Preparing Eggs for the Spring

Spring is less than a month away! 

In preparation for our Spring Show, we have EGGS, fresh out of the annealer today! Not a dozen eggs, and not hard boiled, but glass Easter Eggs! They are so colorful and unique, it's hard to pick a favorite! 

It may seem like we are still a while out from the show, but we have a lot of things to do with these eggs!

We create egg prototypes in a variety of styles, shapes, and colors. Sometimes we think the colors are going to look good, and sometimes they look great hot, but in the cooling process they look completely different. Sometimes we fall in love with a color combination we weren't expecting to.

We choose favorites and photograph them, sometimes with props or with fabrics underneath to really make the colors pop! Some of these eggs will end up on the website.

This has to be done three to four weeks before the show so that we can create the proper signage. Then we can put together what the show will look like, from photographing the products, to creating beautiful backdrops, to picking the banner for the website and Facebook page, to branding the T-shirts to match the eggs.

Then, because we were testing the egg prototypes, we know what we like, but we don't have quantity yet. For example, say we have a blue egg and a yellow egg that look nice together in a display. We might make 20 of the blue style but only 7 of the yellow style, because yellow is not a top seller, but makes the palate look good. 

Website vs. Gallery

We can always make more eggs as they sell, but the initial quantity on the website needs to match the inventory, and give us enough for the gallery, as well. The website and the gallery work together, but independently.They have different stock and we manage them differently. 

On the website, customers can order products 24/7. When the staff comes in to the office, the orders are printed, and the products are shipped. No one needs to come in the front door or make a phone call. We can listen to whatever music we want (loudly) in the studio while all the packing and shipping is happening! 

On days when the gallery is open, customers come in with cash (or card) and carry out their purchased items. They do not need to pay shipping. The customers get beautifully wrapped product with all the literature inside, just the same as an online customer does, but they get to come in and talk to our staff, explore our gallery space, and check out our constantly changing displays. 

A customer who prefers a quiet and efficient shopping experience might prefer the online store, while a customer who is chatty and likes browsing products in-person might prefer to come in during gallery hours. 

That's one of the reasons we have only four days of open hours. We enjoy the balance of making the products, working on the online orders, and interacting face-to-face with our customers.

If you are someone who lives far or usually shops online, we encourage you to pay us a visit! We're stocking some fabulous spring items and curating beautiful displays. We'd love to see you!

We'll see you on The Gathering Point show next Tuesday! We will be featuring something beautiful, exciting, colorful, and fascinating. 

~ Michelle