RagsReborn Gift's holiday craft show schedule!

CRAFT SHOWS! 💗
       😀CRAFT SHOWS!
              CRAFT SHOWS!😍
If you like getting your Christmas shopping done at craft shows, boy do I have a treat for you! My craft show schedule for November & December is jam packed and I tried my best to pick shows that focus on handmade products and local artisans. Here's the full list -

Holiday Handmade Show
Saturday November 2, 2019
9am-4pm
The Crown Center: 13300 S. Western Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73170
https://www.facebook.com/events/267397570846124/

Holiday Craft Bazaar
Saturday November 9, 2019
9am-3pm
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church: 308 NW 164th, Edmond, OK 73013
https://www.facebook.com/events/367932734092239/

Jasco Merry Market
Friday November 15, 2019
11am-3pm
Jasco Products: 10 E. Memorial Road, Oklahoma City, OK 73114
https://www.facebook.com/events/2341213789462887/

Christmas Bazaar
Saturday, November 16, 2019
9am-3pm
Central Presbyterian Church: 5101 N. May Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73112
https://www.facebook.com/events/2340250966033937/

The Santa Market
Saturday, November 23, 2019
9am-5pm
Oklahoma State Fair, Pavilion Building: 3001 General Pershing Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK 73107
https://www.facebook.com/events/666697790399035/

Fall Bazaar
Monday, November 25, 2019
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
8am-5pm (both days)
Bellevue Health & Rehabilitation: 6500 N. Portland, Oklahoma City, OK 73116
https://www.facebook.com/events/337079760523622/

Sleigh Bells Market
Sunday, December 1, 2019
Noon-5:30pm
Farmers Public Market: 311 S. Klein, Oklahoma City, OK 73108
https://www.facebook.com/events/2015138995189855/

I hope you can make it out to at least one of these shows to support the amazing small business and artisan community here in Oklahoma. There are so many benefits that come along with shopping local. I would go into detail about them all but I have a lot of sewing to do! See you guys soon!

RagsReborn's Fall Craft Show Schedule

Summer break was absolutely delightful (I got so much done around the house, traveled a bit, sewed some garments for myself, and started a garden) but I am READY to get back into regular craft shows. And boy have I booked a crazy busy Fall Craft Show Schedule!! For the first time ever, I am breaking my travel distance rule--which was no craft shows that are more than an hour's drive away from home. Time to break out of my regular shows and try some new ones! Here's the full schedule-

Piedmont Founder's Day
Saturday, September 7, 2019
10am - 4pm
First Baptist Church Piedmont: 15 Jackson Ave NW, Piedmont, OK 73078
https://piedmontokfoundersday.org/

Prairie Moon Market Day
Saturday, September 28, 2019
9am - 4pm
Prairie Moon Primitives: 13256 Lake Road Ave., Wayne, OK 73095
https://www.prairiemoonretreats.com/
       My friends, Brenda & Karen, from my sewing club told me about this show. They will be there, along with some other women in their quilting circle, selling quilted items and quilt-related items (they mentioned sewing themed jewelry, which I'm pretty excited for!)

Rock Island Arts Festival
Friday, October 4, 2019, 10am - 9pm
Saturday, October 5, 2019, 10am - 9pm
Sunday, October 6, 2019, Noon - 4pm
Historic Depot area of downtown Chickasha: 100 East Chickasha Ave., Chickasha, OK 73018
https://www.rockislandartsfestival.org/page/page/8907560.htm
       This is my first ever three-day show and it's going to be outdoors. Please pray for me. 😅 Just kidding. I'm actually really excited for this show. My friends, Paul (Pens and Things) & Melida (Mama Dragon Studios), participate in this show annually and it has become one of their favorites. Every time I vend at a craft show with Paul, he is always telling me how awesome the Rock Island Arts Festival is and how I need to participate in it. So this year, I decided to do it. I'll be in a tent near theirs (and they have the coolest stuff) so come say hello to us!

Saint Ann's Craft Fair & Open House
(open to the public, not just for community residents)
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
10am - 2pm
Saint Ann Retirement Center: 7501 W. Britton Rd., Oklahoma City, OK 73132

OUHSC Staff Senate Fall Craft Fair
(open to the public, not just for OUHSC employees)
Friday, October 25, 2019
10am - 2pm
Robert M Bird Library Lobby: 1105 Stonewall Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73117

These are just the beginning... I have so much more planned for the months of November and December. Please come out to any (or all 😉) of these shows to support local Oklahoma artists, crafters and small business owners. I appreciate you guys!!

SURPRISE! More craft shows...

I have pillows! I have large stuffed animals! And, I have small stuffed animals (ok, not really small, they're the size I've always offered)!

Guess what, guys? I WILL be having a spring craft show season after all! HOORAY \(^_^)/  As you already knew, Wanderlust Pop-up Shops was my only spring craft show this year and it was cancelled because Oklahoma weather is terrible (100% chance of rain and a high of 40℉ forecast for its previously scheduled date, um... no thanks 👎) The new scheduled date will be Sunday May 5, 2019. While stressing out about Wanderlust, I picked up two more shows, so, you'll have a couple more chances to buy that pillow or stuffed unicorn you've had your eyes on. 😉 I will have ALL of my inventory at these remaining shows (there will be tons of inventory to choose from because I was sewing like a madwoman in preparation for Wanderlust Pop-up Shops)... that means SO MANY pillows, the entire stuffed animal menagerie, plus other fun stuff like tote bags, wall hangings, cell phone and tablet pillows and anything else that is in my crafting closet. This will be my first time participating in these two shows but I've heard good things and I'm sure they will be pretty fantastic.

Arts & Crafts Marketplace

Saturday, April 27, 2019

9am - 3pm

The Station at Moore Central Park, 700 South Broadway Ave., Moore, Oklahoma 73160
https://www.facebook.com/events/2287826001277874/

The "marketplace" will be outdoors on the lawn. I won't have a tent so please pray for good weather. Actually, the event coordinator told me that if it rains, she'll move the entire show indoors so maybe we should all pray for rain. LOL The main goal for this show is to be an artisan marketplace but there will be a handful of direct sales vendors. This show was recommended to me by a fellow crafter, Elizabeth (owner of Zee & Zeus dog treats) so if you come out to see me, please also swing by her booth to pick up some goodies for the fur babies.

I know this is the most generic craft show flyer ever but this is what they posted on their Facebook event page...

Arts & Crafts Fair
Saturday, May 4, 2019
9am - 4pm
American Legion Post 12 - Bethany/Warr Acres, 6101 NW 50th Street, Warr Acres, OK 73122
https://www.facebook.com/events/2348265302058651/

This will be a true craft fair; only handmade items and no direct sales! The craft fair will be held in conjunction with the lodge's annual pancake breakfast (which starts at 7am... vendors are allowed to start selling at 7am but I won't be there until 9am). Breakfast and shopping all in one go! What more can you ask for?

Wanderlust Pop-Up Shops
Sunday, May 5, 2019
10am - 6pm
Wheeler Ferris Wheel, 1701 S. Western Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73109
https://www.facebook.com/events/284402045529166/

I hope you guys can make it out to the rescheduled Wanderlust. I know its on a Sunday, which can be a little inconvenient but I promise it'll be worth your while to come out. It's all local, handmade, Oklahoma artisans!! There will also be food trucks and kids' activities. And, it will be my last craft show before summer break (no shows for the rest of May, and all of June thru September).

RagsReborn's Spring Craft Show Schedule

Howdy, everyone...long time, no blog. How have you been? Good, I hope. I suppose this lack of blogging isn't news anymore since I only blog about once per month now. So lazy! LOL I guess I haven't had that much going on. Or at least not that much that's worth writing about. So onto RagsReborn's spring craft show schedule...

Wanderlust Pop-Up Shops
Saturday April 13, 2019, 10am - 6pm
Wheeler Ferris Wheel 1701 S. Western Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73109
https://www.facebook.com/events/284402045529166/

This will be my third year at Wanderlust. 😎 And that's because it has always been one of my favorite shows to be a part of. The event coordinators do everything they can to ensure that both vendors and shoppers have a great experience. The best part--- all of the vendors are local Oklahoma makers! No direct sales or multi-level marketing companies. Support handmade crafters!! Support local small business!! Support artisans!! And all that jazz...

And that's it. Only one spring craft show this year. I might pick up a small show here and there if a good fit comes my way but I don't have much planned for this spring and summer. *Gasp!* No worries though, I will be doing several shows this fall and holiday season. I already have applied for--and have been accepted to--a handful of shows (which is amazing because I never get my schedule organized this far in advance!) I plan to hit the craft show circuit pretty hard again starting in October. Until then, let me know if you need any custom orders made; you know those are my favorite and I am always ready for them!

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!!

Summer craft shows are done...

... and RagsReborn is officially on break! I am still accepting custom orders (as always) but I won't be participating in any more events until fall craft shows start. I had a pretty good summer craft show season. I participated in the Friends of the Library Book Sale at the Newcastle Public Library, Wanderlust Pop-up Shops at the Wheeler Ferris Wheel and the Made in Oklahoma Fest in Midwest City.

I didn't expect too much in the way of sales for the Friends of the Library Book Sale because the main event was the book sale. The local crafters and vendors were an afterthought. I was placed in a back corner but I was still able to make a handful of transactions. Even if I didn't, I would have been  happy to participate because I love libraries and their cause. I had a couple of vendor friends also participating so it was nice to spend the day with them. The event coordinator was top-notch!  She and her daughter helped me unload on set-up day and checked on me throughout the entire duration of the show. At the end of the show, she--along with her daughter and son--followed me to my car to help me pack up without me even asking them to. All of the other volunteers treated the vendors with much respect and I could tell that they truly appreciated us ... and sometimes that is more important that making sales.

The complete opposite happened at the Made in Oklahoma Fest. Sales were decent but the event's staff was absolutely horrible! The festival had been managed by the same woman for the past six or seven years. I had corresponded with her before I sent in my registration & fees and she was great. About a month before the event, it was announced that she was moving on to another job and the festival would be run by a handful of newcomers. Then about two weeks before the event, all of the vendors received an email with a map detailing everyone's placement. I was placed outside of the vendor area in the back corner of the foyer with the advertising sponsors. I found this very disconcerting since none of the other vendors were placed there. I figured that the main ballroom was probably full and they had to move someone out, but why my booth? I double checked my application to make sure that I had done everything that I was supposed to. Hoping this was a simple mistake, I emailed the new festival coordinators and politely asked for this to be corrected. No response. This was on Monday June 4th. The festival was to be held on Saturday June 16th. I gave it a few days and called the festival coordinators on Thursday June 7th, left a voicemail, no response. Then I called again Friday June 8th, left a voicemail, no response. Finally, on Monday June 11, I received an email that simply stated, here is the new map. No formalities or apologies.  I felt a little disrespected but was glad that I was in the main ballroom with the other vendors.

Vendors were advised to set up on Friday evening since it would be too chaotic the morning of the festival. When Wes & I got to the Reed Conference Center, there were no signs, no event staff, no maps. Luckily, Wes had attended events at the venue before so he knew where to park, where the elevators were, etc. Every show that I have participated in, from small church shows to large renown events, has a check in table with at least one person to show you where your booth is. The Made in Oklahoma Fest did not.  We wandered around the ballroom until I found a table with RagsReborn labeled on it. Then on Saturday, there were supposedly volunteers throughout the day but not a single person checked on me. There was a mother daughter pair that I assumed were volunteers since I saw them walking around the ballroom all day. I once tried to make eye-contact with them because I needed someone to watch my booth while I stepped away. They literally turned around as soon as I  made eye-contact so they could avoid me. None of the event coordinators introduced themselves nor did anyone thank me for my time. The only good thing is that my picture (above) supposedly won one of the photo contest prizes (that I still haven't received, yet). LOL

After that terrible experience, let's spend the last paragraph praising Revolve Productions, Tobi, her mom and her son and the wonderfulness of Wanderlust Pop-up Shops. Wanderlust is held twice a year at the Wheeler Ferris Wheel. The first show is usually in the spring but it was rescheduled to summer due to inclement weather. It was an extremely hot day but well worth it. There were customers all day long, I had friends come out to visit me, my tent neighbors were beyond great and sales were really good as well. I would say that it is one of the top ten most well attended shows in the Oklahoma City metro. The entire staff at Revolve Productions does everything imaginable to run a smooth show, from something as important as advertising to the small thoughtful things like giving vendors bathroom breaks. Although the scale of the show is enormous, Tobi and her staff managed to stop by each vendor tent to chat and thank us for being there. I always have a good show at Wanderlust. It pairs the two most important things - vendor hospitality and above-average sales. I have done a lot of shows as RagsReborn and I can say that only about five other shows are as good as this one.

So that's a wrap. Thank to everyone who came out and supported me. You are amazing per usual. I have some fun ideas for new products in the fall. I'll keep you posted and will post my fall craft show schedule as soon as that line up is finalized.

RagsReborn's summer craft show schedule.

I was originally planning on writing about Part 2 of Wes & mine's New Orleans trip tonight but then I realized that I have a craft show coming up. I actually have SEVERAL craft shows coming up so I need to do a craft show schedule post!  You peoples gotta know where I'll be at, right? Of course you do! So here it is, RagsReborn's summer craft show schedule-

Newcastle Friends of the Library Book Sale, Craft Show and Blood Drive
Saturday June 2nd, 2018
9am - 4pm
Newcastle Public Library
705 NW 10th Street, Newcastle, OK 73065
https://www.facebook.com/events/999344373573001/

This will be my first appearance at this show. I don't know much about the event but I do know that I love books and I love libraries so I'm pumped to be a vendor supporting this cause. The first one hundred shoppers will receive a free swag bag with goodies from many of the vendors. And the books from the library are being sold by the bag-load. You can fill an entire bag full of books for only $5! I have a feeling I'll be checking out the book sale more than being present at my booth. LOL Does anyone else have this issue when they're vending at shows? Where you're too busy looking and shopping at other vendors' booths so you're constantly away from your own booth? I'm hoping its not just me. Haha!

Wanderlust Pop-Up Shops Spring/Summer 2018
Sunday June 10th, 2018
10am - 6pm
Wheeler Ferris Wheel
1701 S. Western Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73109
https://www.facebook.com/events/2040947109520102/

Wanderlust is back, y'all!!! Yippee! Crazy winter weather prevented the show from happening in April but now it's June and the weather is nice and sunny! This event has been moved to a Sunday (its traditionally been held on Saturdays). I am so excited to participate as a vendor with Revolve Productions again. Tobi puts on the best shows. There will be a wide variety of local makers and artists, including my friends, Paul (Pens & Things) & Melida (Mama Dragon Studios), who make fancy ink pens and steampunk jewelry, and my friend Elizabeth (Zee & Zeus Dog Treats), who makes gluten free & organic dog treats. My booth should be sandwiched between theirs. There will also be food trucks, events for children, pet friendly, and the list goes on. If you only go to one of RagsReborn's show, I highly suggest this one.

Made in Oklahoma Fest
Saturday June 16th, 2018
10am - 6pm
Sheraton Midwest City Hotel at the Reed Conference Center
5750 Will Rogers Road, Midwest City, OK 73110
https://www.facebook.com/events/1630004580403449/

This is my first time participating in this event and I hear it's a good one. I believe this will be the seventh year for this event and it keeps growing each year. There will be both indoor and outdoor vendors so expect a good variety of products. Aside from merchandise vendors, there will be local wineries, craft beers, and food vendors (which is probably what I'm most excited about!) This will be my last show of the summer season. I'm not sure how it happened but I scheduled my entire summer craft show schedule in one month! June is going to be a busy one! After these three shows, I'll be taking a break until September. I hope to see you soon!

RagsReborn's Spring Craft Show Schedule

I am so ready for spring to come...or maybe I'm just ready for this month to be over. January and February have been pretty busy and (mostly) stressful for the Ngo Kirtley household. Because of this, I haven't been in a single craft show, yet, and am only participating in three this spring season. All three are well established shows that will have many vendors. I have listed them below. Please come out and support us!

D.U.C.K Week Junk Show
Sunday March 11, 2018, 10:30am - 4pm
Piedmont Intermediate School
977 Washington Ave NW, Piedmont, OK 73078-5025
https://www.facebook.com/events/136797620364991/ 

Heart of Yukon Craft & Vendor Show
Saturday March 24, 2018, 9am - 4pm
First United Methodist Church
400 Elm, Yukon, OK 73099
https://www.facebook.com/events/2094038403941503/

Wanderlust Pop-up Shops
Saturday, April 14 at 10am - 6pm
Wheeler Ferris Wheel
1701 S. Western Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73109
https://www.facebook.com/events/2040947109520102/

RagsReborn is planning for 2018.

Guess what, guys? Spring craft show season will be here before we know it! Shows usually begin in March and run through the summer. I'm still in the process of researching shows that will be a good fit for RagsReborn; I have a couple on my radar but haven't finalized my spring craft show schedule, yet, but I plan to very soon. And when I do, I will have it posted for you guys. I promise!

For 2018, I plan to aim for quality over quantity. My approach when I first started RagsReborn was to participate in whichever show I could get accepted into...which meant sewing up a storm and travelling to craft shows several times per month. I enjoyed staying busy but I believe that by being a little pickier, I can 1) choose to only participate in reputable & well established shows that I know will have an atmosphere that is best for my inventory and 2) spend more time perfecting & improving the quality of  my products. In my last blog post, I mentioned that one of my goals for the year is to become a better sewist. I just registered for a Sewing II (intermediate) course at a local vocational college. Classes don't begin until March but I am already excited to start! I also plan to attend more American Sewing Guild meetings in the upcoming months. Not only are the women in the Oklahoma chapter extremely friendly & welcoming, they also represent a fountain of knowledge and I love picking their brains to get new ideas & advice.

I Googled "color trends 2018," and this is what came up on the image search. Do you agree or disagree?

Another goal I mentioned was to cater my product more toward the general public (but I'm stubborn so I'm not completely getting rid of pattern blocking, for better or worse!). That's where I need your help. All last year, I kept hearing potential clients tell me that they're done decorating with pillows. They either no longer use pillows in their home decor or they have already amassed enough pillows and therefore don't need any new ones. So... if you are a popular blogger or community figure, please bring back pillows. Tell all of your fans that pillows are totally rad and everyone needs more pillows! And new pillows! Please and thank you. LOL All joking aside, I really would like some feedback. Can you please tell me what styles, colors, sizes, and patterns of pillows you'd like to decorate with? Also, what animals are popular with children, babies and new parents? I plan to continue to sew pillows & stuffed animals but plan to toss around some other new ideas. So, what are some other sewn items you'd like to see in my booth? My "vendor category" is sewing and home decor so I would like to stay within those boundaries. I made several flags (wall decor) for friends and family as Christmas gifts. Should I start selling those at craft shows? Any comments, whether negative or positive, are appreciated.

I Googled "fabric trends 2018," and this is what came up on the image search. Do you agree or disagree?

With all that said, I have a lot of work to do... but I'm super excited to see where 2018 takes RagsReborn. Thanks for continuing with me on my journey and I hope to see you at a craft show or two!

And here's an adorable picture of Sadie and Athena to keep you going until my next blog post.

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.