The Comfy Crafting Cafe Challenge

craftingmad

Hello fellow crafters,

Well after saying yesterday that it was going to be a good day, I acheived hardly anything as we decided to have a family day together before hubby goes back to work away for a few more days.

Accordingly I managed to make and package on 21st April:-

12 x Stretchy Bands (finally):o

Total made 21st March - 12

my to do list now looks like this

825 Items in 14 days challenge

Made 316/825 - Still to make 509 - Days Left 6!!!!!

Feeling some serious crafting sessions and very late nights and early mornings coming on next week - :eek:

Hope your craft fair went well fairy - let us know xxxx

fairyclicks

Morning everyone

Well after all my panicking trying to find things to take to the craft fair i decided just to take a few bits and put them onto the end of my friends table rather than try to fill a table myself. I am actually glad I did as we were in a terrible spot (practically the furthest from the door) and i have never seen so many jewellery tables in my life at one fair If i had tried to fill a table myself it would have been Jewellery i would have taken as have very few other bits finished yet. So in the end i sold .......are you ready? £3 worth hahahahahaha

I actually didn't mind because it got me out to a fair which i haven't been able to do for over 2 years because of my health, and i had a lovely day chatting to my friend. I did feel a bit sorry for her as she was expecting to lift min of £50 and ended up with £19 :eek:

Anyway, it was good to see there was nothing around like my patchwork/sewing/knitted stuff so i think i am going the right direction with this I have also managed to talk myself into a bit of an organising position for the next one as well by starting discussions about how it could be improved for the next one - dear me wouldn't be like me :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Anyway after having 2 rather big days out doing stuff i am very glad to have the day to sit and chill and maybe do some making am exhausted!

SD sorry to hear you were in so much pain yesterday hope you feel millions better today xxxx

Crafting - glad to hear you had a lovely family day, and hope you blast through lots of your makes today........fairy wand sprinkles for nimble and speedy fingers

xxxxx

simplydevine05

Oh no Fairy, what a day! Like you said though, it got you to a fair and getting out to places like that never does any harm. Hope you get some rest and making done.

Crafting, I know just how you feel with not getting anywhere. Don't burn yourself out though. Try breaking it up into manageable chunks and giving yourself a target each day.

I didn't get masses done yesterday, just a bit of sewing for the patchwork cushion. Off to the mother-in-laws for Sunday lunch today so not really going to have much time for crafting. I will be taking my other half's netbook though so I can do advertising. I would normally do it from my phone but that now has a cracked screen so I am mobileless. I rang my home insurer to make a claim. It took 9 different people across 7 different departments and 5 days before they even took the details of the claim. Then I was made to feel like a fraudster and after all that they have given me 14 days to go and get a report done to see if it can be fixed before they decide if they will pay up. The fact that I am housebound is irrelevant as apparently I can get any engineer to my house to do the report, just like I could if I had a broken tv. This girl, my claims handler, was very confident I would have no problems getting someone out. Think they live on cloud cuckoo. I am utterly digusted with them so will be cancelling my policy tomorrow morning. Don't even think I'll claim as I can't wait another 3 weeks for it to be sorted and I can't get a bloody report!! You really get what you pay for and that's the last time I get the cheapest policy. I'll stick to the companies I know and trust. I'm really cross about it and they don't seem to understand that my walking is restricted and I need a mobile in case anything happens to me while I'm on my own. They will be receiving a very large complaint as well seen as my verbal complaint was not registered.

Anyway, moan over. Time to go out and be force fed yummy food by my lovely mother-in-law! Such a chore!

xx

Badsaver

Wow so many creative people! Very impressed! I LOVE crafting - I'm completely useless at it but it adds to the fun I've being looking for craft fairs locally to motivate me into doing something but havent seen any anywhere - any advice of finding them? I keep trying to keep up with threads on here but they move so fast and I tend to get lost, miss loads and then give up....

Edit - Oh I have just figured out how to subscribe.... that should hopefully help me keep up!! x

craftingmad

Hi all,

Sorry to hear that you did'nt do very well at the carft fair fairy. However it sounds like you had a lovely time with your friend and it was a good researching tool (thats how I justify a craft fair where I did'nt take very much!!!).

Badsaver - welcome to the thread. I look on www.stallfinder.com to find local craft fairs (you can sort by events in your county).

Ok I had a bit better day yesterday but still massively behind on where I should be. I managed to make and package on 22nd April:-

38 x Decorative Clips
14 x Felt Mirrors

Total made 21st March - 52

my to do list now looks like this

825 Items in 14 days challenge

Made 368/825 - Still to make 457 - Days Left 5!!!!!

Happy crafting everyone xxx

fairyclicks

Good Morning everyone and big warm welcome to you badsaver

SD sorry to hear your insurance people are being so rubbish :mad: honestly i think they do anything to wriggle out of paying for stuff! Really makes me angry that lot!!!

Crafting - i hope you have a very productive day - you are getting there - the numbers still look a bit scary but as SD says give yourself a daily target, or even a morning, afternoon and evening target. I used to do things like see how many things i could make in an hour when i had a big order to do - helps a lot to break it down!

Badsaver - funny you should say about finding out when fairs are on - its one of those things you need to be in the loop for i always think. I have started to find more and more local groups on facebook which advertise fairs - once you get on the 'list' as such you should get to know when they are! Yesterday i developed a website for fairs in Northern Ireland cos so many people ask about a calendar of events :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: i do think i get carried away sometimes!!

Today i think i will do some development work on a website for myself ......it all takes quite a lot of time doesn't it? and knowing where to spend the time when trying to start up is not easy on the plus side you learn a lot of new skills

Kepp

Morning everyone

So, craft fair in May has been postponed till end of summer But, I have found another one for June

I am going to do it with a friend to split the cost of the table (one in May would have been free as I know the organiser) meaning we have been working out how to make our table work together. We have decided on a vintage theme as that is the cross over between what we do. I have spent the morning making a product list and have come up with the following for what I will make:

1 large ribbon wreath
1 small ribbon wreath
1 felt ball wreath
Rose wreath
Paper flower bouquet
Button bouquet
Crocheted flowers (sold as supplies)
Crocheted hearts bunting
Material plushies (owls and scottie dogs)
Cupcake trinket boxes
Pearl and ribbon bracelets
Hair slides
Brooches
Paper beads (sold as supplies)
Hoop art

What does everyone think? I want some expensive stuff on there that I hope will sell but I also want some smaller spur of the moment buys on there too. I'm also not going with a large amount of each product, it's going to be more of a tester to see how the various bits go down.

Hoping I can then also take photos of each thing and then use that towards my Etsy shop. Can always list as a custom items if they have already sold at the fair.

Getting a bit :eek::eek::eek: at the thought of getting it all done in time! I work between 60 and 70 hours a week so free time is limited.

Also, any hints on cheap online places for ribbon, buttons, material and mercerised cotton?

simplydevine05

Hi and welcome to Badsaver x

Good luck with your site Fairy. It is a lot but it is worth the graft. Give me a shout if you get stuck with anything, although I think I've barely even scratched the surface with learning.

That list of things looks great Beccie and I like how you and your friend have found a common ground so your shared table works well. I like that you have included some supplies as well as things made, and I definitely think that you are doing the right thing by taking a good mix of things but not masses. Plan out when you will do some crafting and set little targets. Working that many hours is a lot but I'm sure you will do it.

I'm mostly doing nothing today. I have lost my mojo somewhere and my motivation went with it. I think I can finished the damned cushion though lol x

Kepp

Thanks Devine Never done a craft fair before so feedback is useful, will post some pics as and when I do things too, all comments will be appreciated

Good luck with the cushion! xx

simplydevine05

Finished the cushion at last! First time I've made one that has an envelope opening and I'm really pleased with how it's turned out. I did it all by hand as I've not been able to sit to use my sewing machine. I do like hand sewing though - I find it relaxing.