Monday, June 28, 2010

Read All About It!

WOW! What a GREAT show on Saturday!!! We're still trying to take in all of the awesomeness! In the meantime, check out the Tulsa World article and The Tulsa Project article about the show. Also, don't miss some fantastic blog posts from The GreenerMe, sunshine and carousels, and Art by Bethany recapping it all!

A grand thanks to all who made it out and of course, to all of our fabulous artists! Looking forward to next year!

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Alliday Artist: Meet Scarberry Faire!

Tell us a little about yourself and your business.
I’ve been drawing and painting my whole life. I’ve always painted for family and friends, and over the years I’ve gotten a lot of feedback that I should sell my work. Scarberry Faire is my first attempt at doing so!
What do you create?
I create wall art. I typically paint portraits of women. I go through phases where I find a particular genre or subject really interesting, and its usually reflected in the subjects I paint – lately I’ve been looking at a lot of Japanese fashion, which has inspired a few recent pieces.
What do YOU love about the products you make?
I love the self expression, and if something so personal can touch someone else, all the better!
Where do you find inspiration?
Everywhere! I love the look of comic books and cartoons. Growing up I remember drawing a lot of video game characters! I am also inspired by fashion, but the female form is where I tend to be inspired most.

The Alliday Show believes that everyday should be celebrated as a holiday! That being said, which holiday do you wish were everyday and why?
Hmmm….Valentines? The world always needs more love!
Will you be unveiling any new goods at Alliday?
Everything is new!

What are you most excited about for the upcoming Alliday Show?
I’m most excited to see how people react to my work and to meet other artists in the community. I have no idea what to expect, and it will be interesting to see how people respond.
Rapid Fire Questions!
Your favorite color
To wear: blue
To live in: yellow (sunshine!)
To look at: purple
To create with: I love working with shades of grey and black
That inspires you: all of them!

Medium you:
Love to work in: acrylic paints
Tend to get frustrated with: sewing
Would love to learn: pottery
You most admire: other painters

Favorite musical artist of the moment: Black Keys
Favorite all-time musical artist: That’s a hard question! Bob Marley or Band of Horses
Favorite movie: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Favorite food to eat: Mexican
Favorite food to cook: Mexican
Favorite place you’ve been: Jamaica
Place you’d love to go to: Greece

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

It's Time!!!

Hello world! The time has finally arrived! The Alliday Show is THIS SATURDAY at the Ford Truck Exhibit Hall at the Tulsa Fairgrounds from 9-5! And guess what? You don't have to pay a dime to get in! How great is that! Here's a little map of the fairgrounds with a gigantic red arrow pointing to the coolest handmade show around! Hope to see you there!

Monday, June 14, 2010

Wrap it Up with StreetCats!

StreetCats, Inc. will be helping you with gift wrapping for your purchases made at The Alliday Show! Who doesn’t like something wrapped up, even if it is for you or for no special reason? Plus, gift wrapping is free and you can do it yourself or we’ll do it for you!

StreetCats, Inc. is an all volunteer not for profit cat rescue organization that exists on donations only. We are located at 60th & S. Sheridan (behind Charlie’s Chicken on the east side of Sheridan). We have wonderful cats for adoption plus we help sponsor a low cost spay/neuter voucher program for homeless cats on the streets. All our cats for adoption are 9 months old or older (up to 12 years), have tested negative for Feline Leukemia and Aids, are current on their rabies and FVRCP vaccinations, and are microchipped with Home Again in the event they should get outside accidentally and get confused and can’t find their way home. All cats receive excellent medical care while they are with us waiting for their forever homes. Adoptions are $75 ($65 if you are 65 or older). StreetCats is open Tuesday-Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Please visit our web site at http://www.streetcatstulsa.org/ and check us out! Our telephone message line is 298-0104 if you want to call us and leave a message – we’ll call you back.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Creating the Perfect Booth

*THE BONES*

Tables – Make sure you have enough and make sure they will fit in your booth! Find out if your show will be providing tables for you.

Chairs – We always bring one extra chair because we often have friends or family stop by and sit for a bit. That being said though, you want to make sure your booth is not too congested with friends and family and that it feels more like a store than a coffee shop!

Canopy - If outside a canopy is your best friend. Never rely on good weather! If inside, check with your organizer to ensure they are allowed. Some buildings do not allow canopies inside. Walls can also be a good investment! If outside and you need a canopy, weights will be your best friend!

*DISPLAYS*

Think outside of the box. Picture frames don’t have to house pictures, why can’t they showcase your jewelry or hair clips? Take some time to think of unique display ideas; scour the flea market, garage sales and estate sales for offbeat finds which are often a steal! Show your products in action! Reversible apron? Flip up a corner of the fabric on a dress form to show its versatility!

Remember the word height! Think of ways to vary the height of your wares. For small items, plant shelves and pie plates work well to give differing heights and for larger items, hanging things from a canopy make a shopper look up! Even simply covering boxes with fabric will give some height to your booth! Not to mention these will often give you more room on your table!

Freestanding walls work great for hanging artwork and are available on the Internet and in store fixture shops.

Table covers - Be careful that your displays and table cloths don’t detract from your wares. A coherent color scheme will do wonders for making your booth look professional and mature!
Detailed jewelry or beautifully patterned purses will stand out much better on a monotone table cloth rather than the cute dancing monkey sheet. Even though you may adore the fabric or display, think about if it is too much! Editing is very important in displays!

It is also smart to do test runs of your booth. This will help you figure out what works and what doesn’t and helps to alleviate unwanted stress during set-up!

Don’t forget to model your merchandise if you make something that can be worn!

Above all, be creative!

*SIGNAGE & BRANDING*

Always think of way to brand your company. Consider putting your logo on your price tags as well as your signage and business cards. Make sure you have something that has your company name on it! You want people to remember you and your products!

Business cards, flyers for upcoming shows or promotional giveaway items. It helps people remember you if they have something to take home with them, purchased or not. They may not buy something at that particular show but with a card or flyer, they can contact you in the future or visit your upcoming shows!

*MISCELLANEOUS*

Guestbook. Some artists offer email updates for their shows, sales and news. If you plan to collect addresses, it is best to be prepared and have somewhere for customers to sign up! Remember to bring a pen!

Electricity. If your show offers electricity hookups and you have paid for that, make sure to pack extension cords! Most shows will not supply those for you. If you are doing an outdoor show at night, lights are a necessity and will also need to be brought by you!

Change. Many artists will factor in tax to their prices so making change is a cinch; no need to mess with coins! Dollar bills are invaluable though so make sure you have plenty of those!

Payment. Decide what forms of payment you will accept. If you plan to accept checks, make sure you get driver’s license numbers along with a phone number in case the check is bad. If you plan to accept credit cards, make sure you have electricity in your booth if not going through a cell phone and make sure the facility offers Wi-Fi if you need that. Signage noting what type of payments you accept are often helpful to your customers.

Snacks. Many shows will have vendors selling food but if you’re a penny pincher like me, you’ll want to bring snacks so you save money!

Mirror. Do you sell a product that people wear? Providing a mirror will discourage people from asking to take items to the bathroom to try on and will ensure the safety of your merchandise!

*ATTITUDE & BEHAVIOR*

One the greatest things about doing arts and crafts shows is that you have the opportunity to speak with your customers face to face. Make sure to take advantage of that! Greet the public, be happy and welcoming, and be positive! If you enjoy yourself, your customers will enjoy themselves as well.

While you do want to be friendly and personable, you also don’t want to hound your shoppers! Greet them, let them shop in peace, answer questions when needed and offer information on pieces if they seem interested. Nobody enjoys going into a store and having an employee following them around while they try to shop!

When eating, it’s best not to eat a burger with extra onions and a side of garlic. Remember you’ll be dealing directly with the public so odorous foods are smart to stay away from! Also, try to keep your food and drinks behind your displays or in your lap or have a friend babysit your booth while you eat elsewhere. Keeping these things in view of your customers will detract them from shopping in your booth.

Even if a shopper does not buy anything, be sure to thank them for their time! You want them to leave thinking positively of their experience in your booth.

Visit other shows and observe which booths you like and why. Need more inspiration and tips for the big day? Here are two of Oklahoma's own crafty ladies who are full of good advice! Take a moment to visit Audrey Eclectic and Lollywood! Have great advice of your own? Please feel free to leave links in the comment section to share!

Alliday Artist: Meet Purl Studio!

Tell us a little about yourself and your business.
Purl Studio is a brand new business venture for me. I’d been knitting for about a year when I decided to share some photos of my work with friends. Their response was overwhelmingly positive. They encouraged me to pursue the idea of selling my work. I’m thrilled to debut my work at the Alliday Show.

What do you create?
I create hand knit and felted clothing and accessories for women of all ages. I choose sustainable, quality yarns and design pieces that I would love to wear. I also love knitting for little ones. In fact, it was the idea of creating handmade gifts for friend’s baby showers that inspired me to start knitting. I don’t think there is anything more satisfying that giving a gift that was made especially for the recipient.

What do YOU love about the products you make?
I love that they are sustainably made and that each one is an original. I also love using an old-fashioned craft to make such modern stylish pieces.


The Alliday Show believes that everyday should be celebrated as a holiday! That being said, which holiday do you wish were everyday and why?
Earth Day. I’m passionate about sustainability and developing a more equitable planet and I wish we spent every day thinking about how to make this planet a better place to live.

If you could create a new holiday, what would it be and how would it be celebrated?
I’d love a holiday that you celebrated on the last warm night in Autumn by inviting all of your friends over to eat the remaining fresh vegetables from your garden.

Will you be unveiling any new goods at Alliday?
Everything from me will be new! It’s a huge undertaking but I’m loving the challenge.

What are you most excited about for the upcoming Alliday Show?
I’m looking forward to meeting new people and sharing my work. I love meeting the people who will wear my pieces. It will also give me an idea of what people like and where to focus my work.
Rapid Fire Questions!
Your favorite color
To wear: right now…purple.
To live in: the perfect shade of winter white.
To look at: olive green, always.
To create with: deep earth tones.
That inspires you: a new color every day.

Medium you:
Love to work in: Wool, alpaca, organic cotton and recycled silk.
Tend to get frustrated with: Fine mohair.
Would love to learn: Crochet
You most admire: Woodworking and glass blowing
Favorite musical artist of the moment: Feist
Favorite all-time musical artist: Waterdeep
Favorite movie: The Royal Tennenbaums
Favorite food to eat: Does candy count as food?
Favorite food to cook: Microwave dinners.
Favorite place you’ve been: London and the Virgin Islands
Place you’d love to go to: New Zealand and Scotland

Check out my blog at http://www.mypurlsofwisdom.wordpress.com/!