Hi everyone! I am so happy this day is done. I went to my first craft party to sell some of my crafts. I wouldn't say it was a complete success. I sold some items and talked to some people. I don't think I like to socialize much! I much rather just hang out at home so it was kind of draining for me. After an hour or so, I wanted to go home. So happy that a good friend of mine was there to support me and I appreciate that so much. But I think I learned a lot about what people like. And I learned that I like crafting and making things but mostly it's because I just plain love to craft. I don't craft to make money. I make things for people to make them happy. In fact, it is usually a person that inspires me to make something or to learn how to do a new craft. I love making personalized gifts for people. So I am happy that now I can get on with making some gifts for close friends and their kids, and Valentine's treats for my kids' classes, and cute Easter baskets for our cousins' kiddies instead of making items to sell.
Anyway, I had some leftover Taylored Expressions calendars and a whole bunch of PTI coasters. So I was inspired by Karen's coaster calendars and made some myself.
I made these with some Mama Elephant stamps. So CAS, right? They have a magnetic strip on the back.
Here are some penguin ones. I love these!
Well, there is a story to why I now have so many PTI coasters. And it's because I was again suckered into purchasing a stamp/die set from PTI. Gotta stop doing that! Have you seen PTI's Love You to Pieces: Airplane set? So cute, in theory. Does it work with the coasters? For me, no. So apparently the die set was made to work with the coasters that PTI carries. And it's supposed to cut just enough to let you pop out the pieces and let you put together a cute plane. I ordered 2 packages of coasters, enough for both my boys' classes (50 coasters!). I tried cutting them out using the the die and coasters and it was not cutting everything evenly. If I put them through several times, some parts cut more than others and would fall out. So I thought, gee, maybe I gotta get that metal shim to help my die cut better. So I buy a metal shim. First of all, it's a bad sign if you have to buy something else to make something you already bought work better! I tried that and still does not work well with the coasters. Then I tried it with my thin chipboard and that works pretty well. But my chipboard is brown, that not so nice inside of the cereal box color. I wish I could find thin and inexpensive white chipboard so I can stamp nice airplane colors! So much trouble to make some Valentine's treats! I think mostly I wish I did not buy this set. But, ugh, stuck with it just like those coin purse dies!
Oh, and I wanted to mention that I got an email message from a sweet person. I hadn't seen the message because it got sent to my spam box. But just one day I was curious and decided I wanted to see what messages were in there. And amongst all the junk, I found this encouraging message from a person I didn't even know. Wow, how nice and uplifting! I so appreciate that! Thank you!
Thanks all for reading this kind of long for me post!
Anyway, I had some leftover Taylored Expressions calendars and a whole bunch of PTI coasters. So I was inspired by Karen's coaster calendars and made some myself.
Well, there is a story to why I now have so many PTI coasters. And it's because I was again suckered into purchasing a stamp/die set from PTI. Gotta stop doing that! Have you seen PTI's Love You to Pieces: Airplane set? So cute, in theory. Does it work with the coasters? For me, no. So apparently the die set was made to work with the coasters that PTI carries. And it's supposed to cut just enough to let you pop out the pieces and let you put together a cute plane. I ordered 2 packages of coasters, enough for both my boys' classes (50 coasters!). I tried cutting them out using the the die and coasters and it was not cutting everything evenly. If I put them through several times, some parts cut more than others and would fall out. So I thought, gee, maybe I gotta get that metal shim to help my die cut better. So I buy a metal shim. First of all, it's a bad sign if you have to buy something else to make something you already bought work better! I tried that and still does not work well with the coasters. Then I tried it with my thin chipboard and that works pretty well. But my chipboard is brown, that not so nice inside of the cereal box color. I wish I could find thin and inexpensive white chipboard so I can stamp nice airplane colors! So much trouble to make some Valentine's treats! I think mostly I wish I did not buy this set. But, ugh, stuck with it just like those coin purse dies!
Oh, and I wanted to mention that I got an email message from a sweet person. I hadn't seen the message because it got sent to my spam box. But just one day I was curious and decided I wanted to see what messages were in there. And amongst all the junk, I found this encouraging message from a person I didn't even know. Wow, how nice and uplifting! I so appreciate that! Thank you!
Thanks all for reading this kind of long for me post!
Comments
Sorry the craft show wasn't what you thought it would be, keep trying because your work is darling and you just have to find the right "buyer".
I know how you feel about going to those crafty fairs/parties. I always feel the same way. I've pretty much given up on those unless I can go with a bunch of my friends. At least we'd have each other to keep us company while we complain how everyone wants what you've spent a lot of time on for just about nothing. As Denice said you just have to find the right buyer, or you can do like me, hoard it all after you finish them. :)