Hi Friends!
Whew, it's been a minute!
I'm still figuring out this whole blogging thing, and tbh most of the time I'm like, "What do I even write about??" I don't fancy myself as the best writer, so I'm trying to keep this as casual and conversational as I can. That's my style anyways, so if I'm doing this, I might as well be myself. Am I right, or am I right?
I just did my first market, so I thought I'd write about that and share with you all how it went. First, prepping for a market is NO JOKE! Wowza, I gotta say I totally underestimated the amount of time it would take to get fully prepped. From making sure I had enough product to put out, social media signage, business cards (def didn't have enough), forms of payment, table/tent/setup supplies, the list goes on. What I will say is, I'm very grateful that my product is stationery - paper cards take up a lot less space than other items I saw vendors having to haul in.
The day finally arrived! All the prep work was done, product was ready, and I was super excited, the only thing I was nervous about was my tent (as I should have been 😅). It arrived in the mail just in time, so I didn't have time to set it up and test it out, BIG MISTAKE. In case you don't know, it is SUPER windy here in Colorado and the tent I got... well let's just say, it wasn't what I thought I bought, it was quite literally a piece of...... Two lessons were learned from this terrible tent experience - always set up your tent before the market to make sure it's sturdy, and the community of vendors at craft markets ARE THE BEST!! The vendors next to me quite literally saved my market day. They were so helpful, offering me sandbags, extra support, and laughs (because I wanted to cry).
After the tent fiasco was resolved, the market started and I have to tell you, I had such a good time. I knew I would, but I didn't expect to have as much fun as I did. 99% of the time I never get the chance to meet my clients face to face. Products are either ordered through my Etsy shop, or it's a wedding client 2,000+ miles away. Chatting with people in person about my art and sharing experiences was beyond satisfying. I seriously can't wait for the next market. Oh, and did I mention this market was at a brewery?? Art + Beer = Love.
Until next time!
Cheers,
Elizabeth
PS - In case you're wondering - I already have a new tent on the way 🤪
