Eileen Moylan

Jewellery Designer & Goldsmith Cork

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Exhibiting at Showcase Ireland

01.30.2012 by Eileen Moylan //

My Stand, Showcase Ireland 2012
My Stand, Showcase Ireland 2012

I was in Dublin last week where I exhibited at Showcase Ireland in the Rds. It was a really enjoyable four days, I made lots of business contacts and also caught up with other craftspeople and makers.

Being my first time exhibiting at this trade show I really didn’t know what to expect. Now that I’ve “been there, done that” I thought it might be helpful to write about it and give some tips and hints for anyone considering exhibiting next year.

Firstly, applying for your stand. There are a number of ways you can go about this, the two familiar to me are applying to the crafts council or your local enterprise board. The Crafts Council have stands available in an area known as Creative Island. This space is for Irish makers only and I think only members of the crafts council are eligible to apply. The closing date was in April, I hadn’t realised it was this early so missed the deadline.

The other route is through your local enterprise board. I applied to the South Cork Enterprise Board, who were extremely friendly and helpful. I was successful in my application for one of their stands in the balcony area. They pay a percentage of the stand cost which was great as it would have been a big investment to come up with the full stand price.

As well as this they provided workshops to help us prepare for Showcase. These were invaluable and I learnt so much about what to expect and how to prepare. We did lots of work on our price lists and point of sale material for potential buyers. Having never done a trade show before I wasn’t familiar with how to lay out a comprehensive buyer friendly price list.

It’s also important to plan how you will dress your stand before you make the trip to Dublin. I decided on putting up wallpaper to cover the bare white partition walls. I also got some glass display cases to show my jewellery. The stand I had was 2 metres x 2 metres which made it quite deep. I wanted to draw people into the stand so decided to position one of the cabinets at the entrance and the other at the back corner.

The hall is open from 8am Saturday morning to set up, I would advise getting there early! You would be surprised how long it takes to unload the car, prepare the stand and then display your products. Also the earlier you arrive the quieter the hall. We were able to take up space outside the stand to assemble cabinets and sort stock. Had we left it later we would have been confined to the 2 metre stand as we would be in the way of everyone else setting up.

Once you have your stand set up on Saturday be sure to get some rest, you’re in for a very busy four days! I hadn’t realised how tiring it is to be on your feet meeting and talking to people. Also bring plenty of water, I could feel my voice going by Wednesday!

I’m making it sound like a tough few days but really once you’re prepared you can relax and enjoy the buzz of the show. As well as meeting buyers be sure to talk to other makers. One of the most valuable things for me was chatting to other people in the trade. Working on your own can be isolating so it’s great to meet with other jewellers and exchanged ideas and swop contacts.

I hope that gives you an idea of what to expect at Showcase and all going well maybe I’ll see you there next year!

 

 

Categories // My Business Tags // Crafts Council of Ireland, Showcase Ireland, Silver, silversmith

Showcase

01.10.2012 by Eileen Moylan //

Happy new year! I took an extended break from the blog this Christmas so I could concentrate on making. While I’ve been tipping away in the workshop over the holidays, mostly tidying and sorting I began work on new designs last week. It’s been really busy but I’ve loved being able to spend a full uninterrupted week at the bench. A luxury I could only afford myself in early January!

The reason I’ve been working on new designs is that I’m exhibiting at Showcase this month.  It is held annually in the RDS Dublin and brings together Irish craftspeople and makers. Showcase is the biggest trade show of Irish gifts so I’ll be one of approximately 350 exhibitors. I’ve never exhibited a Showcase before but thankfully I’ve been getting plenty hints and tips from makers who have many shows under their belts.

I’m really looking forward to not only meeting with buyers but also meeting other makers around the country. I know some jewellers exhibiting so it will be a great opportunity to catch up.

While it’s not open to the public if you do happen to find yourself at Showcase be sure to pop by stand F27 to say hello.

On other matters here’s a photo of the stacking rings I was making before Christmas. Click here to see how they were made.

Gold & Silver Stacking Rings
Gold & Silver Stacking Rings

Sorry about the poor quality photo my camera was acting up before Christmas. I’m delighted to report the break has done it the world of good and it’s back behaving itself again!

Categories // My Workshop Tags // contemporary jewellery, Crafts Council of Ireland, Jewellery, Showcase Ireland, Silver, silversmith

21st Century Icons

07.13.2011 by Eileen Moylan //

 

Christina Brosnan, 21st Century Icons
Christina Brosnan, 21st Century Icons

This month the National Craft Gallery in Kilkenny is hosting an exhibition of jewellery entitled 21st Century Icons. The exhibition brings together the work of twenty two artists who have been given the brief to reinvent the traditional Bronze Age torc.

Sabrina Meyns, 21st Century Icons
Sabrina Meyns, 21st Century Icons

In Bronze Age Ireland the torc was a symbol of wealth and status and was often buried with it’s owner as currency in the next life. The torc has changed from this symbol of wealth and power to a mass produced item of jewellery geared towards tourists. The aim of this exhibtion was to challenge these artists to re investigate this much used image and ask the question what can it convey about the Ireland of today.

Justyna Truchanowska, 21st Century Icons
Justyna Truchanowska, 21st Century Icons

The results are brilliant in their diversity, with the exhibition displaying a collection of techniques and materials. The piece that stands out for me is Christina Brosnan’s. This flowing leather and brass piece combines the essence of a torc with contemporary forms. I also loved Sam Hamilton’s silver interpretation of ipod headphones. As I haven’t been able to visit the exhibition I have only seen a selection of the work but hopefully when I get back form Birmingham I’ll be able to take a trip to Kilkenny. I decided to include it in my blog so you all get a chance to plan your trip to the National Craft Gallery before the exhibition ends on 28th July. It’s a great time to visit Kilkenny as the graduate show from the jewellery and goldsmithing course will also be running.

Sam Hamilton, 21st Century Icons
Sam Hamilton, 21st Century Icons

 

Tuula Harrington and Roisin de Buitlear,21st Century Icons
Tuula Harrington and Roisin de Buitlear,21st Century Icons

Categories // My Inspirations Tags // contemporary Irish silver, contemporary jewellery, Crafts Council of Ireland, goldsmith, Jewellery, Jewelry, National Craft Gallery, Torc

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