Full of Crap

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With those colors and all that stitching, this looks kind of eastern Indian doesn't it?

This is for an order from a co-worker. This is the first time I've used my Martha Stewart scalloped heart punch for a border like this. I use my regular heart all the time and noticed it's getting a bit finicky the other day, prompting me to think I should have a back-up punch for that one. They didn't have one at Michael's the last time I was there but I remembered I have this Martha Stewart heart. With the little perfs in it, it looks like lace, doesn't it? I'll be using this one lots more.

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So. I'm delighted to report that I'm full of crap. After a ridiculously long snafu with the post office, I finally received my check from The Debacle, aka the craft show at Powers Market. Turns out it wasn't such a Debacle after all. I was honest-to-God worried if I was going to "make rent" - cover the amount of the entrance fee. My check was 4 times the entrance fee. I was so convinced that my earnings had been mixed up with someone else, I rifled through my returned price tags. Nope, all mine.

The reason I was so worried is that during the 4-day show, I restocked my area twice - and I use the word restock loosely. Not much restocking to be done. That's what my worry was based on. What didn't dawn on me until I saw my price tickets is that . . . other people were restocking my area for me throughout the show. Duh! The reason I didn't notice that my box of inventory under my table was being delved into was that, for the first time ever - I had a pretty decent inventory to pull from! Well, there's something I guess I'll have to get used to I guess. Hmmmm.

So I've adjusted my expectations for the individual shows this year, even though at the same time, I've set my sales goal for 67% over last year's sales. Pretty ambitious, yes? That means, like I've said before, I have to try new things. I'm working hard to have more product available to sell so I never run short. I've started with my Etsy shop. I'm applying to new shows. I'll open my studio by appointment so customers can come to my house to buy. I'm reading more about marketing. I feel really positive about all this.

Funny, since the Powers Market show, I really started paying attention to the economy - in my own life (driving less is the obvious example) and in the news. Before it was always just "it is what it is" to me. Man, it sucks.

Back to work . . . . busy, busy.
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