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.

Erica makes a hanging plant holder.

Happy Monday and ... guess what? I'm finally writing another DIY arts n' crafts blog post!! I haven't written one since last Christmas. 'Bout time, right? LOL This idea comes from a client of mine. She stopped by my Wanderlust show to drop off a shirt that she needed to be sewn into a pillow for a birthday gift. As we were chatting, she asked if I've ever made hanging plant holders. I hadn't so she showed me the quick 30-second Nifty or Buzzfeed (don't remember which one it was so I can't properly cite my source) video from Facebook. These plant hangers are all over Etsy and are super cute for summer home decor. I looked at a few other pictures and told Betsy, "Sure, I can do that!" So here we go... seven simple steps to turn an old t-shirt into a hanging plant holder.

Upcycled T-Shirt Hanging Plant Holder Tutorial-
       Materials needed: gently worn t-shirt (or any other knit or jersey fabric), scissors and sewing machine or needle & thread

1. Cut the t-shirt or fabric into eight 1 -1.5 inch strips.
       *For a plant holder, make sure each strip is at least a yard in length. (It looks like a lot but the strips will shrink as you start tying them into knots.)
       *For a growler bottle holder, strips can be shorter - about 24 inches.
a) If making multicolored plant hanger, cut all the different materials into equal length and sew together for desired total length.
b) If adding separate colored fabric for tassels at the bottom, cut those at 12 inches each.
c) If adding separate colored fabric for braided handle, cut 6 strips at 22 inches each.

2. For tassels ONLY - gather the top of all eight strips of fabric together and place the tassels pieces in between the eight pieces. Sew together by hand (unless your sewing machine is heavy duty and can sew through all of the layers.)

Then tie a single knot at where the strips of fabric and tassels meet. This knot is for decorative purposes only since the pieces are already sewn together. I tied my single knot exactly where my stitching was in order to hide it.

If you are not adding tassels, gather all eight strips of fabric together at one end and tie together in a single knot at the base. Leave a few inches (or any desirable length) hanging loose under the single knot.
This will be the bottom of your plant holder. You'll basically be making the project upside-down.

3. Lay the tied piece of fabric out on a large surface with the knotted end pointing toward the top. Separate the eight pieces into four pairs. Tie each pair into a single knot, i.e, piece A will be tied to piece B, piece C will be tied to piece D and so on and so forth.

4. Separate the middle six pieces into pairs and tie into single knots again, as in step #3.

5. Tie the two remaining outer pieces into a single knot.

Now the project should look like a basketball net without the opening at the bottom. You should be able to fit a round object inside of the project, if not, untie the knots and start over (sometimes the spacing between the knots is too big/small or the pieces got tangled and the knots don't end up in the correct position).

6. Hang the project onto a hook and continue to gather the fabric pieces into pairs and tie the pairs into single knots.

I found it easier to "dress" a household item with the project while tying the knots. This helps with gathering the pairs and tying the single knots equal distance to each other.

7. For braided handles ONLY- tie the handle pieces to the loose ends of the project with a single knot. Then braid the handle pieces and tie together at the top. If you are not wanting to add a braided handle, tie the loose ends together to finish the project.

And there you have it! A fun and trendy project you can make basically for free and in less than an hour. They're great for hanging pots, bottles, planters and bowls of all sizes as the spacing can be adjusted by tying the knots closer together or further apart. If you would rather someone else make a hanging plant holder for you, well, I'm here for ya! I won't be adding these to my craft show project line up but if you want one, please let me know (ragsreborngifts@gmail.com). I can make them as custom orders and I'm only charging $5 each!

Here's the one I made for a client. She's really pleased with it and her plant fits perfectly!

Erica & Wes go to Tulsa, pt.2.

Tulsa on Sunday - a day at the Philbrook Museum of Art.

A few months ago, I saw an article about an installation art exhibit at the Philbrook Museum of Art. The early pictures looked so neat, I knew I had to go... and so off we went! (Since it is about an art museum, this blog post will mostly be pictures.) Before our day at the museum, we went to Tally's Cafe for breakfast. The diner serves an award winning chicken fried steak sandwich so that is what I ordered. It was delicious (and so much food!) The atmosphere was retro rock n' roll. There was a booth with Elvis memorabilia decor but, sadly, we weren't seated at that one. 

So about this yarn installation art... it was abso-freakin'-lutely amazing!! I want a replica at my house! LOL It was made from a bazillion pieces of colored yarn hung from the ceiling. It was visible from each floor and it looked different from each angle. Each piece together formed a rainbow effect and it looked like a triangle shape if you're looking at it from the outside. If you laid on the floor (which I did) and looked up at it, it looked like a Spirograph drawing (remember those art kits from the 90s?) I highly recommend taking the drive to Tulsa to view the exhibit before it is uninstalled. 

The Philbrook Museum is basically a very large mansion. Each room has art pieces displayed on the walls but still looks like a room within a house (with furniture, rugs and such). There were all sorts of artwork from all eras- religious oil paintings, pastoral scenes, ceramics from all cultures, African masks (Wes' favorite room) and even a mummy (my favorite room). It was all nicely laid out and the museum was navigable. Oftentimes, I feel like I miss a section or two of art museums because the layout is too much like a maze, but the Philbrook was very straightforward. We were able to fully see the museum in its entirety in about two hours.

It was a nice day out, so we also walked along the museum grounds. The garden had over 20,000 bulbs planted (according to the guide we received) but not many were in bloom, yet. There are also three resident garden cats! I only encountered one of them. There was also some yarn bombing on a few of trees.  There was a sculpture artwork path but we didn't follow it exactly so we probably missed some pieces. I wish we were hungry enough for lunch because the gardens were a perfect place for a picnic. I think I enjoyed the gardens as much as I did the art inside. 

After the art museum, we got some fun drinks and headed home. The skies must have let out all its rain Friday night because the rest of the weekend was gorgeous. Each restaurant we ate at was tasty. The two arts festivals were more different than they were similar so it kept the day interesting and the museum was great. Even Wes (who isn't as into art as I am) enjoyed the weekend. All in all, we had a fun art-filled weekend getaway!

Erica & Wes go to Tulsa, pt.1.

Mayfest 2017!

Yippee...a travel blog! \(^_^)/ Wes and I recently went to Tulsa, OK for their annual Mayfest and Blue Dome festivals. I thought it was a little weird that the city would hold two large outdoor arts festivals on the same weekend only blocks away from each other, but it made for a good mini-vacation so I can't complain. We completely disregarded the weather and drove to Tulsa in the middle of a thunderstorm. The drive was stressful but the lightning show was spectacular. (I wish I could have taken some photos or video!) We arrived mid-evening Friday, navigated through the scary parking garage of the downtown Holiday Inn, grabbed a bite to eat at the hotel's restaurant and hit the hay. An event filled day was ahead of us tomorrow!

The awful parking garage; the ceiling was held up by buckling wooden support beams and there were no arrows directing traffic.

Our first stop Saturday was Mayfest. We got there a little after the festival started so we beat the afternoon crowds. It was nice getting to stop by all of the booths, view the artwork and talk to the artists before they got too busy. I thought Mayfest had a nice variety of art mediums. There were oil paintings and glass sculptures, as to be expected, but there was also a nice mix of clocks & toys, antique jewelry and paper crafts thrown in. I liked how there was both fine art and more purchasable artwork. I preferred Mayfest to both the Blue Dome festival and the Festival of the Arts in Oklahoma City.

Highlights from Mayfest were this clipboard that I purchased (top left picture). Artist, Jeff Duerksen, creates and cuts paper silhouettes. He spray painted some onto clipboards; there were many fantastical designs to choose from and I ultimately chose a mermaid walking her pet octopus. Jeff's booth was a fortress. He had it specially designed with an office-like space in the back for him and his wife, an awning over the front and very sturdy support beams. I also noticed many booths with literal weights holding them down (bottom picture). I think that is a much safer idea than using water jugs or sand bags. I love talking to other artists who are seasoned show experts. They're always really friendly, supportive and full of good advice. We also got to participate in a artists' contest (top right picture). Four artists were allotted an hour to paint a common theme picture--something incorporating Tulsa and Mayfest--and the audience participated by casting votes for their favorite painting.

Blue Dome Festival 2017!

After a quick break, we headed to the Blue Dome Festival. The first thing we saw was a car show with whimsically decorated vehicles. My favorite was a life-size replica of a wooden toy car (top right picture). The rest of the festival wasn't anything to swoon over. My favorite part of it was the dog area. There was a section of AstroTurf (mimicking a mini dog park), local pet rescues and booths hosting spay & neuter programs and passing out flyers. There was even a food truck for dogs (selling mostly treats). We should have brought Sadie & Athena! The Blue Dome Festival was more like a craft show/vendor event than an arts festival. There were way too many similar vendors (mostly clothing/t-shirts, every other booth was jewelry and there was some wooden home decor sprinkled in the mix). It had mostly crafty and boutique items and was geared toward a younger hipper crowd. I don't have a problem with that since I own a small business that makes its living off craft shows and vendor events but I didn't find the vendors to be all that great. I saw a few things that I might have purchased but nothing that I couldn't live without. In my opinion, I think Wanderlust Pop-up Shops and the Indie Trunk Show in Oklahoma City host much more talented vendors.

Because I love to eat, we have to include a paragraph about food. Before we went to the Blue Dome Festival, we stopped at Hurts Donuts for lunch... yes, donuts for lunch! They were ginormous donuts! After the festival, we went to Seoul Bistro for dinner. It was a very authentic Korean restaurant. We were among the few non-Korean patrons. I'm not a fan of Korean cuisine but Wes is and he said the food was very very good. After dinner, we headed back to Mayfest and saw a few local bands. I also got a chocolate dipped cheesecake for dessert (I warned you that this paragraph would be all about food!) I enjoyed the convenience of both of the festivals being held in downtown Tulsa (and walking distance from our hotel). It made our time manageable and we were able to experience both festivals in one day. It was also great that both festivals were dog friendly. I saw so many adorable pups! After going to both festivals, I can understand why they were hosted on the same weekend. They were different enough that the same crowd would not likely visit both events. And if you did visit both events, you would have completely different experiences at each one.  One art filled day down, another one to come on Sunday! (As a preview, here are my three favorite things about the Philbrook Museum of Art.)

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!

National Infertility Awareness Week 2017

Hello, all! *insert waving emoji here* It's National Infertility Awareness Week 2017!! The theme assigned for this year is LISTEN UP!. I'm not sure what direction Resolve is wanting to go with this theme but for me, I'd like to use it as a platform to dispel some common misconceptions regarding infertiles. Of course I cannot speak for all childfree women but I believe these are some universal truths that need to be told.

[Quick disclaimer: 99.92% of my friends, family, coworkers and acquaintances have children and I am NOT trying to tell you that your thinking is wrong nor am I meaning to offend anyone. I just want to share my opinion on some popular (mis)conceptions.]

Not my drawing... just saw it on the Internet and thought it was cute.

MYTH #1- Erica a "bitter infertile".
I can completely understand why the entire world would think this. Every movie, book, television show, etc. that touches on the topic of infertility paints the image of a woman who is always crying or angry or just crazy in general. If all you see is negative, I don't blame you for pegging me as a certain characteristic.
       Just as I was typing the above paragraph, I thought of two examples (without even really having to think too hard); on the television series, Once Upon A Time, Regina, the evil queen cannot have children but Snow White and Prince Charming have Emma and baby Neil. In the novel, What Alice Forgot, the infertile sister, Elizabeth, is depressed throughout over half of the book and she even attempts to kidnap a young child.

Okay, okay...some of what is shown in popular culture is true. We infertiles get sad (just like everyone else). We also occasionally get angry at our bodies for not functioning as they should. And at times, we feel a little less feminine and maybe even a little ashamed. But I can promise you that I am not evil or depressed and my life is NOT a constant longing for a baby.

• I do not lust after other women's pregnant stomachs. I do not want to bring them any harm or ill wishes. 
• I do not want to steal away other people's babies to raise as my own. 
• I am not weeping at every baby shower I attend, nor do I cry during pregnancy announcements. 
• I am not jealous of my friends and coworkers who have children. I do not "unfriend" people who post pictures of their happy families.

Another infertility character that the media shows is the woman who is "too career oriented". This woman is cold and unattached; she cannot have time for children or any meaningful personal relationship because she is married to her job. Her success in the business world has lead her to live the life of a spinster. I believe that stereotype is also incorrect. I am a small business owner. Yes, RagsReborn is very important to me but I also have friends & family. I am capable of caring and nurturing. If I were to get pregnant, I would gladly take on both raising a child and growing my small business.

So, no, I am not a bitter infertile. I am actually quite supportive of my childbearing friends; I have sewn baby shower and baby's first birthday items for each one of them. I am happy to join in conversations regarding my coworker's children. I love to hug and coo at small children just as much as the next person.

MYTH #2- Erica doesn't know what love is.
If I could get a quarter for every time I heard the phrase "I didn't know what love was until I had a child" I would be FILTHY RICH. Why do people feel the need to tell me that? I honestly do not even understand what that phrase even means. If it was true that you could not grasp the concept of love until you conceived a child, does that mean that you never felt the love of your parents as you were growing up? Did you never experience the thrill of young love as a teenager? Did you not love your husband or wife until the day they got pregnant? This is absurd.

Speaking of absurd...when I confess that I cannot have children, most people assume that I live an empty life. They picture me driving home to a dark and undecorated house where I binge watch CSI: Miami and eat canned beans for dinner. For those of you who have thought that about me, please stop worrying... I live a very fulfilled life. My apartment is lively and decorated; I have found many hobbies that bring me joy (one of which is cooking, so no gross canned beans for me!) and I have two lovely dogs and a wonderful husband. I do not need children to fill my life with love and happiness; I have found other things that bring me just as much contentment.

Another thing that people question is what will happen to me in my old age without children. They assume that I will live the last decades of my life as an old curmudgeon with no one to care for me. That is also untrue. I am actively taking care of my health now so that I am able to prosper in my old age. I am also investing for my retirement. I plan on being fully independent in my later years so I do not become a burden on anyone.

MYTH #3- Erica wants children.
Sure there was a time when I wanted to be a mother and if I had a miracle pregnancy, I would fully embrace it. But the truth is that I do not want children. (!!!) My infertility journey started out as being childfree-not-by-choice but I have come to accept and embrace my now childfree life. There are many women and couples who are choosing to not bring children into the world. More and more adults are owning pets or becoming entrepreneurs or travelling the world. Even as this is happening around us, childfree discrimination still exists. I get strange looks when I openly discuss my infertility, other women do not invite me to their social gatherings because I am not part of the "mommy club," and I am expected to endure longer hours at work because I do not have a family to get home to. Lets all take a quick minute to become more aware of this discrimination so that we may all act differently next time we meet a happily childfree woman.

So there are my two cents for this year's Infertility Awareness Week topic. Thanks for listening (reading); it means the world to me! If you want some more reading, might I suggest these blogs (and this list, too, if you really want some more reading!)-

Life Without Baby (http://lifewithoutbaby.com/blog/) is written by several different women, all of which are all insightful and honest. They have a weekly "Whiney Wednesday" post that addresses some of the issues that I just wrote about.

Waiting for Baby Bird (https://waitingforbabybird.com/) is a faith based infertility blog. As a fair warning, let me tell you that it is written with an extremely Christian perspective. I am not religious but I have read several of Elisha's posts and found hope in them. I also appreciate the rawness in her writing.

I just made my annual donation. If you are wanting to donate to a charity, might I suggest Resolve?