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.

Custom Work in all it's Infinite Variety

I would guess that probably 30% of my sales are in custom hats..and I love it.
There's nothing more fun than a newly-minted idea hatched to the customer's satisfaction..and it keeps the creative juices flowing too
Sometimes I even get custom work from past custom work..I  made a 'version' of a Dumbo the elephant hat for someone who loves the character, huge flappy ears and all..Then another  woman saw it, went nuts and  stalked me until I was at another market and she found me through email..
She wanted an identical hat, but I don't do  that, so talked her into a different version of an elephant hat, in colours she loved..she was thrilled, and told me she is designing, in her head, her next custom hat..yes!

Of course, it's wonderful to be appreciated, and I  have a new one  just finished and waiting for pick-up..a woman wanted a newborn 'hat' or wig made of dreds as a gentle joke because the young parents, according to her, are sort of nouveau hippies..I  convinced her that a hat with dreds was probably a better idea, and I  thought a rainbow hat  was the most 'hippy' way to go..I also embellished it with a peace symbol, for added credibility...here it is...

It's great fun to  create something  that works for both you and your customer...have fun with your custom orders!