Gayle Bird Designs

OK, a final update/conclusion to the whole show saga for the year. In terms of how it went, it was fantastic!! The staff at the Centre for Craft & Design are simply amazing. Getting to the third floor was literally painless, as they had hired/recruited two guys to help us load the elevator with dollies and our own time slot; and the reverse process was just the same. They even helped load our car!

By the end of the third day, I was completely stress- and pain-free. I was relaxed, I actually enjoyed talking to everybody I met, every single person who stepped into my booth had something nice to say and a smile to return, the space was incredibly gorgeous, I had amazing company and wonderful neighbours, and really, I just can’t say enough about this show.

So let’s talk profits, shall we? Well, generally. I did as well as last year, plus half that much again. And last year was pretty much in line with the year before. SO exciting. That house downpayment keeps getting bigger, and bigger, and bigger again.

My coal pendants just about sold out – I ended up making about half a dozen more throughout the show, but at least a dozen sold and from what I hear, they’re traveling all over the globe to ex-patriates. Check out the amazing cards I created to go with them and the beach glass (which also did really well):

I felt like a freaking genius over these cards. Unfortunately, the design for them came into my head as I was trying to sleep. I should have just gotten up and done them then because I subsequently stayed awake for three more hours.

People bought tons of earrings and rings, tons of my inexpensive pendants, and tons of hair pieces. Only one person bought anything worth more than $30, which is right in line with what I expected from the gallery experiences I had over the summer; a commentary on the mindset we’ve gotten ourselves into.

OK, time for some pictures I think.

First of all, look at the beautiful weather we had! The only yucky time was when it rained all over the Santa Claus parade:

I took some better photos of the interior of the booth, as the ones that came out earlier just didn’t do it justice. These don’t really either; I sort of felt like my booth was both epic and magical.

And some closeups of the little groupings I had all over the place. The perspective is weird on some as I only had my wee gorillapod for a tripod, and I was either resting it on the table or on my chest:

See the wee hair pins? That came to me just a few days ago and I spent a lot of the show making more as they seemed quite popular. The hair combs also sold out - there’s only one left!

I had made four “half-necklaces” as I had been calling them, but I always thought you could put them in your hair… so I renamed them “Tiara Necklaces” and pinned one to my head. People got a kick out of them. One lady even said, “We all need more tiaras in our lives!”, which was awesome. Check a few out:

My focus necklaces. I wasn’t entirely happy with how these were laid out, but it had been six hours and I was getting low on ideas for displaying them. I did sell a handful though!
 

Here’s what the beach glass box looked like lit from the front:

I really wanted it lit from the back, but it just looked so very blue and dim I had to spotlight it. Here’s what it looked like with the front spotlight off:

The idea was to have the beach glass lit from behind, which it did, but too dimly.

I had dozens of these labryinth necklaces and I came home with I think six. Sold like mad!:

One of these things just doesn’t belong here….

I later moved my labradorite to the front table with some raw chunks of it and a book open to the labradorite page. A lady bought the one piece in the whole show I was hoping nobody would get. Serves me right for putting it out!!

And a few photos of the rest of the show:

Bev Niven & Ancient Treasures:

Wildfire Pottery:

Hugh Ross, Jim & Judy (funny, I don’t know their business name!), and a corner of Lynda Lou MacIntyre:

The long hallway, which included Piper Pewter, Michique Bags, Carol Kennedy, Kenny Boone, and I can’t think who else (I mostly stayed up our corner):

And around that last corner were more booths, including Sew Inclined and more artist demonstrations.

Finally, here’s a picture that sort of captures the delicious mood that permeated the whole place for three days:

What an AMAZING evening! I hope it can be called a categorical success so they can do it every year! I hope all locals will take a trip down today or tomorrow. The $2 cover charge gets you in and also gets you a ticket for the door prize, which is a donation from *every* table. We’re talking jewellery, paintings, painted silk scarves, pottery, photography, purses, wood carvings, and a whole pile more.

Here’s my booth! This took about six hours to put together, on top of the time spent preparing. Thank heavens for my people, is all I have to say! Take note of the fabulous track lighting and the excellent track-based gallery system from which my sign is hung. You can’t see here but people were hanging ladders for silk scarves, photographs, bamboo mats for ornaments, as well as signs like mine (but really, nobody has a sign like mine!)

My beach glass display:

The army of teeny busts I made:

The RED beachglass pendant!!!

[this sign sucks because I made it in a hurry, unlike Angie's gorgeous ones]

My aqua beach glass, including one of the fabulous signs Angie made for me:

All of my cobalt blue beach glass pieces, on a fantastic beachcombed log:

Angie and I, looking cleave-tastic, she more tastic than I:

Really fun box Angie and Laird put together. It didn’t come out quite the way we’d planned but I think it’s still working:

A not-the-best view of the gemstone table:

More photos to be taken today and tomorrow! It was hard to get good photos without a flash and no tripod.

I should probably be finishing up my stack of rings, but I couldnt’ help myself. This is what I spent all day yesterday doing (painting and gluing and cutting and folding):

(Click for Larger)

This private shopping party at the Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design is going to be totally fabulous. I will be dressed to the tens (the nines aren’t fancy enough!) and we’ll have a jazz band and martinis, and it’s going to be beautiful and intimate and a fantastic way to buy holiday presents this year.

Hope to see you there, but if you can’t make it Thursday night, remember the craft show will be open to the public all day Friday and Saturday! No fancy jazz band and I’ll be wearing sneakers, but my jewellery and all the other artisans’ work will still be on display at the gorgeous new CBCCD building.