Craft Fair Display

Here are pictures of the set-up of my booth from my first solo craft fair. There is a lot to learn every time we do something new and craft fairs are no different. So here is my somewhat humorous look at what I learned in the form of a top 5 list. Enjoy!!!

Top 5 Lessons from my 1st Solo Craft Fair:

5. You can tell who does fairs often and who doesn't by how quickly they set up. (If you are new at craft fairs, it takes longer to set up than you think.)

4. When taking into account weather, wind counts in the weather category and can greatly affect the set-up of your booth. (Did you see the giveaway on my blog?)

3. Help is good! Have a friend or family member come by to check if you need a bathroom or food break (and help set up and take down if possible).

2. Pack inventory well - unfortunately stuff breaks and/or gets damaged.

And the #1 lesson I learned about craft fairs...

1. Select your location carefully! (Yes, those are toilets for slightly disabled people in the background.) I set up my booth BEFORE the person next to me. To my delight, toilets were among what they were selling and I have no idea how that happened at a CRAFT fair.

*Coming soon: A list of what worked well. Yes some things went great and I will share those too!

Beautiful Waterfalls - Up Close!

I love day trips and in Oregon there is a lot to see all around us. Last time we went to the mountain for a snowball fight in July. Yesterday we decided to go to Silver Creek Falls which is about 45 minutes outside of the state capital, Salem, where we live. At Silver Creek Falls you can picnic and barbecue and there is hiking, swimming, and 15 waterfalls (and more). Most of the falls can be seen very close-up.

We also ventured to the South Falls which I believe is the largest waterfall there. You can hike down behind the waterfall which is an amazing experience.

Pictured below you can see the North Falls where you actually enter at the base of the waterfall and can swim in the water. Now this is Oregon, so the water is VERY cold - even in August!

So after hiking to these two falls and back in 90 degree weather, we cooled off with a swim in the river at this state park...well, we waded in freezing cold water.

My Etsy Blog Treasury

Etsy.com has a lot of wonderful artists and there are numerous treasuries, but sometimes finding a treasury space to make your own can seem impossible. Well I have never successfully gotten a treasury space, so I am making my own here on my blog. I hope you enjoy my personal blog treasury.

Hope Springs Eternal pink wreath
by Ivyndell
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=21011883

Tangled Rose Earrings

by Claire Pearse

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25379998

Art Print from Original Fairy Collage Painting - Sisters

by Sascalia

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=28825518

Sumptuous Living Shabby Chic 16x20 Memory Board

by mulberrybliss

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25762130

Shabby Chic Pink Floral and Striped Oversized Pillows

by lilypadworkshop
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=27177587

23 Pink and green polka dot, striped and rose tags

by accessoryqueens

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25111474

My Great Find!

So I am a bargain hunter and I LOVE garage sales. I find most of the pieces I redo at garage/yard/estate sales. If you follow me on IndiePublic you know that in addition to the small home decor items I sell on Etsy, I also refinish large furniture pieces and sell them locally. So I was ecstatic when I found this great dresser.

I wish I had a "before" picture because it was in sad shape. I really only rubbed it down with some Old English and it looks beautiful. So I had planned to sell it, but changed my mind when after I bought my first laptop. I came home from work to my husband letting me know that my 2 yr. old had gotten ahold of a black marker and colored all over my laptop. (Thankfully he was able to clean it all off.) Not wanting that to happen again, I decided I needed somewhere safe for my computer. Then I realized it was sitting in my garage!

So we moved it into the bedroom and now I have more room for clothes (which is always nice - right ladies?) and a safe place for my computer. And how much was this dresser? That's the best part - it was only $4.00!

Blog Giveaways - I Won!

So I entered my very first blog giveaway. I never usually do because they require you provide personal information. Well I found a giveaway on a great blog: http://crsisters.blogspot.com and they did not require personal information. CRSisters is a pair of sisters and they are fellow handcrafters on etsy, so I decided to follow them on Twitter, follow their blog and enter their giveaway.

To my surprise, a few days later they let me know that I had won! It was very exciting as not much is free these days. My prize was this beautiful handmade washcloth and Tea Olive Milled Soap (along with some other goodies). You can see from the picture that the washcloth looks nice, but when it arrived, I was pleasantly surprised by the outstanding quality and how soft it is. I love it!

They have a great shop with a wide variety of items and do regular giveaways on their blog. I have been inspired and will begin doing giveaways on my blog soon as well. So check back soon and enter all of our giveaways! Good luck!

www.CRSisters.etsy.com

Remember the Cold

A little overheated by summer? Remember the cold of Winter!

We complain when it's cold and we complain when it's hot.

Think back to snow and icicles, power outages and freezing temperatures, snowmen and sledding.

It was a cold and icy winter here in Oregon and although I don't really miss it, it is good to remember on these HOT days.