Handmade Holiday: Queen Bee Market Recap- The Visuals Pt. 1/3
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I’ve been wanting to do this post for awhile, but figured I would wait so I could show you all the goodies I snagged at the last Queen Bee Market without giving away any Christmas Presents. Now that all the presents are unwrapped, I can safely share.
First of all, the Queen Bee Market is the “queen” of all handmade markets. I have been to several different handmade/ craft shows this year as I have been trying to figure out which shows I would eventually like to sell at. So far, Queen Bee has been the most professional show, with a good variety of high quality goods. There are vendors in many different categories which is great because as a shopper, you don’t want to go to a handmade market and then have all the vendors selling jewelry (or onesies and tutus) and you don’t don’t wear jewelry (or have any kids).
The first time I worked the QBM in August I was very impressed with the presentation that the vendors put into their merchandise. Since I enrolled in the Visual Merchandising course at Chaffey last semester, this time around I was even more impressed with presentation. Here are a few of my favorite booths based on presentation only. I will share my favorite vendors in just a bit.
Yellow Me Daisy is a cute store filled with clever items to keep your child busy. They are one of the few shops that caters to boys, and while I don’t have boys, my oldest daughter is such a tomboy that I find great toys to keep her busy while we are out and about. I love her display because she keeps everything sorted by product type and showcases the many different “themes” or color variations of that product. She has a great build-up display that allows you to see everything in her shop without getting overwhelmed or missing a product that she offers. I got quite a few Christmas and future birthday gifts in her shop (more on that later).
To the right is Lollipops. I have no idea what Lollipops sells, but I love the whimsical garland hanging in the background. I recently saw a similar idea in an Anthropologie window display. It feels very light and airy- very pretty. On the left is Uniquely e Jewelry. I love the dancing torso on the table. It seems so fun. The first time I saw this display I didn’t even realize they were selling jewelry. I just wanted the yellow knit dress!
This is Tamera Beardsley ( I know, I know… way to go Captain Obvious), I love her rustic looking display. It is a bit raw and rustic and a lot of vintage. The dress forms, the artwork all say “Let’s go to Paris and wear fancy jewelry and eat cupcakes at a fancy party!” I love the sense of cohesion she has in her display and her products. Very, very awesome. I also love the way she used chicken wire and wood to display her earrings. She has inspired me! While her sense of style (and therefore probably her customer) is completely different from mine, she has inspired me! You will see the results in my display booth (more coming on that in the new year!)
This is Olive Blue. I love, love, love her yellow wire dress form and her blue fence (so clever). I got the chance to work with Nicole at the last Queen Bee Market and she is just the sweetest thing! She was willing to give me all kinds of tips on doing these types of markets, which I am sooo thankful for. Nicole has threatened to get rid of the blue fence you see in the background. I’m curious to see what she comes up with next. Besides scarves and the fancy little rosettes on the dress form, she also makes the best clutches with a wrist strap. I bought one for myself and told the hubs he would have to give it to me for Christmas.
The Pleated Poppy… oh how I love thee! Not only did she have an awesome display- but she also has a wonderful variety of products. Her website, her booth, her blog, business cards, they all match together! I also got the chance to work with Lindsey at the checkout of the Queen Bee Market and she is such an interesting gal! Besides running the Pleated Poppy she also home-schools her kids, making the rest of us stay-at-home moms me, feel like I just don’t measure up. You can read all about her crafting adventures and her very inspiring What-I-Wore-Wednesday over on her blog.
I have a funny (and kind of embarrassing) story about Allora Handmade. In August, when I worked the Queen Bee Market it was because I saw a tweet from Allora Handmade stating that they were looking for people to work the market. Since I was thinking about trying to get a booth in the future I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to get a behind the scenes look at the market before deciding whether or not my products would fit in with their market. I ended up working the market and when I was asked how I found out about it I said I saw it on twitter from Allora Handmade in front of Jess, who not only runs the QBM with her sister Mique, but also owns Allora Handmade. It wasn’t until later that day when I saw her holding one of her beautiful necklaces and talking about making them that I put the two together! Anyway, I loved the Allora Handmade display and it also brought some inspiration into my booth design- as you will see in the new year.
At QBM, Stacy Lynn is known for her skirts. Many of the vendors from QBM have bought some of her lovely skirts and sport them regularly on their blogs. I LOVED Stacy Lynn’s set-up. I think she had the biggest challenge in displaying her items due to the nature of her items- but she pulled it off beautifully. Her booth looked more like a mini-boutique more than anyone else’s and I loved it. I just wanted to sit there and shop all day. Oh, if I had all the money in the world!
Funky Vintage Lovely is… well, funky… vintage… and lovely! LOL. Not only do they do a great job of displaying their wares they have some classic items that they always carry with them but are always quick to surprise you with something new. This time at QBM, they launched another shop (I think it was called D+A Home) that consists of old items made into new useful items… quirky lamps and the like. I loved it! If I ever get a place of my own I’m so shopping there to satisfy my eclectic taste buds! Anyway, I came prepared to shop at the QBM this time, but was so disappointed to find that they did not have any of these awesome creative prints that had cute love-type settings. For the life of me I can’t remember what they said, but I do remember the FEELING they gave me. It was sorta like…. marriage, happiness, soulmates… hey it’s in blue that would so fit in my bedroom… the place I share with my hubby… my soulmate… my lifemate… team mate…. [insert warm and fuzzy feelings here].
I will be honest, I have never made a purchase from this shop. But I want to soo badly! At the moment I have nowhere to put any of the adorable faux taxidermy wall plaques. I’ve already decided that once I get a house of my own the girls need the faux taxidermy fish in their bedroom. She does more than faux taxidermy though… she does pillows, hats and all sorts of creative things for the little ones. I love, love, love the set up for her shop. It’s bright and colorful and makes you pay attention. While her booth has a lot of items in it, her display is set up in such a way that you can see everything without getting overwhelmed (or missing something). It’s wonderful!
This booth was Mommy You Soap It. I loved the way they made the soaps look like candy and set the display up like an old-fashioned candy shop. Super cute and super clever!
I can’t even tell you what all these guys sold besides jewelry (time has done that to my poor little blonde brain). I just remember being super impressed at how the showcased their items in unexpected ways. For instance, on the top right and left there are antique rakes used to show off necklaces they were selling. I love, love, love the mannequin and the simple colors that match the rest of the decor of the booth force you to pay attention to the jewelry on the mannequin (although the fashion designer in me wants that lace skirt on the mannequin! lol).
Last but certainly not least is Much Ado About You. The name says it all. You create your own planner or calendar that you get to customize every step of the way. I love how her design looks like it folds up on itself. I also love that you can personalize your product with her and as a result she has a very unique product. She has these cute little numbers to guide you through the process. It’s amazing!
Well, I hope you enjoyed the Visual Merchandising aspect of the last Queen Bee Market. Stay tuned because later I’ll share the scoop on the Mindy Gledhill concert and what I actually walked away with from the market. Good thing the hubs has no idea how much I ACTUALLY spend on handmade goods. LOL.
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