Lucky Find Designs

Silverado Country Fair

2009-10-05T15:01:00.001-07:00

I found out about a country fair a few months ago from my next door neighbor Nick who has his own business selling different flavored teas and beautiful tea pots. It's set back in the Santa Ana Hills/Canyons in a town called Silverado and evidently this was their 39th year having the event. When I decided to sell at the event I didn't know exactly what I was getting myself into, but upon arrival it soon became clear that Marie and I were in for a weekend of down home fun.

The people that attended the Silverado Country Fair were mainly locals or people from near by towns in the canyon. To say they were welcoming would be an understatement. Everyone was so happy, accepting and cheerful all weekend long it felt like we had escaped to a different land.

The event raises money for the community and the organizers, volunteers from the Community Center, went out of their way to give everything a country feel. There was a blacksmith making things on site, a pretend jail where you could have your friend "arrested" for $6 and a picture with their warrant printed out, rock stacking, a stage where local bands/musicians played bluegrass, western and country music, and various food eating contests were some of the highlights for us.

Here's some pictures from our weekend and I will definitely be going back next year!

My booth

A closer view of my new sign and plates

The corn and scarecrow in front of my booth were
VERY popular with the carnival goers

Saturday morning Marie notice a hummingbird who stopped by
and tried to "feed" off my fake flowers and bright colors.
Can you see him?

Rock stacking. The more you stack the more points you get.
The size and shape of each rock determines how many points it's worth.

Country Legend Rusty Richards
stopped by to preform Saturday morning

Saturday's Watermelon Eating Contest (she was 2nd)

Watermelon Eating Contest (she was 3rd)

Watermelon winners! The girl in blue won!

The blacksmith hard at work

One of his fantastic pieces

Sunday's Pie Eating Contest

This little girl was ADORABLE! She was sitting on her
Dad's lap and they were eating the pie together.

The guy on the top left ended up being the winner.

Through out the 2 days there was a raffle.
This is Wendy; she won the apron I donated.

Like I said, Marie and I had a great time at this country fair. If you are ever in the area, we definitely recommend a drive through the beautiful Santa Ana Hills/Canyons.

Team Tough Titties

2009-09-28T13:28:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was the Susan G. Koman Race for the Cure in Orange County. My friends over at www.DiNGLIFE.com put together a team called Team Tough Titties and threw a fundraising ball Friday night for it. While I wasn't able to attend the race, I did attend the ball and supplied one of my cherry purses for auction. If you aren't familiar with the Susan G. Koman Foundation I highly suggest you check them out. Last year they raised over $3million for breast cancer research and support. 75% of the money either went to research or people fighting the battling.

Here are some pictures of my friends and I getting ready for the First Annual Tough Titties Ball. Silly me forgot my camera at home so I don't have pictures from while we were at the ball. We danced the night away and had a great time supporting such an amazing cause.

Bri and Jessica

Sue and myself

All of us...so fancy!

One of the reasons this event was so important for the 4 of us to attend is because Jessica's Mom is a breast cancer survivor. She was diagnosed in Oct. 2007 and has been done with treatment for a year and a half! While I have never met this women (she lives in Delaware), Jessica speaks very fondly of her and I can tell she is an amazing Mom, friend and an all around great human being. We truly are lucky that Susan Pelillo-Smith is still around to fill us all with laughter.

Jessica and her Mom (Susan)

Ode To The Weird

2009-09-25T10:35:00.000-07:00

There are some creative people on Etsy, there's no denying it. But what about the creative people with a sense of humor? These people are probably some of my favorites! I've been perusing Etsy for the past few days trying to find the Best of the Best and these are some of the items that make me laugh so hard I think my sides might split open.

Doody Pops believe it or not, these are actually TREATS for your dog!
They are made with fresh meat and other simple ingredients that dogs go nuts for.

A Breath Of French Air creates these mervelous soaps...that's right, these teeth are actually made of SOAP! Even though they are peppermint "flavored" don't eat try eating a delicious treat with them unless you want a mouth full of bubbles!

These parking notes from Wry and Ginger are absolutely hilarious and were a big hit with my friends when included with their gifts this year. They are PERFECT to leave on the widshield of the driver that decides they are important enough to take two parking spots.

There's a ton more great stuff on Etsy so head on over there and take a look...go on, what are you waiting for?!

The Last Weekend of Summer

2009-09-15T21:11:00.000-07:00

The last weekend of summer, AKA Labor Day, arrived just over a week ago. I celebrated it in a way that my family has for a little over 20 years; a trip to my Grandma's house in Pismo Beach. If you remember my last blog I talked about how my Grandma passed away this year on July 20th. This was the first Holiday weekend we have been up there that she hasn't and to say it was difficult would be an understatement. Luckily, we brought my best friend Sue and her daughter Izabella with us and they really helped "lighten the load".

It was the first time either of them had been to the area so we decided to start off the Saturday of our trip with one of our favorite places to have lunch, The Apple Farm in San Louis Obispo. If you have never been to The Apple Farm it's an adorable shabby sheik hotel and restaurant nestled a little of Highway 101. The Apple Farm also features an old millhouse that is a replica of one from the turn of the century. When my brother and I were younger you could watch them make apple juice and ice cream here. Unfortunately when we visited this weekend the mill was broken and so was the ice cream maker. None the less we still had a great time sampling (and buying) the apple juice they make. It's 100% apple with no added sugar or preservatives and probably the best apple juice ever. Here's a couple shots from our visit:

Where would you like to go?

Stopping to smell the flowers

Sue and Izabella waiting for lunch

Izabella and Nanny Sue

The Old Millhouse

Behind the millhouse there is a quiet little waterfall and the perfect place for a photo opportunity

Sue and Izabella

Izabella and Me

Watching the waterfall

Sunday we took Izabella to the beach for the first time. What a trip that was!! The water in Pismo is MUCH colder than it is down here in Orange County and felt like ice water. However, she LOVED it and we had a good time running in and out of the waves and playing in the sand. Those pictures are on Sue's camera but hopefully I will have them soon to post in another blog :).

After the beach we headed back to the house to give Izabella a nice warm bath. There is a rather large bath tub at my Grandma's that I have many fond memories of soaking in for hours at a time as a child. Naturally when Izabella saw it she was impressed with it's size and turned to me and in her almost 3 sweet and innocent voice said, "Auntie, you take a baff wiff me?" What was I supposed to do? Say no? What kind of Best Auntie Ever would I be? So, I (kind or reluctantly) said yes and bathing suit and all climbed into the bath tub with her and we had a great time playing, washing and laughing.

Armpits! Armpits! Armpits!

I hope all of you out there had a fun "last weekend of summer" and an all around GREAT summer!

Once Again...

2009-08-21T11:01:00.001-07:00

It's been a while. I apologize for my absence. Life got crazy there for a few months with everything from shows to loved one's passing away. Well, I'm back! And I promise, I'm really really going to try to keep updating this more often...hopefully I can make good on that!

I hit a rather large milestone this month...100 sales in my Etsy shop! I'm so excited! Bike basket liners have been keeping me VERY busy this year...the request for custom orders has been very fun and it's great to see how unique each person truly is. One of the most popular pre-made liners is the "Fiesta Skull". He's so fun and bright I can see why he's well liked.

This summer also included a few trips to the Orange County Fair...something that has been a favorite of mine for many, many years. This year I decided to try more of the fried treats than I have in the past. I wasn't a big fan of the friend Reese's or avocados. But, the fried pizza bits and s'mores have become a favorite and I can't wait for them to come back next year! I was so busy taking in all the sites, smells, sounds and food that I forgot to use my camera a lot but here's some shots from when I did remember.

Izabella in foam Pork and Beans

Have you seen my pig?

Sue, Strawberry Shortcake and Izabella

Izabella and Auntie (Me)

I hope you are all having a great summer and enjoying what's left of it!

A Day at the Zoo

2009-02-28T20:23:00.000-08:00

Today, while Sue was at school, my Mom (Nanny Sue) and I took Izabella to the Santa Ana Zoo. If you aren't familiar with this zoo, it's a little one that houses mainly monkeys and birds. The elephant was available to ride but Izabella didn't want to, "Him too big Auntie". Here's a racap of our fun.

This bird was so bright, and so orange. His wings were beautiful when he spread them.

The Emu was sleeping. Who knew them slept with their legs stretched out behind them?

Izabella gave him "thumps up"

This guy was swinging ALL over the place. She thought he wasn't the funniest thing since Elmo.

Then, we were off to see the elephant. We waited...

And waited...

And waited...

FINALLY it was time to see the elephant!

Then we went to play on the slides. While we were playing Nanny Sue decided to put Izabella's sunglasses on...silly Nanny Sue!

While we were by a bird exhibit there was a really intricate sculpture carved out of wood.

Sometimes I like taking pictures of flowers more than anything else.

Handmade District benefiting Music Saves Lives March 14th!

2009-02-24T12:03:00.000-08:00

That's right! The next Handmade District event will be held on March 14th and it will benefit Music Saves Lives!! So come on out and support some local crafters (and a great cause) for a day of fun.

Vendors include: Abyssal gems, AJz Delights, AM-PM Creations, Annie Rexic, Artwistic Creations, By Belinda, Chantal deFelice, Cherry Tree Lane, Clippity Do Dah, Delightful Trinkets, Designs By Steppies, Double-Sided Tape, Forest Nymphs, Funkie Fresh, Handamade, Hearts and Laserbeams, Honey Child Designs, Jam Baby, Jane Clothing, Jewelera, KD Kreations, Kelso Doesn't Dance, Kristen Craft, LT Creations, Lucky Find Designs, Melissa Hill, Mini Maniacs, My Friend Roze, Namaste Designs, Nancy's Threads, Natural Lathers, Nina Gibson Deisgns, OCHSA, Roscata, South Wind Design, Spun By Ver, Tangent Designs, Twinkle Berry, Voz Clothing and Art, WhatAKaracter, Wolves and Willows, Yolandas Clay

See you there!

What to Bring to a Craft Show / Fair

2009-01-26T15:41:00.000-08:00

The craft show season will be here again before we know it. I always see people asking what they should bring to a craft show. I have searched high a low and came up with a HUGE list(sorted alphabetically) of the most common items mentioned.

Some of these ideas are location specific so feel free to take out what you don't need. I usually go over my list the day before and set everything in one spot by the door. I also have a small box that I have put all my "tools"/small things in so they can be located easily.

Happy selling!

- 2-3 projects to work on during slow periods
- Allergy Medicine
- Baby Wipes / Wet Ones
- Bags for purchases (I reuse grocery shopping bags for mine and have never had a complaint)
- Banner or sign
- Binder clips
- Book/Magazine (for the slow times)
- Bug Spray
- Bungee Cord
- Business Cards/Promos to give away
- Calculator
- Camera (who knows who you may see at your show, plus you can upload them to the craft fair groups in flickr)
- Cash box/Apron with change (Don't forget 1's, 5's and maybe even a few 20' I usually bring $50-$60 total)
- Cell Phone
- Chairs
- Clothesline
- Clothespins
- Cooler with lots of water and easy-to-sneak snacks (some shows don’t provide food or water)
- Credit Card Imprinter
- Deoderant
- Displays (baskets, stationery racks, card spinner, coat rack/purse display)
- Duct tape
- Extension cords
- Extension plugs
- Feminine hygiene products
- Gridwall / hooks / shelves
- Gum/Mints
- Hairbrush and ponytail holders (especially if you are outdoors and it might get windy)
- Hand Sanitizer
- Hangers
- Inventory (Don't forget to bring all of the fantastic items you have made!)
- Jacket/Sweater (if weather may call for it)
- Lighting (if inside)
- Lip balm/ Chapstick
- Lotion
- Mailing list sign-ups (great to offer a raffle prize to entice people to give up their information)
- Makeup for touch-ups
- Mannequins / Dress Form
- Markers
- Mirror (for customers and yourself to use)
- Nail clipper, for loose threads on clothing or in case you break/rip a nail.
- Needle and Thread
- Paper (in case extra signs are needed)
- Paper towels/Napkins
- Pens (I usually bring a couple, I always seem to lose at least one)
- Photo Album (for examples of sold pieces)
- Poles for improvising clothing racks between gridwall
- Price tags or cards (don't forget to make signs/price things before hand, a lot of people are too scared to ask)
- Receipts - the carbon copy type so you can keep one and give one to the customer
- Scissors
- Scotch tape
- Seasonal décor
- Sign saying you accept credit cards
- Small Toolbox (hammer, screwdriver, nails, screws, wrench)
- Small trash can (or something to keep trash in)
- Someone to help you (you never know how busy/slow you will be. They can help you keep an eye on customers and pass the time)
- Stapler
- Sticky lint roller
- String
- Sunglasses
- Sunscreen
- Supplies and tools for custom orders/resizing items
- Tablecloths
- Tables
- Tax information / Business license
- Tent / Tent Walls / Stakes / Hammer / Weights for the legs (if outdoors)
- Tissue or newspaper to wrap your items in if they are fragile
- Tissues
- Tylenol/Advil/Ibuprofen

Also, if you need to set up for an account to process credit cards click this link. It will take you to Propay (which seems to be the most widely used service) and there is a discount! http://www.propay.com/?refid=ETSYOLCM

Special thanks to http://www.joyfulabode.com, http://ycmt.wordpress.com, http://beading.consumerhelpweb.com/, http://omglia.blogspot.com for helping me with this list.

A Day of Fun

2009-01-20T10:01:00.000-08:00

It was my boyfriend's birthday about 1 week ago. He hates birthday's and didn't want to do anything on his birthday so I planned a "day together day" a few days before. We both took the day off from life to hang out and had fun together.

He loves the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach so we went there to look at the fishies and feed the birds.

After seeing the movie Seven Pounds we have both decided it would be really cool to have a jellyfish for a pet, although we never will.

We also came across this guy. I know he's some sort of ray, but for the life of me I can't remember what kind. He was HUGE though! I wanted to sit on his back and go for a ride but Chris said I couldn't :(. Hehehe

Next if was off to feed the birds. These guys were nuts! One of the sneak attacked me from the back and landed on my shoulder. Another landed on Chris, pooped on him and the proceeded to use it's beak to climb around on Chris' shirt collar. There was another one that drank most of the nector we bought and after each drink would wipe his tongue off on Chris' thumb.

This octopus tried to eat me through the glass. I thought I was a goner for sure! At the last second Chris saved me and pulled me away to safety. My hero!

Then we found this guy. Most of you don't know, but I LOVE turtles. We had a desert tourtise named Lightening when I was little. He is my favorite pet that we've ever had. Anyhow, I tried to keep this guy too. I think he would go nicely with the jellyfish and the ray. Once again I was told, "No". He never let's me have any fun I swear! hahaha

After the aquarium we decided to walk around and see what else was in the area. Did you know that Long Beach has a pier? Either did we! Granted, it wasn't like the one in Huntington Beach or Santa Monica, but still. There were pirates (tour guides dressed like pirates) out on the pier teaching each other how to tie knots and throw ropes properly. We stopped and watched for a bit and continued on our walk to explore other near buy businesses. Unfortunately I didn't take anymore pictures.

After our walk we decided to head back to avoid some traffic. All in all it was a fantastic day and I'm glad we were able to spend the day together. We both had a great time and were able to take much needed break.

What a crazy life!

2009-01-19T12:18:00.000-08:00

It's been a few weeks since I've updated my blog...OK, almost a month. Life has been crazy, but fun, lately. Each week seems to get better and better lately.

I'm organizing another Handmade District event on March 14th in Tustin. If you are a crafter and would like more information, please check out www.HandmadeDistrict.com. We'd love to have you join us!

As always, I've been searching for future gift ideas on Etsy. Why is it always easier to find something I like? Anyhow, check out the great stuff I've found!

This card is for my Mom. It's from NeatThings and has to be one of the funniest cards I've ever seen! Make sure you check out both pictures and read what the inside says. Even though I do have a point of reference (my Step-mom) it'll still be great to give her!

I also found this totally perfect seller's apron from RedPaperRecord. I believe it will be my next purchase as soon as I have some extra cash. I can't wait to wear it!

What else?....Oh! This dress made out of ties from Glamarita is ABSOLUTELY crazy and I wish I had the body to wear it!

These Valentine's Day card will be absolutely PERFECT to give my friends! They're from JeanFrancisBean and I need to remember to hurry up and order them before it's to late!

Then, there's this awesome hand painted vintage purse from VozClothingAndArt. I love the way the umbrellas look like they are blowing away and the rain drops are "sliding" down the purse.

What are some of the fun things you've found lately? I'd love to see them!

Look where I showed up in Google today!

2008-12-24T14:10:00.000-08:00

I added my store to Google Base a couple of weeks ago. Today I went to search for bike basket liners and look where I showed up!! I'm SO excited!!!!

(If you click on the picture it will get bigger)

The Gift of Giving

2008-12-19T14:09:00.000-08:00

Less than 1 week 'til Christmas and I've been a busy little bee! This holiday season I tried to buy as many handmade gifts as possible. Also, when people asked me what I wanted I gave them links to things on Etsy. We'll see how well that works out :).

One of the reasons I really like buying handmade is because you know that purchase really matters to the person you are buying it from and it could actually keep them eating for another day.

Here are some of the goodies I bought for friends this year. I wish I had bought more handmade gifts, but some people are just incredibly hard to shop for!

This first little necklace is for my friend Linda. It's one of a kind (which makes it even better in my book!) and made by Envisage. I've already given it to her and she absolutely loved it!

Next on the list is my brother, David. He's one of those guys that loves all things manly...fishing, hunting, off-roading and so on. You are probably thinking to yourself, "What the heck do you get someone like that and still have it be handmade?" Well, dear reader, you get him soap made from beer, of course! David will be getting soaps made from PBR, Guiness, Newcastle and Sam Adams. They are all from Dennis Anderson and I have a feeling he's going to laugh his ass off when he opens his gift.

Last on the list is my friend Michelle. Michelle is one of those girls that's "a dude's dude". She loves riding her fixed gear bike, kid robot, listening to any music she can get her hands on and the majority of the year she lives in a van full of guys. What do you get someone like this? You get them a zipper pouch that's made from recycled bike tire innertubes that also has a sweet print to it, naturally. This pouch is made by Urchin Bags and is sick as, well, (insert obsene adjective here). I was so excited when I found this I couldn't wait to order it!

What are some of the handmade gifts you are giving this year?

Carried Away: Promote A Sister!

2008-11-13T12:18:00.000-08:00

Today is "Promote A Sister Day" in the Carried Away: Bag Makers of Etsy Team that I belong to. I have chosen Sew Artsy to be my sister :). SewArtsy's real name is Amy. She just had a baby girl and I can't wait to see pictures!

Anyhow, here are some of the amazing items you will find her her shop. I highly recommend that you scoot on over there and check it out.

Twice in one week! Say it isn't so!

2008-11-12T14:38:00.000-08:00

But it is!!

I'm starting to get into the Holiday spirit and looking for presents to buy the people in my life. I'm trying to keep all gifts handmade. This will get tricky for me because I like to see and touch something before I buy it. I've already got some great ideas for my brother and the family gift exchange.

For my brother, I think I'm going to get him a set of the beer soaps that Dennis Anderson makes. My brother is a pretty big beer drinker so I think this will be perfect for him. Click here to see what I'm talking about.

For the family gift exchange, I'm almost positive I'm going to get this handmade candy/jelly bean dispenser from Stump Pond Toy. The family is pretty big on sweets so I think it will be big hit. Click here to see what I'm talking about.

Other than that, I have no idea what I'm getting anyone yet. I need to do some more looking around first.

On a different note, I joined Twitter today. If you are on there, let's follow each other! Find me at Twitter.com/LuckyFindDesign.

Don't forget! I have a sale starting on Sunday! Visit LuckyFindDesigns.com on Sunday for more information!

Green and Brown and Green and Brown

2008-11-06T22:49:00.000-08:00

I've been OBSESSED with greens and browns the past few months. Since about August, actually. I'm working on redoing my bedroom/creating space and found the raddest "rack" to hang my keys, purse and other things from that is in the same green and brown theme.

It comes from Shauniel and is the absolute PERFECT color match. The packaging was phenomenal. Shredded paper, a cloth sack, bubble wrap, a set of 3 matching magnets and a thank you card. I could go on and on :).

Over the past weekend I found out that our local Linen's & Things was closing so I headed over to see if there was anything that matched. And there was! I found a great green and brown stripped shower curtain (yes, shower curtain) that is made out of a cotton fabric and decided to use it as a window curtain. There was only 1 left, so to get the curtain look I was going for I cut it up the middle and stitched up the raw edges. I also bought some chocolate brown satin ribbon and attached it so the curtains can be held back when I want. I also bought some shower curtain hooks that have white ceramic flowers on one end. They look perfect against the curtain and add the perfect touch of "girl".

In the world of Lucky Find Designs, things have been pretty steady. I haven't felt like sewing much the past few weeks so I've been working on getting more products photographed and up online. I've also been doing more marketing and getting ready for the holiday season. My 1 year "etsyversary" is coming up in a few weeks and I'm going to have a sale for it so make sure you check back for more details on that. Oh and don't forget to check in now to see all of the new things I've posted lately. www.LuckyFindDesigns.com

Until then, thanks for stopping in. I hope you have a great day!

I'm really bad at this...

2008-10-29T13:40:00.000-07:00

So I've decided I'm really bad at this whole blogging thing. I would like to be good at it and post more often, but it seems like there just isn't enough time in the day to do everything I want.

What's been going on lately? Well.....

www.LuckyFindDesigns.com is now up and running! YAY! Make sure you stop by and check it out.

I've been selling at a lot of craft shows and derby bouts. I've met some great fellow Etsian's and other people.

I've been putting new things up in my shop a lot lately (finally!) and posting them in Flickr. Speaking of Flickr, it really does work for marketing purposes! Rachel over at Cupcakes Take the Cake found my cupcake purses on Flickr and bought one! AND! She posted about them in her blog which means I sold a bunch more! Two even went to Norway! I'm so excited! I don't think I will ever be able to thank Rachel enough for this. By the way, Rachel, if you ever read this THANK YOU!!!! (again :) ).

I think that's all for me this time. I've got tons to do to get ready for the Holiday Season (AHH!!!) By the way, make sure you stop by my shop Nov. 16-22nd for a special suprise. It will be my 1 year aniversary on Etsy and selling things I make!

As promised...pictures from the Glass House Swap Meet

2008-09-24T10:32:00.000-07:00

In the blog I posted yesterday I said I would post pictures from the Glass House Swap Meet this past weekend. There were about 50 vendors total, 25 of which were handmade.

The list of vendors was as follows: Kid Robot, Obey, Paul Frank, To Die For, MUNKY KING, Japan LA, Dim Mak Collection, Alphacult, Hooligan Skate, Kung Fu Records, London Calling, The Militia Group, Rockett, Soulful Commandoe, Viper Black Clothing, SP Radio 1, Trey Q, Anenberg, The Meltdown Toy Store, Poseur Ink, Krypta Kustoms, Artillary Clothing, Notion Clothing, Loud and Obnoxious, The Illionaires, Gallery Onelove Deluxe!, Abyssal Gems, Amanda K. Lockrow Jewelry, Annie Rexic, Armas, Cutthroat Designs, Every Little Counts, Freshly Baked, Jane Clothing, LA Art Glass, Lean Dog Pottery, Lucky Find Designs, MJPartetc, My Friend Roze, New Socks, Ones and Zeros Fashions, Skull Flower, Spitting Image, Spun By Ver, Susuten, Voz Clothing, Windchime, Zombie Factory

There were about 2,000 people that showed up! Most of them were there for the Kid Robot stuff, but most of them did stick around and check out all of the other vendors too. It was a lot of fun to put this together and I can't wait until March for the next one!

On a completely separate topic, a couple of friends and I went on a bike
ride on Sunday from the HB Pier to The Queen Mary (just about). We couldn't have asked for a better day to go. I have never rode that far North on PCH in the past. Along the way, we found the Long Beach dog park and they had this hilarious crossing sign painted on the ground. It pretty much represents how I feel when I take our dog, Baxter, on a walk so I couldn't help but stop and take a picture. Maybe all of us will get our dogs together soon and take them for a walk on the beach. I wonder how Baxter would do?

Wow! It's been a while! / How to Run A Craft Show

2008-09-23T21:43:00.000-07:00

It's been a few months to be exact. So what have I been up to? Lots of crafting, selling at lots of different events and lots on working my real job. I've even started running my own events! The first one took place last weekend at the Glass House in Pomona. More information will come on that tomorrow, I need to get the pics off my camera. The reason for my post tonight is because people have started asking me, "How do you run a craft show?" so I thought I would put some information online for people to access.

Please note that this is how I do it, it doesn't mean it's the right way, it's just the way that works for me. Also, notice that the title DOESN'T say "How to Run a SUCCESSFUL Craft Show". The success your show has will result in how much you put into it.

I recommend trying to run a few really small one's first (that's what I did) before you run a really big one. Try getting a couple (maybe 5) local people together at one person's house and have each person set up a table in the front/back yard. We had a meeting before hand to discuss ideas and show everyone our products, and that way we could all meet once before :). Everyone does their help with the promotion and on the day of you post signs (like a garage sale) on busy streets directing people to the house. The group I did this with did it a few times and we traded houses each time. They are a lot of fun and a great way to get your feet wet. Just remember, location is key. You don't want to make people drive too far out of the way to get to you.

For running a bigger craft show (some of these will work for smaller one's too):

1. Select your date and times. Make sure you are flexible on this, just in case it doesn't work for the venue.

2. Secure a venue. Same thing as the small one, location is key. You want somewhere easily accessible with LOTS of parking. Try local Churches/schools. A lot of time they will rent large rooms at a low cost. Use the connections that you have to help with this.

3. Figure out how many vendors you can fit and how big each person's space will be.

4. Figure out what your space fee is going to be. I have added a little extra to mine for "just in case" reasons and to help with future events.

5. Do you want the event to be juried or not? I suggest juried. It's how all of the big shows are done and that way you can limit the amount of one type of product you have. Ex: You don't want 10 jewelry vendors and only 2 with purses. You want a good mix of all the products you can offer.

6. Do you want to have a raffle? What about goody bags for the first so many people that come in the doors? What are you going to do for promotion to help people get there? Can people only sell items that are handmade or is mass produced OK too? Ask around in the Etsy forums for what people have/haven't liked about one's they have sold at.

6. Get your application together. I copied mine off of past events I have been apart of and added/subtracted as necessary to make it the way I wanted.

7. Start getting your vendors. I post in the Etsy forums, in my local Etsy team, on Craigslist and I find other local vendors by the "Shop Local" feature on Etsy. You can also go to other craft shows and talk to vendors that are set up there.

8. Go through all of the applications you have received and select the vendors you would like to have participate and contact all of them to let them know.

9. Make sure you stay in contact with your vendors for the duration of the time before the show. This is really important. How much would you trust someone that you never heard from and had given money to?

10. Work on all of your promotion/advertising.

11. Try going in the night before and marking off the space that each person is going to set up in. If not, go in super early the morning of the show.

12. Make sure everything you can is taken care of before your vendors start arriving so that all they have to do is load in and set up.

13. Have a great time! If you aren't having fun, you can't expect that everyone else will too. Remember to be prepared, it will cut back on your stress level and make things easier for you in the long run.

I think that covers everything. If there is something I forget, or realize as I go along I will leave it in a comment below.

People on Etsy you should check out

2008-07-03T11:09:00.000-07:00

For starters, check out mymy. She makes some GREAT buttons this one is my favorite
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=13044009

Also check out onesandzerosfashions. I have one of her fantastic lunch monsters and it's probably one of the best things I have ever bought on Etsy.

I love customecouturelabelco and the labels they sell for all the goodies I make.

Onama is great if you need anything graphically designed. She did my business cards and they are quite cute.

I crack up every time I see the "hand soaps" that foliage makes.

Father's Day, The Support of Other People...and more!

2008-06-25T23:53:00.000-07:00

Since I'm really into making people's gifts lately I decided to make a BBQ plate for my Dad to carry all the stuff he BBQ's into the house. I got it at Color Me Mine and it took me 3 hours to complete! He says he really really liked it but it's too heavy for him to carry into the house with food on it. I told him to suck it up :). My step-brother Ken got him at change jar that counts the change for you as you put it in. I'm totally jealous and need to go to Linen's and Things and get my own!

People have really been liking the basket liner's I've made lately...probably because it's summer time :). Tammy of Ivonnardona's Creations featured them in her blog, check it out here. Evidently you can also find them when searching for Bike Basket Liner's on Google and I have had some people contact me because of that. I just finished making the one on the right the other day. Annie Rexic sent me some of her fabric and I made a custom liner for her and got to meet her at Warped Tour in Pomona this past Friday. She's great and a real sweet heart!

Other than that I'm just getting ready for the Derby Dolls Tournament this weekend. I'm super excited and have quite a bit left to do...I can't wait!

Ch Ch Ch Changes and Tiiiiiiiiiiiiii i i ime is not on my side

2008-06-12T10:04:00.000-07:00

Do you ever get a feeling like something is going to change in your life soon but you aren't sure what it is, but you know something is coming? I have this feeling right now and I have no idea what it is.

I feel like redecorating my room. Painting the walls a light green, new pictures of poppies, taking the flower border down, new curtains for my closet, a new dresser (since I haven't had one since Jr. High)...basically everything but the comforter because I just bought it last fall.

Maybe it's because I need more room for all of the sewing I'm doing. I have recently outgrown the limited space available in my bedroom and took over our family room. That didn't go over so well and after 3ish weeks I just got all of that cleaned up the other day. Now it's taking over my entire room. I need to clean out, clean up and reorganize. There's no other way to do it! I HAVE to make the time.

Ahhhh yes, time. Next to money you are my worst enemy. I currently need more of you in the day/week. I am having a really hard time balancing work, friends and crafting. There is just so much that needs to be done every day. Maybe when the craft shows and derby's slow down things will get better. I hope so!

Bike basket liners are really starting to take off! Probably because it's summer, but I'm getting a ton of requests for them and it's really fun!

Time for work!

Today's Bike Ride

2008-06-08T22:12:00.000-07:00

Today's bike ride with Annel, Marie and Michelle was great! We started out at a near by friend's house and rode down to the Huntington Beach Pier area for lunch. The place we ate at was a bust! Our waitress sucked and it took about 2 hours!

Anyhow, we made our way down the the bike/walk path that is near the sand and headed left (South) to an unknown destination. It was the perfect day for a ride! The sun was shining, and there was a nice breeze. As we made our way down PCH we came up on Balboa Island and decided to go see if there was anything going on. We soon found that bike riding was not a good idea in this area and stopped to regroup and figure out were we wanted to go.

Some one suggested the always popular cupcake place Sprinkles that is located near Fashion Island. A quick look on mapquest to see how far away it was and we were on our way (gotta love phones with the internet!). We soon came up on the biggest hill of the day and it was a big one! Michelle made it all the way up, Marie and Annel made it about 3/4's of the way and I made it about 1/2. Walking can be a good thing :). We took a quick break and were on our way again. We could see the tall buildings near our destination and this was the motivation we really needed to make it all the way.

Sooner than we could have imagined we were at Sprinkles. I've never been there before. The like was amazingly HUGE and down the sidewalk. While Michelle and Annel waited for their cupcakes Maire and I got a table and gelato from a near by store. It was GREAT and the perfect afternoon treat. After everyone's sugar tooth was satisfied we went back to our bikes to start our journey back. When we got to the bikes Annel noticed that her front tire was flat! A thorn in her tire was the evil doer! Since there were no bike shops near by we decided to walk to a near by gas station and see if they could help us. The closest one had fix a flat and we were set to head back to a bike shop we had seen a few miles back.

On or way to the bike shop we got to go down the big hill we went up earlier and it was soooooo much fun to feel the wind zipping past us!

When we got to the bike shop we were greeted by one of the most energetic people I have ever met in my life! He was pretty much nuts and gave all of us tune ups on our bikes and rambled about everything and nothing. While someone that works for him fixed Annel's tire I noticed that there was a REALLY old rusted bike in the front of the shop. It was soooo cool and I got some great pictures! The shop owner said he had pulled it out of a river but who knows.

After Annel's tire was fixed we started on the road again and only had a few miles left to go.

We made it back to our starting point about an hour later and were all happy to be done riding. All in all we rode some where between 25-27 miles. It's the longest bike ride I have ever gone one and I think Marie and Annel are in the same boat. It will be interesting to see how our bodies feel tomorrow!

Roller Derby

2008-06-06T09:45:00.000-07:00

I sold at/went to my first roller derby last weekend. It was incredible! I loved watching the few minutes of the derby I saw and how aggressive the girls were. I wish I could be like it but I'm pretty happy I'm not haha. The match was for the L.A. Derby Dolls teams the Sirens and the Touch Cookies. The Tough Cookies were the favorite since they were undefeated for the season, but the Sirens ended up winning!

It was my first time selling at anything like this and I think it went pretty well. I made enough to cover my booth space, gas to and from L.A, dinner and have a little bit left over. You aren't really allowed to take cameras into the roller but I was able to pull of taking a picture of my booth. I need to get some better lighting to string through my tent but other than that I think it looks pretty good.

Everyone there was really nice and I can't wait to sell at the 2 day tournament on June 28th and 29th. If you want to go you can get tickets at http://brownpapertickets.com/event/35418. It should be great fun times and I hope you can make it!

What else has been going on...Oh! On Sunday I woke up and found that our dog, who totally knows better, had peed on AND ruined my favorite sewing machine. I cleaned it out to no end and no matter what I do the thread still smells like urine. So, I had to buy a new sewing machine...sigh! I picked up this one at the local Wally-world since I didn't like any of the one's at Joann's and I'm pretty happy with it so far. I've made a purse and 2 fleece Angel's blankets and haven't had any problems.

This weekend will be filled with sewing and bike rides at the beach. I can't wait!

What a busy life!

2008-05-15T11:14:00.000-07:00

I've been sooooo busy lately between working, crafting, buying a new car, craft shows and just life it seems like everything is going in fast forward.

I sold at the "biggest" craft show in Orange County, Patchwork, a few weeks ago.I did pretty good. It wasn't really my crowd but that's OK, it was a great experience and I had tons of fun. Plus, I started selling my new line of Music Saves Lives purses. There were tons of people there and lots of really great crafters. I'll be adding a TON of new product to my Etsy account over the next few weeks so make sure you check in often.

I also got a new car!!! A Nissan Versa hatchback! I've needed a new car for at least a year now and I'm really excited about it. It's perfect for my busy life and lugging all of my stuff to craft shows and my bike to the beach for road trips. He doesn't have a name yet, but maybe you can help me think of one. My last car's name was Casper and with all of the electrical problems he ended up having it fit him very well. We were together for almost 7 years and had many great adventures together. He will be missed and I hope his new owner loves him as much as I did.

Hmmmm, what else? OH! This morning when I woke up our complex was flooded! Someone hit a fire extinguisher in the shopping center on the other side of the wall. I think there might be damage to our garage because there was SO much water. I got some rad pics though.

The other night my best friend Marie and I went to see Brett Dennen in Santa Moncia. What a treat that was! I had never seen him before, only heard him talk about him. He was GREAT! Such and original voice. He also made funny faces and dance while he played/sang. It was very entertaining and I highly recommend that everyone checks him out.

I'm selling at a roller derby on May 31st. It's a LA Derby Dolls event. I've always wanted to go to a roller derby and now I have my chance! If you want tickets go here.

OK time to get back to sewing. Hope you are having a great day!

I've been tagged!

2008-04-01T11:19:00.000-07:00

By Elite Art. She makes some great jewelry pieces and is extremely nice. Here are the rules:

1. Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
_________________________________________________-

1. I have been to every state except Alaska

2. I fell off a 40ft cliff when I was 19.

3. I've had more than 30 jobs in 12 years (there were times when I had more than 1 job).

4. I work for a non-profit that helps save the lives of thousands of people every year.

5. I love Diet Coke and Cherry Coke Zero. Oh, and Dr. Pepper.

6. I am happier with my life right now than I have been in a long time.

7. I love riding my bike.

I don't really know anyone else that blogs besides my friend Michelle.