Craft Fairs and Arts Markets

One of the most satisfying ways to sell your art is direct to the public and the most popular way is through craft fairs and art markets. Craft fair organiser Deborah de Brunner shares some details of her life as a promoter of artists and artisans in Yorkshire, UK.

"What is better than making something you dreamt up and someone wants to buy it? Or you see someone in the street carrying your handbag, the one made with your own fair hands? I have only been doing it a year and hope that that thrill won’t go away. But of course if you make things you need somewhere to sell them so you can start all over again.

"I enthusiastically turned up at my first craft fair, spent ages arranging and pricing and finally looked around to see mass-produced goods and some handmade things but handmade in the Philippines! I was so disappointed and that led to a discussion with a friend, which led to us setting up our craft fair business “made-it”.

"Our philosophy is to run “real” craft fairs strictly with only handmade goods which are sold by the maker. We also aim to look after our stallholders by offering friendly, efficient service with some level of exclusivity (who wants to turn up and find 5 similar stalls?). The quality of goods on sale and a good mix of stalls are important to us. We also make coffees, carry bags and do whatever we can to make it an enjoyable day. We even put ourselves on to the streets with a sign to drum up trade and put up with the same jokes and occasional rude comments from passers by. How devoted to our stallholders are we?!

"If I had to give advice to exhibitors I would say to really consider the presentation of their goods, use different heights, lighting, a good background cloth and make their prices obvious. People wander by and need something attractive to make them stop. Notice where people tend to look first and put your strongest product there or even a product that makes people smile and can lead to conversation. I would also exhibit at the same venue a few times to build up relationships with regular customers and to get a feel for what sells best there. The strongest advice though is to “sell” your things…our stallholders who put in the most usually gain the most. It can make you feel a bit self-conscious at first but you’ll soon enjoy it. Smile, chat and be enthusiastic about your craft.

"At the moment we are doing fairs in Harrogate and Wetherby but hope to spread our wings further a field soon. You can find out more about us or contact us at Made-it".

Our previous guest post was by Jackie from Forever Foxed. Jackie sells cards and buttons on a terrier theme. Here is what she says:

"Here at Forever Foxed HQ we work around the clock creating a range of greetings cards featuring our favourite beardy dogs; Wire Fox Terriers, Airedales and Irish Terriers. We produce unique, quirky and fun designs either handmade or printed, all on high quality paper. You don’t have to be a dog lover to love our cards but it probably helps!

Forever Foxed Blog

Forever Foxed Folksy

Forever Foxed Etsy

Forever Foxed Fox Terrier Rescue

If you buy one of our Dog on Wheels photo cards you can sleep soundly knowing that a percentage of the profits is donated to Fox Terrier rescue organisations both in the UK and the US. Why not take a look?

Jackie from Forever Foxed has been kind enough to write a short piece about her inspiration behind her product and her preferred printing type.

My journey into crafts has taken a long and winding road. I have a love of bright colours and simple shapes, therefore it seemed a natural progression to combine my love of terriers and my obsession with design.
My first greeting cards were made with felt and harked back to my childhood memories of playing with fuzzy felt and also that familiar childhood toy, a dog on wheels. I soon decided to expand into different mediums and from here I discovered the joys of printing. The inspiration for my designs is my Wire Fox Terrier, Jackson. In 2007 he became very ill and so I found I spent more time at home caring for him. Making cards helped as a creative release and also to generate some cash for his humongous vet bills! Since Jackson is a rescue dog, it seemed fitting to also try and raise funds for various Fox Terrier rescue organisations here in the UK and the USA. With this in mind, I introduced a range of charity photo cards in 2008 based on my growing collection of dog on wheels toys.
I have always been fascinated by the printmaking process and last year I was fortunate enough to pick up a gocco here in the UK. These Japanese printers were originally designed in the 1970s and were hugely popular. Each image is imprinted onto special screens using flash bulbs, similar to those used in old cameras. The screens are then inked and used to produce cards or prints. Unfortunately, the manufacturers of these machines have stopped production and so eventually supplies of screens and bulbs will dry up. I have already begun looking for a new method of printmaking and, at the end of last year, I bought a small letterpress printer from eBay. With this I can use type or blocks to create images which are "pressed" into paper, leaving a lovely crisp impression. True letterpress is a dying art and highly skilled. I have been fortunate enough to have lessons from a very kind expert who has been showing me the ropes. I hope to finish my new range of letterpress stationery over the summer. I still enjoy using conventional printing methods (much quicker!) but there is something much more satisfying (and tactile) in relief printing.
I have had my own website for a while now, but I also sell on both Etsy and Folksy. Sales have been slow on Folksy but I am happy to be selling in UK£ as it is much more convenient. I hope that by continued marketing and just plugging away that it will pay off. Marketing has become almost a full time job as I have accounts on Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and I also have 3 blogs! I 'm planning to expand into other areas apart from stationery and badges and hope that in 5 years time I have a range of products, featuring many more terrier breeds.
In the meantime, I shall continue my journey into printmaking, and hope that each new design continues to meet with Jackson's approval.