Taming the Tangle

Oh the places I'll go... upcoming show worries

Well, this year is the year that I'm going to try out some Florida shows since my application was finally accepted to the Coconut Grove Arts Festival. Since I just updated my website, you can see my show schedule online as well.

I'm less than 3 weeks away from my Florida trip. My boyfriend and his dad left a week ago to drive since they are sculptors and are doing more shows to make the whole cross country trip worthwhile. I'm lucky enough that part of my display could fit in their van, mainly my booth, weights, signs, drapes, and 3 small folding tables (which are rather short), which means that I can fly with the rest of my display, inventory, and other sales and clothing essentials.

In early November I did a show in Sacramento where I set up my booth like this, where the jewelry was pushed out close to the aisle:

This sort of setup would be possible to replicate with folding tables and drapes, although I won't have my cases. Honestly, I really didn't like being behind the wall of cases. I couldn't figure out how to naturally hand jewelry to someone looking. I also just didn't like being separated from my customers; in general I like standing near them and pointing out things so we can engage together. And it's easier to access mirrors in an open booth.

I modified my booth for a show in San Francisco, which was much more successful, but I'm afraid that without my columns, shelving, and cases, trying to recreate this setup with folding tables will look too much like a yardsale.

So I'm thinking of creating an island of tables with some hanging panels in the middle of my booth that I can display jewelry on. I want some of it to look like art pieces yet not be daunting on display. I have no idea quite how to achieve this (I'm thinking frosted plexi to not block too much light?), but it's all I can come up with as an interesting concept that would be easy to fly with. I'll have to make sure I don't block the visual on my jewelry too much if I'm going back to no cases... I want the jewelry to be touched, enjoyed, and tried on but not stolen.

My first step will be to make a mockup panel as a test... I'll keep you posted. Then I will have to create drapes for the tables or some sort of simple covering... Not sure if it should just be the cinnabar color from the sidewalls in my booth or if I should mix in some of the colorful print as well because that's so eyecatching yet not distracting once people are engaged with the jewelry. It adds some fun and flair I think but am open to opinions. Let me know what you think! Do you like the print? Or do you think simple is better?

Booth tweaks for smaller packing

A big challenge for traveling artists is always booth display. There are so many ways to make a beautiful display, but there are always the issues of weight and portability. I know many jewelers who can fly with their displays, which I am still envious of. I'm not sure if I will get to that point, but eventually I imagine it being a goal, especially now that I'm not centrally located.

Financially I have to set that idea aside for now. Yes, I understand the time saving behind flying. But I own my car, two booths, and many display pieces that are not small enough  to pack and ship easily. So for now I'm working within the parameters of trying to make my car load lighter and smaller... more efficient would be nice too. I'm also trying to have more visual umph in my display. I want to bring in more color, yet keep it light and airy.

For the Contemporary Crafts Market in Santa Monica, I introduced fabric-covered shelves, which also boost my storage in the booth. I'm working on some behind-the-scenes packing issues like how to store my backstock as well as bags and boxes while keeping them secure, organized, and dry for outdoor shows. My plastic columns are taking a beating, and I've just been feeling like it's time for a facelift of my overall brand image. For now I'm still using a couple of the columns until I see how I like the changes.

I'm slightly obsessed with this fabric that I found. I love how it matches my logo color and works with the rest of my color palette. It's got a lot of color without being too busy or playful in my opinion. And the images are snippits of botanical patterns, which look a lot like my jewelry.

Here's how the same pieces look in an outdoor 10x10 setup.

The fabric does feel more casual to me, which was one of my hesitations in going this route. But it does pack up smaller. I'm using rather chunky plastic shelves, like the kind used in basements and such. I pondered a different kind that was much flatter but way heavier. Either way I go, I think the other option might have been better so I just decided to pick one. I sewed up the fabric in a way that I could take it apart and re-sew it to fit something else if needed. In general I also went with the cheaper option because there are more changes I want to make this year.

The next addition will be cases. I've grappled with this for years, and even had a case for a while that started falling apart and eventually got stolen in a bizarre NYC incident during setup. So this time I'm trying pieces of tempered glass with glass clips. I hope it's not too fussy for packing. I'm going to do a dry run next week. My concern is do I just put cases on everything as I have it setup, where customers can still walk around all the columns, or do I need to create an L-shape display that I stand behind so I can easily help more than 1 customer without running around and leaving inventory lying out in the open everywhere.

I like being able to interact with my customers out in the booth and walk around in it, yet there are the practical logistics as to why jewelers often stand behind a wall of cases. I might be able to create a small L and have just 1 free-floating column. I think I'll be able to do some tests in my fairy cottage, or even on the back deck if the weather stays clear and dry.

Cases will be a huge change for me. It's going to completely alter the way I interact with people and my booth, yet I'm hoping it elevates the level of my work, cuts down on theft (which, shockingly, I don't have a ton of), and allows me to converse more with people about my work while they look and try pieces on. I'd like to be more of an active participant.

My next show is Krasl Art Fair on the Bluff in Michigan, July 9-10. I'll set up my cases there so I'll have some practice before the State Street Area Art Fair in Ann Arbor, Michigan, July 20-23. I'll share some pics, and hopefully have great sales so I can continue the booth renovation with new fabric banner images.

Building a mailing list

At the Indulge show in Bellevue, Washington, Tia Kramer shared a great tip with me: hold a giveaway to boost your mailing list. She has had great success with it, so I decided (with her consent) to try the same tactic at the Contemporary Crafts Market in San Francisco since my mailing list for that area was a whopping 5 people (luckily all of them came!).

Here is my simple container (soon to be adapted to have a wire flower or other adornment):

I put it in my sales area so it was prominent but didn't block any jewelry display. I hung a pair of earrings on the jar as my giveaway... I decided to pick my newest design because those were the earrings I wanted to have the most conversations about:

Nest Vine Hooks, photo by Larry Sanders, ©2011 Kathy Frey

I haven't notified the lucky winner yet since I'm still in the process of entering all of the names... the most I've ever received from a show. The great thing is that the giveaway wasn't so prominent that just anybody walking around would enter; only people who came into my booth noticed it so by entering their name I know that they are already drawn to my style.

It was also fun for me to have animated discussions with almost every person about the earrings. It allowed me to also let them know the types of options I do for pieces with patinas and pearl colors to make sure the jewelry looks stunning against their hair or skin, and to let them know that I do different lengths in a similar design as well as coordinating necklaces. Often it would get them to try on jewelry, an important step since my work looks better on people than on display.

Most of these people did not purchase on the spot, but their enthusiasm generated a lot of energy in my booth which always attracts more people. And most importantly it gave me something great to talk about that pertains to the way I design for clients, so everyone learned more about me and my work which created strong connections. My followup email to everyone will be a great reminder for them, and hopefully it will lead to more traffic on my website and online stores.

To demo or not to demo

In my recent post "You must be present to win," many artists started commenting about what they do in their booths to remain present. Some people like to create art in their booths to remain occupied. I have to stand by Bruce Baker's opinion of this tactic which is to not do it.

Why not? In general artists like to keep working in their booths because that's where our comfort level is. We all love to be in our studios creating, yet we all know this isn't a social process. Yes, we can sometimes talk while we are doing it, but is that talk selling or just entertaining the customer? Doing a voluntary time-limited demonstration is okay if you know how to add a few words help to get people excited to buy your pieces, to promote yourself as a teacher, to sell an autographed copy of your book, or to send people to your booth to learn more about finished pieces, etc.

Kathy wrapping a Riverstone Bangle, photo by Thea Volk, ©2011 Kathy Frey
I can talk and smile while wrapping some of my forms, but in general I am still focused on making rather than being present in my booth and engaging prospective buyers

We all need to challenge ourselves to step out of our comfort zones. It's hard to switch gears from being a maker to then being a seller of those beautiful pieces. It's one of the biggest challenges of this career we've chosen. Every issue of The Crafts Report magazine has great sales tips, usually from Bruce Baker and some other artists are starting to contribute their perspectives as well. It's a skill we can all learn, adapt to our personalities, and continue to improve upon. We will not become slick car salesmen with cheesy closing lines chasing after the big sale. We can make real connections with our art-loving clientele, and share the genuine joy and love about our work.

The way I think about doing work in my booth is like this: I can discreetly be writing an email on my Blackberry when my booth is empty and put it down when a customer walks by. They can tell I was doing something else and sense that my attention was not on the booth, show, or them... this is subtle but it creates a little tension or adds pressure. They feel like they have interrupted me and already the dynamic is awkward.

Now, of course, if you can use a demo as a way to lure curious people into your booth and start a conversation with a group of people while you are putting your project down and then switching the dialogue to telling stories and talking animatedly about the finished pieces you have on display, then by all means stick with it. For me, my work is a little too detailed and takes too much focus for me to make this transition easily (or for me to even feel like I'm making any progress on a project).

In the April 2011 issue of The Crafts Report, Bruce Baker has an article about improving sales practices which expands on some of the points from his workshops and CDs. I haven't finished internalizing the article yet, but the gist is that many people open a dialog with an artist by asking them something technical about their work, such as how long it takes to make something. We would all think a demo could be the solution! Yet Bruce explains that this is a conversational green light and that essentially we can start engaging the customer with stories about our work and how it benefits the customer. We aren't trying to dodge their questions, but really most people unconsciously want to know how our work will benefit them and their world rather than the technical aspects of what goes into creating it. I really want to take my time digesting this article because it's true... I've never sold a piece of jewelry to someone because they realized more than 200 hours of work went into it yet they love it when they realize a necklace design is such that it can be worn 10 different ways so it goes with so many different necklines that they already own.

Indulge award winner #2: Sarah Fox

There were 2 award winners at Indulge, the art jewelry show last weekend at the Bellevue Arts Museum. I've already featured wire and paper jewelry artist Tia Kramer, and today I'm spotlighting Sarah Fox, the metalshmithing and felt jeweler extraordinaire.

Sarah Fox in her booth at Indulge, photo by Kathy Frey, © 2011 Sarah Fox

Sarah's jewelry is artful and playful all at once... like the woman herself as you can see! We didn't have a lot of time to discuss her work in detail, yet I have loved it ever since I saw it at SOFA Chicago when my work was also shown there in 2009. That was where I fell in love with her rings, bracelets, and oh-so-wonderful necklaces. Here are some quick snapshots from her display at Indulge:

all photos by Kathy Frey, © 2011 Sarah Fox

The judge who presented the awards mentioned that he has had a passion for work that takes simple material and uses it in a precious way. The Indulge show was filled with fabulous jewelry that used humble paper or other recycled materials.... all of the work was stunning, yet Sarah's has been elevated to truly wearable art.

Her display, much like Tia's display, is mounted like a gallery where the jewelry takes center stage and is hung like art. The Indulge show is a perfect setting for this, where the audience knew they were looking at wearable art. Personally I've toyed with these type of display ideas over the years, yet I'm always concerned that viewers will want to observe rather than look at, try on, and interact with the art... after all, the human form is essential to our creations as jewelry designers. If I'd had time, I would've engaged Sarah and Tia in a discussion about this.... how they interact with customers and get them involved in their booths.

Technicalities of selling aside, I love both displays! And both designers much deserve their awards. They are both outgoing, engaging women who are excited about their work and energetic in their booths, which makes all the difference in the world. They are presenting their work in ways that it gets the attention it deserves and have designed booths that work with their personalities since they both enjoy interacting face-to-face with customers (rather than standing behind tables or cases), and their work is out in the open to encourage touching so people can feel the softness and wearability of the creations.

In my booth I combined both of these ideas by hanging large images (of the pieces being worn so people can see how it comes alive and that it's a wearable art form) while displaying the pieces on pedestals so I can walk around and talk to people, describing pieces and encouraging them to try on the jewelry (I always have a mounted mirror for this purpose).

Jewelry and display by Kathy Frey, © 2011 Kathy Frey

Indulge award winner #1: Tia Kramer

I am at home catching up from all that happened at Indulge, the awesome art jewelry show at the Bellevue Arts Museum last weekend. There were 2 award winners at the show, and I'm going to feature both of them on my blog.

The first one is Tia Kramer, a fellow wire jewelry artist. We met a couple of years ago through a trunk show at the Art Institute of Chicago Modern Wing, where we each show our jewelry collections. I've loved her work since the first time I saw it -- she artfully combines wire structures with handmade paper, which allows her pieces to be sculptural, contemporary, and colorful all at once.

Her work has more than blossomed in the last year -- it has exploded! Here is how her booth looked at Indulge:

Tia Kramer's 5x10 booth, photo by Kathy Frey, © 2011 Tia Kramer

This display is like a gallery. Tia used to be an installation designer, so she brought those skills to her vision, which she could easily make a reality since this show is a home-town show for her (i.e., she could rent a Uhaul rather than trying to design around the size constraints of a car).

Tia also pushed herself to create work that would even surpirse herself. This is a glimpse of one of the large pieces she mounted on the wall:

Palpitation Series, photo by Kathy Frey, © 2011 Tia Kramer

The large necklace in the center is more than just a necklace... Tia created a series of pieces that interconnect and can be a necklace, bracelet, and brooch or one grand statement neckpiece. What a stunning designer she is! And all of her pieces can be custom designed in a specific color palette.

Tia and I met for dinner one night to catch up and exchange business ideas and encouragement. She gave me insight into how she reinvented herself, something I'm so interested in. I have piles of breakout sketches... but how to make a push to create a large collection of new work that really makes an impact? I don't want to sound ungrateful in the least for being busy with orders and reorders of my existing designs, yet there is a part of me that wants to push and blossom even more. To feel that excitement within myself and to see it in the faces of friends and clients who have followed me for years is just the motivation I need!

Tia set aside more than a month to really push herself to create new work. Interestingly enough, her studio is not her favorite place for this. Her studio mindset is too based around business pressures... orders to fill, paperwork to be done, production to complete. So to open up her mind to new ideas, she started creating at home and during traveling roadtrips (this is when a driver really comes in handy!). She simply removed herself from her work environment to a place where she felt creative and uninhibited.

During the weeks she set aside, new work was the priority. She couldn't waiver from this, so this meant she needed the full support from her partner Tim as well as the understanding from friends and family. It's kind of like an extended vacation where you might be out of touch for weeks at a time. Now that's a girl who knows how to set boundaries! And all of those people came to the show to see the fruits of her labor... from afar it looked like a wonderful support network.

Part of Tia's motivation was knowing there were awards at the show. She didn't know she would win, but she pushed herself to put her best work forward. I'm so glad it paid off for her! She had sales during the show as well, although we all know that sometimes artistic drive and vision trump even the idea of sales. Showcasing her newest work was the creative drive behind her display... she let the work tell her what it needed to get the attention it deserved.

I was so inspired... I hope you are, too. The only time I did something like this was for a fashion show in Chicago where I was the sole accessory designer... it was a great break-out moment for me, and eventually most of the pieces found homes. More importantly, though, it helped me to create pieces so that people could see my artistic creativity and passion, which compelled them to purchase a piece that worked with their own style yet reminded them of something outrageous that they saw in the show.

Wire Boa, photo by Thea Volk, © 2011 Kathy Frey

Tia and I discussed many other topics, which I will cover in coming posts. Be sure to visit her website... Tia has one of the best "origination stories" ever.

Poppy does it again!

On my drive home this week I chose a different route which allowed me to swing by Poppy, the wonderful gallery in Columbia, Missouri that carries my work. Look at this stunning display that they've put together!

We've all learned together over the years that my work sells best when they have a large collection. It helps, too, that they seem to seasonally update the displays by creating playful paper backdrops that carry their own story and make the whole store feel fresh. This is inspiring to me to try this tactic for myself at shows... we all know it's best to keep collectors and repeat customers coming back for more and catching their eyes in new ways.

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Display for wholesale, a booth analysis

I've been home just over a week from the New York International Gift Fair (NYIGF), and I'm finally ready to share some of the things I learned... I say finally because I'm going to critique my own booth display (which I was doing a lot of the time in my head during the show).

 

Here's an overview of my booth, specifically the way it looked at this most recent show. I'm not thrilled with it (read on, I'll explain), however my goal for the show was to create an aesthetically pleasing booth while being able to fly with my entire display (as in, no shipping costs and no luggage overage fees). I did have to rent the tables, which I'm also trying to avoid for the future if possible. So, when I look at what I set my goal for, I achieved it! I successfully saved $1,000 in booth shipping fees compared to the same show last August.

Problem #1? I didn't have other clearly defined goals... as in showcasing new designs, attracting new buyers, or exciting my current accounts with some new lower price points, or even a specific sales goal. This is okay given my recent relocation to the West coast, so travel and display weight have been consuming my thoughts... but I'm certainly thinking about what to change for next time considering that *really* I want to make and sell jewelry!

Here are a few more shots of some close ups of my jewelry in my booth, then I'll get into some nitty gritty display issues:

My Twisted Rings collection and how it crosses over to Waterfalls (the wrapped balls)

A close-up of a new Twisted Rings earring design, hanging on a leaf

New floating pearl hoops in my Riverstone collection

 

New delicate multi-chain necklace option for my Satellite collection

Okay, so we'll start with a few pluses to the display:

1- The large-scale photography helps to pull people in from the aisle -- they can see at a glance what style of jewelry they are looking at. I also have a good sign with my name/logo so returning buyers know they are in the right place.

As a technical note on this, though, my signs are quite heavy, which was ideal for outdoor shows and didn't matter when I was driving everywhere. I am working to re-design my signs as high-quality vinyl banners that will reduce my traveling weight even more. I may even create a few different sizes to visually add some variety to my booth. I will also hang the signs a little lower so they hit more at eye-level. I may even add some text to some of the banners to help people understand more of what they are seeing (hand-sculpted wire jewelry, for example, or original designs in sterling silver and gold; couture and one-of-a-kind designs available) or add some lifestyle branding points (jewelry for the artist in you, jewelry that makes you smile, jewelry as unique as you are... who knows?)

2- I feel like I had good lighting coverage. Sorry I didn't take pictures of this infrastructure. Usually I just have track lights across the front of my in-line (meaning not a corner spot) booth (which is a 10' x 6' at NYIGF by the way). I wanted to keep my electrical costs low, so I had to stay at or below 500 watts, the minimum order. This meant I could have up to 10 50-watt halogen track light bulbs in my booth, which is what I used. I positioned 6 along the front on a pole I rented from the show (booths are provided at this show but front cross bars are not). I then made 2 mini-poles out of PVC pipe from the hardware store. I strapped these poles diagonally across the back right and the front right corners (this worked with my table positioning) so each could support a 2' piece of track with 2 lights each on them. I cut all my track and PVC pipe into 2' lengths so it could fit into one of my suitcases for easy checking.

3- My booth color added umph. I don't have a good word -- it could be ambience or distinction. Silvery gray drapes are provided at the show, which a lot of people use because it's easy. I think it helps to add some color -- anything to help you stand out. Usually I have drapes that are a similar color to my logo (a warm cinnabar) but these are a way-to-heavy brocade, so I co-opted the drapes from my outdoor booth -- they are a foot too short for an indoor booth, but on short notice it was great to not have to make and fire-proof new ones at the last second (the time between the last show in August to December is my busiest, so hence these projects get put off, now I have to be sure not to actually procrastinate).

The negatives or criticisms are bigger issues. On the first day I thought "Houston, we have a problem" after more than 30 people commented on how beautiful they found my display -- all springy, woodsy, organic, and natural, and one magazine even photographed my display to show their readers. A few people commented on my jewelry, and, yes, I did get some good orders... yet this didn't feel quite right.

My display in the end didn't help buyers. Buyers are busy; they need to see things at a glance. Yes, a display can have style and beauty, but it might also need clearly defined groupings of what earrings work with a certain necklace. They might want to see at a glance what my best sellers are, or where my new designs are (even new accounts want to see this so they know you do come out with new designs regularly). They want to know that there are color options available.

Mind you, I use all of those things as talking points, but what if a buyer isn't even stopping? I did get a flower/gift shop to pick up my jewelry as well as a "green" gift shop -- I attribute those 2 accounts specifically to my display. If my display were "cleaner" and easier-to-read I might have received some bigger orders or attracted more museum shops which sell my work so well.

How am I going to solve this?

First, I'm going to work on creating more vignettes of my jewelry styles with some visual separation, which I usually create by displaying on columns. I found some lightweight cardboard columns that I might end up flying with, and I'm also toying with making my own columns if I'm feeling engineer-y.

Second, I'm going to introduce more signage in my booth that helps to guide a buyer. Not tacky, but as useful tools. This will include highlighting best sellers, color options, new designs... all those things I've mentioned.

Third, I'm considering making some simple display boards that group a collection. I'm not sure if it's a jewelry collection or maybe a group of best-selling earrings, etc. I'm going to play with this to see what I think would be the best tool for buyers yet also result in orders (and happy sales all around for both of us).

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At this point, I'm just plain tired of writing. I welcome your feedback and any suggestions you have. I've learned a lot about display and booth design from Bruce Baker over the years and also just by walking around and observing... yet retail and wholesale are two different beasts. If you want more detail on any issues, let me know and I'll start another blog post... this one got so long! I should've broken it up into 2 or 3 posts. If you made it this far, thanks for reading!!

Walker Art Center jewelry show today 11-5

I'm all set up in Minneapolis... come on by!

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Waiting for tableaux

Ah, the joys of renting equipment... This is a first time for me. It's not going well... Less than 2 hours to show time and no tables yet! Still not sure how I feel about giving up the control of driving with my setup. Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry