Sapphire Valley Fall Show 10/20/2009
Well, let me start by saying that for this time of the year, the weather couldn't have been much worse on Saturday. The temperature was just above freezing but there was also a cold wind blowing making it almost unbearable to be outside. Once we got the tent up and everything set out, Aubrey went in search of a heater to keep me warm. Luckily, I had Bella with me to keep me company. I put her down inside my jacket with me to keep her from shivering and was hoping it would also benefit me, but since she is such a small dog she didn't produce enough body heat to do much for me. Eventually Aubrey returned with a small propane Mr Heater and the sides of the tent to break some of the wind. Although these things definately helped, it was still a long and miserable day. And to top it off, the only sale of the day was in the morning while Aubrey was off looking for a heater and it was only for $16. I was surprised at how many people did venture out in this weather to browse around, but that is all they were doing: browsing. Many of the vendors decided to pack up and cut their losses for the weekend and not return on Sunday. I was all for this idea, but Aubrey was sure Sunday would be a better day. Reluctantly, we got up Sunday morning and headed up the mountain. It was still cold outside and I really did not want to have another day like Saturday. Then, I saw a ray of light... literally, a ray of sunlight... the sun was coming out! We began to get our hopes up for a more productive day thinking more people would be willing to get out in the cold since it was at least going to be a sunny day. Boy were we wrong! I think about half of the vendors didn't return on Sunday which made the show look a little sparse. And believe it or not, I don't think there was as good of a turn out of shoppers as there was on Saturday. We didn't sell one single thing Sunday. I would have been happy to have just broke even on our costs for entering the show, but with a total sales of only $16 for the entire weekend, we definately LOST money on this show. Needless to say, I don't think we will be doing this show again! And what is so disappointing is we had high hopes of this being a great time of the year for a craft show in our area with all the tourists visiting to see the beautiful fall colors of our mountains. I also had other motives for wanting a good show this time, besides the obvious money issue... I just recently set up a merchant services account for us to be able to process credit cards from my blackberry at these craft shows and really wanted to try it out. Oh well, I guess there is always next month at the Hard Candy Christmas show in Cullowhee the Friday & Saturday after Thanksgiving, which is sure to be better! Hope to see you there! Add Comment Waterfall Crafters 21st Annual Craft Sale 09/18/2009
I know this is pretty last minute, but we just found out ourselves today... we are going to be in the Waterfall Crafters 21st Annual Craft Sale at St Timothy's Methodist Church in Brevard tomorrow, Sat. Sept 19. It is off of Hwy 64 at the entrance to the Transylvania Regional Hospital. This is an indoor show, 10 - 4, and admission is FREE. What better is there to do when it is suppose to rain all day? Yellow Daisy Festival 09/13/2009
 The Yellow Daisy Festival was Amazing! There was so much to see and do and so much beautiful art of all sorts. I had to keep reminding myself that we were only there to look because I could have gone crazy buying stuff. I was very impressed with the way everything was set up as well. There were several food vendors to chose from, like Chick-Fil-A and Sonny's BBQ and many more. They also had several covered areas and tents to eat under or sit down and relax, as well as a group of picnic tables and of course lots of open grassy field to sit in. There were 'Johnny On The Spot' outhouses everywhere so you never had far to go to find a bathroom. The weather was great the entire weekend. Incoming and Outgoing traffic was very well organized and moved quickly. The festival area was incredible. The vendors lined paved paths which looped through a wooded area so you were shaded from the hot sun. There were people EVERYWHERE! The place was packed. I was reminded of the mad shopping rush for the day-after-Thanksgiving-sales except everyone was very polite and courteous here. It seemed like we were the only ones not toting around some kind of make-shift shopping cart or a stroller stuffed with merchandise and a baby or just handfuls of goodies from the festival. There was definatley something for everyone at this festival. We can't wait to apply to be a vendor for next year. Wish us luck, we're keeping our fingers crossed! Oh, and one more thing... since the Yellow Daisy Festival is held in Stone Mountain Park in GA, we had to go see the famous Laser Show. I definately recommend that everyone watch this production if you get a chance. We had so much fun! There was great music, an incredible show and even fireworks. We would like to thank my cousins Tim & Beth for welcoming us into their home and allowing us to stay with them for the weekend. We had a great time! Exciting News! 09/09/2009
Aubrey and I are leaving tomorrow to attend the 41st Annual 'Yellow Daisy Festival' in Georgia. Until recently we had never even heard of this festival, but come to find out it has been voted the Nation's #1 Arts & Crafts Show SIX YEARS IN A ROW (Sunshine Artist Magazine). The festival is held in Stone Mountain Park in Atlanta. They host more than 500 artists & crafters and average 200,000 visitors over the 4 day period of the festival! The show runs from Thursday September 10 - Sunday September 13. We are looking forward to checking it out this year with hopes of applying to become a vendor next year. I'll let you know how it goes! Now for the really exciting news... Aubrey and I got invited to be an exibitor at the 22nd Annual 'Hard Candy Christmas' show! This famous show features 100 of Western North Carolina's finest artisans. Each exhibitor is carefully screened to be the best in their field. We are honored to have been asked to be a part of this event. The show is held at the Ramsey Center on the Western Carolina University Campus in Cullowhee, NC the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving each year. It has become 'A Mountain Tradition' and the largest Christmas arts and crafts show in the western part of the state. To find out more click on the link to the website below: www.mountainartisans.net Mark your calendars now to come see us at the 'Hard Candy Christmas' show November 27 & 28 from 10-5 each day. Admission is only $3 for adults; children under 12 FREE. Sample delicious apples from Barber's Orchard, have a piece of peppermint candy from Grand Ma's antique candy jar, and find one of a kind gifts and Christmas ornaments. We look forward to seeing you there! Fall Fling 09/08/2009
We had absolutely beautiful weather all weekend for the Fall Fling Craft Show in Cashiers, NC. Being Labor Day weekend we were a little worried about attendance, especially since at our last 2 shows attendance was kinda sparse. Labor Day weekend marks the end of summer for a lot of people. Many take one last vacation or one last trip to the beach before cool weather settles in. And, this weekend there was also a craft show in Highlands, the famous Apple Festival in Hendersonville, some kind of Farmer's Festival in Brevard and many more shows throughout Western North Carolina. Saturday drew in a good crowd, more than we had seen at either of our other shows, but no one was buying. With an hour left before calling it a day, we had still not sold a single item. Our spirits were low and the hopes of making a sale were disappearing. Then, finally, someone bought something! We made one more small sale before closing out for the day, and then on Sunday we sold several items. So even though it started out slow, this ended up being the most productive show so far. Special Thanks to Becky and John for coming out to see us. John, we are keeping you in our prayers and hope you have a quick recovery. Don't forget to check out our 2009 Photo Gallery for pictures of all of our new items.       Cashiers Valley Fall Fling 08/04/2009
I just wanted to give everyone a heads up about the dates for the Cashiers Valley Fall Fling. The show is going to be Labor Day weekend, Saturday & Sunday September 5 & 6. Hope you can come see us! Sapphire Valley 06/23/2009
The Cashiers Valley Craft Show was definately an experience for us; one I think Aubrey and I both enjoyed. We learned a lot and got our name 'out there' in the local Arts & Crafts community. Since then, we have booked a few more shows to attend this year as a vendor. We are also planning on visiting a couple of shows to see about maybe getting involved with them in the future.       1 Day Down, 1 To Go 06/13/2009
I just woke up from a very needed nap. After going to bed around 2:00 AM last night and then getting up at 6:00 AM this morning we headed up to Cashiers for our first day at the Cashiers Valley Spring Fling. We did forget a couple of minor things (tablecloths) and our booth didn't look quite as fancy as some of the more experienced vendors, but overall I think we did pretty good throwing everything together at the last minute. The weather was perfect today, warm and sunny but with a cool breeze blowing. The park holding the show is a beautiful place with lush green grass and little paths that weave around. They had lots of large trees that provided shade from the hot sun. People and dogs of all sorts were walking around, mingling and browsing, or having a nice picnic in the shade. Bella had a wonderful time. She was our official greeter and thought that everyone was coming just to see her. She did do a good job getting peoples' attention and drawing them into our booth. She just sat there and looked at them with her adorable little face until they came in to pet her. I think we are going to hire her permanently.       Cashiers Valley Spring Fling 06/12/2009
Tomorrow and Sunday (June 13 & 14) we will have a tent at the Cashiers Valley Spring Fling! We are very excited but also very nervous since we have never been to a craft show as a vendor before. We are both at a little of a loss as to what we can expect, what we will need, how things will work and so on. Hopefully all will go smoothly and we will see a big turn out with lots of sales and orders! Be sure to come by and see us! Ok, now I am off to do all of the stuff we put off to until last minute, which is just about everything! I can already tell that this is going to be an exhausting weekend... but I'm sure it will be an experience. Hope to see you in Cashiers! Gallery Walk 05/23/2009
We had a great time last night at the Gallery Walk in Brevard. Since we have pieces in the 'Art Unleashed' - Art About Animals exhibit we attended the artists' reception, along with Bella, our Morkie puppy. (Morkie = Maltese + Yorkie). While we were out we wanted to browse the numerous art galleries in downtown Brevard. We were a little skiddish at first about walking into the fancy galleries with Bella, but we discovered that Brevard is surprisingly dog friendly. Each time we entered a gallery, we were welcomed with oooohs and aaaaahs and occasionally a dog biscuit. As a Brevard native, you would think I would be familiar with the goings on of downtown Brevard. I am regretful to say that I have not spent a lot of time visiting the shops or attending the festivals in Brevard. I always saw downtown as more of a tourist attraction and usually tried to avoid the area if at all possible. I will definately be spending more time exploring downtown Brevard and appreciating all of the wonderful culture our little town is so full of.   | ~ Shasta ~You can find out more about me by taking a look at our About page, and don't forget to look at all the new pictures in our Photo Gallery. ArchivesJuly 2010 CategoriesAll |
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