Jewelry Journal

I recently participated in the American Craft Retailers Expo (ACRE) in Las Vegas.  For me, it was a very big deal . . . the biggest deal of my career to date.  I must say that it feels absolutely AMAZING to know that I was able to conquer a show of this magnitude . . . of course, everyone measures success in a different way, and for me the show was a HUGE SUCCESS! 

THE ARTISTS . . .
My favorite part of the show was meeting so many wonderful artists . . . I am profoundly grateful to have met each and every one of them.  As an artist, I often worry that others won’t be willing to share their experiences with me . . . you know, the fear of competition. . . but the artists I met at ACRE were beyond gracious.  When I think back to the day when I first found out my booth assignment, I immediately began to read about the artists who were assigned to the booths around me . . . I WAS SO NERVOUS!!!!!!  Now, I feel so incredibly silly.  Thank you, girls . . . Jill, Bonny, Mary, and DeeDee . . . the show wouldn’t have been the same without all of you!

BOOTH LAYOUT . . .
Before I left for the show, I read and read post after post on the Wholesale Crafts discussion boards.  The BIG DILEMMA:  if you have an inline booth, should your display tables be directly in the front of your booth for all to see?  OR, should your display tables be inside of your booth so buyers can walk inside as though they are walking into your “store”?  Hmmmm . . . I tried BOTH!  After the first day of the show, I quickly caught on that the buyers weren’t coming into my booth.  Just so you know, I had one table (4′ long) directly in the front of my booth and one table (6′ long) on the inside wall of my booth.  Buyers would walk up to the table in the front and look at the jewelry, but that’s it!  “No!  Stop!  WAIT!  THERE’S MORE TO SEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” was what I felt like shouting down the aisle as I watched them walk away.  Day #2 was NOT going to be the same.  I rearranged (despite those claims that tables inside of the booth just wouldn’t work) and forged ahead!  WOW!  What a difference!!!  Not only did I have buyers coming into my booth, but I gave out catalogs and business cards left and right!  LESSON LEARNED:  don’t be afraid to experiment and try new things . . . if something isn’t working, make a change . . . it can’t hurt and it’s definitely worth a try! 

ORDERS . . .
I’m pleased and proud to announce that Painted Beauty Jewelry has found a new home in Dallas, Texas . . . Carlyn Galerie to be exact (www.carlyngalerie.com).  Thank you to the mother-daughter team of Cindi and Wendy for placing an order with me . . . I truly appreciate it!

FINAL THOUGHTS . . .
Now that I’ve conquered ACRE I feel as though I can accomplish anything.

“Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be.” 
~ George Sheehan