Millennium Park Yoga Workout

 

Millennium Park in Chicago has free summer workouts. The workouts take place outside on the lawn. I recently went to one of the morning yoga classes to try it out. 

 

I liked working out outside on the lawn. It was interesting to do yoga in the park instead of inside. I also liked seeing the architecture and having big open space in the park while I did yoga. The teacher spoke over a speak. The turnout wasn't too big, but I thought it was a fun experience. 

 

What events do you like to do in the summer?

Pancakes and Booze

Move the Needle will be vending at the Pancakes and Booze Art Show on February 24th-25th.

It will be held at Reggie’s in Chicago. If you are in the area, stop by and visit my booth. I will give half off any item if you mention you heard about the show from my blog.  You can RSVP on Facebook here.

Here is some more info:

• 80+ Emerging Artists Exhibiting

• Live Body Painting

• Free Pancake Bar

• 21+ EVENT

• 8PM-2AM both nights

• $5 GA (Cash at the door)

• $10 VIP skip-the-line

• Live Audio Performances

You can check out the Pancakes & Booze website here.  You can also follow them on Instagram here.

Pancakes and Booze Review

This was my first time going to the Pancakes and Booze Art Show. I went for two days. The show was late night from 8PM-2AM and was held indoors.

The show is an art show, but they also have craft vendors, photographers, bands, and DJ’s. The show features 50-150 local artisans. They also have  live painting, body painting and servings of pancakes. I love that they offered pancakes, but one downside was they did not have any vegan food options so I did not get to try their food.

Pancakes and Booze has shows all across the nation. The Chicago show was held at Reggie’s which is a nice music venue and bar. Reggie’s has three floors, a rooftop bar and a record store. I was on the second floor when I vended. There were not too many other craft vendors, but I did get to check out the other artists.

Overall, the show was a lot of fun. The turnout was pretty good and I liked the energy of the show. The cost was $100 to vend or sell art and I was able to make back the money with items I sold. My mini journals were popular at the show.

I would commend checking out Pancakes and Booze if they are in your area. 

Pancakes and Booze Art Show

Move the Needle will be vending at the Pancakes and Booze Art Show on February 24th-25th.

It will be held at Reggie’s in Chicago. If you are in the area, stop by and visit my booth. I will give half off any item if you mention you heard about the show from my blog.  You can RSVP on Facebook here.

Here is some more info:

• 80+ Emerging Artists Exhibiting
• Live Body Painting
• Free Pancake Bar
• 21+ EVENT
• 8PM-2AM both nights
• $5 GA (Cash at the door)
• $10 VIP skip-the-line
• Live Audio Performances

You can check out the Pancakes & Booze website here.  You can also follow them on Instagram here.

Vegan Vortex Autumn Craft Show

#VeganVortex in Chicago is a  seasonal artisan craft and vegan pastry market, founded by Paper Moon Pastry.

 

 

I decided to try out this market. This show was different from most craft shows I go to because it was an all vegan market. None of the products sold used any animal products. A lot of the vendors were food vendors, but I saw a couple other crafters.

 

 

My shop, Move the Needle  sells paper products that are vegan and cruelty free. 

I sold a couple items! I sold some greeting cards and this Pumpkin Mini Journal:

 

I tried out a vegan black bean taco that was wrapped in a banana tortilla on my lunch break. I also tried a pumpkin muffin which was really good. I think it would be fun to try to sell food sometime at a market like this. 

 

It was overall a successful show and I would go to it again. 

Have you been to any craft shows lately? 

Chicago Festivals and Craft Shows

I love checking out festivals in the spring and summer. Many are free to go to or take a donation. A lot of them have craft vendors and live music. Though I am not planning to sell my crafts at any festivals or craft shows this summer, there are many Chicago summer festivals I want to check out. 

Do Division Street Fest and Sidewalk Sale

June 3 - 5, Donation

Division Street between Damen and Leavitt

This festival has craft vendors, live music, food and a fashion show. I went one year and was able to see the band The Good Life. They take a donation.

Chicago Tribune Printers Row Fest

June 11 - 12, Free

Historic Printers Row on Dearborn Street between Congress Parkway and Polk Street

This 2 day festival is the largest festival of books. It has author readings, music, panel discussions and programs for children.

Remix Chicago Craft Fair
June 11-12, Free
Between Fullerton and California 

This craft fair has only upcycled and reused crafts and items for sale. I love the idea of using only upcycled items. Even though I only have a couple upcycled items, I think it would be fun to participate in this craft show in the future. The event also has food, music and workshops.

 

Green Music Festival

June 18-19, Donation

Damen Avenue between North and Schiller

Sort of similar to Remix Chicago, Green Music Fest is an event that combines Art with social activism. You can see live music on a peop le powered bicycle stage. Besides music, there are also craft vendors and food. All vendors are required to be completely eco friendly.

Pitchfork Music Festival

July 15-17, $65-125

Union Park

Pitchfork Music Festival is an  annual music festival in Chicago organized by Pitchfork Media. This year, you can see  Carly Rae Jepsen, Broken Social Scene and Sufjan Stevens. I have never been, but it sounds like a fun summer music festival.

Veggiefest  

July 23-24, Free

Grounds of Science o f Spirituality in Lisle, Illinois

Veggie Fest is one of the largest vegetarian food festivals in North America with food demos, a food court,  speakers and more. I have been to Veggiefest a couple of times. I love that there is a whole festival dedicated to veganism and vegetarianism.   

Lollapalooza

July 28-31, $120+

Grant Park, Chicago

Lollapalooza is a 4 day annual music festival with over 170 performances on 8 stages. Lollapalooza is kind of expensive to attend, but if you go just one day, you can see a lot of bands. This year, I would love to see Radiohead, M83, Lana del Rey, Ellie Goulding and more. There is also food from over 30 vendors. Last year, I went to the Lollapalooza area without a ticket and was able to hear bands, such as Brand New, play while I was in the park even though I did not get in. 

Chicago Air and Water Show

August 20 - 21, Free

Along lakefront from Fullerton to Oak Street, with North Avenue Beach as the focal point

The Chicago Air and Water is the largest free air and water exhibition of its kind. The show features some of the top civilian and military pilots and aircraft including the U.S. Navy Blue Angels and the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds.  The first show was in 1959. I think this is a fun event to attend.

Do you like going to or vending at festivals? 

Handmade Market March Craft Show

Here are some photos I got from the craft show I did for Handmade Market Chicago. I didn't have my good quality camera with me so the photos aren't as good quality.

I did a couple shows for Handmade Market Chicago and this was my last one (at least for this year). Overall, the experience was pretty good, but I didn't sell enough to cover the costs of the show. Have you been to any craft shows lately?

Handmade Market Chicago Craft Show

I am doing a craft show today for Handmade Market Chicago. It will be at the Empty Bottle in Chicago starting at noon. If you're in the area, stop by!

I hope I am able to make some sales. Have you been to any craft shows recently?

Handmade Market Chicago Craft Show

I will be at the Empty Bottle in Chicago tomorrow for a craft show run by Handmade Market Chicago. I will also be doing another show for them in March. I sold one item last time so hopefully I will make more sales this time.

If you're in the area, stop by!

Handmade Market Craft Show and Sold Horse Moleskine Journal

I went to a craft show in Chicago run by Handmade Market. I didn't sell a lot, but I did sell this altered Moleskine:

I also ended up buying a necklace for my sister from another vendor. My camera isn't working so I didn't get any photos from the show. I will get photos at my new craft show though which will be on February 8th the Empty Bottle in Chicago. Have you been to any craft shows lately?

New Craft Shows at Handmade Market Chicago

I applied for 2 new craft shows at Handmade Market Chicago and got accepted! Both shows are at the Empty Bottle in Chicago. The first show is January 11th and the second show is February 8th. It's been a while since I've done a craft show so I'm excited.



If you're in the area, come and say hi.

12 Days of Christmas Special

Every year, I do a 12 Years of Christmas special. Here's what's on the schedule this year:

12/14 - Holiday Items in My Shop
12/15 - Gift Guide ($5 and Under)
12/16 - Gift Guide ($15 and Under)
12/17 - Gift Guide ($25 and Under)
12/18 - Gift Guide ($30 and Over)
12/19 - Wishlist
12/20 - Gift Wrap
12/21 - Beauty
12/22 - Crafts and Decorations
12/23 - Food Gifts
12/24 - Gingerbread Houses
12/25 - Personal Photos

Are you excited for the holiday season?

Craft Shows Tutorial Part 3: Tips for at the Craft Show

You've applied for the craft show, got accepted and have all your materials ready. This part of the tutorial is all about tips for the actual craft show. These are some tips I've learned:

*Have at least one other person with you at your booth. It's always good to have extra hands to help and you might need to take a bathroom break or want to get up every once in a while.

*Walk around to other booths when you can so you can connect to other vendors and see what they are selling.

*Bring something to do, like a book or materials to work on your craft, for times when you get bored and not a lot of people are coming to your table. When someone comes to your table, be friendly. Starting a conversation with them can help you connect to your customers and may help you make a sale.

*When you make a sale, write it down so you know what sells and you can take it off your Etsy shop.

*Before you go to the craft show, put your shop on vacation to make sure the same item doesn't sell at the same time.

*Have business cards with you to put out on your display and bring extra cards in case those run out. I also have coupon code cards that are like small business cards with a discount code for the customer's next order. When somebody buys something, I give them two business cards and a coupon code card.

*Have pricing labels for all your items. You can use stickers for each item or you can make signs in front of the type of item. For example, I have signs for journals, greeting cards and boxes with a price for each one so it's not too complicated. I usually sell items a little bit cheaper at craft shows than online.

*Post about your craft show experience on your blog, Facebook, Flickr, etc. so you can reflect on how it went and share with other people.

What are your best tips for craft shows? To see parts 1 and 2 of this tutorial, click here and here.

Craft Shows Tutorial Part 1: Finding Craft Shows and Applying

What is a craft show? 

A craft show is an event offline where you can sell your products. Craft shows happen at a variety of places from local schools to concert venues. A craft show can last 1 day (or a couple of hours) to a couple days. Craft shows vary in how much they cost to attend, how many people go, what other events are happening at that craft show and how big the overall event is.

Finding Events 

Start off by looking for craft shows in your local neighborhood. If you live in a small town, look for craft shows at the nearest big city or in neighborhoods nearby. Look on Google and offline such as in the local newspaper. Here are some other places to look online:

Etsy Teams: There are usually Etsy teams for different locations. Etsy teams in your area will usually post about upcoming craft shows and other opportunities.

Craigslist - Craigslist is a good place to look for craft shows. I like to set it up on IFTTT so it automatically emails me if the keywords "Etsy" or "craft show" are used in a post.

FestivalNet - This site is good for finding festivals in your area such as craft shows, art festivals and art shows.

The Indie Craft Show Directory - This site will help you find indie craft shows in the United States and Canada.

CraftLister  - CraftLister has festivals, fairs and craft shows. They also have a list of artists and vendors and lots of good information.

Find a Craft Fair - This site makes it easy to find craft events. They also have related sites to find bridal shows, computer shows, music festivals and more.

ArtFairCalendar.com - ArtFairCalendar is free to join. You can find juried art and craft shows.

Fairs and Festivals - This is another site where you can look for different craft show events. They also have articles and resources.

Art Fair Source Book - This site allows you to buy a source book that is the "definitive guide to the best juried art and craft shows nationwide". You can try it out for free and then decide if you want to subscribe.

Sunshine Artists - Sunshine Artist brings you a comprehensive list of art and craft shows throughout the United States and Canada. You can view the date, name and sometimes website for free.

Festivals and Events Search - This site has thousands of festivals in North America ranging from major national/regional events with up to 1 million visitors to small local events with a few thousand.

Pricing 

Vendors usually have to pay money to sell at a craft show. Pricing varies for different events. If you've never done a craft show before, start with an inexpensive show first so you get experience. How much money do you expect to make? You want to make sure you're making enough money selling items to cover the cost of the craft show. Small craft shows cost about $20 while bigger craft shows like the Renegade Craft Show can cost $300 or more. Bigger craft shows are also hard to get in to because they are usually juried which means they don't accept all applicants. Start with non juried shows and then work up to bigger shows.

Calendar

Keep a calendar or planner and see when you are free to attend craft shows. A lot of craft shows happen on the weekend. There are more craft shows around big holidays such as Christmas when people are out shopping more, but events happen all year. Think about if you'd rather do an outdoor or indoor craft show (there will be more outdoor ones in the summer and warmer months), Also, think about if your products would sell better at a certain time. If you sell items that have a theme of love and romance, a Valentine's Day craft show might give you more sales.

Applying

Now that you've found some craft shows you want to apply to, find the application for the craft show (usually available on their website). Give a good first impression. Most applicants will ask for basic info like your name and information on your business. If the craft show doesn't accept everyone, they will usually want samples of your work. Make sure you are showcasing your best items and have good photographs of your items. If you don't get accepted right away, just keep applying! Sometimes, craft shows are looking for a certain type of business and your shop just may not have been what they were looking for. Some craft shows have an application fee in addition to craft show fee so make sure it is worth it to apply for the show. Smaller craft shows usually accept most (or all) people so you should find some craft shows to go to.

Part 2 will cover what you should do once you are accepted to a craft show!

Magi Market Day Craft Show

I went to the Magi Market Day craft show on May 26th. It was the first craft show I did this year. This was what my set up looked like:

I added a mailing list sign up sheet which I don't usually do. I also decided to make labels using chalkboard paint on premade labels and I think it worked nicely.

The event was pretty small and I think it was their first show so there weren't a lot of people there. I did sell 3 greeting cards though:

Just a Note Greeting Card



B is for Bird Greeting Card



I also sold this kite greeting card which I hadn't listed on Etsy yet:



Have you been to any craft shows lately?

Magi Market Day Craft Show

Move the Needle will be vending at the Magi Market Day craft show tomorrow. There will be art, music, food, vintage items and more. The event will be in the Pilsen area of Chicago on May 26th (tomorrow) from 1-6pm.

Come visit if you’re in the area! Come visit if you’re in the area! You can learn more about the show here or RSVP on Facebook here.

Politics Inspiration

Happy Election Day! These photos are politics related images that inspire me:

Are you planning to vote?

Election Day Treasuries

My Vote Card was featured in these four treasuries: 

Are you planning on voting?

Handmade Sexy Craft Show

I participated in a craft show last week called "Handmade Sexy" hosted by the Urban Circuit. The craft show as Valentine's Day themed. It was a fun experience and I like the Valentine's Day theme of the show. It wasn't my favorite craft show experience though because I didn't sell anything. My products got admired and some people took business cards so my business got some promotion even if nothing sold. I applied for a bunch of craft shows for Urban Folk Circuit. I think some of their other craft shows might have a better turnout so I want to try again. Here are some photos from the show:





You can see more photos on Urban Folk Circuit's Facebook.

Have you done or been to any crafts shows lately? How was your experience?

Favorite Photos of 2011

These are some of my favorite photos I've taken from 2011.



I'm currently in at school so I've done a lot of paintings and other art projects this year. This was one still life painting I did.



I took this photo around my house as part of a photography class. The photo is of Irish dolls I have.



I got in to gardening more this year. This flower is from the garden we have in our backyard.



This is another flower shot, but of my neighbor's garden. My parents got this photo framed and put in our beach house.

Check back tomorrow for more of my favorite photos of 2011!