I am currently in the market for a good craft fair tent. I have looked at a ton of tents it seems. I want to spend around $400 on the tent in the hopes that it will last for several years without replacing it. I know that Trimline has probably got the best tent but with shipping the tent would end up costing $1000 which is way out of my budget.
So it looks like I'm pretty much stuck getting an EZ Up tent. I have looked at a bunch of their tents and I am thinking of going with their dome tent which looks very similar to the Trimline tent and is within my budget of $400. I will probably be buying the tent this coming week because of how soon my outdoor fair is coming up.
Do any of my readers have any experience with this tent or do you know of a better tent that will fit within in my budget. Any comments or suggestions would be welcome. Thanks
Friday, July 31, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
New Catalogs
I got a few new catalogs yesterday which is always fun for me. I love seeing new products and making a big wish list - most of which I never get around to buying.
One catalog I was really happy to receive was the new Nashville Wraps catalog. It is a catalog of all kinds of bags, boxes, wrapping paper and such. When I got my first catalog some months back I put in a large order for recycled Kraft bags with handles to use at the craft fairs.
I got the blank bags so I could stamp my own and make them unique to me. I bought this awesome custom stamp from terbearco on Etsy that I use as well as a roller stamp that has a swirly design. With ribbon I tie one of my business cards to the handle so that every customer gets a card. It has worked out very well for me.
So now I need to put in another large order with them so that I will have plenty of bags to get me through to the end of the year.
Nashville Wraps new catalog is filled with wonder Christmas bags and boxes and things. As well as more everyday designs. You can really put together a great signature look with what they have to offer. Their prices are reasonable too. I highly recommend them if you are in the market for these types of items.
Their website is www.nashvillewraps.com and the catalog is free.
One catalog I was really happy to receive was the new Nashville Wraps catalog. It is a catalog of all kinds of bags, boxes, wrapping paper and such. When I got my first catalog some months back I put in a large order for recycled Kraft bags with handles to use at the craft fairs.
I got the blank bags so I could stamp my own and make them unique to me. I bought this awesome custom stamp from terbearco on Etsy that I use as well as a roller stamp that has a swirly design. With ribbon I tie one of my business cards to the handle so that every customer gets a card. It has worked out very well for me.
So now I need to put in another large order with them so that I will have plenty of bags to get me through to the end of the year.
Nashville Wraps new catalog is filled with wonder Christmas bags and boxes and things. As well as more everyday designs. You can really put together a great signature look with what they have to offer. Their prices are reasonable too. I highly recommend them if you are in the market for these types of items.
Their website is www.nashvillewraps.com and the catalog is free.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Gearing Up
I have put in a bunch of orders and will be getting lots of new goodies over the coming week. I am excited to get them and start working on new things. I am gearing up for the coming craft fairs and new online offerings.
I have actually started to make Christmas cards already. I would like to have 6 new designs for the upcoming season so that I can retire some that I have had for a couple of years now. Don't want to get stale at the shows. I am also working on new journals, note pads, note cards and everyday occasion cards. The only thing I don't seem to have the time to fit in right now is new scrapbook pages. I would ike to get one or two new ones made for my online shop.
Even starting this early I always feel like I won't have enough time to get things finished in time. I usually do make almost all of what I set out to make but I can't seem to stop the nagging doubt in my brain. I just have to keep plugging away.
I have actually started to make Christmas cards already. I would like to have 6 new designs for the upcoming season so that I can retire some that I have had for a couple of years now. Don't want to get stale at the shows. I am also working on new journals, note pads, note cards and everyday occasion cards. The only thing I don't seem to have the time to fit in right now is new scrapbook pages. I would ike to get one or two new ones made for my online shop.
Even starting this early I always feel like I won't have enough time to get things finished in time. I usually do make almost all of what I set out to make but I can't seem to stop the nagging doubt in my brain. I just have to keep plugging away.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Bind It All
I used my new Bind It All machine for the first time yesterday. I went in with the thought that it would be pretty easy to use and I would have a wonderful masterpiece of a journal when I was finished.
Boy was I wrong. It is not that easy at all. I had a hard time lining things up (probably operator error) to punch more holes as I went along. I went through a ton of paper just trying to get some of the holes to line up. I never did get one that was totally right. I was totally disappointed that at the end of a long afternoon I had a journal that was barely useable and a large pile of paper that will now have to be used for something else.
I now know that I have to do a lot of practicing before I attempt to make another journal. i won't give up on it that is for sure. I am sure with time I will be a pro and I will look at my original attempt and laugh.
So for any of you out there that are thinking about getting one of these please know that it will take a lot of practice before you try a big project. I'm sure some of you will do better right from the start than I did. I do love the machine and I just have to get used to it.
Boy was I wrong. It is not that easy at all. I had a hard time lining things up (probably operator error) to punch more holes as I went along. I went through a ton of paper just trying to get some of the holes to line up. I never did get one that was totally right. I was totally disappointed that at the end of a long afternoon I had a journal that was barely useable and a large pile of paper that will now have to be used for something else.
I now know that I have to do a lot of practicing before I attempt to make another journal. i won't give up on it that is for sure. I am sure with time I will be a pro and I will look at my original attempt and laugh.
So for any of you out there that are thinking about getting one of these please know that it will take a lot of practice before you try a big project. I'm sure some of you will do better right from the start than I did. I do love the machine and I just have to get used to it.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Picnic & Fireworks
Tomorrow I will be going to a big picnic and fireworks show. It has been a tradition for the past 15 years and I really look forward to it. We only see the people that attend the picnic when we are at the picnic so it is a great time to catch up on what's been going on in the past year.
My youngest daughter (who is 26) used to enjoy going to the picnic and fireworks show but now has a very hard time. She is in the army and has gone to Iraq twice. The picnic is fine for her except that she has high anxiety from being in a crowd of people. The thing she has the most trouble with is the fireworks. To her they sound like bombs going off because she was bombed so many times while in Iraq. It saddens me that this wonderful display of celebration causes her so much pain. I am hoping that as the years go by she will once again be able to enjoy fireworks.
So please when you gather in celebration of our 4th of July please think of our service men and women. They are the reason we can still have our celebration.
My youngest daughter (who is 26) used to enjoy going to the picnic and fireworks show but now has a very hard time. She is in the army and has gone to Iraq twice. The picnic is fine for her except that she has high anxiety from being in a crowd of people. The thing she has the most trouble with is the fireworks. To her they sound like bombs going off because she was bombed so many times while in Iraq. It saddens me that this wonderful display of celebration causes her so much pain. I am hoping that as the years go by she will once again be able to enjoy fireworks.
So please when you gather in celebration of our 4th of July please think of our service men and women. They are the reason we can still have our celebration.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Kudos to SAHM Crafters
I watch my 4 year old grandson quite often. And while he is a joy most of the time I can never seem to get anything accomplished when he is here. He is always interrupting when I try to work on things. I can't get any cleaning done or even any projects for my shop. It takes 3 times as long to get one task done. I have tried giving him his own projects to do but he will barely work on them before he's back interrupting me again.
I love him dearly and he has been under my care since he was a baby. I don't know how all of you SAHM get anything done. I'm sure that you must schedule your time around the children's naps and bedtime to make it work. My grandson doesn't take naps anymore so I have no down time during the day to work around. So I find myself trying to get as much done as possible while he is not here.
So big Kudos to all you SAHM who have got this all figured out! You are my crafting heros!
I love him dearly and he has been under my care since he was a baby. I don't know how all of you SAHM get anything done. I'm sure that you must schedule your time around the children's naps and bedtime to make it work. My grandson doesn't take naps anymore so I have no down time during the day to work around. So I find myself trying to get as much done as possible while he is not here.
So big Kudos to all you SAHM who have got this all figured out! You are my crafting heros!
Friday, June 19, 2009
Back From Vacation
I am back from a ten day vacation to the White Mountains of New Hampshire. It is one of my favorite areas in the country. I truly wish I could move up there, but for now I settle for one or two trips up there a year.
I brought no projects to work on for the first time ever. I wanted it to truly be a vacation and not a time to do more work in a better location. It was hard not having a project to work on especially on rainy days when I couldn't do outdoor activities. Instead of working I watched movies which I hadn't taken the time to do in a long time. It was nice but the little voice in the back of my head said yes but you really should be working on something. That is when it dawned on me how much time I really devote to my craft and how little time I took out for myself doing other things I enjoy. After that realization I gave myself permission to just relax and enjoy my vacation.
I did a lot of hiking (beware the trail info gives you the miles to a particular point and not the round trip - learned that the hard way) and a lot of thinking and pondering. I came up with a couple of new ideas to try and took a lot of great pictures. I do love being out in nature and away from the busy everyday things.
Of course as with all vacations it ended way too soon and I am back to the ordinary everyday grind. I will take a little more me time each week and see how that goes. It will be hard at first but I am sure it will be second nature in no time. And on my next vacation in the fall I will probably not bring any projects again because a vacation truly should be a vacation.
I brought no projects to work on for the first time ever. I wanted it to truly be a vacation and not a time to do more work in a better location. It was hard not having a project to work on especially on rainy days when I couldn't do outdoor activities. Instead of working I watched movies which I hadn't taken the time to do in a long time. It was nice but the little voice in the back of my head said yes but you really should be working on something. That is when it dawned on me how much time I really devote to my craft and how little time I took out for myself doing other things I enjoy. After that realization I gave myself permission to just relax and enjoy my vacation.
I did a lot of hiking (beware the trail info gives you the miles to a particular point and not the round trip - learned that the hard way) and a lot of thinking and pondering. I came up with a couple of new ideas to try and took a lot of great pictures. I do love being out in nature and away from the busy everyday things.
Of course as with all vacations it ended way too soon and I am back to the ordinary everyday grind. I will take a little more me time each week and see how that goes. It will be hard at first but I am sure it will be second nature in no time. And on my next vacation in the fall I will probably not bring any projects again because a vacation truly should be a vacation.
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