Monday, December 28, 2015

Why I convinced my son to give up his gift card






My son received a ten dollar gift card in the mail from a relative for Christmas. He is still a child, but he is old enough to appreciate money. So when he received the card, I mistakenly thought he would be excited to be able to go pick out his own present.

Instead to my disappointment, he scoffed at the present and said "I can't buy anything for $10! Why didn't they send me a $25 card?"

I was very disappointed in his behavior. My son was acting like a spoiled brat and I was not ready to let this behavior stand. Especially after the week before he had told me he wanted to help out poor children in other countries.

I understand that kids go through a "me" phase, where the world revolves around them, at least in their mind. However that is a fantasy and one that I do not want to indulge. The world's culture does not look kindly on people who think the world revolves around their every whim. So I do not want to encourage my child to think the world owes him, because it does NOT.


Do I want my child to be happy? God yes! But I want him to grow up to be a responsible and respectful young man. That is even more important to me. So, after speaking with his father, we decided that if he could not appreciate the gift that was given to him, that gift should be given to someone who could appreciate it.

Our first thought was to use the gift card to buy for the local angel tree. However, they had finished the day before. So we decided to stop by the church and offer it as a way to help someone less fortunate.

Before we left, we gently explained to my son that we wanted him to give his gift card to the church and that they would find someone who could use it. We explained that there were families like the one he saw at a Christmas Carol. Families that could not even afford a good Christmas meal. And that his gift card could help someone else buy food, clothes, or even a small toy for Christmas. We talked to him about how fortunate our family was this year, and how other families were still struggling, that those families needed help and he could be that help for them. Just like he wanted to help poor children in other countries, he could help poor children now, by giving his gift card to help.

Hesitantly, my son agreed to part with his gift card. So on the Sunday before Christmas, we took his card and ten dollars in cash to the church and gave it to the pastor to use to help a family struggling this Christmas. He gave it freely, and did not whine or complain. In fact when I asked afterwards how it felt to give the gift card away to help someone else, he told me he felt really good about it.

I am very proud of him! That is the young man I want him to grow up to be. Kind, loving, considerate, and giving from the heart! :)

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Twitter Tree 12-16-2015




Twitter Tree


The Twitter Tree© will be hosted by a different shop M-W-F.



Instructions:

  1. Only 2 Items per person
  2. Each Tweet must contain the hashtag: #CCFRNDS
  3.  Only 1 other Hashtag may be used.
  4. Please include a brief description of your item in the tweet.
  5. Keep your Tweet under 140 Characters (including spaces).
  6. No Mature Items
Tweet Every one’s listings. (It is not fair to others if you do not fully
participate. Team Leaders do watch who is tweeting and who is
not.) 



Limit of two (2) hashtags



Today's Tweeting Items Are:     

 

A Perfect gift for friends with sensitive ears! Hypoallergenic Hoop Earrings by @elunajewelry http://ow.ly/T70Q9 #CCFRNDS #Shopping

 

Last Day to Order! Handmade Hoop Earrings in 4 sizes @elunajewelry
http://etsy.me/1QTxJHs #CCFRNDS #Gift

 

Pictures 

 

 

 

 

 



 







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Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Twitter Tree 12-09-2015


Twitter Tree


The Twitter Tree© will be hosted by a different shop M-W-F.



Instructions:

  1. Only 2 Items per person
  2. Each Tweet must contain the hashtag: #CCFRNDS
  3.  Only 1 other Hashtag may be used.
  4. Please include a brief description of your item in the tweet.
  5. Keep your Tweet under 140 Characters (including spaces).
  6. No Mature Items
Tweet Every one’s listings. (It is not fair to others if you do not fully
participate. Team Leaders do watch who is tweeting and who is
not.) 



Limit of two (2) hashtags



Today's Tweeting Items Are:     

 

Butterfly Wing Silver Bar Necklace by @ElunaJewelry http://etsy.me/1MR2Ihc via @Etsy #CCFRNDS #Shopping Gifts

 

Handmade Hoop Earrings in 4 sizes @elunajewelry http://etsy.me/1QTxJHs #CCFRNDS #Gift

 

Pictures 

 

 

 

 



 








get the InLinkz code



Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Twitter Tree 12-02-2015

CyberWeek

Twitter Tree


The Twitter Tree© will be hosted by a different shop M-W-F.



Instructions:

  1. Only 2 Items per person
  2. Each Tweet must contain the hashtag: #CCFRNDS
  3.  Only 1 other Hashtag may be used.
  4. Please include a brief description of your item in the tweet.
  5. Keep your Tweet under 140 Characters (including spaces).
  6. No Mature Items
Tweet Every one’s listings. (It is not fair to others if you do not fully
participate. Team Leaders do watch who is tweeting and who is
not.) 



Limit of two (2) hashtags



Today's Tweeting Items Are:     

 

NEW!! Butterfly Wing Silver Bar Necklace by @ElunaJewelry http://etsy.me/1MR2Ihc via @Etsy #CCFRNDS #Shopping

 

Handmade Hoop Earrings in 4 sizes @elunajewelry http://etsy.me/1QTxJHs #CCFRNDS #Gift

 

Pictures 

 

 

 

 



 








get the InLinkz code


Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Twitter Tree 11-25-2015

Twitter Tree


The Twitter Tree© will be hosted by a different shop M-W-F.



Instructions:

  1. Only 2 Items per person
  2. Each Tweet must contain the hashtag: #CCFRNDS
  3.  Only 1 other Hashtag may be used.
  4. Please include a brief description of your item in the tweet.
  5. Keep your Tweet under 140 Characters (including spaces).
  6. No Mature Items
Tweet Every one’s listings. (It is not fair to others if you do not fully
participate. Team Leaders do watch who is tweeting and who is
not.) 



Limit of two (2) hashtags



Today's Tweeting Items Are:     

 

NEW!! Butterfly Wing Silver Bar Necklace by @ElunaJewelry http://etsy.me/1MR2Ihc via @Etsy #CCFRNDS #Shopping

 

Simple, Minimalist, Silver Rectangle Necklace by @ElunaJewelry http://etsy.me/1kEhy3I via @Etsy #CCFRNDS #Shopping

  

Pictures 

 

 

 

 



 







get the InLinkz code



Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Twitter Tree 11-18-2015

Twitter Tree


The Twitter Tree© will be hosted by a different shop M-W-F.



Instructions:

  1. Only 2 Items per person
  2. Each Tweet must contain the hashtag: #CCFRNDS
  3.  Only 1 other Hashtag may be used.
  4. Please include a brief description of your item in the tweet.
  5. Keep your Tweet under 140 Characters (including spaces).
  6. No Mature Items
Tweet Every one’s listings. (It is not fair to others if you do not fully
participate. Team Leaders do watch who is tweeting and who is
not.) 



Limit of two (2) hashtags



Today's Tweeting Items Are:     

 

Simple, Minimalist, Silver Rectangle Necklace by @ElunaJewelry http://etsy.me/1kEhy3I via @Etsy #CCFRNDS #Shopping

Large Sterling Silver Hoop Earrings by @elunajewelry etsy.me/10NSgWr #shopping #CCFRNDS

  

Pictures 

 

 

 

 



 







get the InLinkz code




Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Twitter Tree 11-11-2015

I just want to take a moment to Thank all of those who have worked to serve our country!

 

 

Twitter Tree


The Twitter Tree© will be hosted by a different shop M-W-F.



Instructions:

  1. Only 2 Items per person
  2. Each Tweet must contain the hashtag: #CCFRNDS
  3.  Only 1 other Hashtag may be used.
  4. Please include a brief description of your item in the tweet.
  5. Keep your Tweet under 140 Characters (including spaces).
  6. No Mature Items
Tweet Every one’s listings. (It is not fair to others if you do not fully
participate. Team Leaders do watch who is tweeting and who is
not.) 



Limit of two (2) hashtags



Today's Tweeting Items Are:     

 

Simple Silver Disc Necklace by ElunaJewelry http://etsy.me/1M6Wrh0 via @Etsy #CCFRNDS #Shopping

Medium Sized (1.5 inch Diameter) Sterling Silver Hoop Earrings http://etsy.me/u1lfkL#CCFNRD #Shopping

  

Pictures 

 

 

 

 



 








get the InLinkz code



Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Can you Spot the Mistake in my Booth?

Yesterday I mentioned that I made a mistake with my booth design during my last set up. Can you spot my mistake? It led to customers skimming my booth, without really looking at the work.

Lets see. Lights? Yes I do need some on the tables, but that was not the problem. The brown skirts are distracting, but still not the issue here..... Maybe a look at what I consider good designs and a look at booths that made the same mistake (at least from the pictures it looks that way).


These booths that made the same visual mistake I did.. Can you spot it yet?




Ok, what if I show you what I consider a better booth?

I am not an expert on craft show by any means. I just know what has worked for me in the past. Each and every time I try to do a U-Shape setup, I have trouble and don't make good sales. The reason, because it is hard for people to really see my work when they walk by.

But when I put a table of my work out front (as my good example booths have done), I have noticed that people tend to follow the tables into my booth. I actually prefer the Z-Shaped setup. And I have done very well with it in the past. During the show before my November 7th show, I thought had little choice but to due a U shape, due to the booth size. And since I had the same width as the previous show, I did the same setup. And that is where I went wrong. I know the Z-Shape works for my work, and I should try to continue using it! 

There is also a psychology behind it. People seem to have an easier time committing to walking into a booth, if there is a small barrier. (I have no idea why, just a trend I have noticed). Even tested this a few years back during a 2 day show. The girls beside us had an open u shaped booth when they setup. On Saturday they made a handful of sales and were really bummed (especially because I was making sales hand over fist right next to them).   On Sunday, I talked them into re-arranging their booth so they could be behind the tables. Sunday is always the slower of the two days at this show, and this year was no exception on attendance. But for the girls next to me, you would have thought they had an entire bus load of people there to buy from them. They quadrupled their sales from the day before.



For the record, both booths that were beside me did a lot of sales. And both of those booths had merchandise facing/sitting in the aisle.  And I had all my merchandise facing inside my booth.

Monday, November 9, 2015

Who is to blame?: Craft Show Fail



I have been doing craft fairs for ten years. I have had good shows, bad shows, and spectacular shows.

I have done high end shows in my area as well as humble church shows. I have done art fairs and street fairs. And throughout this time I have sold nothing but jewelry. 

In the beginning, I would get so upset when I would see vendors that seemed like they were making a killing in sales at the shows while I did few sales. I would obsess in how to get people to buy my work. I think this feeling is normal when you are just starting out.

As I got more shows under my belt, and more sales, I became more confident in the worth of my product. More comfortable standing in my booth talking to customers. 

During that time, I did two shows that I could say a show failed due to something that was outside my control (lack of advertising in both cases). But in every other show where I did not make sales like I had hoped, my only choice was to look in the mirror. "What could I have done better?"


I would re-examine my displays, my colors, my setup, my layout, ect.
I would think about my booth design, my merchandising, my products. I researched consumer behavior, watched which setups seemed to make customers feel more at ease (it was never the one everyone told me to use by the way), and adjusted my booth/product accordingly. 

I feel like if I am not making sales at a show, then I am the one responsible for it. If I want to make those sales, I owe it to my customers and myself to create a booth that is welcoming and eye catching. That is part of my job as a vendor.

That means being friendly (even when they ask the same question my first 30 customers asked today), having a smile on my face, not reading or playing on my phone. And finally it means being present and professional all day.

Ok so why the long list of "I am responsible?" Well as I was packing up from my last show, I overheard the promoter asking vendors if the "large displays" effected their sales. Appearently some "vendors complained that their booths were not visible from the door due to large displays blocking the view." This is what the attributed to their poor sales.


Hell my booth was blocked by two sets of gridwalls. But it was not my neighbor's fault that my sales were down. That was a total error on my part (which dawned on me later). 

Getting upset because someone has figured out a better way to show off their work (yes going up can allow for better displays) is like being mad that the straight A student, who studies every night, aced the pop quiz. The same one you failed because you had been too busy doodling rather than paying attention in class. The straight A student passed the quiz because they prepared. 

People who are successful at these shows are the ones who go in prepared. And even they have off shows. But rather than blame others when the shows don't work, they work on being better prepared. 

So who is to blame when a show was a bust? 99% percent of the time, look in the mirror. Then ask "How can I do it better?"



Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Twitter Tree 11-04-2015

Twitter Tree


The Twitter Tree© will be hosted by a different shop M-W-F.
 


Instructions:

  1. Only 2 Items per person
  2. Each Tweet must contain the hashtag: #CCFRNDS
  3.  Only 1 other Hashtag may be used.
  4. Please include a brief description of your item in the tweet.
  5. Keep your Tweet under 140 Characters (including spaces).
  6. No Mature Items
Tweet Every one’s listings. (It is not fair to others if you do not fully
participate. Team Leaders do watch who is tweeting and who is
not.) 
 


Limit of two (2) hashtags



Today's Tweeting Items Are:     

 

Spiral Cloud Silver Bar Necklace by @ElunaJewelry http://etsy.me/1M5PMnb via @Etsy #CCFRNDS #Shopping

Medium Sized (1.5 inch Diameter) Sterling Silver Hoop Earrings http://etsy.me/u1lfkL#CCFNRD #Shopping

  

Pictures 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 








get the InLinkz code