Low down on Thomas St. craft sale

Well sad to say, it was a light on customers. Most were other vendors or relatives of. Could be recessionary times causing people to cling to their nickels. I sold 3 items totalling $43 - didn't make my booth space fee back. Sold more at Craftstock.

Calibre of craftsmanship was pretty good. Communication with the show organizer was great - she was helpful and friendly and quick to answer queries.

Event was billed as having student help. The students were a bit wanting in initiative. Much more help received from students at Craftstock.

It seemed to be more of a cross between a middle school business lesson and a craft sale. A table of young gals next to us were selling cupcakes etc. I felt the same amount of revulsion I have in the recent past at my kids' middle school craft shows when i saw the kids here licking the spoons after refilling the tart shells.

Some instruction on courteous vendor behaviour would seem to be in order. A couple of kids were commenting of one of my hats declaring it to be $5 less than Boathouse. Then she up and drags her friend over, who had some of her own amurigami toys at another table, they then proceeded to lift up my hat in front of my table and take a picture of it so her friend could make one like it for her.

Another class act duo - one liked a pair of Gryffindor mitts, asked the price, when told $20 - her mom said, right in front of me, just buy the yarn and i'll make it for you.

You'll find bad manners everywhere, of course. Lots of people put down my merch like hot potatoes when told the pieces were in the $20 - 25 range. Let's see - for a 2 colour burgundy and gold item, you need 2 balls of yarn, which since you can't just buy off coloured remainders, go for $8.99 full retail a ball. That's $18. plus tax even before you make it. I don't have a problem with diy, but no one's time is worth 50 cents an hour.

I would say another event where people expect toilet paper poodles at bargain basement prices. I didn't really learn a lot about what people were interested in.

Attention Christmas shoppers - WHEN YOU GO TO AN ARTS & CRAFTS SHOW, WHERE ITEMS ARE NOT BEING MASS PRODUCED AT SLAVE WAGES FOR HUGE MULTINATIONAL CONGLOMERATES WITH HUGE PURCHASING POWER, DON'T WRINKLE YOUR NOSE AND EXPECT CUT RATES. RESPECT THE ARTIST AND ARTISAN, AND KEEP YOUR NEGATIVE COMMENTS TO YOURSELF UNTIL AT LEAST OUT OF EARSHOT OF THE VENDOR. AND DON'T TAKE PICS OF OTHER PEOPLE'S WARES - IT'S A HAIR'S BREADTH AWAY FROM STEALING.

That is all.

Well, have one craft sale under my belt; 1 more upcoming this weekend. Impressions of Craftstock - i liked how the teens at the school helped a lot with unloading cars, etc. This sale is fairly new, and i felt patrons were looking for more of a toilet roll poodle type of craft sale; def not the arts side.

Had the pleasure of being booth neighbour to Tommy Cudmore, a glass blower. Ended up leaving with one of Tommy's fab glass penguins - he wanted a sweater for it, since his gran doesn't make them any more. Tommy said he'd been to some kind of craft sale at the Better Living Centre last yr and had sold all but 5 pieces. That did not happen here.

I think there's lots of potential for this sale. It will take a couple more yrs and an attitude adjustment in promotional material to get patrons to be prepared for the 'arts' dimension of arts and crafts.

Next week - report on Thomas Street Middle School craft sale, Mississauga.

Whoa - sorry friends. Tis a long time since i've checked in. Well, Aug was pretty much dominated by the youth mission trip to Winnipeg, MB. Life changing, like man. Other than posting via Twitter during the trip, updating our Picasa web album, etc., I haven't really written my own account. Got the kids all to write something. Trying not to sound like the wise old woman of the mountain.

Sept was reeling from reentry. Few back home snafus, back to school, or not, and B's birthday.

Happily much knitting has been done. Still tripped out on MB quality earflap hats. In keeping with my HP tangent, picked up 6 skeins in total of burg and yellow alpaca on sale at fave lys.

All will be well, all manner of thing shall be well....

Have signed on for 2 craft sales in Nov. First try at this. Craftstock in Oakville Nov. 13, then Thomas St. Middle School Nov. 20. Always good to see what is resonatin with the folks out there.

Well, getting late. Signing off for now...

Channelling the beach

Must be summer - everything i want to make has to do with the beach. Finally worked up the starfish hat i've wanted to try for literally decades. It's pretty hard - takes way more of a math mind than comes naturally to me. The starfish purse works up easily - thinking a necklace string of starfish... I posted a beach toned cotton newsboy cap, perfect for the beach. This year's beach dress is blue gingham, might add a waist ruffle on next instalment.

Continue to work up baby sets, now that i have a formula i like for a gift basket - the crochet flannel strips on box board base. For more detail on basket, see my ravelry project under Uncoolmomo4. I really think twice when i see a jello or kd package in the blu ae box....

Gave away a really cute Debbie Bliss bear to one of my kid's teachers as a new baby gift - before i took a picture, arrrggghh. The teach did love it tho. Body parts of 2 more of these bears currently coming on.

Still questing for perfect knit/crochet baby dress. Want to be able to use up various complementary cotton. Thinking crochet skirt, knit knot tie top. Kind of hooked on embroidered lazy daisies.

Well, enough journaling. Time to finish those bears!

The book is done!

Finally finished handbinding the pages of our poetry book fundraising project. The kids' artwork totally makes it.

It's a good sign I think when you remove yourself from a project for a few days, then coming back to it later, you feel in the main that it's good. That's how I feel about the book right now. The feeling gives me quite a bit of relief.

I built a webpage with lots of detail on the book, including link to Picasa album of sample pages: find it here. The book can be purchased thru my Etsy site, or via PayPal off the website.

Little writing assignment to finish this aft, then am almost looking forward to working out how to market the book, send out sample pages for review, etc. I think it will be popular and useful to its target markets.

Wish me luck!

In knitting news - finished my boy and girl easter hats. Benny seems satisfied with the results, a good sign. Next up - want to make the Benjamin bunny tam o'shanter from the new/old B. Potter knit patterns book i picked up. So many amazing items in there. B loves them - my tried and true starting point.

What to do knext....

Tie up loose ends morning. Find myself booking flights for the youth group trip to Winnipeg this summer - guess it's really happening! Wasn't going to fly - but numerous unforeseen sources have approached saying they have a donation to the trip. Book and chili fundraiser to come, along with couple of knitting tables, and we just might have enough.

Rest of the day - personal hygiene - don't you hate wasting time on that rather than creating something. Sort book pages, guitar prac. Pick up Jellybean in the bike. He has big plans for Snowbank town - glorious that it's so springy out we can plan that.

Knext knit project - i'm thinking Easter bonnet....

Thinking spring

Pretty much 18 more days til spring...finish st. paddy's hat...gloves for self : 0 Must find that notebook again for my spring list....

Time to switch gears to the writing yarns of GoodYarns. Illustration done for Manitoba trip fundraiser. So need to org pages, draft TOC and hand off to Karim...want ready for 2 wks before Easter... looking good that way.

Gang going to Sauble for Nana's bd. Gives me some elbow room for scanning in Jenny's book pages. Finally found good cheap OCR program - VelOCiraptor - whew!!!! Then further progress on that labour of love.

Smells like spring outside... the thought of biking down to the PO tomoro gave me a real shot in the arm tonite.

Thank the Lord and retire the snow shovel on a mercifully short winter!

What's on the slate for the new year

Well, hubby and i were down for the count thru the holidays, so didn't visit the st. marys branch, and hamper could wait. (phew).

Cold snap continues so all were scrambling for the bulky winter wear I've made them over the past few years, and were right thankful of it.

Holiday review - I ended up selling off most of Christmas inventory at craft sales. At fraction of cost of materials. Oh well, a give back of sorts, and $100 toward toward the WICM trip. More room in my box for spring stuff. Would like to post adult thrummed mitts, but not quite as trans seasonal as fingerless mitts. Was going to stash the candy cane yarn i didn't get around to but - stroke of genius - i owe a friend a dog sweater for her Boston. If i do it in red and white, with maybe a maple leaf on back in place of pocket - voila, Team Canada Olympic Sweater!

I made up a huge long list of long term and short term projects. Hope I don't lose the notebook again!

In the writing dept - pdf test for Jenny's book pages, select entries for youth poetry book/ fundraiser.

Maybe Weds. Right now - guitar prac. Looks like we're still on for subbing for John at NPC on Sunday.

All grist for the mill....