SignAge from the Stone Age

Here's the sign I did up for The Rooms Gift Shop. I wasn't sure what to expect when I dropped it off - frankly, The Rooms has been a bit of a disappointment when it comes to moving my product. But I'm happy to report that I'm very impressed with the current Elfshot display and I appreciate being asked for bigger and better signage. I think there's reason to be optimistic. At the moment they have a very good selection of Elfshot's local chert and fibre optic jewelry.

If there are any retailers carrying Elfshot product reading this who would like one of these 8 1/2" x 11" signs on cardstock, please e-mail me and I'll send you one.

Its very easy to get money for marketing and promotion of craft in Newfoundland and Labrador. The product photos on the above sign were done by Erick Walsh while he was building a digital portfolio for me in 2006 or 2007. I got funding through the Craft Industry Development Program (CIDP) to pay for 50% of the costs associated with that project. At the same time I had some posters printed and did up a bunch of brochures. The posters and banners were a good investment and I probably have a few more years of use left in them. I think I printed something like 500 or 1000 colour brochures. Whatever is was, it was too many. With craft you need to constantly be creating new products and evolving your product line every year. If you don't, not only will your business not grow it will start to shrink, as customers drift away. That means that your print materials become dated quickly. That's the mistake that I made -- it was so easy to get CIDP money that I spent more than I needed to and bought marketing materials in volumes that were unnecessary. Now I'm stuck with them. I know now that I need promotional materials in the dozens, not the hundreds. I'm not General Motors and nobodys going to bail me out if I mismanage Elfshot into bankruptcy.