What's keeping me up at night???

Sometimes my double life as a "regular" civil servant and my "real" life as a potter feels like an overload of cognitive dissonance.  I have just been reading some pottery blogs by Tony Clennell and the fine author of Fine Mess Pottery and feel a sense of connection with everything they say. the frustrations and the joys about details of making and selling that are likely trivial to non Makers. My current obsession is display in my booth.

Like for instance the word "Boothal"  only means anything to those of us who create, re create, reinvent, obsess and worry about displaying our products in both retail and craft fair venues, and photos for Etsy. this picture is taken from a Farmers Market a few years ago, selling tail gate style.  I know the booth is the matting or the canvas on which we display our pots, but this is a competitive business so I need to make it inviting and draw people in, without having the wind or leany customers knock it over.

I have continued to suffer from a crafter's form of PTSD after a few Folk Festivals where the winds gusted enough to take out my display stand and several innocent bystanders. 

I really liked this display by Coldstream Pottery at the Penticton Farmers Market last Saturday. It was attractive, made optimum use of space and seemed to be wind proof.

this is an example of what I don't want, overcrowded, unfocussed. So....that was a few years ago, but I am trying to make progress. I have recently found some folding shelves from a store I shall not mention (starts with W) that are decent looking and fold. I need to build the other ones and move the ladder up onto a table as I still struggle to get my display vertical enough. It is still too jumbly for my eye

I had some shelves built for me by a local group but they are solid wood and not within my possibilities of transporting. So, I continue to try and make it work for each different show, with each different booth size and lighting and neighbours.
 

FLASH in the pan.... not by a long shot

the folks of Etsy and West are combining forces for yet another Pop Up shop in Winnipeg, opening October 2, 2014 at 438 Graham Ave in Downtown Winnipeg. Our name is FLASH, like a Pop, get it??? I am going to focus on my black and white Urban looking pottery as well as some flashes of colour in turquoise and red.  My junior photographer took this video, which is pretty repetitive but awfully true. I am wiping the glaze off the bottom of the pots before they go into the kiln.

Two days later and here are some of the results.

Location, Location what it can mean

Location, Location, Location or in the crafters case, venue, venue, venue!  Maybe we see a listing for an art show or festival, and think sounds neat but I dont fit that category.  Well, I now want to give my show time to Fibre Festivals.  Wow! The two fibre festivals I have gone to this year with my Yarn Bowls and buttons have been fantastic!  I was able to meet the owner of PoCo Creations and Beads of 575 Archibald St. who is now going to be carrying my buttons!  More local collaborations, I love it!  Spent the day with Louise May of Aurora Farms and that is always time well spent! We are cooking up more projects, and of course a customer gave me a new product idea!! That is why I dont just stay in my studio creating alone. My extroverted self needs the input of others.

my booth with great natural light

My former neighbour and lovely lady Daria of Cloud 9 productions.

The inside scoop on my mugs, lots of them left for sale.

Jam packed with folks who appreciate and understand handmade, so they can enter into great discussions about what they like and want in the future and are prepared to spend on my product, because they are MAKERS too.


And for those who think you shouldnt put too many fiber artists together, it was like a multipication of interest and buzz in the room. The great thing about the arts is the individuality and how we use the medium we have in front of us.. There was no duplication at this show, at least not from my vantage point. 


I will be looking for more new and different venues, since I think that is why my customers yearn for, tried and true doesnt always translate to success.  I am madly making and firing again today because we have almost half a week off for a family celebration and then it is back to back shows. WEST, Scattered Seeds, and Hot to Shop!