Buyer Days Exhibitor Show Specials

Eighteen of the 65 Buyer Day Exhibitors have provided their show specials below - Other exhibitors will be offering specials at the show - Come to the Show to Maximize your Purchasing Amount

http://www.hillnhollow.com/
Show Specials: Free display crate with labels when you order a mixed case of either product (plus a jar for tasting).  

http://www.orchardbeat.com/home.cfm 
Show Special: Free shipping for orders written at show.  

http://www.damomics.com/ 
For the 25th anniversary, Ron Friedman will be presenting an educational seminar "Learn about the psychology of gift certificates and gift cards. Receive samples of Vendor sponsored programs with a 30% response rate." Thursday, April 7, 9 - 10am, show floor. Free.  

Claire Design
Show Special: For every dozen pendants ordered, included is a 15 in. and 18 in. choker cable.  

 http://www.sundaesbest.com/
Show Special: "Little Diggers" single serving snacks.  

http://www.northwoodsanimaltreats.com/ 
Show Special: 300.00 free shipping.  


http://www.redfoxfarm07.webs.com/
Show Special: Cash & Carry while supplies last $33.00 per case, 12(10 oz.) jars per case. Orders for later delivery $36.00 per case. 


Houghton Mifflin/ISBN Sales
Show Specials: Free freight. 50+ units gets 54% off retail. 

http://www.welldressedfoods.com/ 
Show Specials: Free shipping on all orders over $250 placed at the show. 


http://www.newenglandbells.com/
Show Specials: Free shipping on orders over $250.00.


http://www.whitefacemountainmaplesyrup.com/ 
Show Specials: 5% cash and carry discount at the show. Buyers can preorder. 

D and Crafts
Show Specials: Free shipping on any switch plate order placed at the show. 


http://www.fawn-ridge-pottery.com/ 
Show Special: Free gift with order. 

 http://www.immeltingglass.com/
Show Special: Christmas ornaments preordered 10% discount and free shipping. 


http://www.bluebirdcountrystore.com/
Show Special: Buy 11 soy candles - receive the 12th free. 

http://www.ourdailyeats.com/ 
Show Special: 15% off cases of bagged product when ordered before April 15, 2011. 


http://www.funnyrivertrading.com/
Show Specials: Free testers for products ordered with cash and carry payment.

 http://www.adirondackchandler.com/
Show Special: 1/2 shipping on orders placed at the show.  

Barkeater Chocolates, Buyer Day Exhibitor, featured in Albany Times Union

Great indepth article - learn more about this chocolate maker before meeting her at Buyer Days.

http://blog.timesunion.com/lifeathome/locavore-barkeater-chocolates/2228/

(the following is the last 3 paragraphs of article - note Buyer Days is mentioned - thank you to Morris)
Morris is intent, however, on maintaining the personal, handmade aspect, and in keeping costs down for the customer as well as her overhead. Truffles can be purchased in single flavor boxes ($9), as part of a collection ($6 for no sugar, up to $16.50 for The Elite Collection, which is organic, fair-trade chocolate in lavender and pomegranate), as party favors, in gift baskets or tins, as well as a 50-piece truffle platter ($90).
Collections have names like The Champagne or Coffee House or Umbrella Collection. The Barkeater operation doesn’t require much except a cooling room, which is on their hopeful list. “Humidity can kill chocolate,” Morris says. “We don’t need a lot of equipment, because we do handmade stuff. It’s the personal touch.”
Then her passion flares. “Everybody should be able to enjoy chocolate,” she says. And when they do eat her truffles, she wants them to think, “It’s nirvana.”

Barkeater Chocolates owner Deb Morris would never contemplate a life without chocolate.

Barkeater Chocolates is available online at BarkeaterChocolates.com and Chocolate.com, as well as at retailers scattered around the Adirondacks:
Rock Hill Bake House, Gansevoort and Glens Falls
Café Sarah, North Creek
Chapman Museum, Glens Falls
Adirondack Museum, Blue Mountain Lake
Hudson River Trading Company, North Creek
Indian Lake Theater, Indian Lake
The Annex, Northville (summers)
Main Street Ice Cream Parlor, Chestertown
The Bear’s Paw, Speculator
Barkeater also offers opportunities for fundraising to schools, sports teams and other non-profits, which get a percentage of sales). The company also works with wine and liquor stores, pairing a truffle tasting with a wine tasting. Morris also appears at shows and farmers’ markets, and will be at City Center in Saratoga Springs at the annual Adirondack North Country Association Buyer Days Gift Trade Show (as a regional producer where buyers can pick up stock) on April 6-7, 2011.

Buyer Days show invitational postcards have been mailed out to the exhibitors

The Buyer Days show invitational postcards and/or labels you have requested have been mailed out to you.

Please note that the 5 x 7 size does cost .44 cents to mail rather than .28. We felt that the 25th anniversary of the show desired a bit of splash but understand if you must reduce the amount you mail out. Please choose who you invite wisely.

Note that some of you will be receiving postcards with a bulk mail imprint. Cover the bulk mail imprint with a stamp - the printer made an error and printed these but we do not want them to go to waste.

For those of you with Facebook accounts please do consider friending and/or supporting the Adirondack North Country Association Buyer Days page. Post new products and show specials on the page.

E-invitations are going out regularly to shopowners featuring your show specials and new products. Have you submitted yours yet? Please do - to nkorths@adirondack.org.

Looking forward to the show on April 6 and 7 in Saratoga Springs at the City Center.

Nadia

Exhibitors New to Buyer Days as of 2.21.11

Crazy as a Loom
Weaving - Rag Rugs, Solmate sock rugs, blue jean rugs, Adirondack Lodge rugs. Back for the first time since their 2006 debut. Hudson Falls, NY.
New Product: Hip to Be Square Looper Loom. A 9" square potholder loom made in Kingsbury NY from recycled wood, made especially for the recycled loopers from Solmate Socks. Kit comes with the loom, two hooks, and enough loopers to make 8 large potholders. An old time craft, with a new twist. Think zero waste. 

mfm designs
New to Show. Recycled Paper Jewelry - Earrings made from vintage sheet music/newspapers/greeting cards/magazines/cookbooks, photographs and more. Sterling silver and nickel findings. Schenectady, NY.

VT Made Richard's Sauces, LLC

New to Show. Food - Award winning Barbecue Sauces in Mild, Hot and Hottest made with no gluten or fructose and no preservatives, marinades for game, Basil Pasta Sauce with no added salt, VEGAN Barbecue Sauce with a cajun kick. St. Albans, VT.

Our Daily Eats
New to Show. Food - natural roasted nuts, seeds and granola. Each recipe is unique including varieties like Mexican Cocoa Almonds, Maple Crunch Granola and Spicy Maple Pepitas. Albany, NY.
Show Special: 15% off cases of bagged product when ordered before April 15, 2011. 

McFlashpants
New to Show. Jewelry - My main line--Eat with Your Hands-- started out as jewelry and small housewares made from silverware, but rapidly spiraled out to include chafing dishes, teapots, candle sticks, old lamp pieces, found objects such as rubber tile samples, old cookie tins, and olive oil cans. Callicoon, NY.    



 

Adirondack Rockware
New to Show. Pottery - Hand crafted pottery using original glaze recipes made with 100% pure crushed Adirondack rock. Rainbow Lake, NY.

Adirondack Aroma Therapy 
New to Show. Soap, natural perfumes and fragrances - We craft scented glycerin soaps as well as naturally derived botanical perfumes and essential oil blends. Corinth, NY.
New Product: Aromatherapy bathing bars.

 

ILNY Features North Country Crafts on Plan Your Trip Section

http://www.iloveny.com/Plan-Your-Trip/Itinerary/The-Adirondacks-North-Country-Crafts.aspx

Thanks to Susan Fuller, Fuller Communications, for the email.

Intensive Seminar for Artists & Craftspeople

PRESS RELEASE
FROM:
St. Lawrence County Arts Council
51 Market Street
Potsdam, NY 13676
(315) 265-6860
arts@slcartscouncil.org
Contact: Hilary Oak – Executive Director
Date: December 31st, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE through January 14th, 2011

Intensive Seminar for Artists & Craftspeople

The St. Lawrence County Arts Council will host a very special development opportunity for artists this spring. Artists and craftspeople can apply to participate in the 2011 MARK Program in Potsdam – which is part of a statewide professional training series developed by NYFA - The New York Foundation for the Arts.  The 2011 MARK Program in Potsdam will select up to twenty-five participants from across the North Country region.

The deadline for applications is Friday, January 14, 2011. All application materials must be received at the NYFA office in New York City by 5:00pm on January 14th.
Application guidelines and forms, and information about the seminar schedule, is available online at the NYFA website  www.nyfa.org  and clicking on: For Artists > NYFA Learning > NYFA MARK. You can also find direct links to the NYFA site on the homepage of the SLC Arts Council website  www.slcartscouncil.org .  Questions about the application process should be addressed to Felicity Hogan, Program Officer, NYFA Learning/NYFA Consults, (212) 366 6900 x 242. For additional questions about the 2011 MARK Program in Potsdam please call the SLC Arts Council at (315) 265-6860.

MARK is designed for artists who want to focus on developing the professional and business aspects of their art careers. Artists who are selected for the program will participate in two weekend-long intensive seminars (one in March and one in April) and a follow-up day of training in June. Participants will receive hands-on training on relevant topics, including: career planning, financial issues and budgeting, copyright and intellectual property law, and developing a strategy for marketing their artwork. MARK accomplishes this training through a rigorous blend of formal classes, individualized training, networking, and group interaction. Applicants must be visual artists or crafts people who reside in New York State, have a reliable internet connection, and who will not be enrolled as students in other institutions while participating in the MARK Program.

Artists from Northern New York who are selected to participate in the MARK program will attend workshops at the St. Lawrence County Arts Council – Crafts Studio. The SLC Arts Council is one of four statewide partners with NYFA. The other sites for the MARK Program are located in Woodstock, Ithaca, and Buffalo. Funding for NYFA MARK is made possible with generous support from the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation and Golden Artist Colors.

##############END PRESS RELEASE#################################

All Registered Exhibitors are posted at Buyer Days page on Facebook

Go to Facebook and search for Buyer Days of the Adirondack North Country Association. Exhibitors and buyers will see your product descriptions, show specials and links that you included in your online or pdf applications.

Exhibitors are welcome to add new product shots and show specials as comments.

If we each reach out to appropriate shopowners who are friends and invite them and ask them to spread the work we can anticipate new shopowners coming to the show.

You can send them individual messages.

You can select your shopowner friends to create a contact group and invite them to view the products at Buyer Days.

You can link to the Buyer Days page from your wall.

You can like all the BD exhibitor postings.

Add your ideas of how to promote Buyer Days appropriately with Facebook 



 

Five have already signed up via online registration for Buyer Days!

Adirondack Chandler, Glimmer Glass Gifts, Peter Shrope Pottery, Earth and Fire Pottery and Crazy as a Loom rag rugs have registered and paid to become 2011 Buyer Days exhibitors using the new online registration option using Paypal.  

Buyer Days will take place Wed., April 6 and Thurs., April 7, 2011 at the City Center in Saratoga Springs. For more details visit the Buyer Days page at www.AdkNCcrafts.com and download the show application as pdf to view terms and facts.

The two others who have signed up and have chosen the option to send in a check will be officially registered and posted online as soon as their checks come in.

Since the email blast to 328 of you went out only yesterday morning it's very exciting to see you taking advantage of the online option. Those who do so receive an instant email confirmation. Those new to the show will need to go through the jury process as usual. The jury will view your website so make sure your product shots are current and reflect lines that are wholesale appropriate.

Both the online registration and the pdf (print it out and mail in with check) are linked to the left navigation bar on the Buyer Days page at www.adknccrafts.com.

For those of you new to wholesale there is a link to the How to Establish and Maintain Wholesale Accounts workshop registration as pdf also on the left navigation bar on the Buyer Days page at www.adknccrafts.com.  The 4 hour 40$ workshop with 45 page packet on procedures and terminology of wholesale takes place on Jan. 22 from 10 to 2 at the Wild Center in Tupper Lake with Nadia Korths, ANCA's artisan program coordinator, and Josh Pratt, Wild Center Giftshop Manager and Buyer as copresenters. We will send out an email blast with online registration for the workshop the first week of Jan., 2011.

Post your event in the Times Union by submitting directly

From: TUCalendar [mailto:tucalendar@timesunion.com]
Sent: Thursday, December 02, 2010 6:32 AM
To: anca@adirondack.org
Subject: New Way to share!

Tired of waiting for your public event to post online? Want to reduce the turn-around time for your event to be available for print publication?

Try submitting directly to our calendar database at http://events.timesunion.com

Click the link for calendar and fill out the form.

Questions or difficulties? Call the Newsroom at 454-5420.

November 3, 2010 - Wholesalecrafts.com Reports October 2010 Sales Results: All-Time Record Breaking High

 Wholesalecrafts.com, the premier web service for sourcing American and Canadian made crafts, reports October 2010 sales results an all-time record breaking high, with the largest dollar amount and number of orders ever placed online in a single month.

Total online orders placed by retailers to artists through Wholesalecrafts.com's shopping cart for October 2010 came in at $446,977, a 13.96% increase over last year, and a 12.09% increase over the previous recorded high in September 2008. The total number of orders placed online was 1,841, a 5.44% increase over last year, which at that time was the highest number of orders ever recorded in a single month from the Wholesalecrafts.com web site.

"This is very exciting news," said Nancy Vince, President, Wholesalecrafts.com, Inc. "We have been focused on personally contacting retailers to remind, assist and recruit them to the benefits of using Wholesalecrafts.com, and these sales figures prove that buyers are heavily relying on our online service for their holiday shopping." Vince continued, "With this pattern continuing and over $3 million in total sales for the year already recorded, we are well on our way to breaking our highest annual sales record this year, which currently stands at $3,121,063 set back in 2008."

Wholesalecrafts.com reports "up-to-the-second statistics" on their site, which can be accessed by its members. The site reports total sales, number of orders, and number of inquiries made to artists. It is estimated that only 30% of retailer transactions are placed through their online shopping cart; the rest bypass their system by placing phone, fax or email orders directly with the artists. Considering this fact, it is more likely that artists receive $1 - 2 million in total sales revenues each month from the online marketplace provided by Wholesalecrafts.com.

Congrats to the small biz full back page color cooperative ad in Adirondack Daily Enterprise

I've been impressed at the full back page ad that has been running now for at least 4 weeks in the Adirondack Daily Enterprise. Great product shots, brief but succinct descriptions and contact info for each of the following businesses.

And great tagline. "Looking for a gift? How about these Locally Made products?"

Included in the full back page ad is Well Dressed Food Company, Tupper Lake; Moody Tree Farm, Gabriels; Scotts Florist and Garden Center, Saranac Lake and Lake Placid; Leather Artisan, Childwold; Two Horse Trade Company, Saranac Lake; Adirondack Reflections/Taxidermy, Keene; deMilo Cosmetics, Chazy; The Bakery at Conroy Organic's, Point au Roche; Friend-Chips, Lake Placid; Hohmeyer's Lake Clear Lodge and Retreat, Lake Clear, and Mary Ballou Design, Lake Placid.

Was the initial contact among you done by email? Can other businesses duplicate your approach easily?

$25 on the 25th" Buy From Local Merchants Campaign

Local giftshop and studio owners can participate in the $25 on the 25th Campaign by downloading banners and logos for shop windows. This campaign, sponsored by the New York Press Association, encourages local businesses to create special shopping incentives for the day.

"New York's independent businesses are the heart and soul of this state, and the New York newspaper industry is doing everything it can to stand behind our small businesses," said Michelle Rea, executive director of the New York Press Association. "Twenty-five dollars may not seem like a lot to spend, but it can make a real difference for a Main Street merchant. Community newspapers across the state already are working with mayors, shop-owners, and business associations about making September 25th a significant shopping day in New York State. So spread the word."

Sponsored by the New York State Conference of Mayors, the New York Press Association and the New York State Economic Development Council, the "$25 on the 25th" campaign will be repeated if successful. Adirondack Daily Enterprise, 9.18.2010

Studio Promotional Events from the Hudson Valley

The Art Times - such a great publication! I discovered these two little gems of promotional event ideas that could easily be adopted in this region.

"Helen Schofield celebrated her 80th birthday by showing her work in her studio. Tired of "playing the gallery game" she set each of four weekends with a theme: Portrait Retrospective, Full Moon Celebration, Gathering, and Left Over Sale.

Nine/Nine at Clove Creek Studio in Saugerties, NY. Owner Fay Wood and husband Skip gathered eight artists and sculptors (plus Fay) to participate in this nine-day event. Each day a different artist would hold a demonstration, offer a lecturer, or invite a performer. FMI, www.faystudio.com and to see images and videos of the show, www.faywoodstudio.blogspot.com. The Art Times, from either March/April or July/August issues

Buyer Days is Identified as Great Show for Regionally Made Product

In the Adirondack 2010 Business Showcase, this week's featured business, Adirondack Decorative Arts & Crafts, Rustic Style Goods, (of Lake Placid) identified Buyer Days as the show to go to to "make sure that (the store) is stocked with a wide variety of contemporary rustic goods, many of them made in the Adirondack North Country region."

On the first floor, one of three set up department style, some of the specialty food producers from the region are; South Meadow Farm maple syrup from Lake Placid, products from the Well Dressed Food Company in Tupper Lake, chocolate treats from the Candy Man in Wilmington and Taste of the Adirondacks coffee.

Adirondack Decorative Arts and Crafts is located at 2512 Main Street in Lake Placid. Adirondack Daily Enterprise, p. 22, Friday, August 20, 2010.

Harnessing the Economic Engine of the Arts, Culture and History - ANCA's Annual Meeting

On Sept. 23, at Great Camp Sagamore, participants of the Adirondack North Country Association's Annual Meeting will learn from eight panelists about the economic, social and community building impacts of their events and programs. The eight panelists represent a mix of businesses and organizations from across the region. To learn more and to register, visit www.adirondack.org.

Lake Champlain Wines sponsors first wine tour

Congratulations to another group of producers collaborating - this past weekend four wineries and two vineyards in Clinton County had their first Summer Wine Tour. Read more at http://berdie.wordpress.com/.

Shipping Containers Triple in Cost in Last Year and A Half

Another sign that product made regionally is becoming more and more competitive in the global economy...

Doug Green, president of Green Design Furniture in Portland, ME, invented a fastener-free assembly system for making high-quality furniture in 1991. The patented system uses a series of precision-engineered self-locking joints cut directly into the wood parts, which eliminates the use of screws and glue. ...

He says changes in industry dynamics are what prompted a series of calls from interested companies.
"Essentially, what's changing in the furniture world is that the industry is in turmoil. Foreign competition has led to manufacturing going overseas. When you talk to industry experts, it turns out that the cost of doing business overseas is not as great as they'd hoped. The cost of shipping containers has tripled in the last year and a half, and then there is damage to the product in the shipping process."

From the NewsDesk, p10, August 2010, www.woodshopnews.com

Free and Easy Online PDF Forms, Faxs and Shopping Cart

Fillanypdf.com enables your accounts to complete orders online on interactive pdf forms. You upload your form (up to 5 is free) and they fill them out and digitally sign them.

Interfax.net is cheap outbound fax and efax is free inbound. Combine them for a no-print fax solution.

I ran into a free ecommerce shopping cart (6,000 users as of late July 2010) which is hosted on their servers but integrates seamlessly with your website. They rely on third party payment systems to process credit cards: Google Checkout, Paypal, Authorize.NET, and 2CheckOut.

New This Year - Art Walks in Old Forge and North Creek

New this year! North Creek's Art Walk take place on the third Thursday of the month. The Old Forge one takes place on the first Friday of each month from June - October.

These communities join Saranac Lake, Glens Falls and Saratoga Springs in celebrating the arts on a monthly basis.

Does your community have a monthly art walk?

Free Yourself from Merchant Credit Card Services

Free yourself from merchant credit card services payments, fees and processes

The following tools and others similar are already available to cut down on expenses and save time to both the artisan and the shopowner:

The Future of Money, cash, checks and credit cards - who needs them? The new global currency is flexible, frictionless, and (almost) free by Daniel Roth, Wired, March 2010, p. 7 (excerpts from seven page article)

About 20 percent of all online transactions now take place over so-called alternative payment systems according to consulting firm Javelin Strategy and Research. Hundreds of engineers and entrepreneurs are attacking the payment ecosystem, seeking out ways small and large to tear down the stronghold the banks and credit card companies have built.

Square
Square, a new company founded by Twitter cocreator Jack Dorsey, lets anyone accept physical credit card payments through a smartphone or computer by plugging in a free sugar-cube-sized device - no expensive card reader required.

Twitpay
"What if people could transfer money over Twitter for next to nothing, simply by typing a username and a dollar amount." Using Paypal's X.com platform, Ivey linked users' Twitter accounts to their Paypal accounts, and his new company, Twitpay, took off (summer 2009). It now has 15,000 users.

Obopay
A startup called Obobay, which has received funding from Nokia, allows phones to transfer money to one another with nothing more than a PIN.

Zong
Instead of entering credit card information anew for every online purchase, users fill in their phone number and the charge shows up on their monthly bill.

GetGiving
This mobile app uses PayPal to enable charities to accept small donations without the usual exorbitant credit card transaction fees.

Hub Culture
Travelers can avoid the hassle and fees of swapping dollars for euros by transacting in virtual currency in this international network of workstations.

Paypal
In November 2009, Paypal opened its code. Two months later, 15,000 developers had used it to create new payment services, sending $15 million through the company's pipes. It provides developers the cloud-based processing power and storage space they need to build applications and services.
Two payment service applications developed as a result are adding a "quick pay" button into the program ShopSavvy by software developer Big in Japan and a streamlined payments tool which turned invoicing and time-tracking into an automated process for LiveOps, a call-center outsourcing firm.

Amazon and Google
Amazon.com and Google are both distributing their shopping cart technologies across the Internet, letting even the lowliest etailers process credit cards for less than the old price, cutting out middlemen, and figuring out ways to bundle payments to sidestep the credit card companies' constant nickel-and-diming.
Amazon's Web Services provides developers the cloud-based processing power and storage space they need to build applications and services.

Google
Google created a platform that lets anyone buy or display online advertisements.

Facebook
Facebook is building its own payment system for virtual goods purchased on its social network and on external sites. It allows any developer to write applications for its social network.

Apple
Last March (2009), Apple gave iTunes developers the ability to charge subscription fees through their applications, making iTunes the gateway for an entirely new breed of transaction. It allows any developer to write applications for iTunes.

First Rustic Artisans Gallery a Success

Yesterday, Kate, ANCA's executive director, and I attended one of the events at the First Annual Rustic Artisan Gathering at the Lake Placid Lodge. Caroline Welsh, director of the Adirondack Museum, gave a short powerpoint presentation illustrating the roots of rustics in the Adirondacks.

Among many orginal photos depicting the many styles and trends leading to Adirondack Rustic it was fascinating to learn that an Englishman wrote a book about the Chinese art of rustic furniture making in the late 1700's.

The presentation ended with painter Rhea Costello offering Caroline a deep felt thank-you with a gift of a print of one of her original works celebrating last year's exhibit celebrating the modern in rustic. The rustic makers are deeply appreciative of the importance of the Museum's annual Rustic Fair in renewing interest in the genre since its first year in 1987.

The artists I spoke with; Larry Post, Barry and Darlene Gregson and Michael Ringer enjoyed the appreciation and recognition shown to them by the Lodge during the four day gathering. All expressed a belief that as an annual event it could only become bigger and better. All rooms were booked at the Lodge for the weekend.

After the presentation, cocktails and hors d'oeuvres were served on one of the Lake Placid Lodge's balconies. The afternoon light of the late June sun changed into evening over the lake's mountain views.

It was a delight to meet Larry Post, who with his large detailed furniture pieces has rapidly achieved a rare level of recognition and appreciation among collectors.

Darlene Gregson was happy to say that their gallery on Rte. 9 in Schroon Lake continues to be open to feature the works of her husband and other fine makers who have been with them since the first year which is at least 10 years ago. For those looking for a fine gallery building it is for sale.

Barry's tall two tier table of cross cuts of root base was soft and silky to the touch with a wonderful dark hue to the interior wood complemented by his trademark gnarly, curly legs.

Michael Ringer took the time to show me the process of "lost wax" sculpture creation. Having known him particularly for his timeless scenes of the St. Lawrence River, it was, as usual, wonderful to realize that for many years Michael has been creating sculptures of breathtaking beauty as well.

I asked him how his gallery in Clayton was doing to find out that not only was that gallery now 10 years old surviving the recession well but also his original gallery in Alexandria Bay and the one, run as a franchise, in Fort Lauderdale, FL since 2003. Out of the galleries in the neighborhood of the Fort Lauderdale one, it is the only one still open. Michael made sure to say that is, in part, because of the owner running some 150 events each year, many as fundraisers for charities.

I wish the best to the Lodge, the Museum and the represented artisans in growing the annual gathering.

CODA - Partnership Potential Amazing

On behalf of ANCA, I attended the annual Craft Organization Development Association on April 6 and 7, 2010. It was held in a riverside factory building restored by the Savannah College of Art & Design. Lovely big windows to admire the tankers coming into the Savannah port and the clean line of that arched bridge into South Carolina.

As hosts, the college and Camille and Bill Ronay, of Georgia Made Georgia Grown LLC, should be very proud of this year's conference.

In addition to the always anticipated networking of craft program administrations from across the North American continent and a great slot of speakers, the conference, this year, brought together a number of key players in the craft industry. In a time when continued funding from typical sources is less and less likely, partnerships between public and private, and between craft organizations, is key to providing ongoing great service to our artisans and retailers.

My hats off to the board. Their partnering beyond the traditional started at the 2007 annual CODA conference held in Calgary, Canada. Tom McFall, executive director of the Alberta Craft Council and host of the 2007 conference, was elected to the CODA board during this year's annual meeting held at the conference.

The board offered the opportunity to many public and private and craft organizations to collaborate.

They invited Wendy Rosen, founder of the Rosen Group. She is such a dynamo. She is so ready to share with everyone. It was just a joy to meet this fiercely focused, cut out the bull and let's get down to it woman who has built a business empire out of her deep love of the crafts industry.

I hope that many of the craft organizations take her up on her offer to provide an issue or was it a subscription to American Style as a gift for those who sign up as members during fund-raising drives. It's a package - it costs only $8 per new member. Contact American Style. And she had another program of interest - rubber stamping $10 bills with "FindAmericanMade.com. 600 craft galleries are participating.

I sat in on the World Craft Council North American meeting and became a member. There are five chapters. While the North American one has been dormant for 20 years, all the other chapters, but especially the Asian one with its 2,000 active members, have been collaborating on an incredible number of activities.

As well, an board member from the American Craft Council came to be part of the presentation of CODA's annual Leadership Award Presentation to "honor Andrew Glasgow; whose leadership, creative thinking and outstanding service have had a significant impact on the crafts field."

In these changing times, I commend CODA board members for giving us all an opportunity to sit at the same table.

News from the Region's Retailers and Artisans

During ANCA's Buyer Days I caught up with many retailers and artisans. Here are some of their stories.



Steve Bowers, Bald Mountan Rustics, Keene Valley, has his home/studio/retail property up for sale and has been renovating a much larger building where he and his partner will be able to have more elbow room - across from the Noonmark Diner if I remember correctly. baldmountainrustics.com.



Betty LeMay, Betty's Funny Farm, Minerva, will, this summer, open her brick and mortar shop back up. She continues to sell product year round from her website, bettysfunnyfarm.com.



Anna Hay, Hayfield's Gifts, is renting the back of another retail business (a cafe if I remember correctly) in Schroon Lake where she will be selling her product lines, clothing with original embroidery, some great lines for babies and enfants, as well as product from other artisans. Anna was a delight to meet at ANCA's How to Wholesale workshop held at the Wild Center in Tupper Lake in mid Jan., 2010. With her husband, they have 4 - 6 children to raise and here she has the energy and focus to bring her product to market. Amazing! She came to Buyer Days to buy product from some of the other artisans that she had met at the workshop as well as from others. 518.532.7231.



And what a inspiration to meet Will Rubar and Shaun Wedrick, of Rubar Ceramic Studio, 7002 West Main St., Port Leyden. They have renovated an old Victorian into a shop where they sell their pottery and the work of other artisans from the region. They, and a woman who is opening up an antiques place just around the corner, are leading the way in their community to attract residents and visitors to Port Leyden. They were one of the great examples of those exhibitors who also have retail spaces and who are involved in their community. At the show they were taking orders for their pottery and, at the same time, ordering product from other exhibitors. rubarceramicstudio.com.



After Buyer Days, I returned a call from Laura George, who with her husband who also makes furniture, hopes to have their new shop, Buy George! in Bolton Landing, 4960 Lake George Dr./Rte. 9, open by Memorial Day. Both her and Janet, of Owls Nest Rustic Furniture of Keene, missed the show. It's great to be able to refer them to the web. Laura was spending 2 to 3 hours a day reviewing the product at each of the exhibitor links posted on the Buyer Days and American Handmade Wholesale directory web pages at www.AdkNCcrafts.com since I had suggested it to her. And putting in orders. She had found everyone to be prompt in returning her phone calls. She was delighted.



The following is brilliant. The model is regionally based, collaborative, and driven by the producers themselves.One of the exhibitors, Mike Fitzgerald, Saratoga Sweets, 1618 Rte. 9, Halfmoon, and a retired town supervisor who has been helping him out (sorry, name not at my fingertips) are developing a cooperative distribution model. Eight artisans were already participating before Buyer Days (March 31/April). The one page flyer introducing the distribution model that exhibitors found in their show packet had another 12 talking with Mike during the show about their interest.
From what I understand rather than one rep representing many lines, the artisans share the responsibility of introducing their product and the product of the other folks involved to the shopowners along the routes that they are starting to develop. They are also timing their visits and grouping their stops to show seasonally based product to the shopowners just when they need to order it. mike@saratogasweets.com saratogasweets.com

Regional Wood Products Consortium offering workshops

Thanks to Woodshop News Posted on May 06, 2010

The Regional Wood Products Consortium, a collaboration between Sustainable Forest Futures and the wood products manufacturing industry in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and northern New York, will conduct specialized one-day innovation workshops on marketing in May and technology in June...

To find the dates and locations in NYS of the very reasonably priced workshops go to:
http://www.woodshopnews.com/component/content/article/127-may-2010-1st/498976-regional-wood-products-consortium-offering-workshops.

Made in China …

Fine woodworker David DeCristoforo writes the following:

After reading the comments from my last post, I thought it would be a good idea to clarify some points. First of all, I have nothing against China. In fact, I admire their determination and drive. Those are qualities that made our own country great in the first place. And I also admire their ability to see the “big picture”...

Read the remainder of the short article at http://blog.woodshopnews.com/tbaw/?p=178

This article is brought to you thanks to Woodshop News.

Buyer Days exhibitor Thousand Islands Winery showing incredible growth

SYSTEM BOOSTS WINE OUTPUT

THOUSAND ISLANDS WINERY: New machines raise bottling capacity

By NANCY MADSEN

TIMES STAFF WRITER

FRIDAY, MARCH 5, 2010
http://watertowndailytimes.com/article/20100305/NEWS03/303059969

COLLINS LANDING — A new bottling system at Thousand Islands Winery, Seaway Avenue, brings the business's capacity in line with large commercial wineries.

The new system raises the bottling capacity from 400 bottles to about 2,000 bottles an hour.

"The little machine couldn't keep up with production," owner Stephen J. Conaway said. "We have taken away market share from the larger commercial wineries."

On Thursday, the first time winery staff used the new wine-filling machine and labeler after training, about 850 gallons of Riesling were poured into blue bottles in five hours.

The new wine-filling machine, called a monoblock, takes sterile bottles and first turns them upside-down and sprays them with a sanitary rinse. After that is blown off, the next station in the machine sucks out oxygen and injects nitrogen.

"Oxygen makes wine go bad," Mr. Conaway said. "Nitrogen injection is a natural way to keep oxygen out. We don't want to add chemicals to the product."

The next piece of the monoblock fills the bottle with the correct amount of wine. Then the bottles are topped with corks or screw caps.

The old wine filler didn't have the sanitary rinse or the screw-cap machine.

"We put the screw caps on by hand before," Mr. Conaway said.

The labeling machine can cover the corks with any capsule type — tin, polylaminate or PVC — and heat shrinks them to protect against tampering.

Then the machine adds the bottle's label. With the new machine, the winery will add back and neck labels to the standard front label, Mr. Conaway said.

"The machine has a touch-screen display," he said. "It's state of the art."

The old filling machine isn't going to waste — it was bought by a startup winery.

To increase productivity, the winery also purchased a Lees filter, which filters more wine out of the bottom of tanks, where it settles with sediment.

"This separates the sediment from the wine, which gives us less waste product," Mr. Conaway said.

The new system and a new filter comprised more than $250,000 in capital investment in the winery's production.

The winery also added a glycol chilling system, which has pockmarked jackets around sections of tanks. The winery had cooled wine during the winter in an unheated storage area. The chilling system allows cold stabilization to occur year-round.

"We plan to continue to use Mother Nature to the maximum extent possible," Mr. Conaway said. "But we're getting to the point where we can't afford to cold stabilize just in the few months when the weather cooperates."

And the reason for that is that demand keeps growing.

"People are looking for quality, locally made products right now," he said. "We're competitive even on a price basis with a lot of the bigger wineries."

Cornerstone promotes locally produced gifts

Published March 13, 2010 10:39 pm - Kristen Hardman expands her business venues by opening the Cornerstone Gallery gift shop in Elizabethtown.
http://www.pressrepublican.com/0113_business/local_story_072223923.html

By ALVIN REINER
Staff Writer

ELIZABETHTOWN — With an emphasis on locally produced artwork and culinary specialties, Kristen Hardman has opened a sister emporium to her Cornerstone Gallery in Willsboro.

"I feel I'm filling in a niche in Elizabethtown and providing a venue for local products while helping build the community," Hardman said of her rationale for the enterprise.

Subtitled "Handmade Luxuries for Every Day," the Cornerstone offers a plethora of items including gourmet foods, yarn, jewelry, paintings, ceramics and gadgets that are not only utilitarian but enhance the home's décor as well.

"Nothing here is too precious," Kristen joked. While there are antiques, modern creations line some of the shelves. One does not have to be concerned about lead glazes from foreign pottery on the locally made mugs, serving dishes and vases. Then there's the ingenuity of using nature to create perpetual rock candles, which are hollowed out to hold an oil reservoir.

Among the gourmet delights is A Taste of the Adirondacks' Puttanesca Pasta Sauce made in Morrisonville by Cindy Bates and New York produced Growling Grizzly BBQ sauce. There's a variety of granola mixtures concocted in Tupper Lake that are perfect for hikers and those who work in the woods; it's also a healthy snack.

Unique quilts created by JoAnne Denton of Lewis are ready to be taken home to provide comfort as well as decoration. Baby hats knitted by 15-year-old Jessica Lynn from Peru show youngsters can be creative as well.

"There are so many intriguing women around here, women of advanced age who have lived here all of their lives, and then some in their 20s. It's a diverse group, but they have a lot in common. It's a cross section of Adirondack women," Hardman says of her clientele.

Hardman added that men do find items of interest and, of course, gifts for others. "I want to create a general-store atmosphere where men can come and hang out and have a cup of coffee while the women shop," Hardman said.

The informal knitting assemblage that meets at the Elizabethtown Cornerstone has woven helmet liners for soldiers in Afghanistan. Unlike most of their creations, which are colorful, these have to be of drab wool. However, the scarves they have made for cancer patients are of "yummy" colors, she said.

Although it costs her more, Hardman has made a concerted effort to have all packaging materials made of recycled materials, which in turn can be recycled and/or are biodegradable.

A vast used-book collection contains mostly recent publications, but if one wishes to compliment antiquated volumes in his or her home, a 19th-century edition of Don Quixote can be found.

Hardman also functions as an interior designer and will visualize a project through color, texture, furniture, fixtures and light to achieve the desired effect. She specializes in preparing homes and other real estate for sale by bringing out the facets that will intrigue prospective buyers.

To take a break from the kids and housework, one can partake in the next informal pot-luck brunch/lunch, knitting/crocheting/quilting circle, held from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 20. Call 873-9130 for details. The circles are a way to make friends, learn from one another and, in one instance at a recent gathering, one participant looking for work found employment with another.

The versatile Hardman also operates the Cornerstone in Willsboro during the summer. She and husband, Jim, also run the Woodruff House Bed and Breakfast (thewoodruffhouse.com), which features a gourmet country breakfast. Amid the splendor of a completely refurbished 19th-century home are modern amenities such as Wi-Fi. Visitors are welcomed by three friendly cats.

Hardman may be reached at 873-6788 or kbhardman@charter.net. The Cornerstone Gallery is located at 219 Water St., just west of Route 9 at the blinking light.

Buyer Reception, Photos from Newest Exhibitors, Specialty Food Producers, Three Farm Wineries

You're Invited to Preshow Buyer Breakfast Reception! View Photos from Eight Latest New-to-Show Exhibitors! Many Specialty Food Producers! Three Farm Wineries may be coming! http://www.adknccrafts.com/newsletter100312.php (latest e-news for buyers). Preregister to receive preshow e-news about latest exhibitors to sign up.

Buyer Days Gift Trade Show - where shopowners have been buying handmade product and specialty foods from regional artisans and producers for 24 years. Wednesday, March 31 and Thursday, April 1, 2010 at the City Center in Saratoga Springs, NY. Sponsored by the Adirondack North Country Association.

Did You Fax Exhibitor Application on 3.11.10?

We may not have received it. Here's another fax number 518.891.5931. Write to Attn: Nadia. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Acorn Designs Introduces Mini Journals

Media Contact
Steve Sierigk
Acorn Designs
800 299 3997
info@acorndesigns.org
March 5, 2010


Acorn Designs Introduces Mini Journals. In keeping with our other eco-friendly paper products these are 100% post-consumer recycled!

Our new Mini Journals are priced right and are entirely made in New York!

Trumansburg, NY - Acorn Designs announced today the release of its new Mini Journals at the 24th annual Buyer Days. These are the latest and smallest incarnation of our popular journal lines. Acorn Designs has produced eco-friendly paper products since 1981 and has sold to stores around the country that include nature imagery. Our new Mini Journals are sized just right, and priced affordably.

"I created this product because I wanted customers to have access to environmentally-friendly products at very affordable prices" explains Steve Sierigk, owner of Acorn Designs. "Our products have the highest quality art and papers with special attention given to the natural environment. In fact the 100% post-consumer recycled paper is sourced right within our home state of NY. All manufacure of these journals also happens right here!"

"We represent the artwork of over 20 nature artists so the offerings are quite diverse and have something for everyone from fine botanicals to more whimsical fare! These have been so popular that we are in the midst of designing the next 20 images for release later this spring!"

By attending Buyer Days on March 31 and April l in Saratoga Springs, giftshop, lodging and eatery owners can see in person the works of Acorn Designs as well as those of many other regional artisan-producers. Shopowners, lodging owners and chefs who know the importance of the story in making sales, have the time to absorb the story in person from the makers at the show.

The two day show provides a great opportunity to freshen displays, whether store shelving, room accessories or menu listings, with new product. Attend Buyer Days to view 1000s of competitively priced product lines all made in the region. View the new product and show specials online at the Buyer Days page at AdkNCcrafts.com.

Steve Sierigk is the founding artist and owner of Acorn Designs. He is still producing art for Acorn but takes great pride in working with many great artists to produce the Acorn line. All Acorn products are accompanied by descriptive text to add a nice final touch to the product. You can visit their website at www.acorndesigns.org.

Acorn Designs
5066 Mott Evans Road
Trumansburg, NY 14886
Phone......(607) 387-3424
Toll-free....(800) 299-3997
e-mail... info@acorndesigns.org
web... www.acorndesigns.org

The MooseMan introduces Moose Magnets

For Immediate Release


Rick Libbey, The MooseMan
MooseMan Nature Photos
603 735 5323
hlibbey@tds.net


The MooseMan introduces Moose Magnets souvenir line as the 2010 North Country tourist season draws near

Andover,N.H…. MooseMan Nature Photos announced today the release of it’s new MooseMagnets souvenir line at the 24th annual Buyer Days. The line features moose, loon, & bear magnets, keychains, & bookmarks of area wildlife. These souvenirs are great impulse items and are attractively priced.

Rick Libbey created this line because our area needs a souvenir line that depicts OUR OWN area’s wildlife but more importantly; the images were shot from a kayak with love and respect for their world.

MooseMan products include the souvenir line, matted prints, rustic framed wildlife art, and notecards with stories of MooseMan’s adventures.

By attending Buyer Days on March 31 and April 1 in Saratoga Springs, giftshop, lodging and eatery owners can see in person the works of MooseMan Nature Photos as well as those of many other regional artisan-producers.

The two day show provides a great opportunity to freshen displays, whether store shelving, room accessories or menu listings, with new product. Attend Buyer Days to view 1000s of competitively priced product lines all made in the region. View the new product and show specials online at the Buyer Days page at www.AdkNCcrafts.com.

My journey with wildlife spans over three decades and MooseMan works exclusively from a kayak in a non-intrusive manner. I also present powerpoint shows on moose, loon, and bear. Visit www.moosemannaturephotos.com and www.moosemagnets.com or contact owner Rick Libbey at hlibbey@tds.net or 603 735 5323.

Pricing and Product Dev't Workshop on April 22

Hilary Oak is presenting her annual workshop "Pricing and Product Development" on Thursday, April 22 from 6 to 8pm. $25. 51 Market St., Potsdam NY. www.slcartscouncil.org.

Until March 12, Photo Documentary of Ten Artists

On exhibit until March 12 at the Gallery at the St. Lawrence County Arts Council is North Country Hands at Work: a photographic study by Hannah Stevens. The photo documentary focuses on the hands and art of 10 artists from Northern New York where H. Stevens is from and has come back to after her undergraduate work. She works part-time at the art council and is Velma Bolyard's daughter.

Photographs of North Country artists in this series include silversmiths Pat and Butch Bramhall, weaver Cait Throop, boat builder Everett Smith, fiber artist Jody Horowitz, blacksmith John Scarlett, printmaker and book artist Mark McMurray, jewelry artist Mary Harding, calligrapher Veigh Lee, and fiber artist Velma Bolyard. SLC Arts Council Art News Winter 2010, p. 11.

Chicken Coop Forge in the News

Congratulations to:

Jeannette Brandt and Mike Parwana of Chicken Coop Forge for the two page story with 5 photos of how their business started. Written by Paul Grondahl for the Adirondack Explorer Jan/Feb. 2010 issue.

Two Regional Artists Chosen as 2010 Niche Award Finalists

Congratulations to:

Mary Gwyneth, fiber artist, from Colton NY
http://www.marygwyneth.com/2009/11/mary-g-holland-of-marygwyneth-llc-named-2010-niche-awards-finalist/ whose White Peacock Coat was selected.

and to:

Stephen LeBlanc, jewelry artist, from Argyle NY
http://www.dransfieldjewelers.com/designer_leBlanc.html
whose Mokume Continuum Hoop was selected.

The 161 Niche Award Finalists were selected by a panel of experts from nearly 1000 entries in 36 categories. Works were judged on technical excellence, both in surface design and form; market viability; and a distinct quality of unique, original and creative thought.

Niche Winter 2010, p. 45, www.Rosengrp.com

Consumers Increase Home Improvement Purchases

Top home-improvement chain Home Depot Inc. reported its first quarterly same-store sale rise in nearly four years and gave an upbeat full-year forecast as customers begin bigger renovation projects. The Gazette, p. b16, 2.24.2010

Regional Foods, Wines, and Gift Items Featured at Buyers Days Trade Show

Are you a fan of locally produced foods? Do you like to support regional producers? Then share this with your favorite chef or cook!

Tell them to go to ANCA’s crafts community website, AdkNCcrafts.com to sign up for Buyer Days. Producers experienced with wholesale sales such as Whiteface Mountain Gourmet Maple Products, Bear-Man Specialty Foods, Hill 'n' Hollow LLC and B. Creative will be there to inspire them to create that new dish you’ll be the one to enjoy.

The increasing number of tasting events celebrating locally based foods and beverages reflects the growing appetite of the consumer for food with flavor and local roots. Savoring a meal prepared with regional foods, whether in a restaurant, or local diner, or at your own table doesn’t just taste good, it feels good! A locally prepared jam or jelly can add just the right zing to a meat platter or that slice of homemade toast. Pancakes with local maple syrup dribbling down the sides! Fruit chutney with a soft cheese and crackers. A sip of wine.

Driven by this increasing customer demand, more chefs, cooks and giftshop owners are searching for regional foods. New this year the Adirondack North Country Association is featuring farm wineries from upstate New York at its 24th annual Buyer Days, the region’s only gift tradeshow. 25% of the exhibitors at the show, held at the Saratoga Springs City Center on March 31 and April l, 2010, are specialty food producers. Ten years ago there were none!

Restaurant and lodging owners can sample, and order, jams, jellies, chutneys, sauces, seasonings, wines and other foods. They can also order dinnerware, room accessories, bath and beauty products, furniture, stationery, books and other lines directly from the other 75%. All made in the region. Meet the artists and producers, learn what makes their products special, and how they reflect the inspiration of the Adirondack North Country. -- All in one day. No crowds. Competitive prices. Private labeling. Show specials. Buyer Days is a cash and carry show so no shipping costs. Plan for orders later.

Show your favorite chef or cook this article!

Buyer Day Exhibitors Easily Create Their Own Publicity

One of the tools which artisans rarely use as a means to generate publicity is the use of the press release. Since increased visibility creates a stronger likelihood of sales, ANCA is creating a press release for each Buyer Day exhibitor to use as well as providing the media's email, fax and direct mail info.

It is hoped that as small businesses experience the rewards of increased visibility, that the media will be receptive to featuring more stories from and about the region's makers and sellers of product. It is estimated that a surprisingly high percentage of the local economy is based on these sales.

Exhibitors who have already signed up as exhibitors for ANCA's gift tradeshow, Buyer Days, March 31 and April l, at the City Center in Saratoga Springs, will be able to introduce themselves, and the show, to their local media, within a few days.

N. Korths, show coordinator, is creating a press release template that, with just a few keystrokes, will be ready for each exhibitor to submit to their own regional media list. The media list is sorted into four geographical based lists to make it as easy as possible for craftspeople to distribute the press release to the most appropriate contacts by email, fax or direct mail.

Survey of 10 most popular ecommerce shopping carts - Dec. 2009

http://www.ecommerce-guide.com/essentials/shopping_carts/article.php/3855641

Some Northeastern Gift Trade Shows To Consider

Northeast Market Center January Premier Show, January 16 - 20. Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, 9:00AM - 6:00PM; Wednesday, 9:00AM - 4:00PM. Northeast Market Center, Billerica, MA

Upstate New York Gift Expo. February 22 - 24. Monday and Tuesday, 9:00AM - 5:00PM; Wednesday, 9:00AM - 3:00PM (Cash and carry after noon). Turning Stone Resort & Casino Conference Center, Verona, New York

Cape Cod Resort Gift Show. March 7 - 9, Sunday and Monday, 9:00AM - 6:00PM; Tuesday, 9:00AM - 3:00PM. The Radisson, Route 28, Hyannis, MA

New England Products Trade Show. March 13 - 15. Saturday and Sunday, 10:00AM - 5:00PM; Monday, 9:00AM - 4:00PM. Portland Sports Complex, Portland, ME. Preregister at nepts.com for free admission.

Adirondack North Country Association Buyers Days. March 31, 12 - 6:00PM and April 1, 9:00AM - 4:00PM at the Saratoga Springs City Center, Saratoga, NY. Thanks to Sandy of Classic Calligraphy, who did very well in her first year at last year's Buyer Days. She is looking forward to coming back this year. http://www.classiccalligraphy.com

Buyer's Market in Philly On Despite Record Snowfall

See how show promoter, buyers and exhibitors are making the best of show despite record snowfall. http://www.buyersmarketblog.typepad.com/wholesalematters/.

Note how exhibitors are using the show's Facebook section to promote their product. You will be able to do the same shortly at ANCA's Buyer Days section on Facebook.

The Buyer Days section at www.AdkNCcrafts.com has posted all of the exhibitors who have signed up up to Jan. 18th, 2010 - there's 31 of you, 8 are new.

Buyers have already received one email invite to the show which listed the 8 new exhibitors. Two more will be going out before the show. Send me your success stories so I can include them in one of those emails.

Send me your show specials and images of your new product lines. Posting those on the website helps buyers prepare for show.

butternut, maple, ash and basswood available

IIs there a link to artisans in the northcountry who may be looking for local supplies of wood such as butternut, maple, ash, and basswood?

Would like to communicate with such if possible. Have supplies of the above in Brushton, NY

Murray Beidler 518-529-0204 / received email 01.11.10

Two free "Buy Local" Posters and Self-Help Co-op Marketing

If anyone is interested AMIBA (American Independent Business Alliance) has provided two free "Buy Local" posters for anyone's use. The first is perfect for this time of year titled "Give a Gift to Your Community", the other is a brief description of Why to buy local.

Just click on the link below to download the posters.

http://amiba.net/educational_comps.html

Wishing you a Happy and successful Holiday Season.
from Mary Vanouse, Director, City of Oswego Community Development. Send out as a group email, Dec. 11, 2009

Published in December 2009, the link below is a Cooperative Marketing Self-help Module downloadable as a pdf (46 pgs/4.04MB). Case Studies galore. Very readable. Funded by the government (Australian).

http://www.business.nsw.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/726EF4B2-F3FA-48DD-9BA1-AD98C49AB416/0/self_help_module15_cooperative_marketing_20091203.pdf
Found while researching for a client, Nadia Korths, 12.11.09

Artisans Talk About How the Year Has Been

The Sparkle Christmas and NCCC Craft Fair were held, respectively, on Dec. 5 and 6, in Saranac Lake.

Though shoppers seemed to be cautious overall, a number of artisans such as Lisa Nortz, Silver Bench; Lis Barsuglia-Madsen, Heirlooms; Carol Clarridge, Whiteface Mountain Gourmet Syrup; Rose Bartiss, Rose's Goats - Goats Milk Soap, and Sharon Benesch, Benesch Creative Enterprises (via recent phone call) all had a good year.

Lisa Nortz' skilled and creative jewelry worksmanship has this exquisite handmade feel/look that has customers coming back each year to find her at the shows she regularly attends. She wears a beautiful collection of her work including a bracelet and ring she made during high school and a pendant necklace with free form glass stone on sterling silver triangle. She has received custom orders from her collection, particularly of the pendant necklace. Sadly, she will probably not come to Buyer Days (March 31/April 1, 2010) this year. She is making practical and sensible choices. Buyer Days had become more of a occasion to catch up with others while escaping cabin fever in Saratoga Springs than a show where she was making money the last few years.

Her niece, Emily Mae Widrick, Silver Streams Jewelry, a jeweler for the last few years, shows similiarities in style with Lisa, and Butch and Pat Bramhall, her grandparents as well as Lisa's parents, from whom she has learned yet she is already finding her own style. I see I had already picked up her card last year as well someplace along my travels.

All of the above make their own chains. And the richness of that silver work sets them apart.

Another jeweler who was a delight to find at the NCCC Craft Fair was Edison Collections. While training to become an airplane mechanic and laid-up last early winter, he decided to make jewelry out of found materials as Christmas presents. Now he and his girlfriend already have a number of accounts in the Lake Placid area!
Their style, presentation (ie., business card is also earring display) and use of found and recycled is distinctive. The jeweler showed me how he had polished the ironslug residue from the mines of yesteryear to create pendants. I have myself collected these pieces for their beautiful blue color and was delighted to see it used.

I'll be back tommorrw to post a few more tales from the front-line.

Career exploration in the fine arts - photographer speaks

Refresh your approach - listen to how others have made it - free - in Montgomery Co. - Sat.

Career exploration in the fine arts
Saturday Nov. 7, 2009, 9-12 am

For immediate release - The Montgomery County Educational and Cultural Council on the Arts (MECCA) will be conducting a free Seminar on the topic of exploring and starting a career in the fine arts including music, performing and visual arts.

The seminar will be held at Fulton-Montgomery Community College on Saturday Nov. 7 from 9-12 am at the campus theater.

This seminar will focus on starting and maintaining a viable career in the fine arts. A panel of three successful regional artists will be discussing their experiences on how to navigate a career in the arts. The three panelists will be: Musician Sara Milonovich, recording artist and international touring folk singer and violinist; Byron Nilisson, actor, playwright, and writer with 39 years of experience in the performing arts; and Harry Wirtz, visual artist, photographer, and art book maker.

The seminar will start at 9 am in the FM campus theater with a panel discussion for one hour followed by break out groups where participants can choose an area of interest to gain more in-depth information. A question and answer session will take place at the conclusion of the event. Refreshments will be provided by the Student Art Guild of FM. The seminar is free to all. For further information please call Joel Chapin at 518 762-4651 Ext. 4111

Harry
--
Harry Wirtz
Words & Pictures
phone: 518 863 8636
email: harry@harrywirtz.com
web: http://www.harrywirtz.com

News For and About Artisans and Retailers

Lake George Arts Project is requesting original video shorts of 3 to 5 minutes to be submitted by Nov. 20, 2009. Three awards will be presented in each category with a screening of all award winners on February 6, 2010 at the lst annual Peoples Pixel Project. Craft artisans could submit video of creating their work under two of the six categories, Get Reel: documentary video, and Narrative: Tell a story, but make it quick. Your video can also be posted at YouTube and linked to your website to help promote your story. www.lakegeorgearts.org.

Community newspaper readership is growing at an unprecedented rate. 44% of all active Internet users visited a newspaper Web site last month. 95% of U.S. adults report that the recession has imported their shopping in some way. 76% report doing fewer shopping trips. Adults also plan purchases more (67%). Actual purchases continue to be predominantly made in stores (79%) though shopping information channels have dramatically expanded. Newspaper Association of America ads, Scarborough Research 2008, How America Shops and Spends/MORI Research 2009, Adirondack Daily Enterprise, October, 2009.

"Cristina Lussi, whose family owns the Crowne Plaza Resort and Golf Club (Lake Placid), said occupancy, as well as rates her hotel is charging, are down about 10 percent on the year. But that amount is not too bad compared to other hoteliers in Westchester County, whom she said have told her business is down, in some cases, 40 percent...."Thank goodness Lake Placid is an events-driven community," Lussi said...
Jenn Holderied, whose family owns the Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort on Main Street, said her hotel's business was down about seven or eight percent from 2008, but added that 2008 was a banner year that would have been hard to beat under any circumstances. She said the resort's 2009 numbers are running about five precent above 2007. The Golden Arrow maintained their rates as much as possible this year; however Holdereid said she promoted some value packages during times that she normally would not have in order to encourage business.
The biggest change in tourism trends, Holdereid said, is in travel patterns. Since December 2008, visitors have been booking rooms at the last possible moment and shopping around for the best deal, she said.
"People are a little bit more cautious about spending their money," she said. "They are spending more time planning their vacations and really thinking it through before they committ." LP/Essex Co. Visitors Bureau cut two employees, by Heather Sackett, Adirondack Daily Enterprise, 10.15.09, p. 2

The Marketing Your Product for Profit Seminar will be held Tuesday and Thursday, 5:30 to 8:30 pm starting Nov. 7 through Jan. 7. $50. "This is a timely opportunity to turn your idea for a farm- or home-based enterprise into a profitable business venture.," said series co-organizer Molly Ames, a farm business management educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County. The Internet training equips business owners with a low-cost way to build their brand and relationships whether they want to sell over the net or not. The training involves online, face-to-face and distance-learning delivery methods. CCE Office, Plattsburgh, video conference. FMI and to register; Peter Hagar, CCE of Clinton Co., 518.561.7450. Press Republican, 10.11.09 and Essex County CCE monthly newsletter, Sept. issue

Profits at Panera (PNRA), best-performing major restaurant stock of the decade, were up by 33% in the first half of this year, with annualized growth of 31.5%. The strategies can be used by craftspeople as well as food producers: unfussy presentation, unpretentious atmosphere creating community gathering space, fresh, customizable, convenient, won't break the bank. "Panera's target audience is more Food Network than fast food. '"We hit a chord with people who understand and respond to food, but we also open a door for people who are on the verge of that," says chief concept officer Scott Davis. "We run an idea through the Panera filter and give it that twist that takes a flavor profile closer to what you'd find in a bistro than a fast-food joint."..."To consumers, the brand is family-oriented but also sophisticated."' `Rising Dough How Panera is thriving by selling real food - and a gathering space - in suburbia by Kate Rockwood, Fast Company, October 2009, p. 79

The Food Show at North Country Community College featured a new company Sustain Brand which markets locally owned and locally grown food products under the brand "Sustain" made from ingredients found within a 100 mile radius. John Glazier and Shaun Glazier of Malone are the owners of the company. Adirondack Daily Enterprise, 10.09.09

The Collectors Issue of Adirondack Life featured two pages of product titled Botany of Desire, some made locally and/or some sold locally. Products made locally were Beth Johnson's silver twig pin, www.bethjohnsonbeads.com (sold at Art on Park, Tupper Lake and Ruthie's Run, Lake Placid, www.ruthiesrun.com); Floral bookmark cards by Mary Vianese of Indian Lake (sold at Abanakee Studios, www.abanakeestudios.com); Porcelain water lily by Mary Lou Reid of Saranac Lake (sold at the Adirondack Artists Guild, www.adirondackartistsguild.com); Hemp linen table runner by Dawn Wilkins of Heliographics, Long Lake, www.heliographics.com (this company has a number of beautiful sophisticated product lines to accessorize the home) and clay plate by Meredith Johnston of Aerobie Fields Pottery, Westport (sold at Bessboro Shop, Westport and Adirondack Art Association, Essex). Collectors Issue, Adirondack Life, p. 82

Larry and Joann Post, of L. Post Rustics, AuSable Forks, received the People's Choice award as first time exhibitors at the 22nd annual Rustic Furniture Fair held on Sept. 4-6 at the Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake. More than 3,500 visitors attended. Weekender, Adirondack Daily Enterprise, p. 8, Oct. 2-8, 2009

The Association of Woodworking and Furnishing Supplies (AWFS) annual Vegas fair held July 15-18 had a decrease in attendance of about 50% (average 16,000 to between 8,500 to 8,000) and decrease in number of vendors by about a third (580 vendors). The New York Gift Show held Aug. 15 - 20 had a 5.6% increase in number of buyers attending (31,000 thousand people attending from 50 states and 85 countries) as a result of an increase in retailers needing fourth quarter inventory. The Saratoga Souvenir Show held for 4 days mid October had many satisfied exhibitors. Woodshops News, September 2009, p. 6; Crafts Report online September issue, p. 22 and word of mouth