Today, I am super excited to present to you, Syko. She is one of my favorite artists, and her setup is quite stunning. I have been inspired time and time again by her clean lines, and whimsical imagery. She makes beautiful greeting cards and sews fabric shapes onto the fronts of them. Also, she does a lot of hand-sewn goods too. She uses black thread to outline a lot of her images, and I think that is so cool. It appears that she is beginning to design a large line of fabric/textile designs too! Wow, what an all around artist!
Please visit her Etsy Shop here to see more beautiful items...
Or her home page of her website here...
Please read more about her below. You are sure to be impressed!
1.) Please tell us a bit about yourself:
Name/Company Name: Kajsa Wikman/ Syko Design
General Location if you want: Helsinki, Finland
Website or Contact Info:
syko.typepad.com
syko.etsy.com
2.) What form of art/craft do you make?
I make whimsical appliquéd textiles, such as bags, pillows and art quilts. I also have a collection of printed work, my postcards is my best selling product.
3.) When did you start vending at Craft Fairs? Were you successful at first?
My first fair was a Christmas fair 2001, it wasn't a huge success :) The more I learn, the better it gets.
4.) What is/was your favorite Art/Craft Fair you have ever attended/vended at and why?
Aura Street Market in Turku (Finland) because it is a young, fresh event in a good location. And most important a roof over your head is included in the price even if it's an outdoor fair!
(She had fabric with her logo printed at Spoonflower, and uses this as a background display! How unique and interesting. This takes her display to the next level.)
5.) What was your least favorite Fair to attend/vend at? Why?
That must have been an outdoor Christmas fair in pouring rain. The booth was expensive, I had a fever and there were no customers at all. The only people I saw were people taking their dogs for a pee. I promised myself never to participate in an outdoor fair without a decent roof...
6.) What tends to be your target audience?
Women all ages.
7.) Do you ever do marketing for your upcoming shows, or do you leave it to the Show Coordinators? If you do promotions, how do you do them, and do they seem to work well? Do you ever do giveaways at shows? Give out lots of business cards, etc...
I announce it on facebook, my blog and my website. I don't give away stuff for free, but it is very effective to have a bargain basket! Lots of business cards too!
8.) Have you ever helped put a show together or run a show? Which one(s)?
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9.) How have Flickr, Etsy, Facebook, etc helped you expand your crafty business?
A LOT! I wouldn't be working full-time with my craft if it wasn't for Etsy and flickr. And my blog. Gave me the confidence and the positive feedback I needed to get started! Facebook is great for marketing local events.
10.) What do you think the difference is between an Art Show and a Craft Fair? If there is any difference...
No idea.
11.) If you wish, please list your upcoming shows for 2010 and beyond.
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12.) Any words of advice for people who do not think their setup is as good as it could be? What is your most successful layout for a table or booth. Be as general or specific as you want.
Stand out! Dare to be different! Choose one background color for the booth. Use neutral baskets and shelving to display your crafts, you don't want to them to steal the attention from your creations! If you have a small table, use high, light shelves on top of it to get more space. Have many of each item and group similar products together. That makes it easier for the customer to see what you have to offer.
A special thanks to Kajsa for her words of advice!! Thanks for reading and have a lovely day!!
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