APPLICATION TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF THAT SPECIFIC SHOW.
YOU REGISTER WITH THESE ONLINE, UPLOADING IMAGES OF YOUR WORK, IMAGES OF YOUR BOOTH AND DISPLAY, AND VARIOUS WRITE-UPS.
LESSON 3: NOT EVERY CRAFT SHOW IS FOR YOU
ROWENA STARLIGHT LIKED TO TELL EVERYONE SHE LIVED ON LIGHTHOUSE ROAD.
SHE MIGHT AS WELL HAVE BEEN LIVING IN OUTER MONGOLIA. SHE WAS DETERMINED TO SELL HIGH-END JEWELRY IN LOW-BROW SETTINGS. SHE SPENT SO MUCH TIME MAKING EACH PIECE OF JEWELRY, AND SO LITTLE TIME RESEARCHING WHERE TO SELL IT. SHE RARELY SOLD ANYTHING, SAD FOR HER, SHE COULDN’T FIGURE OUT WHY.
NOT EVERY CRAFT SHOW WILL BE FOR YOU. WHEN YOU RESEARCH SHOW OPPORTUNITIES, ASK YOURSELF: IS THERE A GOOD FIT WITH
= YOUR MERCHANDISE, = YOUR GOALS, = YOUR EXPECTATIONS, “ = YOUR CUSTOMERS?
EVALUATE ALL YOUR SHOW OPTIONS BEFORE SELECTING ONE OR MORE OF THEM. MAKE SITE VISITS. SCOPE IT OUT BEFORE COMMITTING TO IT. IF YOU CAN’T ATTEND A SHOW PRIOR TO APPLYING, ASK THE PROMOTER FOR NAMES AND PHONE NUMBERS OR EMAIL ADDRESSES OF A FEW OF THE EXHIBITORS THAT HAVE DONE THE SHOW BEFORE, AND ARE RETURNING AGAIN.
YOU WANT TO ASK AND HAVE ANSWERED A SERIES OF QUESTIONS. QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF. QUESTIONS TO ASK OTHER VENDORS. QUESTIONS TO ASK THE SHOW PROMOTERS.
WHEN YOU ARE ON YOUR SITE VISIT… CAREFULLY OBSERVE AND ASK YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS? — IS THE VENDOR AREA THE FOCUS OF THE SHOW, OR A PART OF A LARGER ENTERTAINMENT VENUE? — IS THERE ENTERTAINMENT? — ARE THERE FOOD VENDORS? — WHO IS THE CUSTOMER? — IS THERE GOOD ATTENDANCE? — IS THERE AN ADMISSION CHARGE? — IS THERE ADEQUATE CUSTOMER PARKING? — ARE THE CUSTOMERS BUYING OR BROWSING? — WHAT IS THE MERCHANDISE MIX, AND HOW MUCH IS JEWELRY? — WHAT IS THE QUALITY OF THE MERCHANDISE LIKE? — IS THE MERCHANDISE HAND-CRAFTED ONLY, MOSTLY HAND-CRAFTED, OR NOT?
SPEAK WITH THE VENDORS, AND ASK THEM: — HOW WELL DOES THIS SHOW WORK FOR THEM? — HOW DID THEY FIND OUT ABOUT THE SHOW? — ARE THEY SATISFIED WITH THE MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING OF THE SHOW? — ARE THERE OTHER VENDORS, PERHAPS TOO MANY OTHER VENDORS, SELLING THE SAME KIND OF THING? — WHAT ARE THE BEST SHOWS THEY HAVE DONE, AND HOW DOES THIS ONE COMPARE? — WOULD THEY RETURN TO THIS SHOW AND DO IT AGAIN?
IF YOU CAN, SPEAK WITH THE PROMOTERS. — HOW LONG HAVE THEY BEEN DOING SHOWS, AND THIS SHOW IN PARTICULAR? — WHAT ARE THEIR GOALS FOR THE SHOW? — WHAT KIND OF MARKETING AND PROMOTION DO THEY DO? — WHAT IS THE AVERAGE ATTENDANCE? — WHAT AMOUNT DOES THE TYPICAL CUSTOMER SPEND? — WHAT ARE THE FEES? — DO YOU TAKE ANY ADDITIONAL COMMISIONS, SUCH AS A PERCENT OF SALES? — ARE THERE ANY INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS? — WHAT IS INVOLVED WITH THE APPLICATION PROCESS? — TELL THEM WHAT YOU SELL, AND ASK THEM IF THEY THINK YOU WOULD FIT IN? — IF YOU WANT TO DO THE NEXT SHOW, WHEN SHOULD YOU APPLY? — CAN YOU CHOOSE YOUR BOOTH LOCATION? — CAN YOU DO DEMONSTRATIONS IN YOUR BOOTH?
ASK THEM TO ADD YOUR NAME TO THEIR MAILING LIST.
THEN, CHECK FOR SHOW REVIEWS, RATINGS AND EXPERIENCES ONLINE. DO SOME SOCIAL NETWORKING. AND THINK!
THINK ABOUT… HOW COMFORTABLE ARE YOU WITH THE LOCATION, THE SETTING, THE LAY-OUT? THE OPPORTUNITY? THE POSSIBILITIES TO MAKE A PROFIT? HOW DOES YOUR MERCHANDISE STACK UP AGAINST THAT WHICH YOU HAVE SEEN?
TRY TO VISUALIZE THE EVENT IN YOUR MIND WITH AS MUCH INFORMATION YOU HAVE GATHERED. IS THIS PARTICULAR EVENT FOR YOU? DOES THIS SHOW ATTRACT THE TYPES OF CUSTOMERS MOST LIKELY TO BUY WHAT YOU MAKE?
craft show traffic flow
LESSON 4: SET REALISTIC GOALS
MAKING MONEY AT FAIRS AND SHOWS ISN’T AS EASY AS IT SEEMS.
AS ROLAND AND ROLANDA QUICKLY FOUND OUT. THEY THOUGHT ALL IT TOOK WAS TO RENT A TABLE AT ANY SHOW OR FAIR LAY OUT THEIR JEWELRY, WAIT FOR CUSTOMERS TO COME BY AND PURCHASE THEIR STUFF.
ALL THROUGH THE SHOWS, THEY SAT ON CHAIRS READING BOOKS, WAITING FOR PEOPLE TO COME BY. THEY SPENT MORE MONEY ON INVENTORY, PACKING, DISPLAYS AND TRAVEL THAN THEY EVER MADE. AND THEY NEVER DEVELOPED ANY KIND OF PLAN OF ACTION.
ROLAND AND ROLANDA NEEDED TO SET REALISTIC GOALS:
– (1) HOW MUCH MONEY DID THEY HAVE TO GET STARTED AND SUSTAIN THEMSELVES?
– (2) WHAT WAS THEIR BREAK-EVEN POINT?
– (3) WHAT DID THEY NEED TO PREPARE THEMSELVES TO “SELL”?
(4) WHAT AMOUNT OF REPEAT BUSINESS AND FOLLOW-UP SALES WERE THEY LOOKING FOR?
Defining Your Business / Setting Your Goals / Getting Started
Before you get started in your craft business, you need to do some thinking and reflecting. You need to have a clear idea of the types of products you want to sell, and what you think people will be willing to pay for them.
Then you need to research craft show opportunities. We suggest you start small, and start locally. Check out crafts fairs sponsored by local Arts and Park Commissions, churches and synagogues, non-profit organizations and schools. Your local craft and bead stores may know of craft shows, as well. YOU OBVIOUSLY WANT TO KEEP YOUR EXPENSES TO A MINIMUM, AND THERE CAN BE SOME STEEP UP-FRONT COSTS, SUCH AS CREATING A SUFFICIENT INVENTORY.STARTING SMALL GIVES YOU A CHANCE TO TEST OUT YOUR IDEAS ABOUT COSTS. WHEN YOU START, YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO SHARE BOOTH SPACE WITH ANOTHER FRIEND WHO HAS A BUSINESS. AND SHARE SOME OF THOSE OTHER FIXED COSTS, LIKE TRAVEL AND FEES.
Next, set some business goals. How much are you willing to spend to be included in a Craft Show? How much money do you want to make? To what degree is it important that you make a profit at your first craft show(s)? In what ways can you leverage your efforts to increase your business later on — such as, strategies for getting repeat business, or increasing your mailing list, or finding information from other vendors about other show opportunities or other sources of craft supplies?
Then think about yourself, your personality, energy levels, levels of patience. Is there a good fit, and if not, what kinds of self-improvement things do you need to do to get that good fit? IT REQUIRES AN ABILITY TO KEEP UP A GOOD “RETAIL PERSONALITY” WHILE STANDING ON YOUR FEET FOR LONG HOURS, SOMETIMES WHEN IT’S TOO HOT OR TOO COLD OR TOO WINDY AND DUSTY. “SELLING JEWELRY” REQUIRES A DIFFERENT MIND-SET THAN “CREATING JEWELRY.” IF YOU DON’T HAVE THE PERSONALITY FOR “SELLING”, YOU MIGHT BRING A FRIEND WITH YOU WHO DOES.
Set goals about WHAT AMOUNT OF REPEAT BUSINESS AND FOLLOW-UP SALES SHOULD YOU LOOK FOR? A GOOD GOAL TO SET IS TO GENERATE REPEAT BUSINESS EQUAL TO 25%.SO, IF YOU HAD 10 SALES AT THE SHOW, YOUR GOAL WOULD BE TO GET 3 REPEAT SALES. THESE COULD OCCUR WHEN THE CUSTOMER CONTACTS YOU BETWEEN SHOWS. THESE COULD ALSO OCCUR AT THE NEXT SHOW YOU DO, WHEN THE CUSTOMER BUYS FROM YOU AGAIN. YOU WILL MAKE A MUCH HIGHER PROFIT AND EXPERIENCE BETTER LONG-TERM OUTCOMES, THROUGH REPEAT BUSINESS. WITH REPEAT BUSINESS, YOU CAN CONSIDERABLY LOWER YOUR VARIABLE COSTS, PARTICULARLY THOSE ASSOCIATED WITH MARKETING.BECAUSE OF THIS, THAT 2ND OR FOLLOW-UP SALE IS OFTEN MORE IMPORTANT THAN THAT 1ST SALE AT THE SHOW.
BREAKEVEN ANALYSIS
HOW MUCH MONEY WILL YOU NEED?
MAKE A LIST OF ALL POSSIBLE COSTS. THERE ARE THE OBVIOUS LIKE TRANSPORTATION, LODGING AND MEALS. AND THE COSTS OF DISPLAYS, PACKING AND MARKETING. AND THE COSTS OF THE PARTS USED TO MAKE THE PIECES WHICH SELL.
ENTRY FEES WILL VARY WIDELY FROM SHOW TO SHOW. THEY COULD COST $25/DAY UP TO $400 AND UP PER DAY. THEY COULD GO AS HIGH AS $5000 PER DAY.
IF YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC CRAFT SHOW IN MIND, REVIEW THEIR RULES, AND WHAT THEIR ENTRY FEES COVER, AND DO NOT COVER. WHAT ARE THE COSTS OF EXTRAS, LIKE ELECTRICITY, TABLES, SPECIAL LIGHTING? DO THEY ALSO COLLECT A PERCENT OF SALES? DO THEY OFFER SPECIAL SERVICES, LIKE BOOTH SITTING, FOR EXTRA FEES? IS PARKING FREE, OR DO THEY CHARGE? DO YOU NEED TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INSURANCE? WILL YOU NEED TO PURCHASE SPECIAL LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS AND PERMITS, SUCH AS AN OUT OF STATE WHOLESALE LICENSE?
YOU NEED TO PREPARE A PLAN AND A BUDGET… …TO BE SURE YOU CAN PAY FOR WHAT YOU ARE COMMITTING YOURSELF TO.
(1)Understand different types of costs and how to account for them
(2)Learn to apply simple Breakeven Analysis Formula
(3)Set revenue goals
(4)Determine how much inventory you need to bring with you
(5)Think about reinvestment
4.1. Types of Costs
FIXED COSTS: FIXED COSTS ARE COSTS THAT REMAIN THE SAME, REGARDLESS OF HOW MANY ITEMS YOU SELL AT YOUR CRAFT FAIR.
FIXED COSTS INCLUDE THINGS LIKE FEES, TRAVEL, FOOD, AND STAFFING. AGAIN, YOU HAVE TO LAY OUT THIS MONEY FOR FIXED COSTS, WHETHER YOU MADE NO MONEY AT ALL, OR MADE A BUCKET FULL OF MONEY AT YOUR CRAFT FAIR.
VARIABLE COSTS: VARIABLE COSTS ARE COSTS THAT GET INCURRED WHEN EACH UNIT IS SOLD.
THUS, VARIABLE COSTS FLUCTUATE BASED ON THE NUMBER OF UNITS SOLD. IF YOU SELL VERY FEW PIECES, YOUR VARIABLE COSTS ARE SMALL, IF YOU SELL A LOT OF PIECES, YOUR VARIABLE COSTS WILL BE MUCH HIGHER.
VARIABLE COSTS INCLUDE SPECIAL PACKAGING AND DISPLAYS, BROCHURES AND BUSINESS CARDS HANDED OUT WITH EACH SALE, CREDIT CARD FEES YOU ARE CHARGED BY THE BANKS AFTER EACH SALE, AND THE COST OF THE PARTS USED TO MAKE EACH PIECE THAT HAS SOLD.
WE ESTIMATE VARIABLE COSTS USING SOME INDUSTRY STANDARDS ABOUT THE PERCENT OF TOTAL SALES (USING RETAIL PRICES) THESE COSTS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH.
WHEN WE CALCULATE THE COST OF INVENTORY, WE DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THE COST OF THOSE PIECES WHICH WE HAVE SOLD FROM THE COST OF THOSE PIECES WE DID NOT SELL.
FOR PURPOSES OF DEVELOPING A BUDGET AND CALCULATING A BREAK-EVEN ANALYSIS, TO HELP US DECIDE WHETHER A PARTICULAR CRAFT SHOW IS WORTH THE RISK, WE FOCUS ONLY ON THE ESTIMATES BASED ON WHAT WE SELL.
NOTE: There are two other costs we do not deal with in a breakeven analysis, but have big impacts on your business decisions: 1. INVENTORY COSTS. Breakeven Analysis deals with the costs of your inventory which has sold. But you have to bring a lot more pieces with you, and will only sell a proportion of them, typically 25% is a good goal. You will still have to come up with enough cash to cover the full cost of putting together an inventory.
2. REINVESTMENT COSTS. Out of your profits, you will want to reserve some money to buy more jewelry making supplies beyond what you already have and beyond what you need to replace the items sold. You will also want to invest in new displays, packaging, additional marketing and the like. For new businesses, these reinvestments are usually 20–25% or more of your profit. If you think you need to make $100.00 to cover your business and personal costs, perhaps, with an eye on reinvestment, you need to up that goal to $125.00.
4.2Learn to apply simple Breakeven Analysis Formula
BREAKEVEN ANALYSIS
I WANT TO INTRODUCE YOU TO A QUICK AND DIRTY BREAKEVEN ANALYSIS. I CALL THIS “QUICK AND DIRTY” BECAUSE WE ARE USING IMPERFECT INFORMATION. HOWEVER, THIS IMPERFECT INFORMATION IS GOOD ENOUGH TO HELP US MAKE A DECISION WHETHER A PARTICULAR CRAFT SHOW IS WORTH THE RISK.
YOUR BREAKEVEN POINT IS WHERE YOU HAVE SOLD ENOUGH INVENTORY TO COVER YOUR FIXED AND VARIABLE COSTS. WE EQUATE “INVENTORY” WITH THE TOTAL RETAIL DOLLARS TAKEN IN.
WE USE OUR QUICK AND DIRTY BREAKEVEN ANALSIS TO ANSWER THE QUESTION: HOW MUCH INVENTORY DO I NEED TO SELL IN ORDER TO BREAK EVEN?
LET’S FAMILIARIZE OURSELVES MORE WITH THE COMPONENTS OF THE FORMULA, AND THEN REVIEW THE MATH.
EXAMPLE: 2-Day Craft Show, 200 miles away, and you need 1 extra person
SAY YOU WILL BE DOING A 2-DAY CRAFT SHOW OUT OF TOWN, 200 MILES AWAY FROM HOME. AND YOU WILL NEED TO HIRE 1 PERSON TO HELP YOU. LET’S LOOK AT OUR BUDGET FOR DOING THIS PARTICULAR CRAFT SHOW. YOU HAVE BUDGETED FOR YOUR FIXED AND VARIABLE COSTS AS SHOWN IN THE TABLE. I HAVE PLUGGED IN SOME TYPICAL NUMBERS INTO THIS BUDGET TABLE.
OUR FIXED COSTS ARE RELATIVELY EASY TO FIGURE OUT.
OUR VARIABLE COSTS, HOWEVER, WILL HAVE TO BE ESTIMATED.
THESE VARIABLE COSTS ARE KEYED OFF THE ESTIMATED SALES DATA (KEYED OFF OF RETAIL PRICES YOU SET FOR YOUR JEWELRY). In the chart above, $1528.57 is the estimated sales we think we will get at the craft show, stated in total retail prices. [We can estimate our sales because we expect to sell 25% of the total inventory brought. In this case, we would have brought 4*1528.57 or $6114.28 (at retail pricing). ] [So, if we marked up our inventory by 3, in this case, our wholesale costs for these sales would have been $1528.57/3 or $509.52, but the cost to us of all the inventory we brought with us would be $6114.28/3 or $2038.09.]
WE WILL USE SOME INDUSTRY PERCENT OF ITEMS SOLD PRICE STANDARDS, These are usually stated as some percent of every dollar sold (at retail pricing). AS WELL AS OUR BREAKEVEN ANALYSIS FORMULA TO HELP US FIGURE OUT THE “TO BE CALCULATED” VARIABLE COSTS IN OUR BUDGET TABLE.
FOR EXAMPLE, I HAVE USED 12% AS THE PROPORTION OF THE TOTAL RETAIL PRICE THAT WOULD BE SPENT ON MARKETING COSTS. THE COSTS WOULD INCLUDE BROCHURES, BUSINESS CARDS, A POST CARD MAILING, SOME PROMOTIONAL ADS, AND SOME EFFORT TO CONTACT PREVIOUS CUSTOMERS TO LET THEM KNOW YOU WILL BE AT THIS CRAFT SHOW. THE INDUSTRY STANDARD FOR MARKETING RANGES BETWEEN 5 AND 15 PER CENT. IF YOU ARE GETTING STARTED, YOU CAN USE MY NUMBERS PRESENTED IN THIS TABLE. AFTER YOU HAVE DONE A FEW CRAFT SHOWS, YOU CAN BEGIN TO ANALYZE YOUR OWN SALES AND COST DATA, TO DEVELOP WHAT ARE CALLED MULTIPLIERS FOR EACH VARIABLE LINE-ITEM CATEGORY.
BREAKEVEN FORMULA
OUR BREAKEVEN FORMULA HAS 3 VARIABLES:
LET’S TRY SOME MATH:
LOOK BACK AT OUR DEVELOPING BUDGET TABLE.
Y, WHICH IS OUR FIXED COSTS TOTAL = $535.00 .z IS THAT PERCENT OF REVENUE REPRESENTING TOTAL VARIABLE COSTS.
.z= .65 (.65 IS SUM OF OUR MULTIPLERS IN OUR BUDGET TABLE .05+.12+.02+.05+.01+.40)
SOLVE FOR X
NEXT, USING OUR BREAKEVEN FORMULA, WE SOLVE FOR X
TO SOLVE FOR X, WE NEED TO RE-ORGANIZE OUR FORMULA SO THAT THE X VARIABLE, WHICH OCCURS TWICE IN OUR FORMULA, IS ALL PUT ON ONE SIDE OF THE EQUATION.
THIS IS HOW WE SOLVE THIS FORMULA:
a. WE START WITH: X = 535.00 + .65X
b. WE MOVE THE .65X TO THE LEFT SIDE, BY SUBTRACTING IT FROM BOTH SIDES X-.65X = 535.00
c. WE COMBINE BOTH X VARIABLES, WHICH IN EFFECT, LET’S US SUBTRACT THE .65X FROM 1X, LEAVING US WITH .35X .35X = 535.00
d. WE DIVIDE BOTH SIDES OF THE EQUATION BY .35, TO GIVE US 1X X = 535/.35
e. AND WE GET OUR BREAKEVEN POINT X = $1528.57 (total inventory at retail price we need to sell to break even, given our fixed and variable costs)
SO, TO BREAK EVEN, WE WOULD NEED TO SELL A RETAIL TOTAL OF $1528.57 OF MERCHANDISE AT OUR 2-DAY SHOW. TO SELL THAT MUCH INVENTORY, WE WOULD NEED TO BRING ABOUT 4 TIMES THAT MUCH, OR $6,000.00 OF INVENTORY WITH US.
LET’S LOOK AT OUR RESULTING VARIABLE COSTS CALCULATIONS.
NOW, LET’S REVIEW OUR BREAKEVEN ANALYSIS WITH ANOTHER EXAMPLE.
SAY YOU ARE DOING A 1-DAY CRAFT SHOW CLOSE TO HOME, LOW FEES, YOU BRING YOUR OWN TABLES, DON’T NEED ELECTRICITY, AND DON’T NEED EXTRA STAFFING. YOU DON’T PLAN ON DOING A LOT OF MARKETING.
FIRST, YOU BEGIN TO SET UP A BUDGET.
HERE WE HAVE FIXED COSTS EQUAL TO $70.00. OUR VARIABLE COSTS WE ESTIMATE TO BE 54% OF OUR TOTAL REVENUES.
NEXT, WE CALCULATE OUR BREAKEVEN POINT, USING OUR QUICK AND DIRTY FORMULA.
WE SEE OUR BREAKEVEN POINT IS $152.17. AND, USING OUR RULE OF THUMB ABOUT HOW MUCH INVENTORY TO BRING, WE NEED TO BRING 4 X $152.17, OR ABOUT $600.00 OF INVENTORY.
4.3Set Revenue Goals
First, you do a BREAKEVEN ANALYSIS to determine the minimum amount of revenue you need to generate, in order to cover all your fixed and variable costs.
After you reach your Breakeven Point, you begin to generate a Profit. At this point, you have already covered all your fixed costs. For each additional piece of jewelry you sell, you mostly will only have to cover the variable costs. If your fixed costs in your breakeven analysis were 35% of your sales, then your profit will be roughly 35% of your sales, above this breakeven point.
HOW MUCH OF A PROFIT GOAL YOU WANT TO SET IS YOUR PERSONAL CHOICE. HOWEVER, I LIKE TO TELL STUDENTS THAT BREAKING EVEN AT THE SHOW ITSELF IS OK, IF YOU ALSO HAVE STRATEGIES IN PLACE TO GENERATE FOLLOW-UP SALES, EITHER THROUGH REPEAT SALES BETWEEN SHOWS, OR REPEAT SALES AT THE NEXT SHOW.
4.4Determine How Much Inventory You Need To Bring
A GOOD RULE OF THUMB FOR FIGURING OUT HOW MUCH INVENTORY TO BRING IS THIS: YOU WILL NEED TO BRING WITH YOU, AT A MINIMUM, 4 TIMES THE INVENTORY YOU HOPE TO SELL.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU NEED TO SELL $200.00 OF MERCHANDISE TO BREAKEVEN, YOU WILL NEED TO BRING $800.00 OF MERCHANDISE WITH YOU. AGAIN, $800.00 IS THE TOTAL OF ALL THE RETAIL PRICES OF WHAT YOU BRING.
CONTINUE THIS EXAMPLE: IF YOU WANT TO TAKE IN ANOTHER $100.00 OF SALES ON TOP OF YOUR BREAKEVEN, THEN YOU WILL NEED TO SELL $300.00 OF MERCHANDISE, THEN, YOU WILL NEED TO BRING A TOTAL OF $1200.00 OF INVENTORY. THIS IS $400.00 MORE INVENTORY THAT YOU WOULD NEED TO BRING TO MAKE ONE HUNDRED MORE DOLLARS OVER YOUR BREAKEVEN POINT. AGAIN, $1200.00 IS THE TOTAL OF ALL THE RETAIL PRICES.
WE ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT INVENTORY IN TERMS OF RETAIL PRICES, NOT IN TERMS OF NUMBERS OF ITEMS, AND NOT IN TERMS OF WHOLESALE COSTS.. OUR TOTAL INVENTORY WOULD EQUAL THE TOTAL OF ALL RETAIL PRICES, IF EVERY PIECE SOLD.
4.5 Think about reinvestment
AS WE GO BEYOND OUR BREAKEVEN POINT, AND BECOME PROFITABLE
WE COULD HAVE USED THAT REMAINING 35 CENTS OUT OF EACH DOLLAR OF ADDITIONAL REVENUE TO PAY FOR SOME OF OUR INVESTMENT COSTS, AS WELL AS PAY OURSELVES SOMETHING.
INVESTMENT COSTS ARE THINGS YOU PAY FOR WHICH EITHER HAVE TO LAST A VERY LONG TIME, AND WHICH YOU WILL USE AT MANY, MANY CRAFT SHOWS, OR WHICH INVOLVE EXPANDING YOUR CORE JEWELRY MAKING SUPPLIES INVENTORY BEYOND WHAT YOU NEED TO REPLACE THE PARTS REPRESENTED BY THE ITEMS SOLD.
THESE INCLUDE “LONG TERM ASSETS”, SUCH AS BUYING TABLES AND CHAIRS, A TENT, AND DISPLAY CASES. THESE ALSO INCLUDE “LONG TERM LIABILITIES”, SUCH AS PAYING DOWN LOANS AND CREDIT CARD CHARGES.
WE DO NOT INCLUDE THESE INVESTMENT COSTS IN OUR BREAK-EVEN ANALYSES.
application form example
LESSON 5: GET THOSE APPLICATIONS IN EARLY
JOHN JACOB THOUGHT HE COULD SET UP ANYWHERE AND ANYTIME.
SO HE MISSED THE APRIL 30TH DEADLINE FOR THE RED HILLS FAIR. AND HE SENT IN AN INCOMPLETE APPLICATION WITHOUT THE REQUIRED PICTURES TO NAPA SWEETS FESTIVAL.
AND HE DIDN’T TAKE SERIOUSLY THE FACT THAT NAPLES SYMPHONY DAYS WAS A JURIED COMPETITION. AND HE COULDN’T UNDERSTAND HOW ADDING ONE MORE JEWELRY VENDOR TO THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SHOWROOM WOULD MAKE MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE.
HE HAD CALCULATED THAT HE NEEDED TO DO 4 SHOWS A YEAR TO MAKE A LIVING. BUT FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW, ALTHOUGH HE HAD APPLIED TO AT LEAST 12 SHOWS EACH YEAR, HE RARELY WAS APPROVED FOR MORE THAN 2.
Application/Acceptance Process
Read ALL THE FINE PRINT.COMPLETE the Application forms COMPLETELY.Be sure to meet all DEADLINES. Include your CHECK/MONEY ORDER for all required PREPAYMENTS and DEPOSITS.
If you need special arrangements, be sure to negotiate these up front. Do you need electricity or special lighting or special access? Do you prefer to have a particular location or table arrangement? Will your displays conform to the show’s expectations, requirements and limitations? If you will be doing demonstrations, will all your equipment and tools meet show requirements or not? Do you need to be on a corner?
Is this a juried show? Are there additional costs besides the booth rental, such as required advertising expenses, parking fees, electricity fees, tables and chairs, insurance requirements, and the like? Are there are restrictions as to the type of merchandise allowed, such as a requirement that all merchandise be hand-crafted by the artist. Are promotional materials such as brochures or postcards provided to exhibitors? Be sure to find out ahead of time,
– what times you have to be ready and fully set up in your booth
– what time you have to wait until before you can take down your booth
how early you can begin to set up your booth
Application form example 2
THE APPLICATION
1. PREPARE A GENERIC APPLICATION
2. UNDERSTAND THE JURIED SELECTION PROCESS
3. SUBMIT APPLICATIONS AND FOLLOW-UP ON THEM
4. SCHEDULE YOURSELF FOR THE YEAR
5.1. PREPARE A GENERIC APPLICATION
SOME ORGANIZATIONS HAVE A FORMAL, PRINTED APPLICATION FORM TO FILL OUT. MORE AND MORE, HOWEVER, ORGANIZATIONS ARE USING ON-LINE APPLICATION SERVICES. I SUGGEST CREATING A GENERIC APPLICATION FORM, FROM WHICH YOU CAN CUT AND PASTE INTO THESE PRINTED OR ONLINE APPLICATION FORMS.
THEY MAY ASK YOU FOR THESE TYPES OF INFORMATION:
1. COMPANY INFORMATION, ADDRESS, PHONE, EMAIL, CONTACT PHONE, ONSITE-CONTACT PHONE, WEBSITE, LICENSE PLATE #, RE-SALE OR TAX NUMBER AND STATE WHICH ISSUED IT
2. TYPE OF MERCHANDISE TO BE SOLD
3. HAND-MADE?
4. HIGH AND LOW PRICE RANGE OF MERCHANDISE
5. DESCRIBE YOUR CRAFT (TECHNIQUES, MATERIALS, DESIGNS)
6. ARTIST STATEMENT (ABOUT 150–250 WORDS)
7. BOOTH SIZE REQUIREMENTS (WILL YOU NEED MORE THAN ONE 10’X10’ BOOTH SPACE?)
8. REQUIREMENTS FOR ADDITIONAL SERVICES, SUCH AS ELECTRICITY, TABLE AND CHAIR RENTAL, TENT
9. 5 (five) PHOTOS OF YOUR CRAFTS (BE SURE YOUR PHOTOS ARE SHARP AND ATTRACTIVE, AS IF THEY WERE PUBLISHED IN A BOOK. NO DARK PHOTOS.) WITH PHOTOS, YOU MIGHT NEED SLIDES, OR YOU MIGHT NEED .jpg IMAGES THAT ARE 72–96 dpi, OR YOU MIGHT NEED HI-RESOLUTION .jpg IMAGES WHICH ARE 300 OR 600 dpi. They may need to be in 8-bit color or 16-bit color. They may need to use a RGB color scale or another color scale. They might specify a specific width and height in pixels. BE PREPARED WITH EACH OF THESE.
10. 3 (three) PHOTOS OF YOUR BOOTH SET-UP (THEY WANT VISUALLY APPEALING, CUSTOMER ENTICING, USER FRIENDLY BOOTH SET-UPS. AGAIN, NO DARK PHOTOS.)
11. LIST OF SPECIAL PREFERENCES, SUCH AS “CORNER BOOTH, IF AVAILABLE”
12. CREDIT CARD NUMBER, EXPIRATION DATE, SECURITY CODE NUMBER (THEY WILL PROBABLY WANT THIS NUMBER TO KEEP ON FILE)
5.2. UNDERSTAND THE JURIED SELECTION PROCESS
AT THIS POINT, YOU HAVE SELECTED SHOWS WHICH YOU FEEL ARE A GOOD FIT WITH YOUR BUSINESS.NOW, DETERMINE IF YOU ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THEM. DO THEY PUT ANY LIMITATIONS ON WHO CAN AND CANNOT APPLY? DO THEY REQUIRE THAT YOUR CREATIVE WORK BE JURIED?
MOST CRAFT SHOWS MAKE SIMPLE ACCEPTANCE DECISIONS BASED ON — SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION FORM, AND — PAYING THE FEE
SOME MAY RESTRICT THE NUMBER OF JEWELRY VENDORS THEY ACCEPT, BECAUSE THEY WANT A BALANCE OF TYPES OF MERCHANDISE, AND OFTEN, TOO MANY JEWELRY VENDORS APPLY.
OTHER SHOWS WANT TO MAINTAIN SOME LEVEL OF MERCHANDISE QUALITY STANDARDS. THEY SUBJECT THE APPLICANT TO A MORE INTENSIVE JURY-REVIEW PROCESS. THE JURY PROCESS IS PROBABLY WHAT YOU WOULD EXPECT. USUALLY A FEW PEOPLE REVIEW ALL THE APPLICATIONS AND SCORE THEM AGAINST A SET OF CRITERIA. THEY CHOOSE THE ONES WHICH SCORE HIGHEST.
SOME TYPICAL CRITERIA THEY USE:
– PRODUCTS CONSIDERED BEST FOR THE SHOW
– AETHETICS AND VISUAL APPEAL
– FUNCTIONALITY
– CREATIVITY
– ORIGINALITY
– TECHNIQUE
– MARKETABILITY
– QUALITY OF WORK
– BOOTH DESIGN
THEY WANT TO END UP WITH VENDORS WHOSE WARES WILL SELL, WHERE THERE WON’T BE MUCH DUPLICATION, AND WHOSE PRESENCE AND SET-UP IS EXCITING FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ATTEND THE SHOW. YOUR SHORT WRITE-UP AND SUBMITTED PHOTOGRAPHS NEED TO MAKE YOUR CASE. WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN A JUROR SAYS “NO!”? MOST REJECTIONS ARE BASED ON THE LIMITED NUMBER OF OPENINGS — PARTICULARLY FOR JEWELRY VENDORS. ANOTHER MAJOR REASON FOR REJECTIONS IS THE POOR QUALITY OF PHOTOS SUBMITTED. LOOK AT YOUR PHOTOS. SHARE THEM WITH SOME FRIENDS. JUDGE THEM ACCORDING TO THE PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED JUDGING CRITERIA. HOW WELL DO THEY MAKE YOUR CASE? ARE THEY CLEAR, FOCUSED, BRIGHT?
5.3. SUBMIT APPLICATIONS AND FOLLOW-UP ON THEM
YOU HAVE CREATED YOUR LIST OF POSSIBLE SHOWS, BASED ON YOUR SENSE OF FIT, THE GOALS YOU HAVE SET FOR YOURSELF, AND YOUR BUDGET, GIVEN THE COSTS INVOLVED. YOU HAVE DETERMINED WHETHER YOU ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THEM. DECIDE ABOUT HOW MANY SHOWS YOU WANT TO DO A YEAR. SELECT 5–10 MORE SHOWS IN ADDITION TO THE NUMBER YOU WANT TO DO. ANOTHER RULE OF THUMB IS TO SELECT 3 EVENTS TO APPLY TO FOR EACH WEEKEND YOU WANT TO WORK.
GET THEIR APPLICATION FORMS, AND REVIEW THE RULES AND APPLICATION DEADLINES. READ ALL THE RULES!
DETERMINE HOW LONG THEIR REVIEW PROCESSES ARE, AND FIGURE OUT WHEN YOU SHOULD KNOW WHETHER YOUR HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED.
CALL OR EMAIL EACH ONE, AND VERIFY THAT ALL THE INFORMATION YOU HAVE — DATES, FEES, APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS, DEADLINES — ARE TRUE.
**NOTE: THINGS CHANGE. THINGS GET PRINTED WRONG.
5.4. SCHEDULE YOURSELF FOR THE YEAR
ORGANIZATION IS CRITICAL HERE. GET A GOOD 3-YEAR CALENDAR. MAP EVERY DATE OUT. APPLICATION DEADLINE. APPLICATION ACCEPTANCE NOTIFICATION. DEADLINE FOR NOTIFYING THEM, CONFIRMING YOUR ACCEPTANCE, AND SUBMITTING ANY UP-FRONT FEES. SHOW DATES, INCLUDING SET-UP AND BREAK-DOWN DATES AND TIMES. REMEMBER, FOR MANY CRAFT SHOWS, YOU WILL BE APPLYING 6–12 MONTHS AHEAD OF TIME.
IT TAKES A LOT OF COORDINATED EFFORT TO KEEP EVERYTHING ON TRACK.YOU MIGHT SET UP A SPREAD-SHEET OR DATA-BASE. I USE THE ONLINE CALENDAR APPLICATION THAT COMES WITH MY EMAIL PROGRAM. I SET UP AUTOMATIC REMINDERS, SO THEY POP UP WHEN I NEED TO TAKE ACTION.
AFTER YOU SEND IN YOUR FEES, FOLLOW-UP IN 2 WEEKS TO BE SURE THEY RECEIVED YOUR APPLICATION AND PAYMENT.
5.5. BEFORE SAYING YES!…
RE-REVIEW YOUR
FIT WITH THE SHOW — BREAK-EVEN ANALYSIS — CALENDAR SCHEDULE — THE MONEY NEEDED UP-FRONT AND, — WHETHER THERE ARE ANY CANCELLATION PENALTIES OR RULES — WHAT KINDS OF LOCAL AND STATE LICENSES, CERTIFICATES AND PERMITS YOU WILL NEED,AND IF THE SHOW PROMOTERS ASSIST YOU IN OBTAINING TEMPORARY ONES FOR THE DURATION OF THE SHOW
LESSON 6: PROMOTE, PROMOTE, PROMOTE
YOU NEED TO ACTIVELY PROMOTE YOURSELF BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER THE SHOW. DO NOT RELY ON THE SHOW PROMOTERS TO DO ALL THE MARKETING.
ABOUT 2–4 WEEKS BEFORE THE SHOW: a. CONTACT YOUR EXISTING CUSTOMERS — EMAIL, MAIL, SOCIAL NETWORK SITES
b. PROMOTE YOUR MESSAGE TO POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS. LEAVE FLYERS AND BROCHURES AT RELEVANT BUSINESSES OR ORGANIZATIONS/ POST MESSAGES ON SOCIAL NETWORK SITES/ POST MESSAGES ON YOUR OWN WEBSITE OR BLOG/ GET LISTED ON COMMUNITY CALENDARS/ TELL PEOPLE YOU INTERACT WITH. IN YOUR PROMOTIONS, BE SURE YOU HAVE ALL THE DETAILS LISTED CORRECTLY. IN A SHORT, CATCHY PHRASE OR SENTENCE, TELL WHY THIS EVENT WOULD BE OF PARTICULAR INTEREST TO THEM. YOU MIGHT OFFER SPECIAL DISCOUNTS, IF THEY PRESENT YOUR CARD OR EMAIL NOTICE.
c. BE SURE YOU ARE GOING TO LOOK PRESENTABLE. IF YOU NEED A HAIR-CUT, GET IT. BE SURE YOU HAVE ALL THE CLOTHES YOU NEED. CHECK YOUR SUPPLY OF BUSINESS CARDS, BROCHURES, OTHER PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS. PRACTICE SAYING YOUR SELLING POINTS. BE STRATEGIC ABOUT WHICH PIECES OF JEWELRY YOU ARE GOING TO WEAR AT THE SHOW.
AT THE SHOW: HAVE YOUR BUSINESS CARDS, AND ANY BROCHURES, IF YOU HAVE THEM, OUT FOR THE TAKING. IT HELPS IF YOUR BUSINESS CARDS HAVE AN IMAGE OF YOUR JEWELRY ON THEM. TO HELP PEOPLE REMEMBER YOU.
HAVE A BOOK OR SIGN-UP SHEET WHERE PEOPLE CAN LIST THEIR NAMES, MAILING AND EMAILING ADDRESSES.
AFTER THE SHOW: UPDATE YOUR CUSTOMER DATABASE. STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOUR NEW CUSTOMERS, SUCH AS WITH A FOLLOW-UP MAILING OR EMAILING. DIRECT YOUR NEW CUSTOMERS TO YOUR WEBSITE OR OTHER WAYS OF CONTACTING YOU AND SEEING YOUR PIECES WHICH ARE FOR SALE.
LESSON 7: SET UP FOR SUCCESS
IMOGENE MCALLISTER ROSENSTEIN. REMEMBER SHE HAD NO PLAN OR STRATEGY FOR CHOOSING SHOWS. AND, GUESS WHAT, SHE HAD NO PLAN OR STRATEGY FOR SETTING UP AT SHOWS, EITHER.
IMOGENE, BLESS HER HEART, LOVED PLAIDS. SHE WOULD SET UP A TABLE, AND COVER IT WITH A DARK, PLAID CLOTH, AND LAY HER JEWELRY ONTO THE CLOTH. SHE LIKED TO PUSH HER TABLE UP TO THE FRONT OF THE BOOTH, AND SIT IN A CHAIR BEHIND IT.
HER BOXES OF SUPPLIES AND INVENTORY, WERE STACKED UP AGAINST THE BACK OF HER BOOTH, NO EFFORT TO DISGUISE OR HIDE THEM.
YOUR BOOTH IS YOUR SHOP.IT SHOULD BE COHESIVE, VISUALLY INTERESTING, FUNCTIONAL. YOU DO NOT WANT YOUR BOOTH TO BE DISORGANIZED, DIS-INVITING, INTIMDATING.
SETTING UP FOR SUCCESS MEANS HAVING A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF
7.1. BOOTH DESIGN 7.2. LAY-OUT AND TABLE SET UP 7.3. MERCHANDISE DISPLAY 7.4. SIGNAGE 7.5. LOADING AND UN-LOADING
front-loadedislandL-shapeU-shape
WALLS: FIRST, WILL THIS SPACE BE ENCLOSED IN SOME WAY — WALLS, PARTITIONS, INSIDE A TENT?
DO YOU WANT TO HAVE WALLS? DO THE WALLS NEED TO BE FABRIC, WOOD, WIRE GRIDS OR CHICKEN WIRE? WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THE WALLS? CAN THINGS BE HUNG. HOW DO THESE WALLS AFFECT THE VISIBILITY OF YOUR BOOTH SPACE AND YOUR INVENTORY?
AS BEST AS I CAN, I LIKE TO USE MATERIALS AND FURNISHINGS WHICH WILL NOT DIMINISH THE VISIBILITY OF MY BOOTH, AND WHICH CAN DO DOUBLE-TIME. I OFTEN USE WINDOW SHUTTERS OR WIRE GRIDS FOR WALLS AND RACKS, SO THAT I CAN HANG THINGS FROM THEM.
THE CONTAINERS I USE TO TOTE MY INVENTORY AND SUPPLIES GET USED FOR DISPLAYS, OR AS SUPPORT COLUMNS FOR DISPLAYS.
TENT: IF YOU NEED A TENT, SOME SHOWS PROVIDE THEM OR RENT THEM. SOME SHOWS HAVE DETAILED REQUIREMENTS FOR WHAT TENTS SHOULD LOOK LIKE. SOMETIMES THEY WANT ALL TENTS TO BE WHITE. YOU CAN FIND ONLINE SOURCES FOR BUYING TENTS. YOU WANT A TENT WHERE YOU CAN ROLL THE WALLS UP AND DOWN. BE SURE YOU HAVE TENT WEIGHTS, TO DEAL WITH WINDY WEATHER. SOMETIMES, IF THE AIR IS HOT AND HUMID, AND THE TENT WALLS ARE DOWN, THE AIR IN YOUR BOOTH BECOMES STALE AND HEAVY. DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN.
TABLE: SECOND, IF YOU ARE TO BE PROVIDED WITH TABLES, HOW MANY AND OF WHAT SIZE WILL THEY BE? I FIND 6’ BY 2’ TABLES TO BE ESPECIALLY EASY TO MANEUVER AND MANAGE.
FOR EACH TABLE, I HAVE CUT UP PVC PIPE — TO STICK THE LEGS OF MY TABLES IN, AND TO ALLOW ME TO RAISE THE HEIGHT OF THE TABLES ABOUT 6–9” SO CUSTOMERS DO NOT TO HAVE TO BEND DOWN SO FAR TO VIEW THE INVENTORY.
I DON’T LIKE TABLES FLUSH WITH THE AISLE. IN SOME SETTINGS, THIS IS YOUR ONLY CHOICE. BUT THIS MAKES IT UNCOMFORTABLE FOR PEOPLE TO STAND THERE AND LOOK AT YOUR STUFF. THEY ARE TOO CONCERNED THEY MAY BLOCK SOMEONE IN THE AISLE. IF POSSIBLE, MOVE THE TABLES INWARD, SO YOU GET THEM TO FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE STEPPED INTO YOUR BOOTH.
ADDITIONAL FURNISHINGS: THIRD, WHAT KINDS OF ADDITIONAL FURNISHINGS WILL YOU NEED TO BRING? DO THINGS NEED TO GO ON SHELVES? IS THERE ROOM FOR SOME KIND OF RACK? DO YOU WANT TO PUT A RUG ON THE FLOOR, OR IN FRONT OF YOUR BOOTH? DO YOU WANT TO BRING BOX FANS (OR SPACE HEATERS)? WHAT WILL YOU USE TO STORE THINGS YOU NEED ACCESS TO DURING THE SHOW? BRING A MIRROR FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS.
LIGHTING: FOURTH, WHAT IS YOUR LIGHTING PLAN, AND TOWARDS THIS END, WILL YOU HAVE ACCESS TO ELECTRICITY? HAVING LIGHTING MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE IN YOUR SALES RESULTS. BRIGHT LED LIGHTS, AT 4100k TO 5500k, ARE BEST. THIS KELVIN MEASURE WILL GIVE YOU A BLUISH WHITE LIGHT. BRING POWER STRIPS AND LONG EXTENSION CORDS. THERE MAY BE ELECTRICITY, BUT THE SOURCE OF THIS POWER MAY BE LOCATED FAR FROM YOUR BOOTH. IF THERE IS NO ELECTRICITY, YOU CAN PURCHASE BATTERY OPERATED LED LIGHTS
OPTIMUM FLOOR PLAN: FIFTH, GIVEN THE SPACE, WHAT IS THE OPTIMUM FLOOR PLAN FOR YOUR BOOTH? IF POSSIBLE, I PREFER TO ALLOW MY CUSTOMERS TO WALK INTO PART OF MY BOOTH. TOWARDS THIS END, AGAIN IF POSSIBLE, I LIKE TO SET THE TABLES UP EITHER IN AN “L-SHAPE” OR A “U-SHAPE”.
People don’t like to stand in a place where they feel someone might brush against their behind while walking by.
PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE: LAST, PRACTICE SETTING EVERYTHING UP. PRACTICE PACKING YOUR THINGS, TRANSPORTING YOUR THINGS, AND UN-PACKING YOUR THINGS. IF YOU WILL BE USING A TENT, PRACTICE SETTING THIS UP. CAN YOU DO ALL THIS BY YOURSELF? GIVEN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN WHERE YOU WILL HAVE TO PARK, AND WHERE YOUR BOOTH IS, CAN YOU MANAGE TRANSPORTING ALL YOUR STUFF THIS DISTANCE.
ANTICIPATE THE TRAFFIC FLOW BOTH IN FRONT OF YOUR BOOTH, AS WELL AS INSIDE YOUR BOOTH, IF YOU CAN SET UP TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO COME INSIDE. REMEMBER: YOUR SPACE AND CUSTOMER FLOW GO BEYOND THE BOUNDARIES OF YOUR TABLE. REMEMBER: VISUALIZE HOW TRAFFIC WILL FLOW TO AND FROM EACH OF YOUR NEIGHBORS.
AS SHOPPERS WALK BY YOUR BOOTH, HOW MUCH OF IT CAN THEY SEE? ARE THERE THINGS, AND ENOUGH THINGS, TO CATCH THEIR EYE, AND ENTICE THEM TO STOP AND LOOK?
BE SURE THE DÉCOR OF YOUR BOOTH COORDINATES WELL WITH THE JEWELRY YOU ARE SELLING. IT MUST COORDINATE WITH THE SHOW, AS WELL. YOU DON’T WANT BEACH DÉCOR AT A CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY SHOW.
CAN CUSTOMERS…
– ENTER AND EXIT EASILY
– SHOP EASILY
– PAY EASILY
– NOT FEEL TRAPPED, WHEN A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE IN YOUR BOOTH
PREVENT THE “SCRATCHED TUSH” SYNDROME. CUSTOMERS AVOID STANDING WHERE THEY FEAR SOMEONE WILL BRUSH AGAINST THEIR BACK-SIDES.
SET UP A PAYMENT STATION WHERE CUSTOMERS CAN MAKE THEIR PURCHASES OUT OF THE WAY OF OTHER SHOPPERS BUT WHERE YOU CAN STILL KEEP AN EYE ON THINGS. AT YOUR PAYMENT STATION, YOU WILL NEED TO ACCEPT PAYMENT AND MAKE CHANGE, AND YOU WILL NEED TO BE ABLE TO WRITE SOME KIND OF CUSTOMER RECEIPT. YOU MAY NEED TO WRAP UP OR PACKAGE AN ITEM,
SOME ADDITIONAL QUICK POINTERS:
– COVER YOUR TABLES WITH FABRIC
– DON’T USE DARK COLORS. THESE BRING THE MOOD DOWN, AND OFTEN DON’T ENHANCE YOUR JEWELRY IN THESE VERY OPEN SETTINGS.
– CHOOSE COLORS WHICH ADD TO YOUR PRODUCT, BUT DO NOT COMPETE WITH THEM
– CUSTOMERS LIKE TO USE ALL THEIR SENSES WHEN THEY SHOP: SEE, TOUCH, THINK
– SUBTLY USE PROPS AND MIRRORS TO HELP THE CUSTOMER VISUALIZE HOW THE PRODUCT MIGHT USED OR WORN
– I LIKE TO MAKE MY BOOTH FEEL HOMEY.
– I LIKE TO HAVE RUGS INSIDE AS WELL AS IN FRONT OF MY BOOTH
– I LIKE TO HAVE CHAIRS OR A BENCH NEAR THE FRONT OF MY BOOTH, TO ATTRACT PEOPLE TO SIT AND LINGER, AND SO IT ALWAYS LOOKS LIKE PEOPLE ARE LOOKING AT MY BOOTH
– IN HOT WEATHER, I LIKE TO HAVE A FAN CIRCULATING AIR WHERE THE CUSTOMERS ARE STANDING, NOT JUST ON ME.
– IN COLD WEATHER, I HAVE A HEATER GOING.
– NO GARBAGE SHOULD BE VISIBLE.
– EVERYTHING SHOULD BE STORED AND NEAT
– HAVE ENOUGH SIGNAGE TO GET PEOPLE’S ATTENTION, AND EDUCATE THEM ABOUT YOUR PRODUCTS
DISPLAY YOUR PRICES CLEARLY
ANTICIPATE THE WEATHER IS IT…
– HOT AND HUMID
– COLD
– RAINY OR STORMY
– WINDY
– DUSTY
HAVE DROP CLOTHS TO PROTECT YOUR MERCHANDISE AND DISPLAYS. I KEEP LARGE PIECES OF CARDBOARD THAT I CAN LAY ON WET GROUND, WHEN MY BOOTH IS OUTSIDE. SOMETIMES I TAKE A BALE OR TWO OF STRAW THAT I PURCHASED AT THE LOCAL HARDWARE STORE OR GARDEN CENTER, TO COVER WET GROUND. I HAVE PLENTY OF CLEANING AIDS, TO KEEP THE MERCHANDISE LOOKING FRESH AND SALEABLE ALL DURING THE SHOW.
I WEAR LAYERS OF CLOTHING. I BRING SUNGLASSES, GLOVES, HATS, A BATTERY-POWERED HAND-HELD FAN, WHATEVER IT TAKES TO KEEP ME PERKY, HAPPY AND COMFORTABLE.
DISPLAYING YOUR MERCHANDISE: SOME POINTERS
COVER YOUR TABLES WITH ATTACTIVE FABRIC, IN A SOLID COLOR WHICH COMPLEMENTS YOUR PIECES. IN CRAFT SHOW SETTINGS, YOU WILL FIND THAT LIGHTER COLORS WORK BETTER THAN DARKER ONES. I THINK IT IS BETTER TO COVER THE FULL FRONT OF THE TABLE WITH A CLOTH, NOT JUST THE TOP OF THE TABLE.
HAVE PRETTY CONTAINERS TO HOLD YOUR WARES.
THINK OF DISPLAY IN TERMS OF LEVELS. YOU DO NOT WANT EVERYTHING LYING FLAT ON A TABLE. IN YOUR BOOTH, YOU MIGHT HAVE A MIX OF LOW TABLES, HIGHER TABLES, TALL HEIGHTS, STANDS, PEDESTALS, HANGING ITEMS
COORDINATE YOUR USE OF COLOR WITH THE COLORS PROMINENT IN YOUR BUSINESS CARDS, BROCHURES AND SIGNAGE.
A WARM, AIRY FEELING IS MUCH BETTER THAN A DARK, CAVE FEELING.
OPEN BOOK CASES WORK BETTER THAN ONES WITH CLOSED BACKS.
BE CAREFUL, IF USING DISPLAYS WHICH ARE GLASS ENCLOSED, THAT THE GLASS REFLECTION DOES NOT DIMINISH THE ABILITY TO VIEW JEWELRY INSIDE THESE DISPLAYS.
KEEP THINGS CREATIVE, BUT NOT COMPLEX OR CLUTTERED. DON’T LET THINGS GET BARREN, EITHER, — WHAT I CALL A “TOOTHLESS LOOK”
YOUR DISPLAYS SHOULD BE ATTRACTIVE, BUT SHOULD NOT COMPETE FOR ATTENTION WITH YOUR JEWELRY.ITH THIS IN MIND, YOU DO NOT NECESSARILY HAVE TO PUT ALL YOUR INVENTORY OUT AT ONCE.
CREATE NATURAL PLACES FOR THE CUSTOMER’S EYE TO SETTLE. BUILD DISPLAYS AROUND THESE NATURAL FOCAL POINTS.
CLEAN. KEEP YOUR GLASS CLEAN. KEEP YOUR JEWELRY SHINY. KEEP YOUR BOOTH TIDY. YOU WANT THAT CUSTOMER AT 4PM SUNDAY TO BE AS EXCITED AS THAT CUSTOMER WAS AT 1PM THE DAY BEFORE.
7.4. SIGNAGE
FIRST AND FOREMOST, FOLLOW THE SHOW PROMOTER’S RULES ABOUT SIGNAGE.
Signs should generate interest and help sell your products. Don’t use “superlatives” like best, most, cheapest, largest and the like. In as few words as possible, tell the customer how your product will solve his or her problem, or meet his or her needs. Be positive and diplomatic in your wording. Writing “unruly kids will be sold as slaves” makes the point much better than “No Kids”.
Explain that which is not obvious. What’s it made of? When using the product, what must be avoided — such as getting it wet? Are there any disclaimers or conditions? What are the advantages of your product over others?
Use colors, typefaces, and images on your sign which have the same feel as your merchandise. Don’t overdo your signage, so that the signs overwhelm your inventory.
Be sure you have a clear, prominent sign that includes the name of your business. If your booths are number, this number should appear on the sign.
YOUR SIGN OR SIGNS SHOULD BE VISIBLE FROM ALL SIDES OF YOUR BOOTH FROM WHICH CUSTOMER WILL BE APPROACHING. IF THE BACK OF YOUR BOOTH WILL BE VISIBLE, PUT A SIGN THERE. PUT A SIGN ON THE INSIDE OF YOUR BOOTH. I LIKE TO HANG A POSTER-SIZED IMAGE OF SOMEONE WEARING A PIECE OF MY JEWELRY. I IMPRINT MY BUSINESS NAME ON THE POSTER.
YOUR SIGNS SHOULD BE SIMPLE, CLEAN AND WITH A CLEAR FONT. THE COLORS RED AND YELLOW ARE SEEN FROM THE FURTHEST DISTANCE AWAY.
YOUR SIGN SHOULD SAY WHAT YOU SELL, NOT NECESSARILY YOUR BUSINESS NAME FOR EXAMPLE: “JEWELRY TO LOVE” IS MUCH BETTER THAN “IMOGENE’S CREATIONS”
EVERYTHING IN YOUR BOOTH SHOULD BE TAGGED, LABELED, PRICED AND IDENTIFIED FOR THE CUSTOMER. INFORMATION IS IMPORTANT.
YOU MIGHT HAVE FRAMED LITTLE WRITE-UPS SITTING WITH VARIOUS DISPLAYS AND TELLING THE CUSTOMER SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF, YOUR TECHNIQUE OR YOUR JEWELRY.
WITHOUT GOOD AND PROMINENTLY VISIBLE INFORMATION, CUSTOMERS OFTEN WALK AWAY WITHOUT ASKING FOR HELP.
PRICE TAGS ARE A MUST. IF YOU HAVE THE TIME AND CAN AFFORD IT,USE PROFESSIONALLY-PRINTED PRICE TAGS.YOU CAN BUY LABEL MAKERS NOW AT STATIONERY STORES AND WITH WHICH YOU CAN GENERATE PRINTED PRICE TAGS. PRICE TAGS GIVE CREDANCE TO THE PRICE, AND REDUCE THE TIMES CUSTOMERS MAY TRY TO HAGGLE.
HAVE BUSINESS CARDS, POSTCARDS, BROCHURES, AND NEWSLETTERS EASILY AVAILABLE.
PUT OUT A SIGN-UP BOOK OR SIGN-UP SHEETS TO EXPAND YOUR MAILING AND EMAILING LISTS.
7.5. LOADING AND UN-LOADING
ALLOW YOURSELF PLENTY OF TIME TO UNLOAD AND SET UP YOUR BOOTH. IF ALLOWED TO DRIVE INTO THE VENUE TO UNLOAD, BE COURTEOUS AND UNLOAD AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. THEN MOVE YOUR VEHICLE BEFORE CONTINUING TO SETUP.
I LIKE TO MODULAR-IZE EVERYTHING. THAT IS, I LIKE TO USE SIMILAR SIZED AND SHAPED CONTAINERS TO CARRY EVERYTHING IN. THEY ARE STURDY, EASY FOR ONE PERSON TO CARRY. THE CONTAINERS ARE STACKABLE. EACH CONTAINER IS CLEARLY LABELED ON THE OUTSIDE TO WHAT IS ON THE INSIDE. SOME OF MY CONTAINERS DO DOUBLE-TIME AS PEDESTALS OR SUPPORTS FOR DISPLAYS. I USE OTHER CONTAINTERS FOR ACTIVE STORAGE DURING THE SHOW.BUT EASILY STORABLE, OUT OF SIGHT OF THE CUSTOMERS.
IF YOU NEED A VAN OR TRUCK, AND DON’T OWN ONE, THESE ARE EASILY AND VERY INEXPENSIVELY RENTABLE AT A LOCAL U-HAUL OR SIMILAR BUSINESS.
LESSON 8: BRING ENOUGH INVENTORY TO SELL
INVENTORY
1. BRING ENOUGH INVENTORY TO SELL, TYPICALLY 4X WHAT YOU HOPE TO SELL.THUS, IF YOU WANT TO SELL $200.00 OF STUFF, YOU WOULD WANT TO BRING $800.00 OF MERCHANDISE.
2. DON’T NECESSARILY PUT EVERYTHING OUT AT ONCE.YOU WANT YOUR BOOTH TO LOOK FULL, ABUNDANT AND COMPLETE, BUT NOT CLUTTERED OR OVERWHELMING. AT THE SAME TIME, YOU DON’T WANT “EMPTY SPACES” WHERE IT LOOKS LIKE YOU HAVE RUN OUT OF THINGS TO SELL. IF YOU STARTED WITH A LARGE BOWL OF LOOSE ITEMS, AND YOU HAVE SOLD OUT HALF OF THEM, REPLACE THAT BOWL WITH A SMALLER BOWL.
3. HAVE MERCHANDISE WITH A VARIETY OF PRICE POINTS. YOU WILL WANT TO HAVE A MIX OF IMPULSE ITEMS, AS WELL AS MORE EXPENSIVE THINGS, AND PERHAPS 2 OR 3 VERY HIGH END ART PIECES.
THINK WHAT KINDS OF JEWELRY SELLS THE MOST, AND WHAT SELLS THE LEAST. USUALLY EARRINGS AND BRACELETS SELL THE MOST, AND NECKLACES AND SPECIALIZED ITEMS SELL THE LEAST. BUT THIS ALL DEPENDS SOMEWHAT ON CURRENT FASHIONS.
PEOPLE CARRY AROUND WITH THEM $1 BILLS, $5 BILLS, $10.00 BILLS, $20’S, $50’S AND $100’S. THE IMPULSE BUYER IS MORE LIKELY TO PURCHASE SOMETHING IN THESE DENOMINATIONS.
4. SELL THINGS YOU LOVE.
LESSON 9: SELL YOURSELF AND YOUR CRAFT AT THE SHOW
AT THE SHOW, YOU ARE NOT ONLY SELLING YOUR PRODUCTS. YOU ARE SELLING YOURSELF. YOURSELF AS A JEWELRY DESIGNER. YOUR CREATIVITY. YOUR PERSONALITY. THE ESSENCE OF YOUR ARTISTIC SOUL.
YOU SELL YOURSELF TO MOTIVATE YOUR CUSTOMERS. YOU WANT TO MOTIVATE PEOPLE TO STOP BY YOUR BOOTH AND LINGER. YOU WANT TO MOTIVATE PEOPLE TO BUY. YOU WANT TO MOTIVATE THEM TO REMEMBER YOU AND YOUR WORK. YOU WANT THEM TO PURCHASE FROM YOU AGAIN.
ALL THIS MOTIVATING WILL TAKE A LOT OF WORK ON YOUR PART.
(1) BODY LANGUAGE
(2) TELLING YOUR STORY
(3) DEMONSTRATING YOUR SKILLS
(4) MAKING THE SALE WORK FOR THEM
(9.1) BODY LANGUAGE THE WAY YOU SIT, THE WAY YOU STAND, YOUR FACIAL EXPRESSIONS, HOW YOU GREET CUSTOMERS, HOW YOU CONVERSE WITH CUSTOMERS, HOW YOU DESCRIBE YOUR WORK, AND YOUR TECHNIQUE, THESE ALL SUBTLY AFFECT THE SHOPPING EXPERIENCES AND BEHAVIORS OF YOUR CUSTOMERS.
PART OF THE SELLING PROCESS IS PURE THEATER. YOU NEED TO PUT ON A GOOD SHOW. AFTER ALL,YOU WANT TO ATTRACT CUSTOMERS TO YOUR BOOTH. YOU WANT THEM TO LINGER. YOU WANT THEM TO ASK FOR HELP, AND ASK OTHER QUESTIONS. YOU WANT THEM TO REMEMBER YOU AND WHAT YOU SELL.
FIRST, STAND, DON’T SIT. IF YOU DO NEED TO SIT, SIT AT AN ANGLE TO YOUR BOOTH OR DISPLAY TABLE. RATHER THAN SITTING DIRECTLY CENTERED, FACING FORWARD. IN THIS WAY, PEOPLE CAN APPROACH YOUR DISPLAY WITHOUT FEELING YOU ARE WATCHING THEIR EVERY STEP AS THEY MAKE THEIR WAY TO YOUR BOOTH. IF IT’S GOING TO BE A LONG DAY AND A LONG WEEKEND, YOU MIGHT RESORT TO A HIGHER DIRECTOR’S CHAIR OR STOOL, AS A SORT OF COMPROMISE BETWEEN STANDING AND SITTING TO TAKE SHORT BREAKS.
YOUR FACIAL EXPRESSIONS ARE IMPORTANT. DON’T LOOK BORED. DON’T STARE OFF INTO SPACE. DON’T LOOK LIKE YOU WOULD RATHER BE SOMEWHERE ELSE. DON’T STAND WITH YOUR ARMS FOLDED, OR YOUR HANDS IN YOUR POCKETS. DON’T LOOK LIKE YOUR PRIMARY MISSION IS TO GUARD YOUR BOOTH. LOOK HAPPY. LOOK EAGER TO MEET NEW PEOPLE, GREET FAMILIAR FACES, AND SHARE YOUR STORIES AND YOUR WORK.
BE VISIBLE, DON’T HIDE.
LOOK BUSY. WHEN IT’S SLOW, DO BUSINESS-RELATED ACTIVITIES: CLEAN, DUST, RE-ARRANGE, CHANGE OUT MERCHANDISE, PRICE, MAKE SOME MORE JEWELRY, INVENTORY THINGS, TAKE PICTURES.
ENGAGE PEOPLE AS THEY WALK BY OR APPROACH YOUR BOOTH. CATCH THEIR EYES. SAY “GOOD DAY”, OR “BEAUTIFUL DAY OUT TODAY” COMPLMENT PEOPLE, LIKE SAYING “LOVE THAT NECKLACE,” OR “BEAUTIFUL SHOES.” IF YOU HAVE DIFFICULTY TALKING WITH PEOPLE, HIRE SOMEONE TO WORK WITH YOU WHO CAN.
GIVE YOUR CUSTOMERS SOME SPACE TO SHOP. YES, YOU DO HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT SHOP-LIFTING, BUT YOU DON’T WANT TO MAKE EVERY CUSTOMER FEEL LIKE YOU THINK THEY ARE A CROOK. DON’T HOVER OVER THEM. DON’T FORCE CONVERSATIONS ON THEM. DON’T TAKE AWAY THEIR FUN OF SHOPPING.
BUT ALSO, DO NOT IGNORE THEM. GREET THEM. ASK THEM IF THEY NEED ASSISTANCE. ASK THEM IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO TRY A PIECE ON. ASK THEM HOW THE SHOW HAS BEEN GOING FOR THEM.
DRESS THE PART. BE WELL-GROOMED. BE PRESENTABLE. SMELL GOOD. BUT DON’T BATH YOURSELF IN COLOGNE.DON’T GET CAUGHT WITH BAD BREATH. AND, IN A SIMILAR VEIN, DON’T EAT THINGS WHICH RESULTS IN BAD BREADTH, LIKE ONIONS AND TUNA FISH.
WEAR YOUR JEWELRY.
WEAR A NAME BADGE.
DON’T EAT IN YOUR BOOTH.
DON’T TALK ON THE PHONE.
DON’T TEXT.
DON’T SMOKE.
DON’T DRINK ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES.
DON’T READ OR SLEEP.
DON’T GET LOST IN CONVERSATION WITH YOUR PARTNER OR STAFF, TO THE EXCLUSION OF YOUR CUSTOMERS.
DON’T BLOCK THE ENTRANCE TO YOUR BOOTH
IT’S A GOOD IDEA TO TAKE BREAKS ABOUT EVERY 4 HOURS. BUT DON’T LEAVE YOUR BOOTH FOR MORE THAN 20 MINUTES AT A TIME. PEOPLE WANT TO MEET THE ARTIST. YOUR PRESENCE IS ONE OF YOUR MAIN SELLING POINTS.
WHEN IT’S CROWDED, AND YOU HAVE CUSTOMERS COMPETING FOR YOUR ATTENTION, ACKNOWLEDGE EACH ONE, LET THEM KNOW ABOUT HOW LONG IT WILL BE BEFORE YOU FINISH WITH YOUR EXISTING CUSTOMER, AND CAN WAIT ON THEM.
PRIORITIZE.THE PERSON YOU MAY BE HELPING MIGHT REQUIRE A LOT OF TIME. THE NEXT PERSON MIGHT REQUIRE JUST A FEW MINUTES. EXCUSE YOURSELF FROM THE FIRST PERSON, AND WAIT ON THE SECOND.
IF YOU HAVE A CHATTY CUSTOMER, LEARN HOW TO POLITELY INTERRUPT, AND RE-DIRECT THE CONVERSATION, SO THAT YOU CAN SMOOTHLY TRANSITION TO THE NEXT CUSTOMER.
THANK YOUR CUSTOMERS FOR COMING OVER TO YOUR BOOTH.
BE SURE THEY SIGN A GUEST REGISTER. BE SURE THEY LEAVE WITH SOME PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL. BE SURE THEY KNOW HOW TO CONTACT YOU AFTER THE SHOW.
IF SOMEONE HAS PURCHASED SOMETHING FROM YOU, THANK THEM, THEN SAY SOMETHING LIKE, “THAT NECKLACE WILL LOOK GREAT ON YOU,” OR, “THAT’S SUCHA THOUGHTFUL GIFT YOU ARE BUYING,” WHICH REINFORCES THE GOOD FEELINGS THEY HAVE ABOUT THE PURCHASE, AS THEY HAND YOU THE MONEY.
(9.2) TELL YOUR STORY
WHEN YOU ESTABLISH A VERY PERSONAL CONNECTION WITH YOUR CUSTOMER,YOU WILL MORE LIKELY MAKE THE SALE.
PEOPLE ARE NOT JUST BUYING YOUR WORK. THEY ARE BUYING AN EXPERIENCE. THE MORE THEY KNOW ABOUT YOU, YOUR TECHNIQUES AND THE PARTICULARS OF THE WORK, THE MORE LIKELY THEY ARE TO BUY SOMETHING. YOU, IN EFFECT, ARE BUILDING A BRAND.THE BRAND IS YOU. YOUR STORY SHOULD BE REAL, RELEVANT TO WHAT YOU ARE SELLING, AND REPEATABLE.
SO, YOUR STORY COULD INCLUDE
– IMPORTANT MILESTONES IN YOUR DEVELOPMENT AS AN ARTIST
– HOW YOU GOT STARTED
– HOW YOU LEARNED YOUR “CRAFT”
– WHO TAUGHT YOU
– THE REASONS YOU ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT YOUR WORK
– DO YOU MAKE THINGS FULL TIME OR PART TIME
– YOUR INSPIRATIONS
– INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE MATERIALS YOU USE, and WHERE YOU FIND THEM
– SOME HUMOROUS TALES OF THINGS THAT HAPPENED TO YOU, IN THE CONTEXT OF YOUR WORK
– THE KINDS OF THINGS WHICH DIFFERENTIATE YOURSELF FROM OTHER JEWELRY DESIGNERS
– THE KINDS OF THINGS WHICH ARE CRITICAL TO YOUR SUCCESS
– HOW YOU MANAGE A REGULAR JOB AND YOUR “CRAFT”
– WHERE ELSE DO YOU SELL YOUR PIECES
IF YOU ARE UNCOMFORTABLE TALKING ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR JEWELRY, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. WRITE UP A STORY. MAKE THIS WRITE-UP PART OF YOUR PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS. TELL YOUR STORY TO FRIENDS AND RELATIVES. EVENTUALLY TELLING YOUR STORY WILL BECOME SECOND-NATURE.
(9.3) DEMONSTRATING YOUR SKILLS IF THE SHOW PROMOTERS ALLOW DEMONSTRATIONS, FIND OUT THEIR RULES.
DEMONSTRATIONS ARE GREAT MARKETING TOOLS. THEY ALWAYS ATTRACT CUSTOMERS. THEY GET PEOPLE TO LINGER. THEY SHOW YOU REALLY DO MAKE YOUR OWN PRODUCTS.
(9.4) MAKE THE SALE WORK FOR THEM
HELP THE CUSTOMER JUSTIFY THE PURCHASE. MAKE IT WORK. HAVE TOOLS HANDY TO TAKE OUT A LINK OR ADD A LINK TO SHORTEN OR LENGTHEN THAT PIECE OF JEWELRY.
YOU MAY NOT HAVE EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANT. PERHAPS YOU HAVE IT IN YOUR INVENTORY AT HOME, AND YOU CAN MAIL ORDER THE SALE.
OR, IF YOU DO COMMISSION WORK, LET PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THIS. EXPLAIN TO THEM WHAT COMMISSION WORK MEANS, AND WHAT YOUR TERMS ARE.
Children CHILDREN CAN DISRUPT THE SALES PROCESS. THEY CAN COMPETE FOR THE ATTENTION OF YOUR CUSTOMER THEY CAN SOMETIMES REEK HAVOK WITH YOUR MERCHANDISE AND YOUR DISPLAYS. I ALWAYS HAVE SOME SMALL ITEMS TO DISTRACT THEM, OR SOMETHING THEY CAN FIDDLE OR PLAY WITH.
body language
LESSON 10: MAKE A LIST OF THINGS TO BRING
MAKING LISTS IS ONE OF THE ONLY WAYS I KNOW TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THE DETAILS.
MAKE LISTS OF THINGS TO BRING FOR EACH OF THE FOLLOWING:
1.PACKING AND UNPACKING: storage bins, hand-trucks, bubblewrap
2. BOOTH SET-UP INCLUDING FURNISHINGS AND EQUIPMENT, LIGHTING AND EXTENSION CORDS
11. MONEY, CREDIT CARD AND SALES MANAGEMENT INCLUDING CASH AND CHANGE, FORMS, CELL PHONE, CREDIT CARD EQUIPMENT CREDIT CARD AUTHORIZATION PHONE NUMBERS, SALES TAX CERTIFICATE, BUSINESS LICENSE
12. WEATHER AND OTHER CONTINGENCIES SUPPLIES SUCH AS SAFETY PINS, BUNGEE CORDS, ZIP TIES, SCISSORS, TWINE, TAPE, TENT WEIGHTS, PLASTIC DROP CLOTHS OR TARPS, TOOL KIT FOR REPAIRS, BUG SPRAY, HAT, SUNGLASSES
13. CLEANING SUPPLIES INCLUDING PAPER TOWELS, GLASS CLEANER, JEWELRY CLEANER, GARBAGE BAGS
14. SHOW RELATED SUCH AS COPY OF ALL CORRESPONDENCE WITH SHOW PROMOTER, YOUR APPLICATION FORM
15. DEMONSTRATION SUPPLIES INCLUDING TOOLS, SUPPLIES, SAMPLES
CAMERA: BE SURE TO BRING A CAMERA.TAKE PICTURES OF YOUR FINAL BOOTH SET-UP. TAKE PICTURES OF YOUR MERCHANDISE DISPLAYS.TAKE PICTURES OF ITEMS THAT SEEM TO BE SELLING WELL.
LESSON 11: BE PREPARED TO ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS
YOU WILL DEFINITELY LOSE SALES, IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A WAY TO ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS.
TODAY, THERE ARE SEVERAL SYSTEMS THAT ALLOW YOU TO PUT A SMALL ATTACHMENT ONTO YOUR CELL PHONE. THEY ALLOW YOU TO RUN CREDIT CARDS WITH VERY SMALL FINANCE CHARGES TO YOU. IT IS VERY QUICK AND EASY TO GET APPROVED. YOUR CELL PHONE COMPANY MAY HAVE A PRODUCT FOR YOU. OR YOU CAN RUN CHARGES DIRECTLY ON YOUR CELL PHONE OR TABLET.
ALSO, THERE ARE COMPANIES WITH SIMILAR PRODUCTS LIKE SQUARE GOPAYMENT PAYANYWHERE
LESSON 12: PRICE THINGS TO SELL
CUSTOMERS WHO ATTEND DIFFERENT KINDS OF SHOWS HAVE DIFFERENT KINDS OF EXPECTATIONS ABOUT PRICE. PEOPLE EXPECT TO PAY HIGHER PRICES AT ARTS AND CRAFTS SHOWS, AND LOWER PRICES AT FLEA MARKETS AND BAZAARS.
YOU ALWAYS BEGIN BY SETTING FAIR AND REASONABLE PRICES
AT HIGHER END SHOWS, YOU WANT TO MINIMIZE ANY DISCOUNTING OR HAGGLING.AT FLEA MARKETS, BE PREPARED TO HAGGLE. WHEN YOU HAGGLE ON PRICE, IN ANY SETTING, YOU WOULD TYPICALLY BE PREPARED TO SELL FOR ABOUT 15% LESS THAN THE MARKED PRICE.
IT’S OK TO SAY “NO”, TO A CUSTOMER IF THE CUSTOMER ONLY SEEMS WILLING TO PAY A VERY LOW AMOUNT. YOU WOULD BE OUT OF BUSINESS IF YOU SOLD ALL YOUR STUFF BELOW WHAT IT COSTS YOU TO MAKE.
LESSON 13: KEEP YOUR MONEY SAFE
YOU NEED TO MANAGE YOUR TRANSACTIONS.
KEEP YOUR MONEY SAFE
SET UP AN EFFICIENT PAYMENT STATION.
HAVE ENOUGH MONEY ON HAND TO MAKE CHANGE — 1 AND 5 DOLLAR BILLS, AND QUARTERS, DIMES, NICKELS AND PENNIES.
WITH ALL THE PEOPLE AROUND, COMPETING FOR YOUR ATTENTION, IT GETS TOO EASY FOR SHOP-LIFTERS TO STEAL YOUR MONEY BOX, OR TO STEAL YOUR PURSE, BEFORE YOU NOTICE IT.
I LIKE TO WEAR AN APRON WITH POCKETS. I KEEP ENOUGH MONEY IN THE APRON POCKETS TO HANDLE A FEW HOURS WORTH OF SALES. I KEEP THE REST OF THE MONEY IN PANTS POCKETS OR A MONEY BELT OR FANNY PACK ON MY PERSON.
BE ESPECIALLY ALERT AT SET-UP AND BREAK-DOWN, WHEN THERE IS A LOT OF COMMOTION.
ACCEPTING CHECKS LOTS OF PEOPLE PASS BAD CHECKS. SOME PEOPLE MAKE A CAREER OF THIS. BECAUSE OF THIS, I AM ALWAYS LEERY OF ACCEPTING CHECKS. LUCKILY TODAY, MANY PEOPLE USE THEIR DEBIT CARDS, IN LIEU OF CHECKS, AND THESE ARE MUCH SAFER. IF SOMEONE ASKS IF THEY CAN WRITE A CHECK, I TRY TO DISCOURAGE IT. I ASK THEM IF THEY CAN USE A DEBIT OR CREDIT CARD, INSTEAD.
OCCASIONALLY I DO ACCEPT CHECKS. IF ACCEPTING CHECKS, SOME YELLOW FLAGS TO WATCH OUT FOR:
– CHECK SEQUENCE NUMBERS BELOW 300
– ANY CHECK FROM ANYONE IN THE MILITARY
– STARTER CHECKS, WHERE THE ADDRESS IS NOT IMPRINTED
– OUT OF STATE CHECKS
– WHERE THE WRITER SHOWS A COLLEGE ID, OR THE ADDRESS IS A COLLEGE DORM
VERIFY THE CUSTOMER’S PHONE NUMBER, AND WRITE THIS ON THE CHECK. ALSO, CHECK THE CUSTOMER’S DRIVER’S LICENSE, WITH PICTURE AND SIGNATURE. AND WRITE DOWN THE CUSTOMER’S DRIVER’S LICENSE ON THE CHECK.
MOST BANKS NO LONGER ALLOW YOU TO VERIFY WHETHER THE CUSTOMER HAS ENOUGH MONEY IN THEIR ACCOUNT TO COVER THE CHECK. THE FEW BANKS THAT STILL PROVIDE THIS SERVICE, OFTEN CHARGE YOU $5.00 TO $10.00 PER VERIFICATION.
SHOPLIFTING CRAFT SHOWS ATTRACT SHOPLIFTERS. THERE ARE LOTS OF PEOPLE, LOTS OF COMMOTION, AND LOTS OF DISTRACTIONS. YOU FIND YOURSELF IN A NEW, UNFAMILIAR ENVIRONMENT. THESE KINDS OF THINGS MAKE SHOPLIFTING EASIER TO GET AWAY WITH.
SHOPLIFTERS COME IN ALL SIZES, SHAPES, AGES, GENDERS AND COLORS. THEY MAY TRY TO STUFF SOME JEWELRY INTO A LARGE PURSE OR BAG OR COAT POCKET, AND WALK AWAY WITH OUT PAYING. THEY MAY TRY A PIECE OF JEWELRY ON, AND WALK AWAY WITHOUT PAYING. THEY MAY GRAB AND RUN. OFTEN, THEY WORK IN PAIRS, ONE PERSON TO DISTRACT YOU, AND THE OTHER PERSON TO STEAL YOU BLIND WHILE YOU ARE NOT LOOKING.
TELL-TALE CHARACTERISTICS OF SHOPLIFTERS: — SEEM NERVOUS, REFUSE OFFERS OF ASSISTANCE — SPEND AN INORDINATE AMOUNT OF TIME WATCHING SALES STAFF, RATHER THAN LOOKING AT MERCHNDISE — MAKE AN ESPECIALLY HURRIED EXIT — WEAR OVERCOATS, BAGGY CLOTHES, CARRY OVERSIZED PURSES — GROUPS OF TEENAGERS OR TWEEN-AGERS SHOPPING TOGETHER — LOITER
SHOPLIFTERS REQUIRE SOME LEVEL OF PRIVACY IN ORDER TO CONCEAL MERCHANDISE. So… — MAXIMIZE VISIBILITY — MINIMIZE BLIND SPOTS — FROM WHERE YOU ARE STANDING OR SITTING, YOU SHOULD HAVE GOOD SIGHT LINES THROUGHOUT THE AREAS IN YOUR BOOTH YOUR CUSTOMER HAS ACCESS TO
LOCK UP SHOPLIFTER ATTRACTIVE MERCHANDISE, OR KEEP IT BEHIND THE COUNTER
AS A GENERAL RULE, THE SMALLER AND MORE VALUABLE AN ITEM, THE MORE ATTRACTIVE TARGET IT IS
WHAT PROPORTION OF MERCHANDISE SHOULD YOU KEEP UNDER GLASS? THERE IS NO RULE OF THUMB HERE. YOU HAVE TO USE YOUR JUDGMENT.
KEEP EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE. THIS MAKES IT EASIER TO MONITOR THINGS, BECAUSE, IF EVERYTHING HAS ITS PLACE, AND YOU KEEP PUTTING THINGS BACK IN THE SAME PLACE, YOU ARE MORE LIKELY TO NOTICE, AND NOTICE MORE QUICKLY, IF THINGS ARE OUT OF ORDER.
IF YOU PUT ITEMS IN A BAG, STAPLE IT CLOSED. STAPLE THE RECEIPT TO THE BAG. YOU CAN EVEN STAPLE ONE OF YOUR BUSINESS CARDS TO THE BAG.
REQUIRE A RECEIPTS FOR ALL RETURNS. — ONE THING SOME SHOPLIFTERS LIKE TO DO IS STEAL SOMETHING, AND THEN RETURN IT FOR CASH.
THE MOST EFFECTIVE THING YOU CAN DO TO PREVENT SHOPLIFTING IS TO PROVIDE EXCEPTIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE. — ACKNOWLEDGE EACH CUSTOMER — ASK IF THEY NEED ASSISTANCE
IF YOU SUSPECT OR CATCH A SHOPLIFTER, IMMEDIATELY NOTIFY THE SHOW’S SECURITY. YOU WANT TO DESCRIBE THE SUSPECT, WHETHER YOU THINK HE OR SHE IS STILL PRESENT, WHETHER THEY MIGHT BE CAUSING TROUBLE, AND WHAT THE SUSPECTS LOOKS LIKE AND IS WEARING.
JEWELERS SELLING FINE JEWELRY, PARTICULARLY WITH GOLD AND PRECIOUS STONES, NEED TO TAKE SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS. DON’T WORK ALONE. YOU SHOULD HAVE ONE OR MORE PEOPLE WITH YOU IN THE BOOTH AT ALL TIMES. IF YOU FEEL THAT ANYONE IS CASING YOU, ALERT THE SHOW AUTHORITIES.
YOU MIGHT TAKE A PICTURE OF ANYONE SUSPICIOUS WITH YOUR CELL PHONE OR DISPOSABLE CAMERA.
DON’T REGISTER AT THE HOTEL USING YOUR BUSINESS NAME. DON’T TAKE A FIRST FLOOR ROOM. DON’T TAKE A ROOM NEAR AN ELEVATOR OR STAIRS.
WHEN YOU CHECKOUT OF THE HOTEL, YOU WANT TO DRIVE A LONG DISTANCE BEFORE STOPPING FOR FOOD OR GAS. SO BE SURE YOUR HAVE A FULL GAS-TANK BEFORE THAT LAST DAY AT THE SHOW.
KEEP YOUR MONEY ON YOUR PERSON. IF YOU HAVE VALUABLE MERCHANDISE OR MONEY IN CONTAINERS, KEEP THESE CHAINED TO SOMETHING IMMOVABLE, LIKE A SUPPORT COLUMN IN THE ROOM.
ABOUT HIRING HELP BE CAREFUL ABOUT HIRING NON-SHOW PEOPLE, WHO HAPPEN TO BE AROUND THE SHOW AT SET-UP, AND OFFER TO HELP FOR MONEY.
IF YOU NEED TO HIRE EXTRA HELP, TRY TO ARRANGE THIS AHEAD OF TIME. DOES THE SHOW PROMOTER KEEP OF LIST OF LOCAL PEOPLE TO CONTACT? CAN YOU CONTACT LOCAL CRAFT, BEAD OR JEWELRY STORES TO ASK FOR RECOMMENDATIONS? HOW ABOUT A LOCAL CRAFT ASSOCIATION OR BEAD SOCIETY? HOW ABOUT OTHER VENDORS — DO THEY KNOW SOMEONE LOCALLY THAT THEY USED BEFORE?
YOU CAN ALSO CONTACT SOME LOCAL TEMPORARY SERVICES
OTHER SECURITY CONCERNS: DON’T LEAVE TEMPTING ITEMS IN YOUR BOOTH OVERNIGHT.
LOCK YOUR VEHICLE. BE SURE ALL THE DOORS ARE LOCKED — FRONT, BACK, SIDES
RECORD KEEPING RECORD KEEPING IS VERY IMPORTANT. KEEP GOOD RECORDS OF YOUR SALES. KEEP GOOD RECORDS OF CUSTOMER MAIL, EMAIL ADDRESSES. KEEP GOOD RECORDS AND RECEIPTS OF EXPENSES INCURRED AND OTHER ASSOCIATED COSTS. KEEP GOOD RECORDS OF CAR MILEAGE ASSOCIATED WITH YOUR SHOW RELATED TRAVEL.
IF YOU WILL BE COLLECTING SALES TAXES, BE SURE YOU ARE COLLECTING ALL THE INFORMATION YOU NEED TO FILL OUT ANY GOVERNMENT SALE TAX FORMS.
IF YOU ARE SELLING WHOLESALE, BE SURE YOUR CUSTOMERS ARE PRESENTING YOU WITH THE CORRECT TAX ID NUMBERS AND DOCUMENTATION.
IF YOU ARE IN A STATE THAT COLLECTS SALES TAXES, YOU WILL NEED TO COLLECT SALES TAXES AT THE SHOW. YOU MAY HAVE A PERMANENT RE-SALE NUMBER IN THAT STATE. SOME STATES CALL THESE TAX NUMBERS OR WHOLESALE NUMBERS. IF SO, YOU WOULD PAY THE SALES TAXES YOU HAVE COLLECTED TO THE STATE, AS YOU ALWAYS DO.
IF YOU HAVE A TEMPORARY STATE RE-SALE LICENSE THAT COVERS YOUR TIME AT THE SHOW, YOU WILL BE GIVEN A FORM BY THE STATE WITH WHICH TO TRANSMIT PAYMENT FOR COLLECTED TAXES.
SOMETIMES, STATE OFFICIALS WILL BE AT THE SHOW, GOING BOOTH TO BOOTH, TO COLLECT YOUR SALES TAXES. IF SO, THEY EXPECT YOU TO HAVE COMPLETED YOUR FORM, MEANING YOU HAVE CALCULATED ALL YOUR TAXABLE AND NON-TAXABLE SALES, AS WELL AS THE TOTAL SALES TAXES OWED AS YOU ARE CLOSING DOWN YOUR BOOTH, AND BEGINNING TO PACK UP.
OTHERTIMES, YOU ARE EXPECTED TO SUBMIT THAT FORM WITH PAYMENT USUALLY WITHIN 2–4 WEEKS OF THE SHOW. NOWADAYS, A LOT OF THIS PROCESS IS DONE ONLINE. BE SURE YOU HAVE THE INSTRUCTIONS ABOUT WHAT YOU NEED TO DO WHEN.
LESSON 14: ALWAYS THINK OF WAYS TO GENERATE FOLLOW-UP SALES
YOU MAKE YOUR REAL MONEY THROUGH REPEAT BUSINESS. MUCH OF THIS REPEAT BUSINESS OCCURS BETWEEN SHOWS. SOME OF IT OCCURS WHEN PEOPLE, WHO BOUGHT FROM YOU AT ONE SHOW, RETURN TO YOUR BOOTH AT THE NEXT ONE.
BEFORE THE SHOW…
– NOTIFY YOUR EXISTING CUSTOMERS WHERE YOU WILL BE WHEN EITHER EMAILING THEM OR MAILING OUT POSTCARDS WORKS FINE. FOR REGULAR OR VERY GOOD CUSTOMERS, YOU MIGHT TRY PHONING THEM.
ALSO, YOU SHOULD HAVE SOME KIND OF WEB PRESENCE WHERE THE CUSTOMER CAN EASILY FIND YOU BETWEEN SHOWS.
DURING THE SHOW…
– HAVE A GUEST REGISTER OR SIGN-UP SHEET, TO GENERATE MAIL AND EMAIL ADDRESSES
– HAVE AT LEAST 2–3 TAKEAWAY PROMOTIONAL ITEMS, SUCH AS BUSINESS CARDS, BROCHURES, POSTCARDS
BE SURE, ON EACH OF YOUR PROMOTIONAL HANDOUTS, YOU CLEARLY LIST HOW THE CUSTOMER CAN GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU BETWEEN SHOWS.
ALSO, I LIKE TO HAVE SOME KIND OF GIVE-AWAY, WHERE PEOPLE FILL OUT A FORM WITH THEIR ADDRESS INFORMATION,SAY TO WIN A FREE PIECE OF JEWELRY.
SOME PEOPLE LIKE TO GIVE AWAY PROMOTIONAL ITEMS WITH THEIR BUSINESS NAMES IMPRINTED ON THEM.
AFTER THE SHOW…
– UPDATE YOUR MAILING AND EMAILING DATABASES
– FOLLOW UP AT LEAST WITH THOSE CUSTOMERS WHO MADE A PURCHASE, USING EMAIL OR MAIL, AND THANKING THEM
– DO SOME EVALUATION. WRITE DOWN WHAT THINGS TO KEEP OR KEEP DOING, AND WHAT THINGS DID NOT SELL THAT WELL. ASK YOURSELF WHY AND WHY NOT?
RETURN TO YOUR BREAKEVEN ANALYSIS. HOW MUCH MONEY DID YOU ACTUALLY MAKE? WAS IT WORTHWHILE? IF YOU SPENT $1,000, DID YOU MAKE AT LEAST $1,000 BACK?
LESSON 15: TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF AT THE SHOW. SHOWS ARE EXCITING, BUT ALSO CAN BE PHYSICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY EXHAUSTING.
IF IT’S POSSIBLE TO BRING SOMEONE ALONG TO HELP YOU, DO SO.
BE SURE YOU WORK OUT THE DETAILS FOR FOOD BREAKS AND BATHROOM BREAKS.
BRING FOOD TO SNACK ON, WATER TO DRINK, ANY MEDICATIONS YOU NEED, AT THE LEAST, SOME ASPIRIN.
ANTICIPATE THE WEATHER, AND WHETHER IT WILL CHANGE DURING THE DAY, OR OVER THE DAYS OF THE SHOW.
AND BRING CLOTHES, HATS, SUNGLASSES, SWEATERS, SUN-BLOCK, BUG-SPRAY — WHATEVER.
ALWAYS THINK IN TERMS OF LAYERS OF CLOTHING.
YOU MAY WANT DIFFERENT CLOTHES TO WEAR WHEN SETTING UP, THAN WHEN STAFFING YOUR BOOTH.
I CAN’T EMPHASIZE ENOUGH: WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES.
YOU MAY WANT A CHANGE OF CLOTHES, PARTICULARLY IF THE DAYS ARE HOT AND HUMID.
LESSON 16: BE NICE TO YOUR NEIGHBORS
MAKE FRIENDS WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORS MAY BECOME SOME OF YOUR BEST BUSINESS RESOURCES. ASK ABOUT THEIR PRODUCTS. ASK ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES WITH CRAFT SHOWS. SEND CUSTOMERS THEIR WAY. EXCHANGE BUSINESS HINTS AND CRAFT SHOW OPPORTUNITIES. OFFER TO WATCH THEIR BOOTHS WHEN THEY NEED TO TAKE A BREAK. LISTEN TO HOW THEY MANAGE SALES AND CUSTOMERS. AS YOU WALK AROUND THE SHOW, PAY ATTENTION TO GOOD BOOTH AND DISPLAY IDEAS.
FOLLOW CRAFT SHOW RULES: OPEN YOUR BOOTH ON TIME. DON’T START PACKING UP AND CLOSING YOUR BOOTH UNTIL THE SHOW OFFICIALLY CLOSES. BE SENSITIVE TO THE NEEDS OF THE HANDICAPPED. STICK WITHIN THE “LINES” OF YOUR SPACE BE SURE YOU HAVE CONFORMED TO LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL RULES. RESPECT LIMITS ON SMOKING, DRINKING, EATING AND PLAYING MUSIC.
Booth Etiquette / Following Event Guidelines
If you sign a contract to do a show, you are agreeing to follow all the guidelines and stipulations. Don’t whine or complain. The show owners have a lot to deal with. You don’t want to get yourself banned from future shows.
Stay within your space. If you need a slightly large space, either “buy it” ahead of time from the show promoters, or negotiate an arrangement with your neighbor. You don’t want to make enemies with your neighbors. You don’t want to make it difficult and uncomfortable for your customers to view your merchandise. You don’t want to alienate the show’s promoters.
Don’t pack up early. Wait until the very end of the show.
Be aware of any restrictions about smoking and eating in your booth, or in the general exhibit area.
i. SOME FINAL WORDS OF ADVICE
DOING CRAFT SHOWS IS A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE. YOU CAN MAKE A LOT OF MONEY AT CRAFT SHOWS, YOU MEET NEW PEOPLE, YOU HAVE NEW ADVENTURES. YOU LEARN A LOT ABOUT BUSINESS AND ARTS AND CRAFTS DESIGNING.
IF… YOU DO YOUR HOMEWORK WHEN SELECTING THEM, AND VERIFY ALL INFORMATION, AND, IF… YOU ARE VERY ORGANIZED IN PREPARING FOR THEM, SETTING UP, SELLING AND RE-PACKING UP, AND, IF… YOU PROMOTE, PROMOTE, PROMOTE.
ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I TELL ANYONE WHO WANTS TO GET INTO THIS BUSINESS IS TO GIVE IT 3 YEARS. IF YOU ARE STILL STRUGGLING AFTER 3 YEARS, PERHAPS CRAFTS SHOWS ARE NOT FOR YOU.
EACH YEAR, YOU WILL DO SOME SHOWS, AND SOME WILL WORK, AND OTHERS MIGHT NOT.
AVOID FIRST TIME EVENTS. I USUALLY AVOID SHOWS IN EXISTENCE LESS THAN 3 YEARS.
TRY TO DO EVENTS OTHERS HAVE TOLD YOU HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL FOR THEM.
I GIVE MANY SHOWS A SECOND CHANCE IF I FEEL THE MAJOR ISSUES FOR SLOW SALES, WERE TIMING OR WEATHER.
DON’T FEEL DISAPPOINTED IF YOU DIDN’T MAKE A FORTUNE YOUR FIRST TIME OUT.
REMEMBER, IT’S THAT REPEAT BUSINESS WHERE YOU MAKE THE MOST MONEY.
5 Essential Questions Every Jewelry Designer Should Have An Answer For
Interested in trying your hand at jewelry design?
Before you begin, consider the following 5 questions I pose for you…
Is what you do Art, Craft or Design?
How do you decide what you want to create?
What materials (or techniques) work well together, and which do not?
What things do you do so that your finished piece evokes an emotional response?
How do you know when your piece is done?
Many people begin to explore jewelry designing as a hobby, avocation, business or career. This requires, not only strong creativity skills, but also persistence and perseverance. It means understanding that jewelry can only be judged as finished and successful as the piece is worn. Jewelry design is more than the application of a set of techniques; it is a mind-set, as well. It is a way of thinking like a designer.
A lot of the achievement and accomplishment in this pursuit of jewelry design comes down to ability to make and follow through on many artistic and design decisions. Some have to do with managing a process, which can take an extended period of time. It also comes down to being fluent, flexible and original in your thinking through design. The greater your disciplinary literacy, the more empowered and confident you become in your design work.
Susan is one example of what happens when uncertainty — that paralysis or deer-in-the-headlights feeling that we so often face — sets in. Susan felt very unsure of herself. And unsure of her jewelry. Would people like it? Was the color mix appropriate? Was the construction secure? Was the price smart and fair? She allowed all this uncertainty to affect her design work — she had difficulty finishing pieces she was working on, starting new projects, and getting her work out there.
Like many of my jewelry design and beadwork students, Susan needed to be fluent as a designer. With fluency comes empowerment, confidence and success.
Fluency and Empowerment
The fluent jewelry designer is able to think like a designer. The jewelry designer is more than a craftsperson and more than an artist. The jewelry designer must learn a specialized language, and specialized way of balancing the needs for appeal with the needs for functionality. The jewelry designer must intimately recognize and understand the roles jewelry plays for individuals as well as the society as a whole. The designer must learn how art, architecture, physical mechanics, engineering, sociology, psychology, context, even party planning, all must come together and get expressed at the point where jewelry meets the boundary of the person.
And to gain that fluency, the designer must commit to learning a lot of vocabulary, ideas and terms, and how these imply content and meaning through expression. The designer will need to be very aware of personal thoughts and thinking as these get reflected in all the choices made in design. The designer will have to be good at anticipating the understandings and judgements of many different audiences, including the wearer, viewer, seller, exhibitor, client, and collector.
With fluency comes empowerment. The empowered designer has a confidence that whatever needs to be done, or whatever must come next, the designer can get through it. Empowermentis about making and managing choices. These choices could be as simple as whether to finish a piece or not. Or whether to begin a second piece. The designer will make choices about how to draw someone’s attention to the piece, or present the piece to a larger audience. She or he may decide to submit the piece to a magazine or contest. She or he may want to sell the piece and market it. The designer will make choices about how a piece might be worn, or who might wear it, or when it might be worn, in what context.
And for all these choices, the jewelry designer might need to overcome a sense of fear, boredom, or resistance. The designer might need to overcome anxiety, a sense of giving up, having designer’s block, feeling unchallenged, and even laziness.
In order to make better artistic and design choices, the Fluent and Empowered Jewelry Designer should have answers to these 5 critical questions:
Question 1: Should BEADWORK and JEWELRY MAKING be considered ART or CRAFT or DESIGN?
The jewelry designer confronts a world which is unsure whether jewelry is “craft” or “art” or its own special thing I’ll call “design”. This can get very confusing and unsettling. Each approach has its own separate ideas about how the designer should work, and how he or she should be judged.
When defined as “craft,” jewelry is seen as something that anyone can do — no special powers are needed to be a jewelry designer. As “craft”, there is somewhat of a pejorative meaning — it’s looked down upon, thought of as something less than art. The craft piece has functional value but limited aesthetic value.
But as “craft”, we still recognize the interplay of the artist’s hand with the piece and the storytelling underlying it. We honor the technical prowess. People love to bring art into their personal worlds, and the craftsperson offers them functional objects which have some artistic sensibilities.
When defined as “art”, jewelry is seen as something which transcends itself and its design. It is not something that anyone can do without special insights and training.
“Jewelry as art” evokes an emotional response. Functionality should play no role at all, or, if an object has some functional purpose, then its functional reason-for-being should merely be supplemental. For example, the strap on a necklace is comparable to the frame around a painting, or the pedestal for a sculpture. It is not included with nor judged as part of the art work.
When defined as “design”, you begin to focus more on construction and functionality issues. You often find yourself making tradeoffs between appeal and functionality. You incorporate situational relevance into your designs. You see “choice” as more multidimensional and contingent. You define success only in reference to the jewelry as it is worn.
How you define your work as ART or CRAFT or DESIGN will determine what skills you learn, how you apply them, and how you introduce your pieces to a wider audience. [The bias in this book is to define jewelry as DESIGN, with its own disciplinary-specific, specialized knowledge and skills base, where jewelry is judged as art only at the point it is worn, and where jewelry-making is seen as a communicative process.]
QUESTION 2: How do you decide what you want to create? What kinds of things do you do to translate your passions and inspirations into jewelry? What is your creative process?
Applying yourself creatively can be fun at times, but scary at other times. It is work. You are creating something out of nothing. There is an element of risk. You might not like what you end up doing. Your friends might not like it. Nor your family. You might not finish it. Or you might do it wrong. It may seem easier to go with someone else’s project.
Applying creativity means developing abilities to generate options and alternatives, and narrowing these down to specific choices. It means developing an ease and comfort generating fix-it strategies when approaching unknown situations or problematic ones. It means figuring out how to translate inspiration into design in a way that inspires others and taps into their desires. It means differentiating yourself from other jewelry designers as a measure of your originality. Creative people…
Set no boundaries and set no rules. They go with the flow. Don’t conform to expectations.
Play. They pretend they are kids again.
Experiment. They take the time to do a lot of What Ifs and Variations On A Theme and Trial and Error.
Keep good records. They make good notes and sketches of what seems to work, and what seems to not work.
Evaluate. They learn from their successes and mistakes.
As jewelry designers gain more and more creative experiences, they begin to assemble what I call a Designer’s Tool Box. In this virtual box are a set of thinking routines, strategies and fix-it strategies that have worked well in the past, are very workable in and of themselves, and are highly adaptive when used in unfamiliar situations. Every jewelry designer should develop their own Tool Box. This vastly contributes to success in creative thinking and application.
QUESTION 3: What kinds of MATERIALS work well together, and which ones do not? This applies to TECHNIQUES as well. What kinds of TECHNIQUES (or combinations of techniques) work well when, and which ones do not?
The choice of materials, including beads, clasps, and stringing materials, and the choice of techniques, including stringing, weaving, wire working, glassworks, metalworks, clayworks, set the tone and chances of success for your piece.
There are many implications of choice. There are light/shadow issues, pattern, texture, rhythm, dimensionality and color issues. There are mechanics, shapes, forms, durability, drape, flow and movement issues. There are positive and negative space issues.
It is important to know what happens to all these materials over time. It is important to know how each technique enhances or impedes architectural requirements, such as allowing the piece to move and drape, or assisting the piece in maintaining a shape. Each material and technique has strengths and weaknesses, pros and cons, and contingencies affecting their utilization. The designer needs to leverage the strengths and minimize the weaknesses.
All of these choices: … affect the look … affect the drape … affect the feel … affect the durability … affect both the wearer’s and viewer’s responses … relate to the context
Question 4: Beyond applying basic techniques and selecting quality materials, how does the Jewelry Designer evoke an emotional and resonant response to their jewelry? What skill-sets do Designers need in order to think through powerful designs?
An artistic and well-designed piece of jewelry should evoke an emotional response. In fact, ideally, it should go beyond this a bit, and have what we call “resonance”. The difference between an emotional response and resonance is reflected in the difference between someone saying, “That’s beautiful,” from saying “I need to wear that piece,” or, “I need to buy that piece.” Quite simply: If no emotional response, and preferably, resonance, is evoked, then the jewelry is poorly designed. Evoking an emotional and resonant response takes the successful selection and arrangement of materials, the successful application of techniques as well as the successful management of skills.
Unfortunately, beaders and jewelry makers too often focus on materials or techniques and not often enough on skills. It is important to draw distinctions here.
Materials and techniques are necessary but not sufficient to get you there. You need skills.
The classic analogy comparing materials, techniques and skills references cutting bread with a knife. Material: bread and knife. Technique: How to hold the knife relative to the bread in order to cut it. Skill: The force applied so that the bread gets cut successfully.
Skills are the kinds of things the jewelry designer applies which enhance his or her capacity to control for bad workmanship and know when the piece is finished. Skills, not techniques, are what empower the designer to evoke emotional and resonant responses to their work.
These skills include:
— Judgment — Presentation — Care and dexterity — Knowing when “enough is enough” — Understanding how art theory applies to the “bead” and to “jewelry when worn” — Understanding the architectural underpinnings of each technique, and how these enhance, or impede, what you are trying to do — Taking risks — Anticipating the desires, values, and shared understandings all client audiences of the designer have about when a piece should be considered finished and successful — Recognizing that jewelry is art only as it is worn
QUESTION #5: When is enough enough? How does the jewelry artist know when the piece is done? Overdone? Or underdone? How do you edit? What fix-it strategies do you come up with and employ?
In the bead and jewelry arenas, you see piece after piece that is either over-embellished or under-done. Things may get too repetitive with the elements and materials. Or the pieces don’t feel that they are quite there yet.
For every piece of jewelry there will be that point of parsimony when enough is enough. We want to find that point where experiencing the “whole” is more satisfying than experiencing any of the parts. That point of parsimony is where, if we added (or subtracted) one more thing, we would detract from the whole of our design.
Knowing that point of parsimony is also related to anticipating how and when others will judge the piece as successful. And what to do about it when judged unfinished or unsuccessful.
There is no one best way — only your way
The fluent and empowered jewelry designer will have answers to these 5 essential questions, though not every designer will have the same answers, nor is there one best answer.
Yet it is unacceptable to avoid answering any of these 5 questions, for fear you might not like the answer.
The fluent and empowered jewelry designer will have learned the skills for making good choices. He or she will recognize that jewelry design is a process of management and communication. The fluent and empowered designer manages how choices are made. These choices include making judgments about selecting and combining materials, both physical and aesthetic, and techniques, both alone or in tandem, into wearable art forms and adornment, expressive of the desires of self and others. The artist’s hand will be very visible in their work.
This is jewelry making and design.
This is at the core of how jewelry designers think like jewelry designers.
This is the substantive basis which informs how the designer introduces jewelry publicly.
CANYON SUNRISE for music artist attending awards ceremony. Piece had to reflect nature.
I am a jewelry designer, and have been doing custom jewelry design for over 30 years. It’s challenging. It’s fun. But it can be a headache. Here are some lessons I have learned which I want to share with you.
When I began my jewelry making career, one of the smartest things I did was take on repairs. I learned so much. With each repair, I was able to re-construct in my mind the steps the jewelry designer made when creating this piece of jewelry — choices about stringing materials, clasps, beads, and how to connect everything up. And at the same time, I could see where these choices were inadequate. I could see where the piece broke or wore down. I could question the customer about how the piece was worn, and what happened when it broke.
And with each repair, I gained more knowledge from yet another jewelry designer’s attempt to fashion a piece of jewelry.
All these repairs resulted in more self-confidence about designing jewelry and designing jewelry for others. And, just as important, it led to more custom work.
28 COINS NECKLACE for poker player, includes coin pearls and jade good fortune carving
When you do custom work, I think you need an especially steeled personality to deal with everything that can go awry.
First comes the fitting. You take some initial measurements, but after the piece is made, the perspective changes, and so do the desired measurements.
Then comes a lot of customer indecision — colors, lengths, beads, silhouettes, overall design. They have a sense of what they want, but often have difficulty articulating the specifics.
Or they want to use several gemstones, but want them all to have the exact same markings and coloration.
Or they want to use several colors which really don’t harmonize well with each other.
Or they want to use components which are not easily available.
And not to forget to mention the sometimes questionable taste.
Or the possibilities of infringement of other jeweler’s designs, when the customer wants you to re-produce something they saw in a magazine or on-line. Identically.
And then time-frame. Can I finish the piece by the time the customer wants it done?
SOUNDTRACK::Color for folk musician who wanted something similar to a piece worn by Alanis Morissette. Client wanted all these colors (with raspberry as the dominant color) incorporated into this micro-macrame piece.
We discuss pricing, where all-to-often many customers seem resistant to paying anything for my time, which for custom designed pieces, is considerable. I walk them through the detailed process ad nauseum so they get the gist of all the work involved.
And last, payment. It’s not so easy to get some people to pay.
I still do a lot of custom work. But I delay a bit, sitting down and actually constructing the piece. I have a lot of discussions with the client. If there are color or materials questions, I usually present the client only 3 colors or materials at a time, and ask them to choose which they prefer. Then another 3-at-a-time forced-choice exercise, until things get narrowed down.
I photo-shop a lot of images — different colors, designs, beads — with the client, and get a lot of feedback. As I assemble all the information, I sketch/photo-shop what a final piece might look like. I superimpose this image on a mannequin to show the customer what it might look like. I have the customer formally sign-off on a final design. And only then, do I begin to construct the piece.
I try to develop in my mind a type of behavioral profile on each client. I pay attention to the styles of clothing they wear, the colors, how much jewelry they wear, and what that looks like. I spend time asking where, when and how they will be wearing the jewelry. I ask if they any expectations about the reactions they want or expect from others, when wearing the jewelry. I try to elicit the reasons why they are purchasing this custom piece, and whether it is filling any gaps they perceive in their wardrobe. I try to get a sense of how elaborate or simple they want the finished piece to be.
I give the client a realistic deadline. If the client needs the piece sooner, we discuss right up front where I will need to make process changes, in order to meet the reduced deadline.
It’s important to make everything about the design process and my management steps which I need to take predictable and clear right up-front. I don’t want to present the client with any surprises.
I require a 50% deposit up front.
I agree to make some adjustments for 6 months after the customer has the piece in hand.
I have a .pdf Certificate of Authenticity which I sign and give to the client. I name each piece (and if it is part of a series, that series will have a name as well), and this information is included in the Certificate. The Certificate also states my 6-months of adjustments policy.
