Peek. Bought. Handmade.

Today, as part of our new series called Peek. Bought. Handmade, we take a look at one of the handmade pieces decorating the home of Al and Caroline of beyondtherockz.  Thank you so much, Caroline and Al, for letting us peek at the beautiful embroidery from Waterrose that's now part of your own collection.

"Before the very first day of school, my grandmother had already introduced me to the beauty of hand embroidered work. I love going through my grandmother's old steamer trunk of embroidered family heirlooms, and every now and then I find myself adding something special to the collection. Hand embroidery brings back fond memories of my grandmother patiently teaching me her favorite stitches. Memories of her and the time and care that goes into this work touches my heart, and I love how it actually ties to generations of woman in my own family."

"Well, one summer day last year I found myself visiting Waterrose's shop. I hadn't been by in a while, and I do love visiting and admiring Rose's work. She had added a new piece, and in this one she had transferred a page from an antique book onto linen, free embroidering Queen Annes Lace. I bought this treasure immediately, and you can see it on my living room mantle in the photo above."

Selling Wholesale: What Galleries Want

leather cuff by WaterRose

This is a more optimal time to approach art and artisan craft galleries to buy from you than it has been in years. Gallery sales in the last quarter of 2010 were better than previous years, so their inventories are low and their spending capital is high. The wholesale craft markets aren’t booked until February, so you can get a foot in the door before they commit their yearly budget. So what are they looking for?

First of all, have a body of work to offer.  A body of work is a clear, recognizable  path that you are taking with your artistic exploration and creations. Every piece in your body of work relates to the other pieces. If your work is primarily extravagant one of a kind pieces, make at least 4 less expensive variations that still have your personal style and innovations. Conversely, if your work is generally well priced pieces without a lot of innovation, create at least  5 highly unusual pieces that show the very best of what you can do.

Markhed’s shop is the perfect body of work that would interest a gallery buyer.  These pieces all relate to each other while bering unusual and innovative:

Galleries are interested in a broad price range. They want something new and different but buyers are also very cautious and gravitate towards work that they know from experience will sell well. My wholesale list is fairly large- I offer 21 pieces in 3 glaze patterns. Gallery buyers want to see at least 20 pieces that you can make and deliver in a timely fashion.

If your Etsy sales are fairly good, I would use that to show a buyer that your work has a following. Be aware that gallery buyers don’t want their customers to find you online and get a cheaper price. Before you approach galleries, remove all mention of sales, discount codes, and giveaways from your store, blog, Facebook, and Twitter. Have your online prices set at the same retail that a gallery would have. And plan to keep it that way, if you want to retain wholesale accounts.

Next Wednesday, I will cover how to approach a gallery to carry your work. If you have any questions, ask in the comments and I will gladly reply. I wish you all success in the new year ahead!

Lee Wolfe / OneClayBead