More Shows Added for 2017!

Hello Gorgeous!

Here is an updated list of local craft fairs in the Greater Sacramento area where you'll be able to find Juli's Jewels:

Bella Vista Arts & Crafts Fair

Saturday, October 7, 2017 from 8am to 4pm

Bella Vista High School

8301 Madison Avenue, Fair Oaks, CA 95628

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Handmade Rocklin

Saturday, November 4, 2017 from 9am to 4pm

Located in the gym at Rocklin High School

5301 Victory Lane, Rocklin, CA 95765

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Holiday Craft Fair hosted by Citrus Heights Lions Club

Saturday, November 11, 2017 from 9am to 3pm

Citrus Heights Community Center

6300 Fountain Square Drive, Citrus Heights, CA 95621

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OVParks 20th Annual Holiday Craft Fair

Friday, November 17th, 2017 from 2pm to 6pm &

Saturday, November 18th, 2017 from 8am to 3pm

6826 Hazel Avenue, Orangevale, CA 95662

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28th Annual Holiday Craft Fair

Saturday, December 2, 2017 from 9am to 3pm

Maidu Community Center

1550 Maidu Drive, Roseville, CA 95661

Upcoming Shows - 2017 Edition

Hello Gorgeous!

So far you will be able to find Juli's Jewels at two craft fairs in the Greater Sacramento Area, with more to come, I'm sure.

8th Annual Heritage Lakeside Craft Fair

Saturday, October 7, 2017 from 8:30am to 4pm

Located in the Heritage Lakeside Clubhouse

2620 Granite Park Lane, Elk Grove, CA 95758

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2nd Annual Handmade Rocklin

Saturday, November 4, 2017 from 9am to 4pm

Located in the gym at Rocklin High School

5301 Victory Lane, Rocklin, CA 95765

Upcoming Show Dates for 2016

If you've been wondering where to find Juli's Jewels, here you go!

Upcoming Show Dates:

7th Annual HLOA Craft Fair - 10/22 - 9-4
2620 Granite Park Lane, Elk Grove, CA 

Handmade Rocklin - 11/5 - 9-4
5301 Victory Ln, Rocklin, CA

12th Annual Citrus Heights Lions Club Craft Fair - 11/12 - 9-3
6300 Fountain Square Dr, Citrus Heights, CA

27th Annual Holiday Craft Fair - 12/3 - 9-4
1550 Maidu Dr, Roseville, CA

Updated Craft Show Dates (Or, where to find Juli's Jewels these days)

A quick update on where you'll find Juli's Jewels in the upcoming weeks.

This Saturday, November 16th, Bake Sale and Mini Craft sale. It's an old fashioned front yard bake and craft sale located at 4501 Arden Way, Sacramento, CA from 8am to 3pm. The bake sale proceeds benefit Run to Feed the Hungry.

Saturday, December 14th, VOX is having their 2nd annual VOX Box event from 5pm to 8pm! Coinciding with this event is their Second Saturday Winter Craft Fair, from 1pm to 8pm. I will have a box and a have some of my jewelry for sale. Where is VOX? 1818 11th Street, Sacramento, CA.

Finally, Sunday, December 15th, the YMCA Holiday Art, Craft and Gift Festival. It is from 10am to 7pm at 2021 W Street in Sacramento, California.

Don't forget to submit nominations for this year's Holiday Giveaway on the Facebook page. A brand new, one of a kind jewelry piece in a prize pack for one lucky person. Nominations will be taken until December 5th so get them in early!

Festive Holiday Charm Bracelet

Craft Fairs - How to Choose the Right One for Your Crafty Business

I've recently been trying to reboot my business by doing more craft shows. Let's face it, people are more likely to buy a piece of jewelry that they can touch and try on over the one they can only see pictures of online. (That's actually why I bought my super model mannequins, Mathilda and Lucille, so people viewing pieces in my online shop can get a better idea of length, hang, drape, etc., but I digress.) So, I've been tuning up my booth display pieces and have been searching out shows to do. It is starting to be craft show season, so there are quite a few out there, but how do you know if it will be a good show?

There are a lot of "Craft Fair(e)s" out there that have almost no crafters. If the show you are doing includes Cookie Lee (and other catalog/resale jewelry vendors), Tupperware, ShamWow, Avon and/or Mary Kay, etc., it isn't a craft fair, it's a vendor fair and you will have a very hard time making sales, unless you under price your craft, which only hurts you. When searching for your show, search for Handmade Only. Also, see if it's a juried show. A juried show will ask you to, at minimum, submit photos of your work and booth set up. Some will even ask for your artist's statement and process pictures (you assembling your jewelry or knitting your hats, etc.). These are usually more expensive for your booth fee, but the people coming to the show are expecting quality handmade goods so you will actually have better sales. The next part is deciding what craft shows are a good fit for your type (and style of craft). I do better in and indie craft fair environment with my collage pendants and bottle cap rings than I do in a church fund raiser craft fair environment, but that doesn't mean I should consider the church one, it just means that I should check out a sow really well before I commit to one. The church may be in a neighborhood like Sacramento's Midtown, where I would be a very good fit. Your hand knit baby hats and blankets will be a hit in a neighborhood with lots of young families, just do a little research.

How do you know if the show was a success? That is the big question, and frankly, there is no right answer. Some of the articles out there say you didn't have a successful day unless you made 10 times your booth fee for that day ($75 booth fee = $750 in sales), other's say that just being out there and networking and giving out business cards is a success. Frankly, you are the only one who knows if your day was a success. Do you feel like your time was wasted while you sat there, even though you made a few sales? Not a success. Did you sell nothing, but felt like your time was well used and you wish you didn't have to leave because it was all just so much fun? A success!

Anyway, it's food for thought. Go out and find yourself a good fitting craft show and sell your crafty awesomeness!

How my booth used to look. I'm looking forward to posting new booth pics soon.

  

Upcoming Show Schedule - Updated

Just a quick update up upcoming shows where Juli's Jewels will be vending.

Restoration Church, 8098 Foothills Blvd #900, Roseville

Saturday, October 5th from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm

2nd Annual Craft Fair, Arden Church of the Nazarene. 3337 Arden Way, Sacramento

Saturday, October 12th from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm

I've applied to and I'm still waiting to hear back about the Nevada City Craft Fair, which will be held in December, and the Orangevale Parks and Recreation District's 16th Annual Holiday Craft Fair; It's in November. I'm also looking at a couple other dates and IndieSacramento is in the planning stages of a pampering/pre-holiday shopping day! More details to come on all of these.

 

 

How to survive an outdoor craft show-repost

This is a pretty good post, so I thought I'd share it again.

Okay, I know we've all seen the great lists for being prepared for craft fairs/shows, what to take, etc. This is not that kind of list. This is more survival based...

1. Know what the weather is supposed to be like, in advance. Check with the Weather Channel or AccuWeather the day before the show. Check it again in the morning, it might have changed while you were sleeping. Also, if you are near where the show will be held, look out the window. I cannot stress this enough.
2. Prepare for the weather to change during the day while you are at the show. I have set up my booth in the rain in the morning and been roasting with the intense heat and humidity by closing time. Wear light layers and if you wore tennies, bring sandals (or vice versa).
3. If it's going to be windy, forget the canopy. Yes, you can get sand bags or other kinds of weights for your canopy, but they don't always help...better to be same than sorry. It's just not safe, your canopy can move or worse, fly. Duct tape comes in clear! Get a roll. People don't really see it and your displays will be less likely to blow away. Also, keep your displays low or flat. .
4. Table cloth clips are cheap and you can purchase them at your favorite big box store (i.e. Target, K-Mart, etc.) in the camping or outdoors section.
5. Those chairs you get for camping will save wear and tear on your good folding chairs, as long as they aren't too comfy. (Falling asleep is just not professional.)

I know this sounds a little tongue in cheek, but I'm serious. Also, if you live in the Sacramento Region, outdoor (especially parking lot) sales in October are crazy. It will be windy, it may be rainy, It might be hot or really chilly. Just be aware. Oh, and try to have some fun.

Demo Days - the VOX Mini Maker Faire Wrap Up

So, yesterday (Saturday, July 13, 2013), I did demonstrations of torch fired enameling at a really cool gallery space here in Sacramento, VOX. It was there first ever Mini Maker Faire. I certain after how well yesterday went, there will be more.

This was my very scaled down, but totally workable enameling space. I had both of my torches, 18 enamels and a lot of pieces (copper blanks and iron filigree beads) to demonstrate with.

Here I am showing Luke some basic torch fired enameling.

Working a bead in the torch flame.

There were quite a few people who came by the event and got to paint with TJ Lev, sculpt clay with LaLa Ortiz and Rachel Young, make bots and color with Eric Sweiven, check out the awesome yarn bomb styling a of Rebel Threadz and she brought some cool break dancers with her. 

These are all the pieces I enameled while demonstrating. 

It was a good night and I look forward to doing it again.