Time to start craft-fairing. I finally bit the bullet, and thanks to my friends who also craft, we put together a fantastic set-up for our work at the Pearland Art and Craft on the Pavilion fair. I got a lot done in a very short time. I am especially impressed because at the same time as we were prepping for this fair, we had some sudden family crises that needed to be addressed (and are still ongoing), and I had a lot of client hours outside my home office.
Still, I’m calling this a successful outing, and a real learning experience for sure.
Jennifer called Iron Man my “booth babe” and he really did catch a lot of eyes in his festive holiday kitchen apron. One guy even said “Nice one, Tony!” and high-fived the cardboard. Awesome. Kids were also drawn to the Iron Man, and having the painting on the facing side was great for catching the eye as well.
A lot of people did a double-take when I called “Hi, how are you?” to them as they walked by. It’s like they didn’t really understand what they were looking at until I said something. It’s true, at craft fairs you really have to engage with your passers-by or they won’t even pause.
Tomorrow we are changing some stuff up, as well as putting some stuff on Sunday Special. I’m keeping a journal especially for craft booth adjustments or changes. It’s amazing how much stuff you don’t think you’ll need that you do, and how much stuff you are sure is required that you never touch. One thing, though: you can’t have too many bottles of water. Even in the very mild weather (for Houston in October), hydration is important.
I think as a first booth, and a first craft fair, this one was awesome, and a really welcoming group and supportive staff, too.