Of Towels and Infomercials
You’ve seen the Sham-Wow commercials, right? There’s this coked-out guy wearing a headset who’s trying everything possible to convince you that you’re an idiot for not wanting to buy a couple of synthetic chamois. “C’mon,” he sneers, “you’re just going to spend $25 a month on paper towels anyway.”
Wait… what? Do people actually do that? Last time I checked, paper towels cost about a dollar a roll, so this guy is telling me that it’s conceivable for a family to use a whole roll a day. That’s nuts.
I’ll freely admit that I like to keep paper towels on hand for cleaning up cat barf and other really gross things, but that adds up to about 3 rolls of paper towels a year, total. No kidding. The rest of the time, I reach for my trusty pile of kitchen towels. I spent those 25 bucks once about 10 years ago on a huge pile of towels at a sale somewhere, and they’ve served me well, even through five years of catering. They wash dishes, they dry dishes, they polish silver, they handle hot things out of the oven, they wipe things up off the floor, they scrub dirty shoes, they do everything — and they look it. They smell kinda funny, and they have holes and stains and ratty edges, but it’s not like I put them out as napkins for company, either.
If you’re in the market for reusables, or want to bone up a bit on the subject, be sure to check out this excellent article on paper vs. reusable towels by Tara of Handmade in PA.
The 45-Minute Jewelry Display
I woke up this morning to a link on Kate’s blog discussing the 30-minute jewelry display. Our setup isn’t quite 30 minutes, although it could probably be if I wasn’t so fussy, but it’s a solid 45 minutes. (I like to allow an hour for setup, which leaves 15 minutes to slurp coffee and chat with other vendors.) My process is differs from hers in a key area – merchandise accessibility between shows – and so I wanted to share it with you here.
Here’s a shot of our typical summertime display:
Our summertime kit consists of two carefully packed suitcases, two crates, a shelf, three tables, our tent, two chairs, our vinyl banner, and a cooler full of water. Here’s a closer look at how everything is laid out.
This is a stack of stuff waiting to be loaded into my truck. The tent and tables are off-camera, as is our sign (which is hand-carried to avoid creases) and cooler (in the kitchen waiting to be filled), but this is an overview of our suitcases, shelf, and crates. One of the crates is empty and will carry my sweater, notebook, and our breakfast; the other is permanently packed with our gift boxes.
This is the first suitcase, our big green monster. It contains all of our displays (busts, earring rack, easel displays, ornament rack, inserts and trays, business card holder), our tablecloths (four each of purple king-sized flat sheets andgreen twin-size flat sheets), our display bowls/shopping baskets (a custom order from Adorn with A and M), extra bags and tissue paper (bottom pocket), extra travel mugs (useful when you remember to pack a gallon jug of water but no cups), and dead D batteries, which we use to weight down the back of our easel displays. The trays store some of our small “summertime special” $15 and under items that we don’t list online. This suitcase stays packed as-is between shows (year-round!) because it contains all of our non-essential items.
Our smaller suitcase (a gift of plaid from my mother-out-law) holds our essential between-show items. A few bags with tissue paper nestle in the front pocket. The inside show pockets hold little things like calculators, a lint brush, masking tape, and trash bags, while the upper pocket holds our shop policies sign and mirror. The plastic zip-top compartment usually reserved for toiletries holds paper towels or napkins, SPF 50 sunscreen, Good-Smellin’ Bug Stuff, and a few other essentials.One latched-lid display tray holds all of our earrings, while the other holds our more delicate merchandise like illusion necklaces and crystal ornaments. A large sturdy gift box from chocolates I got last admin day, which is hiding under the white box in this picture, holds our extra inventory – things that we have duplicates of. The white box holds all of our paper goods – sale signs, business cards, tags for new merchandise, extra sales slip pads, extra credit card slips, pens, markers, etc. Our cash box sits on top of the latched trays. Under the blue bag is a small snap-top plastic shoebox-style container that I keep my current projects and adjustment kit in (crimps, wire, clasps, earwires, clip-ons, and other findings for those on-the-fly custom adjustments). On top of that is a shallow cardboard box with my tools. Finally, the blue bag contains all of our current inventory, tagged and ready to go.
Yes, we really do toss all of our inventory in a reusable shopping bag at the end of every show. I’ve never had breakage or damage occur, and because it’s nestled securely between other elements in our suitcase, our tags don’t even get battered. We’ve done shows where we keep the inventory in the display trays, and they weren’t a good experience. For me, this inventory bag/dual-suitcase trick is the key to our system. Not only does it make for extremely simple setup/breakdown, it allows me to easily access all of my inventory between shows, without digging through multiple suitcases to find it. Before we settled into this system, I spent more than one Monday digging through trays, boxes, and bags looking for something that had sold online. In season, we sometimes have shows every weekend, and so to unpack completely between shows was a waste of time for us. Another bonus is that when we have two shows back-to-back (or a two-day show), like this weekend, the only thing we need to remove from my truck is the small suitcase.
So…how does setup work? Our morning goes a little something like this.
- Grumble ourselves awake
- Climb into the (hopefully pre-packed) truck and head to Wawa for coffee
- Get on-site and unload everything into a pile; move the truck.
- Drink coffee.
- Set up / secure tent. Set up tables, chairs, and tablecloths. The crates go on their side with the shelf on top to create a staging area for us and some much-needed height to our display.
- Drink coffee.
- Set up displays on table; tape/weigh down.
- Lay out / hang merchandise: color-coordinated items on easels, larger items on busts; earrings / ornaments on racks; prom / bridal / dichroic glass in trays on (de-linted) black velvet; “summer specials” boxes opened and arranged in trays; everything else strewn about in a random but aesthetically pleasing fashion.
- Drink coffee
- Hang signs
- Drink coffee
Remove the coffee-drinking and the inevitable bickering that occurs between two very much non-morning people, and you’ve got yourself a quick and dirty setup that holds up quite nicely.
Blushing and Gushing
I am rather belatedly posting these links to wonderful words that made me blush. Fabulous author and dear, dear friend Katrina Stonoff gushed about her Sweet Tarragon purchase a few days ago…with pictures! (Twice!) Do poke around her blog for a bit – her posts are always a great read, and she also runs a book giveaway every Monday, so be sure to get in on the action.
Thank you Trina! Much cross-country love to you. 
Featured at Cafe Handmade Again!
A few weeks ago, they featured our earrings…I just noticed today that my “Buy Indie for the Holidays” post is featured on the front page at Cafe Handmade – check it out! Nifty.
And, since I seem to have struck a nerve, your very own “buy indie” banners are available for download! Click here for the original banner size, and here for the smaller sidebar size. Please don’t hotlink; a link back to the original post is very much appreciated but not required.
Buy Indie for the Holidays
I’d like to propose a change to the buy handmade movement so popular this time of year. I’d like to take a page from the event we did on Sunday and call it “Buy Indie”.
As I sat at one of the shows we did this weekend, there was a Silpada rep behind me who loudly and proudly told every person that walked by her table that her jewelry was handmade. Yeah, okay. Silpada jewelry is handmade the same way Olive Garden’s food is authentic Italian cuisine, which is to say it’s not…really. Olive Garden dishes (which I thoroughly enjoy, BTW) are volume-based derivatives of recipes with their roots in Italian-style cooking. You could say it’s authentic, especially if you’re in the Marketing Department.
While Silpada’s marketing says that it’s handmade by artisans all over the world, my best guess (since there’s nothing to be found to back up that statement) is that it’s made by the hands of underpaid workers following a pattern in a book. So yes, it’s handmade. And since artisan can be defined as “A skilled manual worker who uses tools and machinery in a particular craft” (thanks, Wiktionary), it can be considered handmade by artisans, who I’m sure are in exotic impoverished countries all over the world.
Believe it or not, I don’t actually have a bone to pick with Silpada. I don’t view them as a competitor, and while it’s not my cup of tea, I know some people who love their designs. Yay for them. That’s not my point. Caveat emptor is my point.
If you take the handmade pledge and commit to buying handmade, for the holidays or year-round, do your research and be confident that what you’re buying is handmade by an independent artisan or crafter. Talk to them about their works, what inspires them, how they got started. You’re not just buying a toy or a gift — you’re buying a small piece of that person’s life. One of the great benefits of buying indie is getting to know the person behind the product — take advantage of that and ensure that your handmade purchase is created in the spirit that the movement intends. Buy directly from the artist or their website; seek out your local craftspeople or browse the world marketplace on sites like Etsy and Dawanda.*
I know it’s a bit late for a holiday gift guide (only 16 days to go!), but in case you’re not sure where to start on your indie-buying spree, I’ve gathered a list of some excellent indie craftspeople I’ve come across in my travels or have direct experience with — please check them out!
- Hello my Name is Monster – the cutest damn sock monsters I’ve ever seen, and I love the name tag-style branding.
- Dog Bone Art – marvelously faboo screen printed tees and bags n’stuff, including my personal favorites (which I will buy someday, damnit), “Cheese Please” and “Vanilla Chocolate Pirate”. Laura had some really cute peppermint stuffies too (all wrapped in cello and everything), but they appear to have sold out.
- Game Girl Designs – game pieces (Scrabble tiles, dominoes, etc.) made into necklaces, hair clips, etc. Amanda even does custom pieces from your photos.
- Woodnyou – I have an ebony business card holder made by this gentleman and it’s both gorgeous and well-made. I can only imagine that all of his woodwork follows suit.
- Simply Wired – If you truly must buy jewelry from someone other than Sweet Tarragon (*grin*), buy it from Chelsea at Simply Wired. I bought a pair of carnelian and copper earrings from her last year and still get compliments on them every time I wear them.
- Glass Beach – I bought a wristlet from Maia in February to use for a special event, and have used it every day since. I honestly don’t know what I ever did without it. Fun purses and cardholders in a variety of prints.
- Archipelago Arts – glass pendants with a kick, like the “I love you more than zombies love brains” piece I bought for Mer.
- A Beaded Affair – gorgeous wire-wrapped jewelry and beading supplies. I can personally vouch for Lois as a lovely person to do business with (of course, she’s my mother-out-law, so I may be biased.)
- Om Shanti Handcrafts – you know I love Kate (and her magical tangerine lip balm), but it’s worth mentioning – her stuff is awesome. All of it – the yummy, all-natural bath and body supplies, the jewelry…buy it.
- This and That gets an honourable mention, too. She’s not currently taking new orders, so it won’t help much for the holidays, but Leslie is my source for the custom sales slips that add a little extra pizazz to every order. She’s a dream to work with, and the end product is superb – I urge you all to check back with her in the new year.
Are you an indie crafter or artist? Please leave your shop link and a bit about yourself in the comments.
*Seriously…you never know what you’ll find. Thirty seconds on Dawanda tonight and I found a bacon cellphone case. I think I’m in love.
DIY Custom Earring Cards and Hang Tags
I’ve gotten a few questions at shows about our earring cards and hang tags – where I get them, if they’re expensive, how I do it, etc. It’s a small project that adds a lot of impact to the display table, so I wanted to share this project with the craft community.
Our tags are made from standard business cards with a vertical orientation. The basic layout took a lot of trial and error (and scrap printer paper) before I was happy with the location of the text and logo in relation to the center line where the fold will be. The blank space on the front of the card is for the name or description of the piece, and I added a spot for the price. When these are used as earring cards, I punch holes in this area (more about that later.) The back, which is upside down to allow for folding, has our website address and more blank space. This is where I usually write the “ingredient list” for the piece (types of stones and metals, etc.); for earrings, the hanger adheres here.
If you’re designing your own, now is the time to make sure that your final electronic file is high-resolution and adheres to your printer’s specs. If not, you could end up with blurry/grainy prints, off colors, or misaligned text. If you’re printing them yourself, make sure to do a test run on scrap paper at draft quality before you print to card stock to test alignment and clarity.
The first thing we do when the cards arrive from the printer is score them all down the center. I am fortunate enough to have a paper cutter with a scoring blade — we set up a small jig on that so we don’t have to check alignment on every card and run them through while watching a movie or listening to NPR. Scoring is not a requirement, but it makes the folding process much easier. We store the scored cards in the box they were shipped in and only fold them as needed.
We use these as hang tags in two different ways. For necklaces and most bracelets, we fold the tag around the section of the piece with the clasp and staple it at the top. This allows us to slide the tag sideways a bit and undo the clasp for removal without damaging the tag if someone wants to try it on. We sometimes punch a hole in the top center for hanging on our re-purposed fireplace screen rack. For smaller bracelets, our sun catcher ornaments, and other miscellaneous pieces, we use another scrapbooking tool — a glue dot roller — to stick the two halves together. We punch a hole in one of the top corners and thread it with a piece of ribbon, string, or (for the ornaments) beading wire that is tied or crimped to the product.
For the earring cards, the same folding-and-glueing procedure applies. We then use another jig (a piece of card stock with pre-measured holes punched) to punch parallel holes for the earring wires to go through. Our first few tries (as you can see here) weren’t always straight, but that’s okay. We’re handcrafters. After the holes are punched, we adhere clear plastic…thingies (?) made specifically for this purpose to the back of the cards. I order them from Land of Odds, but I’m sure you can find them elsewhere. These plastic doodads allow the cards to hang from any standard earring rack.
Since I know I left out specific tools above, here is a close approximation of what we’re using to make the cards (these are not affiliate links):
- 1/8″ hole punch (for hole at top of cards and for tying to merchandise)
- 1/16″ hole punch (for earring wire holes)
- 1/2″x1″ plastic earring card backers
- Permanent adhesive glue dot roller
- Paper cutter with scoring blade
Overall, this project takes a fair amount of time and effort, but it’s worth it for the consistent branding it brings to your merchandise.
Of course, if you need some help with the graphic design, or if you’d like to outsource the whole project, we can help with that, too.
A Busy Month – the Late September Newsletter
This is the online edition of the Sweet Tarragon September Newsletter – drop us a line if you’re interested in subscribing, and enter to win a $10 gift certificate to our Etsy store.
Updates and New Items
It’s been a busy September in the Sweet Tarragon world. We had a few shows and sent our package off to Artistry, where it arrived safe and (mostly) undamaged.We’ve added a number of new things to our Etsy store, including a new line of crystal suncatchers/ornaments. Check out my own personal favorite new necklace, Aqua and True, and get a glimpse at our crappy hardwood floors! We’ve also been all over the web: Kate at Om Shanti nominated us for the Brilliante Blog Award, and I was interviewed by Sheila Satin on her blog I Dig Crystals. Thank you Sheila and Kate! Mer and I succumbed to a new addiction this month and you can now find both of us on Twitter: @daniellenelson and @braindouche. Follow us if you’re a fellow Tweeter!
Home Shows
Now is the time to shop for those pesky wintertime celebration-related gifts! If you’d like to handle our inventory, get exclusive first looks at our newest pieces, and earn free jewelry, contact us about booking a home show. Invite your friends and family over for a night of fun and jewelry, and get an early jump on your holiday shopping. You’ll earn a percentage in jewelry of all sales made and custom orders taken during your party! Contact us for details and to schedule your show.
Item of the Month
Our item of the month for September is the Night Sky Encounter series. Purchase the necklace and bracelet together for $40 – that’s a savings of more than 30% on the set! Just mention the newsletter at checkout to receive the discounted rate.
And the winner is…
Trish R.! You’ve been randomly selected to receive a $10 gift certificate good toward any item in our inventory. Congratulations, Trish – check your email for details. Want to be in the running for next month’s drawing? Each month’s winner is drawn from the current subscriber list – drop us a line and subscribe today!
Event Schedule and Shop Vacation
We’ll be at Fairmount Park in Philly this Saturday, October 4, for the Pennypack Environmental Center Art & Craft Show, and the Flavors of Fall festival in our very own town of Pottstown at the Sunnybrook Ballroom on October 18. Hope to see you there!
Just in time for the holidays – shop The Marketplace!
The Marketplace at Sweet Tarragon is an online store hosted and run directly by us (well, by our alter egos at hot glue media). We’re designing it with our customers in mind to create a user-friendly shopping experience that is easy to navigate and use, with links to our favorite artists and great resources. Stay tuned for the grand opening, currently slated for mid-autumn 2008! Until then, please continue to visit our Etsy Shop for new items and great buys.
That’s all until next month!
~Mer and Dani~
New Item: Intergalactic Ice Cream
Just in time for the end of this east coast heat wave: the newest addition to our Etsy shop, Intergalactic Ice Cream, was inspired by the July Big Damn Crafters Challenge, Ice Planets.
The Big Damn Crafters are a group of Etsians who have banded together over their love of Joss Whedon’s series Firefly and its sister movie Serenity; the focus of this month’s challenge is the delectable dessert Ice Planet.
Useful Links:
- Ice Planet at the Firefly Wiki
- The Problem with Ice Planets (how to make your own!)
- Big Damn Crafters Blog
- Big Damn Crafters on Etsy
Summer Doldrums Begone
Dot at the Dabbled blog is looking for ways to beat the heat, or at the very least to celebrate it:
The theme is Summer Doldrums. Beat the heat (or cold, if you’re in that part of the world)! Arts & Crafts that celebrate summer, particularly stuff for kids (or for kids at heart). Accepted are: artwork, crafts, & tutorials. I’m going to ask some of our past winners to be judges this time (unless they want to enter themselves!). There will be prizes (TBA, but they will include both fun kids stuff & original artwork… Plus the fame and fortune that comes with links back to your blog! If you’d like to donate a prize — let me know -dot-at-dabbled-org-). Spread the word, the more the merrier!
My humble submission to the cause is Sweet Summer Days. The bright and cheery ribbed glass beads immediately reminded me of gummy worms, and I knew even before I designed it that it had to be strung on stretch cord in tribute to its gummy inspiration. (I did fashion a wire-and-clasp version, but it just didn’t work.) Great for kids of all ages!
Share your summer love with Dot here.
Welcome!
Welcome to the Sweet Tarragon Blog! We’re still in the process of getting things up and running, so please check back soon. In the meantime, why not…
- Visit our Etsy shop?
- Subscribe to our newsletter?
- Add the Sweet Tarragon Blog feed to your RSS catcher of choice?
- Visit some of our favorite crafters, like Om Shanti Handcrafts and A Beaded Affair?
See you soon!
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