3 stools 3 ways

I'm starting to build up inventory for the Polka Dot Flea...First up three stools

Stools are always a great seller, after not finding any for months...I find three in two weeks...Does this happen to you?

This was quite a motley crew

I let them speak to me....OK, they didn't say a word lol.  I looked at their style and and then picked the fabric

This little beauty had straight legs so.... 

....it got the most contemporary fabric...Don't you love this blue?  

It's almost a hip fabric and I am on a desperate quest to be hip and cool instead of always frilly and pink!

There you have it...Nothing earth shattering, just some stools

Wouldn't want you to think I've just been sitting around...lol!

Be Sure to check out the Polka Dot Flea website HERE

And

Follow the Polka Dot Flea on FB HERE
THANK YOU!

Happy Creating

Carol

Polka Dot Flea Postcards And Mascot

I am so excited to have the Polk Dot Flea postcards printed and in my hands!

This is the front

And the back.  

I am going to hand the postcards out EVERYWHERE and they will be given out by our sponsors Adjectives Market and Barr Display  

It took a lot of work with the graphic artist to get it Jussssst right!

I plan on always using the same logo with every flea but, changing the background to keep it fresh

Here's the Polka Dot Flea....Isn't he cute?

Do you see him in the top of the logo?  I wanted him to look friendly and not like a real (creepy) flea.  I plan on making a few of him to hang from the ceiling at the Polka Dot Flea along with.....what else.....Polka dots of course!

I am now hard at work getting posters designed and adding the fabulous vendors to the Polka Dot Flea website........I'm getting there...Oh goodness so much to do.....I kept thinking....Why doesn't someone start a Flea in Orlando....Ummmm, I think I know why lol!

Check out the Polka Dot Flea website HERE   
And follow 
the Polka Dot Flea on Facebook HERE

If you want to be a vendor...Don't dally, check out the vendor page HERE

Thank you so much for following this adventure with me. 
 I read a quote on Facebook today that said.....

"If your dreams don't scare you....You are not dreaming big enough"

Well folks......I'm dreaming BIG enough!

Happy Creating!
Carol

A Couple Of Shabby Chairs

I'm busy working to get my inventory built up for the 

Polka Dot Flea

Remember these chairs I bought along with the Italian Florentine cabinet?

Some of you  said you didn't like the plaid fabric....What??

I started by painting the chairs white with a little distressing to show off that rose

 Now I had to pick fabric...I tried so many different fabrics because I want to change my style.  

Let me explain....For 11 years I had an antiques booth and over the course of those years I developed a following for those that love everything shabby, pink, flowery and fluffy.   So, when I closed my booth last month I thought....This is my chance to break away and be more edgy....Trendy, rusty, funky....Basically my chance to be more hip in my up-cycling. 

Imagine my disappointment when after trying 20 different fabrics on these chairs....The only one that pleased my eye was this vintage rose chintz

So does this mean I'm destined to be Miss Fluffy, my whole life??  

Is it possible for me to change my style and be hip and cool??

The saying about a zebra and his stripes keeps running through my head!

I've started posting the Polka Dot Flea vendors 

Vendors are the heart of a show and each one of them has a well deserved page on the Polka Dot Flea website!

Happy Creating!

Carol

Steps Needed to Start A Show

 Before I get into the steps I have taken to start the Polka Dot Flea I want to thank you.  

When I announced My New Adventure on my last post I was overwhelmed and touched by all of your kind comments, words of encouragement and your cheerleading...I'm a lucky girl to have all of you behind me!!

I have learned so much in my quest to get the Polka Dot Flea off the ground and I know... I have a lot more to learn!

I admit, the deeper I got into the process there was so many times I thought...I can't do this!

This all started a couple of weeks ago when the last show I was a vendor at was rained out.   Andrea, one of my dear FB friends had a thread going on FB about how we needed an Orlando show.  A long FB conversation ensued with everyone saying "Yes...I'm in!"...Right then and there I decided to start looking for locations.

I started by looking in downtown Orlando. I found some great spaces, warehouses and studios.  Then I remembered my friend Denise who had commented on that same FB thread saying "Parking is the most important thing, tons of free parking"  That kept ringing in my ears as I was searching locations.  This brought me to the Central Florida Fairgrounds, three miles from downtown Orlando, with unlimited free parking and room to grow.

There is a lot of different buildings to rent at the fairgrounds. My choice was "Craft Hall"; it was perfect for my first show--a 7000 square foot air conditioned building.

So what would it cost to rent Craft Hall for two Days (a set-up day and event day)?

After a meeting with the fairgrounds I found out it would be $700 a day...Well, that didn't sound bad...But wait, did I want air conditioning?..Ah..Yes!  Well that is an additional $200 a day and then I have to pay the fairgrounds extra for:

Dumpster

Maintenance during event

An event supervisor

Clean up

Fire permit

Occupational license

Liability insurance

It all adds up!

Time to Measure and remeasure for vendor spaces (3 visits to get it right...Blonde, blonde, blonde), working around the ceiling air conditioner units for people with tents then spaces with electric and no electric.  And laying it all out on a huge sheet of laminate paper to assign spaces. 

Then the legal angle...I hate Legal Stuff, but I knew I had to protect myself (it's lawsuit-crazy times we live in!).  I didn't want to lose my house and first born. 

First I choose a name, then my fabulous attorney helped me:

Form the Polka Dot Flea LLC

Obtain a business license

Tax ID

Write the Application, Contract, and Welcome letter (each one taking hours with many rewrites)

Guess what?...Attorneys bill by the hour!

Then with my LLC papers and tax ID in hand I went to the bank to open a business account...

...and off to the Post office to get a P.O. box...not a good idea to put my address on the internet.

In between everything I had many phone consultations with my accountant: "Do you want to form a Sole Proprietorship, S-Corp, Partnership...?"  ...Blah, blah, blah (YUK...I almost gave up).

Logo...I needed a Logo.  I choose to hire a graphic artist, I wanted a logo that looked professional, something that said "I am seriously into this".  After more drafts than you can imagine I settled on this:

Social Media...SOOOO imortant! Yep I needed a Website (took hours), Fb, Twitter, and Pinterest account 

My number one priority and thing to do... Is make my vendors feel appreciated and pampered!  That means I am answering tons of e-mails. I'm also hiring plenty of Polka Dot Flea Staff for set up day and during the show, especially since I will be a vendor.  I need staff to run the show...I won't be.  To be a vendor is the whole reason I started the show in the first place!

Still On my to do list...I need:

Polka Dot "Staff" t-shirts

Walkie talkies

Vendor laniards

Customer wrist bands

  Decor...What's a good show with out some great props

Printing...Postcards, Signs, Posters

Now, In all honesty I probably won't break even on this first show.  But, I am so excited and passionate about making this a fun and well organized event for vendors and shoppers alike and I'm in it for the long haul.

Am I scared...you betcha, but...There is such a fine line between fear and excitement!  And Oh my gosh!...The applications and contracts are rolling in!!!  Someone said "If you build it they will come" and in 6 days the Polka Dot Flea is 25% full....How exciting is that?...Can you believe it??...Yea!! 

I would love for you to check out:

Polka Dot Flea Website

Follow the Polka Dot Flea on Fb

Apply to be a vendor

  

Happy Creating!

Carol