Becca Hillburn

Preparing for Fall Fest and Thoughts on Craft Fairs- Patreon Newsletter November 7th (Patreon)

Published:

2023-11-08 01:03:17

Imported:

2026-10

Tags:

Backer Newsletter Backer Update Christmas Ornaments Patreon Newsletter Patreon Update

Content

Hey Artnerds!

Guess what's coming up this weekend?

Destrehan Fall Fest:

Saturday and Sunday, November 11th & 12thDestrehan Plantation

If you're a local to the area and been before, I'll be in the same front corner I was in last year!

New Prints for Fall Fest

I've been busy this year with some new pieces of art, and I can't wait to offer many of them as affordable art prints at the Fall Fest! If yall see any you like, fear not- they're also available in the Natto Shop! This isn't everything that's new- I've been updating the shop regularly and sharing the new art prints over on Instagram!

I also have these really cute Louisiana sticker sets! They're vinyl, so they're waterproof!

Lilliputian Living:

WHEW! October art challenges are now OVER! I'm getting Lilliputian Living scanned so I can share it as coloring pages with yall, and working on new challenges- preparing for fall shows and Christmas.

Doing an inked sketchbook challenge every day in October puts me at a disadvantage to prepare for holiday shows, so I'm thinking of moving Lilliputian Living to September to allow me the month of October to start preparing for winter holidays. I feel so unprofessional scrambling the week after October ends getting ready for Fall Fest, and its not like I'm participating in any popular October Art hashtags anyway. And since these are inked sketches, I COULD tag them as #Sketchtember, so perhaps it's time to shake things up!

Those of you who have been with me awhile know Lilliputian Living has a tendency to throw off my recording schedule a bit (unless you count non stop Lilliputian Living videos), so rest assured- I am working on things! It just takes awhile, but I appreciate yalls patience!

Thoughts on Craft Fairs & Vending Events:

I wanted to kinda pick your brains a little- this is a topic I've talked about with a buddy who's interested in fiber crafts. I've kinda asked around on The Paintbox and Youtube, but I've noticed that there are a lot of new shows popping up that don't seem to have any budget, promotion, or even planning. I'm STARTING to learn the earmarks of these shows in advance so I can avoid them, but I wanted to see if yall had any input or experience to share!

These are shows I find out about via a Louisiana Vendor group I belong to on Facebook.

Usually their first year, and they're usually actively soliciting for vendors, but don't mention looking for other types of entertainment.

You only seem to hear about them via Facebook- generally their own posts or maybe posts they've gotten boosted by local groups, and they don't seem to do any sort of promotion that might cost money (like fliers, corrogated plastic signs, paid Instagram or Facebook ads).

They are also often put on by 'event organizers'- sometimes these event organizers are actually vending at the show, sometimes they're store owners who are hosting this event, and sometimes it's a local group.

Down here, they often but not always require event insurance, and sometimes the cost for the space (no tent, no tables, just the space) far exceeds what you would expect from a brand-new show.

Often these new shows are the same day or the previous weekend to a bigger, more popular, more established show, so the crowd is either there or holding on to their money.

If they have a website, there isn't really a schedule of events or a list of the other vendors selling.

Sometimes these events charge admission, but often it feels like they're really making their money by selling spaces to vendors.

Generally, these events are held in public parks or very cheap venues (like the VFW Hall).

They may not be on a thoroughfare that gets much thru traffic or walking traffic, and generally they have nothing outside AROUND the event to attract attention or let people know there's a show going on.

I feel like when the Event Host is making all their money off the Vendors, and don't take the steps necessary to ensure an audience or a good show, that's a bit predatory. I know people across the country are having a hard time making ends meet right now- Louisiana is no exception. I don't think any of us have the money to waste paying for a space and not see a decent return on time and investment. Although I feel I was a bit misled with the Peculiar Market, we still broke even, and we managed to recognize the warning signs in advance and dodge the bullet with an event this weekend, and may possibly dodge the bullet with a December event that has similar stripes.

When I lived in Nashville, I had a large enough local audience that I felt like I could risk dicey shows like this- enough fans would show up to buy original art or order commissions, but since moving to Louisiana, I'm starting over again. If I'm going to put that time into promoting a show and begging people to pay to attend, I feel I might as well just encourage them to visit my online shop, email me about commissions, or just hang out with me in The Paintbox. I have absolutely no problem doing my part to promote shows I'm attending, but I feel the show should be worth my friends and fans' time.

Preparing for Destrehan Fall Fest

That Giant Bead Necklace

Is such a disaster, I've had to completely redo the letter beads and still need to restring it.

Ordering Christmas Cards:

Generally I use a POD service, like Shutterfly or Moo when ordering cards, but this year, I wanted to try something a little different. A convention acquaintance recommended the printshop they work for, and I figured I'd give it a try.

I am SO used to websites that have a built in WYSIWYG editor that allows you to upload your files and crop them on the site, so while I was able to get the files formatted (I THINK?) the response time from the owner has been rather slow (and I mean, I get it, my rush isn't his emergency), and I've had to poke for answers. The delays in response time probably mean there's absolutely no chance I'll get my cards in time for Fall Fest, which is a bummer, as if I want them to sell, I'll probably have to pick up at least one more show this year. I can't blame the company, but this is the reason I opted not to go with Catprint- they're shortstaffed right now, and I had an issue with some proofs, and it took them SO LONG to respond to any little thing (like a week in between emails). I love Catprint's quality though, so I'm willing to forgive- and keep in mind that I have to build in even more time if I want to get proofs from them.

Painting Magnolia Ornaments

I have a few more I'm working on, and have been sharing the progress on Instagram! I'll put what doesn't sell at Fall Fest in the shop, and I have some more blanks coming in that I'll continue painting into December.

Early Access:

Maimeri Blu Professional Grade Watercolor Review: https://www.patreon.com/posts/92345368

New to the Public:

Tuesday, October 24th: How to Sketch, Ink, and Watercolor Paint a Cute Punkin Witch from Start to Finish: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWTDD95Bn5E&t=2s

Sunday, October 29th: Was This a Huge Mistake? Painting Louisiana Iris Flowers on White Rubber Boots: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gIzx8zIG7k

Tuesday, October 31st: Start to Finish! Windblown Mushroom Girl: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzQa_Gx8wEw

Sunday, November 5th: Finally! A Watercolor Kit I Like! Feileniao Watercolor Set- It Came from Ali Express: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElsO4N0hbas