My Tim Holtz Prize Came!

Ok....so last year I came across Tim Holtz' 12 Days of Tags and just fell in love with all of the neat techniques he used.  So I made sure to catch this years too!  I never knew he gave out so many generous prizes during the 12 days either.  Each day I checked out his blog before leaving for work in the morning to see what neat creation he posted overnight.  Never did I expect to win anything as he has such a following.....each day could get 2-3,000 comments!!!!  OH MY STARS!!!!!   But on Day 12 he posted the winners from Day 11 and there was my name amoung about 20 other people.   I had to double check, make sure that's how my name appears in my posts.....sure enough it was me.   And then when I finally got my envelope.....oh my, not only was he so generous to so many people.....I would have been happy with any little tidbit he sent but look at the goodies I got!!!   Journaling Tickets, Chipboard Thickers, gorgeous glittered stickers, an awesome christmas rubber stamp....very vintage christmas!, a mask and the neatest tiny paperclips. So now that the holidays have settled, I'm off to play with my new found goodies.   Off to youtube to check out his tutorials!!!

The Barely There Primitive Bear Giveaway

I just love coming across new blogs, sometimes I get so caught up in going from one blog to another to another that I sometimes stop and wonder "How did I get to this one???"   Well, while reading Willa's new post from The Country Cupboard Door, I stumbled upon The Barely There Primitive Bear.  Her name is Karen and I'm looking forward to catching up on some of her latest posts.  She's got a current giveaway going on right now, so hop on over and go meet Karen!!!

http://thebarelythereprimitivebear.blogspot.com/2009/12/my-christmas-give-away.html

Here's a picture of her giveaway, isn't it adorable?

The show was a success!

Wow!   I'm still tired from yesterday!!  The past few years I've taken the week off before this show just to finish up last minute items and all of that....although each year I swear I'm doing it differently so I'm not doing things at the last minute.  But I think most of us that do shows are always gluing and painting right up til the last possible minute!!  :)

Mom and I set up our display the night before.  Unfortunately we had a late start on Saturday morning and knew we were going to be rushed to set out our products.  We walk in and go ACK!!  The night before, the booth to our left was all set up.  The booth to our right just had tables set out....but we didn't realize that they were going to bring a 3rd table and butt it right up alongside our table.  Well we had our display facing so people would walk around the outside of it.  So we had to scramble and rearrange our display.  I think if I would have checked, I think the other booth was over their markings but at that early hour in the morning I didn't want to start a neighbor feud!  :)

All in all, it was a successful day.  Sales were up from last year and I noticed that more of the bigger items going this year as opposed to last year.  Always great to see repeat customers....we look forward to seeing them each year as they seem to be to find us!  Great to also hear from the woman who kept waiting for our website to open and she made a point to tell us she already knew it was done and she's visited it already.

Prim is starting to catch on a bit more though...some extra competition this year.  Our "neighbor" came back and said that this persons stuff was too cheap, said it was handmade but she didn't think so. She showed me what she bought and I said, no way.....this is handmade and I couldn't believe her pricing.  So Mom and I eventually checked out her items.....adorable prims and many of the same patterns Mom and I use.  I have a rule for craftshows that I'm selling at......I don't allow myself to buy anything.   I go as a shopper to other craftshows and buy til my hearts content......but I was SOOOOO tempted to buy from this girl......way cute stuff!!!   And she eventually made her way over to our table too and we laughed that we both had to check each other out.  It was really nice to talk to her....we discussed other patterns and supplies and everything.

SANDY......Olde Country Cupboard/You Are Special......if you read this she did up your snowman head wreaths!!!!   As soon as saw them I knew whose pattern that was!!!  :)

So now for the annual cleanup/clean out of the craft room.  I use our display for my storage in the craft room so the night before this show everything gets dumped out and I come home to a horrible mess!!!

Didn't have too much of a chance to take pics of all of our booth, but I took a few.  I wish I had taken a picture of the new building we were in though.  It's 3 buildings connected.....a greenhouse, then our building (which is gorgeous inside....some of the pics you can see the gorgeous wood in there and the lights...loved them!!!) and then a 3rd connected building where they had a few more crafters and the concession stand and tables.    And shhhhhh.....don't tell Mom I caught her in a pic.....she will be sooo mad at me!!!!   But isn't she so cute!!! :)

You can see part of the building in these next 2 pics!   Check out the chandelier light in the top left corner pic.....they were nice prim lights. 

Dawn "Aunt DeeDee"

We're off to our show!

Mom and I are off to the craftshow!!!   A dollie wanted to wave goodbye to everyone!!  Not sure if we like the setup in the new building yet but we'll see how it works out.  We had trouble setting up our display last night.  Nothing seemed to look quite right but we think we finally got it to where we like it.  Now to go finish packing the car!!

Dawn "Aunt DeeDee"

Getting ready for the craftshow!

Mom and I narrowed down our craftshows to just one a few years ago. In our area it's hard to find a good quality craftshow that brings in the not only the customers but other great crafters as well. So a few years ago we decided to put all of our effort into one of the local shows for the Northwest Christian School. We've had a spot at this craftshow for many years....first it started with my parents when they made birdhouses. Then they gave me their spot after I got out of college and started doing my own shows with country items. I stumbled upon the world of primitive thanks to a wonderful crafting community called Primmart http://www.primmartcommunity.com/ and that started me towards my path of primitive crafting. At that point my mother started crafting again and we now do the show together.

The show is always the weekend before Thanksgiving and it seems like a perfect time for the show. This year they are using a new building at the fairgrounds so I'm not sure what to expect...luckily we can get in the night before and set up our tables and display and be able to see how the new space will work.

So while other people tend to take vacation time at work to go away and visit places....I take my vacation time the week before the show to get ready and finish last minute items!!

Ack.....so much crafting to do....so little time!!!!

Dawn "Aunt DeeDee"

Not a creature was stirring......

I have loved mice ever since I was little. My sister's nickname for me when we were younger was "Mouse" and I have so many mice ornaments that I could decorate my Christmas tree with just those (hmmmm.....maybe I'll have a theme tree this year!!)

So when I came along Old Road Primitives blog and her adorable giveaway I just had to share it!!! HOW CUTE ARE THOSE MICE???!!!!

http://oldroadprimitives.blogspot.com/

Keeping my fingers crossed on those cuties!!!

Lookie what I won!!

Well, first I have to say what an "icky" Halloween we had here! We were without power most of the day....so not fun! But then I check my email (somewhere between the first power outage and the second!) and I have an email from Brenda at the Rusty Thimble saying I won her giveaway! Let me say the picture she had on her blog did not give her creations justice! I was so surprised when my box of goodies got here, they were so much bigger than I expected! So I now have some new stocking ornies to go on my prim Christmas tree, a neat prim Santa on a spool, a new prim dollie (she's already made friends with the other dollies!) and the COOLEST dove on a rusty spring...which I just LOVE that one to pieces!! Thank you so much Brenda!!!!

If you would like to go see some of Brenda's creations, click on over to her blog (while you're there click to follow her and visit some of her other blogs too!)

http://therustythimble.blogspot.com/

Ok....back to the sewing machine I go.....EEEK, only 3 more days of crafting left before our craftshow!!! Why do I procrastinate??????

Dawn "Aunt DeeDee"