Brampton Craft Fest

Good morning!  I have some pictures to share with you off my booth at Sunday's Craft Fest in Brampton, ON.  It was nice location and well-organized.  The attendance was just so-so.  I didn't make as many sales as I would have liked, but I did get a couple of commissions for custom banners.  In the end, I'm glad I participated.  You never know what these shows will be like unless you go!

♥JessMadeThis

My First Craft Show

Saturday was a big day for my little business.  My first ever craft show.  It was held in the historic Thornhill neighbourhood - not far from where I live.  The Thornhill Village Festival is an outdoor event that attracts thousands of people each September.  There's food, music, a parade, and a variety of vendors.

I had been watching the weather all week.  It called for rain ALL day Saturday.  And, guess what?  It rained ALL day Saturday.  My first ever craft show was practically a wash out.  Business was slow.  I had plenty of time to gawk at the variety of umbrellas that passed by.  I was grateful for the canopy above my head, the company of friends and family who came out in the rain to see my booth, and the nice, hot tea that my dad brought me in the afternoon. They ended up shutting the event down early and sending us all home (hooray for dry socks!)

Despite the rain, I still enjoyed it.  I loved the process of planning my booth and getting stock ready.  I enjoyed the face-to-face interactions that you can't get through Etsy.  I want to do more craft shows...but I think my next one will be indoors.

Hello Saturday!

Good morning!  What a week. The weather was absolutely nuts.  We had a heat wave on Tuesday and Wednesday, but by Friday I was wearing my Fall jacket and wishing I had taken a scarf with me to work.  Brr!

Looking a little rough (but still pretty!) in mid-September.

It was a busy week at work and I'm so glad for the weekend.  I have a lot of hustling to do though.  My FIRST craft show is next Saturday!  Eek!  I have no idea if I've made enough to sell.  It is truly an experiment in selling face-to-face.  I have to put the finishing touches on my booth and make a practice attempt to set up the canopy.

What are your plans for the weekend?

Prepping for my Craft Show!

I am very excited (& super nervous) that the craft show I entered is only 1 month away.  Today I spent time painting parts of my display, including these cute signs.  I'm going to use them to label the different banner and tag sections on my table (i.e. "Birthday," "Baby," etc.)  I think the little border around the signs helps to tie everything together (I used the same colour paint for other parts of my display) while still leaving plenty of room for writing.

I got all my supplies from Michael's, except for the liquid chalk marker.  My friend gave it to me - and it's so much better for writing on these signs than regular chalk.

Step 1: Paint the edges of the sign with regular paint.  Do 2 coats and let dry.

Step 2: Use the painter's tape to create a nice, neat border around the edge.

Step 3: Paint with the chalkboard paint.  Let dry between coats.  You're supposed to do 2 coats, but I did 3 for extra durability.  I want to be able to use these signs again and again.

Step 4: Let dry, then peel off the tape.  All done!  Look how pretty!