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| Win this set of cards on facebook! |
Friday, March 30, 2012
Note Card Giveaway!
I'm giving away a set of note cards through my facebook page. Click here to go to the contest page.
Click here to see the full item description, plus more photos, in my shop.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
DIY Baby Leggings
This blog has moved! Click here to see the tutorial.
Step Two:
Cut the toe and heel off of the feet, leaving a tube of fabric.
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| I got these form Target for a few bucks. |
Step Two:
Cut the toe and heel off of the feet, leaving a tube of fabric.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
DIY Renovation: My Ugly House
A little over five years ago, my husband and I bought our first home. To say it was a fixer-upper is an understatement. The house had been flipped in the 70's, and some of the work wasn't done properly. Our home inspection didn't find any of the major mistakes (you aren't allowed to check behind the wood paneling after all). On top of that, the previous owners hadn't taken the best care of the house or yard. We had our work cut out for us, maybe a little more work than we expected.
We have been renovating the house one room at a time, hiring out some of the more difficult tasks, but doing most of the work ourselves. It definitely put a strain on our relationship at times. It was hard, frustrating work, but also very rewarding. Now we are almost done. There is one light fixture left to hang in the hallway, and I need to put a better closet system in my daughter's room.
I'd like to take a look back and share a little of what we went through, the surprises we found, and of course our awesome before and after photos. Hopefully some of the work that we did can serve as inspiration for other people undertaking projects like this, and hopefully it will help boost the confidence of other women who are intimidated by power tools, like I used to be. If I can do it, so can you! Since this will obviously take several posts to cover all of the projects, I'll start off with the before photos. This little house didn't look like much, but it was truly a diamond in the rough.
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| What will become a Bedroom |
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| Sunroom |
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| What will become a Bedroom |
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| Small Bathroom |
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| Master Bedroom |
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| Living Room |
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| What will become the Dining Room |
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What will become the Kitchen
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| What will become the Master Bathroom |
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Back in the saddle
It's been a long time since I have written in my blog, originally kateisgreat80.blogspot.com. Unfortunately, my etsy shop and printing also fell to the wayside as my day job, home renovations, and family vied for my attention. I just finished renovating my house, so I decided to start fresh with a new account. I created a facebook page for my shop (click like!), and have been printing up a storm.
My goal with this blog is to show a little of my creative process, post tutorials of crafts I enjoy, and share some of my favorite gluten free recipes. I have copied over some of the relevant posts from my previous blog to get things started. I hope you enjoy!
My goal with this blog is to show a little of my creative process, post tutorials of crafts I enjoy, and share some of my favorite gluten free recipes. I have copied over some of the relevant posts from my previous blog to get things started. I hope you enjoy!
Craft Show Check List
It’s going to be a very busy fall with all the craft shows coming up, which means I need to start getting ready. On more than one occasion I have forgotten very important things, but this list helps me to cut down on making a mad dash back to my house to pick up what I forgot (or sending my poor husband to do it for me).
Table & Chairs Unless they are provided
Tent For outdoor events. Also bring some water jugs to use as weights so your tent won’t blow away, and have a plan for protecting your merchandise if it starts to rain. If you don't have a large budget for a tent, I suggest checking Garden Ridge, but keep in mind their merchandise is seasonal. I got mine for $50 several years ago.
Table Cloth Make sure it covers the sides of your table so you can stash all of your boxes underneath. I made one for my table that has my shop name on the front.
Banner Great for hanging on your tent at outdoor shows, or for your table at indoor shows so people know who you are.
Display fixtures In my case this is a card rack. Even if you don’t have any display fixtures, try to create height on your table. I use boxes that are covered in the same fabric as my tablecloth.
Merchandise Make sure it is clearly priced, or that your have signage displaying the price. Also think about how you are going to carry your merchandise and display fixtures. I put everything I can in suitcases with wheels so I make fewer trips back and forth to the car, and I don’t have to carry as much.
Lint Roller For fabric merchandise and your table cloth.
Business cards I also have stickers and 1" pins to give away.
Scissors
Tape Packing tape and scotch tape is all I have ever needed.
Clothes pins Bull dog clips are also good to have.
Twine To tie your water jugs to your tent. I have also needed twine to tie a tarp to the side f my tent because it was drizzling and I don't have side walls.
Cooler, drinks, and food Some places have snacks, some don’t. Better safe than sorry. I also like to put out a bowl of candy for customers if there is room on my table.
Paper towels You probably won’t need an entire roll, but I like to have a few on hand in case of spills
Money apron I use this instead of a cash box. It has three pockets for cash, and a small pocket for quarters.
Cash Bring more than you think you will need. I have run out of change before and lost a few sales before my husband could bring me more.
Calculator Make sure the batteries are good.
Receipt Book Most people don't want a receipt, but I have had a few people request one. Bags Some events provide bags for shoppers, but I bring my own just in case. You can buy shopping bags at an office supply store.
Notebook For a mailing list sign up and last minute signs.
Pens Bring extra. People accidentally walk off with your pens.
Price tags
Inventory list This is really optional. It’s how I keep track of what I have sold; I just mark things off of the list. I used to write everything in a receipt book, but this is much faster, and lets me get back to helping customers more quickly.
Garbage bag For your garbage and your customer’s. Even though it’s really not nice, some customers will leave their garbage on your table.
Allergy medicine and sun screen For outdoor events.
Hand sanitizer Hopefully you’ll be handling money all day, and money is very dirty.
Camera It’s not vital, but I like to get some pictures of my booth and the rest of the event (since I originally wrote this post, I got an iPhone and no longer bring my camera),
A good friend It’s nice to have someone sit with you, and watch your table so you can go to the bathroom.
Something to do For those times that your booth isn’t slammed with customers, it’s nice to have something to do other than twiddle your thumbs. If you can, work on your craft. People enjoy seeing the process of how your items are made.
Everything you need to process credit cards Make sure you have your card imprinter, slips, and that you take down all of the customer’s information you need to process the cards (like the billing zip code)
Table & Chairs Unless they are provided
Tent For outdoor events. Also bring some water jugs to use as weights so your tent won’t blow away, and have a plan for protecting your merchandise if it starts to rain. If you don't have a large budget for a tent, I suggest checking Garden Ridge, but keep in mind their merchandise is seasonal. I got mine for $50 several years ago.
Table Cloth Make sure it covers the sides of your table so you can stash all of your boxes underneath. I made one for my table that has my shop name on the front.
Banner Great for hanging on your tent at outdoor shows, or for your table at indoor shows so people know who you are.
Display fixtures In my case this is a card rack. Even if you don’t have any display fixtures, try to create height on your table. I use boxes that are covered in the same fabric as my tablecloth.
Merchandise Make sure it is clearly priced, or that your have signage displaying the price. Also think about how you are going to carry your merchandise and display fixtures. I put everything I can in suitcases with wheels so I make fewer trips back and forth to the car, and I don’t have to carry as much.
Lint Roller For fabric merchandise and your table cloth.
Business cards I also have stickers and 1" pins to give away.
Scissors
Tape Packing tape and scotch tape is all I have ever needed.
Clothes pins Bull dog clips are also good to have.
Twine To tie your water jugs to your tent. I have also needed twine to tie a tarp to the side f my tent because it was drizzling and I don't have side walls.
Cooler, drinks, and food Some places have snacks, some don’t. Better safe than sorry. I also like to put out a bowl of candy for customers if there is room on my table.
Paper towels You probably won’t need an entire roll, but I like to have a few on hand in case of spills
Money apron I use this instead of a cash box. It has three pockets for cash, and a small pocket for quarters.
Cash Bring more than you think you will need. I have run out of change before and lost a few sales before my husband could bring me more.
Calculator Make sure the batteries are good.
Receipt Book Most people don't want a receipt, but I have had a few people request one. Bags Some events provide bags for shoppers, but I bring my own just in case. You can buy shopping bags at an office supply store.
Notebook For a mailing list sign up and last minute signs.
Pens Bring extra. People accidentally walk off with your pens.
Price tags
Inventory list This is really optional. It’s how I keep track of what I have sold; I just mark things off of the list. I used to write everything in a receipt book, but this is much faster, and lets me get back to helping customers more quickly.
Garbage bag For your garbage and your customer’s. Even though it’s really not nice, some customers will leave their garbage on your table.
Allergy medicine and sun screen For outdoor events.
Hand sanitizer Hopefully you’ll be handling money all day, and money is very dirty.
Camera It’s not vital, but I like to get some pictures of my booth and the rest of the event (since I originally wrote this post, I got an iPhone and no longer bring my camera),
A good friend It’s nice to have someone sit with you, and watch your table so you can go to the bathroom.
Something to do For those times that your booth isn’t slammed with customers, it’s nice to have something to do other than twiddle your thumbs. If you can, work on your craft. People enjoy seeing the process of how your items are made.
Everything you need to process credit cards Make sure you have your card imprinter, slips, and that you take down all of the customer’s information you need to process the cards (like the billing zip code)
Best Purchase Ever
Anyone who knows me knows that I am beyond thrifty. There are a few things that I refuse to skimp on(toilet paper, for example), but I usually cringe at the thought of spending my hard earned money. After weeks of agonizing about whether or not I should spend $400 to get this craft armoire, I finally caved. This piece of furniture has changed my life. Before I had unorganized stacks of fabric and supplies covering an entire room, now it's all right there at my fingertips, and tucks away out of sight when I'm not working. I was skeptical at first. I didn't think that even half of my stuff would fit inside, but I have room to spare. It even has a power strip built in. This is hands down my most favorite purchase of all time.
The Legend of Microwave Girl
When I was a kid, my parents had an ugly avocado green oven/ microwave combo appliance. The microwave was suspended over the stove much like modern day over-the-range microwaves. I liked to stand on the kitchen stool and watch my food cook, which was really not very interesting considering that there wasn't even a rotating plate in the microwave, only a light.
One night in 1985 when I was watching my food cook with my face pressed firmly against the door, lightning struck the house. No damage was done except our TV died, and the light in the microwave never worked again. My father is a bit of a hypochondriac, and thought that something must be wrong with me after that incident. Microwaves create radiation after all. It had no effect on me, which I think it totally unfair. Spider man was bitten by a radioactive spider and he got super powers. Where are MY super powers?
So "Microwave Girl" is my superhero name even though I have no super powers whatsoever. It's also the name of my company. I have a shop on etsy (microwavegirl.etsy.com) where you can buy all of my super, but not super powerful, handmade merchandise. Ironically, I did not own a microwave at all for quite some time. I finally bought one, but that is a whole other story, involving manufacturer's warranties, customer service black holes, and an endless loop of repair men and parts broken in the mail.
One night in 1985 when I was watching my food cook with my face pressed firmly against the door, lightning struck the house. No damage was done except our TV died, and the light in the microwave never worked again. My father is a bit of a hypochondriac, and thought that something must be wrong with me after that incident. Microwaves create radiation after all. It had no effect on me, which I think it totally unfair. Spider man was bitten by a radioactive spider and he got super powers. Where are MY super powers?
So "Microwave Girl" is my superhero name even though I have no super powers whatsoever. It's also the name of my company. I have a shop on etsy (microwavegirl.etsy.com) where you can buy all of my super, but not super powerful, handmade merchandise. Ironically, I did not own a microwave at all for quite some time. I finally bought one, but that is a whole other story, involving manufacturer's warranties, customer service black holes, and an endless loop of repair men and parts broken in the mail.