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Wednesday, April 24, 2013

WEE-PEATS Children's Consignment Event

The WEE-PEATS CHILDREN'S CONSIGNMENT EVENT is staged a couple times a year by two very enterprising women whose children outgrew their beautiful clothes while the clothes still looked brand new. They knew that other families would be able to make good use of these barely used clothes and WEE-PEATS was born.

www.weepeats.net

The event is very much looked forward to by local moms who form a line (queue) that looks like it goes on for miles while they wait expectantly to get in to the sale.

The sale features quality, "gently used" clothing, books, toys, DVD's games, etc. for the wee ones. New this year: vendors who cater to just moms and families, called MOMMY MARKETPLACE.

I'm bringing my beaded socks. Picture below. These make a smashing baby shower gift for a mom that is expecting a baby girl. Another use is to put them atop the gift wrap as a package embellishment when you pay a home visit to a new baby, Christening gifts, too. I always made them for my many nieces First Communions, embellishing their white socks with pearls and tiny rosettes. They were always the "belle of the ball".



I need to pack up my wares now and toddle on over the where the event will be held to deliver my consignment.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

CREATIVE BLOCK

Amazingly, sitting in my office a few minutes ago, I was thinking – today is the day to post on my blog and I have absolutely nothing to talk about. I just gave in to that thought and planned to open the castteam blog blitz without a post from me.


To keep myself from becoming insanely bored today, I brought a magazine to work with me. I brought the magazine because yesterday I completed the crochet project I had been working on and hoped the magazine would stave off this expected “twiddling of my thumbs”.

The magazine I brought to work with me is the latest issue of CLOTH PAPER SCISSORS. In the midst of reading an interview of an etsian – Chad Alice Hagen – her response to a question about what to expect next from her, was………”Only my cat knows. I find that the biggest thing that stops my creativity is trying to figure out what is going to happen next”.


                                         https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChadAliceHagen


Voila! that one little sentence sent the idea for a post into my brain as if it were an arrow. I find it totally amazing how faithfully this happens, without any help from me. It looks like these mind pictures come out of the blue, when you’re least expecting them, when you don’t have anything to write them down with, surprisingly, unplanned. Zoom, there it is in your mind’s eye. To prevent it from evaporating, I will usually write on anything handy – a napkin, a receipt from the bank, whatever.

Therefore, the thought that there would be no blog post from me today was hasty. The arrow hit its mark again –an idea – out of the blue.

As I’m sitting here, looking at the computer screen and typing into Microsoft word – I’m thinking - I could go on forever on this subject. It is so full of life. Yet seems bigger than life. I am so thankful that the One I worship and serve is
                                                  THE C-R-E-A-T-O-R.

While reading CLOTH PAPER SCISSORS, I came across an article about another etsian. Here's a piece of her inspiration and the link to her shop.

                                              https://www.etsy.com/shop/dearhazel

Is your experience, with inspiration, the same or different?

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

GIRLZ DAY - APRIL 5TH - VIDLER'S


Last Friday was a GIRLZ DAY for my friends and I. Reason: no school – spring break – everyone’s in Myrtle Beach. One girlfriend is a school bus monitor and she had the whole week off. Other friend has only Fridays off. Hence, our GIRLZ DAY was scheduled for Friday, April 5th.

It was a beautiful, sunny day to take a drive through the countryside. Our plan was to drive west from Rochester to the little town of East Aurora. That town boasts an old fashioned 5 and 10 cent store. I would say they carry just about everything. Kitchen goods, craft items, floral shop, tchotzkes galore. And  one  floor up:  tons of  toys, make-up, old fashioned candy (all candies you used to buy for a penny on your way to school in the dark ages). They have garden stuff, books, paper and stationary, pet things, wall art, candles and décor items, purses, jackets, jewelry, greeting cards. I’m sure that’s just a partial list which I recall in my mental walk through the store.


Before we ever made landfall at Vidler’s, we drove through beautiful countryside. Hills, valleys, farms, windmills. It’s a 90 minute drive from Rochester. I understand it’s also a 90 minute drive from Toronto, so if you live there, it’s worth the trip.



Of course, when we arrived in East Aurora, we were starving. So the first stop was at Charlie’s Diner for a lovely lunch.


Now we are armed up with nutritional fortitude for our foray into Vidler’s. Oh, I tell you, it’s no end of fun. I bought a small ladle (which I needed), crochet thread, a figurine, old fashioned candy, hand cream packets to use as thank you gifts in my etsy orders, sink strainer, microwave plastic food cover, and calendars. I trust I didn’t forget anything that was in my bag.  I could’ve bought so much more if $$$$$ was no object. I saw a purse I loved and didn’t buy because I already have one like it (but I would’ve liked to have that one too)

Here’s some pictures of what Vidler’s looks like inside. Don’t be surprised that it looks so messy. Don’t you remember how Kresge’s and Woolworth’s looked in the old days? With tons of cheap make-up just laying flat in huge heaps on the counters, and glass separators between the types of items.  Wide wooden board floors, stairs (no elevators or escalators). Aisles squished close together. The 5 and 10 was BASIC.






All in all, it was a lovely day. The kind beautiful memories are made of.


Tuesday, April 2, 2013

BIRTHDAY PARTY IN A BOX


Today, I want to tell you about a co-operative effort some people from my etsy street team (cast or Christian Artists Street Team) are formulating. It is still in it’s formative stages at the moment but developing nicely. It was actually conceived when a couple team members wanted to support each other. This “teamwork” mushroomed and developed into what we see happening here.

One of our members took the lead and orchestrated this great collaboration. She is a potter  ……. and among other beautiful objects of art, she makes teapots. Here is her shop:


An idea that began with a tiny little teapot for a little girl’s Happy Birthday Tea Party has blossomed into what is now called BIRTHDAY PARTY IN A BOX.

The premise is to provide for the party planner (usually Mom ) everything needed for a spectacular birthday party for the little Birthday Girl.

A miniature, hand thrown teapot plus four tiny cups would be made by …….



All BPIAB offerings would come in sets of four except for the tea set, of which there will be but one - for the Birthday Girl. The tea set will be made up in  party theme.  It might be butterflies or ballet or horses, etc.

Available for the party planner to put in her Birthday Box would be  matching paper ware – Birthday Card for the Birthday Girl,  invitations, thank you notes, place cards, banner and gift bags, all from the shops of our paper artists and all with the party’s theme.



Fabric artists (sewers) will co-ordinate with the same fabric for napkins, placemats, doll dresses, and embellished apron blanks for the party craft activity.


A sugar art cake topper following the party theme.


 Party favors provided by………………….


And, finally, a personalized teaspoon for the guests to stir their tea with and eat their Birthday Cake.


We are excited by our team effort of BIRTHDAY PARTY IN A BOX. What do you think?