The November Flea Market

LW was in Nashville last weekend ... and called me 3 times on Saturday ... seems my stuff was selling like crazy!  Yahoo!!!

She sold the spice rack I had redone for her (back a couple posts) for $22 to a girl who bought it for her best friend who was getting married ... wedding gift ... LW said she was so excited about it.

I had sent alot of Christmas stuff ... but these ornaments evidently went like HOTCAKES!


Ones on the left are paintstick ornaments that I glued images I printed onto scrapbook paper, added a wire hanger and some glitter ... ones on the left are just a wooden ornament w/ printed image glued on and wire hanger.  Completely sold out of all! 


Couple other things I sent that sold:  (to the same person)

(bottom one is a winebox repurposed)

LW said my total was $99 ... none of my things are over $15, so I did pretty good!  YIPPEE!

Grandkid ornaments

For the past 6 years I have been making our 7 grandkids a Christmas ornament w/ their name on them.  They've been a big hit ... with their mothers!  LOL ... I believe the grandkids could care less! (at least at this point in their lives)  LOL

Anyway here's this year's ornament ....

As you can see -- they are scrabble tiles.  I glued them onto pieces of paint sticks that I had painted in various colors then glittered the whole thing.  Quite fun to make ... and pretty darn cute!

Back to Square One

<sigh>

I infuriate myself.

So Saturday I went to another craft show in a school gym .... it was in one of the more affluent school districts ... and what a disappointment.  Maybe 30 booths.  There was ONE that I liked their set up and could use the ideas in my booth.

BUT ... I am back to NOT wanting to do this.  No craft show ... no antique booth ... no Etsy.  I guess I just don't want it bad enough.

I can't justify any of it .... making 275 pieces of art for one show, making a booth display for one show, buying business cards for one show, a banner for one show.

The truth is I will not make any money (which granted has never been my goal).

I think my biggest issue is feeling like I HAVE to use my studio ... I have built it, filled it, spent ALOT of money on it.  Have nothing to show for it.  I think that's my problem.  I feel like I SHOULD be making making making and selling selling selling. 

Maybe that's not what it has to be about.  Maybe I need to take a deep breath and say "I go down there to create with NO goal in mind."

And so the war w/ myself continues ............

So Much Confusion in my Head

I am bi-polar ... or something ...

I'm just feeling ambivalent about this whole thing ... I just don't know what to do.  Here is what I know:

1    I love to make stuff
2    I don't want to do Etsy
3    I don't want to do an antique booth
4    I'm not even overly thrilled about a craft show
5    I have confidence issues
6    I love to make stuff

I'm in a do loop.

Am I lazy?  Do I just not want to do this 24/7 (which I cannot cauz I have a 40-hr week job already).  Maybe that's the problem ... I don't feel like I have enough TIME to be doing this.  Time I don't want to take from my husband -- we actually enjoy each other. 

To do this right I would really need to give up my evenings and work in the studio every nite (was just reading a blog that a woman was in her studio creating in the middle of the nite--yikes!), would need to give alot of weekend time to creating .... coincidentally those are the times we are together!  He doesn't mind me working down there at all ... but we do like to spend time together, so what would be the balance?  I don't know.

The IDEAL situation would be me being able to do this job PART TIME .... even one day a week off would give me an entire day to work in the studio!  But that is NOT going to happen.  And I can't leave this job -- I do love it, and I make good money and we need that extra $$$ for the lifestyle we've become accustom.

And WHAT IF I do create a truckload of inventory, build displays, etc. for the ONE show I'm going to do NEXT November .... what if it's not for me?  What I don't sell enough to even cover the show cost ($50)?  What if I see it's "too much work" .... then I will have a truckload of creations, show displays built .... and stored in my basement for the rest of my life?

AND I'm 10 years from retirement.

Never Say Never .... I guess

I am consumed w/ mixed media.

I cannot find enough time in a day/week/month to get into my studio and play around.   I cannot sleep at nite because my brain will not shut off all the ideas ... I cannot browse Pinterest enough, I cannot haunt my fav mixed media blogs enough .... I am consumed.

I am now considering doing the craft show circuit.  Saints Preserve Us.

So back the bus up and I'll tell you how I got here.  Last month I hooked up w/ LW to do a quick inventory of everything she had of mine, so that I could reconcile my inventory list w/ what has sold and what she still has.  I stopped by her house and she had all my stuff out on the shelf I had found for $5 and hastily spray painted (you know the one that everyone wants to BUY and it's only for display!).

At first glance I was discouraged at how my creations were weathering the transport to and from various flea market venues.  I don't blame LW at all ... I'm grateful to her for schleping my stuff all over creation (she has a HUGE amount of her own stuff she's schleping around).  I know she's careful w/ it but hey -- she's packing and unpacking .... crap happens!

My stuff is well made; however, it's still coming in and out of boxes, jostling in the back of a truck, etc.  I was also concerned that several pieces had faded. I asked if they had been in the sun, cauz I knew her booth at the market was in shade ... and no nothing had been in the sun.  I'm guessing it was my transfer process for the image, but I really don't know.  I took a few pieces back w/ me because they were just needing major TLC. (and I was so embarrassed of their condition)

Anyway I was really discouraged and realized this is NOT the venue for my stuff.  It just wasn't selling that well in the flea market venue (which really IS about junk), and I began to realize I need to do something else.

I still don't want to do Etsy and have to worry about shipping, etc.  Still don't want to do an antique booth. (I'll go broke)  So Door #3 is craft shows.

Last weekend I went to a craft show to see what it's all about -- in my 30+ years in this city, I've never attended a single one.  They are usually at the large high schools, churches, etc., all thru Nov and Dec.  What I found out was that my type of art is not being sold -- at least at this particular craft show.  Is that good or bad?  I dunno.

But I got a little pumped after I left there.  I spoke w/ a booth owner (happened to be Premier Jewelry and yes I just had to have that necklace!), told her what I wanted to sell, showed her a pic from my phone, she thought it was great, and said "just dive in ... get the booth rental packet and plan to do just ONE show next year."

Uhm .... ok

This weekend I am going to go to another craft show cauz I would like to concentrate on booth display set up ... see what people are doing w/ those plain ol' tables, etc.  I already have some really good ideas on set up, but just wanna run thru one more show.

My brain is STAGGERED at all the inventory I will need to have to fill up a booth, but I have some good ideas on varied offerings (small things / larger things) ... and afterall I now have a full year to get ready!

Excited .... scared ....

New Obsession - Mixed Media!!

So a couple weeks ago I happened across Christy Tomlinson and her amazing mixed media work (not to mention mini-empire business!!!)  After watching a couple of her tutorial videos, I was hooked.  She made it look incredibly easy and I thought "oh I can totally do this."

Her favorite thing to say is "no rules, there are no mistakes".  That's art I can get onboard with!!

So I had a couple of old canvases ... set up my work station and went to work:

 I was pleasantly surprised at the results ... it's hard to get out of the Type A mentality and just let go, but I have done a few more since this one and I am really enjoying it ....

 ... and now have a mini gallery in the studio:

I have used box lids on a couple of them ... and I read on another mixed media blog that said she went to Home Depot and had MHP? board cut into smaller sizes so she could use those for her projects instead of the more expense canvases (Michaels had 8x10s 1/2 off last week and I could kick myself for not buying the dozen pack that worked out to about $1 per canvas!!).  Guess I'll be heading to Home Depot!  I'm just creating and playing with reckless abandon ... it's alotta fun!

However, my OTHER projects are suffering and I need to get back to work on repurposing.  Here is a spice rack I redid for LW ... I'm going to give it back to HER to sell ... I think she was going to put $25 on it!

 

I made the labels and tea stained them.  I think it turned out pretty good!  I'm sure she'll love it!

And of course it's the fall season which means Christmas stuff will be coming out at the flea market.  I guess I'll send my Christmas stuff w/ her for the October sale.  I have quite a few things from last year that should be great for the flea market!

The June Flea Market

Yeah I know .... little late on the posting ... LOL ... anyway here are a few things that sold last month at the Nashville Flea Market.  LW isn't going to the July one, so I have an extra month to get some stuff ready.

flower pot topiaries - $5 each

shabby frames w/ rusty wire and vintage photo clothespinned to wire

$10 each

Last weekend we went w/ friends to visit the Belleville IL flea market.  Pretty nice flea market, little closer to home than Nashville, so I told LW about it.  She's already scoping it out, has a friend that vends there and was told by him she could set her tent up outside his bldg, so looks like Moss Creek Lane will be at Belleville in the coming months!  Exciting!

I have a couple of cool ideas in the works for projects ... and of course by the time LW is at the Belleville market it will be time to have Christmas stuff ready to sell (gads is it possible?!?!?)  Thankfully I have quite a supply of holiday decor ready to go ... 

I also think I'd like to work the Belleville market w/ LW - it's close to home, I'd like to see what it's like to sell at the market, AND I kinda feel like I 'owe' her for schleping all my stuff around and selling it for me ... she has NEVER asked me to help out, but I think I'll give it a go this fall!  I'm sure the fall markets are crazy busy ....

Moss Creek Lane Studio

 

 Joining up w/ "Where Bloggers Create"

 

So here is where it all began. 

One Christmas I decided to make some decoupage tile coasters for gifts.  I set up these two tables in a basement bedroom ... and thus the humble beginnings of what was to become Moss Creek Lane Studio .... a place for my creative juices to pour out ... a place where I could make a mess and not have to clean it up because dinner was going to be on the table where I was gluing and cutting and painting.

I could not have done ANY of this w/o the wonderful man I married almost 7 years ago!  He has been my champion, my supporter, my 'push' to start a business.   He has helped me shop for and install all the cabinets and counter tops in the studio.   He TORE out the closet he had put in that bedroom just a few years ago, and added in the corner work station when I decided I just "had" to have more room!   He measured, cut, installed, and leveled all those white open shelves that go over the corner work station (he doesn't consider himself a woodworker, but I could not be more pleased!!)  ... and w/ the help of a friend, installed TONS of electrical outlets for glue guns, drills, heat guns, my sewing machine ... AND they put in new lighting for me too!

He found wood pieces from an old glider swing and made shelves on the wall for my stamps 

(oh yes i have outgrown it already!)

There is a rough-in for a bathroom down there, just outside my studio door ... when we re-did our master bathroom 2 years ago, we had our son-in-law cut the old vanity in 1/2 and put it down there and hook it up to the water line .... WATER supply just steps from my dirty paint brushes!!!!  (as you all know, that was life changing!!)

And when my 'pending projects' outgrew my studio and became such a mess that I didn't know WHAT I had, he graciously let me take over 1/2 of the unfinished portion of our basement!  We bought 4 sets of plastic shelving from Lowes (and an unused desk) and set up an inventory area.  That's where I store all my treasures I find to re-purpose.  Wooden boxes, jewelry boxes, frames, bottles, random pieces of wood, fabrics, stuffing for pillows ... sooooooooo many projects ..... sooooooo little time .....

Thanks to my sister-in-law, I am able to sell my creations at the Nashville Flea Market (the 4th weekend of the month).  She has a booth and travels down there each month w/ a box of my stuff, adding to the collection she already has!  I don't make alot of money, but the goal is just to be able to create things and have a place for those "things" to go (besides stacking up in my studio!)  Yes it's very hard to see them leave the studio, but I take pics before I send them off for a photo history of my creations.

Sadly, Moss Creek Lane is not my full time job ... I still work full-time outside the home (difficult to replace that income at this point!) so it's tough to find time in the studio .... but when I walk in there my mood changes, I exhale ... smile and say "I love being in here!"

Here are a few more pics ... enjoy!

 ribbon collection (oh man that "S" is crooked)

 stamp supplies, etc stored in vintage suitcase

 shelf unit for paint, gesso, stains, plastic gloves, rags

various "collections" of supplies

Thanks to Karen for this fun event ... I have been "looking over her shoulder" for a couple years now, soaking up her creativity, and getting inspired by the artists that participate in  "Where Bloggers Create" ... finally decided to take the plunge.  Forgive the 'basicness' of my post ... I really did just start doing the blog thing!

This Little Piggy Went to Market

So the husband and I went to Nashville to see the flea market where LW has a booth and has been selling my wares.  We went w/ friends, and had a great time.  Weather held out until the day we were leaving ...

I think she's got a good spot ... she's under a roof, but in open air, so it gets people out of the sun and they might linger longer.  It is a HUGE flea market ... biggest I have been to (other than the Gypsy Caravan in STL).  Not alot of deals that I saw, but I guess it depends on what you're looking for, and your idea of "deal".  $75 for an old door that's in really ROUGH shape is no deal at all.

So we checked in w/ LW first thing when we got there -- I had 2 boxes of creations to drop off for her ... she loved everything I made ... she has my stuff set up really nicely so no issues there.  She has alot of other junk in her booth ... alot of different things that she's selling.   She has alot of glassware, random jewelry, chairs, some furniture she has repainted, etc.  There is no 'theme'.  She likes keeping my stuff all together in one area and it stands out more that way.  Makes sense.

So we checked out the flea market all day Saturday and went back a couple hours on Sunday.  I was scoping my "competition" to see if anyone else was doing what i was doing.  I found one other lady that was re-purposing and decorating old bottles, but hers were a little more 'blingy' than mine, and weren't my taste at all ... (to each his own) ... They were $22 (nothing of mine is over $20) but really found no one else doing exactly what i was doing.  Found a couple of re-purposed boxes, but again ... not done like mine. (can't remember the $ on those)

So ........... what's the issue?  Why am I not selling much?  I think LW said I sold about $50 as of 2:00 pm on Sunday (when we left for the day -- she would be packing up about 6:00 and heading home), but there's so much more left to sell.  My stuff is priced really well, and is really well done.  I haven't used any "WILD" colors ... or any wild themes .... I tried to keep it neutral so it would appeal to alot of people and fit into most decors.

Anyway -- I'm a little bummed at the response to my stuff ... I don't plan on sending a pile of stuff w/ her next month ... we'll just hang low and see what else sells.  I have alot of things I wanna work on, but if they aren't ready by end o' month, I'm not going to be concerned.  <sigh>

UPDATE!!
So over the weekend I got my $$ from LW for sales -- total $100 was sold.  Now if I were to think about this for a moment I would realize that none of my stuff is over $15 ... therefore ALOT sold if I made $100!  Yeah I'm all doom and gloom sometimes (HA) ... here are a few things that sold this month:

 

London box for the lady that requested 'anything London/England'  $12

 Small Shabby Mirror - $10

Painted Metal Door Knob Pic Holder - $10

March Flea Market Aftermath

Got a note from LW with details on the March Market.  She said it was weird ... everyone looked, liked, said the prices were good ... but didn't buy much.  She said the cube mail organizer w/ slots and drawer sold -- I had marked that one for her (our agreement is I make a couple things here and there for her to sell as payment).  I asked her what she got for it, haven't heard back yet.  AND stupid me ... I hated the way it turned out so I didn't take a pic!  sheeeeeesh

Anyway she said she wants MORE stuff from me cauz she's hearing that the April Market is BUSY!  I wasn't going to send anything else cauz I was concerned w/ overloading her.  She has alot of my stuff right now ... but hey if she wants more, by golly, I'll be doing more!  I have some ideas in the works ...

And she got the wood boxes w/ the engraved flowers on top.  I am assuming she is giving them to me to redo and send back ... they will look GREAT!

And she found another tag of something that had sold from February Market.  My "Paris" bottle.  I loved how it turned out -- so glad it sold!  It was marked $7.


Off to the studio to get busy for the April Market ... we are out of town the weekend of Easter so I don't have alot of extra time this month to create.  Gotta Get Busy!

Slooooooow Day At the Market

The weather wasn't so great in Nashville this past weekend, so the sales were slow.  I still haven't talked to LW to see if I sold anything but she and I exchanged a couple texts over the weekend.

She said she had a couple orders for me ... I thought "uh oh ... I don't take orders."  I was concerned that someone would say "oh I want a tray exactly like this one but in blue" or something like that.  My creations are from repurposed things I find a sales,  thrift shops, etc ... I can't guarantee any item a 2nd time.  So i was sweatin' bullets on this "order" thing.

Her next text was "she would like anything 'London'."  Oh okay that's different.

Another regular that likes my stuff is a 'white on white' fan ... and I'm thinking "everything i have done has been white ... buy something!"  LOL LOL

LW also sent a pic of a couple of carved boxes she was going to negotiate on to get down the price.  They are very pretty and I think they'd look great w/ my "touch" added!

If I didn't sell anything this weekend I doubt I'll send more stuff next month.  I don't want LW having a TON of my stuff to deal with in her storage unit down there ... and in the booth.

March - Off To Market!

So it's time for the March Flea Market in Nashville.  Here are a few things that are going to LW's today for the market this weekend!!

Shabby Chic Paris Tray - $15

Altered Cigar Box - $12

Altered Mail Organizer - $15

(this thing was positively hideous before)

 Shabby Chic Wooden Tote - $15

Plastered Hanging Block - $5

Ok so that last one ... the plastered block (I didn't know what to call it, but it sounds like a drunkard) .... I totally love it.  In real life it looks amazing and I cannot believe I made it!  LOL

I only made one, but I have about 8 blocks cut out and waiting to use this technique  again -- provided this one is well received in the market this weekend.  I guess it's nuts of me, but I wanted to see if there was interest b/4 I made like 400 of the things.

I had sent some wood block wire picture holders w/ LW in January and NONE have been touched, so I'm leery of sending BULK of anything unless it's well loved.  I dunno ... maybe that's not the way you "do" this ... I'm still learning.

Chalk Paint has Changed My Life

So I took a two nite course at the local antique mall on chalk painting techniques.  I had read about chalk paint for a couple years now, and had even made my own w/ a DIY recipe I found on the 'net.  But when I saw the opportunity to really learn the detail of it, I jumped.

I will never look back!

So the first nite we just painted the object we brought in.  Most brought in an actual piece of furniture (the largest being a DESK).  I brought in two boards.  One is a cabinet door I got at Restore, and another was some ugly wall hanging that was a nice size to make into a "welcome" sign or something.  I was just mostly taking SOMETHING to practice on.

So Nite #1 was uneventful.  I have painted boards b/4 ... no biggie.  Paint goes on lovely, and while many on the 'net say you don't need two coats ... they are liars. LOL LOL  The 2nd coat gets rid of the brush streaks from the first coat (now i did have darker wood underneath, so maybe if you're doing a light wood it's only one coat).

I got done in like 20 minutes and just looked at everyone for the rest of the class.  <sigh>

But LAST NITE ... that was the finishing nite and I was giddy!  It was the whole reason I took the class ... I can paint a board all day long and twice on Sundays, but I wanted to learn about waxes and glazes, etc.   Pete showed me how to use a dark wax in the crevices just to 'grunge' it up a bit, wipe w/ a rag and then apply the glaze (tinted brown) over the top for a GREAT aged finish.  

(I had a pic off my phone and i have no idea how to load it ... <sigh>)

So good thing I "got paid" from LW yesterday for my flea market sales.  I have a grocery list of products I want to get at Lowes!  800grit Sandpaper, Rustoleum Decorative Glaze, Valspar Cracking Glaze ... and I'm going back to Pete's store to get the dark wax I used last nite.

Now sidebar on the cracking glaze.  I love using plain ol' Elmers Glue for my usual cracking projects, but i needed a clear cracking medium to go over images I have decopauged (then you rub a stain over it and it works into the cracks for that OLD look).  Elmer's only works if you're going over it w/ a paint.  I'm NOT going to spend $$$ on the Tim Holtz Rock Candy stuff (even though I do love him -- he's just too expensive), Annie Sloan, VanGogh, etc  and I hear the Martha Stewart stuff doesn't work.  Pete had a bottle of the Valspar stuff and I thought "score!"

And of course NOW I need more shelving in my studio.  I can see my husband shaking his head already ... but he's a good sport thru it all .... love love love that man!