SPRING IS HERE! And it's SHOW TIME!

After a few short weeks to build up our inventory and create new critters for adoption, we've officially started the SPRING Show Season!

It's funny that most people don't realize what goes into a craft show, but let's break it down into a few bite-sized pieces so you can get the gist (leaving out all the gory business-y details like permits, accounting, and finding the "perfect" venues for selling):

1. Come up with a mega-super-awesome idea and pray that nobody else on the planet (or at least in your neighborhood or crafting community) is doing this same thing.

2. Buy waaaayyy too many supplies, and figure out how to justify purchasing 20 yards of super-cool fabric that MAY take you 20 years to use. Be sure to visit at least 20 stores, and dig up 20 coupons to try to get the best deal. But when you get home, be sure to hide your buyer's remorse, and then facepalm because you realize you forgot the thread, glue, or buttons you actually WENT to the store for.

3. Make stuff. Then make more stuff. Then stress out and get no sleep the night before the show because you forgot other stuff, and aren't sure you are bringing the RIGHT stuff. And other stuff. Oh, and don't forget you WILL need lots of caffeine in the A.M. to deal with all this stuff.

4. Pack your vehicle as tightly as you can. Then realize you can't fit it all, and unpack some of it, rearrange it, and squish as much as you can into bags instead of boxes so you can squish it all in. Forget about seeing out of the car...that's what side mirrors are for, right? Then remember that you didn't fit the DOLLY in the car, and start again.

5. Drive to the venue, praying you didn't forget anything, and wonder to yourself what that weird rattling in the back of the car could be. Did you stop for coffee yet?

6. If you didn't hire teamsters or a small mob of teenagers to do the heavy lifting, it's time to unload your vehicle into the venue. And guaranteed, no matter how carefully you may have measured and planned out your booth or "space", know it is NOT going to work out that way! Did you remember your table, tablecloths, crates, shelves, baskets, display pieces, chair, etc? Here's where the greatest creativity comes in...how to make do with what you brought, when they thing you MOST NEEDED is sitting at home.

7. Wave your magic wand to have your goods fly into a perfectly arranged booth to display your goods to their best advantage, remembering to have multiple levels, clear focus, and places for the eye to "rest". Wait...you don't HAVE a Magic Wand? Guess you'll have to do that the hard way!

8. Now sell! And pray. And cross your fingers, do a little dance, and make a wish.  (I won't mention the process of tear-down, clean-up, go home, unpack, inventory, and then do it all again next weekend!) And hopefully, you will make 3 times the amount you paid for your space, or at the very least, enough money to pay for the supplies you still have to buy for NEXT WEEK'S shows!

Okay, so if you're NOT a crafter, you probably think this is an exaggeration. You probably think it's a matter of "Make, then Sell". Nope.

I hope this simple little set of instructions will help you greater appreciate the true MAGIC that goes into setting up one of the many AMAZING Arts & Craft Shows that happen around the World EVERY WEEKEND!

Bless you, all of my lovely and dedicated Craft Friends, who do this on a regular basis! You are not only ARTISTS, you are SAINTS!

Seems fitting that since our LAST show of 2013 was the "Handmade Craft Show" at the Santee Coffee Corner, that the FIRST Show of 2014 took place at...wait for it...drumroll please...the "Handmade Craft Show" at the Santee Coffee Corner!

This time, we had a wonderful time chatting with fellow crafters, customers, and lot of old friends stopped by. And we weren't all alone inside this time! Our dear friends from "Kit's Designs" shared the space inside, along with two NEW crafty friends!

Gotta say the Coffee Corner is getting better and better...they never seemed to have a lull in the shop, and we can attest to how AWESOME their coffee is! Sabrina had the "OCD" (Orange Cream Delight) again, and Taylor tried something deliciously caramel, and all morning long, we were DROOLING over their new Acai Bowls! Yum Yum Yum. And did we mention that this place is right near "Dudley's Deli"? Those of you who know Julian/Ramona/Santa Ysable KNOW what we're talking about...the BEST homemade bread makes the BEST (if not messiest) sandwiches! Only now you only have to go to SANTEE instead of the 45 minute drive up the mountain!

Wanna give a shout-out to a few of our friends who were at the show..

*"Ms Formaldehyde" & "My Lucky Dragon" for hosting this shindig,

*"Velvet Claw", one of our favorite Craft Mafia buds with the CUTEST vintage-inspired items around,

*"Gothford Wife" who makes the COOLEST Sparkly Spiders ever,

*"Pandora's Candy Box"- her BACON TRUFFLES are to die for,

*"Hand Crafted by Sylvia" who makes adorable banners and more,

*"Selfridge Photography"- his photos are gorgeous, and he's entertaining to chat with too,

*and more folks we just can't think of at the moment!

We hope that you'll all get a chance to check out these awesome shops, and hopefully stop by the show next time!

Guess who was just featured in the        San Diego North Park Craft Mafia's newsletter...their very first           "Crafter's Spotlight"!!!

You can find the interview at:

http://us1.campaign-archive1.com/?u=8b0fadf87f658c4b9cbba6494&id=22dc91f07b

Here's a cut & paste of the Q & A:

Crafter's Spotlight:  Sabrina & Taylor Ingalls of "Mostly Monsters Chula Vista"


This year we will be adding a new section to our newsletter. The "Crafter's Spotlight" will showcase a different local crafter each month so you can get to know those who keep San Diego crafty!
 Website: www.mostlymonsterschulavista.comWhat would you like us to know about your business? We make whimsical and wearable handmade MONSTER-themed goods for little monsters of all ages! Hats, toys, pillows, and more! We are a MOM-& DAUGHTER Shop who design and create our all-original goods.
Why Handmade? Everyone deserves a UNIQUE gift that's been made with love, especially for THEM! Never forget to feed your INNER child with something fun!
What/who inspires you to create? "Mostly Monsters CV" was created as a labor of love...a creative outlet with a purpose- inspired by our troop of Girl Scouts, "Mostly Monsters CV" has become a place to dream, and all proceeds go to help Taylor reach her dream of a career in the film industry! (see our website BLOG to learn more!)What is on your I-pod right now? Amanda Palmer, Jason Webley, Evelyn-Evelyn, Circus Contraption,and "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman! Followed by "Unsteady" (check out Track 17 of the album "Tightrope"...see a familiar name?)
What music inspires you to create? Ska, Punk, Classical, and music that fits no category...we are both MUSICIANS who play the clarinet in Concert Bands and in Musical Theater productions!
What was the most interesting trip you have ever taken? Why? EUROPE with our Girl Scout Troop in 2012! It took several years to earn the money to go, proving that we CAN achieve our dreams! We came back so inspired by London, Switzerland, and oddly enough...a weird little monster-shaped snack we bought in France! LOL
What is your favorite piece of clothing? Why? It's a toss up between our Fuzzy Monster Hats (Taylor's has a FACE, Sabrina's looks like a SKUNK) or a plethora of costumes! Of course we LOVE our hats...warm, fuzzy, and a definite conversation starter...all handmade by US (and found in our Etsy shop). But we have sooooo many costumes in our family collection it would be hard to decide! Mad Hatter? HoneyBooBoo? Ren Faire? Sabrina used to be a Costume Designer and LOVES to sew for the family, and each new costume quickly becomes the favorite!
If Hollywood made a movie about your life, who would you like to see portray you? Not sure who the actors would be, but the DIRECTOR would be TAYLOR INGALLS- the daughter half of "Mostly Monsters CV"! (She is currently a Film Student at SDSU, and the MONSTERS are footing the bill!)

Well, we  lived through our first FULL Calendar year as a business from January through December. Quite an accomplishment!
And we're happy to report that (knock on wood) between "Mostly Monsters" & a part-time job at Mickey D's, we were able to cover 100% of Taylor's College tuition (so far) AND buy a much-needed camera to further her Film Career (95% of the way to the laptop for editing too!!!)

But we're far from done! We've just started on our journey with the monsters, and 2014 will be the time for us to reflect, assess, and GROW!



Our last show of 2013 was a small one...a last-minute opportunity offered by our friends KELLY from "Ms Formaldehyde" and CHRISTY from "My Lucky Dragon", who pulled together a wonderful group of local artists for a last-chance-to-shop-before-Christmas show. Somehow, we were the ONLY artisans to set-up INSIDE the shop, and boy, were we grateful to be warm, dry, and inside! The Coffee Corner in Santee is beautiful, with comfy sofas, a warm electric fireplace, even a cute conference room decorated with books and vintage accessories (Taylor fell in love with the old typewriter!)

And the coffee....YUMMMMMMM!!! We tried the "Funky Monkey"- banana, coconut, and a hint of chocolate- so delicious (and I don't even LIKE coffee!) Then there was the "OCD", listed on the menu as Orange Cream Delight (or something along those lines.) Anyone remember Swensen's Ice Cream Parlors? They used to make this amazing Ice Cream that was my all-time favorite...Swiss Orange Chip. Super-intense Chocolate with ORANGE. TO DIE FOR! I got it frozen blended and it was HEAVEN! If you're in Santee in the near future, we recommend this place...and the family running it is fantastic too!

So before the year is over, here are a few pics from the last show of 2013:

After last night's mini-craft show, we're down to only 1 show to go for the rest of the year! It was a little show, and got pretty Cooooooold (reminding us why we usually stick with indoor shows!), but boy, was it festive! Lots of lights, music, and Hot Cocoa for everyone- guests and crafters alike!

   Best moment of the night: earlier in the week, Sabrina attended "Crafty Conspiracy Night" with the Craft Mafia, and taught a (bored?) teenager- a complete stranger- the basics of how to make her OWN little Thumbkins as gifts for her friends. This girl was so excited to learn to sew something she SQUEALED and practically danced out the door. So at last night's show, she came BACK to show us her finished project, and even "dolled him up" with a tiny candy cane and hat made of pipe-cleaners! Now that's paying it forward to the next generation of crafty people, and that makes us happy!

     If you haven't yet visited this store, it's a little gem! They've got beads, beads, more beads, and our favorite part- FABRIC! When we weren't in the middle of a sale last night, we found every excuse to sneak inside and peek around, and came home with some AMAZING fabrics we can't wait to use! While the main focus of the store is Native American Craft Supplies, they have plenty of other things to choose from! We're anxious to start working wit the Japanese Lucky Cat fabrics and Sock Monkey prints we bought last night!

"Dancing Bear Indian Trader" is at a new address (but in the same shopping center as before) at 1118 West Valley Parkway in Escondido, very easy to find off i15.

Find more at: www.dancingbearindiantrader.com

Happy and exhausted after a long day and our third show of the week, so not a lot to say, except "Project Messy" was even better than expected!

As a new show, there are of course "growing pains" and things the learn as you go, but we were pleasantly surprised at how pretty the place was inside, how nice the other vendors were to chat with, and how WONDERFUL the customers were! Sales exceeded expectations, and were thrilled to get a chance to do some shopping ourselves!

Sometimes, the smallest shows are the most fun to do!

(And of course, a detour to Mitsuwa Marketplace on the way home doesn't hurt anything!)

Only two shows left...

Wednesday find us at DANCING BEAR INDIAN TRADER, and

Friday, find us at the SANTEE COFFEE CORNER!

(See our section "Amazing Shows & Awesome Events" for details.)

Many thanks to the PURSEMAFIA for inviting us to participate in their Holiday Boutique, POPPED UP in the Club House! We walked into it having no expectations, but hoping for a little fun, and to offer a chance for our local friends to stop by and say "HI!" since we were close to home.

Unfortunately, Taylor had to work, so Sabrina was left to set-up and run the booth alone. Special thanks to our new and adorable 4 year old friend "HAYDEN with an "H"" (she didn't explain how to spell the rest of her name!) for all her offers to help set-up (BTW, she did a great job helping to sort our penguins from our bunnies and putting fuzzy hats on the rack!) Turned out to be a WONDERFUL little show with the nicest bunch of people ever, and all the guests were really there to SHOP!

Our event started with a BANG when our dear friend Stephanie came by with her daughter while we were still setting up  and bought an armload of goodies... that was the turnaround for our week! (Had just been chatting with friends how the week needed a reset button...boy, this was IT!)  Before three hours were up, we'd SOLD OUT of Indoor Snowballs, sold lots of HATS, many bags full of stocking stuffers, and 6 of our Cuddle Monsters found new homes with orders for two more in custom colors! (It got so busy we couldn't even take pics, and there were some Kodak-worthy moments in there!)

The night ended with some new friends, new connections made, and lots of great drinks and snacks to boot. Special thanks to new friend DANIELLE for helping to drag all our displays and bags out to the car as well as giving a surprise gift, and for calling the missing cell phone to figure out where it disappeared to!  You were an angle in disguise, and Santa should bring you extra goodies in your stocking this year! The best new friends can be found at Craft Shows!

And thanks again to PURSEMAFIA...sure hope we can do this again!!!

This time of year is SOOO crazy busy, it's hard to take the time to write and remember to update the show listings, but here we go...

We're counting down the last 4 Craft Shows before Christmas, and then we'll have a moment to catch our breath! (Not that we aren't already working on Valentine Monsters, Easter goodies, and even SUMMER TOTE BAG Monsters!!!)

This past Sunday was our show with the San Diego North Park Craft Mafia. The day before was SOOOOO cold and pouring rain, and many of the local shows were rained out. But on Sunday, the weather was cold but BEAUTIFUL, and we were blessed to be indoors. The show was gorgeous with a lot of wonderful "indy"-style crafters with amazing and unusual handmade merchandise, and no resale to be found- a true handcrafted market full of talented independent artists. While traffic was a little slow,  our sales were GREAT! And best of all, we met some amazing new crafters and made some even more amazing connections. Don't want to "jinx" it, but sounds like we may be collaborating with a Texas Artist to bring a recurring character from her art installation to life to be sold at her event Gift Shop!!!
Many thanks to the Craft Mafia for all their hard work in bringing this group of local artists together!

So what's up for this week?
We've realized we've sorely neglected our Etsy listings...while we've been working away making custom creations for several customers and made lots of new goodies, somehow we've fallen behind on photographing and listing them! So this week is camera week, so our out-of-town customers have a chance to buy some of our favorite Christmas goodies like indoor snowballs, curly-toes stocking ornaments, and Thumbkin PENGUINS, not to mention the pile of NEW Cuddle Monsters waiting for adoption! Watch our facebook and Etsy, and we'll get those up before next weekend is over!

Also this week, we've got  a show on THURSDAY, yes, that's right, THURSDAY. It's a Pop-up Party and Boutique in one right here in Chula Vista. Not a large show, but an intimate setting right here in Chula Vista, perfect for folks coming by right after work to enjoy some light refreshments while they shop. (see flier below)

And on Saturday, we'll be at "Project Messy" (flier also shown below.)

And one more wonderful show on the 21st...but more on that later.

Back to work!

As the Holiday Craft Season moves along, I've been seeing and hearing a lot of new crafters going through "growing pains" I remember going through 20 years ago. Although now we have Social networking and online shops to add to the mix, the Craft Show Scene really hasn't changed since I started.  If you are not a crafter yourself, feel free to ignore this entry. But if you are a NEW crafter, I hope you will find some of these ramblings helpful. Returning to the world of local Craft Shows after 10 years away, I'm finding that I need to remind MYSELF of a few tidbits I had learned along the way ...

"BE UNIQUE"- NOBODY benefits when there are too many crafters selling the same type of item!

Why would I buy from YOU, rather than the third booth down? Don't COPY! Don't make what you see on Pinterest! Don't make things from a pattern you bought at the store and expect to make bank! Be creative, be yourself, be inspired. And if you really, really, have to make something similar to something that is available elsewhere, it better have a TWIST!

 

"BE PATIENT-First Paid is NOT first served!" Just because you applied to a show doesn't mean you are in! Turn in your application- being sure to include ALL information, links, and a nice set of photos to represent your merchandise & display is a plus. Then WAIT! Politely & patiently. If a show is a "GOOD" Show, they will carefully review your merchandise to make sure that your things are of high quality, they mesh well with the style of merchandise at the show, and that their show has a wide variety of items available. Some shows MAY actively seek you out in the future, or they may wait list you. And don't take it personally if you are not invited to participate this time...not everyone can get into every show. You don't know why they didn't invite you. And if they actually tell you "No Thank You", politely accept it and move on. This is not the show you are looking for.

"BE PROFESSIONAL"- Treat your crafts as a BUSINESS! Hobbies do NOT make money.  The way you behave in person and online reflects on your merchandise... think 6 degrees of separation, because it will all come back around at some point, whether it is good, bad, or indifferent, so keep reminding yourself to behave in a professional manner. Reputation cannot be bought, it must be earned. And make sure you are tracking your sales and purchases, as well as having the proper Seller's Permits, etc.


"BE FRIENDLY"-A kind word and a smile can go a loooooooong way! Watch what you say in front of customers, online, and elsewhere. In this day and age, everything spreads like wildfire (more of the "6 degrees" & Karma too!) Be kind to the customers, the other crafters, the promoters...you never know who might be watching!

 
"BE NEAT"- After working retail as a Merchandiser for many, many years, there are more thing ingrained in my brain as far as display psychology goes than I can ever share (color coordination, themes, outfits, etc.). But I can tell you NOBODY wants to walk into a booth that is a mess! Hide your boxes under the table, tuck your purse and jacket and lunch where the customer can't see them! Keep your display organized and coordinated, but keep the eye travelling with a few places to "rest", be sure there are many "levels", and don't put decorative pieces out that don't serve a purpose...they only confuse the customers. Yes, there WILL be someone wanting to dig through your boxes as you are packing up, but that's not because of the mess...that's because they are hoping for a last-minute bargain!


"QUALITY COUNTS!!!"- Don't take shortcuts to quality! SEW rather than glue, PAINT rather than transfer, finish those seams, make it heavy-duty, whatever you have to do to make it a product the customer will love so much they will use it for years. Nothing will hurt your reputation (and your sales!) faster than shoddy workmanship.

"SALE does NOT equal  SALES!!!"- Resist the temptation to mark things down for the sake of a quick sale. Okay, we've all made too many of something and wanted to get rid of them, but beware the dreaded markdown!  If the item didn't sell in the first place, how can you RE-make it to make it more desirable? Was it overpriced to begin with? Or perhaps you are just trying to make more $$$...what does that say about you and your merchandise? SALE means CHEAP. So do you want the customer to think you make cheap junk? Think about it!

I invite you to comment...I hope we can gather a collection of tips to help each other out as fellow crafters!

 

It's baaaack...and this time for two whole days!
After this Summer's Success of the first ever "Goblin Market", we're at it again!
"Mostly Monsters" will have a booth at this fun, new ALTERNATIVE-style EXTRAVAGANZA!

We enjoy seeing a variety of local crafters who make cool stuff that is about as far from "Granny Crafts" as you can get!
And did we mention it is ALL INDOORS?

Admission is $5.00 per person (kids 12 and under FREE), but as a special thanks to our customers, admission during the first hour on Saturday is FREE! To top it off, the wonderful crafter/vendor/artisans for this event have banded together and MANY of them have created and donated some surprise goodies for the first 25 folks in the door each day...who can say NO to a free Swag Bag?
Please note that parking on site is $5.00 per car (sorry folks, that's The Town & Country collecting those fees!), so why not bring a friend and CARPOOL?

Now, last June, we decided to be a little silly with our marketing (being a first time show and all), so each day we created a goofy picture and a silly PUN (with a colorful theme) in the week leading up to the show. We were asked if we would be doing this again, since so many people got a laugh out of it. The answer is NO!!! This is a
"Haunted Holiday Extravaganza"
(see, it says so on the flier!!!), so instead, we have twisted one of our favorite carols, and are posting a pic each day til opening!
You can find this bit of silliness on our Facebook timeline, but since SOME of you haven't "liked" us yet, we'll add them here too!
Ready? Here goes...now sing along!!!

Just one day til Goblin Market!  I hope someone buys for me:

7 Zombie Babies

6 Indoor Snowballs

5 Baby Beans

4 Hair Bows

3 Fuzzy Hats

2 Feltie Pins

And a Cuddle Monster in a bright green!!!



Thanks for singing along with us all week...
Follow-up: Now that the show is over, we just wanted to mention what a HUGE success it was...we loved that it was TWO DAYS this time (wow! we weren't sure what to do with ourselves when we did NOT have to tear it all down he first night!), and we met some amazing crafters and wonderful customers, and were THRILLED to see some of our favorite customers from last time at our booth too!

But hands down, the best moment of the weekend was when we suddenly realized one of our favorite "Minions" was down on one knee...we apologize for the blurry photos (we had to RUN back to our booth, hunt the camera, take a pic while the moment was in progress, and didn't realize the camera was set to MACRO/no flash), but at least she said YES!!! Congratulation Amy & Justin and their sweet little one!!!