Tales from the craft fair: Readers Studio tarot convention experience -- and some BIG news!

I'll share the details of my time at the Readers Studio in a moment, but first some exciting news! My glass tarot and mythical pendants are going to be available at three stores: Chakra Shop & Tarot I and II (in Texas and Pennsylvania, respectively), and Sparkledragon's Magical Emporium (in Pittsburgh, PA). I put my items in the mail this afternoon and really hope my stuff sells well! Meantime, I'm negotiating with some other stores and am thrilled to finally be getting my work out there. I'll keep you posted as things come up.

And now, let's discuss RS17! The event was different from anything I've attended and was mainly a positive experience. I didn't sell as many pieces as I'd hoped, but I did make a profit -- and I picked up some valuable tidbits about selling to an audience that's into metaphysical items. Overall, I had a fun weekend and met some lovely people.

The convention was held at the LaGuardia Marriott, which is right by LGA airport. I'm local so it was a short trip for me, but attendees flew in from China, India, Australia and the UK. There were also people from Canada and every area of the USA. Altogether, there were about 200 attendees, but the world was well represented.

Most of the lectures were held in the ballroom, while the vendors' tables were placed around the border of the room. I had a half table, which was three feet of space. It was smaller than the table space I usually get, but I managed to fit everything. The good thing about jewelry is it's pretty compact.

Thursday's sales didn't get off to a great start. My table partner hadn't yet arrived, nor had the man who had the next table over. So my stuff was crammed into a small space, while I was sitting next to a large bank of empty tables. The area looked lonely and not too many people stopped by my booth. Meanwhile, a tarot celebrity was sitting to my left and was selling dozens of his absolutely gorgeous hand-illustrated decks and books. Attendees were asking him to pose for photos and a crowd of people surrounded his booth. His work is amazing and he was really nice, but I was admittedly envious as I sat at my quiet table.

Fortunately, things picked up when the lectures began and I could soak up the atmosphere. I'm not going to go into too much detail on the workshops because I'm still a tarot newbie and wouldn't do the lectures justice with my simplistic descriptions. I will say that I have a new appreciation for the artistry and history surrounding the cards -- who knew that so many different types of decks exist?! -- and have a better understanding of how the cards can play into psychology. Participating in the lectures, even from the sidelines as a vendor, gave me the chance to meet people and get a better sense of the tarot culture. In some ways, it reminded me of my years at Soap Opera Digest. Covering soaps was about so much more than simply documenting the storylines. There was a whole history and culture associated with the shows and the fans. Being in this crowd gave me a similar feeling.

At most craft fairs, vendors sell for a steady block of time. At the convention, people shopped between lectures. Fortunately, sales picked up for me in the afternoon and people purchased several of my tarot-related items. I was particularly pleased when Judith's friend, Janet, (who's now my friend, too) bought one of my fancy tarot necklaces. I'd joked about not putting a Death pendant on a fancy chain, but Janet had me swap out the image for the Death card. She had me hold the piece for her and came back to pay for it, so I told her, "Don't worry, Death is waiting for you." Here she is, modeling my Death Necklace:

The next day perked up a lot. My table partner finally arrived and we hit it off. Judith also decorated my table with colorful, flashing lights and sparkly scarves. I brought a faux candle and a pair of maneki nekos (Japanese cat statues meant to bring luck to merchants). Judith also set up a dish full of candy on my table. So my booth was now covered with lights, sparkles, toys and "bribery chocolates."

The decorations seemed to work and many more people approached my table. I sold some more big-ticket items and got to know my fellow conference-goers. Not all purchased my jewelry, but most struck up a conversation. One lady wore a "Kitchen Witch" shirt and explained that she was a Wiccan/former line cook. I noted that I'm also a "Kitchen Witch" since I perform alchemy with my glass in my microwave.

Another woman, who hailed from New Mexico, wore chili pepper earrings and we had a discussion about my trip to her state. And a third lady and I joked about her name being the same as a pop star's wife. Really, everyone who stopped by was friendly. Also, no one gave me a hard time about being new to tarot -- and no one pressured me to join in anything. I was afraid I wouldn't fit in, but the environment was very warm and accepting.

The banquet was held on Saturday night. I wore a semi-casual dress, but several attendees donned tarot costumes. Jon joined me that evening and had his introduction to the tarot world. He knows even less about the practice than I do, but enjoyed meeting my new friends.

Judith and I were invited to perform in the banquet talent show. We played "Fool On The Hill" and "Every Little Thing (He) Does Is Magic," in honor of The Fool and The Magician, which are the first two cards in the Major Arcana. Judith and I have played together many times, but it's always been for seniors. It was great entertaining a more "mainstream" audience. Judith pulled out some rock star moves with her guitar and the attendees were all on their feet as they danced and sang along. I became emotional because I wasn't expecting such a lively reception.

The last day was pretty quiet and by the time I got home, I was exhausted. Like I said, I wish I'd sold more, but I came away with great ideas for the future. One attendee suggested I make pieces with runes (ancient letters) etched into them. My table partner advised me to make wire wrapped crystal pendulums. Judith thinks I should design etched pieces with simple Zodiac symbols.

My biggest take-away from this event is that when people attend a specialized conference, they want specialized items. Though the attendees admired my regular glass pieces, most purchased tarot and spiritual-themed stuff from me. If I do another metaphysical-type event, I'll fill my table with items that relate to the theme. In this case, I had a few tarot and Zodiac pendants that were mixed in with a bunch of other pieces. Next time, I'll put the mystical jewelry front and center and have only a few "regular" things.

I'm really happy I participated in this conference, mainly because I met so many wonderful folks. Hosts Ruth Ann and Wald Amberstone did a fantastic job organizing this event and made sure the newcomers felt like family. Also, preparing for RS17 is what led to me making metaphysical jewelry ... which in turn, led to me getting my work into stores. So I owe Judith a huge thank you for setting me on this path! I don't think I'll become a professional tarot reader, but I do appreciate the beauty and passion behind the craft. I enjoy learning about new things and like to stay open-minded. RS17 helped me see the world in new ways.

Stay tuned for more news on my jewelry -- and check out my pieces at Naomi's Designs or MayaGirl Creations.

Selling handmade jewelry: Pounding the pavement, Part II

At the beginning of the year, I wrote a post called "Pounding The Pavement," where I shared my plan to finally get my jewelry into some more stores. Well, I have some great news! Things are going surprisingly well -- knock on wood, fingers crossed -- and I have some exciting opportunities coming my way.

As you know, I've been making tarot and spiritual-themed pendants for the upcoming Reader's Studio convention. When I told a friend about this, she said, "You know, you teach at a cemetery and will be selling jewelry at a tarot festival. You need to hit up new age and metaphysical stores."

I decided to take her advice and contacted a handful of stores that sell metaphysical, occult, new age and spiritual gifts. I included photos of my tarot pendants, as well as my Zodiac pieces, fairy pendants, tree of life jewelry, etc. Several places have already written back! One in particular is very interested in my work and wants to feature my pendants in two stores. Meanwhile, the store in Upstate New York is still working out a deal with me.

As of now, I still have to finalize my sales with these stores, which is why I'm not mentioning them by name and am being a bit vague. Basically, the owners have to decide which particular products they want, how many items and whether they'll be sold wholesale or by consignment. Much as they like my work, they're still running businesses and have to work out details.

I'm obviously very excited about these developments, especially since the first store I had products in, Threading N' More, is unfortunately closing. However, I'm trying to stay grounded and realistic about the process. I know all too well from publishing that deals can fall through. They can decide that my pieces ultimately aren't right for their stores, my work may not sell ... or a store can close. Anything can happen. It means so much to me that they even like my work enough to consider it. I figure I'm on the right track and this is a numbers game. I just have to keep making jewelry and networking. I'm confident that SOMETHING will happen to me eventually. My big break will come!

Once my jewelry is actually in the stores, I will include more details and links to these places. Like I said, I have my fingers crossed and am looking forward to the future. Meantime, you can check out my jewelry at Naomi's Designs and MayaGirl Creations.

Silver wire wrapped glass tarot card necklaces with spirals and crystals

It's only a few weeks until the Readers Studio tarot convention and I've been busy! I'm very excited because I actually managed to find tarot card decals. They're designed by a wonderful shop called Stained Glass Elements. The artist makes all sorts of unique glass decals, including a set of the 22 tarot cards from the Major Arcana -- a suit in the 78-card deck.

The decals came with 27 pieces, representing the 22 cards: 21 larger pendant decals and then six tiny "World" card images. Each of the bigger decals is about 1 1/2 by 1 inch; the perfect size for a pendant. I made several wire wrapped statement necklaces, featuring a spiral and crystal design. The rest will be simple pendants attached to a cord. I then used the "Worlds" to make tarot rings and charm bracelets. Because the decals are on a clear backing, I used a simple white glass base.

I'm still learning the basics of tarot, so it felt a little weird to be making "Death" and "Devil" pendants. For the fancier necklaces, I went with more pleasant images, like "The Star" and "The Magician." However, my friend Judith explained that all of the cards will hold meaning for people and that some might want a "Death" pendant if it's associated with their birth sign. She likes my plan of selling fancy and simple necklaces, noting that men and women can wear the cord-based pendants.

Making these pieces has helped me get to know the cards in the deck, or at least the ones from the Major Arcana. My favorite is The Star. I love the strong woman who's confident in her nudity and the contrast between the blue of the water and the sky. What's interesting is that this card is apparently Aquarian and I'm an Aquarius. Again, I really don't know much about tarot or astrology, but it does make sense that I'd be drawn to this particular image.

A funny thing happened when I was firing my last batch of pendants: I placed a couple too close together, put the heat on a little too high ... and "Death" and "Justice" fused. It was freaky! When I showed my husband, who is an attorney, he joked, "Sounds like a day in the office." I cut them apart so they wouldn't crack, but it was an odd coincidence that those two cards happened to connect.

I really hope that the convention attendees like my work. I think I'm portraying the cards in a way that's beautiful and respectful, but still reflects my jewelry style. For more of my handmade jewelry, check out Naomi's Designs and MayaGirl Creations.