Well, the hoopla is over for now. With the exception of a fast trip to Durham to set up during this coming Saturday's Farmers' Market, I will only be selling on-line and to the local people that know how to get in touch with me. That is okay, at least for now, because I'm tired. Saturday we had a good, though not great, turnout for our DCM Holiday Market. I did pretty well, better than some, worse than others, but it was worth my time and trouble. I toyed with the idea of going back this coming Saturday for another Holiday Market put on by a different group, but in the same location as ours. It sounded like a great idea at the beginning of the day, and not so much at the end of the day, when the exhaustion came knocking.
Funny, though, I still haven't fully discounted the option. I will see how I feel on Friday, or even Saturday morning. That is the extent of my ambition at the present time.
I will start next season as the holiday/special events chairperson for the craft market. I have no idea what I'm doing but somebody had to do it, and I already saw a huge amount of room for improvement - assigned spaces in lieu of first come/first served - as the two most represented groups, pottery and jewelry, were mostly clumped together, rather than spread evenly throughout the room, so I don't think individual vendors were given the browsing attention they would have had they been evenly distributed around the market. I want to change this....some will like it, some will not, but I think I have a valid point and one that is of benefit to all of us, including the customers.
Another thing I will be responsible for is coordinating art/craft demos on the 3rd Saturday of each month at the Craft Market. I think this is a great way to sell, capturing the attention of the passersby and in some cases, allowing input to make something 'just for them'. It also is a chance to show the customers just how much thought and sweat and love and skill goes into the making of an item, much less keeping up an inventory. I saw very little participation from the crafters this past year, and I hope to get more to participate and see it as a beneficial pain in the butt, not just the pain part!
So I have the wheels turning and have the winter to consider these things, as well as looking into extra events that we could participate in throughout the year, and perhaps some 'themed' Saturdays that correlate with holidays and local happenings. I think it will be a challenge for me but I am going to do the best job that I can and hopefully infuse some new ideas.
So today I will get my studio put back together and start making a few gifts that I want to give to different friends. Hopefully I will get a few custom orders as well. But I am ready to do something; after all, I took a WHOLE DAY OFF yesterday, spending most of it lying on, if not in, the bed...reading, gaming, napping, resting....it was hard work to stay away from work. I will take a couple of other days off this week, too. Now that I remember how much better I feel the next day!
I will keep you posted on the holiday happenings and have a few pictures for you, as well!!
Keep the peace all around you, let it hug you gently and carry you through these turbulent days ahead...as the holidays have become for most anything but a "holiday". Take your peace with you wherever you go...
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