Hello Out There in Cottage Industry Land!

[zuzus_garden]

Hi everyone,

It's been a little quiet here lately! Are you all getting ready for Spring shows? What's new?

:)

Zuzu

[Joella]

Hello there! You can sure tell spring is finally here. The jewellry I've been making has started selling like crazy, I'm hoping now that I've got my new website up my art work will start to move as well. I do have a show coming up in June through D.R.A.C. for our annual MooseFest. It's a great week for all. Lots of food, entertainment, arts/crafts exhibits and fishing.

[Lucille1963]

This is my busiest time of the year. It stinks to have to work on the first day that it hits 70 degrees!!

[Serendipity]

Elizabeth and I are getting ready for spring shows as well. One this weekend and one the following weekend. Of course day jobs are busy as well. Orders for wedding signature platters keep coming in as brides get ready for their big days.

Hope everyone is well.

Take Care

Hugh

[zuzus_garden]

There you are! Glad to hear you are all keeping busy.

I just finished writing a new article for my website called 'American Cottage Industries - Thinking Outside of the Big Box'. I am still playing around with my new product idea. I'm looking for a different product to seal it with. I love living in the mountains, but only schedule one trip a month into the city so when I need something there is a little extra wait. :rolleyes:

Hi Joella - can you post the url to your new website? Would love to see what you are making. The MooseFest sounds really fun.

Hi Lucille1963 - 70 degrees? It's still snowing here. What is keeping you so busy?

Hey Hugh - Hope your shows go well! Keep in touch!

Zuzu

[Lucille1963]

Zuzu - The weather has been pretty decent here the last couple of days. Even with some clouds and rain its nice not to have to wear a heavy coat.

I sell vintage clothing on ebay for a living. Due to a huge 1950's weekender that happens every Easter Weekend, February and March is my busiest time. This past March was my best month ever!! My listings are a bit light right now, but you're welcome to view them here. (http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZlucille1963QQhtZ-1)

[greenoak]

i am so ready for spring....but its been so dark and gloomy here....all my garden iron is just sitting i the parkinglot waiting to be bought....a sunny day will do wonders..
a new amish guy is coming today to see if he can build for me... coming on horse!!! i hope to tempt him into a few projects.... like rehabbing beds into benches, or making cool tall things out of old doors, or making potting tables with old windows for backs., or making racks out of my old porch posts... ..

i am so ready for warm weather!!!
ann
www.greenoakantiques.com

[Lucille1963]

Ann-

Your website is fantastic!! Hmmm.....it might be a good time to tempt some of my friends with a road trip!! :)

Nicole

[greenoak]

that would be great....we arent that far.... down here in corn country..
..we have tons of stuff.... what do you like? we sell to fancy fans, country fans, but mostly to modern cottage /shabby/ romantic fans....
.the amish guy was real nice and wants to build for me.....
ann
www.greenoakantiques.com

[Lisa43076]

How is everyone out there in the cottage industry? I am so glad to see the temperatures up in the 70's...I can finally paint outside!!! YAHOO!!! Does anyone know of any good events/shows coming up in the Ohio area? Green Oaks...love your site...wish you were closer!!
Lisa www.whitecottage.cn (http://www.whitecottage.cn)

[zuzus_garden]

Hi Lisa,

Snowed here last night. :rolleyes:

Check out Craft Lister (http://www.craftlister.com/). Click on the 'Events' tab, and you can get all kinds of great upcoming event info there.

:)

Zu

[greenoak]

thanks lisa...... wish you were closer....your shop looks fabulous...i think we like the same things.......you must go to springfield but just in case you ve missed going ....heres my review of it......;;;;

i go to ohio for a great event!!!!.. in a truck , a big one and buy like crazy for the store...its a great thing with 2000 vendors all wanting to sell you something...ive bought english antiques, grapevine stuff made by old hippies, antiques from china, turkey, egypt, canadian sap buckets sold by an old man who is almost wheelchair bound, he also has canadian snowshoes, canoes etc etc,hes gone now,,,, florals from 2 wonderful tennessee mountain men, with great talent... and no computer...,, bed benches, my favorite table,,funky barnwood furniture, cool garden iron...a big real pub sign form england..good antiques...beads from africa, cool andean crafts and music.... need i continue????.. its so much fun..... we go in may and september...have been going for about 10 yrs... its packed with people and when we pick up we have to drive our big truck right thru the walking lanes.... my dh just has fits...you go about 5 mph with people all around.... ..the springfield may extravaganza....its a giant flea market at the fairgrounds.....i have gotten so much there , including some great shabby things... its mostly old but some new too....shop owners and shoppers from all over come and the set up is cheap... we dont go to sell ...maybe you could sell there... its a 3 day thing...i think buying places like that makes our store really unusual and kind of spicy....you never know what you will find a t a flea....and its a good place to see whats out there in style....
also in ohio we go to a wholesale thing...in columbus...the heritage market cash and carry....in other words stores go and buy , not order... we sell there sometimes... its in spring and fall.... big rent...over 800...but lots of buyers in a short time... we sell our cupboards and pictures wholesale there.... we might go thi s august , not sure yet...

ann

www.greenoakantiques.com

p.s. lisA, CAN YOU SHARE SOME DISPLAY RULES OR GUIDELINES...? YOUR SHOP IS SO INSPIRING TO ME.... I KNOW ITS HARD TO PUT INTO WORDS BUT HOW DO YOU GET IT SO NICE? .....think display for dummies...how would you describe what you wanted a displayer to do to make a display good enough for your shop?
mine tends to end up packed and all lined up..

i hear you about painting outside!!! do you do anything but white? you might like my florida color....grey, white, biege, pale green and pale blue..dry brushed on top of each other..... its nice and beachy...not so white and perfect....its selling great......

.
waiting for your display lesson!!!!! thanks....ann....

[Lisa43076]

Just saw this today. Sorry for the late reply! Too busy to sit down at this thing sometimes, plus my hands are usually covered with white paint! Display tips are tough. I usually do one area over and over to it looks right to me. Some tips though would be to keep like colors together, like items together and vary the heights. I display should be appealing from all sides. In my shop clients can walk all the way around most displays so I try to keep that in mind while I am building it, make it visually interesting from a lot of angles, then I stand back and look at it. If it's too crowded than I remove something or rearrange. It's really a bit of an obsession with me! I do the same thing at home on my coffee table, dresser, etc. I think it drives my family crazy!
Anybody have good advertising ideas to share?
Lisa
www.whitecottage.cn (http://www.whitecottage.cn) (new pictures!!)