Craft Fairs

Some people have such organized displays.
~The Table by leandog~

I love going to craft fairs, shopping at craft fairs and generally supporting craft fairs. Except as a vendor. No thank! The first time I ever went to a craft fair was only a few months after I started making jewellery. I had been approved for an artisans co-op and the adjudicators had praised my work and told me I had an impressive collection of jewellery. I figured that meant I was good enough, and had enough jewellery to sell at the local craft fair.

So, I made arrangements to set up at a 'booth' at one of the local fairs. I had my whole stash with me, a folding chair, little table and a sad float so that I could offer change. Somewhere along the way I had missed the idea that I should probably visit the fair first. You know, check it out, see what it was all about. When I got there, I was wedged next to the biggest display of jewellery in the fair and a food vendor. I sat all alone on my folding chair, nearly out of site. A few people came buy and fingered my jewellery and then walked on past. One woman picked up a pair of earrings and asked if I had a mirror. Mirror? Um. No. That would indicate that I was prepared. She gave me a funny look and wandered away. I did sell a pair of earrings that day. I consider it a pity sale. So I made a whopping $5 after paying $15 to set up my 'booth.' 

A few years later I decided to try again. We had moved to a larger city and this time I went prepared. I had  a portable tent for shelter and a long, folding table that fit neatly under it. My stash was much bigger by this time and I had a TWO mirrors, a lovely tablecloth and my display looked relatively professional. I could not set-up the tent on my own. It was definitely a two-person job. My nice cookie-selling neighbour told me that I should shop around at the end of the season for a used tent. I guess a lot of people get dissuaded after a season of fairs and sell their tents. 

The tent wasn't the only problem. As I was sitting there, watching people glance at my jewellery, a couple came by, picked up a pair of earrings, whispered something to each other, set them down and walked away. I glanced at the earrings only to realize that this set that I had made a year ago had started to tarnish! I quickly grabbed them and pairs made from the same supplies and tucked them away. Later, the same couple wandered by and whispered again, something to the effect of "she put them away." Geez. So embarrassing. I've since moved on to stainless steel metal components as my minimum metal quality for findings. I didn't sell anything that day so I lost the $20 booth fee. I did learn that organic, artisan bread will sell out within 30 minutes at that particular fair. It's too bad my baking skills are so limited. 

My cookie-selling neighbour said that jewellery is pretty tough to sell at craft fairs because people don't buy it spontaneously. They usually come back and see it a few times before deciding they really want it. I know that's true for me. I have many items favourited on Etsy that I'll probably buy when I have the money or some day when I'm feeling blue and need a little retail therapy. Either that or when I finish the P90X workout and need a reward!! 

These experiences have left me a little jaded to craft fairs. I don't like feeling stuck in one spot for 3 to 10 hours trying to at least make up my fee for the booth. What if I have to pee? Ideally I'd have good neighbours or a friend with me. I'd much prefer observing the craft fair and spending my money on other people's fares. I'm so grateful to Etsy for opening up a new method of selling for artisans that doesn't require as much time and money. 

That being said, I may set up at a Christmas fair this fall. The one at Kelowna should be fun or the Vancouver one will allow me to see family. If I have someone come with me I'm sure the experience will be much better. 

The First Signs of Spring

I find the first shoots of spring really motivating. The little green buds that pop out of tree branches or the ground are so bright and cheerful and you just know that it's going to warm up. I'm not the only one who thinks so. Check out this Etsy treasury filled with items that feature spring green.

Argentium Silver

Argentium silver is great for catching the light.
~bracelet, stargate sterling argentium silver by argentium1~

I've always loved silver. If not silver, than white gold. There's something about yellow gold that I find tacky. I'm only speaking for me and my skin tone. Yellow gold looks great on many people and sometimes I wear it too. But I don't think that yellow is a colour for everyone. Silver is so neutral. It is sleek and goes with everything. Unfortunately, it tarnishes. This is something that people love to point out to me when I say that I prefer silver. Really? Tarnishes? You don't say. My own engagement ring is in white gold, although some individuals in my life don't consider this to be "real" gold (??). But I would have been quite content with silver. Particularly Argentium silver.

Before we get into Argentium, you should know a few details about silver. Most mainstream silver is sterling silver and is recognized by the 925 stamp. This stamp indicates that the silver is 92.5 percent silver. The remaining 7.5 percent is made up of different alloys that include copper. The alloys make the silver harder and more durable than pure silver. However, the copper tarnishes when it comes in contact with sulfur and sulfur is everywhere -- deodorant, perfume and excreted through your skin. Some people have more sulfur on their skin than others, depending on their body chemistry, the food they eat and how much they sweat. This is why they may find jewellery tarnishes faster for them. 

The other kind of silver that you may find is fine silver. Fine silver is 99.9 percent sliver, is shinier and looks ... finer. But it is much softer than sterling silver and can't really be used in many jewellery making techniques.These two types of silver each have major flaws. 

Enter Argentium silver. Argentium silver is the modern take on sterling. It is 92.5 percent silver, so it is technically sterling silver, but the alloy mix includes germanium. The germanium creates a film of germanium oxide over the copper, protecting it from the sulfur and preventing oxidation. Argentium silver will tarnish over time, but this is removed with a gentle buffing that you can do at home. In addition to its high tarnish resistance, Argentium silver is more malleable than traditional sterling silver, making it more desirable for artisans. Some retailers now sell Argentium silver with even higher levels of silver, like 93 or 96 percent, which takes them out of the sterling silver category and heading towards fine silver. These higher levels of Argentium silver are advertised as whiter and brighter than white gold or platinum. 

Argentium becomes more tarnish resistant when it is heated. 

~ Argentium Silver Hand-Forged Anticlastic Earrings by jkhaimandesigns~

It's Been Years -- Literally

I was looking for a necklace I had favourited on Etsy years ago when I realized, "Hey, I bet I blogged about it." Sure enough, I had. And after I found the necklace I realized it had been two years (off by only one day!) since I had posted on this site. How lazy. In the last two years, I've been writing more and making less jewellery. I also had another baby (awww). So that, in a nutshell, is where I have been. However, I feel motivated to start making more jewellery and blogging about my Etsy finds so here I am! Updating you all (hi mom!) and sharing my new plan.