This week, we are highlighting juried member and woodworker Ted Rasmussen. 

Ted’s work is inspired by the natural beauty found in each unique piece of wood. 

In his artist’s statement, Ted writes:

Grain, color and natural imperfections such as checks and cracks are important characteristics that can enhance the beauty of the wood in it’s most honest state.

Ted’s fantastic pieces are available for sale at In the Kitchen!  Opening Friday, September 3.

The weekend of September 25 & 26 will be chock full of creative endeavors.  Ed Youtz will be teaching a two day woodturning workshop at Goggleworks Center for the Arts in Reading.  The class runs from from 9am-5pm on Saturday, Sept. 25 AND 9am-4pm on Sunday, Sept. 26. On Saturday, students will learn to use a spindle-roughing gauge, parting tool, skew, and spindle gauge. After practice he/she will design and fashion a dry flower arrangement holder, and an end-grain cup. Sunday students will use a bowl gauge to design and make a plate and a bowl. Each student will have the use of a lathe, tools, and face shield.

Frank Warner will be teaching an introduction to lapidary class.  This two day course, held on Sept. 25 and 26 will educate students about how to use a diamond trim saw as well as diamond grinding, sanding and polishing equipment.  Beginning students in recent workshops have completed four or five cabs in the two day session.  This workshop will be held at the L. Howard Freeman Skill Center of the Tuscarora Lapidary Society (TLS) in Media, PA. 

Just in time for the holiday season, Brian Cunfer will be teaching a workshop about ornament woodturning.  In this two day workshop, held on October 9 & 10 from 9 am to 5 pm, Brian will teach intermediate students to turn three different styles of ornaments: bird house, bell and icicle.  Proper sharpening techniques for tools will also be discussed.

Wow.  Here is what Margery had to say about her studio:

I used to work out of one of our guest bedrooms.  The room had a double bed, two looms and a sewing machine.  Instead of buying a weaving business in New Hampshire we added a studio on to our home in Pennsylvania.  My husband designed and built it.  In the process he gained additional basement space for his workshop.  What I love the most is the open feeling and natural light I gain from the sky lights and bay window.  I also love all the room. I have four looms, storage shelves, a sewing machine and a jewelry workbench.  I can have several projects going at one time. 

Outside we planted hundreds of pine and spruce trees.  They are now mature and some are twenty feet tall.  I feel secure and comfortable when working in the studio.  Right after we built the studio we had some friends visiting. They said our property had a great Feng Shui.  At the time I did not know what this meant.  They explained that the energy around our home had a positive flow.  I agree and believe this is why this space is so conducive to creativity.

A big thank-you to Margery, for sharing this!  Your studio is stunning!

If you like Margery’s studio, you will LOVE her work.  Check it out at our upcoming show at the Chase Center!  July 31 and August 1.  If you have a studio, we would love to see it.  Send your images to jenny@pacrafts.org.

Thank-you so much to everyone who participated in our ticket giveaways!!  Congratulations to our winners, Amanda Bowman, Maureen Sopko and Paula Lewis!  For those of you who didn’t win tickets to the July 31st and August 1st fine craft fair, be sure to buy your tickets on our website where we are offering great discounts up until the show.   Buying your ticket online or leaving a comment on our giveaway posts  enters you to win a $50 gift certificate towards a craft purchase at the show.  Double your chances to win and do both!

An 80,000 square foot plaza where culture and community converge. Free to all, the Piazza features a never ending stream of live programming. From funk to films, yoga to Yo Yo Ma, dance to Dj’s, or the Phillies to the philharmonic.  The market is located on
2nd & Germantown Avenue, Northern Liberties in Philadelphia. 

The Market is open every Saturday and Sunday from May to September. It includes

 *weekly expos featuring a different type of vendor

*a 100% handmade market

*a farmers market from 10am-3pm

*a piazza flea market

On July 10 and 11, the Market will have a grand opening with OVER 250 vendors!!!

If you are looking for something fun to do with your family, this is it!  There is something for everyone. 

For more information, visit their website.

If you are interested in becoming a vendor,  email vendor@towerdev.com or call 215-467-4603.

Douglas Starry, of Gettysburg is a fourth generation chair maker.  Using old Shaker techniques, he creates rockers, tables, stools and trays.   Douglas handmakes every piece of his furniture.  He even cuts and dries most of the wood he uses in his work.  He doesn’t use a single drop of glue in his chair and only uses 4 nails for the entire piece! 

His work is so lovely.  With his clean lines and sharp forms, the detailed craftsmanship really stands out.   To see more of Douglas Starry’s work, come  to the July 31 and August 1 craft show in Wilmington, DE!

Wow.  It was not what I had expected.  What a beautiful space. 

I am so impressed with this building.  The openness, the modern and chic lines.  The way the walls are at an angle–creating a unique tension in the room.  If you haven’t seen it, you are in for a treat.  I stood in the Governor’s hall, imagining it filling with booths of lovely artwork.  What a perfect setting to compliment an artist’s  work. 

After we left the Chase Center, we did a little bit of reconnaissance in the area–dropping off postcards to local art spots.  We stopped by the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts, the Delaware Childrens Museum (which was awesome!) as well as the Delaware College of Art and Design.  One of the best places we stopped at was the Hotel DuPont. 

It had a lovely facade but when I went inside, I felt like I had arrived.  We stopped there because they gave us a great deal for our craftsmen stay during the Chase Center Show.  We brought publicity information to drop off and some advance show tickets.  I wanted to stay forever because I couldn’t take in all the ornate details at once.  The building itself was art. 

I cannot wait to stay there!!!  Just look at that ceiling…amazing.

I am so excited to bring you this weeks Member Monday–Sara Meadows!  Sara of Kennett Square, PA is a ceramic artist who has created her own unique cast of characters. 

Her sculptures are so whimsical and fun.  I delight in her vibrant and liberal use of contemporary color and texture.  So does my entire family!  When my Dad  saw her work, he immediatly bought several pieces.  He keeps the cat he bought in an antique birdhouse in his garden. 

Sara has a very special talent for creating art that people want to touch and hold and play with. 

For more information, check out Sara’s website!

detail of cabinet by Bradford Woodworking

This is a really important week (well, 10 days) to show cohesion as a craft community. If you already know what you’re doing, leave a comment below. Or leave one if you have an idea of a great program to put together.

The Guild’s In the Kitchen exhibit is up then.

This article first appeared in Crafts Business magazine. It is reprinted here by permission.

The show’s a little slow–sales aren’t where they should be. Your work is good, and the prices fair, so what’s missing? A decision.

If you decide that this isn’t your show, and go check out your opinion with other artists, you are making a move in the wrong direction. If you decide to duck behind your booth to work on some projects so you can at least make some money at this dog of a show, you are making another mistake.

When sales aren’t rolling in, there are at least five things you can do to make a difference. They don’t cost you any money, don’t need a lot of preparation time, and you can see the results happen quickly.

1. Eye Contact Starts a Sale

Make eye contact with the people walking by. Eye contact is the fastest way to establish a relationship that leads to sales. Don’t look at hairdos, skirt lengths or shoes. Look people in the eye. You don’t need to stare, but make sure you get good eye contact—that people are looking back at your face. That’s eye contact, and it begins a relationship. What comes next comes naturally.

2. Smile. Welcome People to Your Booth

It doesn’t have to be a big, toothy grin. A regular smile is best. If you think “smile” at the same time, you will smile with your eyes as well. Watch for a reaction—a recognition, a return smile, a hesitation in walking. That’s the person to focus on.

3. Be First to Start a Conversation

Nod to them, or if they are close enough, say “Hi.” Asking a brief question is better, it helps slow them down. “Having a good time?” or “Is it still raining?” [or windy, sunny, snowing, depending on conditions] gives the person a reason to respond that is not too committal. If the weather is bad, thank them for coming out in this weather.

If the person looks away, walks away or immediately speaks to someone with them, your chances of making contact diminish. If the show is crowded or the aisles are narrow, smile at the next person. You are not looking for a life-long commitment, this is an attempt at contact. With a little luck, a person you speak to will slow down and step into your booth. This is just the beginning, you aren’t done yet.

There are many ways to strike up a conversation, the one that feels most comfortable is the one you are most likely to make successful. Many artists feel uncomfortable qualifying clients immediately. You don’t have to ask, “Are you shopping for yourself or someone else? Are you looking for a gift? or What are you looking for?” While those questions can lead to a sale, many people are at shows simply to look at things and don’t have an answer to those questions. You can scare them off before you’ve said much.

True, if a person is not interested in your work, you don’t have a big chance of selling them anything, but someone who has stepped into your booth needs a few seconds to adjust to seeing your work. Let them have that time.

4. Talk About What You Know—Your Work

Matthew Naftzger, owner of Works of Man, and a jeweler who works in various metals, says, “I like to talk about my work. It’s easy for me to be enthusiastic, and it helps them concentrate on the pieces in front of them.” Matt lets people look over his work, and if he notices interest in one piece, he’ll say something about how he made the piece or the metals used. If the person nods and doesn’t say anything, Matt gives it another chance.

“I might say something about the shape of the piece; or what inspired its creation,” he says, “but if I don’t get a response, I’ll let it go. Conversation is a two-way effort.” Matt will let someone who shows no interest look in silence. Some people simply take more time to understand what they are looking at.

Jenna Pynn, owner of Calico & Old Lace, who makes clothing, embellished with free-form figurative quilting, says, “It takes a while for people to see that the quilting on the vest looks like running horses or like a Japanese crane. I get better reactions if people find it for themselves, so being quiet is a way of communicating.” Jenna also knows that one person in the booth looking at your work often attracts others. “I’m not quick to chase out someone who’s not buying if she’s attracting more people into the booth. Much of my work is custom, so it’s important for people to have time to look and think things through before they try anything on.”

Once there are people in the booth, it’s time for the last step.

5. Qualify Your Client

“Qualifying” means separating the browsers from the buyers and helping the buyers through the choosing and paying process, while keeping an eye on the browsers, but not engaging them further until the sales process is complete.

Jenna says, “It’s great to chat with people, have them try things on and tell me about their likes and dislikes. If it leads to a sale, it’s even better.” So what to do when a client is clearly ‘just looking?’ If you have time, and no one else is in the booth, you can certainly give them some attention.

“But if I have a sale working and someone who is just looking wants to chat, I’ll keep my answers short and friendly but keep a lot of eye contact going with the customer,” says Jenna.

Matt has a similar reaction. “If one person is just browsing and another person is ready to make a purchase, the customer gets most of my attention.” Sometimes the person making a sale will inspire the person browsing to follow suit. Sometimes the browser will leave. Instead of feeling guilty that the browser left, recognize that it was not a sale and be glad you didn’t lose the buyer’s interest.

If a browser is more demanding of attention, it’s fine to say, “I’ll be right back to you as soon as I finish helping this customer.” When a browser has been chatty and getting a lot of your attention, you’ll feel guilty paying attention to another client, but a buyer gets more attention than someone who is just looking.

That doesn’t mean you get to be rude, but it does mean that you get to interrupt your conversation, cut into the browser’s long story, or say, “I’ll answer that in a second, just let me help this person.”

While anyone can be a potential buyer, a browser who walks away is not costing you a sale. If you are polite, but turn your attention to a buyer, the browser will frequently wander off in search of another conversation. That’s great for both you and the browser.

There are a few actions that keep people who may want to stop at your booth right on walking. Be careful to avoid actions that don’t invite people into your booth.

Too Busy to Sell

If a show is slow, it is tempting to spend your time chatting with other artists. But you won’t sell a thing if you aren’t in your booth, so stick around and start making eye contact.

Beware, too, of fellow artists who are in a bad mood and come into your booth to bad mouth the show, promoter, or attendees. People who are browsing have great hearing, and when they hear something negative, they will leave your booth. Even if your fellow artist is talking about another show, the casual observer doesn’t know. Negative words cause negative reactions.

Make a rule of “no negative energy in my booth,” and fellow artists will not feel personally insulted.

Stand Up and Sell

Studies have shown that if you are busy in your booth—dusting, labeling, arranging inventory—you have a better chance of someone coming into your booth. But, there are different ways to be busy.

Eating scares people off. They don’t want to interrupt you. Sure, you have to eat, but keep it simple. If you have help with you, each of you should leave the booth to eat. If you are alone, eat things that aren’t messy and don’t require a lot of work. You can take a bite of a sandwich and arrange your inventory. Don’t hurry and take huge bites. Small bites are better for your health, and if someone comes in, you can indicate you will be with them shortly—then chew and swallow without choking.

And of course, no reading or becoming so absorbed in some activity that you don’t notice people who do come in. Anyone can be a client, and there is no reason that the clients shouldn’t come into your booth to shop instead of passing you by.

Smile and start selling. It works!

© Quinn McDonald, 2008, Quinn is a certified creativity coach, artist and writer. She can be reached through http://raw-art-journals.com/