The Makanda Spring Fest this Weekend!!

Finally the weather in Southern Illinois is nice enough to be outside every day!

This weekend, another event is happening. In Makanda, IL on the Boardwalk, the Makanda Spring Fest will be in full swing. Saturday and Sunday all day. Featuring live music, roasted, candied almonds and pecans (mouth watering...), and of course fun arts and crafts. Usually a very eclectic mix of hand made and then some not so hand made. But check out the shops...

The Trading Post for incense and gifty items
The ever adorable Dayshift for all hand sewn purses, clothing, baby items, and some vintage. This shop is absolutely amazing, and you should surely take a trip there and visit soon!!! See Mary HERE!!
The Smelly Hippie for your tie dyes and hippie gear
and Visions for glass jewelry, paintings, and other nice quality art.

So, come and support local artists and see some locals!!

Next Weekend!! May 1-3 Many Important Events!!!

First off, if you have forgotten, the Paducah, KY Quilt Show is happening this weekend. So check it out if you haven't already. Also this weekend, there were tons of great garage sales happening today. (I had fun, I will tell you...). There was a sale at the SIUC Arena Parking Lot, more of a flea market. This year, the prices were fortunately LOWER than last year. Found lots of goodies there too.

So, for next weekend, there are a couple events so far...

My event at Eastern Illinois University called Celebration is happening May 2-3. The event takes place from about 10-4 each day. Saturday, there's a free concert following the event. I have been keeping busy with creating goodies, and hope to post pictures if people let me take them.
(find info in the page margin to the right------>)

Next, there is the Carbondale DAWF (Downtown Art n Wine Festival) I will unfortunately miss the first session, but there are two more sessions this year.
(find info in the page margin to the right------>)

Any more events, let me know in a comment below...

Art Walk and Magazine - Carbondale, IL

On May 2nd from 7-10PM, Carbondale will host the second annual Art Around the Square event in which establishments all over Carbondale invite visitors to view and purchase art by regional artists.



Faculty member, Gregory Wendt will be one of those artists. His work will appear at “The Tree house” 104 ½ East Jackson , on the corner of Washington .



You can preview some of his work, as well as that of others from The Tree house at: http://magcloud.com/browse/Issue/14480. Click the “preview” button to peruse the magazine. (BTW – this is a very cool tool our students and faculty should know about).



For more info and a list of artists and venues also check out: http://www.artaroundthesquare.com Historic Town Square Business Coalition and HeartlandArts.Net

Soap Displays {by SANTO SABÃO} by Beth Bacchini

This soap maker has an amazing sense of packaging her items. The packaging on them makes them so professional-looking. It also brands her items and lets people know that they either work well together, or that they are all from her own creations. Her colors are all clean and subtle, and earthy too!
Please visit her on flickr HERE...

The Black Spot Books Schedule of Events for 2009

Here are the shows that this cool etsy artist has or will be attending this year...
See her website here...
3 April 2009
FIRST FRIDAY FASHION FAIR! Featuring such Etsy sellers as: Lollycrisp Vintage, The Black Spot Books, Warsaw, Konane, Goldmine Vintage, and more!

http://www.facebook.com/wall.php?id=1601766725&banter_id=1347784159#/event.php?eid=72170006423&ref=share

21 April just before 6am on Action News (channel 6) there will be a 90 second feature on my books!

25 April 2009
a festival by the river YAY! hoots and hellmouth and trolly rides and loads of goodness!
http://www.fishtownshadfest.org/

May/June Photography at The Memphis Taproom

16 May 2009
A wacky event upon the cobblestoned streets of Kensington wherein people create curious bicycle sculpture and ride over a lump of dirt!!! Oh yeah, and there will also be artists of all kinds decorating the rest of the street!
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=50058035851&ref=ts

30-31 May 2009
Art Star Craft Bazaar
http://www.artstarphilly.com/
sharing with warsaw.etsy.com

4-6 June 2009
Philadelphia Center for the Book Hybrid book gathering bit.
http://www.philadelphiacenterforthebook.org/activities.html

6,7 June 2009
Renegade Craft Fair
http://www.renegadecraft.com/brooklyn-artists?site=bk
sharing with anne arden macdonald ardent1.etsy.com

Thanks to this lovely and pro-active lady, I found this great video she put together. See her photostream here...

BagItDesigns Upcoming Show Schedule

MAY 9-10 ALAMEDA, CA - MOTHER'S DAY SHOW
MAY 16-17 OAKDALE, CA - CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL
JUNE 6-7 WALNUT CREEK, CA - WINE & ART FESTIVAL
JUNE 27-28 SAN ANSELMO, CA - WINE & ART FESTIVAL
JULY 3-5 PRESCOTT, AZ - PRESCOTT RODEO DAYS
SEPT 12-13 LITTLE FALLS, MN - ARTS & CRAFTS SHOW
SEPT 18-20 WISCONSIN DELLS, WI - WO-ZHA-WA ARTS & CRAFTS FAIR

They really seem to have a great show schedule. They opened their etsy shop in March of 2009, so please take a look at their HUGE INVENTORY!! Believe me, they have more under their belts than what these 2 images depict. Visit them HERE...

"We are three sisters, with studios in three different locations, working together to produce bags and accessories from hundreds of unique fabrics. Each bag is handcrafted by one of us from patterns we have created. All of our bags are lined with carefully selected coordinating fabrics.

WE ARE A GREAT SOURCE FOR UNIQUE GIFTS. We have a large inventory of novelty themed fabrics, so if you know someone who’s “into” something (aren’t we all?) we probably have a fabric for that special interest. If we don’t have it in stock, we’ll know where to get it."

mini paper crane earrings by Sandra

mini paper crane earrings by Sandra
Originally uploaded by MAAD Market of Artists & Designers

Please Please Please go visit the MADD Market of Artists and Designers {MADD} in Singapore--well at least visit their site if you can't make it :)

Glasgow Craft Mafia Market

Glasgow Craft Mafia Market
Originally uploaded by mooosh ♥ miso funky

Sounds fun!!

The Rock & Shop Market

This show was held in Dec. of 2008, but still wanted to share it with you!!
Check out the shop here...

Saturday December 13, 2008, 1-5pm - Tir Na Nog Raleigh, North Carolina, $3

MOCK Craft Show Setup Collage

MOCK Craft Show Setup Collage
Originally uploaded by HappySolez on Etsy

So, I am thinking of using a setup sort of like this for my next show. It will be outdoors, and I will use different colored curtains. My table cloth is maroon too.

Any ideas, let me know!
Thanks...

Craft Fair Financing on Etsy and Excell

I found this interesting etsy site that used to sell e-books. I think it would be really fun to make e-books that help people with their shows too!
Unfortunately, I do not think this shop sells these anymore, but they had 642 sales!! This is very intriguing...
Visit the site HERE and browse through their sold items...

Feast of Lanterns 2007

"Held in the beautiful Spades Park at 1800 Nowland Ave. on the eastside of Indianapolis on August 25, 2007. Sponsored by the Near East Side Community Organization (NESCO). Photographs by Joan Hostetler of Heritage Photo Services. "
I found all of these lovely pictures on flickr HERE...

Marketing : 6 Steps to Developing an Internet Marketing Plan

I found this article here...http://www.articlesbase.com/internet-marketing-articles/6-steps-to-develop-your-internet-marketing-plan-687450.html
If you're the owner of a small service business, having a solid Internet marketing plan in place can both increase your name and brand recognition locally in your geographic area, as well as expose you to a whole new set of potential clients throughout the world.

"If you have a business plan or vision that is written, you only need to integrate this Internet marketing piece into that existing plan. However, if you are like many of my clients, you carry your business and marketing plans in your head without bothering to commit anything to paper.

Here are ten considerations you need to make as you complete your Internet marketing plan:

1. Objective of Internet Marketing Plan:

What do you want to accomplish by using Internet marketing? To find new clients? Provide services and info to existing clients? Sell services or products? Educate your target market or your staff about your product or service? Create an online community for your target market? How much money to have to spend each month on this Internet marketing plan? Having a goal and budget in mind will make your marketing more effective.

2. Marketing Funnel:

The most successful online business owners have a marketing funnel (think of it as an upside down triangle) through which they "funnel" clients. For more details go to www.podcastings-teleprompter.com .The process begins from the wide top of the funnel, representing low-cost products or free give-always, and moving clients down through the funnel to the narrower portions which represent gradually increasing investments from the clients from your higher-priced products and services. What products and services do you currently offer? Are they at varied price points that would create a funnel effect? What plans do you have to increase your product or service line? Will those new offerings plug gaps in your marketing funnel?

3. Your Competition:

Knowing and understanding where you stand among your competitors can you help you strengthen your marketing message. Do a keyword search for the terms someone might use to find your business online. Write down the URL's of your top 5 competitors. How popular and relevant are their sites? Does your competition offer something unique? Where are the gaps in the service or product offerings?

4. Target Market:

Instead of trying to marketing to everyone find a clearly definable target market that you can easily describe and locate. Are they male or female? What age group? What industry? What socio-economic group? Where do they hang out on- and off-line? What do they read? To what groups and associations do they belong? How much money do they make? Can they easily afford your product or service? What keywords are they using to search for businesses like yours online?

5. Solution to a Problem:

The reason that someone will buy your product or hire to you to provide a service is to solve a particular problem that they have. What problems and issues plague your target market? How does your product or service solve that problem? How does your solution differ from that of your competitors? What makes you uniquely qualified to provide the solution to their problem?

6. Branding Your Business:

Your domain name can either help you be memorable or cast you into a sea of "brand less" solutions. At a minimum, you'll want to buy both your personal name as well as the name of your business in the version, if it's available. Then buy the versions of your product names and program names. If you use a full-featured domain registrar, you'll be able to point and mask these domains to internal pages of your web site, or use them as stand-alone sales letter pages. For more details go to www.paylock-generator.com .You may also think of problems faced by your target market or solutions that you provide and buy domain names in the version of those as well. Internet marketer Dean Jackson brands his ebook on how to stop a divorce by owning the domain name, Stop Your Divorce, This is a compelling solution to his target market -- men who have been ignoring their wives' complaints of marital dissatisfaction and come home one day to an empty house and a note telling him that she's filing for divorce."

Carbondale, IL Downtown Art and Wine Festival

This was their poster last year. I found it HERE...
Dates of Show this year: May 1, June 5, and October 2.
Time:
Price: $25 for one table, $50 for two tables. This price is for ALL 3 SHOWS!! How can you beat that? You don;t have to vend at all of them, so they are very flexible.

Last year, this event was really nice. I got to see some artists who usually don't vend. They were the less well-known artists, and it felt very "indie" to me because the progressive-ness of their works. The downtown area in Carbondale is really nice too! There are lots of locally owned and organic resturaunts, coffee shops, and the Town Squeare Market for grocery type items. There is Longbranch, and also Tres Hombres to name a couple of businesses there.

Please come support the Carbondale Main Street Association. This event is going to be really fun :)

I hope to post an image of the application soon, but until then, please email me: kateyez62707@yahoo.com, or courtney at courtney@seventen.com

I hope to see you there!

What a Woman! Jen Leheny at Mathilda’s Market

Jen of Red Instead wrote this blog post here, so please check out her world.
See her on Flickr HERE...
She says:
"It was a great day today at Mathilda’s Market - really high quality of stall holders and some beautful products on show. It was a day of networking too - I met a lot of lovely crafty business women, new and old faces. I met Tania McCartney who writes lovely books - she also has a great load of pics from the market up on her blog. She is going to be profiling some of the talented Canberra stall holders on her blog (including me!) so keep an eye on her blog for that. I also chatted with Julie (organiser of Handmade Market) and she has got some wonderful ideas in the pipeline for later in the year - talks and sessions for crafty types on topics such as product display for your stall, PR and marketing and so on. Can’t wait for those!"

This woman really has a lot of fun items and advice for other crafters, so support her and shop hand made!


More goodies to pursue:
MOCCA Market in early May

Below, here are some images of another craft show she attended. I am quickly becoming a RedInstead Fan!!

Village of Itasca

Dear Artist:

The Benches on Parade Art Show is fast approaching.

Come exhibit in historic downtown Itasca, Illinois for the Inaugural Fine Arts & Wine Festival. The application dead line is April 30, 2009. Show dates September 25- 27, 2009.

First annual juried Fine Arts and Wine Festival to take place in historic downtown Itasca, Illinois, located in scenic Usher Park near the gateway to the newly created River Walk.

There will be music in the gazebo, a backdrop for meandering through the winding walkways of the park with wine tasting and painted iron benches on display throughout.

"Let’s Talk Craft Shows: Outdoor Setups" by Becky Striepe

I found this article HERE, and took it word for word...
it was written Feb 25, 2009

"The beginning of the year slump is almost over, and that means craft show season will be creeping up on us before we know it! What’s a green crafter to do about a display? Over the next few weeks, we’re going to look at a few eco-friendly display solutions for different setup needs.
It’s still probably a bit cold for outdoor shows, but it’s not too cold to get planning! Some of the outdoor show needs are similar to the setups for indoor shows. You still need tables or some other surface to showcase your goodies, linens, and some horizontal display solutions. Outdoor festivals tend to have bigger spaces - usually, 10 feet X 10 feet - and you’ll probably have a tent. Here are some ideas for handling an outdoor setup!
Get Vertical
The great thing about a tent is the vertical space it provides you. Make the most of it! You can hang your work from the tent itself with some hemp twine or even floral wire. Not only does this help keep your items at eye level, it can conserve materials, since you don’t have to get as many display pieces! Clothing and accessory makers, you might hit the thrift store for a vintage mirror that you can wire to the side of your tent. Shoppers will definitely want to see how your products look on them, so a mirror makes your booth inviting.

Seamstresses might even consider setting up a small changing area in one corner of the tent! You’ll want to find fabric that’s heavier, so that shoppers feel like they have privacy. You can hit the thrift store for second hand curtains, or check out salvage stores for discarded upholstery fabric. Just use clothespins to attach the fabric to the sides of your tent, and leave one piece of fabric free to pull across, creating a triangular changing room. Another few clothespins will keep the changing area closed while a shopper is in there. Be generous with the clothespins - you want to make sure the changing area is held in place really securely.

The Tent
OK, here’s the biggie. Finding an eco-friendly solution for the standard 10X10 festival tent is a little trickier, and we’d love suggestions from you guys! One fun option for the really ambitious is to build your own out of reclaimed materials. You might hit up a salvage store for frame materials - something like pipes or scaffolding that’s still in decent shape? For the top, you’d want something water resistant, since many shows are rain or shine. Maybe a really big tarp from the salvage shop would work for this? The trick is that, at least in Atlanta, some shows require that your tent be white.

Here in Atlanta, they also require that you have a fire-resistant tent. That basically rules out building your own, since a home made tent doesn’t come with a certificate. Whether you need a standard festival tent because of local regulations or because you just don’t have it in your to build your own, second hand is probably the greenest option. You might check out Craigslist or even Freecycle for tents that folks are getting rid of. Even if the tent you score is a bit damaged, manufacturers like EZ Up sell replacement parts, so you can give a tent that was headed to the trash a brand new life! Before spending money on the tent or on parts, you’ll probably want to check out the goods, take pictures of the parts that need replacing, and make sure you can get the parts.
What are some other options for an Earth-friendly outdoor setup? Do you guys have any creative tent solutions? We’d love to hear from you!

Eco Friendly Craft Fair-ing

Green with Indie: eco-friendly craft fair in St. Louis MARCH of 2008. Sorry, I thought it was this month...
Re-Craft! was held Saturday August 18 2007, 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Origin: A New Craft Fair in London

Ooh, I was tickled to find this modern looking fair. It is based in London. I found the images HERE first...
Also, this website is from the place where the event is going to be held. This show looks like it is going to be really nice and upscale. I am not yet sure how much it will cost to vend, or if it is jurried. Probably will be seeing how nice it is :)

See an article from TREEHUGGER here...

And search it on google here. Any additional information on this show would be great!

Week One: 6–11 October 2009
Week Two: 13–18 October 2009

Hand Made Nation in Portland April 3, 4, & 5, 2009 {So hurry and get there!}

I found this video HERE...