MagiStream

Phoenixwildfire wrote:Actually, that is a major problem with crafting sales these days. 60% of the time they're not really crafts- just companies using a person to look more 'home made' even though they're not. Their prices are cheaper so people go to their stand a lot more and take a lot of the business that would otherwise be spread out more.

/sigh.

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A lot of the craft shows I go to are smaller- and while yes that means there's not as many people because it's a regional thing, there's much more diversity in the vendors. I'm usually the ONLY person selling stuffed animals, or if there's another they specialize only in one type (usually simplistic amigurumi) while I have both amigurumi and sewn.

I've also started selling original patterns for $3. You wouldn't think these are very popular, but I've found if someone shows interest in them and I explain what needs to be known, they realize that yes, they CAN make it.

It's kind of funny how many crafters go to craft shows, isn't it? Going for both inspiration and to see other crafter's finished projects and maybe get some hand made gifts for people. There's nothing better than something made entirely by hand- it just has a different feel to it than manufactured products, and it's always higher quality.

Most of the problem is, the craft shows tend to be getting more and more 'expensive' for their fees as the hand crafted craze is picking up momentum. Companies are starting to see 'oh, there's profit in this!" and they stick their fingers into it too, and pretend they're not manufactured. That's why I've started to put 'Hand-sewn', or 'hand-crocheted' signs at my tables- people like to see that all the things I make are completely hand-made.

I put that on my label for my candles "hand-poured in Andrews, TX" just for that added touch

It is really irritating. Like Scentsy doesn't have enough money they are going to send their reps to a small town (9k people) craft fair...

Honestly I think they do it for cheap advertisement. What better way to get people to notice you than be at a place where only 'crafters' would usually be?

The few crafting shows I've been in locally (very locally) have been made so that they're purposefully a 'variety' and they're fairly picky about who they get for their booths. It makes it more enjoyable for everyone, I think. :tard:

Most of our gifts are hand made this year since times are so hard. I've been crocheting blankets, scarves, dish cloths, and pot holders. I've also been making sock monkeys, shrines, jewelry, and worry dolls.

One of the things I'm currently involved in allows me to crochet to my heart's content and be able to send the items to people who need them. There's a Lakota reservation where the people are in desperate need of just about everything. I send my blankets, slippers, baby receivers, and wash cloths out there.

Has anyone seen knittaplease.com?

Lately I've taken to making all of the Christmas presents for family, but I'm at a loss this year. It's easy for my mom--I've done jewelry, a beaded glasses case, a small decorative box with an ornament, and this year's small sculpture of our two dogs--but it's much harder to make crafty things for guys. Last year I made small hobby figurines--a barbershop singer for my brother, vintage baseball player for my dad--but I can't think of anything else. I can sew (but slowly, as I only do so by hand), bead, do woodburning if I can find wood, and make a variety of items from wire and clay, but I don't bother learning real techniques and make it up as I go. I don't suppose anyone has any ideas? I'm trying to think of something teacher-y to make my brother, though it's hard to think of anything crafty that's fitting for a high school teacher.

I would love to make things to sell or even give away, but I have little patience in doing things correctly; I use cheap materials, leave ends poking out, etc. Everything I make for myself lasts a good couple years, but I would not be comfortable giving anything of that quality to someone outside the family.

Edit: Never mind on the idea, I totally decided what I'm making for my brother. A Yoda figure holding up a scroll that reads: "Listen to your teacher, you must. Much to learn, you still have." I already have his head mostly done.

Edit 2: Ah, I killed the thread! If anyone is interested, in the spoilers below are pictures of a couple of the presents I made this year:

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Though the quality is not as high as last year's:

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Crocheting a whole lot this year. Otherwise no xmas from me. Bad enough their is no xmas for me. Anyways I am making a HUGE blanket for a friend of mine who let me cry at his house and in general be the kind of "I don't want to be alone right now and my main person in my life has died, so can I hang out and just talk at you for hours and hours and maybe eat some of your food cause you cook like Woah?" type friend person who just deserves a slavishly labored over blanket. In the process I may have just designed my own blanket pattern. We will see how it turns out when I am done photography and posting of it will occur. let's just put it this way eight plus six is 14 skeins of 7 oz apiece just for the base ^__^ with 2 strands held together and made using an N hook this dude and he will get that soon enough I guess

Me...I write. I write essays, try to write novels, poetry etc. I play cello and I swim. Did I already post here? I can cook...barely. My main hobby is fish keeping. I have two twenty gallon tanks and one ten-gallon.

I love making dream catchers, the first one I've ever made was in my origami class, it turned out really well, I even brought in a few pigeon feathers to tie to the end instead of the brightly colored feathers you buy at craft stores. It now sits above my bed. And since I live where rivers and oaks are a-plenty, I can make them whenever. But the first one i used a metal ring for but I used actual catgut (which is usually sheep, boar, or cow. Not cats).

I'm most likely going to make my boyfriend teach me how to sew because I'm always tearing my clothes and my grandma cannot really see all that well. Another thing that's deeply interested me is Acrylic painting. of which I have a few done all ready but I have no one around to teach me how to do it well so... I'm noobish at it.

I love doing Origami and took a class for it, making pyramids, boxes, cats and wolves and all sorts of other things. So if you have an Origami instruction and can't really figure it out. PM me and maybe I can give some assistance.

I don't know what's wrong with what I'm doing...it seems like the rows stay even for a while and then I drop a stitch...and another and another.

This scarf is never going to get finished. However, what I do have of it is awfully pretty. It's homespun in shades of blue, green, and red and the scarf is for Dee. He's always cold and always getting sick during the winter.

I must remember to use this stitch again for warm things (it's a simple leaf stitch, originally intended for dish cloths and such).

My mom made me a bag for my cell phone because I always misplace it. but I never use it anymore, instead preferring to keep it either in my hand or in my sleeve.