Just a Short Ramble...

It's a gorgeous day out today! So my time at the computer is going to be a short one. For the most part this week I have just been organizing and adding new items to my website and my etsy page. So really, nothing exciting is going on... ahahahaha :)

I thought I would include a photo or two I took today with my phone. One is of the strawberry blooms in Jonny's garden (the little boy I nanny for). He's super proud of his garden! I am hoping that he'll help weed rest of it so he can start planting the flowers finally.

Okay, I'm heading out to enjoy the sun before the kids all get back from school. Have a fabulous day and DREAM BIG!!

The Malvern Blooms Show

Hey all!! :) This past weekend I was at the Malvern Blooms show on Sunday. It was my first large outdoor show. I was super prepared for it... I had new pieces just for the show, was packed the night before and actually got to bed early for once. And I was being positive about the weather... hoping the rain was going to not last all day and that the temp was going to get close to 60... Things were looking good!

And then Sunday came... hahahaha. My boyfriend and I got to the show close to 8am. I checked in and got my space. We set up (first time for putting up a tent and all that) and I was happy with how it was looking. Then came the news that I was told the wrong spot... that was a little discouraging. But I was able to move my stuff to a new spot with the help of some very nice people. I am not sure I could have done it myself or even with just my boyfriend since it was raining lightly and my items are not water friendly for the most part. I set up my booth again and was happy with how it looked. All I needed was for the people to start showing up for the show.

Sadly, the weather was not a friend of the Malvern Blooms show that day. It was raining some, drizzly a lot and cold. I think it actually got colder as the day went on. I mean, we could see our breath in the air... never a good sign!! The cold and the on again, off again rain kept most of the people away, but the ones that did come and stop by my booth were friendly and upbeat and gave wonderful feedback on my items. Showing my pieces always makes me a bit nervous, so getting positive feedback helped boost my confidence in my work a little more.

My boyfriend stuck out the cold with me and kept me company throughout the day and I'm not sure I would have been able to do everything on my own. He even held down the fort, sometimes literally (the breeze had a tendency to move the test... need to remember weights for the legs next time), when I had to run off to the restrooms... hahaha. He was the best and very supportive!

All in all, I ended up selling one item, lots of people took cards and I met some very nice, helpful vendors that gave me a lot of information. It turned out to be a wonderful learning experience and I wouldn't trade that for the world.

I took some pics of my first outside booth and here they are...

Gorgeous Day for a Practice Set Up

Today is a week and a few days before the big craft fair event, and it's gorgeous outside. Tomorrow is suppose to be cooler with clouds, some rain and thunder... not such a great day, so I am going to do a practice set up today. I have never set up the tent, the shelves, the table... I have pretty much no idea how it's going to look... hahahaha :)

The tent should be interesting to set up. Today I'll be doing it by myself, which should be a challenge. I do however, believe that I can do it and it won't fall apart on me!! Luckily when the actual event happens, my wonderful boyfriend will be there to help me, and I think I'll need all the help I can get. The shelves will be easy, they just set up on top of each other and the table will be pretty easy too.

After all bones of the booth are up, then it's time to get out my pieces of work for display. Making the booth inviting and fun is really important to me. By doing a practice set up I am hoping that I'll figure out exactly how I want it so on the big day I won't have to think too much about it and just put everything up.

I think that's all for now :) I'm sure that I'll be on here tonight or tomorrow telling how the practice set up went. Hopefully it goes smoothly and makes me more comfortable when the 25th rolls around. Have a fabulous day and enjoy the sun if it's out where you are at!!

First Big Craft Show... What have I gotten myself into??

So my life has become consumed with getting ready for the Malvern Blooms: Home and Garden show. This is my first big craft show and my first juried show, so to say that I am nervous about it, is an understatement! :) I was so happy and excited to get accepted, and still am super excited about it, but the nerves are setting in and the cost of everything I need for my booth area is adding up. I knew I would need major things like a tent, table and shelves, those were costs that I expected. It is the little things that are adding up... a display rack for my gift tags, table clothes, extra decorations, and so on.

Now there is the task of setting it up and making it look welcoming. This coming weekend, the little boy I nanny for and my boyfriend are going to help me do a mock set up of my booth. A nice run through of how the tent is set up and how it's all going to look will be nice. I think it will also help calm my nerves come show day on April 25th. I have been looking online constantly at other peoples booths, how they set them up, what they did to set theirs' apart, and so on. There are a ton of wonderful booths out there, and when the show is done, I am hoping that mine will be one of them.

So far, this is my check list of things that I need to remember for the show: tent, sides to tent, table, shelves, items to sell (can't forget those... hahaha), table cloth, decorating elements, money for change, tape, calculator, scissors, change box, twine, sign, hooks, sales receipt booklet, email sign up list, business cards, water, snacks, paper bags for sales... and that's all I have on the list right now. Is there anything that I am missing or should have with me? Does anyone have any suggestions? Because I am really open to them right now... hahahaha :)

Below is a picture of what my new sign looks like. Bearcengic on Etsy did a fabulous job in designing it for me and I think it's going to look wonderful in my new booth!

Trials and Errors of a New Project...

Can one ever start and try a new project and have it come out perfect? Have a piece of work turn out how they see it in their head? My answer to these questions is usually yes, but today it is a loud NO! Hahahaha

I typically use paper on wood or paper on paper for my projects and love how they turn out. Recently I decided to try something new. I went out and got some canvas with the idea that I would paint or ink them and then apply different papers, images and mediums on top creating a collage. The first two I did with ink and I liked them, but felt they could be better. The third one I just finished, I had such high hopes for. I painted the canvas three different colors with a glaze, then applied a patterned paper on top with butterflies cut out so the painted canvas showed through. It was looking good... But then I had to go and put mod podge over the top... that was my mistake. The canvas stretched too much from being overly damp and having the paper pushed down on it which caused there to be air bubbles under the paper. I was able to push most of the bubbles out, but some are there forever. Should I just say that the bubbles add character? Are part of the design to give the piece texture? Or should I just call it a mistake? I haven't decided yet what to call them... hahahaha.

Here is my question that I'm putting out there... had I just attached the paper with a permanent spray glue and then sprayed a latex sealer over the top of that, would it have been enough to keep the paper in place and protect it? Any answers or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! :)

Here's a photo of the finished work. The flower is a combination of paper and fabric and the stem is felt, both are from Prima. Let me know what you think...

Hello Everyone!! :)

Hello everyone! This is my first blog entry on here, so bare with me... hahaha :) My name is Jennifer and I am a nanny and a crafter. I became inspired to blog after reading the book, Blogging For Bliss, Crafting Your Own Online Journal: A Guide For Crafters, Artists & Creatives of All Kinds by Tara Frey. It's a gorgeous book and made me believe that I could blog without it becoming a chore, because I am not one for liking chores.. hahaha :)

I'm a nanny for my full time job and love it! The kids I look after are great and the youngest keeps me laughing all the time. He is in love with doing projects, or should I say in love with starting them, finishing them is another story... hahahaha. I am always trying to think of new projects for him to do and most of the time I succeed in coming up with something that he really enjoys.

My part time job (which I wish was my full time job) is a crafter. I have always done crafts for myself and family. It allowed me to be creative and gave me a way to relax and center myself. About a year ago my boyfriend encouraged me open up an Etsy shop and try selling my frames and home decor pieces. It was a struggle for me... what if no one liked them? would they even sell? do i really want to do this? In the end, I am happy that I did it. I really shouldn't have worried about all the questions that were running through my head. Since opening up my Etsy shop, I also now have my own website to sell my items, laughingtaffydesigns.com. I have even started going to craft fairs and shows, which was and is another fear for me to overcome. I was accepted to my first juried craft show just last week, which was huge for me! This will be my first huge show and I'm super nervous about it... and it's only 3 weeks away... YIKES!! hahahaha I am pretty sure that I'll be talking about it a lot in the coming weeks... hahahaha :)

Well, that's all for now... my job calls me back work with the buzzing of the dryer. Have a fabulous and creative day!!