rlharding
Member
Actually my day started yesterday evening when I came out of my workspace to find my car snowed in. Got a ride home with a friend who has a 4x4 and planned to get a ride back to my shop this morning before the craft fair. 'Just in case' I packed a small carry bag with what would fit.
I woke up this morning and knew I wasn't going anywhere by vehicle. Got dressed and walked to the school with just my carry bag! It took me an hour and the only car to pass did so when I was already at my destination. The only things I had with me were some pens and bottle stoppers,and my two pen stands and some bits and pieces to show the process step by step. I had intended to take more stuff that's 'in process' but even if I had it in my carry bag it would have been too heavy to carry.
Had a terrible spot in a hallway upstairs in the actual school section away from the main hall. We did get some traffic up there but not the hoards that do the rounds in the gym.
My first sale was immediate, two BOW slimlines, and not for any religious significance but because the buyer said they were gorgeous.
I took in $410 so I don't think that's a bad day for my first.
The buyer who bought the BOW commissioned me to make a FP, Ballpoint and Pencil for her husband as next June is their ruby anniversary. It has to be made 'with wood as red as I can find'. She asked for a ballpark price but I cleverly avoided giving her the answer because my brain was saying $100 total and my logical self was saying 'no way! I said I would have her approve teh wood and choose the style.
Then, and this made me almost ROFLMHO. A couple came and wanted to commission me to make a huge goblet about 18" tall and about 6" wide, preferably out of apple wood. And they wanted it before Christmas for 'Wassail'? (need to look up what that is). Instead of saying it was beyond me I told them that I was really busy with other turnings and simply wouldn't be able to accommodate them, then I gave them the name of someone who I believe can do the job.
These people wanted to spend a lot of money without asking if it was even something I could do!
I had a bunch of pens and bottle stoppers and I was going to price them between $18-20. With the snow and thinking that most people would stay home I priced them $15 - 18...it probably had something to do with my confidence level and people actually buying my pens.
The funniest comment I heard was someone saying 'wow, this is way cool'. .......and there they were holding a threaded bottle stopper, one that I had brought to show the process, and they thought I had turned the threads and that the thing was finished!
I had several people tell me I was selling the pens too cheap and lots of people saying they were fabulous so I am OK with that.
Then I had the grueling walk home. And here I am with no wine because I didn't want to stop and buy some due to the extra weight and more so because I thought I would fall and smash it.
I don't have any pics because I was going to do them last night, but since a bunch of things were in my shop I didn't. Today's display wouldn't have been good to take because I had a bare table and the pens just laying on the velvet pen pouches. It would have been nice to have my accessories but there was only so much I could carry.
I woke up this morning and knew I wasn't going anywhere by vehicle. Got dressed and walked to the school with just my carry bag! It took me an hour and the only car to pass did so when I was already at my destination. The only things I had with me were some pens and bottle stoppers,and my two pen stands and some bits and pieces to show the process step by step. I had intended to take more stuff that's 'in process' but even if I had it in my carry bag it would have been too heavy to carry.
Had a terrible spot in a hallway upstairs in the actual school section away from the main hall. We did get some traffic up there but not the hoards that do the rounds in the gym.
My first sale was immediate, two BOW slimlines, and not for any religious significance but because the buyer said they were gorgeous.
I took in $410 so I don't think that's a bad day for my first.
The buyer who bought the BOW commissioned me to make a FP, Ballpoint and Pencil for her husband as next June is their ruby anniversary. It has to be made 'with wood as red as I can find'. She asked for a ballpark price but I cleverly avoided giving her the answer because my brain was saying $100 total and my logical self was saying 'no way! I said I would have her approve teh wood and choose the style.
Then, and this made me almost ROFLMHO. A couple came and wanted to commission me to make a huge goblet about 18" tall and about 6" wide, preferably out of apple wood. And they wanted it before Christmas for 'Wassail'? (need to look up what that is). Instead of saying it was beyond me I told them that I was really busy with other turnings and simply wouldn't be able to accommodate them, then I gave them the name of someone who I believe can do the job.
These people wanted to spend a lot of money without asking if it was even something I could do!
I had a bunch of pens and bottle stoppers and I was going to price them between $18-20. With the snow and thinking that most people would stay home I priced them $15 - 18...it probably had something to do with my confidence level and people actually buying my pens.
The funniest comment I heard was someone saying 'wow, this is way cool'. .......and there they were holding a threaded bottle stopper, one that I had brought to show the process, and they thought I had turned the threads and that the thing was finished!
I had several people tell me I was selling the pens too cheap and lots of people saying they were fabulous so I am OK with that.
Then I had the grueling walk home. And here I am with no wine because I didn't want to stop and buy some due to the extra weight and more so because I thought I would fall and smash it.
I don't have any pics because I was going to do them last night, but since a bunch of things were in my shop I didn't. Today's display wouldn't have been good to take because I had a bare table and the pens just laying on the velvet pen pouches. It would have been nice to have my accessories but there was only so much I could carry.
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