The Big Craft Show

Finally got through the craft show and I did pretty well.  It was alot of fun.  Took 2 hours to set up and about 30 mins to take down.

Sewing Rice Bags, Rice Bags, Rice Bags...

I can't make these fast enough.  I have sold 21 sets in a month.  I was originally making them for my craft show coming up this Saturday but thought hey, why not see what's up at Etsy.  Who would have guessed that these would be a hot item!  Just sewed these tonight, 2 sets.  I really like this pattern.
UPDATE 12/12/14:  I have now sold 38 of these on Etsy and about 5 privately.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Click Here to learn more about this craft item at Kids4crafts.

Red and White Wreath

Still working on this one?

Another Christmas Wreath

If you didn't know it already I'm making these wreaths for a craft show in December.  So this is why I seem to be bombarding my blog with wreaths.  This is the latest.  I used pine cones on this one and a gold bow.  It looks pink in the photo, but it is red with green and gold accents.

I just can't keep well enough alone.  I swapped the gold bow for the sparkly stiff red bows I've been using on some other wreaths.  I like it better.

Finished White Wreath

Here is the final white wreath.  I decided to again keep it simple, only thing I did different from the last photo is add the small red balls.  It is clean and simple.  And I am loving on the big red bow now. Time to move on to a new wreath.

Click here http://kemishdo.blogspot.com/2014/11/white-christmas-wreath.html to see more on the making of this wreath.  Or check out all my wreaths here http://kemishdo.blogspot.com/search/label/wreaths.

Jingle Bell Door Knob Hangers

This is a repost of a Christmas craft I posted on my sister blog Kids4Crafts that I share with my sister Victoria Lavender from Nov 27, 2008. I thought it was appropriate and deserved a reposting since it is such an easy craft and they look very nice on your door. I made these earlier this year for a Christmas in July show and I used pine cones on them also, really spruced them up, if I can find the photo I will post it at the bottom.  Instructions along with photos are below.

 

White Christmas Wreath

Love it or hate it?  I can't decide.  My mom wanted me to make a white wreath and this is what I came up with.  I'm not sure this is the final product.  I am very pleased with the wreath itself, I'm just not sure of the decoration, namely the flowers.  I used the same technique of tubes and cut ruffles and you can see the red/white striped tubes peeking out in the center and underneath the outer edge.  I love this look.  I have not been a fan of what I call the looped wreaths.   I also don't like to close the wreath totally in the center.  I believe a true wreath should have an open center.   I used about 15 yards of metallic deco mesh on this wreath.

Well I have pulled off the red flowers, they just didn't look right.  I think I have made up my mind what to do.  This wreath looks so beautiful just as is, I am going to remove all the decoration except for the little silver balls and make a large red and silver 12 loop bow with 4 long tails and attach it to the upper left side.  It will really look different than the photo above.  Hopefully much better!

Ribbon costs alot.  I ended up purchasing a roll of red burlap wired ribbon.  Here is the wreath stripped and just with a big red bow.  Still not sure I like it.

It's growing on me though as I look at the photo.  Does it need anything else?  I kind of like it plain like this.  Still not sure this is the look I'm going for after all.

Pretty Rice Bags all in a Row

I am building up my inventory.  I was originally planning on only selling these at the craft show in December, but these have been selling on Etsy.  I have sold 4 sets already in less than 2 weeks.  I also made some more Ravens lanyards and hair bows today.  I must say I'm having fun with my new sewing machine.  If I could only think up something else that I can sew and sell.  Hmmmm.
UPDATE 27 Nov 14:  These rice bags are quite the seller on Etsy.  My shop has been open for almost a month and I have sold 13 sets!  I'm running out of stock and need to sew some more over this holiday weekend.

Ravens Hair Bow

My mother emailed me today and told me that the best selling craft items are hair bows.  She suggested that I make Ravens hair bows.  I had a little scrap material and whipped this out.  I think I could be more conscious of the cut so that Ravens is horizontal, but it was a scrap.  I also used bias tape for the center since I didn't have enough Raven's material.  All it needs is a clip attached.

Baltimore Ravens Pot Holders

Last night I was looking at my new sewing machine and thinking, what now?  I just bought this machine what am I going to sew next?  I had some scrap material and an old towel and I made a pot holder.  Very primitive, used a hand towel for the batting.  But I thought, hey?  I can make Raven's Pot Holders.  I have never seen these at any craft shows.  So today I went to JoAnn's and bought some Raven's material, Insul Bright, black extra wide bias tape, and black thread.  I think they turned out very good, attractive too.  I just put these on my Etsy store, Baltimore Raven's Pot Holders.

Well I just showed these to my neighbor and she asked me to make her a set.  I'm glad to see that she was excited about them, hopefully I will find that enthusiasm at the craft show and sell them all.

UPDATE:  Well I have sold two more sets and haven't even gotten to the craft show yet.  Didn't realize the demand for Ravens Pot Holders :)

My First Deco Mesh Christmas Wreath

After my success with my Ravens Wreaths, I needed to try my hand at Christmas wreaths.  The one above is the first one, and the one below is my second one.  I am pleased with their turnout.  I tried to keep the decoration simple, I think they look best this way.  I have seen some pretty loud and gawdy wreaths at some craft shows.  I am using a combination of tubes and cut piece ruffles.  I start with two differnt color tubes crossed and go around the wreath frame attaching the tubes to each section (6 sections to a frame).  I follow with a layer of ruffles, another layer of tubes, and a last layer or two of ruffles.  They are full and really beautiful.  They look much better IRL.

This is the second wreath I finished this afternoon.  Very similar, except this one has no green and has silver accents.  I just sold this to a friend in Arizona through Facebook.  I was only going to make three of these for the craft show, but looks like I may sell the other one before the show as well.  I will have to order more supplies from the craft outlet soon.  I have sold 2 raven's wreaths and one Christmas wreath this week.  This is becoming a very lucrative craft!

Wreath Supply Shipment Received!

And so it begins, Christmas wreaths.  I hope these will turn out as nice as my Raven's wreaths.  Won't know until I make them.  I plan to decorate them with ornaments from Dollar Tree.  Only making three this time.

I went and did it...

My little sewing machine was screwing up again the other night, stitches were looping and I had to rip out a seam 3 times before I got it right.  I have finally decided that if I'm going to be sewing products for sale then it's time to invest in a better machine.  I purchased this Singer model at Target for $89.99.  Nice machine, it's like night and day sewing on this machine from the little one.  I have a photo below of them side by side, you will be able to see just how small the other one was.

Baltimore Ravens Lanyards

I wanted to make these ever since I saw a lanyard tutorial online.  I didn't think they would turn out so nice but they really did.  I use one at work with my badge and it's comfortable and just right.  Now everybody at work knows who I root for!  They are 18" long and just the right length.  I used swivel hooks because they work nice for badges, especially a two sided badge holder like I use.  I made these for the craft show and put these on my Etsy store for $8.00.

My first sale!

Wow, my first sale on Etsy.  I sold the Brown Floral Rice pack set.  Thanks Rene!  Hopefully this will lead to more sales :)

Spindle Snowman

This was a fun craft.  I saw this on Pinterest and just thought they were adorable.  This was a very inexpensive craft, the spindles only cost around $2.00.  I am selling these at my craft show in December for $12 each. These will look nice on someone's doorstep or by the christmas tree.

Baltimore Ravens Wreaths!

I have been thinking about this craft for awhile and finally plunged right in and did it.  Kind of using my own combination of techniques, mostly ruffled, and some tubes.  I have been selling these for $40 each around town to my friends, have sold 4 of them already.  Taking what I have left, if any, to the December craft show at the Aberdeen Fire Hall on December 6th.  UPDATE:  Just sold 1 more wreath today, only 2 left to take to the show now.

Two of my favorites, I made 7 in all.  Both of these have been sold.  I will be attempting christmas wreaths next week. purchased enough materials to make 3 wreaths.  Hope they look good and not gawdy, we shall see!

Sectioned Microwave Rice Filled Neck Warmer/Heating Pad

I've come a long way from the simple neck warmers I made for my gift baskets in 2008. I actually started my first Etsy store and put these up. I made these for my craft show in December, thought they would make nice gifts. I made these with rice and they are sectioned so the rice doesn't fall to one side and leave an empty area inside the warmer. I am having a lot of fun making these and I am using that little sewing machine my sister Victoria Lavender gave me back in 2008.  I decided to make matching drawstring bags for mine and don't see anybody doing this on Etsy. Makes them much more attractive as a gift. Selling them for $15 each on my Etsy Store KraftsByKemi.  I'll be lucky to sell any because there are about 5,000 other neck warmer products on Etsy, but who knows?

UPDATE:  I have sold over 50 of these since my Etsy store went up end of October 2014.  Seems I was found through the other 5,000 similar products, very cool!  I also purchased a bigger/better sewing machine in December to keep up with the orders!

  

This little sewing machine is working great.  I thought about purchasing a newer, better one, but I'm not much on sewing so why, when this is doing the job. 



Just made this one tonight and I love the pattern.  Had trouble with the little sewing machine tonight and almost threw it in the trash.  But I finally figured out the problem and was sewing again.  If this thing isn't threaded exactly right it goes all haywire.  It looks larger in the photos, it's actually only 9" high and 10" wide.

Wine Glass Snowman Tea Light Holders

Wow, I haven't posted on this blog since 2008.  Well it's time to dust it off and post some of my projects.  I saw these on Pinterest and just had to make some.  I of course did mine differently and I think they turned out quite nice.  I used puffy paint around the hat bottoms and up the stems.  I have already sold the chubby purple/pink one.  They cost me about $1 to make plus my time (1 hour) and I'm selling them cheap $5 each.  I will be doing a craft show in December and these will be on my table along with some other crafts I will showcase on this blog.