And the Raffle Items Start Rolling In...

As the first ever Craftacular Craft & Vendor Fair draws near (in case you've forgotten it's on Saturday, November 23 from 9am to 2pm) we PTA members are busy scouring local businesses for donations to add to our bucket raffle. Not only will you be able to try for items from amazingly talented artists and lovely gifts from nationally known vendors but you will also be able to win items from round town.

I would like to thank the following businesses for already donating to our raffle:

Cafe Carolina

Moe's Southwest Grill

Char Grill

Blue Sky Oil and Vinegar

Kroger

Harris Teeter

We are also waiting to pick up items from several more businesses. We are truly thankful to all those helping us with this event. The money earned will be going towards building up our technological resources for the kids and teachers at Southwest Elementary School.

Make sure to let these businesses know how thankful we are by stopping in and shopping with them.

Some Handy Dandy Resources

I promised yesterday that I would create a post today in regards to resources I have used to help me in the land of craft fairs. Hoping some of these will be helpful to you.

1) GO TO OTHER CRAFT FAIRS. Sounds pretty elementary but you would be surprised by how many people go into this not really having been to a craft fair, art festival or even a farmers market since they went when they were 8. You can get great ideas for booth designs, see what's popular and sneak a peek at prices. PLUS it's a great opportunity to meet other artists. Go with a little cash on hand because you are more than likely going to see a too-die-for item that you simply must have.

Not sure where to find craft fairs/art festivals/farmers markets? Google can be your friend.

2) Check out Etsy. This is a wonderful place to check prices and to be able to see what's selling. You can search for items similar to yours by using keywords. Make sure to check out the actual sales along with the prices as this will let you know at what point those items actually sell.

3) One of my FAVORITE websites for the world of crafters is: Funky Finds. You can find their site by clicking HERE. They are also on Facebook HERE. They are wonderful and helpful people and have always been willing to help me find the answers to questions that I have had.
If you are in the Dallas/Fort Worth area make sure you try to get to one of the shows that they sponso. They are filled with some of the coolest people and most amazing art that you have ever seen.

4) My most useful tool of all has been my copy of Crafty Superstar by Grace Dobush. I actually gave away my original copy and got the new and updated one. It's wonderful. There are checklists, display ideas, advice from other crafters, legal info... You name it you will probably find it here. The pages I turn to most are the ones that have the pre-show and day of show checklists. They have saved my behind on more than one occasion. You can check the book out HERE. It's also available at major bookstores like Barnes and Noble. It is definitely worth a read, and then another, and another and... Well, you get the picture.

Do you have any suggestions for those who may be thinking of giving craft fairs a go? Would love to hear from you.