Whew… And I’m back!

So the Handmade Heatwave, my FIRST show, was a success!!! Things went really well and I got a ton of feedback about our booth, our products, our prices, and our quality! We received a wonderfully hot reception, forget warm! :) I’ve already got plans in the works for 4 other shows in the next two months (EEEP!!!) and am starting to book shows as far out as this time NEXT year. Whoa!
Here’s a quick picture of our booth:

As you can see, we were indoors between a window and a door along a wall in a historic home. It went really well. We made a profit (HAPPY!!!), made a lot of new friends, got a ton of advice, and figured out exactly how NOT to do some things.
Quick things I learned (not necessarily from personal experience):
  Know your target market. If you are selling toys, market them LOW. If you are selling hats for winter, sell them in the fall.
  Banners and signage are important, but not the end-all-be-all. It is better to promote yourself through conversation with customers and passersby than to have a sign.
  Big pieces definitely draw attention, no matter what.
  Sitting will earn you NO money.
  Eating will earn you NO money.
  Snacking and sipping is the only way to survive.
  Hangers are helpful, but clothes rods full of them get ignored.
  Light weight is good. Heavy bins and loads are BAD.
  Credit Cards are a NECESSARY EVIL.
  Donuts always find a home!
So I’m hoping to hear back about a show in mid July soon, and August is filling up FAST. Whew. I’m gonna try to balance blogging, crafting, showing, and parenting a little better from here out, though. Now that I have a 200+ item inventory (most of it made in two months…), I can take time to fuss over individual things and worry about the blog more. Not to say I’m gonna rest on my crafting laurels. NOPE! In fact, I’m thinking about jumping in to a few competitions and such. I’m such a sucker for punishment!
And to close for today, I’m going to show you one of my new items.
You’ve got the first glance at my Rock-a-Billy Apron. One of a kind, ladies and gents. Perfect for rockin’ out in the kitchen or just gettin’ sassy any time. With it’s large black front pocket and long ties, it is incredibly flattering as well as useful! :) And you can machine wash it. I’m in love with this apron, so I haven’t posted it in my Etsy store…yet. I mean, I can only own so many aprons, you know? So what do you think of it? Should I list it or keep it? :)