New Listings Soon...

Well, as enthusiastic as the residents were over my offerings, I did come home with napkins, handbags, necklaces and wallets. To tell the truth, everything is still packed in my Explorer and I have to go to work today. No. I wasn't slacking on Sunday and Monday. I was actually cleaning and reorganizing the attic - and it really needed it! After climbing the stairs multiple times, it's hard to believe I once contemplated finishing off the space to turn into my studio!

Anyway, I'm going to go through my inventory tomorrow and then I'll be rephotographing items for my Etsy shop - and listing the napkins here first. I'll generate links for direct purchase through my Square account, which is safe and secure, but doesn't go through Etsy.

Once I've done all that, I'll be starting on Christmas gifts for our family. I hope the elves are ready. It's going to be a whirlwind of activity around my own Santa's Workshop.

For now, it's off to work for me. I'll be back tomorrow with more updates. 

Show Time!...

My niece, Stephanie and her son are Mrs  Santa and the elf. She's the Director here at Touchmark, and this merry band is moving through the show handing out candy canes. Of course, I had to have my photo taken with them!

This is my booth at this show. I'm in a lovely room with another vendor, and all the booths are spread out on the first floor of this community. There are total of eighteen vendors selling their wares here today. 

I was so glad to have Jan here to help me set up my booth, and although she had a lunch date with her husband, she'll be back for tear down. (Yay!)

I'm typing this in my cell phone, so I'll keep it short. Yes, I've been selling steadily, but I'll write more on Monday. The most beautiful surprise happened today, and I want to write about it in full to give it the weight it deserves. Suffice it to say now that I was in tears. More about that later, though.

Another customer just came in so I'll close for now. More later!

Finished...

I finished all the napkins. They're all labeled, packaged, and inventoried for the show on Saturday. Counting the ones I completed yesterday, I'll have a total of 130 napkins, packaged in sets of two and four.

I haven't made the bookmarks, or anything else on my ambitious list, but I still have a large selection for my booth. There will be cork handbags, totes, pouches, and wallets. I'll also have embroidered jewelry (necklaces), and pincushions. My booth is only an 8' table at this event, so I don't have much space available. I'm quite sure I'll fill every square inch of it, though.

My plan is to create bookmarks to donate as gifts in the Touchmark library after the first of the year. I think the residents would like that, and it will be my way of giving back after the holidays.

I'm going to be on a dead run today. First, I'll be running to the bank to get cash for my show drawer. Then, I'll be making sale signage for my booth, loading all my inventory into totes, and then loading my Explorer so I can be on my way early tomorrow. 

I'll post a little later tomorrow, so I can take a few photographs of my booth to share. I'll have it up by noon for you, so don't worry if you stop by in the morning and I haven't posted yet. Wish me luck!

Weekend Offerings...

This is the first batch of completed napkins for this weekend. These took longer than expected, so I've made the decision to finish what I've already cut out and then make one other small (requested item) to add to my other current offerings for the show.

These five images represent ninety completed napkins. They're 100% cotton, machine washable/dryable, and each double-sided napkin measures 9" square. 

Top Left: Red Berries and Birds (available quantity: 20) Top Right: Dog Breeds (available quantity: 14)

Middle Left: White Poinsettias (available quantity: 24) Middle Right: Dogs 'n Cats (available quantity: 16)

Bottom: Gold Floral (available quantity: 16)

These will be packaged in sets of 2 and sets of 4, so it should offer a nice selection for residents for themselves or as gifts.

I still have four more fabric prints to do today. There are 40 total napkins to finish. So, I'll be taking a total of 130 napkins with me. What I don't sell at the show, I'll list in my Etsy shop and gift some, as well.

It was about mid-afternoon yesterday when I realized that I won't have time to make caddies, but I will be making cork with printed tape bookmarks. Apparently, bookmarks are big sellers because the facility has an impressive, well-used library. The residents love to read, so I'll be sure to make some beautiful placekeepers after I complete the last 40 napkins today.

Tomorrow, I'll enter everything into my Square inventory and pack up to be able to drive out early Saturday. I plan to be at Touchmark by 8:30 am. Jan lives in the area, so she'll meet me there to help me unload the Explorer and set up my booth. As I write this, it's snowing and blowing outside, so I hope that's out of Mother Nature's system by then, so I'm not fighting weather that morning! 

For now, I'll just put my nose to the grindstone and complete these two projects so I'm ready for the next phase. I'll show you the rest of the napkins tomorrow.

Getting Started...

I pulled fabrics yesterday after assessing just what I want to accomplish in the next few days. I also found myself thinking about what kinds of things the residents might be interested in. Rather than spend this time making more handbags and wallets, I decided that fabric napkin sets, mug mats, gift card holders, and walker caddies might be more desirable - especially pretty things for the ladies, and patriotic things for men and/or women.

So, I just started pulling fabrics that I thought might be suitable for my projects. I'm going to do the napkins in sets of two and four. They'll be nine inches square. That's size we use here, and who really needs a big napkin anyway? I haven't decided yet whether or not they'll be two-sided, or just put a mitered hem on single thickness fabric. I'll decide that when I start cutting.

 
I'm sure I won't use all of the fabrics I've photographed here, but these give me myriad options once I begin.

I'm off to the DMV this morning as my driver's license needs to be renewed. They'll be taking a new mug shot, and making sure I can see well enough to get behind the wheel. Once that's over, I'll be back home to start sewing. What's a little production sewing between now and Thursday, right? 

Oh, and tomorrow is my actual Birthday...and I'm working. Talk about poor planning. I should have switched with someone else weeks ago, so now I'm committed. I have a new Birthday photo to share that our dear daughter-in-law snapped over the weekend. I can't wait to show it to you tomorrow! See you then.

Holiday Vendor Fair...

It's going to be a busy next seven days! I've been invited to participate as a vendor at the Touchmark Retirement Community Holiday Vendor Fair.  This year's date is Saturday, December 7, 2024 from 10 am until 2 pm. 

Of course, I have stock to take with me, but I'm going to whip up a few other items to add to my offerings that I think might be good gift ideas. So starting this weekend, I'll be preparing fabrics and notions to do some intense production sewing. 

I'll have everything finished no later than Thursday, so I can set up the inventory in my Square account for my point-of-sale checkout. Then, Friday I'll pack up the Explorer so I can drive up the valley to Appleton first thing in the morning on Saturday.

I'll share images of my offerings as I prepare everything, and I'm surely going to take photos of my booth as soon as I finish my set up. I'm really looking forward to it!

Here's the information again in case you're local and would like to attend. Stop in and say hi if you're in the area!