Wednesday Chat reminder!

730 pm 11/3/10

Hey I met up with some of our guild and or potential members of the guild this weekend!  Thanks and it was great running into you all.

For those of you new to the guild, we have regular forums  in AF but we can keep discussions and topics here too so that we can promote a new artist each week.  Anyone interested in guest writing about a featured artist?  Comment here or email me on AF.

Texasartfire Chat!! 11/3/10

Mossq

Yall go into the guild that night around 730pm and some of us ( hopefully all) will be there.  we can get to know each other in real time even if not face to face.

can I get a few of you to help send the emails to the ppl on the blog? I dont know if they are even on artfire anymore... or active.

You can do cut and paste:

You are invited to the fall chat 11/3 at 730pm  Texas time!  we will be in the guild chat room at

http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Guilds&op=guild_hall&guild_id=6

that is the main entrance to the guild.  you will see a chat click and you are on it!

  If you are no longer a member and wish to rejoin contact cctexan2 ( at the same page) for access. 
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If everyone tells me which Alphabetical name you are doing ( ie A -C) we can get this knocked out fast.  I need yalls help !  thanks!

whats your Favorite Craft show quote?

Most of us have been there, set up early, after driving miles, usually cold, wrassling with the "E-Z" up, back breaking work, finding out you dont have enough change or bags or whatever.

Up comes that sweet lil ol lady and you think whoohoo a potential sale.


Out pops her statement to Mavis next to her " Oh I could make that" 

uh huh.  Only if you have all the tools and supplies mamam.  and talent, technique.

So what do you do? I smile and say really? Thats fabulous! did you make that? ( pointing at anything she is wearing) 

so what are some of your favorite trade show quotes/comebacks?

YeeHaw!!

We have had a change over the last year due to people changing venues, dropping out or keeling over I guess.  Jinx and I are going to revive the blog and I hope to see some active participation... or else Im taking my marbles and going home. :)

I 'd like to get a discussion going on ways to do some shows in our prospective areas.... what area are you in?

what are your craft show fears or experiences for the newcomer?


we will keep it short and sweet for this first blog post.   and for your entertainment, I have included the first  Texasartfire Guild  Collection.

http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=collections&op=details&cid=5690

yall go on and comment on it hear?  the more comments ratings nad views it gets, more likely it is to get FrontPage.  Thanky

waiting

Obviously no one has posted for months, myself and a few others have admin. privileges but it just seems like unless I post it just fizzles out. I'm still waiting for the new guild features at Artfire to be established to really have the access to the members like I envisioned last year. But with all the growth and other issues at AF guild features are on the back burner. I'm hoping that sometime this year more momentum will be returned to the guilds and by then perhaps some of our members will feel like participating more.

I admit I've lost a lot of my own momentum as Guild Master this last 6 months. Especially since communication is so difficult and since my local plans have lost ground due to lack of artisan participation. I had wanted to plan more small indoor craft fairs but the small amount of arts that i had committed to them have dwindled away for various personal and professional reasons.

I now hesitate to plan anything with these venues since I can't guarantee that more than myself and 1 or 2 other artisans will show up! And this is down from a dozen just 6 months ago. We should be moving in the opposite direction now downwards. But if other artists can't or won't commit to these free venues then I just can't continue to make promises I personally can't fulfill.

Texas Artfire had originally been planned as a networking idea rather than an online promoting and contest guild but without others willing to network as well then I can't promise any growth.

Networking success!

I've been very busy the last couple of months and I'm trying to keep all the balls in the air so a few things, like this blog, have been slightly neglected. Oops.

Anyhow, I've gotten our Guild invited to 2 different Terrace locations for this spring starting in Feb; the Clear lake and Sugar Land locations. I've also made a commitment with the Tanglewood location near downtown Houston for Guild members to teach basic craft classes to the residents. The verbal agreement consists of the manager paying for individual supplies and a separate $75 fee for 1 instructor for a class size of 5-15 for 1+ hours. The manager stated that we could sell our products during the class if wished but she wanted the residents to have more interactive activities.

Cctexan3 and I have committed to Dec 10 from 2-4pm for a basic jewelry making class for a Christmas bracelet and earrings to start up this new program. I've got another artistic friend who has committed to drawing classes starting in Jan.

While it's not going to be a huge money maker it is a networking opportunity and the manager stated that when new projects work well at one location the other Terrace managers are quick to join in. She stated that she would love to have a few classes a month if possible down the road. So if this works an instructor could teach a class every week for $75 each if it works out it would be an additional $300 a month for someone. Not too bad and who knows who else we might meet! And if other Terraces joined it than multiple classes at multiple locations for several instructors could be a decent money maker in the future!

I'm slowing building Texas Artfire's local foundation and I hope to have people calling us offering work someday!