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Whole Foods and Crafts?
Yup, you heard right. The next time you're at Whole Foods this summer, you may run into a monthly craft fair. How great is that? Shop for groceries and crafty goodness.

But, only if your in Philadelphia. The two Philadelphia locations are hosting monthly craft fairs where local vendors can sell wares. Location are South Street and the Callowhill stores that host vendors on the last Saturday of every month, from 12-3 pm.



Check out their Store Calendars - The next one for Callowhill is July 25th.
South Street hasn't listed July's calendar yet.

For more info: Call the South Street location 215-733-9788 at or the Callowhill location at 215-599-9735, to get a table at the craft fairs!

Thanks and have a great Weds!
Jenn
www.angrychix.com


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Craft Shows Pt 4: The Day before
If you're like me, you usually end up staying awake until 4 am the night before because you've been procrastinating. Its okay, admit it, Im here for you. So here's what usually goes on the day before and here's some tips to streamline all of the things you've put off doing.
stuff to ship


Create Inventory - There are a number of ways people create their inventory for shows. I use Excel to create grids for each product, but that obviously wouldnt work if you create OOAK items. I know people whose inventory is as simple as a list of items they have and they put a line through the item when its purchased. It might take a bit of time for you to figure out an inventory system that works for you but I would highly suggest bringing some sort of list with you. Not only does it help keep track of your sales but it can show you buying trends that can help you decide what to take next year if you do the show again. I usually take inventory when Im packing the items...two birds with one stone!

Get a Folder
- I use a folder to carry my signs, directions to/from the show, any show info the promoter has sent me, and receipts (yay for business expenses!) It's also good to carry your sales tax ID and vendor permit just in case.

Cook! - The food at the shows I've been to are delicious but can get expensive. We usually bring some sandwiches for our "meals" at the show. They're fast to make, cheap, and also don't get too messy so if you need to talk to a customer you'll be able to set the sandwich down rather than worrying about food spilling everywhere! We also bring snacks like: crackers, vanilla wafers, and fruit snacks. All cheap foods but also foods that leave very little residue on your fingers...no cheetos stains on the products! Also, as I mentioned in a post before DON'T FORGET THE WATER. It becomes a lifesaver, I swear! (Hint: I drink the water not only when Im thirsty but also when a customer is looking around so it doesn't seem like Im hovering over them, waiting for them to buy. It's a great "busy" thing to have)

One last thing to remember to bring: Hand Sanitzer. Sometimes the bathrooms run out of paper towels, just sayin.

I'll be off to finish up our move to Brooklyn next week, so until....2 weeks from now!
Megan @ Metropolis (and now: Soapsessed! Check it out!!)
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Weds Application
If you are crafty and funny, then this one is for you. 
Urban Craft Uprising in Seattle, for Funny Artists, Funny Crafters or Comedians Who Make Crafts.
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Craft Shows Pt 3 (I think?): Work out your setup
Jeez, where have I been? So sorry, loves! We've been packing for our move to Brooklyn and also we've been spending lots of time preparing for the Renegade show that was in Brooklyn 2 weeks ago. Lots of Brooklyn!

So now you're ready for the show...the products are close to completed. Now for the challenge: How are you going to display them? Very few crafts get sold successfully when just laid out on a table. You have to figure out a way to create interest as a customer is walking by. Here's some tips:

My Favorite MirrorGraph paper is your friend - One of the best things to do is to draw out your display so that you can see what you're working with when it comes to your space available. This works for both outdoor shows and indoor, aswell. Make a list of groups of products you want to sell (i.e. mine is "soap" "body scrubs" "face care" "lip creme" "gift sets") and use them as a key on your graph paper. It's easier to write "1" rather than "soap." Make sure the set up is to scale or you might run into problems!

Levels - Levels help to create interest in your products as a passerby. They force the eye to look up and down rather than just a straight shot. It takes time for the customer to realize everything that they're seeing if there is more for the eye than a linear setup of products. Staggered levels work the best.

Staggering products - This sometimes makes crafters cringe, especially the OCD ones like me who like straight lines! But staggering products and levels also helps to make customers stop and take notice of your booth. You can achieve this stagger effect without making your setup look cluttered or junky. Bruce Baker, a great crafter who has help cds about booth display, talks also about grouping products together "to tell a story." For jewelry artists, he suggests grouping sets together rather than lining all necklaces, bracelets, etc together because if they're all placed in a straight line the individual differences tend to get lost as someone is walking by quickly.

Color - Color is HUGE for display and easy to manipulate. Consider using 1-2 signature colors in your display and alter it to match the seasons, if that works for your line. Color can be easy to achieve with just a contrasting runner to your tablecloth, a bright bouquet of flowers on your table, or for outdoor shows, a splash of sheer curtains used as walls in your tent.

Self service - This is something I've had to learn the hard way. In my original display I would place one soap of each style out for customers to smell/touch and then they would tell me how many bars of soap they would like. While this was effective, it tended to make some people nervous, which I understand. It is a lot of pressure to talk to someone who you see as a salesperson, especially if you think this salesperson is also the creator of the products. Instead, if you create a way for customers to sample and also pick up the item to purchase, you take the pressure off. What I mean to say is, don't put out your whole inventory, but set up a way for customers to help themselves and you'll see an improvement in your sales.

Display is rarely a stagnant subject, it's constantly evolving and never seems to end. I am always looking for new ways to improve my setup...it seems to change every show! One more tip: Consider purchasing Bruce Bakers cd: "Booth Display and Merchandising" for more help and ideas. He's been a big help to me and I love spreading the word about him!

Until next week!,
Megan @ Metropolis
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Crafting for a Cause!
Support No Kill Animal Shelters by Supporting Nigatsu Bebe




From the artist:

NigatsuBebe was named after my cat, Bebe. She has a thing for digging through bead boxes until she finds the right shiny thing to play with. Those beads usually end up in jewelery first! She also sometimes finds her way into a yarn box- whatever she brings out gets knitted up into something fantastic. Very good colour-sense, for a cat!

I've been making jewelery for several years, but it isn't until recently I've found a purpose greater than my own income: raising money for local animal shelters. A third of all of my profits go towards no-kill shelters, which are frequently under-funded and in need of volunteer help.

When I wasn't working, I volunteered at Fix and Feed Feline Feral, a Tampa-based animal rescue that got colonies of feral cats spayed or neutered so that the problem of overpopulation does not continue. I can no longer donate my time to F&F, but even so, having rescued over fifteen cats from kill shelters myself, I think I can raise some money here for them (and other shelters).

Most of our shelters have NOT moved to no-kill status, and the Humane Society of the United States estimates that half of all the animals it receives are euthanised each year. Help stop this from happening by having your own pets spayed or neutered, and adopt from shelters instead of breeding programs or pet mills. Many communities now have discounted spay/neuter programs that lets the city pick up some of the cost when an individual cannot afford to pay the full amount, and discount shot days at many shelters.

Get more information here at:

Fix and Feed: http://myspace.com/fixandfeed/
US Humane Society: http://www.hsus.org/

http://nigatsubebe.etsy.com
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Weds Applications
If you live in Illinois, check out the Northwestern Herald and it's listing of fairs and festivals. Like the Lake in the Hills Festival, which doesn't happen until September, but if you want to register for their vendor market, apply now.






Remember the Sampler is always looking for new contributors, so contact us at contribute (at) homeofthesampler.com for more information.

Hope your Weds was great!
See you next week.


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