Ajax-by-the-Lake Marketplace

Well...to say the craft show was a bust is mild.  The rain came down in buckets and no one wants to stick around for an outdoor craft sale--even if it's under a giant tent.

Despite that, I'm not disappointed. After all, the City of Ajax doesn't charge a fee for the table, so it's not like I was out-of-pocket. Sadly, there were many vendors who simply didn't show up. Personally, I think that's unprofessional, not to mention, rude.

The people who organize craft shows put a lot of effort into it. As a vendor, you have committed to attend, have committed to sell your wares at a booth, and have committed to participate in a group event. Your absence is noticeable by virtue of the empty table in the middle of the event. It's like real estate: your home reflects on the rest of the neighbourhood.

Rather than leave empty tables, the organizers opted to take them away. I'm not sure if this was better, as it left empty spaces, but I suppose it's less obvious than an empty table.

As the table next to me was being folded up, the vendor behind me stepped up asked them if they could leave it and allow me to spread out. "You can spread out, can't you?" she said to me.

"Of course!"

They left the table, and I spread out:

This is double my original size. Needless to say, I was a little cramped before.

Despite the poor turn-out and disappointing sales, I'll go back next year, if I'm invited. It's not the City's fault that Mother Nature was cranky today. I still had a good time: I met some lovely people, chatted with old friends and found some new vendors for The DRCC.

All in all, it was a good day!

Totes for Ajax by the Lake Craft Show

I have a craft show this weekend. We were invited back to participate in Celebrate Ajax by the Lake and we're thrilled!

It's fun for everyone in the family, so if you happen to be in the area, bring the kiddies with you.

I spent the weekend cutting and sewing. I made a few tote bags:

Isn't the beach one at the top the coolest?! If it doesn't sell, I'm keeping it and taking it with me on my next beach vacation. Shhh...don't tell anyone...I'm going to put it at the bottom of the pile so no one sees it.

I also cut and sewed together what seems like thousands of placemats. I know I should finish them today, but my back hurts from sitting at the sewing machine too long. I really should get a better chair.

So, over the course of the week, I'll snip the corners, turn them right-side-out, press, then top-stitch. I have enough tooth fairy pillows for Saturday, but I'll need more bookmarks. Friday will be dedicated to sewing bookmarks. Hmm...I need to buy elastic, and perhaps more thread, and maybe some...

I should probably get a pencil and some paper...

Orthodox Candle Box

The Greek Orthodox faith has a beautiful tradition.

At funerals, a candle box is placed near the casket. As family and friends approach to pay their respects, they light a candle, then press it into the sand.

Many funeral homes have a candle box. It is often a beautiful piece of woodwork, with a tray for the candles and a shallow sandbox to hold lit tapers.

I was contracted to make a cover for the candle box at our local funeral home; just a simple fabric covering to protect the contents.

The client selected the fabric and I made this:

It is easily removed, though the length is such that it allows the doors to open while the cover is in place. It is washable and elegant, complementing the piece as well as the room.

Meet the Designers

When Urban Contessa was launched, the product line included jewellery. My mother expressed some interest in learning to create jewellery.

"For myself," she said.

So I showed her how to crimp and shared some design ideas. It wasn't long before she passed on her new skills to her sister.

It became clear, very early, that everyone makes and sells jewellery in the GTA, and it was no longer profitable to carry the line in Toronto. I asked my mom and Cecile if they were interested in carrying on the line in Sudbury and they said they'd give it a try.

Today, my mother, Lynn Nadeau, and my aunt, Cecile Landry, are the Jewellery Designers at Urban Contessa.

They have developed this UC division to become a household name in their area. They regularly host open-houses in their homes, create one-of-a-kind designs for weddings and other special occasions. They have taken this craft to a level I could never reach in my area, but have filled a niche in theirs.

If you live in the Sudbury area, and would like more information, please visit our jewellery page to book an appointment with Lynn and Cecile, or ask about the next Open House.

New Product Line - Key Fobs

Any sewer will tell you that wasting fabric is a sin. Maybe not a major one etched on a tablet, but it ranks up there with letting the water run while you brush your teeth.

So, despite the fact that I have honed my skill to purchase only the amount of fabric I need, and I have fine-tuned my cutting layout to maximize use of fabric, I am still left with remnants. They're small remnants, but it's still waste.

I make bookmarks with the leftover fabric, which uses most of it. But I'm still left with narrow strips of fabric, and nothing to do with it. I know it's not much to throw out, but I can't help but think that there's something I could be making with it. I've been racking my creative brain, but haven't come up with anything.

Then a friend sent me an idea: key chains.

Key chains? Hmmmmm...

I sketched out a few ideas, and after three discarded concepts, I came up with this:

I Googled key rings and found several distributors that sell them for a song (which may not be such a good deal, since I can't sing). Buying them in bulk will cost less than a penny each. And since Canadian pennies will no longer be minted, this means they are free, making Contessa Key Rings a pure profit endeavour.

I have a few craft shows over the summer, so I'll make a few and see how they sell. If things work out, Urban Contessa will have a new product line.

I may have to give my friend a lifetime supply of key rings to thank her for this idea.

DRCC Spring Fling 2012

Today's craft show with The Durham Region Crafter's Community was so much fun! I saw friends I haven't seen in a while and made new friends with other crafters.

I'm still working on my table display, but I was pretty happy with this one. A few vendors had some creative set-ups, which got me thinking about making a few changes.

But, in the meantime...

Cutting Up

The countdown is on. Less than a week before The Durham Region Crafters Community Spring Fling.

I needed to add to my placemat inventory. So I slipped over to Fabricland today and bought a beautiful selection of fabric. I spent the day cutting them up, and now I have a lovely pile of fabric waiting to be sewn.

I also had fabric that I had previously purchased for tote bags. I cut those up, too.

This also means I have a lot of leftover fabric, which I will use for bookmarks. Which means I still have a lot of cutting to do.

sigh