This morning was a scramble to choose and prepare the pieces for the product assessment at the Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design. I chose eleven of my most perfectest pendants plus a big bloody choker:

Ok, so that’s only ten, but I don’t have photos of the other two. But they were pretty. Promise.

Anyway, then I named them all with really silly names like Cranberry Delight and Tiger Tails because I was in a hurry. Totally skipping the "retail price" blanks, I cheated and used Illustrator to fill out their PDF with type instead of printing and writing, and then I printed it out. After all that was done, clipped a red fancy paper clip to the corner of the application and gathered a blank cheque and some business cards. Then I numbered and tagged each piece and attached them to two black velvet display pieces. They looked very lovely, all in a row.

Then I ate and got in the shower, and by then I was RUSHING. I had one sock on and started to panic because I had nothing to put my two display pieces IN. Aiee. My parents were both looking all over for me while I tried to find words to explain what I actually needed. I finally found a tupperware shoebox in the basement, washed it, and had my shoes on before I realized I wasn’t even wearing any jewellery myself! I grabbed my purple amethyst choker (I was wearing a red shirt and green socks) and bolted.

So. The ladies on staff at the Centre really really REALLY liked my pieces, although they’re not on the Assessment Committee. I got myself a Craft Producer’s membership, which will get me discounts, advanced registration (to workshops which are usually while I’m working, but whatever), access to their group merchant account (don’t know details on that yet), and some other good stuff. For instance, if a local store calls up looking for some jewellery to put in their shop, they’ll be able to give them my name!

As they were discussing my work and what the rates were and such, they looked over my application and the girl stopped and said, “Wait, you’re not Gayle Bird, are you?” I said, “Oh yeah, and I’m the chick doing all those websites, by the way!” I got handshakes and some “you do excellent work!”s, and got to put some faces on the people I’ve talked with via email a few times, so that was fun too.

The staff also promised to ask the Assessment Committee to give notes on pricing (one girl suggested a price on a piece TWICE what I would have put on it, which is totally why I need third-party input). In addition, I checked “yes” to “Are you interested in teaching your craft to others," so maybe I’d get to meet some people who like beads and, y’know, actually talk to people I don’t work with and I’m not related to!

I’m feeling extremely optimistic here. I really think I can make all this work, and do well at it, too. So maybe ‘millionaire’ is pushing it. But still!