By contributing columnist Barbra La Bosco aka All About the Buttons

My mother used to say “Smile & bite your cheek…I know what you’re thinking but smile instead” and boy, is that advice good for those of us who do craft shows and meet buyers in person.

Fortunately,my recent show was pretty good but I still had many opportunities to bite my cheek. These comments were honestly what I heard:

 1-Oh, now I know what to make with my mother’s buttons.
2-Did you knit this? (Yes) No way…
3-My grandmother made something like this only it was better.
4-All this is is a ribbon and a button (regarding a bookmark).

Now, my sarcastic side was gnawing at my cheek while my little bitty mature side, smiled and smiled and smiled with my mother on my shoulder. But the smiles came easy as I recalled the comments like “Oh, this is so clever” and “This is beautiful. My (blank) will love it”. Across the aisle from me was an elderly woman selling scarves and dried flowers. Everytime someone picked up a scarf she ran out from behind her table with a scowl on her face. She did not make one sale all day and her work was lovely. She literally scared everyone away.
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We are so used to the anonyminity behind a computer monitor that in person we must pause and while we wonder why people say what they say, we can only control our reactions. They want to make conversation. They want to appear interested. And maybe their grandmother did do it better and they forgot to bite their cheek! Anyway, my 2cents for today….smile!
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Happy Trees courtesy of Paper and String

3 Little Gingerbreadmen courtesy of Daintiedesigns

Tags: bite your cheek, buttons, craft business, craft shows, crafting, grandmother, in person, knit, Knitting, smiles, smiling, vintage

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