Thursday, December 6, 2012

A Craft Show Testimony



This is the story of a journey.  That started with an idea and ended with God fulfilling a promise.

Early this year I was thinking about organizing a craft show.  I really wanted a place where artisans like me could be featured.  Folks that pour their life and soul into their work selling their handmade goods.  I knew that it would be a ton of work and I had no idea what I was doing.  I asked God if this was something I should pursue and He clearly confirmed for me that I should do it.  I felt peace that He would be with me the whole way.

The researching and planning was overwhelming.  I never knew how much would be involved in promoting a show.  Several times I would cry out that I couldn't do it.  He would call back, "no  you can't, but I can, go forward and I will be with you."  And I would keep going.

God showed His care and goodness so many times.  I remember praying one day "Lord, I don't have the skills to design a flyer, how am I going to do this?"  A few minutes later I had a message from a graphic designer friend offering her services for free.  I was blown away by that immediate answer to prayer.

I had also done research that had told me to put out a press release but I could not figure out how.  I was trying to collect contacts to send the information out to but kept coming up with nothing.  Then one day on a visit to a friend's shop he brought up the subject of press releases.  When I told him I didn't know how to go about it he offered to help me put it together and to send it out to his list of contacts.  That was a huge answer to prayer!  His help is what got the attention of the Public Opinion which got us a great article written up.

At one point God gave me a vision for how successful the show was going to be.  I pushed it back in my mind saying "that is only wishful thinking, keep your head out of the clouds Angel."  Then a great friend told me to make sure that I was trusting God to do what He has promised He would do.  That stopped me in my tracks.  I knew God was leading me in this process and I knew He was going to do something great.

The day before the show once the room had been set up for us, a friend and I spent some time alone in the room.  We prayed.  We walked around that room laying our hands on each table and praying.  We prayed for each vendor individually.  We prayed for favor, positive attitudes, safety in travels, salvation for those who may not know the Lord.  Mostly, we begged God for His presence.

I could barely sleep the night before and was up and at the hotel by 5am.  As I watched the vendors arrive and set up my stomach was in knots.  I wanted so badly for them all to have a great day and all I could do at that point was wait.

Just before the show started we pulled all the vendors together for a group photo.  One vendor told me later that this meant a lot to her as it created a sense of camaraderie instead of competition that can be felt at other shows.  Then, we all gathered for a short prayer.

At 8am when the doors opened and shoppers started to arrive my heart stopped.  I ran over to my booth and looked up.  What I saw took my breath away.  My vision was real.  By 8:10am there was a line of shoppers waiting to come in.  I could barely stand but I somehow held myself together for the day.

God's presence was in the room.  It was evident in so many ways.  When it got hot because of all the people no one complained or got nasty.  When the aisles were crowded and folks had to wait to get through they didn't get impatient or rude.  They waited with a smile.  It was amazing.

At the end of the day around 900 shoppers had come through and all 26 vendors reported having a great sale day.

This show in an amazing testimony and I feel so blessed that God used me in this way.  What a testament that God cares about us and everything we do.  Even about a craft show!  The day was an  amazing success and to God alone is the glory.

Angel

Thursday, October 25, 2012

15 days till show time


We are now only 15 days away from the show day.  There is still so much to do but with the help of some amazing friends I am getting there one step at a time.

Have you checked out the facebook page for the event yet?  You should!  I am giving all sorts of teasers for the vendors that are coming as well as the rockin' door prizes that we will be giving away.

http://www.facebook.com/IHeartHandmadeMarketplace

I hope to see lots of smiling faces on November 10th, will you be one of them?

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

I heart handmade marketplace

I am getting so excited for the show!  Me and a few friends are working together to plan this event.  We have amazing vendors lined up, ALL HANDMADE ARTISANS!

The door prizes are going to be out of this world awesome.

I cannot wait to start sharing the list of sellers with you and giving you a preview of the awesomeness to come.  You will just have to wait a little longer.

Have I mentioned that I am excited?

Will be back soon to start sharing the details.

In the meantime save the date for November 10, 2012 8am-2pm because you will not want to miss this show :)

Angel

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

1,500 Facebook Follower Giveaway

I am so excited to hit 1,500 followers on my Facebook page.  I decided to give a little bit back to the awesome friends that have supported me throughout this journey.  What better way than a giveaway!

I will give one chalkboard mat to 3 winners.  Winner chooses from the available fabric options in my Etsy shop.

To enter just leave a comment below with your email address so I can contact the winner.  I will pick a name Friday August 31, 2012 at 8pm EST.  I will use random.org to pick the three winners.

To any new friends who may not know about my chalkboard mats you can see them here.

Thanks so much and good luck!

Angel

Sunday, July 8, 2012

We Are Hosting a Handmade Craft Show!!!!!

I am so ridiculously excited to tell you about this!  A couple of crafting friends and I are organizing a craft show!

After realizing that there is a need here in Chambersburg, PA for a craft show where local artisans can showcase their handmade goods we decided that it was in our hands to make it happen.

The show will take place at the Four Points Sheraton in Chambersburg, PA on November 10th 2012 8am-2pm.

We are currently looking for vendors to showcase at the event.  There are a limited number of spaces and we will only be featuring handmade artisans and crafts persons.

Please read and fill out the application in the link below:

Craft Show Application

I will be keeping you updated on the vendor list and all of the fun things we have planned for the show day as we get closer.

If you or anyone that you know would like to apply to participate then please do so quickly.  We are asking that all application be submitted by August 1st so we can get started.

Thanks so much and I look forward to seeing many of you there :)

EDITED TO ADD: WE ARE STILL ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS SO PLEASE CONTINUE TO APPLY!

Angel

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Mustache Baby!!!

I am totally in love with this new fabric that I released last month.

This fabric is called "where's my stache?" and it is from Alexander Henry.

I have so enjoyed making these fun baby items as well as hearing how much everyone is enjoying them.

Several new dads received some of these items for their first Father's Day and I am so honored to have been a part of that!

First and most popular is this adorable baby burp cloth and bib set.


Next up is this soft and comfy blanket.  It is available in two sizes and I just can't get over how cute it is!


So, are you into the stache?

Angel

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Where do you find all your fabrics? Part 2

So I shared the stores that I shop at here in Chambersburg, PA in Part 1 of this series.  Now we dive into all of my online favorites.  This is super fun and dangerous at the same time because there is just so much to choose from it is almost impossible to narrow it down when I am shopping.  So have a look around these shops and if you find a new favorite let me know.

I have to start with HyperNoodle Fabrics.  I first found them selling through Etsy and then they opened up their own website and I surely followed them there.  They have an awesome selection of designer fabrics and great prices.  Fabric always arrives quickly and beautifully packaged as well as cut perfectly straight.  This is always one the first places I go when shopping online.

Burp Cloth Set made with fabric purchased from HyperNoodle

My other absolute favorite online source for fabric is Cotton Blossom Farm.  I think I have purchased the most fabric from her.  Always arrives quickly, packaged perfectly and a straight cut every time.  I just love this shop, she always has such a great selection.

Dino Dudes Chalkboard Mat made with fabric purchased from Cotton Blossom Farm


Another online shop that I have purchased from several times is The Fat Quarter Shop.  I always wait for a free shipping promotion or a coupon code but I have gotten some beautiful fabric from them.  The shipping has always been fast here as well.

The Sesame Street fabric on the bottom party favor chalkboard mats were made using fabric purchased from the Fat Quarter Shop

My final shop that I tend to frequent is Fabric.com.  I watch them for sales or coupons so I can get a good deal.

A lot of Dr Suess fabric has been purchased from Fabric.com

Here is a list of other Etsy fabric shops that I have purchased from one or more times and had a great experience with:




Have fun fabric shopping friends!

Angel

Where do you find all your fabrics? Part 1

Where do you find all of your fabrics?  I get that question a lot.  It is a long but fun answer so I thought I would share it with you.  This will actually be a 2 part blog series because I have so many great places to tell you about.

Below I have given you insight, links, and info on where I buy my various fabrics.  I hope you find a new source or two.

First, I probably buy the most fabric from Joann's Fabric and Craft Store simply because it is close and they have great sales and coupons.  This is where I find most of my flannel and a good amount of the fun cotton prints that I use for the chalkboard mats.  I also buy a lot of my notions here.

Birds and Owls Chalkboard Mat fabric from Joann's

The next place that I find a lot of fabric is Hobby Lobby.  Again, they are close and have a great coupon every week.  They carry the same lines of fabric all the time so the selection doesn't change very often.  However, that is great when I am buying a fabric that I know I will need more of because they will always stock it.

Baby Girl Gift Set in my favorite line of fabric from Hobby Lobby.

Now let's get away from the chain stores and talk about some of the awesome locally owned fabric stores that I have found.

The Sewn' Place is here in Chambersburg, PA.  They have a great selection of quilting fabrics and I am often looking for novelty fabrics but I can still always find something wonderful there.  It is a great local source for designer fabrics.  Also, they sell sewing machines and give classes.  This is where I bought my machine last year and I have been so happy with it.  And, they offer scissor sharpening every day for only $2.50 a pair!  That is amazing right there!

Burp Cloth Set with fabric from The Sewn' Place

Just a few weeks ago I stumbled upon another local fabric store called Marian's Fabrics.  Again there are a lot of quilting fabrics here but oh wow there is just a lot of fabric here!  I was completely overwhelmed and excited when I walked in.  This place will definitely be on my go to list from now on.

Trains chalkboard mat made with fabric from Marian's


So here are all the local stores I go to fabric shop.  In the next post I will share all of my online sources and there are several!

So where do you fabric shop?

Angel

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Autism Awareness Project

April is Autism Awareness month. Although I have never experienced autism first hand, I have watched some of my friends work through this with their children.  I want to partner with you to support a local program.

So, for the rest of the month of April if you go to My Shop and purchase an Autism Awareness chalkboard mat I will donate $4 to The Franklin County 4H Therapeutic Riding Center.  This is a local riding center here in Chambersburg, PA that offers programs for special needs children including those affected by autism.  You can check out their Facebook Page for more information on their program.

I will let everyone know at the end of the month how much we raised.


These chalkboard mats are made using the Autism Awareness fabric with bright colored puzzle pieces.  

Thanks for partnering with me to support families working through Autism.

Angel

Thursday, April 12, 2012

My "Tower"

I am always so curious to see where other people do their crafting so I thought I would show you mine.

We call it the "tower" because it is in our finished attic.  Actually my amazingly awesome dad who has a huge heart finished it for me last summer just so that I would have a craft room.  I love him.

 Here is my work table.  Please notice how clean the top is, I did that just for the photos.  Also the very large coffee mug, always a must.

Here is the futon that my hubby and kids hang out on while I am working.  It also becomes our guest room when someone comes to stay.  Mostly it is my awesome step-mom because she comes to help me out a lot.

Oh, and I made those pillows.  They are one of the first personal sewing projects I ever did.

Oh wow, this looks so messy but it is mostly organized.  Lots of fabric scraps and scrapbooking supplies stuffed among all of that.

Do you see those awesome green frames on the wall?  Those were cheap ugly thrift store frames that I spray painted, actually my hubby did that for me.  One has fabric behind the glass and the other is regular lined notebook paper.  They are my dry erase "to do" boards.

Yes these are hanging file folders but they organize my chalkboard mat fabric so well.  A great solution!

This is a $5 yard sale find.  It is awesome and holds lots of little do dads and ribbon.

Um, yeah, that looks a hot mess too but it is pretty organized.  Shipping materials on the shelves and bins on top for fabric that needs pre-washed, projects that are in process and so on.

So, thanks for joining me in my tower.  Now you know where I am every night from 8pm till midnight sewing away :)

Angel

My Etsy Shop
My Facebook Page

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Qwerty and Chevron as I call them....

Hello fellow coffee lovers!  I am in the process of listing 10 new fabric options for coffee sleeves.  The 2 that I have listed so far I lovingly refer to as Qwerty and Chevron and here is why...

Here is Qwerty, isn't he cute?  Red background with vintage style typewriter keys all over.


And please meet Chevron, I like this one so much that I am keeping one for myself.  I especially love the black sparkly button!


You can check out all the other coffee sleeve fabric options that I currently have available in my Etsy shop.

Have a coffee filled day friends!

Angel

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Our Dress Up Bin



Last year on their birthday my daughter's received one of the most awesome gifts of all time!  A good friend of mine made them a dress up kit.  Not just any dress up kit that you find in the stores, a completely unique and fun one filled with vintage treasures!  Ever since she made this for us I have been encouraging her to sell them as I am sure others would love them as much as we do.

It is an old suitcase filled with thrift and antique store finds.  There are hats, gloves, scarves, costume jewelry and even heels!  From the moment my girls opened it they knew exactly what to do and started putting pieces on.

We have added to it throughout the year as well.  Throw in some of Grandma's jewelry, the tutu from Halloween and it just adds to the fun.

The best part is you just put all the pieces back in the suitcase and close it up when you are done.  I love that!!!

We play together with it...


and even Daddy can get in on the fun!

Isn't dress up fun???!!!!

Angel

Saturday, March 17, 2012

An ugly lamp....

I am fully aware that most people will think that this lamp is hideously ugly but I LOVE it!

I started with an inexpensive mix and match lamp shade and base from Target, I think I paid about $15.

Then I sat down with a huge bucket of buttons that my step mother had given me.  Now, don't let her title of step mother scare you.  She has no warts, has never tried to get me to eat a poisoned apple and is totally awesome.  She had a huge stash of vintage buttons from her mom's old sewing stash.  So, I sat down for a few hours with my glue gun and had at it.  I kept it completely random and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out.

Angel

My Etsy Shop
My Facebook Page

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Who Is My Target Market?



Pricing is the hardest part of owning a business.  It is the task that I struggle with more than anything else.  I desire desperately to make a great product at an affordable price.  But let's be real, I need to make money too.  I love that I can work from home with my little girls at my side but I do it to help out my family and pay bills.

I have been doing a lot of research lately on pricing models and strategies.  Many of which encourage you to figure out your target market and ideal customer.  Who is buying your product?  What does he/she look like?  How much disposable income does he/she have?

Many of these models are telling me that my ideal customer is not someone like me.  That he/she has more money than me and I should therefore price my items higher and make more expensive things to sell.

My question becomes, why shouldn't I be my target market?  If I am not making products for women like me than who will?

If I am not my target market then who will make unique products that families on a budget can afford?

So I will continue to make unique and fun items that cannot be found in a big box store.  I will keep the prices realistic and as low as possible all the while making a living for my family.  I will give moms like me a place to buy one of a kind and fun items for their families.

God Bless,

Angel

My Etsy Shop

My Facebook Page

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

New Venture! Online Party!!!



In looking for new ways to grow my business and get introduced to new folks I came upon a new fun way for you to help me spread the word.  I will now be having online shows!

What is a online show?  I knew you would ask :-)  It is similar to a home party and here is some info:

Q: What is a online show?
A: This is a home party of sorts and I am looking for volunteers to host shows for me.  Since I can't get to all of you I thought this would be a fun alternative.

Q: Is there an incentive for hosting a show?
A:  Yes!  For hosting a show for me you will receive a small gift then 10% back from the sales from the party as store credit to choose what you want.

Q: What do I have to do?
A:  Well, this is up to you really.  You can either have some friends over for snacks and hang out.  Guests can check out my products on the computer and then you gather the orders for me.  Or, I can send you an email with all the info for ordering and you would forward it out to all of your friends and family.  Then the orders would come directly to me and when the deadline that we decide on comes around, I will figure up the total and you can pick your free items.

Q:  What if my friends have questions about your products?
A:  If you are having an actual party I will make myself available at that time to either chat online or to give you a call and make sure all questions are answered.  If you are sending out emails folks can contact me via email with any questions or special requests.

Q: How will you get the items to me and my friends?
A: I will charge a simple $2 shipping fee per person and ship all of the items together to the hostess.  Then you can distribute the items.  They will be sorted for each buyer so you won't have to do that, simply hand them the package with their name on it.

Q:  How will guests pay for their orders?
A:  I will send paypal invoices to each individual so that they can pay separately and the hostess does not have to handle any money for me.

Q:  Can I still host a regular home show?
A:  Sure!  I am still looking to do more home shows, this is just a fun alternative for those that don't live near me or don't have the time to have an actual party.

I am really excited about this and hope to get a few of these going soon.  I have one active right now with a customer in Canada!

If you are interested in hostessing you can contact me at bamcraftymommas @ yahoo.com.

Thanks and have a great day!

Angel

www.BAMcraftymommas.etsy.com

http://www.facebook.com/uniquecreationsbyBAMcraftymommas

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

I Won A Giveaway from SayWhatCreations


Check out this super awesome bracelet that I won from SayWhatCreations!  Sarah was super awesome to work with as we emailed back and forth.  She put my daughter's names on my bracelet so that everyone who looks at her listing now sees my precious babies :-)

The bracelet is surprisingly light weight so it is easy to wear but it is super strong!  I am still just giddy that I won it and I wanted to share how pretty it is with you.

You can check out Sarah's Etsy shop here and make sure to "like" her Facebook page so you can see all of her beautiful jewelry.

Thanks again Sarah and SayWhatCreations!

Angel

My Etsy Shop

My Facebook Page

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

New ArtFire Studio is Open!



Hi friends!

I am very excited to announce that I now have a studio on ArtFire!  My shop name is still BAMcraftymommas over there and I currently have chalkboard mats and coffee sleeves listed.

I just wanted to venture into something new and find another venue to showcase my items.

And, I want you to help me kick start the new studio! Use coupon code GETSTARTED20 to get 20% off of your purchase!  Code good for 5 days!

So head on over and check out the new studio!

Thanks all!


Angel

http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/BAMcraftymommas

Friday, January 20, 2012

New Photos thanks to F2Photography!



I have been working with the amazingly talented Alexis of F2 Photography to take all new and awesome photos of my products.  Well they are turning out amazing and we are having fun doing it, well at least I am!  Alexis is great to work with, got my photos to me quickly, and took a ton of photos for me to choose from!

here is a great shot highlighting how the coffee sleeves stretch to fit most sized cups

I am heading back to her studio on Monday to finish up the rest of my product and I cannot wait to show you all the new pictures!

Here are a few more of the awesome shots she got for me!

here is a great shot of the chalkboard mats

I just love this one!  she makes everything look so good!

F2 Photography also does family photo sessions as well as products.  Check out her page and let her know that I sent you over!

See you soon!

Angel

Valentine's Day Scrapbook Class


Hi friends!  I just wanted to share an opportunity with you.  I will be facilitating a class at the Chambersburg Council of the Arts and I want to invite you to join me.

The class will be held on February 9th 6-8pm.  The cost is $15 plus a small materials fee which I will try to keep at around $5.

I will walk you through making the pictured paper bag album from start to finish and it will be a great time!  You will leave with a completed project that is ready to be filled with photos and given to your sweetheart for the big day.

I taught a class like this last November and it was so much fun!  Please consider joining us for this fun evening and chatting and creating!

If you are interested in signing up please email me bamcraftymommas (at) yahoo.com

Angel