Display Kudos!

I'm proud to be included on Rena Klingenberg's Jewelry Display Ideas site. Very cool! I love her site because it is so geared on fostering learning and is big on mentorship.  That makes me happy because I feel like what comes around goes around. I appreciate all the useful ideas I've gotten not only from Rena's site, but from other vendors who help just because they can and because they're nice people. I try to always be helpful and to give freely of what I've learned throughout the years!  Through Rena's posting of my display, I've received some really great comments from fellow artists, most of whom liked the idea that you can use basically anything to display on and that there are no rules you need to follow! Love the freedom that gives. The whole "Shabby Chic" thing busted it all wide open for me.  It's so up my alley.  The color of rusty, faded things really goes with my vibe, I guess!

2010 - At the Mermaid's Mercantile at Out of the Blue

I also heard a lot of comments regarding fellow jewelry vendors' annoyance with those vendors who have booths full of generic baubles from China that they really didn't make, but bought at an incredibly discounted price and are selling dirt cheap. Then there are the hobbyists or "bead stringers" who don't need the money and who are just there for "fun." Why are they there? It really damages your fellow vendors and gives customers a false sense of what things are worth! Not only are they not charging for their time, but they are not even making their money back in the supplies! That kills the rest of us who consider what we do art and who pride themselves on using fair-trade, high-quality supplies. We put our souls and love into each piece. Sometimes, I actually tear up as I watch a special piece walk away! Silly to get attached, I know, but it is what it is. I appreciate those customers who walk away knowing what they purchased took a lot of time, thought, skill and care to make.



One piece I particularly miss! It went to a very good home, thankfully! 



This magnolia took 5 hours to make!  Just the pendant...that's love!

Another labor of love...uh, maybe 5 hours?!  

Those undercutting vendors make the rest of us CRAZY. I've noticed they are outcasts at shows and are their own little group. None of my kind of vendors really interact with them and they're so clueless they don't even notice. It's maddening! And of course, their displays are so soulless. They are the ones who are able to set up in a jiffy because all they do is pop a tent up, throw some cheap table cloths on their tables, open up some boxes and viola! They are actually proud of it and make comments like, "I beat my own record...it took only 15 minutes to set up today!" as they sit on their butts with their coffee and donuts and watch me toil and fuss over my decor.

Boxes and cans and shells from my house!  Hey...All these sold. Miss!  

Each time I set my booth up, it's different. I go with the flow of what particular pieces I have at that particular time. It takes a while, but it's so worth it. I get compliment after compliment on the display of my jewelry and people say they like to linger. That's worth it!

Displayed with some items on sale at Out of the Blue.
Shoulda bought the Beach sign!  Cute, isn't it?