Hello its Megs from Summer & Singlets and a big thank you to Christine from North Qld Kids & Babies Markets for allowing me to be your guest blogger today. 

I love sewing, but I do enough of it during the week, its refreshing playing with other techniques and textiles on the weekends. This is one of my favourite ways of adding interest to any boring or plain shirts. This technique is super easy, cheap (this shirt cost $3) and rewarding.  

How to make a t-shirt stencil

 You need:
 

• t-shirt, onesie or what ever you want to funk up
• Freezer paper
• Fabric paint or acrylic will do the job also
• Pencil 
• Sticky tape 
• Exacto knife
• Sponge brush/roller for applying the paint – paint brush will only push the paint under the stencil, which will blur the edges.
• Cardboard (big enough to slide up the middle of the t-shirt)

I did a google search of an image I liked then held up my freezer paper to the computer screen and traced the outline on the rough side. I used some sticky tape to hold the paper in place. You can also print out the image and use that as your template.

Cut out the image with your exacto knife and remember to keep the paper islands as you will need them later. 

I decided to personalise this shirt with my sons first name and put a ‘S’ where the VW logo would normally go.

Place the freezer paper onto the t-shirt with the shiny side down. Now place the islands back into place where you do not want the paint to go. Use a hot iron to press the freezer paper on the shirt so that it sticks into place. This is only temporary to give the paint a boundary.  

Allow to dry overnight or if your impatient like me use a hair dryer until its dry to the touch. Then peel off the freezer paper and stand back to admire your art work!. All most there, last you must heat set your paint. Use a hot iron and press the pained area once dry.  Have some fun with it, the designs are endless ! 

 Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Customise your kids library bay with their name or favourite character
• Father day gift “I love Daddy” 
• Kids hand print or foot prints
• Give a gift to a new mum with 1-12 months on a onesie so she can take pictures every month and not lose track of dates 

Business: Summer & Singlets

Products: We specialise in handmade clothing just for boys in sizes 000-2; singlets,onesies, nappy covers, shorts, bucket hats, shoes and Monster Pj Keepers.

Price range: $5-$30

Phone: 0439980103

Facebook: www.facebook.com/summerandsinglets

Website: www.summerandsinglets.com

Email:  summerandsinglets@gmail.com 

September 2011 – Special Offer.

Only valid for the month of September 2011.  Please contact Johnno’s Camper Trailer Hire Townsville for current specials, offers and rates.

Welcome to Seeing Miracles – Gold Coast’s & North and Central Queensland’s Mobile 3D 4D Baby Ultrasound service.   

   

Cardalishus

Cardalishus Handmade Cards for all occasions- specialising in baby and children’s cards is a business run by a Stay at Home Mummy who LOVES papercrafts, Andrea Patterson.

Product

At the Nth Qld Babies and Kids Markets Andrea will have baby boy and baby girl cards, cards for baby showers and mothers to be, as well as birthday cards for children (boys and girls).  All the cards are made by Andrea and she also has a small number of accessories that match the cards (eg. small socks or soaps that match the baby cards, notebooks and pencils to go with kid’s cards. Custom cards available upon request.

Price Range

Most items are $5-$6 – some as low as $3 and high as $9.

Contact

Phone: 0439 754 424

Email: nathan.andrea1@gmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cardalishus/114915405258187?sk=wall

 

Birthday Room – Gifts for Kids

Birthday Room is a new business to our market and will be debuting at our Mackay Market on Saturday 30th July, 2011.  

The lady behind the business is Alija Fiebiger (ar-lee-ya).  Alija works from home and has recently started an online store.  

Alija says “I started by selling little items at our local Rotary Markets once a month, I much prefer to sell to Queenslanders and have a small following in the Emerald area after attending a Gift Market there in November last year. I also have customers in Rockhampton from selling at two Mumma’s Fairs.”  

Birthday Room has extended out their range quite significantly as you can see from my website and pictured below. 

Birthday Room Profile

Product Details:  

Gifts for Kids, not available in the larger retail stores and a mix of Australian made, Australian designed, and a few imported products. 

Brand Labels: 

The brands I prefer to take to markets are as follows: Bobble Art, Penny Scallen, Curious Chef, Melissa & Doug, Nalgene, Stephen Joseph, MediBuddy, SafetyTat, Baby Leo, Seedling, Ein O Science, Giggle Little. 

Price Range:  

Low – Medium $ 6.95 – $39.95 

Website: www.birthdayroom.com.au 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/birthdayroom 

If you conduct a business that offers a service within the food catering sector and you wish to sell or give free as a sample of your work at our markets as a stallholder, you are required by law to have a ‘Food Licence’ and meet Local Council Laws/Requirements to conduct your business.  To be a stallholder at our markets you will be required to submit a copy of your licence and your “Safe Food Handling Supervisor” certificate.  You will also be required to have these with you at the market in case of an inspection by law.  It would also be highly desirable that you have your own Public & Product Liability Insurance. 

To outline some requirements and process I have researched what is required by Local Councils in your area.  Please note this is only a guideline and is correct at time of posting this information as a guide. You will need to contact the Council in your area for further information. 

I understand that some businesses may be excepted to promote, sell or showcase at other markets, events, expos, fetes or fairs and ask that you understand that Nth Qld Babies & Kids Market require that you meet these laws as outlined by Local Council and your application to be a stallholder will be declined if you do not provide us the correct information/licence.

Mackay

Food Business Market Stalls - Market Stall permit is not required to sell certain goods, however all goods must be prepared and packaged at a location that holds a Food Business Licence.  When you first read this information on the Council Website you may be mislead if you do not read the entire information outlined.

Home Based Business Food Licence Application Process:

Part 1 - Submit a Plan of your Kitchen – see Fixed Food Premises Licence . Please review details outlined in section under “How To Apply” for details on submitting your kitchen plans.  You may need to review “Food Premises Design”.  Council Environmental Health Officer must carry out a final inspection before approval can be given.

Part 2 – Licence Application (please note fees increase 2011/2012)  There is an intial application fee and an Annual Fee.  Link to Application Form.

Part 3 -  You are required to enrol and complete a “Food Safety Supervisors” Course at a Registered Training Organisation (RTO. ie TAFE.  You will need to complete a Notification Form to Council that you have completed the course and submit a copy of the statement of attainment issued by a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) for the required competencies.

There may be some extra items required in your kitchen ie. thermometers ect.  The Mackay City Council has some Fact Sheets & Links to help you in conducting a safe food business.

For further information please contact Mackay City Council 1300 622 529

Townsville

Market Stall permit is not required to sell certain goods, however all goods must be prepared and packaged at a location that holds a Food Business Licence.  When you first read this information on the Council Website you may be mislead if you do not read the entire information outlined. Licensing Requirements.

Townsville City Council have outlined the steps required.  Please review  - click here for link.

Please review FAQ on Townsville Council Website under the heading “Can I operate a food business from home in a domestic kitchen?”

For further information please contact Townsville City Council 1300 878 001

Q. Why are the stall fees higher then the local charity/council run markets?

The markets are a “Specialised Market” that have proven very popular and are very different to any other local market. We also cover the cost of Public Liability Insurance and Secondhand Dealers Licence for our stallholders therefore adding to the costs of running the markets. Other local markets do not provide those things and are a mixed market, not specialising in a “target audience of babies & kids things”. Shoppers come because they want to buy stuff for their kids and they want to find out about services and products in the area. So our stallholders are guaranteed interest and sales… this has been very well proven by past response and the success of the markets and the stallholders businesses and sales of our parents with preloved goods. Many of our stallholders have very good impressive sales and have expanded their business due to the markets. So it is rather cheap considering that you pay $1.50>$3.00 for the paper and every business in the paper pays in the hundreds, even $1000′s for advertising which someone may or may not read and is also not a “unique target audience”.

Q. Why is there a $2 door fee? And does this go to Charity?

As mentioned above, you pay $1.50 to $3.00 for a newspaper yet all the advertises in there are paying for advertising as well. So why not just charge the stallholders more and have no door fee? By having a door fee we are catering to those who want to shop and keeps the stall fees well below what they charge in other areas like Brisbane. To cover the costs of the market we would need to charge the stallholders almost double and we want the markets to be affordable for everyone and successful for all our local families. Plus, if there was no door fee we would then need to hire a much larger more expensive venue (pushing the costs up for running the market) just to allow traffic flow and room for market visitors who are not purchasing. Hence why it is a very unique market, creating sales for our stallholders. Our market visitors are there because they want to save time and shop in one place, support local families and local mums with home based business and find out about some very unique business/services available in our community.

Many would not understand or see the how much work and time goes in to operating and running the markets. Many very late nights and lots of structure/organisation to ensure a smooth running market. Just as each business and local parent wants to sell their preloved, new or handmade products, they are providing a service and a business for all who come to the markets, so are we! Our business is providing the markets as an opportunity for everyone who is buying or selling. So we are a business and we do not donate the door fee to charity, just as none of the stallholders donate the money they make to charity. We do however provide Charity organisations the avenue to promote or raise money through our markets. We promote and support that by allowing that service for free to them.

Q. Why is there so many more New/Business stalls then preloved stalls?

Ask any parent who has organised a preloved stall and held one! We want them to sell their goods and not have to return home with lots of stuff. They have taken the time to sort and prepare their goods to be there for the market and they more sales by having a limited Preloved stalls at the market. We have never said that we were a ‘Preloved’ market only. The markets have included New/Business or Services as well as Not For Profit Groups. We are providing a ‘Unique Avenue’ for local homebased businesses to reach their target audience and have found the markets very successful in promoting their business or service to parents. How wonderful it is to have a complete “one stop resource market” for parents. They can get everything all in one place. We have a minimum of 15 preloved stalls at each of our markets. This way we provide a really good variety of ages, sex, brands and items for sale and also prices. If we were to have say 20 preloved stalls it would then mean each parent taking time out from their family and organising all their goods to be their on the day, would have far less sales per stall holder. We have limited preloved stall so they need only come to the market once sell the majority of their goods and allow for someone else to do the same thing next market. We do find however that some preloved stallholders will have a stall at the market more than once as they sell goods as their children grow out of them, perhaps returning every 6 months. If you were to pay $30 for a stall and only sold $100 worth of stuff you would not be happy. Most of our preloved stallholders have sold between $250 to well over $1000. Average sales so far have been around $700/stallholder.

Q. I had a Stall and didn’t sell so much?

On occasion we have had stallholders that did not sell to much or as much as other stallholders…Why? The reasons we have found for this (going by shopper feedback) has been:

1. Pricing! Some stallholders overprice things with preloved items. Remember Department stall clearance sales & how cheap things sometime are. Also at the time of the market some bulky items may be much less new then it was when you purchased it new. So keep this in mind when pricing. It’s better for you to sell 100 items then to sell just one/two things. Ie. When I purchased a particular educational toy it cost me $69, but at the time when I was selling it at the market it was on half price sale at the department store, therefor I could only ask $20 for it as it had been barely used, but I knew it could be purchased brand new that week for $35. You will make much more money with offering bargains to the shoppers. Better to be in someone else’s hand then to be in your storage cupboard or at the tip.
2. Presentation! Do not over crowd your stall, people will not stop to look. Make your stall easy for shoppers to shop. The markets can be very busy and overwhelming for first time visitors. Be organised and simple. Business Stalls do well to present their stalls in a “Boutique Shop” style with very well presented products and displays. Allow customers to feel & try! They have come to the market to look, feel & buy! Otherwise they would have just purchased it online from you already.
3. Personality/ Cheeriness! You need to sell yourself before you can sell your products. Speak and greet all shoppers. Preloved stalls ask what size or age their child is that they are shopping for. Business stalls – greet your shoppers, talk about your products or ask them if they’ve been to the markets before, build rapport with your customer, offer your business card. Thank them for looking or purchasing. If you are sitting down and not engaging your customer you will sell far less product as you will not be making connections with your shopper.
4. Season/Availability/Uniqueness! Is your product different from the next person? Is your product available in shops all the time? Is your product unique? Is your product suitable for the season? Think like you were shopping. We like our markets to be Unique and have different products to what is available elsewhere locally all the time. Business Stalls: Look for new products that no one else is providing. Create a ‘uniqueness’ about how you handmake, a signature line that everyone will talk about and want. If everyone is making or selling the same thing the markets will not remain popular and your product will not sell. You will do well to have the markets as a opportunity to “Release a New Product Line” or “Launch a New Clothing Design”. Some stallholders do this and advertise a sneak peek on their facebook pages, this way it is creating a very “Unique” aspect to the markets and in time people will know that they can be the first to buy your new released products/lines only at the market. Let them know that there will be a limited release only at the markets. Create a frenzy.. create a need.. create a want! You’ll make sales, have a successful business, successful market day and build a following for your product! Preloved Stallholders do well to remember the season. I have at times taken things out of season, but had them under the table in case someone asks. Ie Jacket selling in summer is odd, but perhaps someone is traveling overseas and can not buy any in the department store. Take a couple of out of season items, but do not have a complete stall of winter stuff at our summer markets and vise versa.

Q. I wanted to advertise my business or market through your markets, but I was told “No”, why is that?

We support local business, yes! We support parents wanting to sell their preloved goods, yes! However, if your business or service (or your market) is in direct competition with our markets we are within our rights to not allow you to advertise through our markets; or if your business or service (or your market) would hinder the sales of those who pay money to be stallholders at our markets; the answer is NO, we will not allow you to trade off on the reputation that we have built up in Nth Qld. Much time, resources, research and energy has gone into creating a formula that is unique to the requirements and nature of people who live and operate businesses in Nth Qld and we will endeavor to protect the market that we have established for them and for our shoppers, making it a very successful market for everyone who shops and sells. We also run our markets according to local and state laws and have found that some other markets or businesses do not do this, so we can not be associated or found to be promoting another market or business that does not abide by those laws. Please do not be offended if we feel the need to say NO to you (which could also include deleting comments posted on our Facebook wall). This could be as a stallholder (as we do not allow business type preloved stalls, our preloved stalls MUST be a mum or dad selling their unwanted goods), as an advertiser in one of our many avenues including (but not limited too) Website, Flyers, Print Media, Facebook & Market Bags.

Summary

Hope this explains things a little better. I have worked very hard to develop a very successful market formula and have a reason and system for why every thing is done the way it is. So if there is something that concerns you or you do not understand, we welcome you contacting us to discuss. We would prefer you ask than to presume something that is not true or misunderstood. At times we have also been able to use your questions/feedback to help develop the markets further. Ie the pricing issue with preloved items and overcrowding stalls ect. We support home based business and have helped many become very well known and successful through them showcasing at our markets. It’s all about supporting the community and providing that safe environment for parents to sell their preloved goods. Really, who wants strangers coming to their home when you have little ones to keep safe.

Best Regards,

Christine Wilson

Managing Director

Nth Qld Babies & Kids Market

Please note: All information within this email is protected by Australian Copyright Laws. 

Anyone who copies any of our material or information to use for their own business or

personal purposes will be questioned and further action will be taken if necessary.  

© Christine Wilson t/a Nth Qld Babies & Kids Market 2011

April 2011 -  Nth Qld’s Best Buys $20 & Under

February 2011 – February Specials & Super Cool Things

Urgent Feb 2011 – Market Postponed Due to Cyclone

January 2011 – Market New Year News

December 2010 – December Super Savings

We have needed to introduce a new application process for Business Stalls. There are several reasons for the new process but mainly due to our markets being in high demand and due to ongoing issues with stallholders copying each other and not confirming with us the products they will have for sale or promotion at the market.  The new application process will also allow for us to have a better variety of products and services available at the market.    

We have confirmed several stallholders who will be our “Base Business Stalls”.     

The week following a market Applications for remaining business stalls will be open for application.    

After reviewing applications we will confirm business stalls that have been successful.  We will withhold 5 business stalls to fill with new business that contact us over the coming months with brand new products or services that are not already at our markets.    

MACKAY APPLICATIONS: 12th November 2011 Market - Now Applications 

TOWNSVILLE APPLICATIONS: 17th Sep 2011 Market – Business Stalls are BOOKED OUT - our next market  will be 3rd Dec, applications will open 18th Sep. 

To Apply:  

1. Complete our online Application Form
2. Email: christine@nthqldbabiesandkidsmarket.com :

• SUBJECT LINE: Townsville or Mackay Business Application Note: Townsville Sep Market has optional double stalls either 2m x4m or 3m x 3m – please note only one table is provided per booking  
• Business Name /  Website /Facebook: Please provide links to your page or website.  
• Logo & Product Photos: 3 x jpg photos  
• Product Details: Handmade by yourself or another Australian, Imported, Australian Made, Brand, List types of products that you will be selling or promoting at the market, boy or girls… both, mother or mum-to-be  
• Brand Labels:  If you are a reseller for brand labels please tell us what they are, as we have several base business stalls who have exclusive rights at our markets.  Also please tell us what stock you have - past season or current season release.  
• Price Range:  General Product price range – low, medium or high  

We thank you for your cooperation with the new application process.  We do hope that sometime in the near future we will be able to located larger facilities to cater for all local business who would like to be part of the markets.  Until this time we need to ensure that what we are offering is a “Unique Shopping Experience” for our local families.   

Please note: All information within this email is protected by Australian Copyright Laws.  Anyone who copies any of our material or information to use for their own business or personal purposes will be questioned and further action will be taken if necessary.     

© Christine Wilson t/a Nth Qld Babies & Kids Market 2011

30 Days Prior to Market Date

Any cancellations prior to this date will be refunded less a $5.00 administration fee.

14 Days Prior to Market Date

Any cancellations prior to this date will incur a 50% fee. Therefore you will only be refunded 50% of the stallholder fee.

8 Days Prior to Market Date

Any cancelled stalls will be filled from the waiting list.  Any stall cancellations from this date will not be refunded.

Extreme Weather

In the event of extreme weather and the market is cancelled we can not refund or transfer fees paid.  If at all possible we will make every effort to reschedule the market day.  However we reserve the right to cancel the event based on weather conditions beyond our control and note that all stallholders understand they will not receive a refund or transfer of fees paid. 

Market Day – 6.30 am Mackay & 7am Townsville

Facility will be opened for stall holders only to commence setting up.   Stalls will be allocated according to order of booking and requested requirements/services at the market provided by the stallholder. Any stall holders that have been offered Foyer Stalls will not include a table and muts provide their own. These stalls are for Promotional Stalls only.

Market Day – 8.00 am

All stallholders MUST be at venue before 8am.  The doors will be closed at 8am to keep out the customers until opening time.  Please ensure all Bulky Goods are tagged in at the Bulky Goods Area by 8am. Stallholders are to listen for market annoucements at this time and instruction given to ensure a smooth market day.

Market Day – 8.30 am Mackay & 9am Townsville

All stalls MUST be set up and ready to trade prior to opening to the public at 8.30 am [Mackay] or 9.00am [Townsville]. There will be no trading between stall holders before this time, that includes holding items. The market day is to provide good quality items to customers who have paid an entry fee.

Market Day – 12.30 pm

All stalls close. Stall holders will be required to collect any bulky items and pack their remaining goods up. Please leave your stall area as you found it. That includes disposing of any rubbish. Please do NOT leave rubbish in the carpark bins.. large rubbish items MUST be taken with you.  No Boxes to be left in the Venue Bins. There will be no trading after 12.30 pm.

After Market Day

Please send us an email the week after the market to let us know your feedback.  This helps us with changes that may need to be made and also lets us know how well the market went and how you felt about the market as a Stall Holder.

Christine Wilson

Managing Director

Nth Qld Babies & Kids Market

© Copyright 2012 Christine Wilson t/a N th Qld Babies & Kids Market