Converting a Bedroom into a Sewing and Beading Hobby Craft Room

Sadly, my son has decided to spread his wings and move out. {{{RECOVERY!!!}}} This should be FUN! So it's time to change his bedroom into a sewing and beading hobby and craft room. There's a lot that I can do to make myself more organized, so while we're cleaning the room up, I am thinking of how the room should be arranged. The Plants are beautiful and I don't mind sharing the space with them. That will be fine. There is a Passion Flower Plant that is just delightful to see in the winter! Oh yes, I'll be happy to share. I've made a special note to include a shipping area. I want an organized space in the space where I can assemble a package for shipment. I think I can include a section with all the jewelry that I have listed on http://www.etsy.com/. And there should be a printer up there. I think the whole computer should be moved up there. The crown of the room however, is going to be my sewing table! Hallelujah! I get to have a sewing room! This is fantastic and the timing couldn't be better. I am planning to retire into self-employment by selling jewelry and something I've sewn. I think right now, I will be sewing and selling purses and totes. I'm still thinking about it though. Of course, the ironing board now has a home since it has to be with the sewing machine. Yay! I'll certainly have to include a table are for beading and I'm going to have to get that installed soon. It's getting cold outside! I have lived in my garage studio all Summer and now it's time to move into the house and bead where its warmer. It's kind of a bummer moving things in and out of each area, but to be outside in the Summer is so priceless and until the garage gets some more insulation, I think I'll just keep moving back and forth. Now I need to have a little room for my light box and a little room for any other craft or hobby I decide to pick up and that's all the room I'll need! Sounds like it's going to be a little crowded in that room! My husband insists on a stereo system and television which may have to go on shelves on the wall. Well, I'll start taking some pictures and let you know of our progress as we go along. I am looking forward to being organized in my own room. This should be FUN! I'm sure gonna miss my son, but that goes without saying. Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog.

Beaded Jewelry Inventory to be SOLD at Craft Show!

Fall Craft Shows are merely preparation for the Holiday Shopping Season. Children have gone back to school. They need to raise funds for the trip to Washington D. C. or Camp in the Spring. The Athletic Boosters might need new Football Uniforms. The Band Boosters might need new band uniforms. The Craft Shows scheduled at the High Schools are usually a means of fund raising for a school group. My inventory should be a great addition to a craft show where people are shopping for Christmas or Hanukkah presents. My inventory should be written down. Taking jewelry to the Fall Craft show means having a listed inventory. One has to know what one has doesn't one? Yes. Although, it wasn't until the last craft show that I did over the Summer that I had an actual written down inventory. I don't know why it took so long, but it is necessary. Very necessary. I know that I have posted items on Etsy.com and sold them that I had never inventoried. Wow! It's amazing to think about that, an now that I have to track every penny, I can't ever do that again. This has been a weakness of mine as I was so unbelievably excited about creating jewelry, I couldn't possibly think about silly little business aspects like having an inventory. So before I get my inventory to my Fall Craft Show, it has to be written down on paper.

THEME: What is the theme of your Autumn Craft show table?

My Autumn Craft Show Table will be neutral with just a small amount of color other than my jewelry. I think that some recognition for the season is really an easy way of decorating for a craft show. Tying the arrangement to the season gives it an anchor. Something to grasp. Perhaps a feeling of solid ground. That leaves the customer comfortable and they go about trying on my jewelry and writing checks. Let's be honest. We want those checks. We prefer cold hard green cash, but we will take checks and credit cards too. More money, more beads, more jewelry, more customers. And so the cycle goes. After the type of display has been settled on then it's on to adding the merchandise to the table. Groupings are good. Themes are good. And displays can be concocted of anything. Ever the creative entrepreneur, I have continued, successfully, to figure out the displays without spending a dime. A couple of years ago, I wrapped thick pieces of wood that my husband cut from a log in green fabric. They looked like giant candy disks with the ends of the fabric twisted and held with brightly colored ribbon. The bracelet and earrings looked great on its flat surface. My husband has made a couple of wooden displays that I've used to display my jewelry on as well. Neatness and uniformity count when displaying my work. I have the entire day to arrange and re-arrange and get each piece positioned just right. Of course if I am really busy, I needn't worry about it!

Preparing for The FALL Craft Show

I have to face it. IT'S FALL. Sadly or happily, it's fall. Time to gather my house plants and move inside. We've had a wonderful summer outside in our back yard. It looks lived in. Now it's time to look around for some craft shows. I know it's late in the season, but there are still some openings somewhere. Calling around at the high schools and churches in the area is a good place to start. I like the FALL craft shows because they are usually inside where you don't have to worry about having a tent and you don't have to worry about the weather. People are in a festive mood too. Since I sell beaded jewelry, I can pack all my jewelry into a case. It still takes some time to set up everything though. It's my little store. It should look nice, neat and organized. When I get to the show, I'll set up my table. A long skirt will go around the table that will serve two purposes. It looks pretty and inviting and it serves as a storage place for my things. To the skirt I will add my table cloth. There won't be much in the way of glitz at this point because I don't want to detract from my product. It is Fall though, and one must make some concessions and look like FALL in the store. So a few leaves are added. That should be good for now. Stay with me and I'll tell you how I prepare the rest of my store.

I am Ready to SEW But the Fabric Attracts Lint and Cat Hair

I am ready to sew! Are you? My first project was a tote. It still is a tote. It's made of a heavy gorgeous dark green upholstery fabric. The fabric attracts lint and cat hair. Does anyone know of a fabric treatment that will cut down on the amount of lint and cat hair that is attracted to this cotton fabric? I plan on finishing the tote and washing it. I think if I let it soak in some fabric softner, that it might help. I don't know though. If it fails it'll be good sewing practice.

The Delaware All Horse Parade

The Delaware All-Horse Parade is the seventh of this month. That’s tomorrow!!! This parade is spectacular! I probably don’t need to take any pictures because I’ve taken pictures every year. I probably know the horses! I should probably start at the beginning. My husband and I met in 1981. He came in to the bar where I was working after the Little Brown Jug and asked me out. We noticed how much alike we were, started dating and the rest is history. We haven’t missed a Little Brown Jug since 1982. We had our son in June of 1989 and he hasn’t missed a Jug since he was born! The Little Brown Jug is a part of the triple-crown for standard bred horses. These are the kind of horses that pull a cart that has a driver. There is a fever for many in Delaware as the fair comes along and the Little Brown Jug takes place. It’s historical and traditional for us. For the past several years, we’ve had front row seats! We have a blast all week. We bet on horses and re-unite with folks we haven’t seen in weeks or months or years. That Thursday, in Delaware, is a holiday. School is out. Businesses close at noon. I get my annual “track” tan and we spend every dime we can spend in order to win it big. It’s just wonderful. This past year, we lost one of our friends that we usually see at the Little Brown Jug every year. That is the kind of place it is. There’s cohesiveness about the town. We all grew up in Delaware. We all meet at Dick Jackson’s camper and “place”. My sister Kay and I see people we grew up with. We see people we haven’t seen since high school. We see people with their new wives. I wish I had my camera for this year. This is why I take pictures. I love all the people we meet. I love taking pictures of the horses. I am so mad that someone stole my camera. But I will be alright for this year,,,,I will be just fine. I will be able to be off on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this year. The races start on Sunday. It’ll be so fun to see the races, make a few dollars, spend a few dollars and see a few friends. I am looking forward to it.

So back to the parade. The All Horse Parade kicks off all the festivities of the Delaware County Fair. The Little Brown Jug is the final racing day of the week of the fair. It begins with the ending of the marathon. When you see the last runners coming down the street, you know that the horses are coming next. They will march into our view with the Mounted Deputies first. They'll be followed by square dancers in a wagon pulled by horses. There will be bands and clowns and Civil War heros. This will be a great beginning for the fair and races. This is my hometown.

Here are a couple of websites if you want to see this parade and learn more, www.littlebrownjug.com and www.delawarecountyfair.com. Enjoy!

The New and Improved Goal

As my goals come closer,,,,they come more into focus. My life as a fifty year old started on a rocky crag. I'm getting used to it. I've set goals for my life. Now I am trying to pin them down to get them achieved. For heaven's sake, achieving my goals should not be that hard. The internet has been a nice place to hang out. I probably hang out there way too much but I learn so much! I love to learn new things! That might be the reason that my goals fade in and out so much. So with this series of posts, that I plan to release more frequently than in the past, I will identify some of my "major" goals and maybe identify the steps that will get me where I need to be. Let's just lay them out on the table right now. I plan to retire in thirty months. I won't be old enough to collect retirement so I have to work from home. Hey what a great idea!!! And since I want to work from home and abandon my current income, I know I have to get that income high enough to leave my job without leaving the money. Wow-wee! I have the fricken drive to do this right now. I hope it doesn't dwindle or I'll have to stay at my job for ninety-six more months! Must keep driving must keep driving. I'd like to end this post with an apology. My design of my blog is steadily improving but nowhere near where it needs to be. I suppose I'll be working on its appearance as well as its content. More tomorrow,,,,,,,,,,c ya!