NEXT CRAFT FAIR

it is a done deal...........i met with linda today, and i am signed up for another craft fair.  what was i thinking??!!  she is excited about it, but then she is the one who is collecting my money..........why wouldn't she be excited???  lol.

i have made quite a few more coil bracelets, as well as some "cheap" bracelets.  cheap bracelets sell for a dollar each and are usually made out of plastic or wood.  one of these i like especially, and hope to find swarovski crystals to match the plastic so that i can make me one that i could wear without my arm turning green, lol.  i only make the cheaper bracelets so that small children who want to purchase things for their female relatives can afford to do so. 

i also keep on hand hemp key chains for that reason. 

i don't need to make any more scarves, as i have a huge rubbermaid container full of those already, but thought if i did have the time, i would make some "red hat society" scarves.  i have been commissioned to make 5 already in the purple and red, so i won't duplicate those.  but to have something else that is different would be great.  the red hat women are truly dedicated to their purple and red.  i just found out there is a younger version of the red hats.............called the pink ladies..............they are younger.  there is some sort of bridging ceremony when they hit 50 and become candidates for the red hats.  sigh................sounds too complicated to me, lol.

my next fair is on saturday, november 11.  so i am going to get out of here and get busy. 

SOMETHING IMPORTANT I FORGOT TO MENTION

                    

with all the craft fair stuff going on, i forgot something very important...........the 22nd was michael's birthday..............so my dear, forgive me..............and.....................

     HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SMALL RECOGNITION

i have worked at my current job for about 3.2 years.  i have only been late once, only called in sick twice and have called in due to emergency four times (when my car was repo'd and when i was evicted from my house).  i have done my job well, even been a team player, but not once have i have been recognized for anything.  one time i volunteered to work overnight with two other employees, setting new planograms and though we all worked all night till 7 am, they got recognized, i didn't.  ok, i am not in this for recognition, but when people who slack and goof off and are late constantly get recognized for being "ever constant and on time" and i don't get recognized, you get a little riled......................

recently i made the mistake of allowing my general manager to know i had the talent of bow making.  since i raised a daughter, i could do it single handed, eyes closed.  of course that same daughter is almost 21 and wouldn't let me get near her with a bow today.  i love that little redneck darlin', lol.  it is fall and christmas time, and so there are alot of bows that have to be made for both selling and holiday wreaths.  so.........when the floral designer couldn't keep up with the demand, the general manager asked around to get people to do bows.  the floral designer liked mine best, so i became the "bow captain".  now every spare minute i have while waiting on customers, i have to be making bows.....................and i GOT RECOGNIZED!!!!!!!!!!!!!  of course, the recognition was only on the board for two days....................sigh....................

ok, i have tooted my horn long enough.

its almost all hallow's eve..............boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

AFTERMATH OF THE CRAFT FAIR

doin' the happy dance over here...........woohooooooo!!!!!!!!

the craft fair was great.........i was a little worried when i got there on friday evening and saw that it was in a massive gym and there were only five vendor tables, but about 20 flea market tables.  usually when there are flea market items available at the same place where new items are sold, the flea market items win out.  but not this time........

when i arrived on friday i put out only my crocheted items.  then on saturday morning i took my jewelry and handmade cards.  i created a really nice display (i had a digicam in the car, but didn't even think about taking pictures).  i was a little afraid that with children coming in and out as well, they would put their adorable grimy hands on everything and leave fingerprints all over.  but my fears were soon abolished.  every child's hand was held by an adult and they were very well behaved. 

the lady in the booth next to me on the left turned out to be a customer of mine from work.  she had another lady with her that had been her friend for 7 years.  now that woman was a hoot.......loud, aggressive, etc.  she even hawked my jewelry, which i think in the long run ran some folks off. 

the fair was supposed to last till 4 pm, but about 1 pm some fairly nice looking gentleman came up to the booth next to mine looking for "barb".  that was the loud lady.  it was her internet date..........they had never met before and immediately "barb" started loading up her crafts and she had the date take all of it to her car and they left!  my friend was shocked.............she and the other lady are both disabled, and she was hoping they would be able to work together to sell most of their items as well as help clean up afterwards.  but no, "barb" was off and running.................

my friend and i sat together till it was almost 3 pm and noticed all the other vendors were packing up and they were loading up the flea market stuff as well.  so we gathered our things.  a lady came by and asked if we would like to do another craft fair in november at the methodist church.  i told her i would consider it, but wasn't sure if i was off work or not.  i would have to check my schedule.  my friend told her she might be interested as well, and then she talked to me about us joining forces and getting a table together.  she and "barb" have another fair this weekend, so she has to really get busy making things.

ok, i have drawn it out long enough.  in the five hours that i sat at my booth, i cleared $101.00.  i sold handmade cards, crocheted scarves and handmade jewelry.  i also got commissioned to do 5 red and purple scarves for the red hat society.  so, greg....and others that might have been silently inquiring...........yes, it was worth my time.  i saw a lot of my customers from the craft store, and one of my customers bought $42 worth by herself. 

i think i have learned the difference between craft shows and craft fairs.  at a show, everyone there has pretty much the same thing.........at a fair, you get a wide variety of handmade items.  i may not do as well next time, but with my friend going in with me on it, it will not cost me as much.  i have been bitten by the craft fair bug.........someone help me, lol.

i went to the ups store and printed up some "business cards" and cut them and distributed them at the fair as well.  i haven't gotten any calls yet, but am sure i will.

i just left the bank cashing a check a customer gave me at the fair, and the teller who waited on me asked me how the fair went.  in the course of the conversation, she asked if i would make her a baby blanket.  i told her to pick out the yarn and i would give her a price.  so...........there is another deal in the making.  i have already started on the red had society scarves.  i have to make cards, jewelry and more crocheted items before the big event in november.  so, i better get off this here computer andget busy...............

have a blessed day............not sure when i will get back here to write...............

oh, speaking of writing, i just had another poem published.............woo hooo........

CRAFT FAIR

 

i am doing my first ever craft fair tomorrow and need your prayers and well wishes.  i am excited about it, but scared too.  i went by today and got my table picked out.  i chose the biggest table they had.  i just hope i break even........if i make a profit, that will be a plus.  i have put in some pictures of some of the items.  the camera didn't take very good pictures, but it gives you an idea.

       

       

      

      

        

GREG KISER-PHOTOGRAPHER OF NATURE'S BEAUTY

if you love photographs of nature and the peacefulness of waterfalls, check out greg kiser's site..........it is well worth the trip...............

http://hometown.aol.com/NCPhotoTrekker/index.html

i wish i didn't love graphics as much as i do.  but i do, and i couldn't resist this little fellow.  i have lost some readers since i have been so sporadic in writing, so this little fellow says it all.  i appreciate the readers that are still hanging in there with me.  i promise i will start writing more interesting stuff as time progresses.  so be patient and hang in there with me. 

obviously i didn't save the little critter above properly and now he is gone.  sigh......

so i am adding an obnoxious picture of a cat watching the moon.............sigh............

 

SOMETHING TO MAKE YOU CHUCKLE

a dear friend in another state sends me these things from time to time and i often just chuckle to myself and move on.  but i felt we all needed a little laugh now and then, so am sharing this with you.  after all, something that makes me laugh out loud at the library is worthy of repeating..........enjoy!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Working people frequently ask retired people what they do to make
their days interesting.


Well, for example, the other day I went down town and went into a shop. I was
only in there for about 5 minutes and when I came out there was a cop writing
out a parking ticket.

I went up to him and said, "Come on, man, how about giving a retired person a break"?

He ignored me and continued writing the ticket. I called him a "Nazi."
He glared at me and started writing another ticket for having worn
tires. So I called him a "doughnut eating Gestapo." He finished the
second ticket and put it on the windshield with the first.

Then he started writing a third ticket. This went on for about 20 minutes.
The more I abused him, the more tickets he wrote.

Personally, I didn't care. I came down town on the bus and the car that
he was putting the tickets on had a bumper sticker that said "Hillary in 08."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

this friend also sent this in email and i had to share it with you as well.  it is the "senior citizen" version of Jesus Loves Me. 

       JESUS LOVES ME

            Jesus loves me, this I know,
            Though my hair is white as snow.
            Though my sight is growing dim,
            Still He bids me trust in Him.

            (CHORUS)
 
            YES, JESUS LOVES ME... YES, JESUS LOVES ME...
            YES, JESUS LOVES ME FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO.

            Though my steps are oh, so slow,
            With my hand in His I'll go
            On through life, let come what may,
            He'll be there to lead the way.

            (CHORUS)
 
            Though I am no longer young,
            I have much which He's begun.
            Let me serve Christ with a smile,
            Go with others the extra mile.

            (CHORUS)
 
            When the nights are dark and long,
            In my heart He puts a song.
            Telling me in words so clear,
            "Have no fear, for I am near."
           
            (CHORUS)

            When my work on earth is done,
            And life's victories have been won.
            He will take me home above,
            Then I'll understand His love
 
            (CHORUS)
           
            I love Jesus, does He know?
            Have I ever told Him so?
            Jesus loves to hear me say,
            That I love Him every day.

that pretty much sums it up, don't you think????