My First Art Fair!

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

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! 

Couldn't have asked for better weather!

Welcome to Amy Estelle Metalworks!

I was really happy with the way the booth display came together!

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!

Homemade necklace displays. Fabric stretched over cork board and put into fancy frames.

Showing off my signature handmade clasps.

Contrasting necklace busts highlight the different silver finishes.

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! :)

Show us your packaging!

This is my first time participating in the Aspiring Metalsmiths' team blogroll project! So exciting! And this month's topic is a subject I love -- my packaging design.

My goal with my packaging is for my customers to see how much detail and care I put into my jewelry, from start to finish. I want them to be excited to open their package, or to give it to their loved one as a special gift.

Packaging is also a great way to help build your brand and your brand identity. You can use it to create a cohesive brand experience for your customer. For my packaging, I always use kraft recycled-paper gift boxes, tied with beautiful bows of varying cool shades of green, blue, teal and white. These are the same colors I use on all of my branding -- business cards, stickers, banners and my online shops. I also tuck a business card, complete with a 'thank you note' and QR code, under the pretty ribbon, so it's sure to be seen.

This is my new business card design (front & back), complete with a OR code that links directly to my shop. If you'd like to make your own QR code, here is a link to a free QR code generator.  http://keremerkan.net/qr-code-and-2d-code-generator/

Tip: When choosing your output type, choose 'SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics)'. Then your QR code can be sized up or down without any resolution problems. For example, I was able to use the same QR code file on both my business cards and my art fair booth banner.

Inside the boxes -- more branding, my logo design, my color palette, pretty tissue paper, anti-tarnish zip bags and jewelry care instruction sheets (not shown). I designed my logo and necklace cards in Illustrator and then printed them on heavy paper stock. And for my earrings, I chose to use commercial earring cards, stamped with a custom logo stamp.

I found this awesome shop on etsy that creates custom rubber stamps. Lisa from 'stampoutonline' provided super fast service and rushed my order to me in time for my art show. I LOVE how the stamp turned out, and it added the perfect touch to my earring cards! And the clear mount made it easy to line up my stamp and put it exactly where I wanted it! Very cool!  http://www.etsy.com/shop/stampoutonline?ref=ss_profile

Well, that about covers everything with my current packaging design. I'm always looking for ways to improve my presentation, and I strive to make my packaging as special as the jewelry inside it. I must admit, I find it fun to package up an order, tie the pretty bow, send it on it's way and try to imagine how the recipient will feel when they open their box. :)

If you have a few minutes, check out some of the other Aspiring Metalsmiths' beautiful packaging! Enjoy!

Beatriz Fortes - http://cjbf.blogspot.com/

ArtistiKat - http://artistikat-scratchingpost.blogspot.com/

Claire English - http://brightstar109.blogspot.com/view/classic

Mary Anne Karren - http://silverpearlmetalworks.wordpress.com/

Lisa - http://glenshire-shop.blogspot.com/

Stacy - http://www.formandfunktionaccessories.blogspot.com

Morgan MetalAdornments - http://www.Metaladornments.blogspot.com/

Jason - http://happytortoisedesigns.blogspot.com/

Jessica @ Abella Blue - http://www.abellablue.com/blog

Gifted Designs - gifteddesigns.blogspot.com