New Treasury Announcement!

I've grabbed us a New Treasury Yall!

Please visit, post, & click away!

Linda :)

Meeting - Tuesday, September 9th, 7:00pm

Our next meeting is Tuesday, September 9th at 7:00pm. If you are a Houston Area Artisan and are interested in attending this meeting or have questions about the meeting or our group, please email Pam at: pamelawhite2@yahoo.com to get details of the meeting restaurant and location.

Two more DiscoveryGreen Mtg. Group Pictures

Artisans of Houston Group Pics

Artisans of Houston - Aug 26, 2008 D.Green Group Pics

Here are 2 pictures of our group at Discovery Green August 26th meeting with Tiffany, board member of Central City Market. See previous post for details of the meeting.

September 9th meeting

Our next meeting is Tuesday, September 9th at 7:00pm. If you are a Houston Area Artisan and are interested in attending this meeting or have questions about the meeting or our group, please email Pam at: pamelawhite2@yahoo.com to get details of the meeting restaurant and location.

Pictures..

Here are some of the pictures from yesterday. Ain't we cute!!!??? ;)

Hi everyone,

Thanks a lot, Pam, for all the information you posted. Here are some of the pictures of the group from discovery green. Pam, you and I were both taking pics at the same time for the last ones, so we're not in some of those photos. I'm going to try to download them on here and see if it works. If not, I'll try on the other site.

I also clicked on all the people on Cindy's treasury...wrote to each on inviting them to our blogspot (Jo's) and to come to our meetings.

It was great to finally meet you Jo!! Hope to see you again soon. If you'll email me at dbechardcr2@hotmail.com we can discuss the cleaners you were going to tell me about.

And it was nice to meet you Karri and hope to see more of you! Did you get my email?

Tiffany was very clear about everything involved in the Christmas Green Market. It sounds like it will be fun and possibly profitable. Also sounds like a good thing to get involved with on the ground floor.

I did apply for a teaching job in the Lamar School District thinking I probably wouldn't get a job. Well, I've gotten two emails from former teacher friends in Roswell saying the Lamar schools requested reference letters from them, which they sent. So I may be getting a full time job! We'll see, and I'll keep you posted. I'd like to know soon though, because if I do take a job with them, I won't be able to manage the Discovery Green Market on Thursdays. I will find out as soon as possible.

Thanks and that's it for now,

Diane

Central City Holiday Market

On Tuesday, August 26, at 11:00am, Artisans of Houston met with Tiffany, a board member of the Central City Market. Central City Market is at Discovery Green which some of you may know is an urban park which opened in April of 2008 and is still building. It's located in downtown Houston very near the George Brown Convention Center and the Toyota Center.

FYI: An important detail for us as prospective Vendors to know is: according an article in the Houston Chronicle- August 17, that an estimated 250,000 people visited Discovery Green in it's first 3 months! People have come from all areas of Houston, including the Woodlands, Sugar Land and other Houston areas.

We had lunch at Lake House near the Market vendors area. Tiffany told our group of seven ladies all about the ins and outs of being a Vendor in Central Market's Holiday Market, which will be an extention of the year around, weekly market program. The year around Market which has been in existence for about four months is made up of vendors of naturally grown produce, and other, environmentally green products.

Artisan Vendors of Central Market are advised to use natural components when creating, using very little if no, synthetic ones, although Tiffany stressed that the parameters are mucn looser for the Holiday Market vendors. As of yet there are no hard and fast rules for the Holiday Market as the program is new and will continue to evolve.

Tiffany told us Market Vendors could expect loyalty and fair play from the organizers. An example given: One coffee vendor has been with them from the beginning and has worked very hard to build up his sales. When another coffee vendor (a well known according to Tiffany) approached her to become a vendor, she had to turn him down because she believed the first vendor could not stand the competition at this time.

It was suggested by Tiffany that vendors often don't always make much in sales the first day, but the sales have increased (in the experience of the current vendors) later. The most lucrative time for sales has been between 5:30 and 6:00, when employees in the area high rise buildings leave work. The office people can see the vendors from their windows which draws them over.

Aside from making sales, we were told that some vendors have experienced a growing customer following and more vistors to their websites.

Suggestions of what may further our business: business cards, flyers, books with pictures of other pieces.

In attendance: Tiffany, a board member and temporary promotions rep for Central City's Market, Cindy and son Ethan , Connie , Diane , Jo , Karri , Linda , and Pam

We will be provided with: 10x10 covered area
2-tables (most likely 6ft. each)
2-chairs

It's recommended that we bring a pair of rain walls which can be found at Academy for under $30.00 for 2.

It's recommended that two artisans occupy a booth for purposes of safety and cost effectiveness.

Cost per Vendor area (booth): $270.00 which includes 6 Thursdays: Nov. 6, 13, 20 and December 4, 11, 18, from 4:00 to 6:30.

There will be rain day vendor cost rebates according to Tiffany.

Drive in and Out Time: (the time that cars are driven on the grounds by the venders transporting - loading and unloading): 2:45 - 3:15 - this may change by 30 minutes on either side with Daylight Savings Time - (we'll be told at the time).

The necessity for strict procedures during the Drive in and Out was explained, the main emphasis was on the safety of the children who will be in the area.

Those interested in being a Vendor in the Holiday Market should email Tiffany by the first of October. She will have the Vendor applications ready by the end of this week - August 29th.

Tiffany's email: ttcentralcity@gmail.com

If anyone would like to add anything that I may have missed or not explained well or needs further comments please post them. Also - any discussions on the subject are encouraged so we can have and idea of how many of us are planning to get involved and who might want to team up with who etc.

Pam
http://serendipityrose.etsy.com

Houston in Living Color

I was prompted by Linda's example to create a Houston Treasury of my own. I was inspired by the photo that is top and center to create this Treasury. All the featured people in this Treasury would make great additions to our team. Alas, none of them are currently on the team, though some of them are on the Etsy Texas Crafters Team. Want to join the Houston group? Just leave a comment to that effect. We'll sign you up straight away! Here's the link to the Treasury: http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=23268 - please go visit it while it is still active. Leave a comment and click on every picture to move it up the hotness chart! Thanks!

Linda's Treasury Featuring Houston Artists

I grabbed an image of Linda's Treasury when it was still up. I'm sharing it here so you can see what she created. Go here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cindyjoy/2801910973/sizes/o/ to view it on my flickr page, where you will be able to read all the writing. Great mixture, Linda!

Wishlist requests as a comment?

If you are an Etsy shopper, and you would like to request a specific type of thing to be created for you, you might leave a comment to this post. At Etsy, you can convo(message) individual artisans by looking for the link that is called contact. You must be a registered user to convo, bid or sell on Etsy.

Lately, I think because of the limitations on our own time, cost of living, and the wider availability of cheap(often cheaply made) imported craft/home items we've forgotten the pleasure of an individually made item. OOAK stands for one of a kind, and in my youth, more things were OOAK because they were made by an individual.

They cost more because: in addition to time, the materials for making things can be quite expensive. Even working from my stash of fabrics for a quilt, it is necessary for me to purchase batting for the middle of the layers. This might run around $20.00 or even more for specialty sizes or types.

So, if there were a chartreuse quilt or whatever your heart desires, just what would that something be? Feel free to ask for anything, and one of us might be inspired to create it. After all, asking for what you want is part of receiving it sometimes...

Yale Streets Art Market

Just wanted to let yall know that SerendipityRose (Pam) and LindaGJ (me) are going to be in the Yale Streets Art Market on the 1st Saturday of November. The times are iffy right now, but it will be during the day and usually is from around 10am to 6pm. It costs 65.00 per booth and it's a blast to do, well at least I think so. Music, food, around 36 booths, and the people are really nice there. It's located in the Heights, which is on a fabulous street with great shops to also enjoy.
Location: Parking lot of the Wind and Water GalleryStreet: 19th Street, a few blocks west of Yale Street & in Houston, TX.
Website or Map: http://www.yalestreetmarket...
This event takes place every 1st Sat. of the month. During the hot days, it's held during the night and when it gets cooler, it's held during the day. Check it out!!!
Linda

New Houston Treasury

I just wanted to let yall know that there is a new Treasury I made featuring all us Artisians of Houston, except for me, and also including other Houston artists.
The link is: http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=3487
Take a look, leave a comment and click away!!!
Linda

Yale Street Art Market on Saturday, September 6

I will once again be exhibiting at the Yale Street Art Market. The market will be from 6 pm to 10 pm on Saturday, September 6. In addition to the Art Market, there is always tons of things going on in the Houston Heights on the First Saturday of every month. Check out these web sites for more details:

• Yale Street Art Market http://www.yalestreetmarket.com/Main/HomePage and
• Houston Heights First Saturdays http://www.heightsfirstsaturday.com/index.html

Come on by and check out my wares in person. In addition to my usual fare, I will have costumes for Halloween and the Renaissance Festival and Some new clothing items with pieced appliqués and other decoration. I hope to see you there!

Christmas Market at Discovery Green

On Tuesday, August 26th at 11:00 am, we will be meeting with Tiffany Tyler Kuffner to discuss participating in the Christmas Market at Discovery Green, which takes place every Thursday from the first one in November and until the last one before Christmas in December. The only exception is Thanksgiving Day. There won't be a market on that day. I am really excited to be able to have our group in on the first Christmas Market to be held at Discovery Green. This fabulous new downtown outdoor space is very popular with the affluent, near-town crowd. They started an organic food market earlier this year, which gets part of its funding from grants, making it an affordable place to have a booth. Discovery green sets up the pop up pavilions and can even process credit cards for you. The credit card service is currently paid for by one of the grants Tiffany managed to get hold of, so there is no cost to you for this service. Really. No cost. The customers buy "Market Bucks" from the market's stall and then they pay you in those "Market Bucks". You turn in the bucks at the end of the day, and the market gives you the full face value of the bucks. Too cool. They even designed the park with such markets in mind, meaning that you can drive right up to your booth space for loading in and out. In addition to all the other marketing the Discovery Green people are doing, an outdoor skating ring will open on Thanksgiving Day. That rink is going to attract quite a crowd, and Tiffany anticipates that some of the skaters and parents of the skating kids will come get some of their Holiday shopping done while they are there anyway. Additionally, we'll have the regular market customers, many of whom come to buy their produce every week. It isn't a big leap to think that people who buy organic produce directly from the farmers will want to buy handmade goods directly from the artist. I think it will be a great opportunity for all the artists, and the price is reasonable as well! Come to the lunch meeting and learn more, just please let us know you're coming so that we can get the right size table. If you want more information, leave a comment and a way to get hold of you!

Here are the meeting details from Tiffany:

I look forward to seeing you and the other Etsy crafters at lunch on Tuesday the 26th at 11:00.

http://www.discoverygreen.com/dining/

gives some details about the Lake House. They do open right at 11:00.

The directions and map at

http://www.discoverygreen.com/directions/

will help. I really recommend a meter space if you can get one. That hour of the morning should be OK for it.

More information about Central City and its operations at the Park can be found at:

http://www.centralcityco-op.org/discoverygreen.html

details about the holiday market are not up yet. I'm still working on the materials and trying to confirm things with the park before I write something that ends up not being true. We can talk about all of that on Tuesday.


I look forward to meeting all of you!

Tiffany

Miss Peanut Jones wants to Join in the Fun!

Hi Yall!

This is the 1st time I've been able to check out the new Blog page & I wanted to add Miss Peanut in her Cowgirl Costume for a little more Texan pizzaz. We have a lot of talent in this little Team of ours here in Houston!

Kudos to the Blog Page Jo!!!

Linda