More Catch-Up

Our next event is the Spring Craft Fair at Palatine High School, Saturday March 12th.  Yes, our previous craft fair attempts were failures, but the last one at the HS was, I heard, awful for all the vendors, in part because it was the same day as the Fremd craft fair, and one at, IIRC, Arlington Park.  Fremd's is a week before this time around, so we'll give it a try.  

The Palatine craft fair is $55 for one spot, without electricity or tables.  I looked at the information for Fremd's, IIRC the spots start out at about $80.  That was over my mental limit.  Maybe another time, if we do well at Palatine.

Not sure when the next SCA event will be, I don't see the one that's been held at Glenbrook North HS the last couple/few years in March-ish - around Mardi Gras, I think it was.  

We're also looking at doing fewer events, and trying to do more web sales.  Ron's back appreciates that business model, and one of these years Robin will be moving out (although the current plan is for him to live at home and go to Harper for his first couple years of college).  And since Ron cleaned up the spare bedroom to use as a photography studio, he can keep his light table and lights set up, which makes getting pictures of new merchandise a simpler thing. In theory.

I haven't had any ArtFire sales.  I had one sale of two belts on Etsy, but I haven't actually listed belts there yet (need pictures - that theory with getting pictures is still not working perfectly), it was a friend of a friend.  


Besides those two belts, this year already I've gotten (and filled) an order from a previous customer for a cover for an artist's spiral notebook; and from new customers for two belts, and a pouch.  The pouch has been boxed up and ready to go to FedEx since Tuesday night.  But the cars only got out of the driveway far enough to get the driveway plowed yesterday, and I'm stuck home with car trouble today.  I called to see what a pickup would cost, but it wouldn't be until tomorrow, so I'll drop it off tonight or tomorrow morning, and save the fee.


Yes, I like FedEx.  I've been content with their service, they have tracking, and I can do all the shipment hoo-ha and even print the label from home, and the 24-hour FedEx/Kinko's office on Roselle is on a reasonable alternate route to work. UPS is #2, tied with FedEx for reliability and tracking, but not quite as convenient.  USPS is close to home, but fails on tracking, and I think they're slower than the other two, but not particularly cheaper.  


Monday I picked up some spiffy Avery sheets - top half is a sticky label, the bottom half is plain paper, with a perforation between, so you can print your shipping label and a packing list/invoice in one go.  Got that set up Tuesday night.


Looking ahead to the craft show, I designed a new purse last night.  It's gusseted, debating if I'm going to lace around the flap or not.  I have one cut out in black, I think I'm going be be brave and cut a brown one out also, before I do the black one.  I also need to make a big rectangular purse in black, and some of the "Lace Mania" (rounded, laced) purses.  Once I find my pattern.  In cleaning and rearranging the dining room to be a usable workshop again (see the "cleaning fits" tags on the Otter Blog, I seem to have mislaid some patterns...


And now, off to do work-like things.  Besides the purses, I also owe Ron and Robin some Sam Browne belt parts. And since I'm home today, I can do something not-so-quick for dinner.