Apple Blossom Festival

For those who do not know about the Apple Blossom Festival in Winchester, VA please visit http://www.thebloom.com/ for all the details. Our little town grows by over 250K for a week or two during the festival. Parades (several), the circus, the carnival, golf tournaments, luncheons, pageants, etc. all make this event something to come and see.

I have the plates in the Apple Blossom souvenir shop along with some votives and they are moving fairly well so far. The store opened up on March 30th and will be there for about 8 weeks or so.

I am participating with a booth space at the Wine & Arts Festival which is April 24th (2 pm to 9 pm)& 25th (11 am to 6 pm). This event kicks off Apple Blossom and is located down on the walking mall in old town Winchester. I'm hoping the weather will be clear and the rain will hold off - as I hear last year the weather was not so great. I will sharing a 10x20 space with my neighbor who sells beautiful sterling silver jewelry.

Hope you can stop by!

New Locations

Today I was able to secure two additional locations for the plates and votives.

Sensibility - 381 Millwood Ave. Winchester
The Purple Fern - 141 Featherbed Lane Winchester

Products will be distributed later this week but, I am excited to working with both Mary & Sarah. Check out their stores ... they have some really cool products!

News Events

This coming Friday April 3rd, I will be at D'vine Wines on Jubal Early from 5 to 7 pm during their Friday evening wine tasting. Mike & Marie (the owners) are promoting me as "The Featured or Local Artist". While I already have plates and platters in their store, I will also be taking new products in for the evening to have for sale. So, for all those who enjoy a great glass of wine .... stop on by and say hello!

This Saturday, April 4th, I will have the entire collection of plates available at Sharon Wright's home at 922 Armistead Street - right next to my house. We are having a Spring Fling Shopping Day from 10 - 3 pm. Stop on by and see over 17 artists which will have everything from jewelry, cards, breads, chocolates, gift baskets, purses, plates, cosmetics, gourmet foods, etc.

Hope to see you at one of these events.

New Products

Votives - Working on square and round.

10" Dinner Plate - Purple Hydrangea

Fall Leaves - 13" Platter

10" Easter Plate

13" Cherry Blossom Platter

8" Plate

Locations Update

This week I had to figure out a labeling system for the plates that included washing instructions. This picture is a little blurry but you get the idea. There is room for the price on the left and I have made them with all different color backgrounds. Essentially whatever I had on hand!

A few more places to find the plates:
D'vine Wines, Jubal Early Drive, Winchester
Simply Charming, Old Town Mall, Winchester

Tomorrow I meet with The George Washington Hotel to see if I have them buy them for their guests at least during the Apple Blossom Festival - perhaps even longer. I am also working on additional hotels and local bed and breakfast hotels.

Creating, selling, producing, labeling, packaging, invoicing, accounting .... these are all things that I have been able to do in my past and thankful for experience to help get our little business up and rolling.

If you want to know more information, please email us stephanie.bridges@comcast.net for now.

Thursday's Home Show

This past week I participated in a home show that helped benefit one of the local high schools and their after prom party. We had 7 different vendors in my neighbors home and shame on me for not taking my camera! The evening went really well overall and I was grateful for so many custom orders. I created a custom plate that has the local high school on it and I can put the various sports and clubs that the students participated in.

I was able to meet with my bank this week and set up a business account and they were generous enough to let me set up a small display on one of their tables by the door. I have a sign and some business cards by the display so people can either call me direct or see one of the stores that the plates are in. This week I am hoping to contact some of our local hotels and of course additional stores to get the plates in to. I have three different stores that I will deliver to this week with inventory stacked up on our kitchen table. Hooray ... this is fun!

Here We Go!

These past three weeks have been very exciting for Plate It Up! I have been diligently getting out in to our community to show the 30 different samples that I have created. The challenge is to keep production up with sales! As of today, the plates are in the following stores:

1. Shenandoah Treasures, Main Street - Stephen City
2. Kimberlys - Winchester
3. Winchester Medical Center Gift Store, Rt. 50 - Winchester
4. Homespun, Cedar Creek Grade - Winchester
5. Apple Blossom Festival Store, Valley Ave - Winchester
6. Kids Company & More, Valley Ave - Winchester

Other locations promoting the plates with a sample plate and sign telling buyers where to find the plates:

1. Grand Furniture, Jubal Early Drive - Winchester
2. Jubal Early Cleaners, Jubal Early Drive - Winchester
3. Wachovia Bank, Valley Ave - Winchester

Tomorrow I hope to get confirmation on at least one additional store and possibly a second! Very exciting and rewarding!