So far, I've been able to confirm a few events that I will be exhibiting at in 2010. There are a few more that are pending, but in any case, I've listed the first few so that you can plan in advance to come out and visit me so that I'm not sitting by my lonesome self. *ahem*
Sunday, March 7th
The spring San Diego Quarterly Comic Con (10am-4pm) will be a special event to benefit the Boys & Girls Club -- so it's not just nerdishness! It's nerdishness for a good cause. Free admission for kids 12 & under! And $7 at the door for adults (OR $5 if you print the SDQC homepage OR $4 if you order tickets via will call).
This is my first time going to this show, but I think it should be interesting. It seems more like a "dealer show" like the ones that are at the Shrine Auditorium in LA (mostly giant boxes of comic books, for people looking for rarities) and in the vein of the old school comic conventions. So it might be a good thing to have something a little different from what everyone else is selling.
Friday, April 2- Sunday, April 4
It's Wondercon! Ryan went to this show for the first time ever last year and loved it. It's organized by the same kindly folks (Comic Con International) who throw the big shindig in San Diego (COMIC CON!!!) but it's a much smaller show, and in San Francisco to boot! Lots of indie books, small press, and other local/small-ish artists. Ryan loved everything about it and he decided then and there that we would be back. I'm actually on the wait list for a table, but there's a very good chance that I'll be selling here too! I'll have my stuff in my luggage, just in case. You might even see me hawking it by the subway stop - why not?
Thursday, May 27 - Sunday, May 30 (Memorial Day Weekend)
Back to Phoenix Comic Con! Last year was our first time ever visiting this show and we got an Artist Alley table and loved it. Not just that I sold everything that I brought (thank you, good people of Phoenix!) but all the people were so nice. Lots of young people who were artistic and thoughtful and sweet and would come and chat -- so unlike everywhere else that we've been! The young people of Phoenix (or at least the ones hanging around comic conventions) are super swell. I'm really looking forward to this show. Plus, some of my crafty pals are also coming back for Year Two, although they've upgraded to a full booth (!). So be sure to stop by and see me (ahem) and then check out the Sock Zombie and Puppet Pie booth!
Thursday, July 22 - Sunday, July 25
San Diego Comic Con: the granddaddy of all comic conventions. I don't think I'll actually have a table at this show, but it's possible -- I've got a couple of irons in the fire (wish me luck!). But I may be doing something adjunct to the actual convention floor... I'll keep you posted. Regardless, if you happen to be coming out for this one, keep in touch! We'll meet for snow cones or something!
Friday, October 8 - Sunday, October 10
Our first east coast trip of the year! All the way to New York city for the NY Comic Con! We've attended this lively little convention twice but haven't exhibited yet. I'm excited to see what happens! The show gets bigger every year and you know what they need? DOT PAINTINGS!
Friday, October 29 - Sunday, October 31
Long Beach Comic Con returns! This was a super fun show last year and I am excited to be a part of it again. This show is more of an "artist show" where the artists are on prominent display. Sure, there's toys and collectibles and panel discussions and movie previews - but more than anywhere else, your favorite artists are literally on display! Right there! Just walk up and say hi! I credit this wise artist-centric focus for the general cheeriness of the crowd. Everyone was smiling and excited - which is so much fun for a vendor. I get to talk to happy people! Who then smile at my silly artwork!
There is at least one more show that I am trying to slip into the schedule and possibly return to the Quarterly conventions if it works out well. It's going to be a busy year! But I'm excited to get started! I suppose I should be working on things to sell, eh?
Friday, February 19, 2010
Now accepting credit cards and PayPal at shows and craft fairs
I guess the title says it all, but the other day I set out, determined to figure out how to accept credit cards at craft fairs and conventions and various other "real world" places that I sell my stuff. A while back, I had applied to be part of the beta test of Square which actually integrates with your cell phone to allow you to swipe credit cards (pretty cool!!), but since they're still in the early phases of testing the system, there's no guarantee (or even speculation) that I will be accepted into the pilot program in time for my selling season. So I needed an alternative.
I considered that at many places, like outdoor craft fairs, I won't have electrical access or usually even wifi, so payments using the computer were out - as were most electronic card readers/scanners. I could purchase one of the old-school capture-your-credit-card-through-the-magic-of-carbon-paper devices, which isn't too expensive, but I'd have to process all the receipts the same day (which can be done online) and in the interim risk that the card would be declined (not a giant gamble for me, since I don't make many million dollar sales, but also a pain in the neck because my items are too "low value" to have recourse if the card declines or is fraudulent). But mainly, it was the processing fees that got me. Many of the services that allow you to process credit transactions charge a monthly and/or annual fee -- which, again, isn't crazy expensive (~$35/mo) but I don't do enough in-person sales to justify it.
So then I explored the various options that are available as iPhone applications. Again: awesome gadgets and slick interfaces, but the fees were too steep for me personally.
And then it came to me: DUH! I already use PayPal for everything (as do a lot of people), so why not just make an easy way for people to pay me via PayPal? PayPal also accepts credit cards for people who don't have PayPal accounts, so that pretty much covers all my bases. Yeah, there's still a per-transaction fee charged, but it's lower than most credit card services and there's no annual fee or monthly fee to use PayPal. Best of all: I already am familiar with PayPal and I know how to transfer my money out of there (or use it to buy more stuff!) - AND there is a PayPal debit card available, so that you can actually spend the money from your PayPal earnings, just like a bank account (I'm deeply interested in this).
My solution: create a page on my website that will coordinate PayPal purchasing AND be mobile-phone friendly! That way, I can offer customers my phone to use or if they have internet access on their phone, they can process the transaction themselves. And if the venue happens to have wifi, then I will provide my laptop for use as well.
Because my inventory changes at every show, it didn't make sense to set up an itemized list with pricing. Plus, I'd have to account for every possible combination of costs or partial cash payments... too much trouble. Instead, I used the PayPal merchant services to create a "donate" button which allows the buyer to specify the exact amount they want to pay.
I went one step further and customized the payment button (instead of the bland, yellow PayPal button) to match my site colors and graphics (I made it myself in Photoshop).
See my payment page here: http://www.giddygirlie.com/pay Please note - this is a "live" page so if you complete a transaction, you will actually be sending me money. So don't do that, unless you wanted to buy me lunch today! ;-)
I considered that at many places, like outdoor craft fairs, I won't have electrical access or usually even wifi, so payments using the computer were out - as were most electronic card readers/scanners. I could purchase one of the old-school capture-your-credit-card-through-the-magic-of-carbon-paper devices, which isn't too expensive, but I'd have to process all the receipts the same day (which can be done online) and in the interim risk that the card would be declined (not a giant gamble for me, since I don't make many million dollar sales, but also a pain in the neck because my items are too "low value" to have recourse if the card declines or is fraudulent). But mainly, it was the processing fees that got me. Many of the services that allow you to process credit transactions charge a monthly and/or annual fee -- which, again, isn't crazy expensive (~$35/mo) but I don't do enough in-person sales to justify it.
So then I explored the various options that are available as iPhone applications. Again: awesome gadgets and slick interfaces, but the fees were too steep for me personally.
And then it came to me: DUH! I already use PayPal for everything (as do a lot of people), so why not just make an easy way for people to pay me via PayPal? PayPal also accepts credit cards for people who don't have PayPal accounts, so that pretty much covers all my bases. Yeah, there's still a per-transaction fee charged, but it's lower than most credit card services and there's no annual fee or monthly fee to use PayPal. Best of all: I already am familiar with PayPal and I know how to transfer my money out of there (or use it to buy more stuff!) - AND there is a PayPal debit card available, so that you can actually spend the money from your PayPal earnings, just like a bank account (I'm deeply interested in this).
My solution: create a page on my website that will coordinate PayPal purchasing AND be mobile-phone friendly! That way, I can offer customers my phone to use or if they have internet access on their phone, they can process the transaction themselves. And if the venue happens to have wifi, then I will provide my laptop for use as well.
Because my inventory changes at every show, it didn't make sense to set up an itemized list with pricing. Plus, I'd have to account for every possible combination of costs or partial cash payments... too much trouble. Instead, I used the PayPal merchant services to create a "donate" button which allows the buyer to specify the exact amount they want to pay.
I went one step further and customized the payment button (instead of the bland, yellow PayPal button) to match my site colors and graphics (I made it myself in Photoshop).
See my payment page here: http://www.giddygirlie.com/pay Please note - this is a "live" page so if you complete a transaction, you will actually be sending me money. So don't do that, unless you wanted to buy me lunch today! ;-)
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Virgin Mary
This was a special request - and I'm not sure why I've never made Mary before. She's so cute in her simplistic style.
Her arms are 'dimensional' meaning that I have painted several layers to build up the paint, rather than just paint the outlines. Her robes are edged in gold and covered in a blanket of golden stars. Her hands are held in meditative prayer, and her eyes are softly closed.
This was my first religious icon that I have ever worked with - a wee bit intimidating!
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Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shop or email me for a custom order! . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .
Her arms are 'dimensional' meaning that I have painted several layers to build up the paint, rather than just paint the outlines. Her robes are edged in gold and covered in a blanket of golden stars. Her hands are held in meditative prayer, and her eyes are softly closed.
This was my first religious icon that I have ever worked with - a wee bit intimidating!
Interested in owning a piece like this?
Monday, February 15, 2010
Han Solo
My first Star Wars peg person: Han Solo! Han is wearing the pants with the red stripes on the sides, which I have been informed are from the 'best' of the Star Wars movies (I have no opinion, personally).
His belt is decked out with all the requisite gear and his vest has the correct number of pockets - I checked! The pockets are painted on the vest 'dimensionally' by layering the paint, so they're pretty subtle in photos, but I promise, they're there!
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Interested in owning a piece like this?
Check out my Etsy shop or email me for a custom order! . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .
His belt is decked out with all the requisite gear and his vest has the correct number of pockets - I checked! The pockets are painted on the vest 'dimensionally' by layering the paint, so they're pretty subtle in photos, but I promise, they're there!
Interested in owning a piece like this?
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Dr. House
Full disclosure: I have never watched "House" so I only had still pictures to work with when creating this wooden version. He's got the typical gloomy face and dressed-down demeanor, complete with wooden cane (not shown in this picture).
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Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shop or email me for a custom order! . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .
Interested in owning a piece like this?
Friday, February 12, 2010
Wonder Woman
More super hero goodness - this time in the form of Wonder Woman! She's decked out in her saucy outfit and golden crown and thigh-high boots, ready to kick some serious bad-guy booty!
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Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shop or email me for a custom order! . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .
Not included: invisible plane
Interested in owning a piece like this?
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Owl-ways Love You cross stitch locket
Inspired by a million cheesy valentines comes the "Owl-ways love you" cross stitch locket!
The locket itself is approx. 1.5" wide and 2" tall on the outside and is on a 24" chain. The cross stitch piece inside is ~1" wide and 1.25" tall.The locket is silver metal (not real silver) and has a wonderful owl inset on the front and a diamond pattern on the back. I have included an original cross stitch piece (of a charming Owl, who will owl-ways love you!) on only ONE side of the locket, so that a picture of someone you'll Owl-ways love can be added to the other side.
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Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shop or email me for a custom order! . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .
The locket itself is approx. 1.5" wide and 2" tall on the outside and is on a 24" chain. The cross stitch piece inside is ~1" wide and 1.25" tall.The locket is silver metal (not real silver) and has a wonderful owl inset on the front and a diamond pattern on the back. I have included an original cross stitch piece (of a charming Owl, who will owl-ways love you!) on only ONE side of the locket, so that a picture of someone you'll Owl-ways love can be added to the other side.
Interested in owning a piece like this?
Hot Sea Men cross stitch locket
Based on one of my favorite scenes on Arrested Development (watch the :30 clip here) comes the "Hot Sea Men" cross stitch locket!
This locket is a gold tone metal with a very pretty floral pattern inscribed on the outside, which was just CALLING for something a little risque to go inside. The locket itself is approx. 1.5" tall and 1" wide on the outside and is on a 24" chain. The cross stitch piece inside is ~3/4" wide and 1.25" tall.
These three sailors are decked out in their dress blues and white caps and ready to sail away with you!
. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .
Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shop or email me for a custom order! . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .
This locket is a gold tone metal with a very pretty floral pattern inscribed on the outside, which was just CALLING for something a little risque to go inside. The locket itself is approx. 1.5" tall and 1" wide on the outside and is on a 24" chain. The cross stitch piece inside is ~3/4" wide and 1.25" tall.
These three sailors are decked out in their dress blues and white caps and ready to sail away with you!
Interested in owning a piece like this?
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Africa Dot Painting
Some days I get some incredibly interesting commissions, like this one: my first continent! :-D
The requestor was ordering it for a friend who does a lot of charitable work in Africa and wanted something to commemorate her achievements. I love the sentiment of it - what a thoughtful friend! Both of them!
The heart indicates the area where the charity work has taken place -- and where a little bit of this woman's heart has been given. Isn't that darling?
I was very happy to be a part of this exchange. This piece will always hold a special place in my heart - and I hope it does for them as well!
. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .
Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shop or email me for a custom order! . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .
The requestor was ordering it for a friend who does a lot of charitable work in Africa and wanted something to commemorate her achievements. I love the sentiment of it - what a thoughtful friend! Both of them!
The heart indicates the area where the charity work has taken place -- and where a little bit of this woman's heart has been given. Isn't that darling?
I was very happy to be a part of this exchange. This piece will always hold a special place in my heart - and I hope it does for them as well!
Interested in owning a piece like this?
Friday, February 5, 2010
Pizza Flavored Ice Cream
Last night, we went to see one of our favorite comedians, Mike Birbiglia, at the UCB Theatre which was awesome. He did a "light" version of his Sleepwalk With Me show, which was sooo fantastic. (listen to a portion of it on This American Life) I had wanted to go to New York to see his show, but it closed before I could get myself across the country to get there. Boo! So when I saw he was coming to UCB, I snapped up tickets quickly and I have never been more satisfied with anything I have done in my life. Ever.
The show is so moving. It's hilarious, for sure, but it's also just so touching. It's the true story of his sleepwalking disorder, which doesn't sound like great content for comedy, but... it is. And the way he tells it... wow. He is a masterful storyteller, to say the least. We left there just saying "wow" over and over. He had the entire theater eating out of the palm of his hand.
If you're familiar with his style, then you'll know that he's not a "shock" comic, going for big deliveries. Instead, his punchlines are these soft fluffy things that are literally the feather needed to knock you out of your chair. The entire audience had tears in their eyes; first from laughing(the guy behind me literally spit in my hair, laughing so hard) and then from being genuinely touched. Hard to describe, but when he comes to your town DO NOT MISS HIM.
*sigh*
Anyway, one of the jokes that he made was about pizza flavored ice cream (two great things rolled into one!) and for some reason, it just stuck in my brain. So tonight, I made this little mock-up of what pizza flavored ice cream would look like.
Just a bit of silly fun in an homage to someone I respect greatly.
The show is so moving. It's hilarious, for sure, but it's also just so touching. It's the true story of his sleepwalking disorder, which doesn't sound like great content for comedy, but... it is. And the way he tells it... wow. He is a masterful storyteller, to say the least. We left there just saying "wow" over and over. He had the entire theater eating out of the palm of his hand.
If you're familiar with his style, then you'll know that he's not a "shock" comic, going for big deliveries. Instead, his punchlines are these soft fluffy things that are literally the feather needed to knock you out of your chair. The entire audience had tears in their eyes; first from laughing(the guy behind me literally spit in my hair, laughing so hard) and then from being genuinely touched. Hard to describe, but when he comes to your town DO NOT MISS HIM.
*sigh*
Anyway, one of the jokes that he made was about pizza flavored ice cream (two great things rolled into one!) and for some reason, it just stuck in my brain. So tonight, I made this little mock-up of what pizza flavored ice cream would look like.
Just a bit of silly fun in an homage to someone I respect greatly.
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