I stumbled across Amy, owner of Little Alouette, on twitter. Her down to earth and laid back attitude drew me in. And when I headed over to her blog after perusing her etsy shop full of handmade wooden baby toys, teethers, and rattles, I was completely smitten by her eloquent use of words. I could easily get lost for hours.

While being a mother, wife, author, entrepenuer, and so much more, Amy still finds the time to unwind and keep things in perspective. So let’s meet this queen of multi-tasking diva, Amy.

Tell us 5 interesting things about yourself.
My grandmother collects obituaries and someday they will be mine.
I have been looking for something to collect for years.
I learned to drive on a tractor
I don’t like sharing milk based products with anyone.
My husband and i fell in love on sight and married 6 months later and have been together over a decade.

How and why did you create Little Alouette?
a good friend of mine had a small business with vintage children’s furniture and we worked together at some festivals collaborating and then Joe and I started our wheels turning that we could also have our own business doing our wooden toys that we have been making for years for the family and friends. We were tired of the lead recalls and the issues with toys- so we decided to make our own safe baby toys! It was a very organic process- it has really evolved and we are still wondering where it will take us.

The teething tree

Where did the name originate from?
My dear friend jessica came up with it. It sounds sweet and kinda chic and something that I would call one of my children.

What is a typical work day for you?
up at 6 am and working on orders and any freelance writing I have to do. Get kiddos fed and ready for the day with me. I try and unplug until lunch and then work more while they have lunch and then a nap and then unplug again until after dinner.
We have a booth at our local farmers market and are vendors for Whole Foods mid Atlantic region- so often a couple days are devoted to business errands. Some days I am just chilling at play group and others i am on the phone all over the world to our wholesale accounts.

I also blog daily too! Oh and am writing a novel.
I don’t sleep much!

How do you keep distractions at bay?
I shut off the computer and just sneak peeks at my blackberry during the day. I try to be on the go and keep most of my day devoted to my boys ( finnian and blaise 5 and 2)
I have a mothers helper at least once a week so i can work hard on my orders. My husband is at our workshop most evenings.

What are your best selling pieces/designs?
the Waldorf handle rattle and Harper the hippo

Harper the Hippo

Waldorf Rattle Teether

Who/what are your inspiration?
our children and nature and modern design.
the whole world inspires me!

Do you have any business advice that worked well for you that you’d care to share?
be open to suggestions and change. Don’t fear your competition. When we started there were not many folks doing what we do with natural wood teethers- now there are many- but instead of being annoyed or threatened- we realized that this gave our “sorta different” product a more mainstream look. The more people making this natural product and marketing it- the less strange it is to folks who have only ever let their children teeth on plastics.
Also- fall in love with your product. You are always going to be your own best marketing. Love your products and talk about them.

What are your favorite hobbies?
vintage shopping at flea markets- estate sales- anything!
holidays with my handsome husband
art with my kiddos
science museums
shoes and handbags

What’s currently on Amy’s wish list?
handbags
a family protrait
and a big bag for traveling abroad this summer

Thanks so much Amy for sharing a little more with us!

You can find Amy in the following places.
blog
shop
flickr
twitter

Yesterday was a gorgeous day here in New England. So the fam and I took full advantage of the sun making an extended appearance. We first got up to head to the local farmer’s market where we stocked up on fresh zucchini (and plan on making this with it), yellow squash, and corn. And then enjoyed a fresh cheese, olive oil, and garlic fire roasted pizza. (Yes it was 10am and we were eating pizza)

But all of that came after I gave the wrong directions and we stumbled upon a huge tag sale. Old school wooden children chairs, china, and knick knacks strewn the front lawn of what looked like a big antique store. We walked away with casserole dishes and spur of the moment addition: glass milk bottle. Not sure what my intended use will be but it’s gorgeous nevertheless. I’m thinking a flower vase??

And last week I forgot to mention that one of the vendors who had a booth across from us was kind enough to give us all of his flowers from his display. They are still alive and kicking over my kitchen sink. And if you know me, you know I do not have a green thumb in any way shape or form. A small feat for a non-gardener.

Hope each of you had a great weekend!

1. Bird On Branch Pendant via Madison Craft Studio
2. Chocolate Cupcake with Chocolate Frosting via Ming Makes Cupcakes
3. Cheesecake Pops via Bakerella
4. Cupcake Cafe via Alicia Hurst
5. Little Button Loafers via Heather’s Hobbies
6. Sunset Stripe Baking Cups in Milk Chocolate via Bake It Pretty

The whirlwind is over and my first craft show is finally under my belt. Overall it was a good learning experience. Going into this I didn’t know what to expect and didn’t make any goals or expectations as that just didn’t seem realistic to me. I wanted to enjoy the experience and learn as much as I can.

Leading up to the show was a little chaotic. I didn’t know how much stock to create and didn’t really know what people would purchase so I had tons of greeting cards, some note card sets and gift tags. I estimated how many of each I wanted to make and once finished, I ended up with approximately 632 individual pieces. After that I swore I never wanted to see my paper cutter again, but we made up and moved on.

So the day before the show my boothmate, Audrey from Kaboogie Shoes, mentioned that if there was a no show, we could have our own space so be prepared. Now that threw me into a frenzy of figuring out a back up plan. I decided to call the promoters of the show and ask if there were any open spaces so I could plan accordingly. They said yes and there you have it, I have my own booth space. So within hours I had my own tent and borrowed 2 tables. So as you can tell my setup did not reflect the amount of space I had but nevertheless it came together nicely.

If you follow me on twitter, you knew my parents and sister were in town and they couldn’t have planned a more perfect time to come. With my husband out of town until Father’s Day, I needed the help watching my daughter as I prepared and then asking (I’m mean roping) my sister to spend 2 days with me at the fair. And let me tell you, that was a true blessing! There were so many things that got done because of them and I want to thank them for everything!

So here comes day one of the craft fair with a forecast of rain, surprise surprise, if you live in the New England area. But we were prepared to make do. Turns out not a rain drop in sight the entire day and the sun peeked out for awhile too. However the threatening forecast scared away many shoppers. So we mingled and chatted with our booth neighbors.

My setup for the first day

Another bleak forecast was on the horizon so although we anticipated another slow day we came prepared. And it lived up to our expectations. Sales were less than half from the day before and again, the rain held out until the evening long after we left. But we did change the set up of the booth just to play with things since we had the time and I actually liked the setup of day two over day one.

Day 2 set up

So some things I learned…
*Plan months in advance. I wish I had designated a space to create my setup. I had it thought out in my head but having the visual would’ve helped tremendously. I also wished I created my inventory list and began creating stock earlier.
*Try to anticipate what people will want depending on the type of shoppers. This wasn’t the market for me, plain and simple. But knowing Father’s Day was the next day I had a last minute addition of Father’s Day cards and those practically sold out.
*Chat with your neighbors. One of my neighbors has been doing craft shows for nearly 30 years and was full of knowledge. Everyone was so helpful with advice on future shows. You will come across “sticks in the mud” but overall everyone is so friendly and willing to help.

I had a few questions about my experience that I’d like to answer. Let me preface by saying I’m by no means an expert. It will be a continual learning process. But as far as the tent, I rented mine and made sure I had four walls. Be sure to have four walls regardless of the forecast. If it’s windy you will want 3 walls up to prevent things in your booth from flying away and you can create a “store-like” prescence by closing yourself off from other booths. But be sure to step out and be friendly. And with the fourth wall you will close off your tent for the night.

Also be prepared to set up on grass or black top. They were originally going to put me on a black top but I only had stakes to secure my tent and luckily they could accomodate. But be prepared for both.

And lastly with the tent, practice first if you never put up one. It tooks us 3 tents to get it right. Directions will be your best friend.

Will I do it again? I don’t know. I’m signed up to participate in a Christmas sampler in November and debating whether or not to participate. I need to figure if I will be what that market wants and if I can invest the proper amount of time. So we’ll see…

Here are more photos from the show.

A special thanks to some Etsy folks who helped me out:
Sam from Inklore created by sign. I didn’t want the typical vinyl sign and when I saw her table cloth from her show I knew that’s what I wanted.

Cindy from Chalking It Up created the chalk boards that I used as framed signs to indicate the products I had. I love how they came out!

Emily from M Chen Wears for being a souding board of advice. Meeting people like her solidifies why I love chatting on twitter so much.

Nestled in the cozy parts of Long Island, Darlene searches for antiques and vintage finds to create one of a kind pieces for your home. With a little coastal cottage feel, your home will feel so inviting having some of her pieces throughout. So let’s meet the woman behind Flax and Spindle, Darlene.

Tell us 5 interesting things about yourself.
Wow, five interesting things?..lets see. I moved about fifteen times growing up and my Dad was not in the military…I lived everywhere from Germany to Brooklyn. That’s probably why when I grew into my late teens I fulfilled a burning desire to follow the Grateful Dead (Did I just say that out loud?). I am a self taught artisan/designer and seamstress. I need, need, need coffee in the morning. I have been told I am a type A B personality.

How and why did you create Flax and Spindle?
Flax and Spindle evolved from the desire to stay home with my children and still have an income combined with sharing my creative outlet with others. It just all happened so naturally. I absolutely LOVE working with vintage linen.

Where did the name originate from?
Flax and Spindle came from brainstorming with friends and family. I wanted a name that wouldn’t box me into a specific idea or style but was still true to what I love. Vintage homespun and all things earthy.

French Stamp Pillow

What is a typical work day for you?
I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that a typical work day is anything but typical. Each day is different since I work from home and have two children. Most days consist of acting on any creative juices that might be flowing at the moment and putting out my three year olds proverbial fires!

Working from home or in an office we all get distractions, how do you keep them at bay?
The down side to working at home is that I cannot keep distractions at bay. I must respond since I do not have designated times for family and work. Some days can be pretty chaotic.

What are your best selling pieces/designs?
Right now my best selling designs are my postcard pillows and my coastal frames.

Vingtage Post Card on Linen Pillow

Sea Star

Who or what is your inspiration?
I get inspiration from wherever it speaks to me. A photograph, a conversion with a friend. I always feel inspired when i am relaxed!

Do you have any business advice that worked well for you that you’d care to share?
Be true to yourself. Keep it fresh and create what you love, it will shine through your work.

What are your favorite hobbies?
If I had time, I would be scrap booking and reading more, I love to read.

What’s currently on your wish list?
Honestly, I feel like all my dreams have come true. I have a wonderful husband and family. I’m able to be home with my children and create…what is left to wish for?

Thanks Darlene for this insight!

You can find Darlene here, here, and here.

This weekend was full with baby showers, errands, and a festival. We then topped it off with a batch of cookies. As exhausted as me and KB are we had so much fun and so happy summer decided to show up.

What did you do this weekend?

About a month ago I was approached by Kelly, the owner and founder, of Startup Princess to be interviewed for her website and speak to my beginnings of owning my own business.  Her goal with the website is to bring together entrepreneurial women from across the world to collaborate and support one another.  I am very honored to be amongst these great and inspirational women.

My contribution to Startup Princess will continue so be on the lookout for more info. But for now, head on over and read more here.

1. Liberty Dress in Avocado via Soil
2. Ruched Bag via Jenny N Design
3. A Nest Adorned Necklace via Sojourn Curiosities
4. Home Sweet Home Print via Jenn Ski
5. Recycled Stemless Wine Glasses Bodhicitta

Over the course of the month we have read and seen so many great designs, people, and showcases from the National Stationery Show. From your witty and sarcastic greeting cards, such as Oh My Word! to unique and fashion forward invitations from Twig and Fig. But what was missing was an insider’s perspective, someone who hasn’t exhibited at the show before. What are the preparations? What are the commitments? And what are the many mixed feelings that goes through ones head and heart when you approach such a massive show with thousands upon thousands of other exhibotors, and many who have been doing this for years on end?

So with that said, I like to share some tid bits from a first timer, Katie, owner and designer of Kelp Designs. She creates beautiful stationery, note cards, and invitations. Traveling all the way from sunny California to the bustling New York for the show, let’s meet Katie and hear first hand how her first stationery show was a success.

Tell us a bit about yourself and your business.
I’m a Southern California beach bum, paper fanatic, design enthusiast, entrepreneur, wife and soon-to-be first time mom (although not necessarily in that order!). I’ve dreamt of having my own stationery business for years and years; and made my dream a reality when I launched Kelp Designs in October 2008. We create eco-friendly notecards, personalized stationery and invitations in bold colors and classic patterns — all 100% recycled. Kelp Designs got its start on etsy, but I’m excited to say we’ll be available in stores soon!

Katie and Pat

How and why did you create Kelp Designs?
Kelp Designs got its legs after I designed wedding invites and personalized notecards as bridesmaid gifts for several friends. I’ve worked in legal marketing and business development for 9 years (still do!), and love having a creative outlet where I can play with different colors, designs and textures. Balance is a challenge, as I’d like to dedicate more time to growing Kelp Designs, but I’m really proud of where we’ve come in such a short amount of time.

Where did the name orginiate from?
The name Kelp Designs originated from where I live — in Manhattan Beach, California. I wanted a name that reflected the ‘green’ aspects of my products, as well as the casual style of beach living.

What is a typical work day for you?
Is there such a thing as a typical work day?! I’ve become a master multi-tasker. I answer Kelp Designs emails in the morning before I head to the office, then make time to check emails, tweet, and maintain the Kelp Designs etsy store and blog when I have down time or breaks at my day-job. I print, package and prep all orders for shipping at night when I get home. I usually save my design work for the weekends, when I can dedicate at least a few hours to play with new ideas.

How long have you been in business?
Not very long! In July 2008, I registered kelpdesigns on etsy (just in case I went through with this crazy idea). By mid-October 2008, I decided to start Kelp Designs and began fine-tuning my designs. On November 10th, I posted the first item for sale on etsy and had my first sale within a few hours! In January 2009, after a busy but successful holiday season, I decided to exhibit at the National Stationery Show in New York. In May, I attended NSS where I made great contacts, connected with lots of twitter pals, and best of all, received orders from several stores!

Their sign at the show

What were your goals for exhibiting at the National Stationery Show? Do you feel you accomplished them?
I didn’t really know what to expect as a first time exhibitor, although several online sources warned that new exhibitors shouldn’t expect orders at the show (some orders may come through after the show through follow-up) and that there would be significantly less people at this year’s show than previous years. Despite this, I set my sights pretty high. My goals were to get into at least three stores, increase visibility and awareness of Kelp Designs and meet as many people as possible — retailers, other designers, buyers, press and twitter friends. I accomplished all of these goals at the show and am continuing to follow-up on several strong leads. The feedback I received from visitors was invaluable and inspiring! I left the show with lots of new ideas.

What were some of your biggest challenges for prepping for the show?
Prepping for any tradeshow is a lot of work, but fortunately I’ve been to tradeshows in the past and had a pretty good idea of what I was getting into. This being the first time that my products and ideas were going to be on display and the fact that the company was so new, I did struggle with some basic business concepts when getting ready for the show — making my branding consistent, where to set pricing and how much product do I need to bring?

The other struggle is a pretty obvious one, but tradeshows are expensive! From the exhibit space, electricity, your actual booth components, pre-show marketing, prepping your products… it really starts to add up (and all of it needs to be ordered separately)!

Full booth shot

Take us through the 4 days and your overall experience as a first time exhibitor.
I’m going to cheat a little and go over the six days we were there, including the two set-up days before the show:

Set-up Day 1 (Friday): Caught the red-eye from LAX to JFK and headed straight to Javitz when we landed early Friday morning. Got the canvas walls of the booth up, hung our awesome Kelp Designs sign (created by my talented sister), put the ikea table and chairs together and began cutting out the free-standing, self-supporting cardboard shelving that would be the basis for our booth. Collapsed in exhaustion around 6pm and headed to the hotel for an early night. Wouldn’t do a red-eye flight again before a show — too tired!

Set-up Day 2 (Saturday): Headed back to Javitz in the morning to finish putting together the cardboard shelves and set up the products and other signage. At 2pm, learned that we couldn’t use the cardboard shelves because we didn’t have the proper paper work showing that the cardboard had been pre-treated for fireproofing. Minor breakdown. Overpaid a cab driver for a round-trip ride to ikea, bought inexpensive, easy to assemble metal shelving. Assembled shelving, set up products, posted product info and signage. Realized metal shelving actually worked well to display the promo magnets I had made. Nice.

NSS Day 1 (Sunday): Lots of energy at the show! We were in booth 2070, which was the area for smaller booths and lots of new businesses — fantastic neighbors! There was a good flow of people throughout the day and lots of positive feedback to the cards, the booth, our packaging and our magnets! No orders, but lots of good contacts. Think prices may be a tad too high for the boxed sets. Mental battle over whether to change pricing. Ugh.

NSS Day 2 (Monday): More people than yesterday! Rumor on the street is that more of the buyers and local retailers come out on Monday, as not to give up their weekend. Not sure how true it is, but there were a lot more ‘professionally’ dressed people wandering around. Decided to lower the pricing of our boxed sets a smidge, with the rationale that I’d rather get into a store at a slightly lower price and benefit from the exposure (am I jumping the gun?!). Met several twitter friends in person, our promo magnets got rave reviews and… wrote two orders! Oh, and the CEO of a big NY store/chain stopped in and told me that I “have a very sweet, beautiful line that will do well”, then said he’d send his buyers over. yay! it was a good day!

Photo courtesy Crow and Canary

NSS Day 3 (Tuesday): Starting to catch a cold, and losing a little steam… but the energy at NSS is infectious and kept me going (its hard to be on all the time!). Overall slower foot traffic than Sunday and Monday, but lots of activity in the late morning (11 – 1ish) and then again in the late afternoon (3 – 5ish). Had some time to walk around, visit with friends and see what everyone’s booths looked like — some very creative folks at the show. Lots of good leads and more orders!

NSS Day 4 (Wednesday): Definitely the slowest day of the bunch, but still met great contacts. Show closes at noon, and you can see the exhibitors getting ancy to pack up around 11am. Started breaking down the booth at noon and were done about 1:30. We donated a number of items from our exhibit booth (canvas walls, cardboard, metal shelving, table & chairs, etc) to a school and art program in New York, so we dropped those off in the afternoon, then headed to the airport!

Do you plan on exhibiting in the future?
Yes, I’d like to exhibit again next year — the exposure for Kelp Designs and ability to meet so many great contacts in one place was phenomenal.

Any tips/advice for anyone wanting to exhibit at the National Stationery Show?
- Booth: When designing your booth choose light weight, easy to ship and install materials, that still reflects your brand & style. And, if you can store your shipping materials behind your booth – do so. It can sometimes take hours after the show for your empty containers to be returned to you.

- Networking: Bring lots of business cards and don’t be shy about asking people that stop into your booth for their business card if they don’t offer it — you can’t follow-up if you don’t know who they are. And, of course do make time for follow-up after the show even if its just a quick email.

- Catalogs vs. Line Sheets: Suggest handing out one page line sheets rather than bulky catalogs — again, less to carry and/or ship, and cheaper to print. You can always send a catalog as follow-up if someone really wants one. Also, don’t forget to put together some press kits for the press room. We dropped off 25 small kits which included a press release about us being at the show, our line sheet, our pre-show marketing postcard and a business card. Each piece had our complete contact information on it. By the second day, we only had 5 kits left in the press room… so I’ll likely prep more next year and I might include some samples in the kit.

- If you can, bring help! Days at the show are long, so its best if you have at least one other person there with you so you can run to the bathroom or grab lunch! I was lucky enough to have my husband, mom and sister there throughout the show, which was a huge help. And, if you can’t bring helpers, make friends with your booth neighbors. We filled in for a neighbor across the way when she needed a break

- Comfy shoes are a must! Lots of standing throughout the show, so bring your most comfortable shoes. If you can afford it, spring for the extra padding under your rented carpet or flooring — your feet will thank you!

- Pre-show Marketing: First time exhibitors get 100 free mailing labels for registered attendees — we used them to send out postcards before the show, and surprisingly had a large number of people stop in because they received the postcard. Make sure you get your labels as a first time exhibitor!

- It’s a big commitment (financial, time, and energy) to exhibit at a tradeshow, but when its the right time to do it, you’ll know.

Good luck!

Thank you so much Katie for all of your insight! And for those who are thinking of exhibiting next year, I hope this information is helpful.

You can find Katie here:
Etsy Shop
Blog
Twitter

Come check me out over here today!