hey guys

[MsMollie]

I haven't been on here in a while but wanted to share my latest event with everyone...well, to be honest, it was my first event!...I think i did pretty good considering i was only there from 10:00 till about 3:00...I made over $200.00. It didn't cost a thing to be in this festival either....i just sat there and painted faces....it was so much fun!

Anyway, I also did a church fundraiser event but was told by the woman that had me come there that I could charge if I wanted to...so all i did was put out a tip jar...this event was about 20 minutes from my house....well, probably more like 30...anyway, no one was tipping....by the time it was over, i had only made about $8.00...she felt so bad for me that she gave me $80.00 from the church!...The Lord works in mysterious ways....lol...

I have two events coming up this weekend...will share what happens...

[reginanewsum]

Good golly MsMolly!  You go girl!  I am so proud of you! You got your first gig done and really you made a nice little bundle! I have found that this time of the year, here in my area anyways, it is so SLOW! But my appointment book is starting to look quit nice from the end of may threw November! And yes I too had a couple gigs like your church one! Worked for tips only, one gig I got $4.00! and the onther gig I received......don't laugh....... ready for this.........ZERO ....... thats with a big fat ZERO! I was so bummed! but ya gotta take the good with the bad I guess! But here is what I do now! Change the wording on things! If they want you to do volunteer work for free, like the church, tell them you would be more than happy to donate your time to their organization,  if you can put out a tip jar, and explain to them that your materials are of the best quality and are FDA approved for the skin, so they are very expensive! So you will paint for free of charge, but you would like to ask for a material charge of say eaither $25.00 or $50.00, it works very well to present it like that. least you do get some thing! Or if you get a restuarant gig,  they don't like to get off money! Offer then less per hour, and able to set out a tip jar, and get a couple of free meals!  you go girl! let us know how things go! Chat with us! it's fun to have a painting family!

[Sherry]

Ms. Mollie, I've been wondering how things have been going for you.  Glad to see you're getting out there, making some money and having fun doing it!    Things have been picking up around here too, but I'm really looking forward to some festival work.  I have that in the works for the end of April.

[Alison]

I have an outdoor Retail event coming up in April, and I'm nervous about it.  Because I was told I could only work for tips.  Since I had a running start for my business - straight into the Prepaid Per Hour Party Market, I don't usually do Retail.  And even then, I have Prices. 

Wish me Luck please.

[Sherry]

What is an outdoor retail event?  Is it a Department store planning an event and they're letting you set up for free, hence the tips rule?

I'm wishing you bunches of luck!

[MsMollie]

Thanks you guys for all the encouragement! Yes, my event was good and i do realize that it won't always work out for me...however, i have two events this weekend...one is a Tug-of War under a bridge across a river between three towns...check out www.battleonthebernard.com...it's the second year now and going strong...not sure how it will turn out....it didn't cost a dime to be in it so i'm happy about that....

the other one is a holiday chef market at a civic center...food only..i told them i would be there to face paint....face painting and food just don't mix or would look good together on the table...i'm messy and by the time i get into painting faces, my table is a mess....try to be neat, but never seems to work that way for me....sure wish some of you guys were down here....would love to meet everyone....maybe the sweet "sparkling faces" would like to get together with some other face painters sometime...?

Good luck to everyone and I sure do enjoy all the help that is offered here...will keep you posted on what happens....by the way Regina..i ready your bio...wow, what a story! God Bless You!

[reginanewsum]

Ahhhh MsMollie, you touched my heart! You will be just fine at your gigs this weekend, and thank you for joining our forum!  I am truely blessed to have found this site, to chat, to chill, to vent, and to share!  I feel as if my life has changed. I have such a wonderful group of amazing talented artists to share my passion with. Some times when you speak to non-artists about your love of art, they con not connect with you, but to have great friends, as this forum has brought into my life I am grateful! I have not meant anyone, person to person yet, but I now can put faces with names and know who I am thinking of or chatting with. Someday we will all meet and jam our little hearts out together. I am so excited, I am going to San Diego Calif on April the 14th threw the 19th, for my future son in laws graduation from boot camp, from the marines! GO AUSTIN! There is going to be a jam there on April 13th, ahhh one day to late! But I chat with several artists from that area all the time,  I have made arrangements to meet Betty Lovegren at seport village on Saturday, so excited! She will be at her work painting, and I think we are going to paint something together! I WILL get pics! Also I have been chatting with Lilly Walters, about her new jewerly book,  she is going to put some of my pics in her book, so honored! Going to try and meet here on my visit also, maybe I can arrange some of the other gals in that area to meet on Sat or Sun, my daughter that I am going with just laughs at my excitement!  I told her to just leave me with my gals for a while and I will be ok! Probley will not want to leave them! As far as the food and face painting! Well offer full faces but stop the design just above or at the upper lip, this helps keep your work nice and neat!  Great eye designs is a must to for food! Arm designs help also!And once you get your organization down, you will fell better about your set up! I have to have every thing in it's place, or I am lost! but this took practice! one pic of my set up. normally when I get done it will still look like this, if I get a break, I tidy up as I go. As a rule when I pack up my kit is pretty well all cleaned up from just doing it in the slow time! pics are of two different events, I always  try to take a pic of my set up and view it when i have a chance to see if I like it or not! the second pic I was so cramped with space  but I made it on a 2 foot by two foot table at a bowling alley, I love all the colors and balloons!

[Sherry]

Thanks for posting your setup pics, Gina!  These are always so helpful to see.  I like the idea of using a photo book for pictures.  I might try that and it might save me a bit of time.  The way I've been doing it is so time consuming.

I also try to make a lot of my designs cut off at the mouth and above, for the very reason of many events being eating events.  Less mess.

Ms. Mollie, I think Sparling is hosting some local jams in her area.  She has a post in the "Upcoming Events" section.  Maybe you can send her a message to sign up for one of her jams.