Spark the Event - October 2011

From what I saw from years past and the previews we were shown through the website, I thought I had an idea of what to expect from Spark.

I had no idea.

What I ended up with was a new desire to learn, to stretch, to create, and of course, to make things pretty!

Two days filled with 200 other women all with the same desire to share their lives and talents and make new friends was AMAZING.

I really don't know how to sum up the whole event except to tell you that you really should start saving your money and try to attend next year. It's worth every dollar I paid (and there were 350 of those just for tuition) and every mile I drove (about 1100 each way!) to get to spend time with my sister.

Oddly, what I think I learned more was how to market myself. And by myself, I mean my goods. And by my goods, I mean Vanilla Extract, vintage goods, handmade hairbows and headbands, and trinkets.

Here are the fabulous pictures my sister took for me, who is equally fabulous.

My labels and hang tags were designed by my blogging friend Laura.

My display was an old hotpoint stove from the 1930s (which I was lucky enough to find IN Utah, thank goodness) and an antique collapsible wire laundry basket.
{Both are available for sale, should you fall in love with them like I did}

How did I do at the Market?

For my first one, I was pleased. I really had no idea what to expect.
I am ALWAYS curious how much people make and how much they have invested when they do craft events/boutiques, so I'm going to break it down for anyone who happens to stumble across this post.
8 - 16oz. bottles of vanilla extract (VE), priced at $20 each - sold within 2 hours
27 DIY Vanilla Extract Kits - sold all but 9, $8 each
12 - 4oz. bottles of VE - sold all, $7 each
24 - 8oz. bottles of VE - sold 15, $12 each
7 vintage aprons - sold 2-3 (don't remember) $13, each
countless felt hairbows - LOTS left over $6 each...no clue how many sold and no idea how many I have left.
The event took 10% of all sales, so my total sales was $676 something. I sold a few of the above items via trades with other vendors (madebyjewls and EmilyRooney) which don't factor into the number above. And I did a sale after the market closed and ended up with $100 bill for vanilla (also included in goods above) which didn't factor into the total above.
So, my take home was $690-something, after the 10% take and sales tax factored.
Was I happy? Yes. Very.

Will I do it again? Definitely. I am already figuring out how I can leave my 5-mo.-old baby for two days (well, he/she would come with, but maybe stay with my MIL during the day?) and at the same time, recruit my friends and sisters to come. And not just to help with my booth. ;)

And I'm already getting batches of vanilla stewing.
(The leftovers ALL sold right before Christmas to Ryan's coworkers!)