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| Heartmade Fibres: Our First Show |
Well guys, we did it. Truly. Against all the odds - and there were some odds against us- I returned from Africa on Sunday night; the show started 5 days later. Jet lag is a real thing folks, so is the crippling depression of returning home from the trip of a lifetime. But my internal struggles are nothing compared to Miss Mary who just had a baby! JUST, as in 10 Days Ago. And she was still healthy, happy and dedicated enough to make it to the show. So here we are, both a little sleep deprived, and a little foggy-headed, but thrilled to be showing the world what we love to do - creating heartmade goods for mom and baby.
The Artisans show was hosted by Vermeer's Garden Centre and Flower Shop and I can't think of a better setting for a craft show. Vendors were located both inside the greenhouse and out. Our tent was out in the garden, nestled behind baby Japanese Maples with long grasses and beautiful flowers all around. It was the perfect tranquil setting to sit in the sun and get to talk to people about our shop and what we do.
As we are definite rookies to the craft show circuit, this weekend really taught us a lot about how to prepare, the types of products that work well at shows, important issues about sizing, and helped us learn loads about display and functionality of the booth. All of these lessons will ensure that Balls Falls, our next BIG show, will be a resounding success!
Traffic at the show was a little lighter than we had hoped for - but the feedback and responses we received from customers are immeasurable. We have already seen increased traffic on the shop site as well as some new friends on Facebook. We thank everyone who took the time to stop, ask questions, share ideas and especially all those who were so complimentary and receptive to our work. It means so much to hear directly from our customers - and there is nothing like seeing children walk away from the booth actually wearing our products - so many little girls in Mary's sun hats brought smiles to our faces ! Do you have any suggestions for things you would like to see at the Balls Falls show? Any special requests? We want to bring the products YOU are looking for, so leave a comment on the blog, or email us heartmade.fibres@gmail.com and let us know the kinds of things you want for Fall / Winter from Heartmade.
Networking is a huge part of what we wanted to accomplish this weekend, and we definitely made some good contacts. Meeting a representative from the One of a Kind Show in Toronto was a thrill, and we certainly hope to be a part of her show next year!
There were SO many talented and truly unique vendors at the show, check out some of our neighbours:
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| Jenn Vandermeer is a local artisan with a unique flare. Check for her home spun alpaca yarns coming soon! |
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| Privilege makes some really incredible and unique t-shirts, not to mention their ukelele kept us mellow all day :) |
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| Skinny Dip Soap is all natural and smells soooo good! Check her out on Facebook too. |
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| Jody is a fine artists and illustrator that you have to see to believe. Definitely worth checking her etsy! |
Thank you to all of our friends and family who turned out to say "hi" and support us. We were very surprised to see some of your faces and it really meant a lot to have you there. An extra big shout-out to Henry. The most even-tempered, well-behaved, cuddly and affectionate 10 day old baby I have ever held. I can't believe you spent 2 of your first 10 days at a craft show, and you couldn't have been any more content. Thanks for being such a trooper, we love you.
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| Everything is A- Okay Mama! |
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| I mean, come on. |
All our love,
Heather and Mary xo
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