I'm here, I'm here, Yeesh!

Well well well.
So my little crafty fair of craftness went off without a major hitch, and the only minor ones being a) it was 98 hot degrees that day and b) I didn't make any money once you facor in costs, I actually lost a LOT.
BUT!!  But it was only my first fair, and I did it for the experience and not the money (good thing!) and I managed to make new crafty friends, which is a feat in and of itself for me since I am such a hermit normally.  I did sell some items, and upon checking my google analytics the traffic was up on my etsy store with 88 new visitors that day and the next, so that is WONDERFUL!!!  Okay, enough of my bragginess... here's how it went down. 
I managed to wake up at a respectable time, and the set-up for the even started at 10.  I got there at 9:59, and was suprised to see I was the 4th to arrive (there was a total of about 20 vendors).  Luckily, the organizer (Kelly Cook) was awesome and helpful and she was able to do her organizey duties as well as help me set up a little.  Another passer-by helped me with my tent, and then I needed to figure out where to put everything.  I had intentions of setting things up in a dry-run the week before, but I chickened out because I knew if it didn't look good then I would freak and not do the show. It took me the full 2 hours to get everything out the way I wanted it to be, and in the end looked like this.

(the pics aren't that great, but you get the gist)

I was actually fairly happy at how it turned out, though next time I know that I need a little more variation in the heights of table displays, and that I may choose a different "layout" since this left me very little room to move around.

 Plus, it was so hot, that (3rd pic) later in the day I had to move the backdrop curtians so that I could get a tiny breeze, and I think that took away from the look, but I didn't want to be fainting. That wouldn't have been good.
So the event technically started at 12, but no one really arrived until 3:30.  This was the first year they did an artists/crafts block, and the main event was the 45 bands that were playing throughout the day starting at, you guessed it, 3:30.  Kelly said that she plans on doing another year, but will start later next year, so I think that would be awesome.
I set out all of my items, and also a photo album (that I plan to continually update) with crafts that I've previously made for Etsy and also for swaps, and I think that a lot of people enjoyed seeing those.
I also had a woman ask me about an item that I made previously but didn't have any of at the time, and she took a card, so I am hoping that I canb put that in the etsy store for her!
Okay, so, I want all kinds of input that you're willing to give on what I can do to look better (the booth, not me, I KNOW what I can do...) and what you would have liked to see if you had been there.
Lay it on me!

This is it.

Hoooooo boy. Today is the last "prep" day for my crafty thing, and as much as I really want to yap about it, I need to get things done.  BUT!  Don't fear, I plan on taking lots and lots of pictures, and I plan on writing all about it afterwards, so check back. 
Peace out home fries.

Oh, The Ironing.

I don't think I can take any more. I'm all ironed out. Any and all future crafts will have to be wrinkly and grubby, because I simply can't do it anymore. I'm sorry. Who knew there were so many heat-applied  items and steps in crafts?!  WHO? I wanna know so I can hunt them down and poke out thier eyes. Preferably with a hot iron! (insert slightly psycotic, yet cautiously joking laugh here..)
On a happier note, I'm getting closer and closer to actually being ready for this thing!
The referred to "thing" being this:

I posted it before, and I'll probably post it again, because it's my FIRST!

And I have come up with an item of awesomeness during my craft-a-thons these past weeks.

Behold.

It's a beach, In ring form!!  By the way, if you are not nearly as excited as I about this- you can just shut it, because it was so much harder to make than you'd think, and I never gave up. So HA!

So I'm hoping to make many more of these, unfortunately I am not quite a "pro" at it yet, so they will probably be few and far between unless they are really popular, because the investment per piece grows pretty fast when you keep ruining the pieces!

I've also been making lotsa other stuff, but it's all on the PookaLakaChicka facebook page.

(this is too, but I am SO excited, I had to do a repost!)

Alrighty die-ty. I should go sew these dismembered purse corpses together....

Or maybe get a drink...

We'll see.

The stench of failure is overwhelming. Or wait... did I wear deodorant today?

Okay so what I remember about the Melissa and Cheryl resin casting days, is that a) it was pretty easy and b) it smelled terrible.


What happens when I do it alone?

a) It's not even anywhere close to resembling easy, the crap is hardening up in 2 seconds or is like working with snot.

b) it still stinks. A lot.

So now my hands and fingernails are covered grossness and the $20 I invested in the process of casting is wasted. I still have some left, but after 3 attempts to get the right balance and working in the ridiculously hot garage, I'm done. And I"m not a happy crafter. :-(

I want to try to make the rings I prepared, but now I"m afraid that I have the stigma of failure surrounding me and it will touch everything I attempt to do.

So... notes to self-

1. You need to wear gloves when working with resin.

2. You need more acetone to wipe this junk off.

3. You need Melissa here to laugh at your failure with you.

4. Stop trying to force things and take a break. At worst, you'll fail again later, but you'll at least get a snack out of it.

Can't talk... Crafting.

Okay, okay, I have decided that since you are all waiting patiently by your computer screens for me to post another wisdom-filled blog, I will oblige you. However, it's going to be short, because I officially have less than two weeks to get my act together, and if you know me, you know it's taken me approxamately 28 years to get this far, so 2 weeks is nothin. 
1. I miss Melissa. I have a picture of her in a drunken (1/2 a glass of wine) stupor, and I think I will post it in my craft room so that I can see it and think of her.
2. Brin reminded me that football started last night, well, the preseason anyway, and now I am all excited about the normal season because it looks like (thanks to McNabb) we're going to be a decent team.
3. When I woke up this morning and sat outside with the doggies, it was like 70 degrees.  I CANNOT WAIT for fall.
4. I am all out of wisdom but feel that 3 points aren't enough to sustain you greedy readers out there.
5. Again, I have nothing, but 5 seems to be a good stopping number.

I'm The Weener!!

I won the mostest awesomest necklace ever! Go me!!  And I may find myself having to enter another crafty fair, since they are the ones that did the necklace giveaway, after all.
Horseshoe Craft and Flea Market
In other news, I have discovered something that I may have to make a crapton of, since I find it to be highly exceptionally awesome in the extreme! It is a combo necklace/bracelet/headband. Oh yes.
All three in one tiny little thing of coolness.
I am perfecting the niftyness, then I will post pictures.
Also, if you live near me in CO, you'd better be getting your buns to the event posted below on August 27th.  With any luck, you will be able to see me have a full blown panic attack, free of charge.

In like Flynn

I am IN THIS!  Actually in it, not going to it, not seeing it from afar, IN it.  I am soooooo nervous!

I wish I had friends and family close by, I know they'd help me!!

Sweaty Elbows- Your daily dose of randomosity

OH HAPPY DAY!  And Happy Mail. With a possibility of a Happy Meal as well.
I went off amongst them today, and found myself in the jewelry isles at JoAnns. While normally this is a cause for celebration, of course they did not have what I need, so I will have to make it from scratch.  It's not super difficult, but it would be better if I could just buy it outright.  Also, I bought a necklace and bracelet stand, so it looks like I'm talking myself into doing this whole craft show thing.  Either that or I just like the looks of them.  A little of both, actually.
Oh and I am noticing that I"m not much of a writer, as every other thing here is a sentence fragment. Please don't grade me, I'm afraid I'd fail.  
In other news, my mom sent me a "happy mail" package filled with goodies. There were a ton of jewelry items I had previously made and forgotten about (Bonus- Less to make for the show I may or may not do...)  as well as a check for some things she took from the stash and an "order" for some things I can make her!  So needless to say- whoooo hooo I have work to do! 
Oh, and I also have all the stuff to do to get ready for a show, as well as finishing up the pieces I want Leslie to model.
Whooo hoo?

People will think what I tell them to think when you tell me what to tell them to think.

I am realizing that in order to maintain a daily crafting blog, one must craft daily.
Not weekly, or bi-weekly or basically just whenever I feel like it.
DAILY.
Thus forms my resolution to a) craft more, daily possibly and b) also post about my craft-related things.  Oh yes, and c) to continue my random posts of randomness, because after all, I don't think people feel obligated to read it anyway.
So.
Today I did not craft, but I did make a Dr appointment and talk to people about bills and organize all of the financial stuff and go to lunch with Tim and clean the house and do a load of laundry and go grocery shopping.  I know that there are many people out there that don't understand how I can be home all day and not have a "job" but really, I just do everything that you do at night and on the weekend during my day, and that way my nights and weekends are spent with Tim.
Oh yes, so back to my (lack of) crafting.
I had a brainfart of an idea yesterday, and I plan on a trip to the big JoAnns in Loveland tomorrow to buy a few necessary supplies.  (no, I don't know how I can have this craft room full of things and still need supplies either) I also hope to jam in a few tree pendants here soon, because I owe Melissa B a pair of earrings for being the most awesomest and best friend ever.  I also plan on mailing a bunch of things I have made and/or are swapping tomorrow, so if you are waiting for a package from me, chances are it'll finally get on it's way tomorrow.
Oh yes, and I am also excited about the prospect of making an awesome dog present for my cousin's new adoption, so I'll be needing to get on that soon as well.
For those of you that I have forced into making a WIST  (Brin, Melissa)  you guys need to get on that because I will be commencing with the christmas crafts soon so that I don't end up a slave to the craft room for the entire month of December like last year.  Also, if I haven't forced you into a Wist- but you a) already have one, or b) want to make one, send me the link people!!!
Toodle-oo.

Dang you, Dang you to heck.

Oh my. I just had the most deliciously fabtacular cookie known to man. It's called a tahiti cookie- from Pepperidge Farm.  And for those of you who say that homemade cookies beat packaged ones any day, fine, come over and make me a tahiti cookie and maybe I'll agree, but until then.... neener.
More on the subject of crafts (as this blog is not called cookieland, hm, but that sounds fun- a land made of cookies) I am actually crafting today. I have finally gotten myself to stop "prepping" (aka lazing around the house) and I am making stretchy bracelets for my MIL. She can't have any metal in her jewelry, so I'm using nifty flocked felt and wooden and gemstone beads to make bracelets. 
(Like these:)

So I am feeling slightly better about what I am accomplishing, I just hope that I can continue to motivate myself to make things.  Maybe the secret is the fabby cookies. Yep, I'll just have to eat them every day and see how that works out. Either I will be able to get lots of awesome things done or I will get so fat that I'll resemble a marble with little stumpy legs and arms and I won't get anything done.

Lets hope it's not the marble.