Gift and Craft Festival

Sunday May 20th 2018

10am-5pm

Royal Marine Hotel, Dunlaoghaire, Co Dublin

FREE Admission for our Customers!

 The Summer Gift and Craft Festival holds Over 60 stands of:

Art, Contemporary Design, handmade Jewellery, Custom made Frames, Bespoke clothing, Children’s clothes, Hampers, Keepsake Boxes, Personalised Gifts, Photography, Cosmetics, /Beauty Products, Healthcare, Treats, Cakes and Jams, Homewares, Candles, Unique Items, Woodwork, Cards, and much more. 

LIST OF EXHIBITORS: https://craftfestival.wordpress.com/20th-may-exhibitors/ 

• The balcony will be used for some workshops, as it allows your customers to relax and enjoy their time in comfort.
• Guilds, Associations and Societies are very welcome to have a stand which we will promote and have special prices for.
• Promoting through newspaper, radio, road signage, leaflets and internet.
• Website page will be built for each exhibitor on receipt of payment, images and contact details all included promoting your business.
• Free entry into Festival  for customers, tables and plug sockets supplied as standard in our bright spacious venue.
• On street  parking free, good access for set up and dismantling of Festival.
• To apply please send us 3 images of your craft AND web address of your workshops/classes/Supplies…stating if you are a supplier/designer/teacher or combination

Contact us on:   irishcraftfestival@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/Craftfestival/ 

Latest updates and competitions on their Facebook page…

Popularity: 65% [?]

If you are starting to paint professionally check out this site for basic information:

http://paintingprofessionally.wordpress.com/

If you are starting your own craft business, no matter how small check out:

http://startyourowncraftbusiness.wordpress.com/

Whether you have decided to make money from your passion, set up a market or fair, sell to the public for the first time or you have not lifted off the ground as you hoped, help is at hand.

Popularity: 37% [?]

 Sunday 13th November 2016

(all enquiries to craftfestival2016@gmail.com)

Royal Marine Hotel, Dunlaoghaire, Co Dublin

Come and wander around over 60 stands of craft and art stands, enjoy the creative atmosphere, meet the makers and get inspired!!

FREE Admission for our Customers!

The Craft Festival holds Over 60 stands of:

Jewellery, Slate, Clothing, Artworks, Photography, Cosmetics, Home Accessories, Decorations, Hats, Furniture, Candles, Cakes, Hair Accessories, Kitchenware, Glass, Felt, Cards, Fascinators, Original paintings, Wood, Silver Jewellery, Cushions, Raffle, 

All made by hand, come and meet the makers!

We do not have competition between stand holders within our events…do not delay, apply today!

Popularity: 13% [?]

www.irishcraftfestival.com

Royal Marine Hotel, DunLaoghaire

Sunday 22nd May 10am – 5pm

Free Admission for your customers

(free street parking in DunLaoghaire on Sundays)

Book your table now to sell directly to your customers, book in some commissions and expose your new designs!

If we have availability for your products, you receive your Application form, it must be completed and returned by Thursday 12th May with Full Payment to secure your place at Craft Festival 2016. Please do not delay as this event gets booked up quickly, an email declining your place can be very disappointing.

Send 3 images of your product to craftfestival2016@gmail.com
this is to assess your product and then will be used for your web page.

We do not have direct competition within our events, all stands vetted for variety and quality.

Each stand holder has their own webpage to advertise their products before, during and after the event.

Stand Sizes Available :

• 6ft Table @ 65Euro

• 8ft Table @ 75Euro

• 14ft Table @ 140Euro

• 16ft Table @ 150 Euro

• 22ft Table @ 180Euro

▪ 14ft x 9ft Shop Space 150Euro

▪ 8ft x 10ft Shop Space 150Euro

▪ 16ft x 14ft Approx Shop Space 220 Euro

Shop spaces are limited; all stands will be positioned to complement each other by organisers.

Workshop space available.
Demonstration space available, and/or advertise your shop/classes and book in new clients/students!

www.irishcraftfestival.com

Popularity: 13% [?]

Over 50 stands of hand-picked quality, great priced products.
Come and meet the makers, it costs nothing to look!!

Raffle in aid of charity: AWARE , 1st prize 16gb Tablet!!!

Check out the website for a taste of the festival!!
www.IrishCraftFestival.com

Popularity: 20% [?]

.

Over 60 stands of great gift ideas.

Free admission

Sunday 9th December,   10am to 5pm

Royal Marine Hotel, DunLaoghaire, Co Dublin

www.giftfairireland.com/

Lots of entertainment for all the family including face painting,  balloon animals, colouring competition, post your letter to Santa,  Raffle with spot prizes, ‘What would you give Santa for Christmas’ competition.

Checkout our site www.GiftFairIreland.com for a list of our standholders

Popularity: 20% [?]

Date: Thursday 21st July 2011

Venue :  The Creative Space, Churchview Road, Killiney, Co DUblin

Time:  8pm

Cost: 10 Euro

This group is open to anyone working in the Art and Craft section, if there is strength in numbers then this is how it happens.  Find people you would like to have exhibitions with, swap tips on good suppliers or fairs, and each meeting will have a theme which will benefit your business based on the craft mentoring workshop at www.craftmentoring.com

To come along Contact Karen Harper  on 086 888 5321 

or email: craftconnect@gmail.com

Are you starting your own craft business, wanting to sell your art professionally, need to renew your product to fit into the current market, would like creative friends that you could run exhibitions with, would like to start teaching your craft or art,  are interested in running craft fairs/markets…this is the network that has no limits, will cater for your needs and be as flexible as possible.

Within the meetings we will cover:  Selling yourself on the internet- what the customer is looking for and how to give it to them. //  Pricing your product.// blogs v websites // artists statement, profile, about me // applying to galleries or shops //setting up a market or Fair // Exhibitions and selling // branding yourself and your product.

For more information about what the meetings will contain check out www.craftmentoring.com  

www.paintingprofessionally.info   

www.startyourowncraftbusiness.com

(The first meeting is free for all members of The Irish Craft Association)

Popularity: 40% [?]

Surviving 2011
With a year of a recession behind us, we are now getting used to the lack of sales from years before, the new amount of customers just looking and the customers you do have trying to get the best their money can buy them.
Below are a few tips to help you survive in your business for 2011

• 1.       Be flexible, the old ways of doing things will not match the new way people are thinking, so be flexible.  See what works and does not work and suit your product to that situation.  If people want a cheaper version of your product, see how you can use a more efficient technique to make it, or a more cost effective way to package the product without undermining the product itself.  Comparing your business now to a few years ago is wasting your energy….remodel and rethink, give yourself a fresh start and new goals.

• 2.       Branch out…instead of dropping the price of your product, why not resize it or make a new branch of your product where you can be more flexible on the price!  A small sale is better than no income at all!

• 3.       Make something for yourself…..when you just love doing something you seem to do it no matter what the cost…instead of having a bad sale make it for yourself and keep in mind that the market can change again so you will have new opportunities to sell in the future.

• 4.       Learn something new…….if you are out sourcing something for your product that you could learn yourself, then while the market is slow this is a prime opportunity to learn.  There are many night classes in basic computing, web design, photography, graphic design, paper making, crochet, felt making ….the list goes on.  Learn something new today, even if it is not related to your craft, it opens up your creative inspiration.

• 5.       Safety in numbers…… Working in a group means that you get more people to shoulder the costs, organising and risks.  Instead of organising an exhibition of your work and having just your advertising , finance and style of stock for the event, if you have a couple of other people exhibiting with you, you can attract a wider audience with a collection of styles of work to suit many different types of customers.  Joining your mailing list with those that are in the group means you will get a much bigger group of customers to see your work.  Other people will bring different skills to the event, as everyone cannot be great at everything, so sharing out all the work to be done before you begin means that you can work on your product as well as having input to the event, without the burden of being responsible for everything.

• 6.       Old Stock recycled or in storage…….if there is an expensive item that has not paid its way and you are about to give up on it, if possible could you dismantle it and make it into something new or many new pieces. If you are attached to something there is nothing wrong with putting it in storage….there may be a time that you know it is right to sell it or when you can cash it in.

• 7.       Stop selling your gold…….have you ever wondered who is buying all your old gold????? You are selling something that is incredibly valuable.  Do not sell gold, silver or any other metal that is ‘lying’ around…….you are selling your wealth!  When there are shops closing all over the country, how are these shops opening up in the smallest corners in every town….you are under selling your metals and it is the only thing that is not losing its value…..never has and probably never will.  People are not buying shares, property or using the stock market….they are buying gold and silver coins, blocks or whatever they can get their hands on.  If you are not in need of the meagre 50 euro you are getting for you old gold chain then stick your gold and silver in your safe….and leave it there! That’s your retirement fund!

• 8.       Teach, Share or work in your community….. When selling your product is not enough to earn an income why not spread your skills to help others grow.  People usually know if they are set out to be teachers so it will be easy for them to fall into this roll - whether you approach your local school or community centre and ask them about teaching weekend classes or night courses in your chosen field, or do a one-off workshop where people can come for a day to do a complete project and enjoy lunch with likeminded people while learning a new skill.         There is also the opportunity of working with an active retirement group, children, disabled people or people with learning disabilities.   

• 9.       Staff is your biggest outgoing cost……Having been an employer and an employee I understand both sides of this story.  All employers want their staff to be happy….happy staff work harder and are more effective and efficient when they are appreciated.  Employers know that staff need to be paid to keep them, but also know that wages are the biggest outgoing  and are the first thing that need to be cut to help a business survive.  Instead of letting your staff go,  by asking them to sub-contract themselves to you, you  are paying them for the work that they do for you, and you are allowing them to be independent if they can get other work too.  It is very hard to let good staff go, but if there is no business left for anyone then cut backs need to be made.

• 10.   Don’t take it personally……you are only responsible for yourself.  You cannot make decisions for anyone else.   Take advice, criticism and help when you can and most of all listen to yourself.  We have got where we are today by experience and taking chances that feel right for ourselves. Listen to your gut feelings and most of all keep going…!

Karen Harper

Popularity: 58% [?]

If you would like to be added to the Noticeboard craft newsletter just email me at karen.noticeboard@gmail.com

Get updates about fairs, exhibitions, suppliers, services and relevant information straight to your email inbox!

Popularity: 35% [?]

Seems a lifetime since I started Noticeboard -  craft newsletter althought it is only 14 months ago.(May 07)
Then in October 07 I started this blog  www.irishcraftupdate.com/blog, and soon followed with  setting up the Irish Craft Association*,then started monthly meetings called Feedback*for artists and crafts people to meet and get together to network and move forward in their businesses. (1st Thurs of each month in Blackrock)

On 13th December 07 I opened up the Expose Yourself Gallery, displaying art and photography from emerging and up and coming artists that were willing to get out there and sell their work!

On the 19th of January I took on the Craft Rooms* in Blackrock for people to use to teach from and on the 31st of January I opened the Gallery craft shop in DunLaoire.

It has been a busy 14 months!

The Gallery closed as did the craft shop due to rent negotiations going badly and so I took the bull by the horns and contacted Ben Dunne – knowing he was interested in looking after the ‘young artists’ .
After a meeting I am now running the Nora Dunne Gallery* in Terenure!

Nora Dunne Gallery
What a magnificent building – 5000sq feet, with 3 teaching rooms* above it! (I divided upstairs as the space was big enough for there to be more than one class running at a time.) The teaching rooms* are perfect, all having a large sink with ample lighting for big and small classes.
The Gallery will still be looking after the emerging artists, with many well known names thrown in.
I am also doing the interior design of the Gallery and have input on all aspects of the build, to make this the Gallery to be in.

Coming from an interior design background I am making it spacious but also using the huge building to its capacity. Great 4 meter high ceiling in the main Gallery, with the most modern gallery lighting system.

We have an exhibition space* that a person can rent out. It is so big we can divide it for two people to use at the same time and also make it more cost effective for the artists..

So when does it open I hear so many people ask??

We are aiming for late October, but Ben Dunne will make sure everything is right before we open the doors…and I have to add his builder is one in a million so I have no doubt that it will be spectacular!

This goes back to the comment I keep saying that all the experience you have in your life will be used again. I have just finished the logo and the design of the reception area. The Interior design years, the renovation years, the CAD courses and managing the Bar in town, and clothes shop in London have all been great experience. All I have to do now is find the perfect staff, enough art and crafts to fill this space and keep coming up with  all the ideas I had before.  The times I walked around introducing myself to people at Art Ireland, Craft Fairs and Stephens Green are all paying off as I have a huge selection of people I would love to display work for.

The Nora Dunne will have the same principles as I had before.
• Artists will be paid for their sold work quickly (within 14 days).
• There will be a small commission (25% on artwork) so the customer gets a good deal and will make the artwork sell quicker.

• We will have a short hanging time to let the artists be in full control of their work, as I believe that artists are all self-employed and should be not be tied down to long commitments.

The Nora Dunne Gallery will still have friendly staff that will be on hand to give advice and assistance with all queries to artists and customers. It should be like calling into a friends place and being able to see fantastic art hanging for all to buy!

What can I say, an amazing opportunity, I had asked for someone to come along and give me a building and let me keep going as I had been, but this is better…..be careful what you wish for!

(Yes Ben Dunne is a great guy to work for, very fair, open to new ideas, a business head like no other and has the ability to get things done!)

Bang…just landed on my feet! Hard work pays off.

Popularity: 22% [?]