A Little Something New. . .

Amazing how quickly 7 months can pass. Since my last post, I've joined the work force again in a part-time position. This has taken quite a toll on my craft & creating time. :-) Not that I was just zipping things out before.

Truthfully, it's taken me quite a while to get into a routine with work and the kids and life. I'm feeling a little more settled now, but I don't have as much time to do ALL of the things I want to. I've focused more on the jewelry due to having a few craft shows over Christmas & in the spring. I did finally finish the tote bag for my unbelievably patient friend. I will try to find a picture to post.

I did start a new project. Fabric envelopes. It's a different take on the cash budgeting system promoted by Dave Ramsey. Instead of having several paper envelopes, you have one fabric envelope with 6 pockets on the inside. Much cuter & sturdier! My husband suggested that

I make one for credit cards, so that may be my next project.

Anyways, here are a couple of pics.

Chaos is the name of the game

Life has been full of chaos in our household the past few weeks (& apparently isn't going to get better any time soon), but strangely, I'm not feeling very motivated on the sewing front. I have 2 bags that I am about ready to begin - one is a tote bag for a very patient friend and the other is a rag bag that I'm doing just to do it.

One of the reasons I'm not feeling motivated is just frustration. There hasn't been a whole lot of interest in the napkins or pillows that I have for sale. Now I wonder if I should continue to do more or try something new.

Another reason for my "no motivation" attitude is that I am quickly filling up my plate with projects. I am working on a scarf that will be gift. I've made several special order bracelets for gifts. I picked up the ornaments to make for the kids. (Every year, we purchase / make / decorate ornaments for each of the children. These are specifically for them so they will have a small set of ornaments of their own when they have their own households.) This year I bought clay ornaments that are their first initials. I will paint & decorate them.

And finally, I've been focusing more on the jewelry. We have another craft fair this coming Friday. It's actually a Ladies Lock-In being sponsored by a local church with proceeds going towards their mission work. They will have spas, games, scavenger hunts & vendor booths set up for Christmas shopping. All they ask is that we donate 10% of our proceeds as our rental fee. Here are a couple of things I've been working on . . .

First Craft Fair

This past weekend I participated in my first ever craft fair. It was held in downtown Cookeville on the Westside. A couple of stores in that area hosted the event & it was called Picasso Doesn't Live Here. The street was blocked off between 1st and Broad Street with booths lining both sides of the street - as well as 2 stages for live music. The street itself is home to several restaurants which probably benefited from the fair. All in all - it seemed to be a great success, especially since it was the first one.

Personally, I didn't do as well as I had hoped. That being said - I DID make enough to cover my portion of the booth cost and to have a little extra profit. So it wasn't a complete loss. My partner Racheal and I had our jewelry plus I had my crocheted blankets, napkins & pillows. We shared space with another very talented friend who had her handmade bears, family trees & book covers.

We have another event scheduled for Friday, November 5. This will be at a Ladies Lock-in at Poplar Grove Baptist Church. I will post more details closer to time.

I also have my Etsy store set up - well.... sort of. I am still tweaking it but I've got a couple of items already listed.

That's all for today, my friends.

76 days and counting . . .

until Christmas. I love Christmas and decorating for Christmas and making things to decorate for Christmas. On that note, here are a couple of things I've been working on this past week.

Christmas napkins for your table. Cute & festive!

And now introducing...

Hello there! Welcome to my world of crafts.

A little about me . . . I love making things, putting them together, using my hands, and seeing the finished product. The Lord has blessed me with this ability and with 2 grandmothers who also had a love for sewing and creating. For me, it started early. I can remember cross-stitching little kits when I was probably 9 or 10. Since then, in the last 5 or so years, I've branched out from cross-stitching. My grandmother taught me the basics of crocheting and I loved it. It brings me immense joy to create precious baby blankets. I also bought myself a sewing machine and set about learning how to use it. It's been an experience but I'm still learning and I've found an awesome, local mentor.

I also stumbled into jewelry making thanks to a friend of mine. Now that craft is addicting.

I hope to use this blog to share my journey, and my products, with you. I have 2 Facebook pages - Darling Treasures (jewelry) and Melissa's Creations and Designs (everything else). Thank you for stopping by & I hope that you will enjoy taking this journey with me.

God Bless!