Jewellery By Shalini

How to survive craft fairs?

Shalini — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:57:45 +0000

Came across this question on Stamford Artisans Guild Facebook Page from Handmade in Peterborough Group.

“I’m doing a web article on how to survive craft fairs with your dignity and will to live intact… and how to make a profit from them! What are your top tips? Could you share and ask your crafters please?”

I have just posted some of my thoughts and I think its a good idea to share them here as well. I am sure there are many more but this is what I could think of straight away. Its not so much about how to make a profit but how to enjoy a craft fair when you are a stall holder.

Just realised I don't have many photos of me at my stand at fairs! Anyway... to highlight my point about demonstrating what you do. This was at Gaol Street, Oakham in July 2011. So many people stopped to watch Mr A wrapping a wire tree and talked to us both. We had a very satisfying day of sales, contacts and fun!

This is just my experience and I don’t know if it works for everyone but I come back satisfied from most events even if I have not made many sales.

Look interested in your surroundings and the people passing by instead of burying your head in a book or your phone.
A smile & hello goes a lot further than pouncing on everyone and doing the hard sell to every visitor who pauses at your stall.
Talk to other stall holders about their work even if they are selling the same craft as you. Treat the event as a networking opportunity.
If possible take something to do a demonstration of your craft at the stand. It helps to start a conversation and occasionally results in a sale.
Always have plenty of business cards / leaflets handy. Not everyone buys on the day but I have often received bespoke orders and sales via my website from fair visitors.
See it as another form of advertising and not just a selling day.

And DO try and stay positive people!

New Pieces Added

Shalini — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 22:37:42 +0000

Over the last few days I have added new one off pieces to the online showroom.

The 15% Sale is still on and the new items are included in the sale! Do have a look and grab yourself a something special for a great price! Sale ends 31st January!

Click the image above to browse through my collection

Did you know

Shalini — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 10:41:05 +0000

about my 15% Off January sale?

Our little photo studio

Probably yes as I have been talking about it for a while on the “other” blog, face book and twitter but as is normal in my often disorganised world I didn’t mention it here!

Oh well! I am mentioning it now!

Sale is on until 31st January and there is 15% discount on everything listed and the discount will apply to all new items added to the online showroom in January. I just have lots of pictures to take before I can add the new listings. The mini studio has been set up in the office so I am working on it! Yes I am! honest!

Click on the image below to go to the online showroom to see all the jewellery and wire sculptures.

Jewellery By Shalini Sale now on!

New Year! New Resolutions!

Shalini — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 12:43:56 +0000

Yes I have a New Year resolution!

I am going to carry on being Me, being happy and enjoying my life, my friends & family and my work.

Happy 2012 everyone! Make the most of today, tomorrow & always. Make someone smile and don’t forget to smile yourself (and at yourself) every day!

Should I

Shalini — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 09:24:54 +0000

have a Boxing Day sale in my on-line showroom?

Weekly Special Offers

Shalini — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:44:10 +0000

I have some special offers in my online showroom at the moment

A few examples:

For Every Rant

Shalini — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 11:15:07 +0000

there are 100 things to be happy about and grateful for!

Some of you may have seen my rant on Sunday…

…but on the same Sunday the support from buyers via my facebook page put a big smile on my face! Especially the message saying “please put an honest price on the necklace, you have spent a lot of time making it.” Sadie you are a star!

Encouragement and support from people like Sadie, my other regular customers and my friends is what makes my work so much fun and totally worth every second spent on making my creations. Long may it continue!

Thanks to this support three of my pieces found a new home on Sunday.

Coral & Pearl Set

Hot Pink Necklace

Carnelian & Sterling Silver Pendant

A New Adventure!

Shalini — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 11:27:01 +0000

What a Fabulous Birthday I had this year! Spent the day at an Introductory Stained Glass Copper Foil Workshop with the Gorgeous Cathi.

It was a nice, cosy group of 6 and Cathi’s patience in explaining what we had to do, and showing it again and again to complete morons like me was amazing! initially I simply could not get my head around the scouring and tapping to cut the glass and she just calmly showed me what to do.

Slowly I got into it and made a star!

All the pieces cut out and laid on the pattern before the copper foiling starts.

Then out came the copper foil!

Not the kind of copper I am normally used to working with, wire is more my thing…

Voila!

I am rather proud of this one.

Then we stopped for lunch. It was included with the course! Not your average packed lunch on the go though. Oh no no no! Sit down lunch in the conservatory, beautifully laid out table, choice of two soups, cheese board and the most gorgeous home made apple tart! And wine…

Ok replenished and full of confidence after my star I was ready to take on anything. Bring it on! I am a Copper Foil Pro and Stained Glass Master!

Yeah Right!

Cathi had laid out some examples of ornaments we could attempt to make – Christmas trees, baubles, robin and angels. Some with lots of straight lines, some with a few easy curves.

I chose

Flying angel with curved wings and body using 7 pieces of glass cut in every shape imaginable!

And decided she was to be a dark angel with near black wings! (Yes I know! A bit like me… mean and horrible) Initially I was going to give her a red head to make her even meaner and figure out how to attach a broom to make a wicked witch but lots of strange looks from fellow students later she has a dark head to match her dark wings.

Few bits with copper foil wrapped around the edges

As you can see from the glass sitting on the template didn’t quite cut it along the original shape! And Cathi had to step in a few (OK a lot) times to help with the curves and to stop me nibbling away at the glass with the pliers. It is supposed to be cut, not crunched! The bit I cut wrong was covered up with a “blob” and a flower and here is my angel with dark wings and a general dark look all about her. But hey there is lots of turquoise in her too and Turquoise is a GOOD colour!

An Angel like you've never seen her before!

Thank you so much Dave for such a lovely Birthday present. Most enjoyable day I’ve had in ages. Learned a new craft and more importantly had so much fun and gained confidence that even the most complicated things can be made possible if I set my mind to it! Hoping to use some of the techniques I was taught with rock slabs soon…

So I came home with these two little Christmas decorations! You will see them at my 4th December stall dressing up my display!

Handmade and Local

Shalini — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 11:49:49 +0000

A request…

Buy Local, Buy handmade and help support your local craft community and small businesses this Christmas.

…That is all.

What a Fab Week-end I’ve Had!

Shalini — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 15:58:13 +0000

As mentioned before I was at two craft fairs on 12 & 13 November. I have had such a lovely time at both! Good sales (yay!) but more importantly the atmosphere was wonderful at both craft fairs and such well organised events!

Oakham Castle: It’s such a beautiful building which just makes everyone happy any way, and the way all artisans chip in to set up the tables, put out the banners and A boards and generally help each other out is what makes being part of the Stamford Artisans Guild so worthwhile! We had a mild panic as we thought we were short on tables but people brought their own and lent extra tables to other stall holders and everything went on smoothly. Big Thanks to Guild members Eve – Unique pieces for Unique people and Cathi – Shedglas Design for all their hard work in organising this event.

Haycock Hotel: This was a new venue for the guild and we definitely want to go back. The arrangements were perfect, Everyone at the hotel was so helpful and it was a beautiful day! A special thank you goes out to Stamford artisans Guild members Gianni and Diane – 1.2.Tree for the hard work they put in to get this show on the road!

Looking forward to the Stamford Christmas Craft Fair on 4th December and re-visiting Oakham Castle on 12 December for the Late Night Shopping event now!