Back to the Blogosphere

I'm back to my blog.  Sorry for the lapse.  I have no excuse.  Just wasn't feeling it I guess.

We had a great Fall & Christmas show season despite the temperamental weather, saw many old friends and made some new.  It never fails to thrill me when people react to my characters.  This Pig yarn bowl got glazed pink and I displayed him holding a ball of green yarn with the end coming out through his nose.  People were hootin' and howlin' at him!  Needless to say, he sold before I realized that I never took a picture of him finished.  Bummer.  I guess I'll just have to make more.

Clay stamps drying for the bisque firing.

In addition to the yarn bowl critters, I'm onto some new projects!

These little beauties are part of it:

 ->

I'm also trying my hand at mishima which is applying glaze or under glaze to a textured surface and scraping it off before firing leaving the color in the texture.

I LOVE this guy!  He's a watering can prototype but I need to redesign him a bit because he's not well balanced.  The glaze I used on him blistered a little so I ground it down a bit and re-fired him.  Disaster!  Totally blistered and I ended up chucking him out.  It's so disappointing but that's how pottery goes.  I usually don't get attached to my pieces but I had him in my home and smiled every time I went to water my plants with him.  Now he's gone.  So sad.  I'll just have to make him a brother.

Sucked into the mudS

Spring is SO distracting! Everything is blooming in abundance and all I want to do is play in my other favorite kind of mud: my garden!

Oh, my bleeding heart!

There are so many blooms on the azalea that it's sagging!

Lily pads ripe for pickin'!

We also had a couple of big orders that have been time consuming and I'm still giving lessons which is so much fun it's criminal to get paid for it!

I've been wanting to show you how my stamping adventure turned out but I wanted a pic of the Japanese ikebana vase.  I keep forgetting to dig out the epoxy to glue the flower frog in but you wouldn't know if it's glued down or not, would you? So here it is...

And the stamped mugs that didn't sell at the Wayne Valley HS show...

This glaze was too thin but shows off the stamps very well.

This glaze was a little thick and filled the stamps in too much.

And, of course, the ones that came out just right were sold!

I continue to struggle with my photography. My latest set up is on the front porch in the afternoon when the sun's on that side of the house. That might have something to do with why I haven't posted here or added too many new items to my shop lately. Timing is everything and who's home that time of the day?

I did get some birdhouses posted though.  Even after photo editing they still look too dark to me.  Any one have any tips they can share? 

I made a bigger sign for my show display. It's a bit heavy but much more visible.  What do you think?

Coming off the High

What makes you "high"?

Hopefully, not drugs of any kind (insert disapproving Mom-Stink-Eye here)!  I mean a natural high.  Something that makes you feel stupid-happy.

I'm still riding an unexpected high from the craft show we did yesterday. 

Not from packing up the car the night before and feeling I'm forgetting something. 
Not from waking up late and missing breakfast. 
Not from rushing to set up before the show starts with no caffeinated beverage to fuel me. 
Not from realizing what I forgot was one of my main display shelves and having Craig run it out to me (he's the BEST!). 
Not from realizing some of my banks didn't have stoppers in them (lucky for me Craig hadn't left the house with the shelves yet). 
And definitely not from sitting for the first 2 hours of the show seeing plenty of customers with shopping bags that weren't mine.

There's always  trepidation for me at the start of a show.  What if we don't sell anything?  Worry and self doubt are familiar companions.

My mood change started with the first sale.  Not a big purchase but it got the ball rolling.  A couple of returning customers, which is still new for me, a Christmas order for a hippo bank (been there, done that!), more sales than I expected and lots of smiles and complements made for an intoxicating combination, apparently.  I was exhausted but high as a kite at the end of the day.

I guess I'm still humbled that anyone buys our pottery. Maybe it's because I haven't done a show in over 6 months that I'd forgotten the rewarding validation I get from seeing people admire and purchase our pots.  That one-on-one interaction is very energizing and inspiring for me.

Unfortunately, we're not doing anymore shows until next year.  So before it wears off I better get to making some hippo banks!

True to Form

As usual, my intentions to go into production mode didn't happen immediately.  I thought about it all the time.  Intended to get into the studio every night.  It just didn't happen.  Until today.  I managed a mini-production until the Mommy Cab was called into service.  While I was out "someone" jumped into the studio and was still there when I got back.  So I got distracted by other things like food.

Spoon rests & soap dishes...

...and ???

What do you think these are going to be?  Keep in mind my slightly twisted sense of humor.  They will be slightly altered before being fired but the general shape won't change.

The first person (family members excluded. Sorry!) to correctly identify what these are will win their choice of a finished one when they're done.

The battle of wits has begun. It ends when you decide and we both drink, and find out who is right... and who is....  Oops!  Hehe!  Maybe I've seen The Princess Bride too many times!  =D

Start guessing and good luck!

Faith, Family, Friends and Football

Blue Jean Baby....  As much as I love summer and the warm weather there's something comforting about slipping back into my jeans on that first too-cool-for-shorts morning.  Although my teen years were spent in the hey day of Jordache and Sergio Valente I was a steadfast Levis girl and still am.  Honestly, I think if I could have afforded the designer jeans I would have gotten myself some Calvin's but I now thank my empty purse of yesteryear for sparing me the pain of seeing myself in old pictures sporting a butt billboard.

We have our second pottery class this week.  The first one went really well and they're coming back for more!  That's always a good sign.  We went through very basic clay physics and properties.  I did a demo and then they got muddy.  I probably would have been much more nervous but these are ladies that I've known for years and they knew it was my first class so they were gentle with me. 

The weekend-long tribute to my father-in-law was amazing!

Included is an image taken from the portrait that started the ball rolling.

Al Nicholas started the football program at Mount Olive HS back in 1972 and still holds the record for most winning seasons.  The impact he had on his players was overwhelmingly apparent when we heard stories of how these now grown men have taken Coach Nick's principals and applied them to their lives.  Many of them now coach school sports and are passing those principals on to their players.  What a legacy!

T-shirts made specially for the occasion.

The Boys with their proud Grandpa and a squashed Mom.

And, no, I haven't started glazing yet.  Sheesh!

Recycle, Recycle, Reclaim

One of the things I love about the pottery process is there is very little waste.  I've often been called cheap but I prefer the word frugal or thrifty.  I just hate waste.  And I do want to do my part to save the planet.  OK!   I ADMIT IT!  I'M CHEAP!  ARE YA HAPPY NOW?  Geesh.

As long as the clay hasn't been fired it can be reclaimed.  I've seen many different processes and have taken bits from here and there to find a way that works in our small studio.  Short of picking up wet clay off of the floor (yes, clay can get dirty/contaminated), I recycle every little crumb a bit obsessively.

Bone dry scraps.

Everything from trimming scraps and failures on the wheel to pots that have cracked during drying or aren't up to snuff end will end up in the bucket.  But only dry clay goes in here.  Any pieces that aren't completely dry are left out to dry on a plaster board.

What we use:

Bone dry clay scraps

A 5 gallon bucket with lid

Hot water

Plaster boards

Clay's funny.  Wet clay submerged in water will retain its shape.  But if it's completely dried out it will "melt' when submerged.

A wet ball of clay just sits in the water.

A bone dry scrap dissolves in minutes.

The melted stuff is what we want.  If you try to reclaim wet clay the texture will be inconsistent and hard to throw no matter how well you wedge it.  The dry clay dissolves completely and will have a uniform consistency.

Adding hot water.

Once we have a significant amount of bone dry scraps we can start reclaiming.  I fill a 5 gallon bucket with the scraps.  It's easier to have the bucket where you'll be storing it during the process because once you start adding clay and water it's gonna get really heavy and sore backs aren't good.  Next start adding hot water.  Hot water dissolves the clay quicker but cold water works as well.  You'll hear the clay hissing and bubbling as it starts to break down.  I often quote the Wicked Witch of the West at this point:  "Look what you've done! I'm melting! Melting! Oh, what a world! What a world!".

Clay soup!

When about most of the clay is submerged I jiggle the bucket to help some of the air bubbles escape and settle the clay as it dissolves.  Then I cover the clay completely with water.  As it dissolves it'll absorb the water and turn into mud.  We like mud!

Keep the bucket tightly covered with the lid and let it sit over night.  Over the next few days I'll stir the clay several times a day.  This ensures every scrap gets dissolved completely.  Unfortunately, it's messy.  I use my hands so I can get all the way down to the bottom of the bucket and usually end up with thick mud up to my elbow.  Once I'm happy with the consistency I'll stop stirring and let it sit.  Excess water that hasn't been absorbed will rise to the top.  This I sponge off.   I've left the mud at this stage for weeks.  As long as the lid is on tight it'll be fine.

Probably this weekend I'll have another post with the final stage of the process so check back.  =D

Temporarily (I hope) Refocusing

Unfortunately, pottery as taken a back seat recently.  Fortunately, though, it's because Hubby's business is moving again.  That doesn't sound very fortunate since he moved in January but the space he's in now is zoned industrial only so he can't sell cars retail out of that location.  One of his dreams has been to have his own used car lot.  The arrangement he's been working with is a little complicated and I won't bore you with the industry lingo and details that I barely understand.  The new location already had a car lot there so that makes it super easy for him to apply for a dealers license.

I had a craft show this past weekend and usually that's my focus for the week leading up to it.  This time I had more of a "Oh yeah, I have a show Sunday." reaction when looking at my calendar.

Loving my new table covers, btw.

The hippo bank was my first sale of the day!

The show went very well and I really should have more scheduled for the spring but the thought of having to spend hours in the studio under pressure to get my inventory restored (did I mention the show went very well?) in addition to helping Hubby out with getting the new store ready, birthdays, getting pics done for eBay listings, bookkeeping, working on our ASP mission fundraiser (tickets still available!), entertaining In-laws, Easter, taxes, spring cleaning, more birthdays.... (gasping, head spinning, holding wall for support!)  Holy heart failure, Batman!  When did my life get so busy?

So, I'm going to take the spring and summer off from doing shows (though I might do the one in June at the Bethlehem ice rink.) and hopefully, hit the circuit really hard in the fall.  We'll see.

The Lions

After anguishing over getting my lion looking right and getting some great feedback from everyone, here's the final results.

Big Guy

Little Guy

Not quite Mufasa and Simba...

But they're sooo CUTE!

Meandering Through the Mire

So, again, I got stopped in my tracks when I let the dogs out this morning!  God's color pallet never ceases to amaze me.  Not to mention it's gotten up to 57 degrees for the past 2 days.  That makes me very happy!



Come on Spring!!!












But I digress.  I really wanted to share my latest "mini-me" banks.  I've been making larger animal banks for a while starting with 3 lbs of clay.  At Christmas I got a custom order for 3 smaller banks and decided to make some for my shop as well.  So, using half the clay of the big ones I made up these babies.
 

Penguin, ladybug, snail, owl & lion.

Unfortunately, I can't charge half the price.  The clay is the least of my expenses.  It takes less time to throw the main forms but the detail work and glazing are just as time consuming.

I struggle with pricing all the time, as I think most artisans do.  Putting a value on material and time is pretty easy.  But putting a value on your creativity and experience is so abstract and subjective.  To clarify my point I did a search on Etsy for handmade mugs and found prices ranging from $2 to $12,000 (yes, I double checked the number of zeros).  I'm pretty sure self-confidence is the driving factor here in both cases.  One undervalued and the other just a wee bit inflated.  I'm sure you can figure out which one had 200+ sales and which one had none.  =/

How do you evaluate your competition?  If someone is selling something comparable to what you sell and they're charging much less or way more than you, do you adjust your prices?  Up or down?  Or can you justify them and be confident enough to keep them where they are?  Just curious to see just how conservative I am.

It's a challenge finding that happy medium.  I know I can't make a mug for $2 and I'm pretty sure no one would spend an excessive amount (I can't even bring myself to type that number again!) on anything I've made.  When I priced my first birdhouse for a studio show I was embarrassed to charge anything!  Even at the prices I'm asking now some people balk.  I've gotten past the phase of second guessing my prices.  Enough people can see the time and creativity that goes into a piece to keep me in business.  It's not quantity (though that would be awesome!) but quality craftsmanship that's taking me to my target audience.  So I'll bypass the "price it to sell" marketing strategy and plug away where I am.  I'm comfortable somewhere between having low self esteem and being an ego maniac.

Well, this post went in a completely different direction than I intended but, like I said, pricing is something I struggle with.  I guess what it boils down to is realizing and defining your own worth without getting arrogant about it.

Lion - Take Three

I ended up scrapping the last lion I made.  He just wasn't talking to me.  I was talking to him, as I do all of my critters, but he didn't have much to say. So I started again from scratch.  I had pictures of various lions, real and not so real, to inspire me.

This, of course, is my favorite:

 

I didn't go for the red bow but I like the ringlet curls.  So this is what I came up with.  What do you think?

These are his buddies...

On a completely unrelated note, this is what I woke up to yesterday morning...

 

 

 

Oooooo pretty!

However, as the saying goes:  "Red in the morning shepherds' warning..." and it snowed and rained the rest of the day.  =(

The "Other" Kids

Since I gave time to the dogs I feel it's only fair to give the boys some time, too. ;-D

These are our prides and joys - The Monsters

 

This is from 2 Christmas' ago when Santa put these wax mustaches in all of their stockings.  That Santa!  What a jokester!

Of course, they've inherited our very dry sarcasm and "Monty Python" style sense of humors.  They're all unbearably handsome, incredibly smart (which their grades don't always reflect!) and tower over their 5'10" parents.  They were born 2 years apart from each other and get along most of the time.  Mostly.  To paraphrase something I read by Dr. Mike Bradley when asked how to stop siblings from fighting.  His response was to have them 4+ years apart.  Wow!  Really?  Now he tells me!  (BTW I highly respect his analysis of the teenager's mind.)  However, if we had spaced them 4 years apart my youngest would be only 11 and we'd be that much further away from moving down south, which is currently in our 4 year plan book.

There's nothing like a teenager to demonstrate how much plucking your heartstrings can take!

Lion - Take Two

I really appreciate everyones feedback so....

Here's take two on the lion....

Is he a keeper? Or should I scrap him and start over?

Lion and Owl

I didn't have to ask the boys on these.  I love the owl but I'm on the fence about the lion.  I like his face but I'm not happy with the mane.

What do you think?

A Swift Kick in the Pants

Motivation seems to be escaping me lately.  I had one good day last week when I started several birdhouses and banks.  But that was it. Just a glint and now it's gone.

It probably has a lot to do with my husband.  Somehow, I'm able to blame just about everything on him in some way, poor thing.  He started a new business almost 2 years ago after losing his job and it's doing so well he's now renting space in town to operate out of.  Unfortunately, I ended up being clean-up girl.  The place was a machine shop and it's been vacant for a while so you can imagine the old, black, greasy, dusty man-mess I was facing.  Yuck!

Anyway, that's my excuse and I'm sticking with it.  I've been working on officey stuff in between helping hubby out.  It's not like I've been unbelievably busy, I'm just not feeling motivated to get back into the studio. So maybe writing about it will help or some sympathetic soul will come by and give me that swift kick I so desperately need!

Just one more push....

I've been going a little crazy (or should I say "crazier") trying to build my inventory back up for my last 2 shows.  I've learned a valuable lesson this season.  Well, several lessons.  But most importantly:  You can never have too much inventory!  The show I mentioned in a previous post was very successful and depleted my banks and birdhouses more than I expected.  I had been a little worried about the next show which turned into a poopy day so my inventory levels, unfortunately, weren't changed that much.  With 2 more pretty big shows left in the season I want to have my levels back up so I have a good variety.

Birdhouses & banks in various stages of production.

I know!  I've had all summer to work on inventory!  What the heck?  My show seasons typically run from March to June then October to December.  So in between is production time.  (I haven't been doing summer shows after the one bad experience I had that involved a 3 day festival, a summer storm, a tent that wants to be a kite when it grows up and lots of breakable pottery.  But that's another post.)  Any hoo, I'm very limited to how much inventory I can store right now.  I have a small one-man studio and a small area in the garage to store finished inventory, tables, displays, etc.  My garage runneth over!

I received several orders at earlier shows that are needed for Christmas and Hanukkah so there's just a little more pressure to get things done asap.  With the super long process from start to finish (approx 4-6 weeks) I've been trying to speed it up the last  few weeks by turning the heat up in the studio.  If you rush drying the clay it will crack so I had to watch very closely to make sure the pots dried slow enough and evenly.  Then I preheated them in the kiln for a few hours to make sure all of the water was evaporated before ramping it up to ^09 (1693 degrees F).  Luckily, my first rushed bisque firing was perfect.  Whew!

A whole bisque load with no cracks!  Woo Hoo!

Now, all that's left to do is glaze like crazy and get them fired sometime tonight so they'll be ready Friday to load up for Saturday's show.

The first layer of the glaze load.

More banks, etc.

Oh, and the second most important lesson learned:  DON'T FORGET TO BRING YOUR CART TO THE SHOW!  Doh!

A Poopy Day!

After last week's very successful craft show I was all ramped up (though a little nervous about my inventory level) for this weekend's show at a new venue.  It was at a huge county tech school in a very nice area about half an hour from NYC and run by promoters that I've worked with before. My expectations were high. 

After driving an hour to the school, there was already a line of cars/vans lined up in front of the school when I arrived so I parked about 6 car lengths from the doors.  I found my booth space and come back to the van to unload and realized I forgot my cart!  I have this old beat up cart that I can wheel 6 bins on at once.  Maybe because I hadn't brought it the prior week, because I knew there were firemen to help out, it didn't occur to me that I hadn't loaded it.  It was on my packing list.  Obviously, I needed to check that list one last time!  To quote the ever lovable Charlie Brown - "Aaugh!"

So, two by two, I start carrying in my bins. Arms aching, mood grouching I texted a little rant to my husband about the cart. Things started turning around! He's coming out in this direction later and will bring my cart. Also, 2 wonderful guys took pity on me and helped me bring in the rest of my stuff! My space was good and pretty close to the entrance. The extra time I had allowed for post-setup/pre-show browsing was gone. Oh well.

The show started at 10:00. Usually, there's a flock of early birds waiting for the doors to open at most shows. No flock. Hmmm.... Curious. After a while it became clear a slow trickle was the best it was gonna get. I hadn't realized this was the first year for this show and several of the more seasoned vendors were commenting how there's a glut of shows in this area making them less of a novelty. Great!

Needless to say I didn't do well. I don't think anyone did.  Several vendors packed up early (a big no-no!) and the mood of disappointment was cast over everyone. But my husband had delivered my cart so loading up went much smoother than the morning travesty. Unfortunately, the headache I felt coming on when I finally left was a raging migraine by the time I got home. Straight to bed for me. The difference in stress level between last week's show and this week's was huge! Making a profit definitely helps take the edge off of a bad day.

Our next show is local and less expensive. Since it's about 10 minutes from home I'll have my boys come out to help with the unloading and loading. But our last show of the season is the following weekend out in the same area as last week with the same promoter.  I've done that venue before and had a good show but my expectations have been knocked down a bit.  I have to learn to expect the worst so I won't be disappointed. This is not a philosophy that fits me at all.  =/

From our family to yours - Have a safe, peaceful and thankful Thanksgiving!

Success!

Everyone arrived safe & sound!

So I had my first craft show using "The New Packing System" and it went swimmingly (does anyone even use that word anymore?)!  Setting up took about the same amount of time, which I expected, but breaking down?  Breaking down was so quick!  Okay.  Not super-quick but quicker than usual.

I had a hard time with larger items not fitting back where I thought they were supposed to go.  I might have to label some of the spaces that are for specific items until I'm more familiar with the whole layout.  But considering my caflarfles I was pulling out of the lot 45 minutes after the show ended!  That's a record for me.  Unfortunately, I have to qualify my speed by informing you that this show was at a firehouse and all of those strong, brave firemen were on hand to help us load our cars (they wanted their truck bay back!).

This coming weekend I'll be at a high school that I haven't shown at before and I'm pretty sure the firemen or any other helpers won't be available.  This will be a truer test of the time it will take.  I'll let you know.

Customized Pottery Packing for Craft Shows - Large Items

Since I had good feedback on my last packing post, and I have items larger than a spoon rest, here's some ideas for show packing of larger items.

I had found rolls of 1 inch thick spongey plastic foam that I was considering buying to pack my larger items but didn't want anything that thick (space is at a premium!).  So, again consulting with Dad, he suggested that it might be cheaper getting styrofoam sheet insulation from HD.  So I checked it out and, of course, Dad was right!  Also, it was only 3/4 inch thick.

Six sheets - 14 1/2" x  48" x  3/4" for $7.25

The drawback:  it's styrofoam.  I hate styrofoam.  It's messy (hence, no snacks around) and not very eco-friendly.  Bu-u-ut, it's a one time purchase and I'm sure the plastic, spongey stuff isn't any friendlier.

Cut the slots to interlock

So using the same method as I detailed in my last post I measured and cut the styrofoam to line the bin and separate the items.  Just make sure the slots you cut for the intersections are as wide as the sheets so they'll interlock snugly.

I was fitting 5 or 6 banks in a bin using the messy newspaper and now can only fit 4.  Hmmm.  Dilemma.  More bins and quicker packing or less bins (that would be heavier) and slower packing.  Time is money (unfortunately) so the foam stays.  Also, it allows the packing to be tighter so those pesky pot holes will be no match for us!  Bwaa-haa-haa!

Everyone, go to your rooms!

 I did reuse some of the discarded newspaper to pack around the banks and fill up the wiggle room. No wrapping!

Getting all tucked in for the ride to meet their new owners (hopefully)!

The birdhouses worked out a little better.  I can fit 6 in one bin but have to alternate the skinny ones with the fatter ones so they're not too tight.

Snug as a... catapillar... bee... dragon... bird...

Once again, I'd be happy to help anyone who is trying to adapt this system for your own needs.  I'd love to hear your innovative packing solutions, too.

Customized Pottery Packing for Craft Shows - Small Items

Since I started this blog I've struggled with sharing relevant info.  I'm not one to post for the sake of posting and my life's not interesting enough to use it as a journaling tool.  I want to share things that others will find helpful or insightful.  I want to leave a positive mark not just add to the cyber noise.  So what can I share?  My expertise is...  Well, not very expert.  I'm a pretty good potter but by no means a master.  I'm a wife of 21 years and a mom of almost 19 years and still looking for the instruction manuals.  Some days I feel like I've got less than nothing to contribute.

Today, however, is your lucky day!  I've been stewing on a problem for a few weeks now and solidified the resolution enough to give it a try yesterday.  It worked beautifully (well, not visually) and I'm hoping some of you will find it helpful.

I've been doing craft shows for a few years and I usually am on my own.  During my last show a few weeks ago my dad made the mistake of stopping by close to the end and found himself helping me pack up.  Lucky for me but I'm sure he'll time it better in the future. Now, for any of you who do the craft show circuit you know the bane of the process is setting up and breaking down.  Well, for potters, glass artists or anyone with fragile product the packing is slo-o-o-ow!  Have you ever moved?  Remember packing your dishes and glassware?  Every piece needs to be protected from breakage even if you're only going across town.  Now imagine having to do that every weekend.  YUCK!  I'd wrap every piece in newspaper and stack them carefully in the boxes.  I have the boxes labeled but at the end of a long day I'm not so careful whether I get everything in it's proper place.  Hence, I'm always one of the last crafters loading up my car at the end of the day.  DOUBLE DOG YUCK!  (and, yes, I used the word "hence"!)

The old packing hodge-podge

During our weekly phone call Dad and I were discussing possible solutions to my packing issue.  How can we make it quicker and still protect each piece and keep it organized? You've probably seen those fancy moving boxes with the cardboard dividers.  We were thinking along those lines.  Unfortunately, our pottery varies in size from spoon rests to large bowls and birdhouses and everything in between.  So I needed to customize.

The new Beautifulness!

Maybe I'm coming late to the game and you're sitting there shaking your head because this isn't as awesome of an idea as I think it is.  Too bad!  It's not often I impress myself and I'm still reveling in the prospect of leaving a show less than an hour after it ends.

In case you're mildly impressed and think this would help your craft show experience be less stressful I'm sharing my process.  Obviously, you'll be adapting to fit your own needs but you'll get the general idea and I'll be happy to help you out if you have questions or get stuck.  (And thank you, Mr. Huckle, for high school drafting class!)


Tools you'll need:

• Graph paper or make your own
• Calculator (maybe)
• Pencil
• Utility knife
• Scissors (maybe)
• Metal ruler or straight edge and ruler
• Old cardboard box
• Hot glue gun w/glue (maybe)
• Recycled packing material
• Snacks (optional)

Here are the steps:

The plan

The notched walls

Putting it together

Loading it up

1. Measure the interior of the box/bin.  This bin's interior measures 20" wide x 14" deep x 5" high.
2. Measure your items.  It's easier if you have similarly sized items to give you equal spacing.
3. On the graph paper map out the plan.  This bin holds the spoon rests which need a space about 4 inches wide by 1 inch deep.  I have 30 spoon rests so my calculations gave me 2 rows of 14  and the extra 2 spoon rests will have to be relegated to another area. 
4. Take your cardboard (I used a sneaker box for this grid but will need sturdier material for larger items), utility knife and metal ruler measure and cut the main pieces of your grid.  In the example I had 2 pieces 14" x 4" (side walls), 4 pieces 8 1/2" x 4" and 9 pieces 8" x 4" (cross walls).  You don't need cardboard on the outer sides.  My grid doesn't fill the whole bin so the 8 1/2" pieces are so I can fold the end to make a tab to glue to the outer side wall for stability.  If your grid fills the whole bin you only need inner walls and no tabs.
5. Now you need to cut a notch for each intersection.  Each notch should only go up half way.  I cut one notch 4" from the end of each 8" & 8 1/2" piece and 13 notches 1" apart in one of the 14" side walls.
6. Now you can slot everything together. 
7. Line the bottom and outer walls of your bin/box with padding material.  (mine's recycled shipping material.)
8. Insert your grid and load up your inventory!  For the left over space I've stacked some flat items with a sheet of thin foam or bubble wrap layered in between and 1 inch foam around the sides.  Not a scrap of newspaper to be found!
9. Add another layer of padding on top (we don't want things hitting the lid when we can't avoid that pot hole!)
10. Time how long it takes you to unload and load at your next show and report back to me.  I don't have another show until November and the suspense is killing me!

Next I'll be working on packing medium and large housewares and my birdhouses and banks.  Here's the link.