And it’s a smash.
When we started, we didn’t have a clue. We were so young then! The first booth was really just a bunch of routed bowls that Mrs M grabbed out of her collection, and dedicated them to the new effort that was Mrs M’s Handmade.
She included both of the custom bread bowls I made her that were the perfect size for her home made sourdough loaves … and since those bowls went into her booth, I don’t think she’s made bread since.
(sigh)
Our first booth was not a smash. It was humble. It was functional, and it did accommodate our meager product line:
Mrs. M and Mrs. M, before they opened on their first day. Smiles on faces, and that is a very good thing!
We soon learned that we needed a more verticality, so I built “the back bar” that was the center piece, er, the left side of booth # 2:
The complete booth (# 2) in its inaugural showing …
We were still doing single 10×10 booths at this point … but we knew that we could grow if we were willing to double down on the booth. That’s exactly what we did with the 3rd iteration of our booth:
We still used the back bar in the beginning, but the key addition were the 2 small “step units” on the right side of the booth that became the home for the lotion & sugar scrub displays. More verticality … but not nearly enough. The booth continued to be a visual mess, with related products (lotion bars) separated onto different tables for no good reason.
So I was charged with building booth # 4. We talked about it ad nauseum. For months. Talk, talk, talk.
We actually put pen to paper in February of this year. More talking. Then, I was ready to build a couple of weeks ago. I brought out those 3-month-old designs … and Mrs M threw them out.
Of course.
Back to the drawing board briefly – but only briefly – because I started cutting lumber that day. We had a 12-piece booth in mind, and I was on a deadline.
11 of the pieces were complete for the first show last weekend, the Rotary Art Show in Studio City. Soap was the major product premiere … and with the new booth, Mrs M had the best day EVER. The best event EVER.
One piece is yet to be completed, and one more piece has already been ordered. I’m sure the booth won’t be “complete” until our big event in Montrose, June 4 & 5. Hope to see you there!
Pictures of the booth got posted on Facebook to a soaper’s group that Mrs M is a member of (she’s obsessed with soap now!) … and the picture of the booth filled with product garnered over 1,100 likes in 24 hours! This booth, after only one event, appears to be a total success. That would be good, as I don’t want to build # 5 anytime soon.
Here are three “not finished” pictures of key pieces, and then there’s a piece-by-piece look at booth # 4. There are some complete shots with product. You may want to click through the pictures one at a time to really understand how the booth is laid out; I think the gallery of photos is a bit confusing. But, your mileage may vary. Enjoy!
Finally, the answers to the inevitable questions:
- What woods were used in the booth: Red Oak & White Oak.
- Is the booth easy to transport? Sure, if you have a trailer and a Jeep to haul everything.
- Where’s the new logo? Patience, grasshopper, patience. It’s on the list, and will be there by Montrose.
- Will I make your booth? No, you can’t afford me.
- Is Mrs M happy with the booth? She seems to be. Ask her.
More