Hi, friends!

[dancingbearmama]

Hello!  I'm so glad I found y'all again -- last summer was so busy with shows and the kids that I lost track of Mike Fowler's forum, and the next thing I knew, it was gone  

Thanks to those who started this one up, and thanks to Christine who is Dancing Barefoot for turning me onto this forum!  I am looking forward to reading everything and getting reacquainted with all the info.  I'm still working on my website, trying to get it going, and Magdalena (where I live) has an arts co-op forming, with a gallery opening on cinco de mayo, and I am part of the 13 (so far) members!  It will be exciting to have a local place to have stuff on permanent display/sale -- we do get a lot of drive-by traffic from those en route to/from AZ on Hwy 60, and also people going out to the VLA (Very Large Array, where I have my ufo & radio antenna tie-dyes in the gift shop).

peace,
nicole

[Kathy]

Hey Nicole, great to see you again!
The co-op sounds great, let us know how it goes
Hey, are you doing silks. I remember a while ago you asking me about it and was curious to see how it was going. Hope all is going well.

Besides getting the website built, do you have any other place on line that you are selling your stuff? I(we I am sure) would love to see some of your recent stuff

Ooo...you can post pics in the Gallery

Kathy

[tiedyejudy]

Hey, Nicole!  Welcome aboard!  I have been selling my tie-dye at a co-op in our local indoor swapmeet for the past few months, and have been doing well.  We have about 7 crafters in our group, and we share the booth rent and take turns minding the 'store'.  Best of luck to you in your new venture!

Judy

[steve]

Welcome Nicole!

Hopefully you will make this a new home for tie-dye discussion.

As Kathy said, the gallery is available for uploading images and I hope you will add to our on-line art gallery. Feel free to add your contact info in your comments. No need to register as the forum and the gallery share the same user data base.

Also, stop by the Wiki and add a few lines of information! You will need a separate login to use the Wiki.

Steve

[dancingbearmama]

Thanks for the warm welcome!  Yes, Kathy, I tried doing some play silks with a friend (using your pro-chem immersion technique) -- it was fun, but I felt like I wanted to do MORE with the fabric than just one color, you know?  So I've been doing mandalas on silk, with varying results (better when my dye is thicker).  I want my mandalas to look like Dancing Barefoots', but i think i have a ways to go!  I have a local seamstress at work making me some prototype rayon, silk & silk velvet capes to try doing some mandalas on.  I made one for my son's friend, and it turned out so cool!

Judy, that is awesome that you are part of a co-op, too!  Let me know if you have any advice for our newly formed one.  I think we will each work 2 days a month.  I am happy because the building we found has space to have a kids' play area, and i think there is a yard out back where we could also do some kiddie stuff.  Another member & i both have young ones, so this is important, and i think it will also be attractive to families passing through.  We have a good, thorough business plan, with a board, a gallery director, and a really excited and motivated crew of people.

Steve, your mandala on your what's it called looks so great, i can't wait to see more of what you have been up to.  I'm not sure what a wiki is, but i'll check it out.  and i will definitely get some stuff together for the gallery.  I have been putting off buying dye for the year because i was hoping to finally support Mike Fowler's company, but it seems like it is no longer around.  I'm getting to the point that i really need to order.  What are your thoughts -- should i just order from Dharma & pro-chem?

peace,
nicole

[tiedyejudy]

Judy, that is awesome that you are part of a co-op, too!  Let me know if you have any advice for our newly formed one.  I think we will each work 2 days a month.  I am happy because the building we found has space to have a kids' play area, and i think there is a yard out back where we could also do some kiddie stuff.  Another member & i both have young ones, so this is important, and i think it will also be attractive to families passing through.  We have a good, thorough business plan, with a board, a gallery director, and a really excited and motivated crew of people.

Couple of things we have learned in the co-op since it started:
  1)  A lot of folk come in assuming whatever they make will sell like hot-cakes.  When it doesn't, they get a little lax about promptly paying their share of the rent, and signing up for booth-minding time.
  2)  It helps if you have a group who are supportive of each other, and don't want all the shelf space for themselves.  We had a guy for awhile that "took ownership" of a large area, and also wanted to scatter his product over the rest of the booth as well.  He left in a huff when the primary (the gal who started this thing) and I were re-arranging things after an expansion.  He wasn't happy that he had to move his things to another area to make room for a new member.
  3)  It's a good idea to keep a list of prospective members, so if you have one of the members leave, you can get someone in to take their place right away.  That way, the rent gets paid.
  4)  What we have done is figure the rent/electricity costs for the year, based on a certain number of 'open' days - days when the shop is open for business.  The rent charged is a little higher than the actual costs, and covers gaps when we have a member drop and before a new one comes in, and also pays for booth supplies - office items, display items, etc.  We also have several fixtures that have been donated along the way, but there are always incidentals that need to be paid for.
Hope this helps!  If I think of anything else, I'll send it your way.
Best of luck to you!

Judy

[tiedyejudy]

Hi, again.  Just an update on my co-op:  We were running it in an indoor swap meet.  Unfortunately, the swap meet is closing, and we have had to disband.  So one more item to add to tips for a co-op:  If at all possible, be sure you are financially able to rent a space outright.  This co-op would not have been able to rent a storefront, due to the small number of us, and the fact that all but one of us are part-time crafters.  It has been an invaluable experience, and I am glad I participated in it, even if only for a few months.  But I guess it's back to the craft fairs I go!

Later...

Judy

P.S.  Steve, let us know if you ever decide to try a tie-dye mall, ala fiber-arts, okay?  I'll be there to set up!

J.

[steve]

I could see a tie-dye mall--but it would have to be a mall with independent businesses. Although Michael had the software to deal with the one store for all model--there would have been some serious issues from a business/money/accouting point of view. Had it gotten big enough, there would be little nicities like the IRS and filing and forms and all that good stuff.

However--a central site with space for many tie-dye vendors is a very different thing. Everyone would have their own store. Cube cart would be a great way to do (as much as I love Zen-cart--cube cart is somewhat easier and would be up to the task).

If there is interest--it could be done.

Let's discuss this in the business area!

Steve