A lot of our new members are curious about this next questions:

What is a chapter and why should I join one?

A chapter brings the Guild into local communities. Guild members in similar areas have formed chapters to focus on specific aims in a more intimate setting.  Many of our chapters sponsor events, such as the Pocono State Craft Festival put on by the Pocono Chapter.  Chapters also work to provide opportunities within its community such as workshops and scholarships for highschool students.

The Bucks County Chapter website aptly states that one of their goals is to:

“assists members in marketing high quality crafts and provides a forum for exchange of ideas and information through its meetings and programs”

If you are looking for a setting in which you can get to know and share information with artists in your own community, join a chapter. Chapter membership is included in the new member rate, simply check the chapter that interests you the most or is closest to you geographically.

The Pennsylvania Guild has 17 chapters, a full listing can be found on our Chapters webpage.

Jupi Das, of Camp Hill is a juried paper cutting (or scherenschnitte) artist.  Her beautiful pieces are hand cut out of a single piece of paper and then mounted 3-dimensionally.  Often, she will even hand paint sections to highlight particularly important areas.  The art of paper cutting can be traced back many years through many different cultures.  On her website, Jupi talks about how her work is influenced by the folk cutting traditions of the Chinese, Japanese, German and Swiss.

Jupi creates as much for others as she does herself.  On her website, she says:

“I create, so that the energy and enthusiasm that I put into each piece will bring as much joy to people as the process of creating them brings joy into my life”

We have decided to start a new weekly blog post about frequently asked questions.  I will start with a few I get a lot but if any of you readers have questions, please post comments with them or email me, at jenny.pacrafts.org, I would love to address them.

One thing I have gotten asked quite often: Are the crafts shows the Guild puts on for juried members only?

No.  While our shows are juried, we do not require that members go through the state jurying process to apply for our craft fairs.   Any applicant does have to go through a show selection process and is required to be a member of the Guild.  But juried status is not required to apply.  However, juried members do receive a bonus point during selection that can improve their score, but the bonus point is hardly enough to guarantee entry.

Are you looking for something warm to do this weekend?  Check out “The Craftsman’s Journey-Enhancing Peoples Lives”, the newest exhibit at the Mechanicsburg Museum.  This exhibition features the work of craftsman in the Yellow Breeches chapter of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen, including woodworker Doug Starry and enamelist  Averill Shepps.

Opening this Saturday (Feb. 13th), the show goes through May 1st.  There will be a public reception on Sunday (Feb. 14) between 2-4pm.

Here are a few tips for newcomers to the craft show world related to both customer relations and general best practices.

1. Keep your identity as a craftsperson. Be friendly. People are buying you as much as your work.
2. The customer isn’t always right, but keeping the illusion alive can be beneficial to everyone involved.
3. Say thank you when someone compliments your work. Compliments eventually turn into sales.
4. The answer to ‘How are you doing?’ is always positive.  People are attracted to success and people who aren’t miserable.
5. If you hear the same suggestion three times… do it.
6. Dress for weather and pack for alternative weather since the weatherman rarely gets in right. Pack extra socks
7. Never, never read or look bored while in your booth.
8. Always smile.

These tips come from Guild members at our October craft show.

This is our newest weekly post that will highlight the previous and current week’s Guild and craft news.  Newspaper articles, awards, upcoming events and anything else worth sharing.  You can help, by sending me news-worthy emails to nick@pacrafts.org.

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In the News

courtesy of Reading-Eagle - photo by Ryan McFadden

Our Reading-Berks chapter decorated the tree at the Governor’s Mansion with over 500 handmade ornaments:  Reading Eagle article (12/3), WFMZ-TV video footage (12/3) and Pottstown Mercury (11/28).  They also met Mrs. Rendell, had lunch in the state dining room and were given a tour.

The Guild’s 2010 show applications have been posted online.  The 2010 schedule includes three fine craft fairs plus a new fine craft market on April 17 & 18 in Lancaster held during the Spring ArtWalk.  Chapter events and a Lancaster Home show partnership are also included.  Full details at the link above.

We’re entering our final month of our Handmade Holiday store at our 252 N. Prince St Lancaster gallery.  Remember to give handmade this year and stop on in to see our ever-changing selection.

Three hands-on workshops are scheduled for the weekend of January 30.  Pendant-making, Glass-blowing and Precious Metal Clay.  We’re also hold a Photoshop for Artists class on January 16.

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Are you a Guild member or with a chapter?  Have you received an award recently or have an upcoming chapter special event?  Send an email to nick@pacrafts.org and we’ll try to get your news-worthy item online.

Our Holiday Fine Craft Fair opens today at 10 am and runs til 6 pm.  Sunday hours are 11 am to 5 pm.  Full details are at www.pacrafts.org/holiday.  Have a question or need directions?  Call 717-431-8706.

The act of giving handmade is inspiring because you know where the item came from and you can tell your friend or family about your exchange with the craft-maker.

There’s millions upon millions of options out there for holiday gift-giving.  But giving locally-made handmade crafts supports your neighbor-artist and your community’s economy.

Independent craft-makers are small business owners, which means their expenses are tied closely to their physical location.  If you know about the 3/50 Project then you know that $68 of every $100 spent with a locally owned independent business returns to their community through taxes, payroll and other expenditures.

31 out of the 126 participating members physically reside in Lancaster county.

If you’re an aspiring locavore, you may know about the concept of the 100 mile diet.  If we put that idea to our show, 86 of the total show participants live within that 100 mile radius.  So your craft diet will be full of options.  The bulk of the remaining members live in Maryland, New Jersey and Delaware (not exactly the other side of the world).

So come on out and browse thousands of unique, one-of-a-kind, handmade crafts at this weekend’s Fine Craft Fair at Manheim Township High School, and know that your money not only supports the artists you buy from but also supports Pennsylvania’s economy and the community services it offers.

With 140 craft-makers under one roof, it’s sometimes hard to choose among all of the wonderful crafts.  Here’s a glimpse at some of the work that will be shown this weekend at our final craft show of the year.

1. Clay horse head sculpture – Paula Brown-Steedly [booth #302]
2. Glass beads – Karen Hill [booth #318]
3. Leather and cloth purses – Seymour Mondshein [booth #300]
4. Framed quilts – Karen Bilak [booth #325]

See more in our Flickr image set.

Some would argue its the best kept secret of the Guild’s shows.  I agree.  The Best in Pennsylvania Crafts gallery exhibit is held annually during our Holiday Fine Craft Fair in Lancaster and serves as a showcase for juried members of the Guild.

Every year there’s a theme (this year’s is Go Green) and every year there’s a load of money given out in awards (this year $2450).  Awards range from Best in Fiber to Most Creative Use of Material, Excellence in Craftsmanship to Most Humorous.  The most prized awards are Best in Show, Craftsmen’s Choice and People’s Choice.

The ‘choice’ awards are tallied by voting all weekend long from attendees of the show (the People’s Choice) and exhibitors in the show (Craftsman’s Choice).  All of the awards are generously given annually by chapters of the Guild ~ thank you who give!  A full list of this year’s awards are at www.pacrafts.org/gallery as well as those who are vying for them.

So when you come to the show this weekend (and you are planning to attend), make sure to vote for your favorite piece.  Perhaps you’ll choose Bev Zimmerman’s Green Box, which is shown above.