RagsReborn's 2018 Review

It is currently 11:35am on Tuesday, January 1st, 2019. Happy New Year, y'all! 🎇🎉(that second emoji is supposed to be a "party popper," but it totally looks like a taco or some sort of food to me, LOL) I decided to use the #2018bestnine app yesterday to generate my highest liked pictures of the year. Some good ones came up - endometriosis awareness, the dress I designed and made for American Sewing Guild contest, the Kesha concert, my drastic haircut, I gained Excel certification, endometriosis awareness (again!), Athena with Santa Paws, Crazy Rich Asians, and sadly, only one craft show picture. And even worse, there weren't any pictures of my sewing process or finished products. Well, that just means I need to work harder this year.

Earlier this morning, I tabulated all of my craft show information (items sold per show, expenses, and all that boring accounting stuff). I only participated in sixteen shows--which is still a lot but I think I did over twenty the year before. I spent most of my time (and money) on growing my sewing skill set. I took a sewing class that spanned several weeks and totally immersed myself in American Sewing Guild. Oh, and I also bought a ton of new stuff for my sewing room. So, 2018 wasn't the best year financially for RagsReborn. That being said, I still had a handful of marvelous craft shows. The top one being The Santa Market, closely followed by Wanderlust and Sleigh Bells Market.

I opened my Etsy store in late November of 2014, just in time for the holiday shopping season. I told myself that I would give it three years to decide if being a small business owner would be a viable option for me. My three years are over and I've decided that nope, being a small business owner is absolutely not a good career choice. Dude, I totally suck at sales! While other vendors are chatting up everyone who walks near their booth and making $500+ at craft shows, I'm over here being socially awkward. That used to make me feel so horrible (and jealous). Something happened last summer... a complete switch in mindset. I was still the quiet girl who politely greeted customers and let them browse while I sat in the corner of my booth and read... but I noticed that I was still making sales. I only gabbed with a few customers per show but I was having real conversations with those that did stop and talk. I made friends and gained repeat customers. Most importantly, I stopped comparing myself to other vendors. I finally realized that RagsReborn Gifts is not a job, and I don't want it to be a job or a career. That's too much pressure.  I will never sell $1,000 at a craft show, like the "successful" vendors do. My products will never be picked up to be sold in local boutiques. And that is just fine. All I want is to create in my sewing room and then show off all my awesome talent. RagsReborn is a hobby, a hobby that I am really passionate about. I'm actually proud of myself and I don't need sales to justify that feeling. All that matters is that I bring top notch quality items to each and every show. For 2018, that is exactly what happened. I hope to keep that positive momentum going for 2019. I'm taking a few months off to experiment with new inventory (I will be sewing unicorn shaped stuffed animals...for all of you who keep asking if I have unicorns 🦄) and restocking everything else. I look forward to putting my spring craft show schedule together... I hope to see you soon!

RagsReborn's Fall Craft Show Schedule

Hello, everyone!! 😃
       Two things... 1. It's craft show season again! 😁 and 2. I just discovered how to add emojis on Blogger. Welcome to 2018, Erica.

I am pretty excited to get back into craft shows again. I've actually had an extremely light craft show schedule this year-- only two shows this past spring and four shows in the summer-- so I'm bit out of practice. But, I've been brainstorming new products and have been working on a couple of new things in my sewing room for you guys. I have finalized five shows for the fall season (September & October) and four for the holiday season (November & December). I'm thinking about maybe doing one more in either November or December but I'm not entirely sure, yet. Part of me likes doing fewer shows but the other part of me knows I need to get out there and hustle. Anyway... here is my fall craft show schedule:

Piedmont Founder's Day
First Baptist Church of Piedmont
15 Jackson Ave NW
Piedmont, OK 73078
(I'll be in booth #23)
Saturday September 8, 2018
10am - 4pm
https://www.facebook.com/evvents/358122104666893/ and https://piedmontokfoundersday.org/

Purchases for a Purpose Craft & Vendor Market
(in conjunction with the Czech Festival in Yukon)
First Baptist Church of Yukon
15 S. 6th Street
Yukon, OK 73099
Saturday October 6, 2018
9am - 3pm

University of Oklahoma's Health Sciences Center Fall Craft Fair
Robert M. Bird Library Lobby
1105 Stonewall Ave (on the corner of 10th & Stonewall)
Oklahoma City, OK 73117
Friday October 12, 2018
10am - 2pm
I missed the OUHSC Spring Craft Fair so I'm extra excited to be returning for their fall one. I'll be debuting some new products at this show so you won't want to miss it!

Craft Fair
Quail Springs United Methodist Church
14617 N. Pennsylvania Ave.
Oklahoma City, OK 73134
Saturday October 13, 2018
9am - 3pm

Fall Craft Fair
St. Ann Retirement Center
7501 W. Briton Road
Oklahoma City, OK 73132
Wednesday October 17, 2018
10am - 2pm
I know most of you don't fancy spending your day at a retirement center but this is such a good show! I've participated in it annually since RagsReborn's inception. Maria, the retirement community's event coordinator really does a splendid job. And, this show is on the same day as St. Ann's open house. I took a tour the first year I participated and I'm pretty sure I'm moving in here when I become old & frail.

I guess I'm returning to my roots by doing these smaller "church shows." The venues may be small but I promise they are definitely worth coming out to (two of them are in connection with awesome family friendly events... Piedmont Founder's Day and Czech Fest!). And I'm not just saying that because I'll be selling there. 😉 LOL In all honesty, I would really appreciate the support because 1. I haven't done a show in a while and the last one I participated in in August went terribly, 2. three out of the five of my fall shows will be new ones for me (oh, the nervousness of doing a show for the first time!) , and 3. I recently applied to have my products sold at a local shop and got immediately rejected. I really hope you guys can come out and lift a girl up, I would REALLY appreciate it!  And its always a good idea to support local!!

RagsReborn's spring craft show recap

My booth at the heARTs of Yukon show. 

Can you believe that we are a quarter of the way through 2018?? Time is sure flying! I had an extremely light spring craft show season - only two shows! Over all, each of the shows was great in its own way. Here is a breakdown of the shows and their pros & cons.

D.U.C.K Week Junk Show 2018 booth display

D.U.C.K Week Junk Show - I love that Piedmont High School puts on this annual show as part of their D.U.C.K (Doing Unselfish Charity for Kids) Week festivities. Helping to pay for the recipient's medical bills and to take a load off of the family's stress is a great cause! The show is always heavily advertised and therefore, well attended. This year was no different. There was consistent traffic all day ... but hardly anyone was shopping. *sad face* My personal sales were down from the previous two years and after talking to several other vendors, I discovered that they weren't selling as much, either. So it seemed as if everyone was a little short on cash. I can't place any blame on the show for that, but a complaint that I can discuss is how the show was run.

The show coordinator and her staff decided how vendors are treated based on personal relationships rather than quality of product. Leading up to the show, they asked for each vendor to upload some pictures of their inventory as well as provide a website link. The event staff spotlighted several vendors on social media but there were many others who provided pictures and links and were not advertised. On the day of the show, I noticed that the majority of the vendors who received social media exposure were also the ones rubbing elbows with the event staff. More pictures of vendor booths were taken throughout the day, and again, the vendors who were highlighted were the same ones who received the previous social media attention. There were many amazing vendors who's products were not photographed or promoted throughout the day. I also think that the arrangement of booths is also decided on a friendly basis. Part of me knows that sometimes you have be to a brown-noser in order to be successful but part of me also thinks its unfair.

Children's book author, Carly Cartmill. I absolutely LOVE participating in craft shows with her!

heARTs of Yukon - I started my craft show career doing small church shows. I've mostly moved away from those but I still do a few here and there. This show was put on by the United Methodist Church as a fundraiser but it was far from small... it was held in several large rooms and in hallways throughout the church building. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of vendors & the variety of items for sale, and I was also pleased that it was not saturated with direct sales/multi-level marketing companies.

The show was organized well and, best of all for me, I was placed next to one of my very best craft show pals! Attendance was not as high as a large event but there was a decent amount of customers (maybe 150 people came throughout the entire day). That is to be expected for a smaller show. Many church shows are put on as a fundraiser so they do not have a large budget for advertising. Since booth rent is usually under $50, vendors get what they paid for in terms of event coordination and promotion. I think for a church show, this one was above average.

Wanderlust Pop-up Shops - I live in Oklahoma where the weather is oftentimes crazy and always unpredictable. This event was originally scheduled for mid-April and it was supposed to be a nice spring day. Nope. On the morning of the show, it was about 30 degrees Fahrenheit and extremely windy. The forecast called for 30 - 40 mile per hour wind gusts throughout the day and a high of only 50 degrees. This is not good news for an outdoor show. Luckily for us vendors, the event is being rescheduled. It will now be held on Sunday June 10th, 2018. Mark your calendars!!

I have not planned my summer craft show schedule, yet. I need focus on custom orders (I have a few piled up that I must get started on!) While I won't be doing a lot of shows throughout the summer months, I will do at least one or two. I plan to hit the craft show circuit hard this fall and holiday seasons. Bye for now and I'll see all of you in a few months!

RagsReborn Gifts says goodbye to 2017.

Hello, everyone! I hope we all left our troubles of 2017 behind us and are welcoming 2018 with open arms!

I finished my 2017 craft show year several weeks ago but wanted a little more time for reflection so I'm writing this a bit late. Last year was pretty darn good for RagsReborn over all. My #1 highlight was that I finally got into The Santa Market... and had an awesome time!! The show coordinators and volunteers were great, there was busy traffic all day, my sales were amazing and the show lived up to all its hype; all in all, it was my best show!

This show raises so much money for charity and I love being a part of this kindness!

After reviewing all my craft shows from last year, I would say that 2017 was the year of criticism and the year of risk taking. Both were scary challenges but both also helped me grow as a small business owner and a human being. And that's really what challenges are all about; you cry & have sleepless nights, then you work harder & come out the other end much braver ... and then you take that attitude into the next challenge and do it all over again. I think that actually sums up everything about owning a small business.

I am well aware that shoppers and other vendors gossip behind my back, but I've never had anyone openly share their negative comments to my face... until last year. The bulk of the criticism centered around two things - my items look too handmade and it is evident that I am a self-taught sewist. And because of that I 1) should not be charging so much for my product and 2) do not belong at large professional events. To paraphrase, "If you're going to do arts 'n crafts at home with your grandma, go back to small church craft shows and only charge $3/item." First off, I would like to defend myself and say that I am proud of RagsReborn. I personally feel as if the company has come a long way in three short years. But on the other hand, I know that I don't work out of a professional studio and it is pretty evident that I like to blend loud colors & weird patterns so my pillows don't exactly fit into what's "mainstream," and if I want to actually have customers & make money, maybe its time to be a little more hip and in tune with what shoppers prefer. Hearing other vendors' and shoppers' opinions taught me to stand up for myself but also humbled me. I am obviously biased about my products but it wouldn't hurt to work on my people skills and take a few sewing classes, and I plan to do that this year. Being self-taught will only get me so far and I know I still have a long way to go.

On to risk taking... I've been too afraid to sign up for large craft shows ("artisan pop-up shops," as they are often referred to as). I think its because my first craft show ever was the Indie Trunk Show and it was a complete disaster. The booth rent was entirely out of my price range and I looked completely out of place...talk about items looking "too handmade". LOL Those are still things I struggle with but last year, I decided to give large craft shows another chance and joined the Revolve Productions line-up. I participated in four of their events and guess what, I didn't do too poorly! Everyone measures success a little differently and I'm not ready to share my sales figures publicly but I will say that I was able to hold my own at each one of these larger events. Tobi and Revolve Productions is a delight to work with. Each one of their events was heavily advertised and they carefully selected the vendor line-up to ensure a wide variety of products. I am so glad I participated in their Wanderlust and Sleigh Bells Market shows, and look forward to doing so again. I also took another risk by introducing new items into my product line and that was the best decision I ever made. (Thank you to everyone who encouraged me to do so and sorry I didn't listen to your suggestions sooner.) Stuffed animals-especially the baby elephants-were the best sellers of the year. With that in mind, I plan to go into 2018 with new items & ideas, higher quality products and you'll continue to see RagsReborn at smaller community craft shows as well as high-end pop-up shops.

RagsReborn Gifts' October Craft Shows

Hello, all! *insert waving emoji* Can you believe summer is over and fall is in the air?!? Long time no talk (no write? no read? What is the proper syntax when you're not really talking?) I hope 2017 has been treating you well. Things have been great in RagsReborn-land. Its that time of year again... fall craft show season! I have a TON of craft shows coming up; I'm actually booked each weekend from now until Christmas. But let's not get ahead of ourselves; here is a list of the first wave of shows... (I'm marked as "going" on all of these on Facebook; if you'd like some more details, please let me know and I'll be happy to send you an invite.)

Dream Center Craft Bazaar
Saturday September 30, 2017
9am - 4pm
Inner City Church 2212 SW 55th, Oklahoma City, OK 73119

4th Annual Classic Car Show
Sunday October 1, 2017
1pm - 4pm
Doo-Wop Glam Shop 5581 NW Expressway, Warr Acres, OK 73132

OUHSC Staff Senate Fall Craft Fair
(this craft fair is open to the public... the vendors are mostly staff & faculty so that's why they call it that.)
Friday October 6, 2017
10am - 2pm
Robert M. Bird Library Lobby 1105 Stonewall Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73117

Wanderlust Pop-up Shops
Saturday October 21, 2017
10am - 6pm
Wheeler Ferris Wheel 1701 S. Western Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73109

Fall Craft Fair and Open House
Wednesday October 25, 2017
10am - 2pm
St. Ann Retirement Center 7501 W. Britton Rd., Oklahoma City, OK 73132

I couldn't find a picture of this craft show but I'm going to be participating with my friend, Elizabeth. She's the owner of Zee & Zeus Studios and that's Zeus up there! @ZeeandZeusStudios)

Fall Festival Craft & Food Fair
Saturday October 28, 2017
9am - 3pm
Moore First United Methoidust Church's Chrisitan Life Center 201 W. Main St., Oklahoma City, OK 73160

RagsReborn's summer craft show review and quick break.

Quick break?? What...no more summer craft shows for RagsReborn? Yeah, you read that correctly. I won't be participating in any more craft shows until September. All of the worthwhile shows in June, July and August are outdoors and I was just not made for the heat in Oklahoma. I participated in a few indoor shows last summer but they were not well received. Not wanting to make that mistake again and deciding that I, in fact, do need a break, I'm giving myself a few months to relax and work on new projects. But never fear if you need something sewn, I am always open to custom orders (ragsreborngifts@gmail.com) and I have pick up & delivery for the metro Oklahoma City area. I also will be posting all of my products on Etsy.

All set up and waiting for customers at The Village Fair. Sadly, none showed up. Notice that the other vendor behind is also bored and reading a book. 

This summer, I participated in only three craft shows. Two were great and one was NOT. The show that I would not recommend is The Village Fair. The idea behind The Village Fair was great - lots of great vendors with a variety of products, food trucks, live entertainment (a talent show), inflatable bounce houses and a fire truck for kids to climb on. But The City of the Village and fair coordinators did absolutely ZERO advertising. Toward the end of the day, a few city workers were tearing down the vendor tents. One asked me how the fair went. I lamented the lack of attendees and the city worker confessed that there was no advertising this year. He stated that last year, the city printed & posted flyers in all the nearby storefronts and had large banners & yard signs. But this year, no one knew that all these great activities were being set up over the weekend so no one showed up. It was RagsReborn's worst show of the year, unfortunately. If it wasn't an automatic donation to the Metropolitan Library System, I would say that it was completely not worth my time & money but I love the library and was happy to donate toward it. What I really felt bad for was the kids participating in the talent show because they practiced for months only to perform to an empty audience. Anyway, you're probably thinking I'm just mad because I didn't have any sales. Nope, not true. Toward the end of the fair, the head coordinator came to each vendor's booth and apologized for the lack of attendees and told us we could pack up and leave early if we wanted to. She knew it was a bust and was giving up on the fair even before it was over! I told her that I appreciate the empathy but wondered why no one knew about this fun event. She had no answer for me when I questioned the lack of advertising. She only advised that I voice my concerns on The City of the Village's Facebook page. I did later that evening but no one ever replied (this was almost a month ago).

The other two shows I participated in was Junk Utopia and the craft show held at OU Health Sciences Center library. Junk Utopia is put on by Revolve Productions. I absolutely love working with Tobi and her crew. They always put on a great show! The problem I ran into this time around is that the show wasn't the right fit for RagsReborn. I thought "junk utopia" was a cute whimsical name for a craft show... nope, it literally was a utopia of junk. LOL Antiques, vintage items and refurbished furniture everywhere! The shoppers weren't in the market for anything else. I still sold some and had a pleasant day (I am in no way complaining or saying this was a bad show) but I think I'll pass on the next Junk Utopia show.

Stuffed baby elephants were the best thing to happen to me in 2017!

 RagsReborn did great at the craft show held at OU Health Sciences Center library! The only reason I did so well is that I finally faced reality and made & brought new items at lower price points. Pillows were great. At first, I only wanted to sew pillows. I would sew other items as custom orders but I had a vision that RagsReborn would be the vendor to buy pillows from. When a shopper wanted a pillow, they'd come straight to my booth and I'd be their girl. Two or three years ago that's exactly what happened, everyone was into decorative pillows. But, that was two years ago... now everyone has already either bought all the pillows their house can hold or they want to decorate with other items. I also started noticing more and more people unwilling to pay $10 for a pillow. Not to be rude but, I have to say that I price my pillows very fairly. The cost covers my materials, booth rent and fee to list online. I do not pay myself a wage for time & labor. Therefore, I am unable to offer any discounts. Sorry guys. Anyway, I quickly realized that I needed to diversify for 2017. I'm still sticking with my handmade and sewn theme but I'm starting to sew other things, such as stuffed animals, which ended up being a huge hit! (And they're priced lower than my pillows!) I brought stuffed elephants, messenger bags, neck pillows, regular pillows and wallets to the craft show held at OU Health Sciences Center library and sold a nice variety of items

So on that note, I will leave you with an open ended discussion. What do you think RagsReborn should sew for the fall and holiday craft show seasons? Here are some ideas I've been toying around with- more stuffed animals, maybe whales and giraffes to go along with my elephants, bows and headbands, bookmarks, any other ideas? I'm open to any suggestions. I can't wait to show you what I create! Stay posted for fall and holiday craft show schedules in the upcoming months.

RagsReborn's Summer Craft Show Schedule.

Sorry the picture is little blurry... apparently, I'm not very good at screen shots.

Everyone loves a little shopping during the summer, right? I know you do and here are three craft shows for you to get your shop on! I won't be participating in any craft shows throughout the months of July, August, and (maybe) September so I hope you can make it out to say hello before my craft show hiatus. Don't worry though, I'll still be sewing, selling on Etsy and I'm always ready for custom orders!

The Village Fair-
Saturday May 6, 2017 10am - 4pm at Casady Square on the corner of Britton and Pennsylvania
www.thevillageok.org/villagefair.html and https://www.facebook.com/villagefaircasadysquare/
       This show benefits The Village Library and is their annual fundraising event. I get all of my books through the Metropolitan Library System so I was very excited and eager to participate when I heard about this event. It is outdoors with lots of great handmade & direct sales vendors, food trucks, entertainment and it promises to be a fun filled family event. The shops at Casady Square are also holding their annual sidewalk sale on the same day so come prepared for some serious shopping. No storms this Saturday, too!

Junk Utopia-
Saturday June 3, 2017 9am - 5pm at the Centennial Building at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds
https://www.facebook.com/events/647318792106360/ and https://www.facebook.com/officialjunkutopia/
       This will be another RagsReborn + Moon Drake Soaps combo event. If you want to purchase both handmade soaps and handmade pillows from one booth, this is the only place you'll find them! This is also another Revolve Media show (the same company that hosted Wanderlust Pop-up shops). They do an amazing job with craft shows and attract the best artisans & crafters.  I expect a large variety of repurposed and handmade vendors--no direct sales.

OUHSC Spring Craft Fair-
Friday June 9, 2017 10am - 2pm at Robert M. Bird Library at OU Health Sciences Center
       I participated in the Fall Craft Fair last November and had such a good time that I had to sign up again for the spring show. The entire library is transformed into a mall of sorts with booths selling jewelry, home decor, clothing and food. There is a good mix of direct sales and handmade goods. Let's all play a little hookie and come out to shop on a work day... sure does beat being at the office!

While it would really make my day if you came out to one of these shows, I completely understand if you can't... and not to worry because RagsReborn will still be selling pillows on Etsy (www.etsy.com/shop/RagsRebornGifts - all of my inventory is currently listed and updated in real time) and I do in-person deliveries throughout the metro Oklahoma City area. Custom pillows make great gift ideas. I free hand draw all of my patterns so each one is unique!

Check out this adorable Trolls pillow I made as a birthday gift.

RagsReborn's Spring Craft Show Review

~*~*Awesome pillows galore! ~*~*

This past spring, I decided to take it easy and only do five shows. I was originally scheduled to do seven but one show had to reschedule for a different date--and I wasn't available--and another one cancelled all together. While I would love to be selling at shows on a regular basis, I am glad I did not overbook myself. (Less stress is always a good thing, right?) I had more time to focus on new designs & patterns and try out different ideas creatively, which I believe turned out to be a better investment than participating in back-to-back shows. Per tradition, here is my recap of the previous handful of shows I participated in.

Each of the shows I participated in was a good one and I really don't have much of a critique. \(^_^)/ The event organizers at each venue did an amazing job with advertising and vendor hospitality. Unloading and booth set up was a smooth process at each event, the organizers and volunteers were friendly & helpful and a steady stream of shoppers was present all day. If invited back, I would definitely repeat each show next year. 

My first outdoor show was a success! Wanderlust Pop-up shops was one of the most fun shows I ever participated in. The turnout was amazing... I think around 5,000 people came out to support the local artists and crafters. I had the pleasure of borrowing a tent and being neighbors with some friends; the day went swimmingly. Not even the crazy gusts of wind brought our spirits down! The other show that I really enjoyed was DUCK Week. It was my first time sharing a booth and that was also a success. It was nice to have company throughout the day and to also have someone keep an eye on my belongings when I had to step away. Now that I've passed those tests, I will be signing up for more outdoor shows and sharing booths with Rachelle.

My shared booth with Moon Drake Soaps.

Unfortunately, the shows with the lowest grossing sales were at the Newcastle Fair Barn, Western Oaks Christian Church and the Quarter Mania Auction. I attribute the poor sales directly to scheduling (Quarter Mania occurred on Good Friday so turn out was very minimal) and weather...ugh, that blasted Oklahoma weather! *shakes fist at sky* The show coordinators did the best they could, but the weather was really out of their control. Despite that, my sales weren't horrible.. just not where I would have liked them to be. The show in Newcastle occurred on the coldest weekend in March and the show in Western Oaks occurred on the coldest weekend in April. I learned a fun trick from one of the volunteers in Newcastle. He said that whenever his son had a baseball game and they wanted to influence the weather, he would draw a turtle on the baseball field if they wanted rain and draw a cactus if they wanted sunshine. He drew a large cactus right outside my booth and the sun actually started to peak out! 

Speaking of sunshine, my summer show line up is getting finalized this week. I won't be doing too many shows this summer so my pillows will be "limited release" LOL I'll post the schedule on next week's blog post. You won't want to miss these shows!

RagsReborn's Spring Craft Show Schedule, pt.2 (April)

Here it is, guys, the April craft show line up everyone has been waiting for!! I am beyond excited that RagsReborn will be participating in each of these craft shows. I promise you that each and every one of these shows will be a good one. Guaranteed. (Three out of four of these are repeat shows that I have done before so I'm allowed to say stuff like promise and guarantee. LOL)
       Since my spring craft show season turned out so poorly in 2016, I decided to act a little smarter for spring 2017. Instead of signing up for any show I could find, I decided that I would only sell at repeat shows that had good traffic & sales previously and/or shows that came recommended by fellow vendors. Its the creme de la creme this year!

Friday April 14th, 2017 - Quarter Mania
5:30pm - 8:30pm (auction starts at 6:30pm)
Mustang Town Center, Grand Ballroom 1201 N. Mustang Rd., Mustang, OK 73064
https://www.facebook.com/events/436857180039275/
       I am starting off with my absolute favorite charity event. If you haven't attended a Quarter Mania event, I highly encourage it. It is so much fun! All you do is buy a paddle and then pay quarters to bid on the auction items. The vendors always go all out and donate some amazing stuff! All the vendors there are super friendly and the entire night is filled with energy & excitement. All of the money from paddles and vendor booth rent is going to be donated to Friends of the Mustang Animal Shelter and Mustang Parks & Recreation. That's right... one event aiding two charities. Doesn't get any better than that!

Saturday April 15th, 2017- Wanderlust Pop Up Shops
10am - 6pm
Wheeler Ferris Wheel 1701 S. Western Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73019
https://www.facebook.com/events/1714056515572283/
       Wanderlust is my big (MAJOR!) show for the year. If you can only make it out to one show on my agenda, I would definitely choose this one. It is going to be a very large event with a huge variety of talented vendors. It'll be outdoors at the newly installed Oklahoma Ferris wheel. Yes, you read that correctly... outdoors... as in my first outdoor festival! Huge shout out to my friends Paul Bowman (Pens and Things by Paul) and Melida Bowman (Mama Dragon Studio) for letting me borrow a tent. Without them, I would not be participating in this show.
       This is a first time show (because the Ferris wheel wasn't here before) but it is being put on by a company that runs many other large and successful reoccurring craft shows. I am oh so very excited about being a part of this show. And, I have a surprise announcement... at this show only, I will be selling tote & messenger bags! I've been working diligently on these and spoiler alert...they are flippin' adorable!

Saturday April 22nd, 2017- 8th Annual Spring Craft Show
9am - 3pm
Western Oaks Christian Church 8100 NW 23rd., Oklahoma City, OK 73127

Saturday April 29th, 2017- The Handmade Show
9am - 4pm
The Crown Center 13300 S. Western Ave., Moore, OK 73170

https://www.facebook.com/events/1556590987702686/

I participated in the shows at Western Oaks Christian Church and The Crown Center last year. This will actually be my fourth time at The Handmade Show! The vendors and event organizers are like one big family. Although they are smaller shows, they are certainly worth visiting; if not for the vendors, then for the amazing lunch cooked by the church ladies and friendly atmosphere of the show. I will be in my same booth space as previous years, so when you come visit, you'll know where to find me! One last thing to mention, out of all the shows that I have participated in, these are two of my three favorite church shows to do. (The third one is only a Fall show, which makes me sad. Jan, if you're reading this, Triumph Family Worship needs a spring show, too!)
     

So there you have it. The next couple of weeks will be very busy for RagsReborn and I hope to see everyone out and about supporting not only myself, but all the other amazing local talent that is the Oklahoma crafters and small business scene. 

RagsReborn's Spring Craft Show Schedule, pt.1 (March)

Well hello, my little craft show family... I haven't done a show since the indoor flea market at Sugar Creek Casino in January so I know you all have missed me. Right??  Speaking of the indoor flea market... here is my quick review-
       Hinton, OK isn't as bad of a drive as I thought it would be. The show was neither good nor bad. There was hardly any organization or rules to the event. Normally, I would think of this as a negative aspect, but I actually didn't mind it at this event.
       Vendors were free to come and go as they pleased and we were allowed to set up our booth however we wanted. The show started at 8am but I didn't get fully set up until about 8:45am... and I wasn't the worst, there were some vendors who didn't show up until 10am. One vendor moved her booth from where it was assigned to a completely different space so she could be near her friend. There were multiple ladies selling Scentsy. I stretched my extension cord from an empty booth to mine so I could charge my phone throughout the day. I started tearing down my booth around 3pm even though the event didn't end until 4pm. Chaos was everywhere. LOL
       There wasn't a great turn out of shoppers but almost all of the casino employees did come and browse on their break and lunch times. I (as well as several of the other vendors) was able to sell a handful of items. Due to the cheap booth rent fee and lax attitude of the event coordinators, I think it is a good show to try out if you are a new vendor. But if you have done shows for a while and have certain expectations, I would not recommend this show. Sad to say, but your expectations will NOT be met.

Anyway, time to talk about my two great upcoming shows in March. YIPPEE! \(^_^)/ I'm scaling back this year... trying to opt for quality over quantity. There are tons of spring craft shows and I decided these two would be the absolute best for RagsReborn.

Sunday March 5th, 2017- D.U.C.K. Week Junk Show
10:30am - 4pm
Piedmont High School 1055 Edmond Rd NW, Piedmont, OK 73078
https://www.facebook.com/events/1842812649334912/
       I participated in the D.U.C.K Week Junk Show last year and it was a blast. D.U.C.K week is a week long charity event put on by the Student Council at Piedmont High School. The goal is to raise money for a handful of pre-selected needy children (D.U.C.K is an acronym for "doing unselfish charities for kids.") The main fundraiser is the junk show held at the end of the week and all proceeds from vendor booth rent goes to the kids. It is a fun family event with a lot of children's activities and the entire town comes out to support it. There are going to be even more vendors this year than last year so there will be something for everyone. This is also the first show where I will be sharing a booth with another vendor. (Please pray for me! I'm an only child so sharing is not my forte. LOL)

Saturday March 25th, 2017- Craft & Market Bazaar
9am - 4pm
Newcastle Fair Barn 400 N Main Street, Newcastle, OK 73065
https://www.facebook.com/events/1714056515572283/
       This show in Newcastle is brand new for me but it came highly recommended. I actually know a couple of the jewelry vendors who will be there. The craft show has been running for several years now so I know that the event coordinators must be doing something right to keep it going. I am excited to try out some new locations, too. (which was one of my goals for 2017) I have never been to Newcastle but am very excited to introduce RagsReborn to a new part of the state. If you live out that direction, please come out and see me!

I will have more shows for April. I am still in the midst of finalizing the later half of my spring craft show schedule. Stay tuned for more!

Erica & Lacey Learn Paper Quilling

What is paper quilling, you ask? And why would Lacey and I go to a class to learn it?
       Paper quilling is an art form where you roll thin strips of paper into coils & scrolls and then position the rolled paper pieces to form patterns, shapes and designs. The art is traceable to the 15th century and became popular in the 18th century. It was a fashionable hobby for the young women at the time. Lacey & I are fashionable young women, so we naturally gravitated toward taking a class on the art form. (Note: I actually am neither young nor fashionable, but I do love art and trying new things. The classes were free at the Metropolitan Library and I also knew the teacher.)

The top right snowflake pendant is a piece that our teacher made.

At a craft show last November, my booth was next to an artist who sold beautiful pendants and ornaments ... made from paper!! I was blown away by the fact that everything in her booth was made from paper and that she handmade each piece. The artist was Toni Swayze. She has been making paper art for over a decade and is a member of both the North American Quilling Guild and the Quilling Guild based in the United Kingdom. We talked throughout the day and she informed me that she teaches for the Metropolitan Library System. We exchanged contact information and she promised to enroll me in her next class.

Fast forward a few months and Lacey & I find ourselves in Paper Quilling for Beginners. Toni started class with a brief history lesson and showed us some examples of her finished artwork. We then learned about our quilling tools. Our main tool was a metal pick with a slot across the head. The object was to slide the end of a strip of paper into the slot and coil the paper into a small tight spiral. We made several of these spirals for practice. Once we got the hang of it, we moved onto other rolled shapes. Toni provided us with a chart of basic shapes. We made tear drops, squares and hearts. After we finished making all the simple shapes, our "assignment" was to design a flower. The pattern was a little hard to follow so I made my own flowers. Since we mastered the basic techniques in the beginners class, Toni invited us back for her advanced class a week later.

Mine are the two flowers on the bottom left and Lacey's is the one to the right. She was much better a following the flower pattern.

There were five students in the beginners' class. Only three of us returned for the advanced class. The advanced class was certainly advanced. We were all given a new quilling chart with much more complicated patterns. I don't think my technique would have granted me access to the advanced class but I knew the teacher (yay for connections, right?) and Lacey was an expert quiller. The shapes we made in the advanced class used multiple strips of paper. My favorite were the beehive (below, purple) and royal flower (below, yellow). For these two shapes, we started by rolling a large tear drop shape. We then rolled another strip of paper into small spirals and then put the spiraled paper into the large tear drop.

Mine's on the left and Lacey's is on the right.

Since this was the advanced class, Toni assumed everyone was familiar with the techniques and we moved through the chart fairly quickly. I would have preferred a more thorough demonstration, as I needed some one-on-one assistance on a few of the shapes. Since it was a small class, we finished a little early and Toni was able to spend some time working at mine and Lacey's table toward the end of class. I really struggled with the Malaysian shape, which is a spiraled tear drop curled into another tear drop. Lacey's is the perfect blue one in the picture above. My first attempt was awful so Toni gave me more paper for a second attempt. Sadly, it did not turn out much better. LOL She also showed us examples of her work that incorporated the shapes we were learning. That woman makes some amazing flowers and butterflies!

I enjoyed paper quilling and I think it was fun to learn but I do not believe I will be adding it to my collection of hobbies. It proved to be a very involved and time consuming task. It took me forever to finish the simple projects we made in class (I can't imagine how long it takes for more complicated designs!) The advanced patterns demanded too much precision. After making a handful of coils and scrolls--and most of them oddly misshapen-- the task became less fun and more tedious. I just do not have enough patience for it. Which is why I am glad people like Toni go to craft shows... if I ever need a beautiful paper pendant, I know who to buy from!

Toni generously provided us each supplies and instructions for a project to complete at home.