Rita Van Winkle, Here...

Not really asleep, (I wish!) just overloaded with  holiday markets and work..such is the life of a seasonal worker, which, of course, with  crocheted hats, etc. is what I am in Fall and Winter..
Just completed my last indoor holiday fair, now, two more outdoor markets before Christmas (weather permitting..)
It's been really cold everywhere, and here is no exception..my last outdoor market, two weekends ago,  was -7 Celsius (yes, I am insane) and not many customers braved the cold to stop by, but I did okay and got some custom orders I would have missed otherwise..
My last indoor market was in a local boutique hotel, right on the ocean, with a big picture window  behind me, and I amused myself between customers by watching some sea lions who were either  lazing on the dock, or swimming languidly in the bay...brrr! A wonderful venue, a new one for me, and I'll definitely do it again..
All in all this year, I've done too much running around and  too many overpriced venues that did not provide a decent return..my advice, if anyone is interested, is try everything once, but if it doesn't work out...?  Stick with the tried and true, which of course, in my case, is the outdoor markets I attend..but be prepared, weather-wise..to be honest, I'd rather be cold than boiling hot in  humidity (our summers here) so  don't mind too much right now..
To all and sundry, have a wonderful holiday...and a hopefully peaceful New Year.

Springtime in Paradise....

 The weather seems to be changing rather rapidly here in Paradise...although it is, of course, still a rainforest, with the requisite almost constant drip drip drip of early Spring...
We are now 'applying' as we have to do every year, for our little spot of  retail at the weekly Farmer's Market that  I attend, sometimes haphazardly (because of the weather)...
This year, have to decide if I want a permanent spot by paying seasonally, or if I want to drop-in...
Last year I had a permanent spot, but it proved to be a bit of a disaster...the powers that be decided to emphasize another section of the Market, naturally, the one I wasn't in, and it cost us much of our foot traffic...
It's a very difficult thing to find the spot that works for you in a large Market, but very frustrating to  be inadvertently sidelined, while paying the same amount as everyone else..this cost me last year, so trying to prevent a recurrence this time around by requesting a different location, although, technically, we are not allowed to do that.  *Sigh* not sure what will  happen, but stay tuned...
I have switched from  selling only hats and scarves to fewer of those, while still emphasizing baby hats, and added jewelry, which I'll sell alongside my crocheted items until Fall is upon us...
Surprisingly, at least to me,  still sell quite a few hats even in the  hot hot heat of summer..I assume, to tourists, who know that when they need them, they won't be here...
I also have applied, as usual,  for a  weekly Wednesday Market in a nearby town famous for its murals,  busloads of tourists there...
You  need to figure out where  (and when) your most successful  Market is - what works for you.
Social media (can you say "Etsy") has never worked for me...I leave a few things there, mostly to have a 'website' to refer to when applying at one-time fairs and holiday craft markets, etc. but really, I rarely sell anything there..I tried ArtFire (don't ask) and Zibbet, too, which I like for the wonderful people who run it, but never had a single sale from there, so just letting my 'shop' lapse, and I'll stick with a much-reduced 'studio' on Etsy for practicality's sake...
Many of the other Bloggers I follow seem to do quite well online, don't know their secret, but for me, it's strictly face-to-face that works...so, since I actually enjoy retail (I hear the screams out there!) guess I will continue until I am too decrepit to put up a canopy or haul boxes, etc, in and out of my truck....

Advice for the Craft-Lorn...

One of my favourite blogs is created by Carol at "The Polka Dot Closet," here's a link...http://thepolkadotcloset.blogspot.ca/

In her latest entry,  Carol has resuscitated a past posting (referring to her own little antiques shop/booth) called "What Sells and What Doesn't," and  thought it would be a great starting point for  my first entry of January 2013...

Because I make what I sell,  it seems like I'm  working just as hard as when I worked full time at a regular job...but the money is certainly different.  I often wonder if  buyers assume that  my work is a 'hobby' or that I really don't need the money..both assumptions are untrue, sort of..
If I had to depend solely on my crafting sales, I would be in trouble.  I am single and self-supporting, so that puts me at a major disadvantage for  being able to ride it out when sales aren't going well.
Therefore,  try and stick to what I know will sell (or what I hope will sell!) all within the loose framework of desire...
What I mean by that is I refuse to start turning out an assembly line of the same old same old just because it will sell...I would get bored, hate myself, etc.  I prefer to be inspired by  my ideas..and I have way too many of them  to keep up.
Still,  I do want to sell what I make, so there is a constant  discussion in my tiny brain about what to do, what to do? This quandary is  thankfully relieved by those who approach me for custom work..which is of course my favourite...
I sell every Saturday at an outdoor farmer's market, and yes, even in the Winter..I live on the West Coast of Canada, so we are usually more temperate than the Prairies or the East., in late Spring and Summer, .I also sell at a weekly market (Wednesdays) in a nearby town called Chemainus, which has a brisk tourist  trade,  and is famous for its murals.  Wish that we could sell there in the Fall and Winter too, since the tourists keep coming all year and I do well there, but the town's business community still feels as if we are 'stealing' business form them..not true, our market is part of the attraction of coming to Chemainus..nonetheless..these are the sorts of things that are constantly changing, so always expect  the unexpected when you sell to the public in a publicly-controlled space...
As for the actual subject of  all this, what sells and what doesn't, I can only say that it ebbs and flows like  the tides...
Hats, right now, are in seeming decline, and I'm selling lots of scarves..and fingerless gloves are finally starting to sell for some reason, after being a waste of time for so long...used to sell booties, too, but they aren't working for me at all since last summer, and kid's hats always seem to attract buyers...the reason, I'm fairly certain, being because they are unique.
Price point is important, and because I spend  lots of time on my stuff, and use the best  materials I can, I charge what seems  to me a moderate amount..but many find my stuff expensive.  As most sellers of  just about anything know, if you can keep your price point at or near $20 or less, you will sell more..but I really can't do that, so have accepted that  the chances of people lining up to pay for my work are gonna be few and far between.  You, as a creator and seller, have to decide what  you need for yourself to  keep  going...
I truly believe that what sells  is what you loved making..maybe not the minute you put it out on the table, but if you are happy with it, it  will find a home.
I've come so close at times to taking certain hats  and putting them in the bin (for women's  fund raising) that I keep , but the minute I'm convinced that a hat is unsaleable, sure enough, that is when it sells. so  if you are interested in instant gratification, one  of a kind creations may not be the  way to go for you.
If you can find a tourist hub, that will probably work for you..I only sell my handmade jewelry in the Summer, but have been selling so many hats in those warm months that I'm starting to believe that I should add jewelry to the mix in Winter, too...who knows?
Part of the job is constantly editing what you have, and  keeping an eye out for what is happening with your work on a seasonal basis..
I also do seasonal craft fairs (indoors) and I'm finding that they are not worth the  much higher costs, at least not last season, but then, the economy may or may not have something to do with that, as all of last year was down from the year before..
If you can, keep records of  sales that you can refer back to..it's astounding how much information these simple  records really can provide.
Whew, this is really longer than I had planned...I  think that to sum it all up, what sells and what doesn't (for me)  is more about what you love doing and the patience and knowledge to offer only the best, because your best is the only thing worth doing.

The Seasonal Craft Fairs Wind Down...

My holiday craft fair season is winding down, and it hasn't been what I could have hoped...
The flu followed my back problems so missed one three day fair, which, according to fellow crafters, was awful..no one wanted to pay admission, so few came, even fewer bought..
I broke my own rule on this one, which is never to spend  more than $100 per day for market fees, and never  vend at a fair that charges admission...
So, glad I missed it..an expensive lesson to learn, but then, the ones worth  learning so often are...
My next one is this Saturday at a smaller community venue...looking forward to it, a new one for me...at the Mill Bay Community Hall..
Mill Bay is a tiny but lovely town on the East Coast of Vancouver island, near where I live, and its coastline is where I go and walk when the weather is  much nicer than it has been lately...a gorgeous place..
If you are local and reading this, stop by, it's a free one...
In the mean time, here are two of my latest hats...

Is it just me, or do I seem to  have a real tendency this season to go for the purple side of life? These are both  done with multiple yarns  and both are of the purple/lavender/pink/fuchsia family...the adult hat is a medium and the child's hat sized for a 2 or 3 year old...
And what are you all up to?

Windows..

No, not the Microsoft kind..just thinking about the way I seem to live so much of my day looking through windows, when the weather is inclement...
It seems as if it has been raining here for a month straight...this, after a record lack of rain for the Summer and early Autumn...today is beautiful, finally clear and cold.

Here are two images from my windows..what  are you seeing through yours?
Poor Richard's Almanac (yes, after all this time, still more accurate in projecting general patterns than all the modern meteorological forecasts!) says that this will be a mild winter for us, with snow not starting 'til mid-December...usually bang-on, so I'm hoping  that carries on in 2012..it's rather difficult to travel in snow to craft markets that no one goes to because it's snowing...but I shouldn't  worry needlessly...
Hope you all have a mild Winter, snow if you want it, and my thoughts are especially with those on the Eastern Seaboard who will have a very hard Winter this year...

A Chaotic Winter Wonderland....

Here it is, the end of October, and  soon this never-ending (though oddly welcome) rain will end, at least briefly, and allow those intrepid souls who wander off to craft fairs to do their holiday shopping...I'm counting on it!
First is Christmas Chaos, 4 days of selling from Nov 8 through 11...and then a few days break, and it'll be Earthly Delights-Winter Wonderland...November 16 through 18..(whew!!!)

Here is some of my newest work...hoping for some 'appreciation' for these hats in the weeks coming up...
I'll be listing these in my Etsy shop in the coming week, just in case an online sale is actually in the cards for me...
And this is retirement?

Should I Stress or Should I Roll...

Oh dear, just looking at my holiday craft fair schedule...and worrying, just a tiny bit...on the one hand, if I do really well at all of them I'll be happy (having written off this year, generally speaking, as a not so great one financially, at least) but if I do too well too soon, what'll I do?
I feel as if I have to quickly create a bunch of new stuff on the off-chance that I may have little to offer by the end of November...on the other hand, if things go as they have the rest of the year, I'll have a bunch of stuff left over...*sigh*
Trying to guess what will happen is worse than the stock market, I don't quite know how to feel about any of it..besides killing myself trying to make things that take hours each to complete is sort of counter-productive...
Here's my schedule (not counting my weekly Farmer's Market, which will be all but ignored for the month of November, since these holiday (and indoor!) fairs happen, always, on weekends)
Duncan Christmas Chaos -November 8 thru 11
Earthly Delights Winter Market -Nov 17-18
Mill Bay Winter Holiday Fair- Nov 24
Shawnigan Lake Winter market - Dec 1st
Did I overdo it? Too late now..everything is prepaid (naturally) so couldn't afford to back out if I wanted to...
Silly, yes?  I know there are people everywhere who wish they had outlets to sell their work...but don't ..
Sometimes too much is simply too much..maybe I'll slow down when I'm 70....
In the meantime, here's the output (so far) for the week...

Everybody Wants What Won't Work For Them..Even Me (Inspired By Bunny)

The Fall Market at Duncan (my weekly Saturday Farmers' and Crafters' Market that is) is in full force, and I've put the jewelry away until Spring, concentrating strictly on hats and scarves, in keeping with the weather..
A woman came rushing into my booth, first thing, and told me that she had been searching for me, since I wasn't in the spot I was last time (they move me around all the time) and that she was surprised I was there, because it was 'raining' (just spittin' a little, I don't come if it's heavy rain) and immediately bought a hat for her baby son who she said had a huge head, although I told her it would probably be too small.
She came back, son and 11 year old daughter in tow, and told me, sure enough, the hat was too small, didn't ask if she could exchange it, assumed she could (of course she could, still, would have been nice to have been asked) and then fussed over everything else that did fit him, finally settling on something, and trying a bunch of hats on her daughter who really wanted a bunny hat (didn't have one her size) while Mom thought she should be getting into something less childish...
I wondered at that, is 11 now considered no longer to be a year in childhood? So many parents complaining about their children growing up too fast, but what do I know?
All kinds of teenage females love animal hats, it's a 'thing' and has been trendy for a few years..I tried to explain this to Mom, who finally let her daughter settle on an adult sized bear hat, which I can't keep in stock..
Then Mom turned to me and said that she had no more money, and told her daughter that if I still had the hat next week, she'd get it then..
I have a feeling that this Mom will be returning to my booth next week, and have her son's exchanged hat in tow, because it won't be "quite right".
Well it sure beats the other little girl, her Grandma distracted in the booth next to mine, who was carefully picking her nose, scrutinizing it, then trying to grab my hats....
But then, these are the joys of selling what you make, yourself.
I don't mind, really, it's sort of part of the entertainment to explain their children to these often bewildered parents, and I'm childless...
As I was packing up to leave, two (count 'em, two) young dads came by, seperately, just a few moments apart, looking at the hats, picking up everything sort of randomly, saying nothing, and finally I asked "What gender and how old?" They were each so relieved, I pointed them in the right direction and within two minutes both had bought a hat, almost grateful that I hadn't needed an explanation beyond my two questions..I love it when men shop my booth, they don't waste a lot of time second-guessing themselves and just want to get the right 'something,' pay, and get out as quickly as possible..
I had another Mom come in with three little girls in tow, first one tried on a hat, after asking politely if it was okay (that almost never happens, especially with kids) and then the second daughter wanted to try one on too, so I picked one that would fit her, and the baby, one of the most beautiful, sweet little girls I've ever seen, about two years old, was tugging on her Mom's skirt and looking at me beseechingly, saying nothing, so I asked Mom if I could put a hat on the little one, I did and showed her what she looked like in a mirror, she gave me the greatest smile, took off the hat, handed it to me, and as they left each one said "thank you" unbidden by Mom...No purchases, didn't care....
And, not for the first time, I realized that these lovely, polite, well-mannered children would have been a great asset in my life.

Although It's Far Too Warm...

Although it's far too warm for this summer vampire (I hate hot weather, don't really wake up till late afternoon, do very little outdoor selling, etc.) it is time to start thinking about Christmas Markets..
I know, I know, you'd rather have root canal than think about the 'holiday' right now, but for those of us who attempt to add to our ltttle nest egg through making and selling stuff, the time has come, as the walrus said, to speak of many things...
A friend and I have been busy plotting our strategies together (somewhat)..we'll be doing two fairs on the Island, not 'together' but at the same time, and I also, of course, will be at the Duncan Farmer's Market every Saturday that our rainy weather permits. I've signed up for two pretty major fairs (at least in these parts, they're major)..one called Christmas Chaos, also in the city of Duncan, but a biggie on the Central Island, and another in the suburban area near our capital city, Victoria, also a biggie, located at the Saanich Fairgrounds, on that little penninsula of land to the South.
Many markets in this area are completely ridiculous regarding costs..several are between $700-$1,000 and things here economically aren't much better than anywhere else..yet they do get vendors, who apparently make great swathes of cash..
I disapprove, and won't participate, not only for obvious reasons (I'd need a big bank loan to finace such an expensive three days) but also because these fairs charge admission...I personally, don't get it - why pay money to spend money? Guess that's just me....
So, we'll see you (or not) at Christmas Chaos, Nov 12th & 13th, or at the Saanich Fairground on Nov. 26th and 27th...
Or, of course, any given Saturday, at the Duncan Farmer's Market...from this September to mid-December..
And to all a good-night....

Taking a Moment to Consider..

As the craft fair season winds down, and I'm back outside for my Farmer's Market for 2 more Saturdays, I have noticed an odd thing..I keep selling camouflage patterned hats and scarves..
I try to consider that this is nothing new, and like animal prints, camo has been trendy for a few years..but never so much with women as now..
I've illustrated this posting with my 'tools', and two types of camo yarn, as well as some finished pieces, available from my Artfire shop or at my Farmer's Market on Saturdays, but I would like to spare at least a thought for what camo represents..in reality.
This season, as so many before it, my country and other countries are at war; now I really hate everything about war, but with just as much passion, I support the women and men who go and serve in our Forces..
This year, let's make it stylish to think about our troops, and hope against hope that we bring them all back, alive and well..
Now that would be a Christmas present worth having...

The Last Craft Fair of 2010..

Well, at least, my last craft fair, as far as participation goes..
This fair, or market, is at Providence Farm, another wonderful organization here on Vancouver Island..not only do they have locums from all over the country, learning about market gardening, but they help those who need it most..
Providence Farm also has therapeutic horseback riding, and sells their produce at my Saturday Farmer's Market..the two pictures above, and the one at the right, are all from their website...
I really appreciate the fact that so many of the craft fairs I participate in are benefit events for organizations that give back without being preachy, or demanding anythng of those they help..
Saturday is supposed to be (dare I post this?) sunny and clear! After the early winter weather we've been experiencing, it would certainly be nice not to have to struggle down the highway in pelting rain or chilly fog, dodging black ice for 20 miles...
So if you are in the neighborhood, stop by and say hi..

*Cough* *Sniff* It's a Winter Wonderland...sorta...

Here I sit, with the most miserable cold/whatever I think I've had in five years..if you look at the pictures, you can see what has happened literally overnight..pretty, yes?
Problem is, my craft fair #2 is today, and I can neither drive in this foot-deep, uncleared stuff than I can load and unload my truck and mingle with people in a hot and airless hall while sniffling and couging my little heart out..in other words, craft fair #2, like craft fair #1, isn't much to write home (or blog) about this year...
I might have attempted it if I wasn't so sick, but no point in spreading these foul germs as well as forced holiday cheer..not that I can see a whole bunch of people risking their lives, driving on our often treacherous highway, to come here and shop...
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..
Guess I'll just sit, snuggled under a big quilt, and watch the seagulls wheeling and diving through the snowy air....could be worse.....

The Party's Over...

Although the news isn't great, I still had an interesting time at my three day craft fair..and have some pics to share, although their quality is less than desirable....the first is of my table..I brought way too much and it showed..have to come up with a better plan..but then I was actually planning on selling lots,and that didn't hapen due to the extremely low attendance at this fair..location, location, location is not just a boring ol' cliche..it's unfortunately too true..as we painfully learned..
The second picture is from our oldest crafter's table..he is 84 and still does this beautiful glasswork..he sat on a sofa next to his table with his partner, Lenae, and they held hands and whispered to each other, so very sweet...she and I had a great conversation about being ex-Yanks, and since she grew up on a farm in Kanasas I teased her and called her Dorothy...
The next picture is my pal Amanda's table, and she's wearing one of my cloches..she's going to become my first (and only) live model..love her "look" in my hats..
The last picture is what I thought was the absolute best item for a small child at the fair..a stuffed furry bunny rabbit with it's own Cowichan sweater..Cowichan sweaters are knit in patterns that the First Nations people of this area have been famous for for many decades..I live in the Cowichan Valley, so we are all intrinsically tied together..
I am going to do a blog on this subject soon, because the Cowichan people have wonderful visual arts to share with the world..they deserve a wider audience.
Next blog I'll feature what I bought at the fair..little enough, since I didn't have much disposable income with very little business..but that's something that craft fair attendees have to deal with occaisionally..

And for my First Event...

Pictured to the right of this note is the poster, for my first craft fair of the season..a benefit for the "Cowichan Women Against Violence"
Last year's fair was the first, and a wonderful time was had by all..this year we've moved to a larger venue.so if you are in the neighborhood, looking for fabulous homemade gifts and prefer spending your money to suport those who can use your assistance, please come by...
Looking forward to seeing you there!

Busier Than a Cat Covering Poop On a Marble Floor!

Pardon me for the vivid metaphor, but crocheting like mad for my Saturday Market and my two craft fairs for this month, one of them a three day affair...
Meanwhile, can't seem to keep these baby bearcub hats in stock..thought I'd share them with you..
My customers find them perfect for baby gifts for showers, or holiday gifts for those already born, and needing some coziness in the chillier season..
These are two I have just listed in my Artfire shop, and I'm making more..I also do custom ones for people who have their own ideas..let me know if I can do something for you, as a personal gift to your loved ones..

It's That Time of Year Again!

I'm very excited to be planning out my holiday craft fairs..what about you? This year I have three, one on the 12th,13th and 14th of November.. a benefit for the Women Against Violence and Transition House organization. I did their first one last year and it was a wonderful event..met many vendors who have since become my 'pals', and who also sell at the outdoor Duncan's Farmer's Market.
Then, on the 20th, I am signed up for the Ladysmith Olde Fashioned Christmas Fair, which is supposed to be a good one, and handy- a few blocks down the street..especially nice if we have snowy weather-which we might this year...
My last fair is at a wonderful place called Providence Farm, which I think I can provide a link to- it's a beautiful working farm that provides jobs and assistance for those who are challenged or troubled, and they have onsite counselors and management from the neighborhood, as well as locums who come from all over Canada to learn their agricultural techniques..they sell produce, flowers and eggs at the farmgate, as well as being fellow vendors at The Duncan Farmer's Market..this one, too, is supposed to be well attended, and is in early December, perfect for all those last minute shoppers....
I do love selling outdoors, but in the season, there is something about a cosy little fair and the wonderful friendly energy a bunch of happy poeple, buying, and selling, can generate..it can be magic.
I'll still be selling outdoors, too- we go til Dec 18th-then restart indoors for the months of Jan-Feb...then back outside in March, and a New Year begins.
Are any of you selling at a holiday fair, or planning on attending? It's a great place to find seasonal gifts as well as something wonderful for yourself, and knowing that you are buying from the person who created the item feels good too- no middleman, and supporting individuals in my community is something that I always do-as well as selling, I often end up spending far too much at these fairs-but enjoy every minute of it!

http://www.providence.bc.ca/craftfair.html

and here is the link for the CWAV craft fair:

http://cwav.viviti.com/

Was that A Day or...?

Well! Just got finished hauling all my assorted stuff from my Market back into my storage locker...feel like a stevedore-aching and tired...I had an odd yet great first day back...

Our Outdoor Market started again today, and it is wonderful to be out of doors once more, despite all the work of erecting the tent and hauling everything in and out of the truck 4 times in 6 hours...not to mention the setting-up, which is about an hour-earrings on the earring display, pair by pair, dummy heads on the stands, hats on the dummies, set up the tables, set up the so-called easy-up canopy (ha!), then take down again, then haul out of the truck in several trips and walk to the storage locker, etc, etc. etc. Then rearrange everything thirty times or until you're happy with it, or you stop fussing...whichever comes first...
All you Etsy types will appreciate when I tell you that this is a strictly adjudicated fair, and what did I see but a reseller...that's right, someone who gets hats wholesale, sews her own label in them, and tells people that she makes 'em herself...I did speak to someone on the committee, but they weren't anxious to deal with it-shades of you-know-who!
But I know she won't get too far in this venue-people here are particular ...
My day was dragging a bit 'til the last hour, and then something remarkable happened...the most expensive hat I have went out of the booth...it was outrageous, and beaded, and other people who had looked at it thought it was too wild for them, or they didn't like the price...so that was great for my ego; that sale let me know that I can go 'over the top' when the mood strikes, and someone out there will 'get' it...
Tried to talk someone out of buying a tiny, tiny baby hat that I was sure wouldn't fit, but she said this was a tiny, tiny newborn...so, okay...
as they walked away, tiny baby hat in a lovely baby bag, I suddenly remembered that they had bought hats from me for themselves last Autumn-repeat customers! Love it!
All in all, a very educational day...and a nicely lucrative one..

What did you learn at the Market, Ms?
Well, I learned not to assume (once again) that my lack of sales on Etsy means very much...
I learned that resellers have their own karma to contend with, so I don't need to get upset, the Universe will continue to unfold as it should...

And I learned to trust the famous Murphy (of Murphy's Law)who states that when you've about given up on the day and are packing up, that's when they show up in droves and start buying...

The Last Fair of the Year...

Yes, it's finally over..the Christmas season's last Farmers' and Crafters' Market has come to an end, and I'm glad I did it...it was very cold and very clear, felt like snow a bit, you know, when you get that taste on the back of your tongue, and your bones just feel it coming? Not supposed to though, so maybe it's just because it was very Christmassy today...
There were lots of decorations, and I was situated in a booth next to a horticulturalist wanderer who grows this and that, and wanders through the forest picking up this and that, and then creates astounding wreaths and mixed plant and flower bouquets (in the Winter!) so very beautiful that I was sorely tempted...
On the other side was a woman new to me, a massage artist,..yes, I'm conciously calling her that from first-hand knowledge, because when things were slow she "used" me to seduce business from all the strollers and window-shoppers...it was wonderful to be used in such a fashion!
I had my first taste of British-style ginger cake, and very good, tart and not too sweet, it was, too...
I bought homemade "smokie" sausages made from organically raised meat at a price that was competitive with the filler-and-drug-laden ones in regular markets...I've heard they are to die for...
And I sold a couple of things, although really I was lucky to sell at all, not many buyers about, probably too cold, and they were too sensible, to go wandering about the street in mid-December...
There were old-fashioned carolers in full 19th-century costume, walking slowly through the aisles of booths and singing, in harmony, the old carols, and the smiling and hugging, and the Merry Christmasing, just went on and on for the short four hours of the Market...

Now back home and exhausted from hauling heavy stuff back and forth, back and forth, from my truck to the storeroom, in the middle of my apartment block, I can't stop grinning, either...so glad I went and had a chance to experience all that sweetness and goodwill we hear about but rarely get enough of..

And spreading it around is gonna be easy...
May you all enjoy, in whatever fashion the season brings to you, your holiday time, just as I have...

Had a Reading...

At a craft fair on Saturday, a benefit for youth at risk and sponsored by the locl WAV chapter here (Women Against Violence), I was selling my hats and neckwarmers. I had arranged the day before to have my Tarot cards read; I really liked the fact that the woman doing the readings had old worn cards, copies of the original deck from Medieval times..the real deal...and her demeanor was very open...
I am a bit cautious about the Tarot...I don't do it often, because it can be a very heavy experience emotionally...even good news carries its own burdens.  I had a very bad (read: mediocre) reading when I first came to the Island, and wanted to try a more simpatico reader, if I could find one...
This all took place just before the Fair opened, and I'm so happy I took the chance...
A proper reader asks no questions, and tells you the truth: the cards do not predict or tell the future, and the information you receive is something you already know, but perhaps are feeling unsure or unwilling to face...she had an interesting style of laying out the cards, and what the cards indicated was what I needed to hear. 

I won't bore any reader with details, but having your ideas and dreams fed back to you in  a form that makes sense in your universe is very comforting, even exhilarating...
So glad I did this, and, let's be honest, cheaper and more entertaining by far than a shrink....

Gift of The Small Town

I've read several times in the Etsy Forums about the joys and sorrows of Craft Markets or Fairs, both outdoor and now in...and I have a doozey-I just went through possibly the worst craft fair experience of my 30 years of craft-fairing, and I have had a few...and yet, heartwarming, in an ironic sort of way...

To begin with, I hate being upstairs in halls, schools, etc. because your foot traffic is automatically cut in half..but I had no choice yesterday, since it was a four day fair, and I was only doing the Sunday, which is normally the best day...but there was nothing "normal" about this fair...
I was told to pull behind the building, because there was a ramp that led directly to the top floor to make it easier to load and unload my stuff...well, unbeknownst to me, there was a right side and a wrong side..guess which one I took...
A muddy morass awaited me, after our heavy rains, and a large abandoned set of steps that led nowhere, right in the middle of the "lane", so I tried to back out down the lane, but of course all my stuff was piled in the back of my truck so I couldn't see, so I started to turn around...got stuck in some very deep mud, where the drainpipe emptied from the gutters.
Eventually after several people tried to push me out, we called a tow truck.
I decided to set up and wait, why stand around outside..so I did that, and when he came, went out to "help".
When it came time to pay him, I was shocked to learn that he didn't take plastic...having only a cash float of $20 and out in the middle of nowhere, I didn't know what to do..
Luckily, he was a nice guy in a small town, and asked me to pay another seller at the fair who he was familiar with, and he took off...
Breathing a sigh of relief (only temporary, I assure you) I sat back and waited for the hordes of Christmas shoppers to descend richly upon us...
 Apparently, they had somewhere else to go...in 6 hours I doubt if thirty people passed through our little upstairs room, and none of them were buying, at least not from me...
Had this been a large town, I would have been in trouble, the equivalent of not paying for a restaurant meal after the food has been consumed..but this is a place where everyone knows everyone (except me)-and since I live here,  am somehow to be trusted... of course, in a large town, not only would the bill have been much larger, but they would of course have taken plastic-and I've never had a bigtown fair where I've sold nothing...
Still kinda nice that I will be paying the driver the balance when he's "in the neighborhood", and I was automatically assumed to be an honest and upright person.
Naive? You bet...but perhaps I'm assuming they can't judge properly, since they're small town folks...maybe I'm selling them a bit short-because after all, I am an honest person...maybe I'm the one with the problem.

This is a bad season for craft fairs generally-economics, The N1H1 scare, and the sheer drawing power of the malls screaming  *SALES!!!!*  for months in advance..but I learned an expensive lesson yesterday...that, despite the wrong choice of back lanes. I had made the right choice, moving to a small town on a wonderful Island, after all....