My First Craft Showing



Unable to have the banner I'd designed in Publisher, printed at an office supply store, I resorted to making this one around 11:00 pm, the night before my display.



I'VE  BEEN FREQUENTING THE  East Lake Farmer's Market (ELFM) at East Lake United Methodist Church. . From a previous post you will know that I subscribed to picking up a half basket of fresh fruits and veggies as well as homemade goodies every other week. This week was different in that I got to display my own craft items. This  is something I've wanted to do for a long time but couldn't get up the nerve. I enjoy being in the company of others who craft. I found it at ELFM. I was not so much interested in making money as I was getting up the gumption to actually get out there and experience the craft vending world.      

            

Most books I borrow from the public library but I was so impressed with, The Handmade Market Place by Kari Chapin that I bought it. It is chock full of worthy information and tips. It seems that every question I had was answered somewhere in her book.

ON WITH THE SHOW



A table showing my wares.



yellow tie dyed tee shirt scarf with matching yellow beads.

Here is one of my 4 cardboard models. As stated I "reuse and redesign  with discards." I found these photos in  a 2nd hand shop. They'd been taken from discarded photo albums. I was looking for vintage photos and found what I wanted. I took the head shots to Staples and had them enlarged. I then asked and was given cardboard boxes from a car parts warehouse (They have the best boxes, Sturdy and clean) and cut out the shapes.   The initial inspiration for the models came from  Bea Graansma and Carolina Gonzalez .

 

All neckwear comes as a duo. A tee shirt scarf with an accompanying  vintage necklace or a tee shirt necklace.
The lighted compacts in the forefront have vintage photos also.



**BTW All of the photos I used are from a secondhand store. I don't know any of these people. 



Neckwear doubled

 

White tee shirt  scarf worn with a decorative pin.

The neckwear can be worn together or separately. Most lengths are in the 30+" range. It can be worn long or short by doubling the necklace and scarf around the neck. Wearing it with a brooch  or pin would be nice also.

I only decorated 4 compacts. To see a close up of the others click the photo of the table above. I sold three of them. Below is a closeup of the first one to sell.




This is the backside of one of the lighted mirror compacts

 


This is the front side of the compact. I used lace, photo and cut outs from thrift outlets. I call this one "Saturday on the Town."



I didn't have a picture of the pink one showing the lighted mirror when slid open so
this is  "On the Beach".   Slide open to use the mirror. Slide the cover farther down to use the mirror lighted.





This is Lois whom I met weeks earlier. She gave me the info on who to call to get the "hook up" to be a vendor. We shared a booth this past Saturday. I was facing north and she was facing south. Look over her shoulder and you'll see my table behind her.



I am proud of myself for finally getting out there and trying it out. I'll be there again next week.

THAT's IT***

Fruit & Veggie Haul

These are the fresh veggies that were in my box from the East Lake Farmer's Market this weekend. Tomatoes,squash,purple hull peas, green beans, redskin potatoes, and peaches. This is plenty for me. I'd been picking up every week but had to change that because it was more food than I was getting to. A half box is $15 which is what I get. A whole box is $30.  Supporting local farmers and crafts people is my goal as well as getting fresh food when so many places have been deemed fresh food deserts.

Also included in my box was a pan of homemade rolls. I ate three of them yesterday topped with homemade strawberry jam that was in my last box.

The market will discontinue in October. Since I've been picking up the fresh veggies, I've been eating healthier. That's not to say I've abandoned fast food , but I seem to do it less often and at times  I find the fast food tasteless and unsatisfying.  

In addition to fresh food, various crafts people have their wares for sale. I've bought handmade earrings from one of the outside vendors and purchased items from inside the church's thrift store in the past.

Yesterday, I had to have these colorful hand embroidered kitchen towels. The photo doesn't do justice to the precise stitches used to form the images on the towel. The craftsperson told me that the towels were purchased and are part of the Martha Stewart collection but the images are hand stitched. The fabric seemed to be a mixture of linen and cotton.  The colors and borders as well as the handwork would make a cute sundress for a small child.  On the other hand who'd want their child wearing a casserole dish, teapot or drinking glass. It was just a thought.

THAT'S IT***