Two events in one weekend

On Saturday I did the Browns Bay Craft Show for the first time (I really thought I should show my work at this event as I am now a Browns Bay resident) and on Sunday I did Coatesville Market, being very lucky to get an indoor spot, in fact it was in the entrance hall where I was last time.

Browns Bay Craft Show

I am not sure what to make of my sales statistics, as I took exactly the same amount of money at each event (+ or - $1); on Saturday I sold twenty four pieces (nearly all low cost items – I actually sold out of my experimental brooches) and on Sunday I sold four pieces (higher value). I would prefer to concentrate on fewer, one-off value pieces but I do not think that ‘markets’ are the right type of sales venue. Once I have left my job, I will have the opportunity to try approaching some galleries and gift/boutique shops, as alternative outlets.

A Review of July 2010

The main focus of this month has been to get stock ready for my first time at Coatesville Market, which means I have not created many new Art-Brooch designs on canvases. I have tried to finish off pieces that had previously been started, especially making some of my experimental pieces into brooches and also trying out the idea of making sample brooches – both of these will be lower cost items for my stand.

Trial set-up of table display

I have also been working on a new set-up for my table. Unfortunately, I ran out of time, so I only have three screens (instead of five) as shown in the photograph above. It looks over-crowded to me but when I get the other two screens, I can space things out more. I have designed the screens to join together with Velcro strips but I am not sure how secure this will be in practice. At least I can try it out tomorrow and then reconsider the fixing method, if necessary, before adding the other two screens.

Completing pieces for Coatesville Market

The last two weeks have been spent completing pieces for Coatesville Market. Here are my latest Art-Brooches on canvases.

Silver Flowers

Golden Mask

Un-titled

I am not sure about the one which is un-titled. I like the idea of the golden rods cutting across the square but I think they would be better made from metal (maybe metal clay, which I have not tried - yet?). I have had to make them quite thick, so that the polymer clay is strong enough, but this has lost the delicacy.

The eight designs from one shape have now become nine, as I discovered another one. I am pleased with how they have turned out although I think I will need to use two different sizes of the curved triangular shape, as some have ended up quite small, if I make some more. These sample brooches (see post dated Thursday 15 July 2010) will be sold with a small organza gift pouch.

Sample brooches - nine designs from one shape

More sample brooches

Here are a few more experimental brooches that were not photographed before.

I seem to have accumulated quite a stock of polymer clay brooches and I still have some of my earlier ones, made from Friendly Plastic, as a back-up if I run low.