Craft Show

My first ever craft show was on Saturday May 19th. It was a small outdoor show combined with a salon's cut-a-thon to help raise money to benefit a cancer non profit. The fee was minimal with additional requirements to donate 10% of sales and also to donate a baked good for the bake sale so I figured it was a good first show- Minimal cost but an opportunity to set up a display etc. I had just over a month to prepare but coupled with working two jobs and my March for Babies stuff I didn't get quite as much done as I wanted. I did make plenty of tutu's in a variety of colors but I didn't get very many flower clips done and I had hoped to add in a couple other items but just ran out of time.

I used my brand new Inkadinkado alphabet stamps and $1 ink pads to finish my color card and to make some signs.

I have seen a couple of displays around the internet using luggage.  I happened to find a piece that is in perfect condition and used it in my display.  I tied some twine around the top and used mini safety pins to hang several tutus up.  I have picked up a second piece of luggage but it needs some TLC before I can use it but for 30 cents at a garage sale I couldn't pass it up!

I used a mug tree to display some of my (few) clips by stretching a headband between the pegs and clipping three flowers to each side.  I also clipped a couple flowers to the twine clothesline.

The day started off just slightly breezy but soon some gusts had my tutus flying away.  So I rearranged my display using a basket I had brought just in case and making more of a twine clothesline.  

                                      

I also used some mini clothespins to pin some of the tutus right to the table. 

I was pretty happy with the display.  Although, there are definitely a few things I'd like to fine tune, plus a few more items I'd like to make. I was also happy that I had a nice neighbor next to me on one side (an empty space on the other) who was nice to chat with.  I certainly didn't have a spectacular day sales wise but I'm considering it a learning experience and hopefully the next one will be better!






  Crafty Scrappy Happy

Vacation

The day after my first ever craft show (I will post all about that another day) me and my little Monkey headed up north for a few days by my mom.

With all of our job changes around here the whole family couldn't go up for the long weekend so I opted to sneak a trip in before. Usually I help my mom at her greenhouse over Memorial weekend but sadly not this year. Instead Hunter and I just hung out at "Gramma's Greenhouse" known officially as Lil Bit's Greenhouse. So if any of you readers live or visit northern Wisconsin (near Manitowish Waters/Mercer/Winchester area)be sure to go check out her place! :)

I absolutely love going up there. I just love all the color, all the beautiful flowers and all of the neat things she does/has. This year she is carrying a few very neat crafty things from other crafty ladies besides herself, including some teapot birdhouses and upcycled glass bird baths.

Then there are my mom's creative displays and planters... and my photography... :)

Antique crib for display

These REALLY do smell like popcorn!  Wouldn't it make the cutest thank you/teacher/birthday gift/just because kind of gift!

These have to be some of my favorites.  Every time I look at overalls I assess them for this purpose. 

She covered these pots using Modge Podge and fabric.  Too cute.  

Okay, maybe these chair planters are my favorite.  LOVE LOVE LOVE!

I even found a couple of cute chairs and brought them up for her.  These were actually hard to part with since my fingers were itching for a DIY refinish... but they will make cute planters.  Hopefully she will plant them while my sister is up there so we can see the end results!

Beautiful.

This is my favorite basket this year!

And my absolute favorite greenhouse picture of 2012 (so far!)

 So that's what I've been up to for the past few days.  Observing and hopefully absorbing some of her creativiness!

Crafty Scrappy Happy

Craft Show Color Card

I am doing my very first craft show on Saturday. I don't think it's a very big show and it's in a pretty small town so I'm going into it with low expectations, but being small I figured it was a good first show....

 This week is a whirlwind of trying to get it all ready (I really should be tutu making not blogging right now- it's getting down to the wire!). I still have a few more tutu's to make plus I want to get some flower hair accessories done as well. Then there are all the little details like thinking about possible custom orders and being prepared for that. Tonight I put together a custom order form using Excel and then threw together this quick color card to show of some of the available colors.

 I started off with some 12 x 12 white cardstock and then taped folded up pieces of tulle to it. I knew pretty quickly I didn't like the look of the tape on it and decided to sew the tulle pieces on. I continued taping them all (to keep them in place) and then headed for the sewing machine. I just sewed one line right down each column to keep it easy. Because easy and fast were the goals for this. And it turned out to be easy and quick allowing me a couple of minutes to blog before I get back to the grind!

I still have to label them but that is a project for another night! Crafty Scrappy Happy

Life Happens...

Hello friends- it has been too long!  The past 3+ weeks have just been crazy around my house.  I've really had no time to craft let alone blog about any crafting!

What has been keeping me away you ask???  Well, a March for Babies garage sale fundraiser, the actual March for Babies walk, starting a new job, still working my old job, small group at church, preparing for my first craft show, turning 30, the flu, an ear infection, and a bad cold.

WHEW.

So there has been really NO crafting. (very sad, I have missed my craft room)  And no blogging.  (again, very sad, I have missed writing about crafting.) But what can you do, sometimes life happens.  :)  Soon hopefully I will have a little more precious TIME as next week is my last official days at the old job.  :)

Anyway, on to some crafting...  :)


For my birthday my husband and son got me a Kindle.


And of course, a Kindle needs a case to protect it.  :)


Even though I'm quite amateur at my sewing, I seem to have collected a fair amount of fabrics, most of them without a specific project in mind, just because I like them.  :)  Anyone else do that???

My collection (most but not all):

This is the flannel material/print I decided to go with for my Kindle case.  To reflect my love of crafting!  

I started off by using my Kindle as a measuring guide for how wide I should cut my material and then I cut off two pieces (just left it folded!) of the material.  The final measurements for my two flannel pieces was 

9" wide by 14" long 

I wanted to pad it a little because I know I will be shoving it in my purse a lot and I feel better knowing its a little padded.  So I used some quilt batting I had on hand.  The measurements on the quilt batting were 

6" wide by 9" long.

I decided to go with shabby/unfinished edges on my case so I sandwiched the batting between the wrong sides of the materials.  (I actually ironed before proceeding, but didn't retake the picture after ironing).

On one end, I folded over the edge and pinned it and then sewed it.

Then using my Kindle as a measurement guide, I determined where my bottom fold would be... fold up my sewn edge.

I pinned everything in place.  I also opted to fold over the top edge of the case.  Then I sewed up each side and the top edge of the flap.

I sewed a piece of ribbon on to use to tie my case closed.  You could use velcro or a button.

I purposefully frayed my edges for the shabby look.

The finished product.