Craftin' Like There's No Tomorrow

Midwest Craft Caucus

2011-06-07T22:06:00.001-04:00

I attended the Midwest Craft Caucus this past weekend and had a wonderful time! It is the incentive that I needed to get my rear in gear. There were lots of Craft folks that attended and a lot of Crafty Folks that are professionals in this area. By Professional I mean that they are making a living off of their art or craft or they are making a successful supplemental income. I truly believe that this is something our Community has needed for years.

The Caucus provided workshops on different topics that will help the indivual Craft Artisan with their businesses. Some of the topics were Effective Merchandising, How to Improve Your Product Photography , Working with Street Teams and Collectives and my most favorite Connecting with your Customers. I really loved all the classess I took and wished that I could have taken all that were offered.

Hats off to all the Planners, Sponsors and Volunteers of the Midwest Craft Caucus!http://www.midwestcraftcaucus.com/

North Market Artisan Sundays

2011-04-28T00:02:00.000-04:00

North Market Artisan Sundays start this Sunday May 1st. Come out and join us!

Cool Photo Collage

2011-03-21T20:41:00.000-04:00

I'm on-line tonight trying to get together my photos to enter into a show. I thought the best way to do this was to create a collage.
Let me know what you think of it! All of the photos are of handmade items that me, my Mom or my Grandmother have made. The scarf in the bottom left hand corner was a scarf that was featured in The Columbus Alive paper!

Happy Crafting!

Brainstorming for Creativity

2011-03-12T23:35:00.000-05:00

Today I was brainstorming for ideas on starting a new Creative Group in the area where I live. I think it's important to keep Handmade alive in our community. I know there are a lot of groups out there right now but I don't know what they are all about. Meaning, I don't know what their goals are for promoting Art and promoting Crafts. I would like to start a group that promotes both and puts Columbus on the map for Handmade. Make it an epicenter where people want to come to find something new and different.

I love being around people that are creative! It makes me think more about my craft and it makes me want to do more in the community. And, I don't know about you but have you ever talked to someone that had no wish whatsoever to do anything creative? They have no spark and the conversation usually ends pretty quickly.

I also believe in supporting your community but there are so many ways to do it. One thing I would definitely like to do is educate the community. Make them aware of all the Artists that live in this city. How important it is to support them by not only purchasing from them but going out and supporting them when there are shows, gallery showings, etc... I think it is important to make people aware of how important it is to shop locally. Let's put it this way, look at the US right now. Most of the big businesses are sending jobs overseas or to Mexico to exploit the cheap labor. If these jobs were in the US right now we would have money flowing in our economy. The same goes for shopping everywhere but in the area where you live. Don't get me wrong, you don't have to buy everything locally but you should buy locally when you can.

Last but not least (at least for now) I think it is important to teach kids to be creative. Family traditions of making things should be passed on. I'm a third generation knitter and a fourth generation quilter. Well, I'm trying to be a quilter anyway.... Hobbies keep children out of trouble. It also promotes quality time with friends and family. Creative kids that are allowed to express themselves don't take guns to school.

Okay, I'm off my soapbox!

Published My First Etsy Team Columbus Member Interview tonight

2011-03-07T23:19:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited! I published my first team member interview tonight on the Etsy Team Columbus blog. I'm not a great blogger but I'm trying. I hope if you get the chance to check out my interview of Joy StClaire of Oh Joy! Photography. She is also a new member of ETC so please welcome her!

Etsy Team Columbus

On a Quest for a New Line of Products

2011-01-18T20:48:00.000-05:00

I should be called PrincessofallScarves instead of PrincessofallthingsCrafty. Throughout the year I make more scarves than anything else. I don't mind really as I can make different types of scarves and try new stitches when making them. However, sometimes, okay a lot of times, I get bored and just want to try something different. So my Quest for this year is to find another niche. It doesn't necessarily have to be Knitting but I would like to make a few new products to add to the Crazy Craft N Ladies line. I would also like to make more one of a kind jewelry for LanieBugJewelry.

For the Jewelry line I already have a few ideas. My main idea is to make Summer jewelry. Jewelry that reminds a person of their best vacation ever. Or it could even make them think of the vacation they want to have, like me for instance....I would love to go to a tropical beach and sip on tropical drinks and soak in the sun all day. Throw in a nice looking guy and a big fan and we are good to go! So wouldn't you love to have a piece of jewelry that makes you think of that!

For Crazy Craft N Ladies I'm thinking Bags and purses, my passion, but with a twist. Lots of people make both and I want mine to stand out but I also want it to be fun. So I have to think up a twist on the bag idea.

Looking forward to sharing my ideas with you! Happy New Year!

JCC Arts & Crafts Fair - Sunday, November 21, 2010

2010-11-19T23:16:00.000-05:00

Crazy Craft N Ladies will be at the JCC Arts & Crafts Fair this Sunday. I have also heard that some other Etsy Team Columbus members will be there. Please come out and Support the artists in the community. Stop by and say hi!

Jewish Community Center
1125 College Avenue
Columbus, OH 43209-7802
(614) 231-2731
The Craft fair is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

October

2010-10-03T12:04:00.000-04:00

Wow, it's October already! I love Fall because of the cooler weather and because of the smell of the changing leaves! Yes, I'm weird like that! Fall really makes me concentrate more on my crafting. Sometimes the weather has me holed in so, what better thing for me to do than to be on the internet and craft! lol

Fall makes me think of Halloween. Halloween by far is my favorite Holiday! When I think of crafting around this time of year I think of all of the beautiful fall colors. What can I make? I like making wreaths. I think no home is complete without a wreath to hang on their front door. Yesterday my Mom and I attended a Flea Market held at Mac-A-Doos in Hilliard. We had a lot of florals from back in the day when I used to make wreaths and baskets to sell at craft shows. So, going through these flowers and picks brought back the Holiday nostalgia. I want to make a few wreaths to give away as gifts. I told my Mom we may even want to make a few to try and sell. I say Try because usually at craft shows they don't do well. I think we price our items very well (meaning very affordable - most of our items we don't even make profits off of) and people still want to talk you down out of your prices. {I may make a post about this and go into a lot more detail later.} But as crafts to trade as gifts, maybe I would fare much better.

Fall also makes me think of Pumpkins and all the neat designs I see people come up with. I'm a crafter but I'm not a pumpkin carver so I opt for the pre-made lighted ones I can put on my porch around the holidays! I also like to incorporate Pumpkins into the Fall theme. You can use a pumpkin for Halloween and Thanksgiving. If you're like me and just like the colors, sometimes I leave them up well into Christmas! Yes, people think I'm weird because right now at this very minute, I still have a couple of Christmas decorations up that I left up just because I love the looks of them. Conformity does not make a Crafter!

Feel free to share your Fall and Winter decorating ideas or even craft ideas! Let me know about your favorite Holiday and what you like to do for it!

Welcome!

2010-08-23T18:29:00.000-04:00

I've decided to reopen my blog on Blogger. I was trying Ning for awhile but they wanted a monthly fee, so here I am! Please feel free to comment on how the blog looks, if there is anything that I may add to make it look better, etc...

In the near future I will be posting pictures of new Crazy Craft N Ladies products, craft shows, crafty places I visit and new craft items I try out. I will share reviews of craft shows that I attend or visit to let you know my opinion of them.

Last but not least, I will be featuring friends and team members on my blog to let you know what type of items that they sell and how they make their products (if they are willing to share!).

Please stay tuned for more fun and excitement!