Show Hangover but it was worth the Party!

I have pictures to show you of my shows!  They were so fun and exhausting.  I loved talking to all the people and meeting the vendors.  It really takes months to prepare for these and now that it is over I feel like I have a bit of a hangover!  I am sorta dazed.  I had a great day yesterday doing almost nothing and today was not much different.  

(warning!  these pictures are mostly from my phone and not the best but they are better than nothing!)

Here is me at my first show in Atlanta, Marist Holiday Traditions...

I went to Marist for high school and it was so funny to set up my booth in the old gym.  It still smells the same!  This show was big- 240 vendors in 4 different areas around the Marist campus.  My Mom, Linda (on the left) and my Aunt Mary Ann (on the right) were so helpful and patient!  

My mom helped me sew on buttons and finish up carolers.  She took me shopping for something cute to wear and took me Micheals for last minute price tag making.  She also helped me at the booth almost the whole day along with my sister Katie and my niece Sarah Kate.  Thanks Mom!!  Aunt Mary Ann also took me to Micheals (a second trip!), helped price everything and helped set up the booth.  It was so fun to do this with my family and have them be a part of the event since I do the Handmade Arcade without them up here in Pittsburgh and besides my sister, they have never seen my sewing items all together in a booth.

We searched through Mom's basement and found baskets, a trellis for my owl purses, and all sorts of useful props.  My sister (thank you Katie!) arrived with more baskets and cute props and in the end, we put together a really cute booth.  Inspite of the yellow cinder block gym walls!

The usual suspects were the best sellers at the Marist show- crayon folios & owls!   Thank you so much to my family and friends down in ATL for all their help and support.  We had a great time together and the show was fun and successful.  

After that wonderful weekend with family and friends, I came home and sewed liked crazy.  My poor children.  Cal would ask for a snack and I would say " you're a big boy now!  You can look in the pantry for some crackers!"  He watched more TV last week than I have ever allowed any of my children to watch.  I had some major guilt happening.  Of course, the weather was also beautiful and warm for November in Western PA last week and  I was kicking myself for not getting outside to be a part of it!   I felt like I had made a commitment and an opportunity and I couldn't go into the Handmade Arcade without a full booth.

 Last week I made 14 crayon folios, 4 colored pencil holders, 3 owl pillows, 6 owl purses, 10 gnomes, and 7 iphone holders (a new thing I am working on).  I felt like I was running my own personal sweatshop!  All of the crayon folios sold, all the owl purses sold, most of the owl pillows & colored pencil holders.  

Last week I had serious concerns that all of this wasn't worth it.  But in the end it really was worth all the work.  It is great to have your work on display.  It's great to talk to people about your craft and great to push yourself.  My neglected children came to visit me with my husband and the booth was crowded and I was talking with people about Gingercake and my kids were proud of me.  I love that they could see how hard I worked and that it was a success.  The work on the computer and taking pictures in front of white foam board just doesn't give the same affect!

My lovely sister in law Jenny came to visit during the show and she took the follwing pictures of the booth.  At first we felt bad that when she came it was so crowded but now I am glad since these pictures really capture the action of the day.

That tall person on the left above is me blabbing about my shop and finishing up one of my owls.  

My sister, Katie, sent up her cute bottlecap magnets, scrabble tile pendants and fabric covered button hair bands.  People loved looking through all the cute images she has found.

II 

Before the Marist show I worked on a sign for my booth.  My first try was on a canvas.  I made a drawing and then cut out the shapes in fabric and then modged podged everything onto the canvas.  This would have been great if I had read the instructions for modge podge!!!  But it made bubbles and I was not pleased with the affect.  So I quickly sewed the same picture onto duckcloth and made another sign.  It's cute but not fantastic.

Like with so many projects, after a couple weeks that modge podge bubble didn't seem so bad and I decided to bring the canvas sign to the Handmade arcade too.  Having both signs was a help and it seemed to make them both look better!  You can see that modge podge one in the pictures above sitting under my branch with birds hanging from it.

My good friend Karen helped me set up and stayed almost the whole day.  Like my sister Katie, she is much better at staying organized and took inventory like a champ!  This really helped me to able to talk to people and be more concerned with how the booth looked than collecting money and keeping track of what was selling.  Thank you so much Karen!  I couldn't have done it without you.

Here she is with Jenny's ADORABLE baby Augusta.  Karen also held the neighboring vendor's baby for half the show.  She is such a baby hog!

The handmade arcade is a great show.  It is so well organized and they really get the word out.  I loved meeting the other vendors and looking at all their creative and different crafts.  No painted snowmen!  I admit that a painted snowman can be nice but it's fun to be part of something different and special.  Look for indie crafts shows in your area to get a feeling for the flavor!  

Hopefully today or tomorrow morning I will list the things that didn't sell in my gingercakesews etsy shop.  For now I am relaxing, finally doing laundry, and I am about to take a run to the grocery store since you could call me old mother hubbard over here since my cubbards are so bare!  Hope to be back this week with new projects to share.  Hint, Hint... did you see those christmas trees on the shelf a few pictures back?

Comments

[Fei]

Hello, I love your work. I would love to visit your show and buy a few things from your stand. I live in the U.K. and look forward to seeing more finished items for sale in your etsy shop. Hope you will list more products please.

[Gillian]

Found your cute carolers pattern here: http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/2011/11/november-15-passion-for-imagination/ and have made two today! They are sweet and will look great poking out of a Christmas stocking for my very Christmasy family-in-law. It's nice to see them in your pictures from the show and then see mine....which are a lot fatter since I freehand recreated your pattern but still adorable!

[Dianna]

Your space looks so nice! I would not be able to resist the beautiful prints and adorable handmade pretties!

[Anne Marie]

You booth is wonderful - have not seen one this nice down here in Texas - everything is perfect! You can be proud of yourself.

[madebymum]

I am just home from doing a show and I know that hangover feeling very well. Your stall look amazing I love your sign and I am soo pleased that it was all worth it.

[becky]

how do I find out about these Pittsburgh craft fairs before they happen? I would LOVE to go to them.

[Mary]

Well done! It all looks fantastic, I've got my first fair of the season on Saturday and need to finalise all the little details. Glad you had a good time.

[Meghan]

You are so awesome G!! Wish I could have been there instead of waxing bikinis :( I hope to see you soon! XOX

[Cate]

Your stall looked amazing, it's no wonder the show was a success! I studied all the pictures - there were so many beautiful colours, patterns and 'things'! I have been making 'max the owl'bags production style lately as Christmas gifts, but my daughters' keep trying to steal them for themselves! Congratulations, and enjoyed your well deserved break!

[a certain Ashworth]

BRILLIANT! How I wish I half as talented as you are!

[Nancy in Honolulu]

You are multi-talented, and I loved seeing your pictures from your fairs. Beautiful items, and your Gingercake sign also turned out lovely! I recently purchased an owl pattern for you, and it was very easy to follow, and my owl turned out great. I received lots of compliments on it from friends. thank you for sharing such wonderful inspirations through your blog. Hope you get some rest after all of your hard work. :)

[laura "no caps, please" lindsay]

Looks FANTASTIC!!! Your hands have truly been blessed! :D

[Vanessa]

oh wow! i had no idea you were doing two shows!!! crazy lady. looks like you totally rocked both shows! I don't know how you did it but you certainly pulled it off. everything looks awesome! still wish i'd been able to make it to atlanta. maybe next year. . . are you going to do it again??