The main display area had three collapsable cardboard columns, with caps on both ends that added stability.  These were set up and then covered with a custom made slip cover and wood boards, covered with the same fabric, were put on top to make a counter height display!

This worked really well as it was relatively light weight and fit in the small car I had at the time.  The company that sold the columns is no longer in business, sadly, or I’d tell you who they were and give you a link.

Now I’m only doing indoor shows.  The one coming up in November provides tables, so that’s pretty simple, all I have to do is style a single table.  I know I’ll want a table skirt that goes all the way to the floor.  Costco and lots of other sellers sell these that go all the way to the floor and are make from an easy care polyester.  With that much fabric, I want something that’s not going to wrinkle.

What else do I need to think about when designing a new display?

While in the past I’ve used black velvet, which silver looks great on, my new bronze jewelry looks better on linen, natural materials and wood.  In fact, linen is interesting, because in a meeting of my local craftsperson-support group, the members looked at my jewelry and helped me figure out who my ideal customer is.

The group feels that my ideal customer is a woman who wears clothes from Eileen Fisher, they make a lot of linen clothing.  Linen display units will connect those ideas and link the idea of clothing and fabric choices with my jewelry.

Looking for ideas for my new display, I turned to my Rio Grande catalog, of course, and I also turned to Pinterest.  Much of what I found on Pinterest was repetitive and there were even some “don’ts” that I came across.

One idea that came up a lot on Pinterest that may be getting tired is using a vintage suitcase to transport your items and then using it as a display. While that might really work for some artists or jewelers, I don’t think it’s a match for my ideal customer.

Here’s my challenge for setting up my new display:  I”ll have lots and lots of necklaces, earrings and bracelets and how do I display that in a way that’s interesting and shop-able?

Necklace busts are nice, but they’re pricey and could look boring if I have a ton of them.

I know that it’s important to raise the height of your table, when selling from a table, to counter height. You can do that by putting PVC pipe leg extenders on the table legs, but then your standard issue table skirt won’t be long enough.

I’m planning to use risers to raise the height of much of the table. Years ago at a bead show, I saw a display that used crates, turned over, open side down, covered with a nice wool felt. Think custom slipcovers for the crates, in wool felt. You wouldn’t have noticed that they were crates unless you were a fellow craft show person who can’t help but see that kind of thing.

What have I figured out so far?

The materials that work well for my line of bronze, steel and stone jewelry are materials that are natural or evoke natural. The fabric should be a cream color, perhaps a textured upholstery fabric – but nothing too interesting! The displays should be natural colored linen (I can get these ready made) and perhaps I can mix in some wrought iron and wood. I’m not sure about the wood, that might be too many textures.

My main take aways from my time on Pinterest are:

Creative people really like making displays! Sometimes their displays are too nice and interesting, and distract from the product.

The best displays are consistent, clean and a little bit boring, but they draw your eye to the product, the jewelry, which is the whole goal here.

How about you? What do you use for your display pieces? Have you made any yourself? Photo sharing and tips are always welcome in the comments!

http://blog.lorenaangulo.com/2014/04/celebrating-my-journey-and-recovery.html

Tattoo Bracelets Copyright Elaine Luther 2014

I’m building up stock for the craft show I’m in November.  These are my steel wire tattoo bracelets, part of my new bronze and steel line.

I’m also rebuilding my display, having not done a show in a while.  I’ve been researching displays, to find what will work best with this bronze jewelry and will write you a post today about what I’ve been finding.

Caro has a terrific post up on how to make a zine, complete with free downloadable template for a quarter page zine.

In addition to making a zine for its own sake, you could use the instructions to make a little booklet that shows your process, tells the story of your jewelry, or how to care for it.

http://carolinesyrup.com/2014/09/how-to-make-a-zine

What would you make a zine about?  Would it be free with a special purchase?  Or a giveaway marketing item?  As always, the comments are open!

http://youtu.be/GCFn-ET_sRc

http://carolholaday.wordpress.com/2013/02/14/electro-etching-continued

and here:

http://carolholaday.wordpress.com/2013/03/26/the-larger-etching-tank

The most comprehensive source on the web with free information on safer printmaking is Non-toxic Print, here’s the link to their extensive tutorial on electro-etching, which covers etching multiple types of metal:

http://www.nontoxicprint.com/electroetching.htm

And Carol has a virtual studio tour over on her main website!

http://carolholaday.com/htmlpages/studiotourpage.htm

Seems like a time saver and something you could learn from and at some point begin to write them yourself.

Here’s the listing:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/151887015/product-description-title-tags-seo

LED Bracelet by Elaine Luther

I took a workshop in etextiles at the Maker Lab at the Chicago Public Library and made this super fun LED bracelet.  The on/off switch is the metal magnetic clasp, which completes the circuit.

This is a terrific intro to soft circuits for adults and kids with an attention snap long enough to do the sewing.

The library has a terrific tutorial and an animation, which you can see here:

https://sites.google.com/site/cplmakerlab/digital-toolbox/etextiles/led-bracelet

Most of the items you can find at the craft store plus Radio Shack (they have the LEDs) but you’ll still need the conductive thread, which is what’s acting as the wiring in this project.

You’ll have to order that online from adafruit or SparkFun.

Another tutorial can be seen here, at SciGirls Connect.

http://scigirlsconnect.org/page/high-tech-fashion

and click on Download the Activity.

For those who don’t know, SciGirls is a terrific show where real girls in junior high and high school choose a real world problem to tackle, with the assistance of a mentor who’s an adult woman scientist or engineer.  Great show, check your local PBS station or watch episodes online.

Back to the bracelet, it’s not the most successful piece in the world as jewelry, I’ll admit that, but it’s terrific for a first project in learning to make a circuit with conductive thread as the “wire” and working with LEDs.

To make it better, I’d use 100% wool felt, such as the great stuff from Magic Cabin or ____________ .  I could also have sewn some cut bits of felt for more decorative touches.

Inside Out Beads by Rebekah Payne

I love the look of this flower impressed bead that has the impression on both the inside and the outside.  It’s in polymer, but you could easily adapt it to metal clay.

Picture it in copper clay, with a green patina, or in fine silver!

http://artjewelryelements.blogspot.com/2013/08/how-to-inside-outside-pressed-flower.html

The post is by Rebekah Payne.

Scroll down past all the bits about the wood to get to it.

http://www.lowes.com/creative-ideas/build-and-remodel/copper-flashing-wall/project