June 29-30: Come to the Art & Craft Market in Seoul!

Come to Itaewon on June 29 and 30 to enjoy the amazing Art & Craft Market, organized by I Art Seoul!

HanjiNaty will be there to offer you a great selection of handcrafted earrings, hair accessories, and small deco items.

The Market will be open from 11am to 4pm on Saturday (June 29), and from 1pm to 6pm on Sunday (June 30).

The Gyeongridan Street Festival
on June 29 and 30!

Do not miss this chance to enjoy the buzzing atmosphere of Itaewon, as the Market will coincide with the Gyeongridan Street Festival that will be held the same weekend. Street art, buskers, street food, great arts and crafts: what is there not to love??

Amazing vendors offering handmade products

Many vendors will be there on both days to offer a fantastic selection of handcrafted jewelry, accessories, baby items, beauty products, and delicious treats.

Here is a list of the vendors you can meet at the Market :

HanjiNaty

Handmade accessories and jewelry made of high-quality Hanji paper. A traditional Korean craft with a Western twist!

On site Saturday and Sunday (June 29-30).


Lizzie's Fizzies

Shower Fizzies - If you prefer a shower to a bath, homemade Lizzie's Fizzies are the perfect option for you.
They're made with high quality sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and citric acid, just like shower bombs. But rather than placing them into your tub, you place them on the floor of the shower. The water and steam activates the fizzing reaction, releasing aroma into the air.

On site Saturday and Sunday (June 29-30).


Beau and co shop

Specialize in handmade baby and children’s clothing and various toys/ teething accessories. I use luxury fabrics mostly European and most are certified organic.

On site Saturday and Sunday (June 29-30).

Dooloo Kids Shop

Handmade baby and children’s accessories. All items are 100% handmade with beautiful fabrics from Korea, Canada and Japan. Custom orders are welcome!

On site Saturday (June 29).


Studio Bodhi

Art studio specializing in handpainted artwork and homedecor products focused on Indian art. Includes products like kettles, trays, bottles, boxes, plates, canvas etc handpainted using high quality acrylic paints. Also conduct workshops - custom orders for sale, inquiries workshops are welcome

On site Saturday (June 29).


Tiffany Peek

Geeky, kick@ss artwork. Stickers, prints, and collectables featuring original comics and anime-inspired artwork drawn traditionally and digitally.

On site Saturday (June 29).


Anxiety and Kimbap

Korean themed and pop culture inspired enamel pins.On site Saturday (June 29).


Catherine Carrard by Catherine C.

Cards, bookmarks and my book "Empreintes", a collection of poems, short novels (in French) with woodcut engravings.

On site Saturday (June 29).


Henna Art - Beauty and Glam Life

Beautiful henna art with 100% natural henna dye. I do pretty white henna art as well with my homemade synthetic white henna.

On site Saturday (June 29).


DN’s Odds & Ends


Vegan homemade goods
Soy-free tofu and natural homemade deodorantOn site Sunday (June 30).


Poms & Posies

Handmade heirloom quality crochet items for the little ones in your life. Specializing in 100% cotton bibs, bonnets and bows.

On site Sunday (June 30).


Gwaja Bar

Handcrafted Vintage Chocolates and Confections.
Freshly made Chocolates taste better! From Fancies to Novelties, Chocolate Bars to Gift Sets Gwaja Bar makes everything by hand from recipes that are up to 100 years old. Special orders are also available for a special occasion, or just because!

On site Sunday (June 30).


How to get there?

I Art Seoul is located in Itaewon. Take the subway to Noksapyeong station (녹사평역) and take Exit no.2. Walk north on Noksapyeong-daero until you reach the large intersection where you can take an underpass to reach to other side.

See you there!

2018 Jeonju Hanji Culture Festival

This year, the 22nd edition of the Jeonju Hanji Culture Festival (전주한지문화축제) will be held on the first weekend of May, from Friday, May 5 to Monday, May 7, which is a National holiday this year.

The Festival program includes once again a Hanji fashion show, hands-on experiences, musical and dance performance, and the Hanji artisans' market.

This year, HanjiNaty will not be participating in the Hanji Festival in Jeonju. We wish them great success for their 22nd edition!

For more details, visit the Festival website (in Korean only): www.jhanji.or.kr.

2017 Jeonju Hanji Festival~ It starts tomorrow!

I am excited to announce that HanjiNaty will once more participate in the Hanji festival in Jeonju, in the province of Jeollabuk-do, South Korea!

The 2017 edition of the festival will be held from May 19 (Fri) to May 21 (Sun), in two locations, downtown Jeonju. The core of the festival will once again happen in the site adjacent to the Korean Cultural Center in Jeonju, but a satellite location in the Hanok village will allow more visitors to enjoy what the festival has to offer.

New! 2 locations for the festival!

An exciting change will make the 2017 edition especially interesting! The festival will be held in two different locations: most of the activities will be held on the festival site (close the the Cultural Center) and a satellite market will be installed in the heart of the Hanok village, Jeonju's most popular neighborhood!

The Hanji open market and the hands-on zone will be duplicated to accommodate more visitors. Paper and culture enthusiasts will have a chance to get to make interesting discoveries in both places, either by creating Hanji items themselves or by choosing to buy handcrafted items, unique gifts, or sumptuous high-quality Hanji paper.

A variety of events and activities to enjoy

Once again the festival visitors will have a chance to enjoy an interesting variety of cultural events and activities on the festival site. Different performances will be given on the main stages, including the famous and popular Hanji fashion show.

Visitors will also have a chance to visit the cultural garden, admire the Hanji sculptures and lanterns installed on site, including a giant Hanji paper tree that was recently erected.

HanjiNaty will be there!


HanjiNaty will be in both locations for the long weekend of the Festival. Come to say hello and take a look at our selection of handcrafted jewelry (earrings, necklaces, brooches), hair accessories (hair pins, ties and headbands), and decor items, such as coasters, plates, cabinets, boxes and pen holders.

The first HanjiNaty booth will be located on the edge of the festival site:

The second HanjiNaty booth will be located in the parking lot of the Gyeonggijeon Shrine (경기전):

We can't wait to see you there!



How to get to the main Jeonju Festival site:



Information in Korean: http://jhanji.or.kr/bbs/board.php?bo_table=main01_04

Looking back on the 20th Edition of the Jeonju Hanji Culture Festival

This year marked the 20th anniversary of the Jeonju Hanji Culture Festival.

The annual event was held from May 5 through 8, 2016, and HanjiNaty was there to celebrate Hanji paper, one of the cultural treasures of Korea.

Before writing this blog post, I took the time to re-read my observations and comments on the previous editions, in which I participated both as a visitor (see the text on the 2013 Festival), and as a vendor in the Hanji market (take a look at last year's blog post, which covers my first experience as a vendor at the Jeonju Hanji Festival).

While re-reading my previous blog posts, I quickly came to this conclusion : not much has changed. I still love and appreciate many aspects of this singular event, but the grievances and concerns I had regarding the Festival organization are still lingering. Some things have been addressed, but there are still issues that need to be improved, in order to bring to this event the notoriety and popularity it deserves.

Let's take a look at some of the great aspects of the 2016 Festival, along with the elements that would deserve to be reconsidered and reworked.

New location for the Hanji market

This year, the vendors were located closer to the main stage area, and it was a very pleasant change. There was more foot traffic, and we could all feel more excitement and enthusiasm in the air, due to the proximity of the performances, the increased number of passer-by, and the general conviviality of the festival atmosphere. 

Even if the proximity to the stage came with loudness, it was definitely more pleasant - and more profitable - for the vendors, including myself.

The market was slightly smaller this year (there were 15 vendors present for the festival this year, compared to 20 in 2015), but visitors still had the chance to purchase high-quality Hanji paper, Hanji fans, umbrellas and small objects, along with hair accessories, jewelry and deco items designed by HanjiNaty. There was also a convenience store stall and several food stands, where people could purchase snacks, cold drinks or ice cream.

A nice spread of cultural performances

During the four days of the Festival, numerous cultural performances were held on the main stage. Visitors were invited to enjoy - for free! - various dance and musical performances, including Korean traditional dancing, belly dancing, K-pop performances, opera, and even a big band concert!

Sadly, some performances were given in front of a very sparse group of festival goers. That's unfortunate for the performers, who surely spent a lot of time and energy to prepare their shows.

The afternoon dress rehearsals for the fashion show and the Costume show were more popular; people had a great time admiring the amazing garments made of Korean paper. Unfortunately, the rain chased away many spectators for the evening performances. What a shame, especially considering the amount of work and effort were poured into the creation of these amazing costumes!

How about organizing a parade in the streets surrounding the site, and even in the Hanok village? It would be a great experience for the fashion models and designers, and it will bring attention to the Festival, and hopefully attract more visitors and tourists who might not have been aware of the event.


A new website.... but where's English?

The Jeonju Hanji Festival recently redid its website, to modernize it and make it more vibrant and user friendly. You can visit it here : http://www.jhanji.or.kr/

The new hot pink titles and the colorful pictures are very attractive! I especially like the large picture banner and the fresh look of the site. Unfortunately, there is still something major missing : there is no English version! It appears especially problematic this year, as the theme of the 20th edition of the Festival was "Hanji into the world."  How can we expect foreign visitors to learn about Hanji if they can't read anything about it? It is foolish to think that the internationalization of Hanji can be done without a minimal amount of English language material available. In this digital era, an English version of a website is a obvious necessity.

I have been talking about this issue for years now (on my blog, as well as in person with some people involved in the organization of the Festival), but it seems that my message hasn't reached its target yet. I will keep on beating my Hanji drum as loudly as possible, but it is not a mission I can tackle alone.

I had the occasion to discuss and share ideas with a few members of the organizing committee; I offer my help for next year's edition, and they seem happy to hear that I wanted to get involved in the organization. I really hope they indeed contact me, so I can give a hand to this event that I sincerely love.

A team of KTV produced a TV segment on the 2016 Jeonju Hanji Festival.

HanjiNaty in the news

This year, my presence drew interest from different media outlets, including KTV, the Jeonju City blog, and the JB Life Magazine. Wow!

I was thrilled to be able to talk about my craft and my passion for Hanji paper.

You can take a look at different segments and blog posts featuring HanjiNaty :

KTV segment on the Hanji Festival (HanjiNaty featured from 1:48) :
http://www.ktv.go.kr/content/view?content_id=522513

Blog post on the Jeonju City blog (in Korean) :
http://m.blog.naver.com/jeonju_city/220702781096

Blog post by "HanjiMaster" (in Korean) :
http://blog.naver.com/hanjimaster/220701844742


Thank you for your support!

Once again, taking part in the Jeonju Hanji Festival was an interesting and inspiring experience, despite certain frustrations. It is a beautiful event, and I really want to see it thrive. I am hopeful that the organization will accept my offer to give them a hand, and that this way I can contribute concretely to the development and promotion of this important event.

Finally, I want to take the time to thank all the visitors who took the time to visit my booth at the Festival, with a special thought to my dear friends who travelled to come and support me. Thank you! I also want to sincerely thank my dear husband and partner for his constant help and support.

See you next year, Jeonju!

Only a few days before the 20th Hanji Festival in Jeonju!

We are only a few days away from the annual rendezvous of the Hanji paper lovers in the South-Korean province of Jeollabuk-do!

From May 5 to May 8, you are all invited to join the 2016 Edition of the Hanji Culture Festival in Jeonju. This year marks the 20th anniversary of this important cultural event, and HanjiNaty will be there to part take in the festivities.

This year, May 6 (Friday) has exceptionally been declared 'national holiday' in Korea, so we are hoping that this nice 4-day weekend will be the occasion for many visitors and tourists to come and enjoy what the Festival has to offer!

Map of the 2016 Jeonju Hanji Festival site

This year again, the Festival will be held on the site adjacent to the Korean Cultural Center in Jeonju. The Festival site will be divided in four main sections (the HanjiNaty booth is marked by a blue star on the map) :

The main stage (section 1)

This year, many performances will take place on the 'Culture Stage'. The most important events scheduled for the Festival will be held on this main stage, including the opening and closing ceremonies, and the award ceremony for the winners of the National Hanji Craft Contest.

On Thursday night (May 5), the popular Hanji paper Fashion show will be presented. Models will be walking down the runway wearing amazing garments made of Hanji paper.

Friday evening (May 6), a show featuring numerous costumes made of Hanji will also be presented on the Festival main stage.

Throughout the Festival, many various musical and dance performances are also scheduled, including a Big Band, a belly dancing show, and traditional Korean music and dance performances.

Hands-on activities (section 2)

The second section will be dedicated to hands-on activities, featuring the star of the Festival : Hanji paper! The section located next to the Hanji Support Industry Center will be filled with activities and crafts that will enchant the little ones, and their parents as well.

The HanjiNaty is circled in red
on the Open Market map

Different booths will be set up to give the visitors the occasion to do Hanji crafts, and to create different items (lamps, dolls, pencil cases, etc.). Prices vary depending on the project you wish to tackle.

Hanji Open Market (section 3)

The Hanji Open Market will be located between the main stage and the Cultural Center this year. That's where you can find HanjiNaty!

The Hanji Open Market is the perfect place to find handmade gifts made of Hanji paper, including stationery, deco items, accessories, clothing, souvenirs, etc.

You can also purchase high-quality Hanji paper (made in Korea) in the Open Market.

Cultural Center (section 4)

In the Cultural Center building, visitors are invited to see the winners of the National Hanji Craft contest's amazing work. The exhibit is held on the 3rd floor, and is always worth a visit. Trust me!

We will be there!

HanjiNaty will be there for the four days of the Festival, to sell our handcrafted jewelry, accessories, and deco items.

In our booth, visitors will find a wide variety of handmade earrings, necklaces and brooches, along with handmade Hanji headbands, hair pins and hair ties. Other small items will also be for sale, including magnets, key chains, and phone pendants. A nice selection of coasters, pen holders and plates will also be available.

We really hope to see you there!



How to get to the Jeonju Festival :



Information in Korean : http://jhanji.or.kr/bbs/board.php?bo_table=main01_04

Get Ready for the 20th Edition of the Jeonju Hanji Culture Festival!

The 2016 Edition of the Jeonju Hanji Festival will be held in Jeonju (Jeollabuk-do province, South Korea) from May 5 (Thu) to May 8 (Sun), 2016.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Festival! How exciting!

Once again, HanjiNaty will have its own booth at the Festival, to celebrate with the visitors, artists and artisans the twentieth anniversary of the Festival.

This annual event will be held once again the area surrounding the Hanji Industry Support Center in Jeonju.

As soon as the detailed program of the Festival is revealed, I will post more information here! I can already tell you that there will be an open-air market, hands-on workshops, and most likely shows and exhibitions, including the popular Hanji fashion show.

Finally, it is important to mention that the Festival site is open and admission is free for all visitors. As the first day of the Festival is Children's Day (May 5), visiting the site with your family could be a very pleasant experience, as many activities are designed for children.

You can find more information on the Festival website (in Korean only) : www.jhanji.or.kr

Here is the map to get to the Festival site : https://goo.gl/maps/uHHKvmhwwqo

See you in Jeonju!

Handmade Korea Fair - What an amazing experience!

The huge craft show HANDMADE KOREA FAIR was held in the Hall B of the COEX Complex in Gangnam, Seoul from July 23 to July 26, 2015.

HanjiNaty was there for the 4-day event! Here are a few pictures from the Fair :

 No need to say that I was very excited to be part of this amazing adventure! There were over 500 booths in the Fair, including mine.

All the items for sale in my booth were handcrafted by me. All my products is made with high-quality Hanji paper from Korea. 

My booth was filled with different types of items : hair accessories (hair pins, pony tail ties, etc.), jewelry (earrings, necklaces, and brooches), and home decor items (pen holders, coasters, magnets, and plates).

I was lucky to have a wonderful booth partner! My friend Seula was with me on Thursday and Friday, to welcome visitors, answer their questions and make sure communication was smooth with my Korean clients (as my Korean language skills are limited). She did an awesome job, thank you Seula!

For the last two days of the Fair, my beloved husband was there with me. As always he was unbelievably helpful as my booth partner, driver, motivator, translator and salesperson.

A lot of visitors took pictures of my booth, and picked up my business cards. I was pleased to see that some Korean bloggers wrote about my shop :
★ http://cafe.naver.com/handarty/7179
★ http://blog.naver.com/marananta199/220431325775
★ http://blog.naver.com/hsk2459/220431220450

Handmade Korea Fair.... in 10 days!

As I proudly announced in a previous blog post, I will be participating at the end of July in HANDMADE KOREA FAIR, a large craft show held in the COEX Convention & Exhibition Center in downtown Seoul!

For the longest time Handmade Korea Fair was a distant project, something exciting and a little scary for sure, but that was relatively far in time. Now when I look at my calendar I realize.... it's in 10 days!

Getting ready

For the last few weeks, I have spent most of my awake time crafting Hanji paper items, in order to get ready for this Craft show. I had an ambitious target of 1,600 items, but I have to admit that I will most likely not reach that number in time for the Fair!.... I am now revising my plan, and aiming for a total of 1,100 items.

If you were to visit my apartment in Iksan you would see that I literally took over the living room, that is now my Hanji workshop! There is paper everywhere, supplies and tools on every free surface, and bins of hardware, paintbrushes and cardboard scraps all around the house! I have to take the time here to thank my husband and our four cats for their amazing patience.

Now that time is running out, I will have to prioritize and be as strategic as possible with my time and energy. There are so many things I would like to be making, but I have to make choices!.... It is no easy task for me.


New products in the HanjiNaty booth

In my booth at the Fair I want to make sure to offer an interesting selection of accessories and home decor items, and I especially want to focus on my patchwork collection. I have been crafting new square coasters (with ledge) to complement the pen holders and round coasters I am already offering to my customers.

I am also working on different sizes of hair pins, as my Korean customers often request smaller pins that would fit their style better. At the Fair people will now have the choice between 5 sizes of hair pins, from mini (3 cm) to jumbo (10 cm).


Where to find me

Handmade Korea Fair will be held in the B Hall of COEX, from July 23 (Thu) to July 25 (Sun). The Fair will be open to the public from 10am to 7 pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and from 10am to 6pm on Sunday. The entrance fee is 10,000won.

Here is a map of the Fair. My booth is marked in blue (number A18) :

How to get to COEX : http://www.coex.co.kr/eng/visitors/directions-map-2

See you there!

Handmade Korea Fair 2015 ~ We will be there!

I remember reading this saying a few months ago : "If your dreams don't scare you, they aren't big enough." After thinking about it for a while, I can now say that this sentence has motivated my decision to take a leap of faith and sign-up for one of the largest craft shows in Korea!

HANDMADE KOREA FAIR is a huge craft show, dedicated to handmade arts and crafts. It is held in the B Hall of COEX, the International Convention & Expo Center in Seoul. 

Last year, about 60,000 visitors visited the Fair during the four days of the event! That's pretty impressive!

The 5th edition will be held from July 23 to July 26, 2015... and we will be there!

I have decided to dive right in and sign up for this amazing event! HanjiNaty will have a kiosk for the 4-day event, and you are more than welcome to visit us if you happen to be in the South Korean capital city!

I will keep you posted with the latest developments and the progress of my preparation for the Fair. It will surely a challenging summer, but I am ready to work hard to reach my goal!

Stay tuned for more stories!

In the meantime, you can find more information regarding this event here :

Official website : http://www.handmadekorea.co.kr/

Facebook page : https://www.facebook.com/Handmadekorea

HanjiNaty at the 2015 Jeonju Hanji Culture Festival~!

The 2015 edition of the Jeonju Hanji Culture Festival was held in the beautiful city of Jeonju (Jeollabuk-do province) from May 2 to May 5 2015.

This year was the 19th edition of this event, and I was really looking forward to it, as last year's edition was cancelled (following the tragic accident of the Sewol ferry).

HanjiNaty was there for the 4-day event, with a booth in the market area. During the Festival, I had the occasion to meet some wonderful people, present my handmade creations to many visitors, and fraternize with my fellow Hanji artists and artisans.


New products in the HanjiNaty booth

In my booth I was offering to visitors a nice range of Hanji paper earrings, hair barrettes, and home decor items, including coasters, plates, tissue box covers and pen holders.

Handmade hair accessories, including headbands and barrettes,
were available for sale in the HanjiNaty booth.

Recently I have started to create new jewelry pieces, including brooches and necklaces. I have also added to my collection pony hair ties, that were quite popular!

Visitors seem to appreciate these latest additions, and it is giving me the desire to continue my exploration! I am planning on working on some leather bracelets with Hanji paper beads; I'll keep you posted with my progress, of course.


Meaningful encounters

One of the things I love the most about participating in festivals and craft shows is meeting customers, fellow artisans and visitors, and have the time to chat with them.

We made sure to place a sign in our booth that our visitors can expect to be served in English, Korean, French or German!

My husband and I put our linguistic skills to good use during the Festival, as we had the chance to meet visitors from France, Austria, North America, Australia, New Zealand, China, and of course, Korea.

People were generally very kind, and genuinely interested in my creative process. I had to answer the question "How did a foreigner end up doing Hanji crafts?" a few times; it is a fair inquiry, I believe I am the first Westerner to ever sell their own Hanji creations in the Jeonju Festival.


... The right site for the Festival?

This year, new brooches, pony tail ties, hair barrettes and
necklaces were available in the HanjiNaty booth.

This year the Festival site was once again set up around the Hanji Industry Support Center and the Traditional Cultural Center, a few blocks away from Jeonju City Hall. Despite the fact that these recently-erected buildings are very attractive, they remain fairly unknown to the general public.

Visitors and tourists are still naturally drawn to the Hanok Village, a popular traditional neighbourhood where you can find many art galleries, tea shops, tiny museums, etc., and where the Festival used to be held (until 2012), rather than the new Festival site.

I think the Festival is suffering from this lack of visibility, as the foot traffic wasn't as abundant as expected. I personally know several people who had difficulty finding the site, even when taking a taxi (many drivers didn't even seem to know where the Festival is located, which is quite troublesome).

It seems logical to have the Festival celebrating Hanji paper next to the Center dedicated to this sublime material, but we have to ask ourselves: is it the right location for a Festival that aims to attract large numbers of visitors? Is it the best way to host a successful event, that is appealing to the tourists, profitable for the vendors, and fruitful for the Hanji industry and community?

Odd configuration

Another thing that could be improved for the next edition of the Jeonju Hanji Festival is the configuration of the site.

This year, the Festival was spread on a wider radius, and the different zones (hands-on activities, Hanji market and stage area) were quite far from each other.

I think it would be beneficial to have the different zones closer to each other, and all grouped around the central stage area. In my opinion, it would keep the festive spirit up, and improve traffic to the different areas of the Festival, including the market, the shops inside the Cultural Center, the kids' zone, the National Contest Exhibit, as well as the hands-on activities. It would also encourage the vendors to keep their booths open later in the evenings, when the fashion shows attract visitors at night.

A great experience

Overall it was a great experience. I had a good time, met some fantastic people and did some good business. I was happy and proud to be participating in this event in Jeonju, the city where I discovered Hanji, and where I learned Hanji crafts. You can count on me for next year, especially knowing that 2016 will mark the 20th anniversary of the Jeonju Hanji Festival!

Thank you so much to my wonderful husband and partner.

Many thanks!

I want to take the time to warmly thank the people who helped and supported me throughout this adventure.

All my heartfelt gratitude to my extraordinary husband and partner, without whom I would have never succeeded the way I did.

I am also very grateful to all my friends (including my beloved Hanji teacher) who took the time to visit my booth during the Festival! I was also thrilled to see my Hanji friend Jan Coveney from Hanji Happenings, who visited Jeonju with her lovely sisters. It was wonderful to see you and feel your encouragement and support.

I want to especially thank my friend Byung Tae Goo for the beautiful photos you can see in this post.

See you all next year for the 20th Edition of the Jeonju Hanji Culture Festival !

HanjiNaty at the Wonju Hanji Festival~~!

Natalie in her "HanjiNaty" booth at the 2014 Wonju Hanji Culture Festival.

From September 25 to 28 I had the chance to participate in the 16th Edition of the Wonju Hanji Culture Festival, held in the city of Wonju (province of Gangwon, in the northeastern part of South Korea).

This 4-day Festival is dedicated to Hanji paper, one of the treasures of Korean culture. During the Festival, the visitors could make their own sheet of Hanji paper, experience Hanji crafts, shop for handmade goods, Hanji paper and other Hanji-related items. There was also a Hanji fashion show and numerous musical performances throughout the weekend.

Hit the road at 4am

My husband Jason and I left Iksan around 4am on the 25th (Thursday), in order to reach Wonju early enough to set up our booth and get ready for our first visitors. We packed everything in our tiny car (including tree branches, countless bags and plastic bins, two by eight planks, etc.) and we enthusiastically hit the road! 

Hundreds of items were for sale in our booth, including
magnets, chests, boxes, pen holders, earrings, hair pins
and headbands, key chains and pendants, etc.

I was very excited, but equally anxious about the whole venture. Luckily my detailed planning paid off and we were able to set up our booth smoothly, without any missing items, panic moments or thrown tantrums!

Our first visitors came to meet us around 10:30, and I was excited to make my very first sale only a few minutes after opening my booth to the public.

There was a regular flow of visitors throughout the Festival, and it was especially busy on Saturday and Sunday.

The Joys and Frustrations of Being a Craft Show Vendor

Let me tell you right away : having a booth in a craft show is hard! I didn't expect it to be so demanding, both physically and emotionally. We spent long hours in our tent (from 9am to 10pm, for 4 days); it was very hot during the day, and annoyingly popular with mosquitoes at night.

My booth was nicely set up, with custom-made earrings boards
(with integrated lighting!) and items hanging for a maple branch.

One of the most important challenges that we had to face is the fact that we are foreigners in an Asian country, which means that a large number of Korean visitors were intimidated by us, or rather by the idea of talking to us; even if my husband is fluent in Korean, many visitors were taking a surprisingly large detour to avoid our booth. We tried to be as welcoming as possible, greeting everyone in Korean with a warm smile, but we unfortunately had a to struggle at times to attract people to our booth.

Luckily, many people were interested enough to approach and take a look at my items : Hanji paper earrings, hair accessories, coasters, plates, boxes, chests, pen holders, magnets, etc.

I met some fantastic people at the Festival, including this
wonderful little boy and his older sister.

Wonderful encounters

People were very curious about the fact that a foreigner is actually doing a traditional Korean craft! We had to answer a lot of questions, and face quite a few skeptical folks!

We took the time to explain where I come from and how I came to be a Hanji craftswoman; people were genuinely interested in learning about it. Often enough, the people who took the time to discuss with us left our booth with a HanjiNaty item in hand; I guess the conversation gave more meaning to the objects they were looking at.

During the Festival I had the chance to meet some wonderful people, including many Korean children with their parents, expats from Europe and North America, business people, other artists and craftsmen and women, including Masters in paper making and Hanji crafts. It was by far the most exciting part of this whole adventure: meeting wonderfully inspiring people, who are interested in sharing their craft and their passions, and who are interested in hearing about mine!

During the quieter times, I worked on some 

new patterns, for future projects!

I am very grateful to have had the chance to participate in this event; beyond the financial aspects of this venture, I truly feel that I have made connections that will open new doors along the way. I also really enjoyed the feeling of slowing making my place in a community of artists and artisans dedicated to Korean Hanji paper, and its endless possibilities.

Next Stop : Seoul !

During the Wonju Festival I found out that the first edition of the Seoul Hanji Culture Festival will be held in the Capital City next week! 

The Festival is scheduled for October 9 to 11, and will include a Hanji Fashion show and other performances, a Hanji Craft market and other activities. I was actually invited to join the Hanji market for this new event... Will I be able to participate? Stay tuned for more details!

People could enjoy different performances during the Festival,
including concerts and a Hanji fashion show.

More information on the Seoul Hanji Festival :

-- Official website (in Korean only) : http://seoulhanjifestival.co.kr
-- News article : http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/culture/2014/09/135_165042.html
-- Facebook page : https://www.facebook.com/seoulhanjifestival

Craft Shows : 10 Dos and 10 Don'ts (or how not to upset or scare away your clients)

On August 30, my husband and I visited the 2014 Icheon Ceramic Festival, held in the city of Icheon, 50 km south of Seoul. Icheon is well-known for two things in Korea : its delicious shiny rice, and its ceramics!

I always enjoy visiting the Icheon Ceramic Festival (this year was our third visit), but this year I was browsing and shopping with a different point of view: a future seller's! (I will soon be participating in my very first Festival, and I am thrilled and terrorized to present my creations to the public.)

While visiting the dozens of booths of the Festival, I paid much attention to the displays, booth designs, dispositions of items, presentation tips and styles, vendors' attitude and demeanor, etc. I took notes and discuss extensively with my husband, and I came up with this non-exhaustive (and quite personal) list of Dos and Don'ts :

DOS 

or how to seduce your clients

I noticed a few things that really appealed to me at the Icheon Ceramic Festival. Here are some of my remarks on booths and sellers who really got it (and from which I bought items!!)

1) Smiles and Greetings

One of the first thing I notice when I approach a booth is the vendor's demeanor: is he smiling? is she fixing her hair or make-up in the back of the booth? Is he sleeping? eating? playing games on his/her phone?

I am personally drown to smiley people, so I always appreciate a friendly vendor who takes the time to greet me and smile at me when I approach the table. 

2) Well-indicated prices

As a buyer, I enjoy seeing the prices clearly indicated on items for sale. It makes my life easier to be able to quickly see the price of an object, without having to ask the vendor for every single thing might interest me. Especially when the prices are not negotiable, why not indicating them clearly?

3) Appealing smells

I was impressed by certain booths that used freshly cut lumber for shelving and tables : the lovely pine smell was so nice! It was a very pleasant touch! 

I also appreciated the fact that some other vendors used subtle potpourri or scented candles in their booths.

Playing with contrast
can have a stunning effect.

4) Colors and Contrast

I realized that I was naturally attracted to booth that had colorful walls, or elements of decor hanging on the booth walls (curtains, strips of colorful fabric, paintings, posters, etc.) It created a coziness that was flattering to the whole ensemble.

I also noticed that some sellers really mastered the art of the contrasts, for example displaying their white dishes on a beautiful black velvety table cloth. It was visually stunning, and it really showed off and highlighted the items. 

Some shop owners "dressed up"
their booth lights. Brilliant!

5) Thoughtful lighting

The booths are standard : they all have the same white walls and the same drab light bulbs hanging from the same metal polls... I was pleased to see that some vendors covered their lights with lovely and warm lamp shades, that totally change the mood of the booth! Very clever! (and yes, I am stealing this idea for my own booth.... ;)

Some other vendors were also using candles and tea lights rather than the bright hanging lights; it created a beautifully warm and cozy atmosphere in their booth.

Putting items in context
is a great idea!

6) Items put in context

I like when vendors take the time to put their items "in context". For example, some sellers literally set up the table with utensils, fruit and nice linen napkins. Some other vendors had actual flowers in their vases, incense sticks in their holders and candles in their chandeliers. I like that!

It is nice to see how the items can be used, and it can also give us ideas! And there's also the benefit of learning discreetly what certain objects are for (sometimes it's not as evident as it seems!)


7) Careful packaging

This element comes after the purchase, but it still made an impression on me. Some vendors were very thoughtful in the packaging of their items, taking the time to wrap delicate objects in bubble wrap and then in gift wrap. I also like when vendors put their business card in the bag, without me having to ask.


8) Originality and Creativity

I am talking a lot about people's attitude, or the way they arrange their booths and displays, but I shouldn't forget to mention how important the product actually is! I am always so excited to find something new, original, and unusual! I am naturally attracted by bright colors and bold designs, and I surely appreciate the uniqueness of handmade and handcrafted items.


9) New Items

When I return to a Craft show or a Festival that I have visited in the past, I enjoy re-visiting booths and vendors I met the year before. What I like even more, is when they have something new to offer! If I am satisfied with a piece I previously bought from a vendor and they have new items for sale, I usually buy more from them! I am also very touched when some vendors remember me from a previous visit! That is very heartwarming.


10) Flexibility and thoughtfulness

Finally, another thing that really seduces me is when a vendor is flexible and accommodating. For example, a vendor once offered me to keep my purchase under the table inside his booth so I wouldn't have to carry the heavy item while I was browsing around. Or another seller kindly offered me a larger shopping bag in which I could carry all the tiny bags and packets I had in my hands.

This kindness and willingness to help is wonderful, and it gives me the desire to support and encourage these sellers, who make a special effort to make my life easier.

DON'Ts 

or how to scare away or frustrate your clients

We all have pet peeves... Well, here are mine, as a craft show buyer and visitor. Some of them might seem to obviously wrong that you might think I am making things up! (I am not...) These are all things that I have experience first-hand at the Festival, and that were very unappealing to me.

1) Ghost Vendor

It happened several times to me during the Festival that the booths were.... empty ! There was no one there to greet me, answer my questions, sell me anything, or simply make sure nobody ran away with half their stock! Really?

It might appear obvious, but having someone in your booth is a must.

2) The Prop

In the same vein as my pet peeve no.1, I also experienced encounters with the "booth prop", which is most likely the friend/husband/cousin of the artist who was asked to "just sit there"... The prop has no knowledge whatsoever, doesn't know the prices of items, or not even what the items actually are!

I understand that someone has the need to take a break sometime, and I do not expect an artist to be in his booth 24/7, but I think it'd be important to "brief" your assistant or helper, or provide him/her with a price list.

3) Am I disturbing you?

I am always sensitive to people's attitude and demeanor. I am easily turned off by a vendor who won't greet me, or won't even greet me back after I said "hello" to them! I have also experienced the vendor glued to his cell phone (who didn't even notice I was standing in front of the table), the vendor who won't look up from his newspaper, or... the napping vendor!

I don't know about you, but I would never buy something from someone who makes me feel like I'm disturbing them. 

Overloaded tables are
unattractive to me.

4) Clutter City

Some booths were SO full of items that I was afraid the tables would collapse! Who said "Less is More" again?

When a booth is overly packed with items, it is unappealing to me. I don't know where to look, and it makes me nervous because I am afraid to touch anything, or even come close to the table, as I might take down the whole display!

It feels unnecessary to me to display several copies of the same items (like a stack of 12 similar plates). Abundance seems to be diminishing the perceived value of the items, too.

5) Baby Don't You Lose my Number

I personally like to collect artists' business cards. I usually take notes on them (what I bought from this particular person, for example) and keep them in file.

It's nice when business cards are prettily displayed on the table, so I can just pick one. If not, I usually ask the vendor. But, how is it possible that a vendor has no business card?

It happened to me at the Festival : a lady (from whom I bought two items) had no business cards, and ended up writing her phone number on a piece of paper she tore from a memo pad. As we were there the second day of a 3-week event, I don't think she ran out of cards... How's that possible?

I won't lie; her tiny little piece of paper will most likely end up in the recycling bin.

6) How much?.... for Who?

As an expat in a foreign country, I often experience what I call the "waygook price" (waygook means foreigner in Korean); the prices increase magically when a non-Asian customer approaches the table! (This phenomenon is not unique to Korea, I have personally experienced it in all the Asian countries I have visited.)

At the Festival, I asked the vendor the price of a specific coffee mug I really liked (there were no price tags on any of his items) and he took an unbelievably long time to answer me! Was he looking for the right word in English? Actually, I believe that he was looking for the right price for a foreign visitor! In the end, I didn't buy the cup. I just felt that I couldn't trust this vendor.

Why do I have to get on my knees
to take a look at your items?

7) Down on my Knees

Another thing that was bothersome for me is when vendors displays their items on the floor! I don't find it very comfortable to crutch down on the ground to look at ceramics, especially if the space is crowded.

How to make your clients
feel unwelcome.

8) The "I-Don't-Care" Style

How appealing is this booth? Nothing on the walls, strikingly bright lights, wrinkled table clothes and plastic bins...

I did not even came close to this booth to look at the items for sale. The shop owner turning her back on us, in this unappealing booth... No, thank you.

As a shop keeper and an artist, showing that you care is the key to attract me.


9) I am talking to you... but only until someone better shows up

Another problem that we faced at the Festival, is the habit that certain vendors seem to have to literally "abandon" us in the middle of sentence to go attend someone else. It made me feel unimportant, and it was actually insulting.

I understand that it isn't easy to answer many people at once, but I think it's essential to take care of your customers and finish your verbal exchange or your transaction with them before assisting someone else.


10) Am I being followed?

Finally, another pet peeve is the vendor who literally follows you around in the booth, stands in your "bubble" and stares at you with insistence. Is he afraid I am going to steal something? It's very unsettling, and it usually makes me walk away from that booth very fast!

* * *

Food for Thought

The current list is focused on the vendors, rather than the buyers. While reading different articles and blog posts on Craft show preparation, I came across a very insightful text on buyers' attitude and behavior, titled "Etiquette for Shopping and Browsing Craft Fairs and Dealers Halls" :
http://nicolepellegrini.hubpages.com/hub/Etiquette-for-Shopping-at-and-Browsing-Craft-Fairs-and-Dealers-Halls

What seduces you? frustrates you? makes you want to buy from a specific vendor? or makes you want to run away as fast as possible?....


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