Ramblings

I didn't realize how long it has actually been since I posted anything.  It's amazing how fast time really goes and how much happens in a few short months.  I kept meaning to post, but just never got to it.  Minnesota's winter dragged on with cold, snow and slippery conditions.  It was still snowing at the beginning of May!  We bought an investment property, did a lot of painting and such and moved our college-aged son into it (a really big change and new phase of life).  He landed a summer job with the city (hallelujah!) after a long stretch of unemployment. All 3 vehicles needed repairs within the same 3 week period for a cost of a few thousand dollars.  The day job has been insanely busy and everything that could go wrong, did.  Usually I'm a pretty upbeat person and life has really been pretty good, but it really did seem like a long, tough winter. 

Instead of working on my Etsy and Artfire shops, I spent the winter knitting some custom ordered afghans.  I tried a couple new patterns/stitches, and they turned out really well even though they took a lot of time.  Although the actual stitches weren't hard, I was making these afghans larger than normal, so it took me awhile to figure out how many stitches to cast on to get the width I wanted (math was never my strong point).  So--there was a lot of trial and error but I learned a lot.

I also did a few items to put in my sister's consignment shop in Ft. Scott, KS called Little Luxuries.   If you live in that area, check it out.  She sells antiques and collectibles too.

I've been making some of the headbands and hats with flowers for babies and they sell quite well at craft shows.  I've listed them in a Bonanza.com shop http://www.bonanza.com/booths/BrendasCraftStore because I feel they're not totally handmade and Etsy and Artfire are supposed to be for handmade goods.  They're more like taking parts and reassembling them into something different.  Taking a skein of yarn and creating an afghan or a sweater is what I think of as handmade. I've been following a lot of forum conversations about how cheap mass produced items are starting to take over eBay and Etsy, and it seems to be true.  It seems like everything I look at on eBay is coming from China or Hong Kong. Whatever happened to the average person just trying to clean out their house and sell their stuff?  That's really what I want to buy--not some cheap crap from China.  And Etsy started out as a site for artists and crafters doing handmade goods to sell their wares.  Now there are tons of stores selling mass produced items and trying to pass them off as handmade.  I'd like to make a plea to everyone to support those who truly make their own items and ignore the cheap mass produced stuff.  You'll get a much better product in the end even if it costs a little more.

I'm going to try and spend the next few months making small items to list on Etsy and Artfire.  And I also promised my son I'd make him a tshirt quilt.  I've never done any quilting, so I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing.  I'll try and post some directions or things I learn as I go along.  Wish me luck!

I'll leave you with a couple of thoughts about work and life.  Quite awhile ago I read a good article on what makes great employees.  My workplace has had a lot of personnel changes lately, and I thought some of the points in the article were very appropriate for all aspects of life, not just work.  The article stated that great employees ignore job descriptions and think on their feet, adapt quickly to shifting priorities and do whatever it takes to get the job done (no saying "That's not my job.")  It also stated that great employees follow processes, but remarkable employees find ways to make the processes better. 

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

Artfire Shop 10% Off Everything!

Merry Christmas! (Yes, I know it's politically incorrect, but I celebrate Christmas so that's what I wish you all.)  And Happy New Year!

It's hard to believe 2012 is almost over and we're going to start 2013.  2012 was a good year and flew by.  My November craft shows went very well and generated some orders as well.  Sales and custom orders from Etsy and Artfire have been good enough to keep me busy.  So I'm satisfied.  I still have a couple more orders to finish.  Plus a dinner party to host and a couple other events to attend.  And Christmas shopping and wrapping!

Then for the new year, I plan to try out some new stuff.  I want to make shawls, cowls, infinity scarves, and socks and slippers, and baby stuff and oh so many more things.  Sooooooo, to clear out inventory and start with the new, my Artfire shop (http://BrendasCraftStore.artfire.com) is having a sale!  10% off everything!  Please take a look.  I almost always ship items out the same day or the next day, so you'll get it quickly.  And the prices are really, really reasonable.

Here are a few things available:

Craft Show Survival

Two down--one more to go!  That's craft shows I"m talking about.  I've spent the past 2 Saturdays manning my table at local craft fairs.  I'll spend next Saturday doing the same thing and then I'm done.  And I'll be glad.

Don't get me wrong--I love doing craft shows.  It's fun to reconnect with fellow crafters you saw last year and fun to meet new ones.  It's also fun to see many of the same shoppers year after year.  And it's always interesting to talk to new shoppers.  The show I was at yesterday was at the high school my son attended and put on by the Band Boosters, an organization I was president of when my son attended school.  So I saw a lot of old friends and acquaintances which I thoroughly enjoyed.

And craft shows are a good learning experience.  You can watch people look at your product and see what interests them and what they think of things.  That will help guide you as you create more products.

But craft shows are exhausting and a bit humbling.  If you're like me, I spend the week before harriedly (is that a word?) making more items and trying to make the right items.  Then I lay out my products and try to arrange them in an attractive way.  Then I have to pack everything up and get out any display stands, racks, tables, etc.  Then I have to make sure I have change and all the other little essentials like tape, scissors, paper, pens, credit card reader, etc.  Then the car has to get loaded.  Then you unload at the show and set it all up.  And you worry that you won't be ready at 9 am when the show starts.  Then you look around at all the other wonderful items people are selling and the creative ways they're displaying their wares and you feel totally inadequate (at least I do for awhile).  Then you worry if people are going to come.  Then you worry if they're going to buy.  Then, if the fates allow, you're so busy selling to the hordes of customers that you're soon exhausted.  Or, if the fates are unkind, customer traffic is slow and the day gets very long as you and your fellow crafters wonder why there are no shoppers.  Either way, at the end of the day you have to pack up all your items, drive home, and then unload again and put everything away.  And then you start all over for the next show.

To sum it up:

Positives
People contact
Networking
Opportunity to see people's reactions to your product and discuss your product with them
Opportunity to see what other crafters are making, how they display their wares, pricing

Negatives
Lots of physical  labor in loading, unloading, set up
Stress
Worry

Tips for Success
     1.  If possible, get someone to help you load, unload, set up, load up again and unload at home.  It's also great to have someone with you at your table all day, but if that's not possible, if someone can relieve you at lunch so you can go to the restroom, eat, shop, etc. is great.  This year my son is helping me.  He helps me load up the car and set up my display.  Then he stays at the show with me for a little while so I can visit the restroom and take a quick look around the show.  Then he comes back around lunch and mans my table while I go eat, etc.  (He's been very good at selling items while I'm away!).  Then he comes back at the end of the afternoon to pack me up and get everything home.  If you have no helper at the show, usually your fellow crafter on either side of you will watch your table while you run to the bathroom, etc.

     2.  Talk to people--your neighbors, shoppers, etc.  You can learn some tips and tricks.  Plus, it just makes the day more fun.

     3.  Don't stress too much about whether you measure up to the other crafters.  I was taught modesty and not to brag growing up, so I always feel a little humbled by the creativeness of everyone else at the show.  But I know my work is good and I just tell myself to get over it.

     4.  Treat your customers well.  Good customer service skills are essential and not very hard to learn.  Basically, treat them as you'd like to be treated.

     5.  If you don't sell a lot, don't spend your time complaining about it or bad mouthing the organizers of the fair.  Take the time to calmly and rationally think about reasons why things didn't go well (weather, other events going on at the same time, location, lack of advertising, audience that doesn't fit your product, etc.) and then learn from the experience and decide whether this is a show that just isn't right for your products or it's worth tweaking your products and trying again next year.  Complaining and blaming are negative time wasters.  What's done is done.  Focus on what could be improved and move on.

     6.  Take a water bottle with you.  You'll get thirsty.

     7.  Most of all, enjoy and have fun!

Craft Show Basics

I love craft shows! There are so many fabulous things that people make and always way too many things I want to buy. However, I won't get a lot of time to shop since I'll be having a table at Rosemount High School on November 3. If you're in the area, stop by between 9 am and 4 pm. They're going to have about 90 vendors and there are some very talented crafters there.

Then on November 10 I'll have a table at Eagan High School and on November 17 at Faithful Shepherd Catholic School in Eagan. Please stop by!

For those of you who participate in craft shows, I wish you great shows. I've been busy getting all my stuff together and hopefully I won't forget anything. Here's a brief list of things to take with you:
change--plenty of one's and five's
a cash box
pens
paper
scissors
tape
calculator
blank price tags (in case something comes off during transit and set up)
cell phone
water bottle
money to purchase food or drink at the show if needed/wanted
table covering
mannequins, jewelry stands, shelves, racks, etc needed for displaying your items
your tax id number (many shows ask you to fill out a form at the show with your
tax id #)
business cards

These are pretty much the basics. I hate hauling a bunch of stuff around, so I try to keep it to a minimum. If I didn't have to load up the car, unload the car, and set things up--craft shows would be perfect. But other than the heavy lifting, craft shows are a lot of fun. Get to know your neighbors--the vendors on each side of you, behind you and across from you. They're great people and you can learn a lot from them. Talk with the shoppers. They're great people too. Even if you're shy--just make yourself talk to people. Pretty soon you'll feel right at home. (I must admit it took me a couple of seasons before I got over my shyness and felt really comfortable.)

Here are a few of the things I'll have in my booth. I'm looking forward to seeing all the great things at shows this next month!

http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/product_view/5241624

http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/product_view/5164734

http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/product_view/5164544

Early Bird Shopping Lists

I joined a blog hop at http://www.hopesanddreamsstudio.blogspot.com/. Check out her blog for some great items from some great sellers. If I knew how to post the linky link correctly, I believe I could make the list of all the items and pictures show up on my blog; but, alas, my technical skills are not that great.  So I urge you to click on the link which will take you to photos of all the great items.

Cranfest and Ruffle Yarn

I had to share a fun travel experience we had last weekend.  We went to Cranfest in Warrens, WI. (http://www.cranfest.com/) What is Cranfest you ask?  Well, it's the biggest craft show/flea market I've ever seen.  They say they have over 1250 booths and over 3miles of booth frontage and I believe them.  I've never seen so many vendors in one place.  And I don't think I've ever seen that many people in one place.  Think Minnesota State Fair but way bigger.  People were there from all over and some we talked to go year after year.

Even though it was crowded, we had a nice time.  It was the perfect day for it--temps in the 70s and beautiful fall colors.  There were tons of craft booths with all kinds of crafts.  Then there were flea market type booths.  There were lots of booths selling food items--cranberry cheese, cranberry sausage, cranberry jelly beans, sauce mixes, etc.  Then, of course, there were plenty of vendors selling you food to eat.  The festival lasts 3 days and on Sunday they have a big parade.  You can also go see a cranberry bog--something I'd never seen before.  We stayed in Tomah, WI overnight and rode their shuttle bus to the festival.  I highly recommend that because it avoids a lot of parking and traffic hassles.  I also recommend taking a collapsible shopping cart if you like to buy things.  Carrying stuff around gets really tiresome.

The drive back home was lovely.  There were some very pretty leaves to see and pretty countryside.  It was a perfect fall weekend getaway.

My son thinks I should have a booth there.  It's a tempting thought because there would certainly be a lot of potential customers.  But 3 days outdoors is a big commitment.  But I'll think about it.

All those craft vendors got me in the mood to get busy on my own work.  Since October is breast cancer awareness month, I'm working on some pink ruffle scarves.  Awhile back I did a post on working with Red Heart's Sashay yarn.   I mentioned that separating it and wrapping it around cardboard helped in making it easier to work with.  I've discovered the same thing applies to a couple of new yarns I've tried--Michael's Flaunt yarn and Bernat's Ruffle.  These yarns are a little different from Sashay in that they're not a mesh but actual little ruffles.  They do have the space along one edge though which is where you knit into.  I discovered that you really do need to smooth these yarns out first and wrap them around something or they're pretty hard to work with.  So far, I really like Michael's Flaunt yarn.  They have some nice colors and the quality is good.  The price is good too.  I'm really disappointed with Bernat's version.  The one skein I've used was broken and then knotted in 3 different places and there were a couple of other places where it was frayed.  I expected better from such a major yarn maker.  I'm including a picture of the scarf I made with Michael's Flaunt.  With this one I did 15 stitches and it took 3 skeins.  I think the next one I'll reduce the number of stitches to 9 and it should only take 2 skeins.  I used Size 4 needles.