What I did my summer vacation.

Good Morning fellow blog followers!!!  It is a beautiful Veterans' Day here in Tonawanda and I have off thanks to all the Veterans out there (I am one also from the US Air Force too).   I've been working on lots of crafts since my last post oogles ago!  I hit a snag in July - my sciatic kicked in really bad from a bulging disc.  Ouch!  Got alot of pain medication, physical therapy, and a couple shots in my discs to get me to the point where I can sit, stand, sleep, and finally CRAFT again.

Worked on some paper banners. 

Worked on some microwaveable bowl cozys.

besides those two, I really have not been feeling good enough to craft.  Oh, forgot the best part...

My niece Laura and I have designed a tree for the Festival of Trees in Buffalo that benefits Women's & Children's Hospital.  Here are a few pics of it.

We made all the cupcake ornaments, faux candy garland, and designed the tree from top to bottom.  We are looking forward to finishing it in the next couple days.

C-Anal Fest

Well, the craft show ended up being a flop.  My side of the tent only ended up selling just over $200, Lori's side was about $70.  I think the worst part of the show, and probably the reason we did not sell more, was the jerk next to our tent harassing the customers walking by.  He thought he was being funny trying to get people to come back to his tent to see what he had by saying "hey come back over here I want to sell you something" or "come on buy something and we will be friends" and "let me show you something".  I think most people walking by were offended by his sales tactics and were "running" to get away from him before he talked to them again.  There is nothing I could do about it, I even told him Sunday morning before the show started that he was harassing the customers in front of our booth and asked if he would stop.  He said he was sorry and that it is his sales pitch and that is the only way he can get people to buy his stuff.   WHAT??? Your craft (which he only had one item that he actually did make) should sell itself not harassing somebody to buy it from you.  Most of what he had in his tent was manufactured goods and his one "craft" was a redneck goblet made of a candle stick and a mason jar glued together.  How much time do those take to make?  30 seconds each?  Crafters spend most of their free time making their craft all year, and for somebody to sell manufactured goods at a "craft" show is just the meanist thing somebody can do toward another crafter.  YOU CAN BUY THAT STUFF IN A STORE!  If the customers avoided those booths in the first place, maybe those booths would go away for good from craft shows.  I really had very high expectations for sales at Canal Fest, guess I learned my lesson about that show to not do it again.  UGGH what a mess.
Until I do another craft show (this weekend).

Getting ready for Canal Fest!

OK ITS THIS WEEK!  Getting a little excited, nervous, and thrilled (along with a few other emotions) for the craft show this weekend at Canal Fest.  The booth cost $175 but I am splitting it with another crafter that I graduated high school with.  I'm hoping our stuff complements each others and brings people into the booth to check it out.  This is probably the most highly attended show, as far as customers go to, that I am aware of.  I've made a few new items: key wristlets, baby bibs, aprons, & sundresses that I hope the customers will gobble right up.  I made a banner for the front of the booth and I'm thinking I should go get a few yards of cheap colored fabric for the corners just to make the booth pretty.  If I get the chance I will do just that just to make it a wee bit more whimsical..  

I'll have to scotchguard the tent too...last show the seams started leaking a little bit.  I'll set up the tent maybe tonight and hang up the banner to see how it looks (take a picture or two and post it) and spray the seams with the scotchguard.  I don't think it is going to rain this weekend (keeping fingers & toes crossed) but incase it does I'll feel safer knowing I sprayed!

I had to get somebody to split the show with me since my mom & sister were not able to man the tent with me this weekend.  My mom is on vacation in Delaware with my niece and her family, and my sister is working.  Next show on July 28th I am driving to my moms Friday after work, taking her and my sister to the craft show in Sparta NY on Saturday with our crafts and driving back after the show to moms house to spend the night.  I just have a small suv but lots of room when you lower a seat.  We are not taking that much crafts to this show - mostly just the old wooden signs we made a few years back.  I'm hoping to lower the prices way down and sell them all at this show since the show only cost $10 we should make more than our share of proceeds.  We should bring some other good sellers like the dammit dolls, halos, jewelery and baby bibs.  I'll see what I can stick in my car after the tent and bin of wood signs goes in.

Anyhow, till I craft again!

Getting Ready for Canal Fest

So, now that the Etsy orders for the patriotic dress has subsided (I may have another order for two more dresses but she has not gotten back to me), I can now start working on stuff to sell at Canal Fest. 

I am making some fruit bibs for babies that are shaped like a strawberry, apple, pear, watermelon, blueberry, plum, peach, orange, and pumpkin, not to mention a leaf.  I know the leaf is not a fruit but it is really cute.  I would like to get 50 done for the show so I need about 37 more.  I sold 8 on Etsy and decided they would go good at a show.  I'm thinking $3.50 each or 3/$10.  I'm getting better at making them too so they don't take too long to get done.  I think the hardest part is making the bias tape for the edging because there is alot of ironing involved. 

I will probably finish up using the patriotic fabric I have and get a few more dresses done for the craft show.  I may as well use it up and display the dresses at Canal Fest.  People may remember them and take my card for an order for next year, an order on Etsy would be better so my shop is listed on the card. 

After Canal Fest is over I am going to start on a quilt.  I got a few patterns that I like printed out and I already have the fabric for it.  I just have to find the time and start quilting.  I'll make one for my bed, take photos of it and make a few quilt blocks so I can list a similar quilt on Etsy that I can make for people. 

I'm hoping that the online sales work out so I don't have to do but one or two craft shows each year.  I really hate dragging everything somewhere, setting up, and hoping the weather holds out for the customers to purchase my stuff!!!  But anyways, enough of my talking, gotta get back to work.

Until I craft again!
 

Ummmm...gotta get serious crafting!

I got home today from a trip to Syracuse to attend the NYS Bowling assoc annual meeting. When I got home about 7:20PM I found I had an acceptance letter into the Canal Fest Craft Show in July. I was hoping to get in but I did not hold my breath as not to be too let down in case we did not get in. Well, now I have to start major crafting now. The show is July 21-22 and there will be about 10000 people shopping for the two days - hope I have what they are looking to buy. I am splitting the show with another crafter who has her own stuff, so I'll have our (my, mom, & my sister's) stuff to sell, and Lori will bring her stuff. Hope we have a good mix together. I have lots of pillowcase dresses left since I made lots up front, we have lots of dammit dolls I'm buying a container for them at Ikea when I visit my daughter that is like a small foldable hamper (I should get one for my lawn bugs too). I have enough aprons too but I need to get making some bonnets to go with the little dresses. I may even make a bonnet/bib set that match. On another note, when I bought patterns when they were $1 each, I picked up one that had 4 different bags...handbag, handbag with bow, large tote, and extra large tote with bow. I am going to make these for the girls at work for christmas this year. I have an idea that I better get working on them in august or I will never finish them in time. Until I craft again. Coleen

The night before a craft show

Just thinking I should post what I feel the night before a show. I never really sat down and thought about my feelings and worries prior to a show, just I keep thinking about "selling out" of everything and making money. For starters, I'm worried about the weather. It is supposed to be windy with rain and possible thunderstorms tomorrow...ugh. Luckily it is a two day show and my mom and I divided up the crafts so we don't have as much "hanging around" in full bins. We have a little bit of everything so we should have a full tent and enough room for my mom, my sister, and myself to be comfortable should it rain like hell on us. I'm also worried about not having any people show up to the show on Saturday. I would hate to do all the work of setting up the tent and not having any people to purchase any items. Taking all the time to make everything and pricing the items reasonably and not selling, really sucks. Now I am all packed up in my car and I start thinking about what I am forgetting. And now that we are taking less items and should the weather get better, should we take more??? Not that it is that stressful, I feel anxious. It's nice that my sister is driving up tonight, but I am hoping she has a nice drive up here with the weather not bright and sunny. Anyways she will be here shortly! When all is set and done, we will probably sell about $250-400 but I would love to see $500-700!!! If I remember to post after it is over I will. Oh yeah, I sell my stuff on etsy.com under coleeno if you care to shop, thanks in advance! Coleen

Back to crafting

Got a bunch of show applications mailed in, now I have to get my act together and get crafting so I can fill the booth. There was the Tuti Fruti fabric on sale at Joanne fabrics 50%off so I bought a bunch, cut out some sun dresses and ended up getting some more contrasting colors yesterday while visiting my parents. We go home today so I'll wash that fabric later. Hopefully I'll be able to sew all of them today and tomorrow, tag them up, and pack them away for the shows. For the most part there is no wasted fabric when they are made. Now, if they don't sell I will scream.