In late May, my youngest son turned 6. I'm thankful that Pixar is releasing Cars 2, because he loves Lightening McQueen and Mater and I'm glad to be able to get a bit more milage (PUN!) out of the themed stuff before he moves on to bigger stuff like Transformers (those new movies are in no way related to the 80s cartoons, or child appropriate, I don't care what anyone says!).
So here is the gratuitous birthday cake photo. Happy 6th, my baby boy!
School wrapped up a few days after that. It hadn't been 24 hours after they got off the bus for the last time until August and it was "Can we go to [insert list of friends here]'s house?!"
All this while I was working as Lucy Jane to get a booth together for the 4th annual Penny McHenry Hydrangea Festival that was held this past weekend. In order to actually accomplish any work, I packed up kids, laundry, sewing machine, fabric and all to my husband's Grandmother's house. They swam in the pool, watched Disney (we don't have TV at home- that's another post for another time), played on the computer and went places with the Awesome Aunt K. I sewed. And sewed. And sewed.
10 old fashioned dolls with hand stitched (embroidered) faces, and 11 cute stuffed elephants later, I was ready to take Lucy Jane to the Hydrangea Festival.
It was a modest booth, to be sure, but I'm new to the craft fair gig, having only done a booth once before in a completely different medium (also another post for another time). Still, some is better than none, and by the time it was over at 5 p.m. on Sunday, I had sold 7 out of the 11 and taken a custom order. Not to mention getting invited to 3 other festivals, and acquiring the paperwork for a HUGE fest in September that draws a crowd in the high thousands. So all in all, though it was HOT AS HADES (97! And did I mention that I was in a heavy Regency Era costume?!) and there were fewer shoppers than past years (says the coordinator), my booth was well received and a happy success!
I have 15 weeks until the September show, and have set out a schedule for meeting my production goal. I'm excited that things are finally going well!
Congrats on the Festival! Sounds like fun! And from what I've seen, I think elephants are the next big thing. I'm seeing more "safari" animals in clothing, baby stuff, crafts than previous years.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jessie! I see owls everywhere recently, and I always think of you. :)
ReplyDeleteThe booth looks great Jenny!! Take it from someone who attends a LOT of festivals and craft shows. We have a lot of great ones up here. When you want to expand that festival travel budget, let me know. TN is a great place to ... well to do much of anything really.
ReplyDeleteI will! I have family up in Lenoir City and I come by my craft fair vendor blood honestly- my Aunt used to do the same thing in the 70s/80s. :) I absolutely want to work on getting a full stock together and then take it on the road and see what good things come of it!
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