Dorset Team Christmas Fair - Terri Peay

Not long now until the Dorset Team Christmas Fair which is taking place on Saturday 1^stand Sunday 2^ndDecember in the Allendale Centre, Wimborne. 

Each week we are going to be meeting a different stallholder who will be selling at the event. 

Terri Peay

This week we meet Terri Peay who runs her shop of the same name and sells handcrafted illustrated homewares, proudly designed and made in Dorset.

Terri is based in Weymouth in the beautiful rolling hills of Dorset.

She says "I draw inspiration from the serene landscape and its creatures. Through hand illustration, I create homewares & gifts with love, laughter and life at the heart of their design. All of my products are proudly designed, printed and crafted in the U.K and mainly feature British animals. "

Terri's products are hugely popular and have been featured in the past in both Vogue and Country Living Magazine.

Come and meet Terri and our 60+ other stallholders at the Dorset Team Christmas Fair on both Saturday 1^stand Sunday 2^ndDecember. 

More information can be found on our Facebook event page here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1994393970585608/

Dorset Team Christmas Fair - Heidi M Illustration

The countdown is on for the Dorset Team Christmas Fair. Each week we are meeting a different stallholder who will be at the event.

This week we are meeting Heidi from Heidi M Illustration who will be selling on the Sunday. Heidi is based in Bournemouth and is a full time artist and children's book illustrator. She sells storybook style portraits, greeting cards, prints, original watercolour artworks and clutch bags with her own illustrations. 

Heidi works from her studio in Bournemouth and uses the traditional methods of watercolour and ink to produce her illustrations.

'They say every picture tells a story, and that what I love to do with my illustrations, I like to create narrative with my inks and watercolours and bring a smile with my quirky, and funny greeting cards, custom portraits and artworks. I like to bring my personality into my work, and using traditional medias of a dip pen, inks and watercolours I pour my imagination, hopes and dreams into each piece. About me? Like the girl with red shoes who couldn't stop dancing, I can't stop drawing.'

The Dorset Team Christmas Fair is taking place on Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd December. Heidi will be selling on the Sunday only so if you want to come along to meet her and see her beautiful artwork please do put Sunday 2nd in your diary (or why not come on both Saturday and Sunday!?). Entry to the fair is FREE and there will be two rooms filled with stalls by local artists, makers, vintage sellers and craft suppliers. 

More information can be found over on our Facebook page here: http://facebook.com/events/1994393970585608/

The Dorset Team on Youtube!

We're delighted to announce the launch of the Dorset Etsy Team onto YouTube!

This YouTube video was shot by Jamie Boxall at our Christmas Fair in Wimborne on December the 5th.....it captures the atmosphere of the day perfectly! So, if you've ever wondered what it's like to head to a fair full of unique sellers and original items all made with love then here's your chance to get a glimpse.

To find out details of our next fair make sure you follow our accounts:

Blog: http://dorsetteam.blogspot.co.uk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dorsetteam/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DorsetTeam
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dorsetteam/
Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/dorsetteam/

And of course subscribe to our YouTube channel where we'll be sharing videos with behind the scenes glimpses of our sellers work spaces, plus shots of our local landscapes so you can see where our items come from, and more!

Thank you Jamie Boxall for producing such a fantastic video for our first #DorsetTeam YouTube venture! 

It's here!

Christmas fair countdown tip

It's here!

However much preparation you put in, you'll still be running round like a blue-arsed fly the day (and probably night) before a fair.

So our final tip to try and soothe the soul is have a big old checklist and have fun ticking tasks off as you do them. On a practical level, it means you won't forget anything. On a psychological level, it will calm you down and get you in the right frame of mind for tomorrow.

Your list will be personal to you, but we have a starter one here that you can tack your own items to.

Do you have your…
Float
Money tin/apron/bag
Business cards
Bags
Receipt book
Stall props
Table cover
Shop sign or signs
Stall decorations
Price tags
Stock – create a separate list with everything

Emergency pack
Sticky tape
Safety pins
Clamps
Pens
Pencils
String
Spare price labels and however you attach them
Mints (to avoid coffee/talky too muchy breath)
Bus fair home (joking!)

When deciding what to wear, comfy shoes are essential, as are layers. Who knows how hot it will be, so ensure you can layer up or strip off.

Finally take some snacks and drink in case you are so overwhelmed with customers that you don't get chance to buy anything.

Have the best of times and here's looking forward to the next one!

Make your stall pop with colour

Christmas fair inspiration tip

Make your stall pop with colour

When thinking about your stall display, no doubt your first thought was white. There is nothing wrong with white, but if it was your first thought you can bet it was other stall holders' first thought, which means you risk blending in with the crowd.

Using colour for your main display doesn't have to be scary. In the example below, mixing blue and orange (with a touch of white) has made an eye-catching yet coherent display.

Blue and orange are opposite each other on the colour wheel, and any colours that share this position will always work together. Having the blue repeated on props that are all over the stall helps with the cohesion - if it was just in one area in might look odd.

And despite the fact the table cover has an intense pattern, because the table top is actually quite clear - most items are displayed vertically - it doesn't look too busy.

To see this original pin, as well as others, visit here.

Dorset Team Christmas Fair - Sellers Spotlight

With less than 1 week to go until our big Dorset Team Christmas Fair, we thought it would be a great idea to place some of the attending sellers in the spotlight!  A real way to get to know both the designer/creator and to also see some of their work.

Our first seller is Sarah Ricketts from Delicious Bits - In her own words;

Type of Items sold

Bright, original jewellery, cards and prints

How and why did you get started. What are your inspirations?

I have always been creative and love to spend my spare time crafting although jewellery making became a passion around 5 years ago. I did the odd craft fair but didn’t really imagine taking my jewellery making more seriously until I discovered I could sell online with Etsy. I had a good read through the set up guide and it didnt look too tricky so decided to set up my shop a couple of Christmases ago and have never looked back. 

Top 3 reasons to start an Etsy shop

1. Simple and cost effective. 
2. Great opportunities to work with other like-minded crafters
3. The fantastic community I have met since joining

Top 3 tips for new sellers

1. Take great clear photos in focus
2. Make sure you write up detailed descriptions of your items
3. Check your postage costs cover sending your items abroad

Description of shop:

A combination of original, bright, chunky jewellery and modern cards and prints

Sarah's social media links;

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest

Our second seller is Danielle Janes from Chibi Chi Designs - In her own words;

Type of Items sold

 Predominantly paper cuts, but we also sell prints, cards, jewellery and gift bags too!

How and why did you get started?

It started with a hand made anniversary gift for a family member.  It was a family tree paper cut that when shared on facebook started a flurry of requests.  Before I knew it I was getting messages from people asking me to create them presents, gift bags and even cards, I quickly needed an official business.  Thus Chibi Chi Designs was born.

What are your inspirations?

My main inspirations are cult classic books and movies.  Myself and Mr Chibi Chi are quite geeky, this is why you will find such a variety of items in our shop; from Alien inspired cards, right through to Alice in Wonderland paper cuts.

Top 3 reasons to start an Etsy shop

It's one of the simplest ways to have your very own online selling platform.

You are connected with buyers from all other the world (The majority of our orders are to the US)

There is a real sense of community with the other sellers and I am fortunate enough to have made some great local friends!

Top 3 tips for new sellers

Make sure your pictures look professional, take multiple shots of your item from all angles and ensure they are on a clear, clutter free background.

Although it can seem daunting, get to grips with keywords and SEO (Search Engine Optimization) as it is this and your photographs that will help your items be found and hopefully sell.

Be patient!  Rather than sitting on your laurels waiting for the orders to come in, use the time to create and list new items, hone your photography skills and tweak those descriptions, it will pay off I promise.

Description of shop:

If you need a personalised gift that really shows how much someone means to you, Chibi Chi Designs is the shop for you.  We have been fortunate enough to make bespoke Anniversary paper cuts, Wedding gifts and even pregnancy presents too.

Danielle's Social Media Links;

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Highlight your business cards

Christmas fair inspiration tip

Highlight your business cards on your stall

We've prattled on about how important business cards are, so after going to the trouble of coming up with a design and getting a load printed, you owe it to yourself to ensure people pick them up.

While you can obviously pop them in bags along with any purchase, why not make a display of them?

In this example, a very simple structure means that the cards are clearly displayed and the personal sign encourages people to pick one up.

Something like this wouldn't take long to put together and you might already have a display prop that could have your cards attached to it.

To see the original pin, and get other display ideas, visit here.

Dorset Christmas Fair - ETSY tote bag GIVEAWAY

8 days to go.....!

A rather large exciting box of goodies arrived at my door all the way from America from the Etsy HQ in New York. Etsy are sponsoring our Dorset Team Christmas Fair and have kindly provided us with lots of goodies for the event!

We will be giving out goodies and information on the day on our Etsy information stand and also doing some giveaways leading up to the event. Please keep your eyes peeled on our social media pages for announcements!

The first of our giveaways is for this beautiful Etsy tote bag (thank you Etsy.com!)

There are several ways in which you can enter the competition. Please fill in your details into Rafflecopter and the entries will be revealed. If you do more than one task you have a greater chance of winning. The winner will be picked at random and contacted via email.

Good luck to everyone and thank you so much for all the support for our fair. We hope to see you on Saturday 6th December at the Wimborne Allendale Centre for the Dorset Team Christmas Fair. Please see our Facebook event page for more information https://www.facebook.com/events/1433547900231175/




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Please note the competition is open to U.K participants only.

Inspiration for customising display props

Christmas fair countdown inspiration

Customising display props

Now all of the organising is hopefully out of the way, we're going to have a look at some examples of some of the suggestions made. Pinterest is teaming with boards and we have one with all of our featured examples, plus more, from here.

Today's inspiration highlights how you can have fun with colour. The smallholder has used baskets of different colours, but because they are the same style and size, they still work together.

These baskets look as though they may have been bought like this, but it would be easy enough to paint plain baskets using emulsion. Either go for different colours as in the example, or visit B&Q or Homebase, pick a colour swatch from the mix your own section and get a tester pot of each colour on the swatch. That way you know all the colours will work together and you can get a lovely ombre effect!

The big practise

Christmas fair countdown tip

The big practise

Now is the time to practise a layout for your stall. You should have enough products (or enough of an idea of what products will be made) to organise a rough layout. And it is worth doing now because you can address any obvious issues.

Start by getting a surface roughly the size of the fair (in our case, 6ft x 2ft). If you haven't got anything the exact size, have a measure and either mark where the table will end (if your surface is bigger) or just be aware how much extra you will have to play with (if the surface is smaller).

Put your tablecloth on and whatever name sign you have. Set up any display props and then add your items. Put smaller products at the front and then work back in height and size.

Now add your price labels. How do they work best and can they easily be seen?

Stand at the front of the stall and pretend you are a customer. Reach over to try and pick up a product. Are there any obstacles? Can everything be seen?

Now scoot around the back. If someone bought a product, is there room for them to hand it to you and for you to hand it back?

When you think you have it sorted, walk away and do something different for a while. Then go back. Chances are something you hadn't even noticed before will jump out at you. Fix it, walk away again and repeat until you are happy.

As soon as you are happy, take a photo of the display. Either do this on your phone, or print it out for reference. This way you avoid that sinking feeling at the show where your mind goes blank as to what you did!

If you don't need the items again, pack them away in whatever you will be transporting them to the fair in. That way you cut down on last-minute packing!

And don't worry if you are still wrangling with the finessing. Over the next few posts we will show examples of lovely displays to give you plenty of ideas.

Keep records of stock

Christmas fair countdown tip 

Keep a record of stock and sales

Now you are well into your fair-making frenzy, create a stock list of what you have and how much you are taking. Also note how much it costs.

Then, when you are at the fair and make a sale, simply tick it off the list.

This serves three purposes. Firstly, it enables you to check that everything adds up at the end of the show, both in terms of what stock is left and how much was made.

Secondly, it clearly shows, in black and white, which products and price points were the most popular. If you do this over a number of shows and it's the same pattern every time, you have a good business model to make your next show super-successful.

And thirdly, it's just fun ticking off when you sell an item.

Organise your money

Christmas fair countdown tip

Organise your money

Yes, a craft fair is about meeting people and building connections and getting feedback, but it is also about making the moolah. So it pays to consider how to handle money – it's one of those things that you take for granted until you get to the fair and realise you've got in a right pickle!

Having a money tin is a neat solution but it does mean you are leaving all of your takings, plus your float, in one portable place. You can't always keep your eye on it when dealing with customers, so it's best to keep your money on you.

A money belt (or apron with pockets) is a good solution. But be aware that if you end up with lots of change, it can start dragging down, so make sure your skirt or trousers are on tight!

A better alternative is a small bag. You can buy special money bags, but you only need a cheap over-the-shoulder job. If it has lots of pockets, organise your different notes or coins into these. Otherwise you can use bank bags or even a wallet.

Now is also a good time to sort out your float. To avoid jangling like a slot machine, look at your prices to determine what kind of change you need. Pound coins, 50ps and 10ps are probably all you need for change, but also ensure you have £5 and £10 notes. You can make a good guess of how people will pay (and therefore what change you will need) by looking at your prices. Just ensure that you have a record of how much you put in for the float!

Create product crib sheets

Christmas fair countdown tip

Consider creating crib sheets

How many times have you looked around the shops or visited a site a few times before you bought anything? We all want to ensure we are buying the ideal product and so exhibit this 'investigate, deliberate and then eventually purchase' behaviour when shopping. This is particularly true at Christmas, when the pressure to find that 'perfect' present is even higher.

The point of this ramble is because you have to figure that the temporary nature of a craft fair works against this behaviour. If someone doesn't instantly buy a product, they can't come back the next day to buy it. And by the time they have walked around the whole fair, looking at all the other lovely stalls, they might forget about you entirely.

So, to try and get yourself in people's minds, as well as allow them to consider items at leisure, create a catalogue or product sheet with details of what you make and how much it costs.

This only needs to be a sheet of A5 or A4, with your items listed nice and clear, ideally with pictures. Include a line or two about the product, along with dimensions, so the customer has everything they need. And obviously, link back to your Etsy shop!

Create a stall 'back office'

Christmas fair countdown tip

Create a tidy stall 'back office'

It's easy to spend so long concentrating on what the fair visitors will see on your stall, that's it's easy to forget about behind your stall.

If you have a mess of boxes, bags and stock that you have to clamber over each time you need to get up, you aren't going to look very professional. In a similar vein, if you have to fumble around to find change or your receipt book, you aren't presenting yourself in the best light and could lose out on future sales.

So while you absolutely have to spend the most time thinking about your stall display, at least spend a bit of time thinking about the back. How about taking a small folding table to put your bags, receipt book and some business cards on? That way you can pop a card in each bag along with the sold item.

Take some clips or clamps along and use them to gather up any overhanging cloth at the back. That way you can easily place any boxes or bags used to transport your stock under the table. And it also means if you have to get any extra stock out, you don't risk getting tangled in the tablecloth and bringing the whole display crashing down!

If you have display props, it might be that you can adapt these to hold your essential items. It could only be a price list to refer to, but it all helps to keep a tidy work station!

Advertise custom orders

Christmas fair countdown tip

Advertise if you take custom orders

People love products that are customised to them, but that's a bit of a tricky thing to base a stall around (unless you can do something there and then).

But to not advertise the fact you create customised products is such a wasted opportunity. One option is to have a generic version of what you customise (let's say a pet portrait) and then display it along with a sign saying something like 'Ask about my custom pet portraits'.

If you have an example of a previous commission, then it would be nice to also display this.

If someone shows interest in placing a custom order, work out how you want to approach this. The easiest would be through your Etsy shop, but that relies on the person bothering to follow up and place an order.

The best way is to get the customer's email address and then you instigate the follow-up. Since this is a Christmas fair and people will probably be desperate for last-minute gifts, also ensure that you take a calendar along. That will ensure you don't overbook yourself in a flurry of fair excitement!

Collect email addresses

Christmas fair countdown tip

Collect email addresses

Part of the beauty of a craft fair is meeting (potential) customers face-to-face. It is the best way to get a real feel for if something works particularly well, and also what isn't quite so successful.

While meeting and chatting with people is undoubtedly a highlight, it is also a massive marketing opportunity. You can use it as a way to gather email addresses from interested parties and then keep them updated as to new products via newsletters.

You don't need anything fancy. Either print out forms for people to fill in, or ask customers if they would be interested in receiving newsletters in the future.

To sweeten the deal, you could set up a draw, where people have to email an address to be in with the chance of winning one of your items. If you do this, be sure to include an opt-out clause for if people do not want to receive further information from you.

While you are unlikely to gather thousands of addresses from one fair, over time you can build up a decent database for very little effort.

Create fair offers

Christmas fair countdown tip

Special fair offers

If you are selling items that you have also posted on Etsy, it's best to stick to the same prices as online. Otherwise a customer could look up your Etsy shop and wonder why they paid a different price for something.

However, there is nothing to stop you having a special fair offer. Maybe you take a leaf out of the high street store's books and have a 3 for 2 offer on one product. Or look at reducing price.

The key thing here is to make it obvious that it is a special offer just for the fair. It's also worth keeping it to only one type of product. If you start littering your stall with offer signs, it will look like Lidl's!

How much stock should you take to the fair?

Christmas fair countdown tip

How much stock should you take?

This is a tricky question to answer and whatever you decide, it will probably end up being too much! But of course, that's much better than running out of stock.

Start by ensuring you have a good range of items across all price ranges and include products that reflect your Etsy business. A stall is also an excellent opportunity to sell items you've made that you might have been nervous about posting.

One thing to bear in mind – don't be tempted to cram everything you take onto the stall. You can get away with just having one of something, but do ensure that if a customer shows interest in it that you engage with them and explain that you have other colours/sizes/ with you.

If you are paranoid about running out of stock, you could have a sign saying that you are taking orders. That way you can still make sales!

Create an interactive display

Christmas fair countdown tip

Create an interactive display 

The beauty of exhibiting at a fair is that customers can see and touch your products. For some, this makes all the difference between just being interested in something and actually making a purchase.

If you sell items that can be worn or products that are used, such as smellies, then make sure people can try them out. Have tester pots ready for people to have a good sniff at, or help customers try on scarves or hats. Don't forget to take a mirror so people can see how spiffy they look.

And finally, if you do sell clothes, jewellery or accessories, make sure you are wearing your products. It's the best kind of advertisement! Also, if possible, take along some current projects to work on. Customers are interested to see how you work and it helps add interest to your stall.

Whatever you are working on, don't forget to post updates to the Facebook event page

Get inventive with display props

Christmas fair countdown tip

Get inventive with display props

It can be tricky finding the ideal vessels to hold your stall products. You'll probably find exactly what you need eventually, but that's not much good if you need them now!

So if the shops have let you down, you have two options. The first is to have a look around your house to find things. Maybe a side table could be turned into a nifty place to put a sculpture. How about turning a cake stand into somewhere to show off earrings?

The danger with this is that you risk ending up with a hodge podge of holders. Therefore stick with neutral colours or only use stuff that you are happy to paint for a coherant look.

The other option is to make your own. This doesn't have to be a major undertaking. If you just need somewhere to store something like badges or purses, get some cheap bowls and candlesticks from a pound shop, stick together to make a tiered arrangement and then use enamel spray to make it look like it has always been one piece.

Get used to ignoring the usage and colour of items and instead concentrate on the shape. You'll soon see display potential everywhere!