First Monday, part two

I now have 90 pieces ready to go to Weatherford for First Monday Trade Days. I should have at least 50 more ready by February 27 & 28.

I'm also working on signage for the event. And I need an 8 foot table. I may have to rent the table. I could build one but it would be difficult to transport to the site.

I'm getting a trailer soon, and that will make things much easier, but right now I don't have it so I need to figure out a work-around.

My First Monday

There's this thing we have around north Texas. Various cities have Trade Days. "First Monday...", "Second Monday...", "Fifth President's Day...", whatever it is, they have them. I'm sure this isn't unique to north Texas.

Some members of Etsy Texas Crafters have proposed getting several booths in the same area at the First Monday Trade Days in Weatherford, Texas. The price for a booth is very reasonable, so I'm planning to go. This means I have about two weeks left to prepare.

I wish I could round up some members of Design Style Guide to go with me, but we're spread all over the globe. There are several of us in Texas, though, so maybe I can arrange something for the following month. It has been my experience that DSG members are both willing and able to help with just about any project.

Generally speaking, when I build items to sell at Etsy I can get away with producing four or five of a single design. When I sell out I can either produce more or design something new. The only real exceptions to that are bookends and wine rests; I have a large number of both of them in stock. So now I have to stock up for a big show, and I must build multiple numbers of several designs. With all the other things I have to do I'd better get my butt in gear.

I found a short length of Alowood Cherry and decided to make a few candle holders out of it. Alowood is a partially engineered product. They take some wood (Pine? Maple? Chinaberry? Who knows?) and run it through a process that both colors the wood whatever color they want so it looks like something more expensive and hardens it, making it more stable. It works like a softer maple, the color goes all the way through and the company claims they are preserving our hardwood forests by making this out of some unidentified lesser wood that is not in short supply. All I know is this chunk of wood looks good, didn't cost much, and it yielded six beautiful candle holders.

I came up with a different design for these. There are no feet on the bottom.  Instead, there is a single short pedestal positioned at a 45º angle across the bottom of each fake cherry candle holder. I like this design because it takes less time to build and I can clamp up a whole bunch of them at the same time by securing them to the top of my bench. With the other design the four feet have to be clamped separately and I run out of clamps in a hurry.

I like this design so much I built ten more candle holders out of some scrap pine I had in the shop. They'll look great when I stain and finish them. My wife likes this design because she thinks it has a bit more elegance to it than the four-legged variety. She may be right. It will be interesting to see which design sells best when the customers can see them side-by-side.

Additionally, I have built ten new cherry candle holders and ten cedar candle holders in the regular style. I have a short piece of red heart I can use to make a couple more candles holders and a longer chunk of mesquite with which to do the same.

The majority of the pieces I take to this show will be made of pine. I can sell them for less than most hardwoods and they still look wonderful, so the customers should scoop them up in a hurry. I'd better stop typing and start making sawdust.

Liz Ballard: Etsy Artist From Texas

Liz Ballard is a young woman who lives less than 30 miles from my home. She is a wonderful artist working out of Arlington, Texas, going to school and working full time. That all takes a lot of dedication and determination. My hat's off to her, if I ever wore a hat, that is. Anyway, here's her story...

1. What is your shop name and what do you sell? 

My shop name is LizardoArt and I sell original abstract paintings. My style is contemporary with tons of texture. I offer several different sizes ranging from ACEO to quite large. 

2. What is your shop URL? 

LizardoArt.etsy.com 

3. What long series of events led to you doing this? 

I didn't start painting until I was almost 25! I wanted something cool for my apartment and had little money so I took an idea from a design magazine and started working. I realized it was really fun so I began practicing on canvas paper. I knew I was on to something when I would start painting, look at the clock and realize it was almost 5 in the morning. 

4. When did you start selling on Etsy?

In the middle of October, 2008. So, about four months ago. 

5. What is your favorite thing about Etsy?

I love the community forums. I have learned so much about how to promote my business and take better pictures and all kinds of things I never knew before. I also like that it has a hip young vibe. 

6. What is your favorite thing about what you sell? 

I love that I notice different things about my paintings all the time. Even though I am the one that painted it, there are always times when I notice something I never noticed before. 

It's so much fun to create also. I love painting! It makes me so happy. 

7. Does living in Texas influence your work? If so, how? 

I may be inlfluenced by our crazy weather but I don't paint anything traditionally associated with Texas. No cows, ranches or anything like that. I don't listen to country music and I've never owned a pair of cowboy boots.

Wow!  I think you just described me perfectly.

8. What is your favorite item in your own shop and why?

I love Mica because the texture is so cool. It started out as something completely different and then I finally got it where I wanted it. The texture that built up as a result of that is just awesome! 

9. What teams do you belong to and what do you like most about them? 

Design Style Guide and Visual Artists Streat Team. I love that I have some support and a little bit of mentorship. Plus it's really cool to get a Treasury, then see it get hotter and hotter after alerting your teams. The advice and networking is great. Design Style Guide has some really cool things coming in the future and it's exciting to be a part of that. 

10. What is the most fun thing you do to promote your shop? 

Twitter. I was already on Facebook and Myspace all the time and I still have fun with that. I also like to be in shows in the area if I can. It's a lot of fun to meet people in person. 

11. What are some of your favorite finds by other sellers on Etsy? 

I think ImagineStudio has been one of my favorites lately. I seem to pick items from that store for every Treasury. I also love Shauniel's shop. 

12. What do you do in your spare time? 

I'm a full time college student right now and I bartend 30 hours a week so I am not quite sure what spare time is anymore. LOL. I love to try new restarurants and eat out. I like to do things I've never done before, listen to music, catch a show or a movie, go to downtown Dallas or Fort Worth and visit gallery openings and art museums. 

13. Do you have anything else you would like to share?

Thanks for checking out my shop. I really appreciate that!

You are very welcome!