THREE SLEEPS!!! That’s it until my last market of the year! And what a show to end 2016 on, the inaugural Curated. Holiday Market!! Formerly Vixens of Vintage, this market has undergone a huge facelift and brand update to meet the growing handmade scene. Still run by the same wonderful organizer and still full of amazing local vendors!
Curated is being held at the Red and White Club by the Stadium. There is a Market Eve shopping night on Friday Nov 18th from 5-9pm. Purchase your tickets NOW for that event, as only a limited number of tickets are being sold for it to ensure a relaxed shopping experience. Beat the crowds, grab a cocktail and start your Christmas shopping!
The market opens to the public on Saturday Nov 19th from 10am-4pm, with $4 admission at the door.
And again, this is my last market of the year, and last one for a while probably, so stop by and say “hi”.
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It’s on again!! Yep, the Etsy Made In Canada markets have been so well received across the country for the past two years, that they’re at it again! AND less than THREE weeks away! I’m so honored to be one of the chosen vendors in Calgary and thrilled to be apart of the community! {read more}
After taking much of the summer off from “serious” making, I’m back at it and stitching up a storm for the Etsy market. I’m hoping to have a pile of Mermaid Dreamcatchers, both large & small, in stock at the show, so if you’ve been waiting to score one, now is your chance! I’ll also have a handful of unicorn & Dino Dreamcatchers, along with a rainbow of Love Catchers. Fingers crossed I even find a teeny bit of time to make up a few surprises that I’ve been daydreaming about.
Besides the “making” that needs to happen over the next few weeks, I also need to sort out my display, make tags, and tackle all the hundred little things that go with being a vendor at a market. Thankfully, the pure excitement of this show far outweighs any stress over it. No matter what, it will be a most excellent time!!
So here are the deets:
Etsy Calgary: Made in Canada
The Genesis Centre – Festival Gymnasium {#10 7555 Falconridge Blvd. NE}
Friday, Sept. 23rd 6-9pm
SNEAK PEEK EVENT, $8 tics
{go buy your tickets now for this & thank me later}
Saturday, Sept. 24th 9am-5pm
General Public Market, $5 admission
**Pop over to Instagram and follow the @etsycalgary feed. Lots of chances to win tickets to the sneak peek night. I even have two tickets to give away later this month.**
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This spring, I had the immense pleasure of being a vendor at two markets around Alberta! I don’t get to do too many markets & craft shows these days, so doing TWO (on back-to-back weekends) was a pretty big deal for me! There were lots of reasons to be excited, including having actual booths at both markets instead of a single table, and focusing primarily on selling my Love Catcher & Dreamcatcher designs. Today I’m sharing how I tackled my display at the shows.
Each market had a different size booth space, and as you discover doing craft shows, display setup can change {a lot or just a little} EVERY single time. There’s so many variables at each market: who your vendor neighbor is & what kind of setup they have, whether you luck out with wall space behind you or a spot on the corner of an aisle. Even the vibe of a show & the type of customers on a particular day can dictate re-thinking your display.
Be flexible and have several options for display
I was fortunate with my first market this spring to have a 10′ x 10′ booth, basically as big as it gets. It gave me plenty of room to be flexible with my display. I had never attended the market, and so didn’t have any idea what to expect. A week before the show, I marked out the booth size on the floor in the basement with some painter’s tape and I played around with a few different ways to setup my larger display units. I suggest you TAKE PHOTOS with your phone of the mock set-up, so once you get to the show {and your stress level is high & the excitement is building} you can actually remember what some of your plans were. A quick glance through pics on your phone should keep you on track. While I was doing my mock setup for the 10′ x 10′ booth at home, I also marked out the smaller booth size, 8′ x 8′ and determined some display options for that, at the same time.
Determine your work flow
When you’re considering your booth design, keep in mind how YOU will move around in it. Do you need space behind a table? Do you need a spot to sit? Where will you interact with customers? Where will you take payment or bag up purchases? How will you get to additional stock, if needed? Once you sort out your own work flow, you’ll be able to envision what’s needed {and what’s not} in your booth. Each vendor needs different things to make them comfortable. I’m an introvert, which means, I need to have a spot behind a table where I can retreat for small snippets of renewal & to feel comfortable. I would never be comfortable, sitting in a chair in the middle or to the side of my booth. I spend a lot of time out from behind my table {especially in a larger booth}, but for my own sanity, I need a table to get behind.
You can see how the different booth size determines how much of your display changes. In the 10′ x 10′ booth, I was able to have a 6′ table, a 4′ table and all three of my folding pegboards expanded, with lots of room for customers {and myself} to move around in the space. In the 8′ x 8′ booth, I went down to one 6′ table, my three folding pegboards {overlapped & not fully expanded} and a clothing rack. This worked because I lucked out with a spot right at the end of an aisle, so it was a corner space & I could simply step out into the side aisle to move from behind my table to into the booth. If I had a neighbor on both sides, this set-up would not have worked. I would have gone down to a 4′ table {which I had brought along in the truck, just in case… come prepared for a couple scenarios}.
One of my favourite display items for hanging product is a simple clothing rack {bought mine at Ikea}. You can take them apart, so they travel & store in flat pieces, and you can adjust their height and the height of the your whole display by setting it on a table or floor. Also, if you get metal ones, you can use simple magnets to hang thing from them, making it easy for customers to interact with your product. I actually sell button magnets at the shows, but I also use them to hang my Love Catchers from the rack.
My new favourite display item are the pegboards that my dad helped me build. They are two panels of pegboard, framed with wood on the backside for stability, and hinged together. The fold very flat for travel & storage and they aren’t too heavy for me to handle. I have three sets, which makes them the most flexible display option to date that we have built. Depending on the space, they can be placed in a zigzag configuration or they can be overlapped in lots of different ways to fit into smaller spaces, or I can just use one or two of them.
I painted most of the pegboards white on the front, with one dark grey. Customers did appreciate being able to hold up particular designs against the darker colour, as they decided what would look good in a room.
Display is all about play, play, play
Throughout both markets, I played around with how I arranged product on the pegboards. Product placement is one of those things you can’t necessarily plan until you see how customers interact with your product. Different days of the markets drew different folks, and I switched which product I featured based on how things were going {One evening, people seemed to be really looking for dreamcatchers for boys, so I moved those toward the front. The next day, people were focusing on things for girls, so I moved the product for boys toward the back, etc.}. Try it out, adjust, simplify, add a bit, play around.
I’m all about DETAILS!
So when my dad and I finished the pegboard displays, I realized using just plain metal hooks was not going to be good enough. I spent two evenings, gluing large colourful buttons onto the ends of every single hook. Not only did this addition make the hooks “on brand” with Bubblegum Sass, they were very functional (kept product from slipping off), and added more character to the display. When I looked at the pegboards with my unique hooks, it was very satisfying and left me with that “ahhhhh” feeling, which means they did their job. If things aren’t feeling quite right with your display, consider looking at some of the details. Is there something you could add or change, that would bring it all together? For me, it was the hooks. For others, it might be the table coverings, or how you tackle signage, or the bins/bowls/crates/plates that you are using on a table display. Small changes can bring the whole thing together.
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Wasn’t I just at a market?! YES!! I am doing back to back weekends of vintage markets this spring. Coming up THIS weekend I will be at the All Things Pretty Market in Red Deer, AB. There is a shopping night event on April 30th, which you might still be able to purchase a couple tickets for. The market will open to the public on Sunday, May 1st.
The shopping night event gets you first dibs on all the amazing product that vendors are bringing and will feature musical stylings of Bradley Abel, food & drinks from The Stache & Cool Beans, a photo booth and some extra treats! A portion of the proceeds of this ticketed event goes to the Magdalene House Society of Red Deer, a home for victims of human trafficking.
I’m really excited because it will be my first ever market in Red Deer! There’s a stellar lineup of vendors, including a few Etsy Alberta Teamies like Hop & Flop and Kiwi Tini Creations. I’m bringing along my rainbow of Love Catchers and kids Dreamacatchers, as well as, button hair clips & magnets.
This will be my last market until the fall, so if you want to see my items in person, take a little drive to Red Deer, have a bit of an adventure & pop into the market at the Pidherney Centre (Red Deer Curling Centre).
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THIS weekend!!! You can find me at my first market of the year!! Thrilled to be participating in the Vixens of Vintage Spring Fling market in Calgary Friday night and Saturday.
The Market Eve shopping event on Friday night is SOLD OUT! Yay, Calgary, for supporting local handmade goods! Saturday, the market will open to the general public, 10am-4pm. And I am also super stoked that the event is being held practically in my old backyard! I grew up in Bowness and my parent’s house is a stone’s throw from the community hall. There’s two appropriate sayings I’ll share: “Once a Bownesian, always a Bownesian” and “You can take the girl out of Bowness, but you can’t take the Bowness out of the girl”.
If you come down to the market this weekend, there are a number of prize packs you can enter to win! Prizes are being donated by the awesome vendors. Also, look for the fabulous gals from Pinups for a Cause, who will be volunteering at the event. A portion of all admission proceeds go to the Pinups, who then donate to a cause of their choice. This year, they are donating to Dreams Come Alive Childrens Charity. Just another great reason to come down and support local, handmade businesses this weekend!
Hope to see you there! I’m bringing along a great selection of lace Love Catcher colours & new designs, and some awesome kids Dreamcatchers (including unicorns, mermaids, trucks/cars, terrariums, and Dinos)! Plus, my wonderful dad took time to help me build some new display pieces (or rather, I assisted him). They’re painted and looking great! Pop by my booth (yes, booth) and say hi!
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Yes, truly ecstatic to be included in this upcoming market! FINALLY! It’s been on the list of shows I’ve wanted to attend for quite a while, but could just never squeeze into the schedule. Well, to heck with that this year. I’m diving in and so very pleased that Vixens of Vintage has welcomed me!
I’m actually, kind of diving in headfirst, because instead of just getting a small simple table spot, I signed up for a 10’x 10′ booth! So I can have an actual little shop dedicated to all things Love Catcher & Dreamcatcher related! My head is swirling with booth designs and display ideas! It must be pretty. And adorable. And I have a hula hoop waiting to be turned into a gigantic Love Catcher. I kid you not.
The coming months are going to be awesome and busy. Did I mention how thrilled I am that this market is being held in my old ‘hood? Half a block from my dad’s house. Love it! And the line-up of other vendors will not disappoint. It is for this very reason that I encourage you to purchase tickets for the Market Eve event, which allows you to attend the market the night before it opens to the public. Beat the crowds, and get first dibs on all the great finds! {Limited tickets available, so purchase yours now}
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Only ONE more sleep until the big market!! I’ve been so busy making, making, making for it, that I’ve barely had time to pop on here. If you’ve been following along on Instagram, you might be getting sick of hearing & seeing all the stuff I’ve made for the show. I’ll be bringing along close to 100 small Love Catchers, 20 large Love Catchers, along with a selection of upcycled & shabby chic accessories.
There’s been a crazy amount of response to the show. We’re expecting anywhere from 5,000-10,000 folks in a single day!! You’re going to be running us off our feet! For the first 125 lucky folks through the door, there are some amazing swag bags with contributions from the vendors & sponsors (including copies of Uppercase Magazine). I provided 50 adorable button magnets.
The first 10 customers who make a purchase at my table, will receive a 10% coupon for future purchases! So come down to the show early. Also, check out the directions for taking public transit, since parking might be an issue with that many people. I’m lucky enough to have my sis-in-law waking before the sun to pick me up & drive me down to the show.
If you missed the news segment on CTV this morning discussing the show, you can catch it here. Such a great variety of vendors featured, and you might spot a Love Catcher by little ‘ol me!
Can’t wait to share some photos from the show with you! Hope it’s a huge success for all the vendors!
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Annnnd it’s HERE!! This weekend is the first Market Collective Holiday show of the season! Come on down to the Chinese Cultural Centre Friday 4-9pm, and Saturday & Sunday 10am-6pm. There’s a $5 entrance fee for the weekend (kids under 12 get in free) or you can score a THREE weekend pass for only $10 (limited quantities available). Yep, THREE weekends of shopping local, unique, handmade items. This little gal will only be at one of the weekends, so you best come out and say “Hi” this Friday, Saturday or Sunday!
I have a nice variety of Love Catchers waiting for new homes, including a few festive ones to decorate your home for the holidays.
I will also have some adorable stocking stuffer options, including colouful Button Hair Clips & the every popular Button Magnets, both of which I have in holiday colours & limited edition “Frozen” inspired colours. I know, right?! Very pretty, and very awesome.
If you’re looking for a super unique gift, then check out the one-of-a-kind Upcycled Cuff Bracelets in pretty much every colour you can imagine. I will also have the more simple Love Cuff Bracelets available. That my friends, should have you covered for some nice gifts for all the gals in your lives. And then of course, there’s all the other amazing vendors that will be at the show to meet your remaining gift needs. I’ve got a few items to pick up myself. Looking forward to seeing you all down there!
December is not far off. Goodness! Where did the month of November go?! At our house, it was consumed by colds, potty training, and more colds. I’ve been squeezing in little bits of crafting time where ever possible, but there’s been very few big chunks of making going on. Market Collective is only 10 days away now. I’m busy simplifying things in my head for the show, knowing what’s possible & improbable at this point.
I’m also being very mindful of what is most important at this time of year. This is the season, that one can most easily get caught up in the expectations of the world and lose focus on the true celebration of Christmas. So I make what I can for the craft show. I make what I love; make what I wish to share with my customers to fill their homes and help them express their love to others.
I also made the point to prepare myself for the coming Advent season. I don’t want to let it pass me by. Over the summer months (our craziest time of year), I managed, for the first time in my life, to make Bible reading and reflection through journaling a DAILY habit. A habit that was sadly broken during our Disney trip and subsequent chaos at home, but I’m really looking forward to committing again with the start of Advent right around the corner. I ordered an Advent journal from Naptime Diaries (I loved their Lent one last year) and even splurged a bit on their Advent calendar so that I could fill our house with mini-devotional prints (and God’s message to us). I might also follow along with the reading plan from Love God Greatly (formerly Good Morning Girls, which I did last year). Advent isn’t about spending money, but I saw the difference it made in my own Bible reading habit to have inspirational resources at hand (purchased or free).
Peering into December, it’s easy to see Christmas as a looming deadline. With chaotic parking lots, busy, busy malls, and the pressure of getting just the “right” gift, it’s no wonder we all get stressed out and miss the point of the season. Each year, hubby & I make another small step in avoiding the crushing chaos of December. It started years ago, when we began making the majority of our gifts. Then we incorporated Gifts of Change (gift certificates to World Vision & such, where recipients could choose the way they would like to impact the lives of others). Christmas craft shows start in September and this year I attended several before the shopping season was in full swing. It allowed me to support local businesses & feel a wee bit more prepared for the giving season. I also discovered the ease of ordering locally and having it delivered directly to my door (shout out to Cedar & Sparrow for the lovely natural beauty products, all made in Canada, that will be gifted to friends this year). Making small changes to simplify the season.
Throughout the entire year, we purchase & collect items for Christmas Shoe Boxes. I have a little cubby in the sewing room where I squirrel away items to donate. We make organizing half a dozen Christmas Shoe Boxes a priority every November and we try to volunteer at the Operation Christmas Child warehouse each year, when possible. I’d love to volunteer there more than just one shift. Perhaps in coming years. I also really want to do more random acts of kindness during Christmas. We managed to do several last year and I’ve collected more ideas on my Christmas Pinterest board. I’m not trying to boast, but trying to encourage you. Our season of Christmas is becoming less about the pressure of giving and more about the experience of giving and ultimately, the deeper enjoyment of it. It is well worth the time to take a look at your own Christmas season and see if there are any changes, big or small, that can be made to embrace the true meaning of this most wonderful time of year.
