Crocheting With Wire and Home Interiors

My craft blog got messed up! I think somehow I went back to fix this post and ended up deleting it. So here it is, back again, with some additions. I'm working on making necklaces and earrings now to match crochet wire bracelets....4-5 strands of crocheted single crochet chain with one bead in every other stitch are braided together to make these....I didn't make this set, a lady in our RV park did...

But I love the look of these, so I am going to be working on my own colors soon.....She uses a little stronger gauge for the necklace than for a bracelet--28 gauge, and 30 gauge wire for the bracelets. I like Artistic wire which is ton-tarnish and comes in many beautiful colors. There is also Zebra Wire, from Fire Mountain Gems, which is very nice wire to use for crocheting, and it comes in a lots and lots of colors....

We've been really busy looking at houses, so I haven't had much time to craft....I miss it! But looking at houses, especially new ones with builder's models, are really fun...I love the colors and the way they decorate. One of my favorite builders is Neil Homes. The builder's wife decorates so beautifully, each and every home I have seen I could live in and not change a thing.

She favors blues and beiges and lots of things that are all about Florida like coral prints in the fabrics, framed photos of shells or birds....I just love that color combination of blues and beiges...

Next week is going to be a busy with with Eldy's family coming and two of his three grandkids so bet my crafting will still be in slow mode......Until next time....

Time for the Show!

I've been working hard on trying to get enough stuff together for a little table (5.00) at our local RV park craft show and here's what I've got...several varieties of key fobs, luggage tags, people pins,
washcloths with wonderful handmade soaps inside, bracelets, earrings, a couple of knitted toys or "loveys", knitted pouch bags that you can carry on key ring, and two pine needle baskets.....

Sorry to be repeating myself here 'cuz I talked about it in my travel blog, Where's Eldo?, as I mentioned that things went really well at the show. I'm so glad! I felt a little funny that I had such a small selection compared to everybody else. There were a LOT of large picnic bench sized tables filled with TONS of merchandise and smaller vendors had the circular tables, like me. But apparently, small things with price tags set at ten dollars and under, except for the pine needle baskets, sold! Several people commented that it was nice to see such a variety with my things and they appreciated that. I sold several breast cancer people pins and could have sold more if I had some.

Did I make money at the show? Well, yes and no. When making things with beads, I haven't sat down and figured out a per bead cost. I'm a little sloppy that way. For my knitting, I roughly figure out what percentage of the skein or how much a skein is that cost me to knit something, and I put the price above that X two, if it sounds like a reasonable price I would pay for something. You'll never get the time factor figured into your cost of selling something unless you are well established in your field and have been in juried shows. Me, I'm small potatoes, I just was hoping to make a little money for future purchases or a nice dinner out, and I did! 

Did I learn something that would be useful to me for future craft shows? You bet!...Got some ideas for things for next time. Did I enjoy myself? I sure did! The face to face interactions with potential customers were fun and friendly. I really love talking to people and sharing what I'm making.

I can't wait to make more things...I'm going to stick with things I would personally buy myself for friends or family, and I'm also going to think about making things for the boomer generation that is aging. I've seen some neat carrier bags for walkers and wheelchairs that I'd like to make. E-reader covers were something I didn't see any of at the show. I'm also going to keep making things to put in my fledgling Etsy shop that I've just started called JeanBeanGifts. Hope you will check it out some time. I will keep adding things as I travel, and eventually hope to work on a "storefront" as far as a pretty photo or logo banner head. Still learning on all of this.... 

Until next time.....