Where Have I Been?

At work. At craft shows. In my wet basement. At least some of it is fun. And Friday I added at home with a sick little boy. Poor little guy. Turns out to be Strep. Ick. And ouch. He was supposed to go to the zoo with the latchkey group since it was a no school day. I told him we'd go next week. If the rain stops that is. Which it is supposed to.

This is the work part. I am making my first model garment to display - yippee!!! Am I nervous? Um, yup, a tad. My only real worry is finding the space to work. I'll show you why below.

Let me introduce you to our new best friend....

He is quite useful for this, which is hard to see since the water is (luckily) storm water and therefore clean & clear. But all the reflections on the floor are only possible because of the water covering it. At a rate of about 3 fills ups per hour. And it's a 12 gallon wet/dry vac. Ugh. I am happy to report that it finally slowed down though.

Do you remember a few weeks back when I showed similar pics? Yeah. Well, the problem has not been able to get fixed because we haven't had enough days in a row to dry things up. But the sun is out now. That' a good sign.

At least my show was inside at the Rust Belt yesterday. New spot this time...against a wall. Still not sure which placing I preferred. I do prefer this pic though...and not just because my little guy is in it :) But because it was taken with my new toy...a Galaxy Tablet. LOVE IT!!! I even have a card swiper on it for shows. Sweet!

And that sick little boy.....feels good enough to play on Mom's new toy :)

Rust Belt was a SMASH

I feel like I have been MIA lately...from the blog, from the shop, from the house....

It was worth it :)

The Rust Belt Market had it's grand opening this past weekend. I was lucky enough to be one of the 60 plus artisans. Friday night was full of fun, food, music & drinks as they celebrated the ribbon cutting & opened up the doors for a preview.

I was frantically trying to finish up my display last week. Worried that it just would not get done. And while I still have quite a bit of tweaking - it turned out pretty good for a first show.

As you can see it is a very open airy space. Below you can see the view from my spot looking back towards the center. There is a raised stage there where local musicians play. Awesome touch :)

Here you can see the owner's daughter tooling around on her little bike. She is so cute. When my hubby came by to pick me up, he brought our son. She tried to get him to play, but he was too shy. Today he told me he wants to play with her next time. Let's see if he actually remembers when the time comes.

These were taken after closing, it was never so empty when opened. Heck, on Sunday...there had to be at least 20 people that filed in the moment the doors were unlocked.

Those map pillows were my neighbors, Salt Labs. Huge hit. And deservedly so. The Detroit ones were the first to go. No surprise there :)

Those mosaics you just saw. Legos. I don't think I need to say more.

And that chair & table...concrete. Alex of Lost Arts Studio was quite busy all weekend. People were in awe. Especially after they sat in the couch to find that it was so comfy.

And the D. Gotta love the D. That one is metal, which he can work wonderfully. If you pop on over to his site you can see what I mean.

So summary: awesome venue - awesome owners - fantastic artisans - great crowd....fun weekend :) I am looking forward to going back on the 28th. Hopefully with more backpacks, Dee bags and smaller embroidery pieces.

New Job...s?

Okay - this needs to be said first....

Yup - that is the view out my window as I type this up. And yes, it is April. And yes, it was nearly 80* just the other week. Ugh. Go Michigan! Woo Hoo?

Okay, back to the original post.... I have a "real" job. Part time. And get this...it is at a fabric store!!! How sweet is that?!?!

I have worked only 3 days so far. And I feel like such a wimp - I left a 4 hour shift tired. But it is a busy job. Cashier is not just that...it includes all the greeting of customers, answering the phones, calling for assistance to the different areas of the store & some stock stuff....all at once. And there is one register - old school style. No scanning. It is up close & personal. The help on the floor is amazing. Everything is written up on a tally sheet & brought up to be entered line by line. And with the fabulous help everyone gets on the floor - no one seems to mind the extra minute or 2 to be rung up. Which is a good thing since I am still learning :)

But I did say jobS right? Plural. Well, sort of. There is a new artisan market opening up downtown in May. The Rust Belt Market. It is like Etsy live. It is a year-round market for the local artisans. And it looks like it's going to rock! I met the owners and their energy seems enough to carry it all by itself :) I have signed up for a smattering of Saturdays during the summer. It is a bit of a leap, but one worth taking. You can't make any progress without taking any steps forward. This is a big one :)

And there was even an article written up that has a bit about me in it :) You can check it out here if interested. And if you live nearby - pop on over opening weekend - May 7th.

Baby It's Cold Outside

Okay, yes, the teens are cold. But add in the wind and you get this...

...negative teens. It is kind of funny to see the heat index at 10.

Bottom line - school is out. The roads are horrid. Ice underneath the snow makes for an interesting drive...as I found out last night on the way home from the Ypsilanti Holiday sale at Riverside Arts Center. Normally it would take about 45 minutes. Last night, doubled. Cars off the side of the road...a couple dozen easy, in just a 3 mile stretch. Thankfully it looked like no one was hurt. But 30mph was about the limit.

It was a happy ride though. Why? Because the show went well. It was 2 weekends long which helped. Big thanks to Dee for setting everything up! I sold most of my small zip pouches, some larger wristlets, a large painted tote and my large giraffe hobo bag that never even got as far as my shop. That felt nice :) I think I may make more...what do you think?

I have some fun prints in this same textured fabric - almost a burlap feel, but sturdier.

Now I have to decide what to do with the rest of the bags that I am no longer going to create more of. Sale? A fun giveaway? Or as someone at the show pointed out...I should keep them as is & just point out that not only are they handmade, but only X amount of that pattern was ever even made...generally less than 10 and never the same material twice. Hmmm...

Either way, I need to buckle down and make some Xmas gifts before I do anything else shop-wise. That is one problem with this time of year...I want to make everything for everyone and make it now. Can't happen. Two hands and one brain can only work so fast. Especially when you sprinkle in the 5 year old LOL!

Zombie Penguins

How great is that?!?! I saw this artist's work a while back at a craft show I was in and had bought my oldest boy a green one. He was into penguins at the time, zombies too, never thought I'd find the two in one!

Last weekend was the Funky Ferndale Art Fest and DIY Craft Show. This time my youngest got one, in charcoal so they don't get mixed up. He is loving all things zombie right now...the cute non-scary versions of course. Doesn't this guy fit the bill.....


And then he decided to do a portrait of the yet-to-be-named penguin. I think he captured it well for a 5 year old. Not sure what is coming off the one flipper though...maybe string brains? Personally I prefer string beans, but hey, to each his own.

And hubby took off the tag before I had a chance to jot down the name of the artist...I'll get back with it once I track it down.

Flint Spring Market and Changes

IMG_1476
Originally uploaded by flint handmade

What a blast! Craft shows are even that much better when you have friends nearby. I left yesterday's shows brimming with ideas. Where to start!?!





I can say one thing...changes are a comin'! I can't guarantee they will be super noticeable to you, but they sure will to me.To start the changes...a sale...of course. Why? Because the first change is nixing most of my bags. I am working on the shop rework now :)

Backpacks shall stay.

Clutches shall stay, but will be split in two.

The current bags are going to be made with skinny strap options. The 2nd part of the split is into a more embellished line. There will be ruffles and bows and flowers and doodads galore...but a slow galore. These bags will be upped when it comes to fabric choices. More along the lines of silk and linen. Sound fun?

Messenger bags will stay, but possibly as custom order only.

They are pricey, take many hours to complete - especially when you add in the embroidery- and do not move quickly. But I love them!

Totes will be only in the form of market totes. Bye Bye painted...except custom orders.

Market totes will be made in batches.

I have a futon cover (unslept on) that will make about 10 or so. I took a poll at the show on the finish - hemmed -v- bias tape...hemmed won...by lots! Funny thing - the bias tape bag was the 1st to go at the show. Go figure!

Wristlets, handbags, larger purses...TTFN!

Zip pouches will always be around.

They are too perfect for small and odd shaped fabric remainders. I want to get better about making tiny change sized pouches to go with each bag also.

The next change is an expansion. Monsters and fun creatures will start to take over.

I am going to take my current guys and add on to the family from my sketchbook. They will be named - I will be coordinating with my oldest for this. And each will become a small keychain and small stuffie. Some may get super sized. And in all sorts of colors. I have an idea for their display too...more on that later.

The other expansion is the fabric baskets...which have not made it into the shop just yet. I want to make 3 sizes, not just the one.

There is more, but I have yet to finish the pro/con list for them, so more on that later too. Yes, this part goes back to quilts & such I always talk about but never quite get to...now I hope I will :)
Phew! That's a lot!

Flint Handmade Holiday Craft Market 2009

Holiday Craft Market 2009 106
Originally uploaded by flint handmade

Hey look...it's me :) A rare sighting indeed. I am not a fan of my picture being taken...at least this time my bags were the main characters. Thanks Crystal for taking this one :)

This past weekend was the Flint Handmade Holiday show...and from the stats I was just sent, it was quite a hit! 400+ people during the 6 hour show. And some snowflakes.

This pic also shows my newest set up by way of Ikea. My oldest helped me find some props the other weekend. It worked out pretty well, but is still now quite what I want. Of course if I would just learn not to put everything out...that'd help :P

To see more about the show, click here

Where did October go?

Really, what happened to it? I have been totally MIA when it comes to my blogs. Scratch that, I managed a couple treasury posts on Tilt Treasures (creepy, spooky and devil), a create update on Tilt's Creations and some Wordless Wednesdays. Wooppeee.
I would love to say that I have had so many orders coming in that I just could not tear myself away from the sewing machine. But alas, that was not the case. Nor was it anything exciting.
The first weekend of October I was down near Nashville visiting my brother & his family. It was my new nephew's baptism. Ok, that is kind of a vacation. A vacation from my own family & home...I went with my parents while hubby stayed back with the kids who had school & stuff. It was great going down there - it was the 1st time since they moved last year. I brought my niece a little chef's hat I made...I didn't want her to feel left out.

It was nice to be home again though. Except being sick. Yes, I spent those first 2 weeks of the month under the weather. Nothing major, but enough to not want to do anything.
I did manage to make and list some new backpacks and handbags. I also have 3 out of 4 new purses finished. It has been so long since I've blogged I am not sure if I have showed off my newest batch of clutches either (in both my Artfire and Etsy shops).

I also went to the Bang to a Different Beat Fashion Show for breast cancer awareness in Flint one weekend. The models were sporting some really cool hairstyles by Summerset Salon. Crystal from Flint Handmade took some pics of my & my mom at my table & one of my fave hairdos...

I am hoping to get back into my normal blogging groove next week - or sooner. I have one more day to get my Etsyblogger of the month post up. I have been doing this at the end of the month anyway, so I don't feel too far behind there.

I aRt Festival July 25th & 26th

This is where I am going to be next weekend. It will be my first two day show. Plus, it will be the first time I am gone for a week and only home for one day before a show. Hmmm....that may also be a last - we'll see.

I am hoping to get 8 more bags done...4 of two different styles. I want to have fewer styles on display, but with at least 4 versions of each. I will also have a clearance table - but I may not break that out right away - not sure yet.

Anyway - wish me luck. From here on out (for the next week or so anyway) my posting will be few and scheduled. Hope to see you when I return - with a post about the show I hope...or if I am too tired, a quick run down until a real post is doable.

Flint City Handmade Holiday Show

Last Saturday I had my second non-home show in Flint set up by Flint City Handmade. I am going to split up my post about it because it got too long.

First: My display (primarily my trials with it at home).
Second: the other vendors around me (and some further away that I loved).
Third, and lastly: how it went and what I took from the experience.

The display I had at the home shows were a little different since they were, well, in someone’s house. One of the shows gave me the whole family room. I was able to utilize the bench by the front entrance for my extra large totes and the coat rack was a perfect spot for my large purses.

But this show, like the last, was much more limited on space. I spent the week shopping around for display ideas. I bought about 3 times as much as I needed just so I could try out lots of different displays. I decided to stick with the black metal mesh can (upside down) for the keyrings (hung with ornament hooks). I took all the little tags off for the show so it didn't look too messy and just put up a small sign with the price.

I had a black metal cake pedestal plate for the zip pouches. The space underneath was nice for the smaller handpainted simple clutches.

I had to buy a table (needed one anyway), so I got the nice plastic fold in half 6 footer…on sale for $40 at Target, plus I had a coupon (everywhere else I saw it was around $70). The cardboard end caps were perfect for a “back wall”… I simply wrapped them in snowflake wrapping paper.

The end trellis (which was my mom’s) held my blue bags and the garment rack held the Rachelle & Theresa purses.


My XL totes didn’t fit anywhere, so I put one of the transport boxes under the rack to set them on.

The pics here don’t have the table covering, but I did have one, a simple brown flannel flat sheet. I love brown with blue (the snowflake wrapping paper), plus, we need flannel sheets.

The only pic I have of the display at the show is from Flint City Handmade. I was so smart that day that I brought the wrong size batteries for my camera. note: the building is an empty one - totally large open space with the plaster revealing the brick underneath.

All in all, I am happy with the display…for now. I do want to find a nice cohesive way to set up. With all my bags being OOAK, it can look like a jumble because they all look different than the next. Even those of the same style are different fabrics & colors. Any suggestions are more than welcome.

Vacation Mode - HA!

I am "on vacation" at etsy.

I had my first home show last night (don't ask about sales, I may cry...nothing beats jewelry - Slipada 5, Tilt 0.) and the Huntington Woods Womens Leagueshop for a cause progressive home show tomorrow. I hope to have better luck there.

I am starting to feel that I may to rethink things. I don't want to slash $$ just because the ecomony is in the gutter...I spent too much time and effort to just give it away. Perhaps just add less expensive items in addition to my main purses, maybe? Belts, hats, scarves? I don't want to make things just because they will sell. But I have no problem taking the time to find things I enjoy making that also happen to sell. Trends were never my top priority. And I am not much of a salesperson - I am not a very competitive person. But I do need to find a way to sell online. Magazine quality pics may be part of the answer.

Now, my photo skills leave a lot to be desired. And I realize that pictures are what sells. So the more I can get them to look like they came for a magazine, the better. The best sellers on etsy all look like they were professionally shot (and many are). But I am not selling photography, so I need to make do. After pics, comes price.

My mom thinks the pricing may be too high, but I have crunched the numbers and compared them to similar items on etsy and elsewhere, they are very mid-range. I know, and she nows, that she is not exactly one to ask for pricing critiques. She would say she is cheap, I would say she just never felt the need to spend anything on herself. She's pretty darn unselfish - and I love that about her. She can't see why people would spend $30-60 on a purse. I had pointed out to her that nearly every woman that walked in to that party had a bag that was well over $100...but it was a ritzy area and most of the bags were leather or had some name brand plastered all over the bag. I did receive compliments on the bags and some were interested in them, but after the holidays when they buy stuff for themselves.

One area I need to make more prominent in my displays: "HANDMADE". The women seemed suprised when they realized my bags are all handmade. It was posted on the invites, but they may not have read that part. They thought that the large variety were just samples of each style, not OOAKs. So today I am making some signs to put up by my business cards that cleary state "Handmade".

I am hoping that a venue where handmade items are the norm will be better for me. I am hoping to get more lower priced items made in time for next Thursday's Ladies Night Out in Bad Axe, which is going to be all handmade. And then there is the December 6th Flint City Handmade show. And if I get my apps turned in by the deadline & the shows are not full: Affirmations & Ferndale Recreation Holiday Showplace Arts & Crafts Show November 22nd
and December 13th Fieldhouse Craft Show in Swartz Creek.