Friday Evening Pop-up Shop

**Just a little note: My computer has been on the fritz lately.  I have had the next few posts in the draft section for a while, as I am just now being to get it to cooperate. Thanks in advance for your understanding!**

A friend of mine usually tells me about these little pop-up markets that we have downtown at one of the strips of boutiques.  Last Friday night they decided to sort of randomly host one.  It's held in front of a tattoo parlor, bead/jewelry shop, upscale restaurant,  used bookstore/coffee shop, and recording studio.  It's the one part of town that is geared towards the more artsy community.

It was a perfect day for having the market.  It didn't rain despite the rain chances we had.  Nor was it deathly hot.  The pop-up shop ran from 3 until 7. Great timing!   There was just enough time to finish making more items, pick up Kelsey from school, and go home to finish preparing.  We had gotten there about a half hour after it  started.

I whipped up a bunch of phone clutches and coin purses.  I brought some wallets, card wallets, and card holders.  I don't care how long you prepare for a craft show you will always feel like you aren't ready.

 

 

 I made myself a little bunting banner as well for a bit of signage.  I made the mini buntings out of vintage sheets, and I embroidered "create." on each pennant.  I made the pennants with my embroidery machine as well and stitched them together with some vintage twill tape.  I really like the effect of it.

My wee helper

 They also had some nice entertainment.  There was this gentleman who was a one-man band that did some nice covers for some oldies.  He played the guitar and harmonica extremely well.  That is one thing I do like about Auburn; when they have events, they commission local musicians.  The musicians tend to be very folksy or soulful, just the music I like!!

  

I also nabbed a snapshot of this incredible string of lights that were overhead.  I thought they complemented the sky well, and it was such an earthy, organic feeling.  I always love to look at this string of beauties when I'm down at this little strip.

 

A Crafty Christmas: My First Craft Show!

     So last night I completed my first "real" craft show.  Surprisingly enough I was nowhere near as nervous as I had intended on being.  That was a big accomplishment for my high-strung personality.  The event was called "A Crafty Christmas" and was hosted by BigHouse Foundation, which is an amazing organization here in my county that tends to the needs of children, especially fostered and orphaned. It was held in an old, brick warehouse in historic downtown Opelika.  The venue had a very rustic appeal to it.  Overall I think it looked more country Christmas, which was in itself inviting and nice.

     Despite my procrastination, I managed to get up over fifty pieces.  I sewed a great deal of them the day of and the day before.  (I will never, ever do that again!!!!!)  I had children's Christmas skirts, quilted wallets, checkbook covers, keychain wallets, infinity scarves, and some mini crayon rolls.

     I mentioned that I didn't feel nervous, and that was a great thing.  But instead of feeling that way, my nervousness was replaced with inadequacy when I set up my booth.  Ugh!! I walked around and browsed my fellow crafters and noticed that they had some really incredible things.  Not only did these ladies and gentlemen have amazing things, but they also had an overwhelming quantity of merchandise.  Immediately I felt that I wasn't enough nor did I have enough.

    But I shouted to myself to stop thinking that way, made myself leave the building.  As I got into my car and drove off, I prayed.  I reminded myself that God doesn't want us to do it all; He only wants us to plant the seed, and He will do the watering, fertilizing, pruning, etc.  I went to get food, and I focused on this article about inadequacy.  It mentions 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, where the apostle Paul didn't feel capable of preaching because of fear.  It also reminded me of Moses being called upon at an old age to try to deliver a nation of people and he not believing that it could be done.

     After I eased this stress of not feeling "enough," I came back to the warehouse and got ready. I looked around in sheer amazement at the other booths, relaxed, and waited for us to open.  By that time, we still had   a tad over an hour before we would let the public inside.  At 5:11 p.m., I sold my first item (which was a scarf) to the hostess's mother.  We still had forty-nine minutes before we opened.  I was very grateful and very pleased that I relied on God to show me His work.

 Checkbook covers & Infinity scarves

Keychain wallets & Mini crayon rolls 

Wallets 

Children skirts

    I managed to sell a quite bit more than I anticipated.  I made some great connections and saw some familiar faces.  I have another craft show next Friday night that a good friend of mine just told me about.  I believe I can get used to these craft shows.

Procrastination Station

I signed myself up for a crafty show about a month ago.  It's next Thursday.  Out of all this time that I had, I decided to start making things last week.  I know; for shame! Well I'm just trying to move along, and I have tons of things to make. Luckily for my embroidery machine, I can whip out tons of little things without much of an issue. I have just been extremely unmotivated about life.  Good thing I keep up with reading my daily devotion or I'd be completely lost. I have managed to pump out some wallets and some infinity scarves however.

I decided to use the assembly line process in cutting my fabrics.  Once I established a rhythm, everything went smoothly.  After cutting all the fabrics and stabilizers, I went through my zipper container and found coordinating zippers for each wallet.  Sewing only took a few minutes after all the organizing had been done. I see why people do it this way; it's overall way better.

I also decided to make myself a new clutch and keychain wallet.  I used some chevron and ikat print duckcloth that I purchased from Hobby Lobby.

I was just trying out something for the clutch.  I must say I like it.  Especially the pleats and the the snap.  It's small yet very roomy.

My daughter had Thanksgiving lunch at school.  I decided to doll myself up and head out. I look like I'm about to cry.  I think I had gotten choked up before taking this picture and my eyes were still teary.

After lunch with my daughter, a friend of mine called me up so we could go thrifting and found this print.  We thought it was beautiful, one of the best optical illusions I have seen in a long while.  I think the caption read "Beauty is Vanity."  But at an alarming $26 there was no way that was coming home with me.

I have been craving a shift dress lately.  I found this vintage printed jersey thrifting a couple of weeks ago so I decided to use it.  The name of the print is "Chevrons" by some designer.  The name escapes me right now.  It has an amazing herringbone print with polka dots floating about throughout it.

I didn't want anything to spectacular, just a little slip-on number.  This satisfied my hunger.  Now all I need is to get some opaque tights to toss on under here.

 This is me with all of my exhaustion.  (I have new neighbors that have only been here about 2 weeks now, and they have succeeded in keeping me away night and day.  They have an infant/toddler that is constantly crying, and they refuse to go to its rescue at anytime during its many bawl fits.)  That noise on top of my strain of getting this craft show stuff done has worn me completely down.

UGH!