Wish me luck!!

[PhysAssist]

http://s264.photobucket.com/user/forgeblast/media/Vendorbooth002_zpscbc917d9.jpg.html

I was doing a dry run on my booth set up. It is a 10x10 Caravan Displayshade with walls. I also have a banner to hang in the back.

Hi Mr. ForgeBlast,

That is some awesome carving.

Not only is it a great craft, but it provides people with a great tool for cooking that connects them with you and with our historic past as they use them.

The history you include that connects the creative process to your personal and family history is really interesting and if you haven't, you should writexup a card that explains it.

I know that for myself, and a lot of folks I know that would be an interesting and intriguing addition, that would add another incentive to buying them.

Your booth looks good, but the walls look a little bare, so something hanging therewould be a good idea.

Thanks again for sharing your knowledge and skills with us.

Thomas

Thomas

 

[farmgirl19]

All I can say is, WOW! That is NICE.

 

[flamom]

I wish you success on your endeavors!

 

[tcreeley]

Think about a photo album for people to thumb through - keeps people looking longer and hanging around your table. Maybe some "in process photos" - 5x7's on a backdrop. Banner is a great idea.
Often it is the conversation and friendliness that does as much to sell, as their appreciation for your work!

-craft shows are fun, sometimes another crafter will propose a trade, and there's always things to be learned from each other.
For a couple of years I took my portable forge for demos and sold my ironwork.
Good luck, have good photos for juried shows- bigger customer base.

 

[easygo]

Take a few partially complete spoons with you, from different stages of the process. You could work on them, or show people what it takes to get one carved from the raw stock to a nice dinner table item. Put some of your products in the background, so people have a reason to look behind you and at your sign/banner. May be carve a set of spoons from normal size to 4ft long, just for display (or for sale too is someone like a restaurant wants one for their display). Best of luck!

 

[forgeblast]

Thank you all for the constructive comments. I have been doing so much lately that I feel like I was missing a few things, and its so nice to have people say what they are looking for if they were buying. The help is invaluable, I really, really appreciate it.
I will have to put together a photo album, I do have 4-5 different examples of spoons in various states of progress, I just have to get them mounted so I can hang them. I also heard that sams club has a printing area where you can make poster sized images. I may have to run and see what I can put together.
I did put together a pamphlet, thank you for the suggestions on what to put in.
Great idea on the large spoon, I didn't even think about the commercial aspects of that. I could even carve a business name on it, or wood burn it in.
Tc I was wondering do you mean booth shots for the juried events? I have a new post on my website stormspoons.com | Vendor Booth Pictures is this what you would recommend? or should I change it up? It shows banner and banner less, I have heard mixed things about submitting pictures with a banner. The juried shows have become so competitive.
Today I finished up 6 more bark containers, but when I came in I showed my wife my leg. I got bit by something yesterday. Red, not painful, not ichy, but bright red and warm 5'' by 3'' section on my leg. So at 7pm I am running to the emergency room (thought for sure it was a spider). I was the only one in there, I guess I missed the mad rush on a Sunday night. It was not a tick, or bee, and not a spider . Apparently I was the second person to come in with a bite like this today. So tropical steroid, and dose of antibiotics, and back home to work on fair things. I made one spoon out of beech wood today, I have to say it was stringy, tough, and the grain in this piece is amazing, golden hints in it, but dense wood.
Thank you all for the comments I truly appreciate the help I receive from you all. Thanks again.

 

[smilinjak]

Best of luck forgeblast your work looks good.
I too carve spoons, splatulas, butter knives and a few forks of various sizes mostly for gifts to family and friends. I always "whisker" the wood before applying the mineral oil, do you?
Smilinjak

 

[forgeblast]

Smilinjak, I hit the wood with a piece of 400 grit sandpaper and then put on three coats of mineral oil. After the final coat of mineral oil is on I put on one last coat of spoon butter (pure beeswax and mineral oil) to give it a nice shine and to make sure the mineral oil will not dry out.

 

[deerseeker001]

looks good,good luck

 

[jinman]

Forgeblast, I think your spoons are great, but the display can be improved with color. Maybe pictures of spoons in colorful salads or other similar foods that would add color and show the spoons in use. Maybe some pictures showing a Ukranian country setting or something to establish the lineage of your craft. I also think you need to get a few pictures of storm damaged trees so it drives home just where you are sourcing your wood. You can get pictures made into poster-size images to display on the sides of your booth. Pictures with color or of your carving process can add interest and value to your product. Even a few bouquets of flowers sitting around and some colorful fruit bowls will draw people into your booth. The spoons are great, but they will look fantastic in the right setting and use of booth decor.