October 1, 2011 marked a great milestone for me -- my very first art fair -- 2011 Hallmarket! This is an annual art fair sponsored by Hallmark for it's artists to display and sell their personal artwork to the public.
This was so exciting and so daunting at the same time! I started metalsmithing and making jewelry back in 1992 in college, and I'd always just sold to individuals and later online. I'd never done an art fair and kind of cringed at the thought of being 'on display.' EEK!
So the WORK began! And boy oh boy, it was ALOT of work! First and foremost, I needed to build up my inventory! Then there was the matter of how to display the pieces and what my booth display would look like.
RESEARCH + PLAN + SKETCH + BUILD + MAKE + SOLDER + HAMMER + TWIST HAIR + REPEAT
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| Production line! |
Now, after all of that work, I'm thrilled to share a few photos of my very first art fair. I was scared to death, but I DID IT!!! And I couldn't have been happier with the way everything turned out! The booth display went together just as planned, the weather was beyond perfect, we had a huge crowd, my sweet Hubby helped me man my booth and I made 11 sales! What a perfect day!
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| Couldn't have asked for better weather! |
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| Welcome to Amy Estelle Metalworks! |
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| I was really happy with the way the booth display came together! |
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I displayed a small photo album containing both finished work and process shots.
I was thrilled to see people actually looked through it! Some even asked questions! |
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| Homemade necklace displays. Fabric stretched over cork board and put into fancy frames. |
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| Showing off my signature handmade clasps. |
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| Contrasting necklace busts highlight the different silver finishes. |
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| Custom logo stamped earring cards. |
Overall, it was the perfect day, a great learning experience, good exposure for my shop and a whole lot of FUN!!! I saw inspiring artwork, met amazing people and spent a wonderful day with my Hubby! Thank you, Hallmark, for this wonderful opportunity! I look forward to next year's Hallmarket Art Fair! :)
