All Packed Up and Ready to GO and a Little Bag Tutorial

The excitement is building! I'm all packed up and ready to GO!

I still need to run to the store for some quick, easy, delicious foods to munch on during the day on Saturday. I read that you should take things you LOVE to eat. Foods that make you happy. Things you will want, things you crave. I think this is so you, or I, WILL EAT the food you (I) bring.

I'm planning on taking some hard boiled eggs, and blueberry muffins. They will go great with the coffee I'm taking in a thermos. I need some boiled peanuts. I want, must have, some fruit. Grapes are one of my faves. Clif Bars....Peanut Butter Crunch, and White Chocolate Macadamia. Energy food.
And I might not get a chance to EAT the other food, but can scarf down one of these in a quick hurry. (and no I'm not being paid or compensated to endorse the product) They are just dang good!

I don't think I'll have time, or need any more food, but would love some fried chicken breast chunks/strips. Homemade. That should do it. Along with some water, sweet tea, and maybe a Pepsi or Mountain Dew White Out.

I mentioned the other day that "you have to see my bags!"
And that was when I had only made a couple. And I changed them.

I looked everywhere for a cute, cheap, paper bag with handles. Cheap was not available.
So, I made my own!

I hand stamped a seashell onto some plain white lunch sacks I picked up for $1.49 for 50 of them. I bought 2 packages. I only stamped one package.

I cut the tops off of them, you know, so they don't LOOK like lunch sacks.

Then I folded the top down into the bag.

And punched holes in them with a hole punch. Which was seeming to be way far more difficult than it should. So I got out another hole punch.

Which one do you think made the job easier? The one made in the good ole' USA of course!

Then I threaded jute through them for handles, and tied knots to secure them. I stuck a piece of teal tissue paper in the bags so they are ready to go. Packaging will be so much easier. Just fluff up the tissue, and pop it back in the bag!

I have some ring boxes, and a few jewelry boxes, but I'm taking some of my pillow boxes, too. The jewelry needs to go into some kind of box before going into this bag with the tissue. I wouldn't want the tissue to somehow get wet (rain) and bleed the color onto a shell and stain it. That would be a catastrophe.

This bag production took quite a lot of my time, but in the long run I think it was time well spent. I'd so much rather be prepared, and be organized!

I got the cute bag tip somewhere in all the stuff I've read about doing craft shows. Someone said a cute bag can lead to sales if someone asks a buyer where they got the cute bag from. I totally designed them myself though. That person didn't show their cute bags.

I really like them, and hope everyone else does, too. I hope they are an eye catcher!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Getting Ready for The Shows

 I hope you all had a great weekend! I stayed busy getting ready for my upcoming shows...and I went for a bike ride (more about that this week sometime!)

Before we get into those displays I was telling you about, I'd like to welcome some new followers. Thank you all so much for coming to visit!!!! I hope you have fun, and enjoy my blog, photos, the beach, and some new jewelry designs ;)

Last week I promised you a look at my displays....

For starters, lets go back to what this one was before it became a display.

It appears to be (?) part of an old pallet. Hubby got it from a customer. This is what they were using to keep their dog from getting out of their screen enclosure. Their enclosure is fixed, and I have this lovely weathered silver gray wooden pallet. Hubby put a stand on the back, so it would lean back at an angle, and not fall over.

Isn't it beautiful?! I love old weathered wood!

We went to the hardware store, the big one that starts with an 'L'....and I fell in love with these hooks that remind me of mooring anchors...you know, where you tie your boat at when you pull into the dock.

This was just to give me an idea of how I am going to use this one, and what for. I'm thinking probably my leather, hemp, and wood pieces. Can you see those cute little 'mooring anchors'? Hold on, I'll brb!

I had to take another picture....but aren't they just too cute???

He also made me this fold up display! He used wood from an old swing my dad had that had seen better days. Now I can have a little part of my dad at my shows :D

I can use the pegs from my pegboard that the jewelry hangs on in my craft room, and it folds up and locks when not in use. Cool, huh? He may also make another one like this in a taller upright bifold style, depending on if I need the extra space.

I bought two 6 ft tables.....

Two aqua flat sheets, and about 6 weeks ago I ordered the grass/rafia table skirts with the shells and starfish on them.

This one is almost closer to the actual color of the sheets and skirts....I didn't edit these pics at all.

I'm trying to stick with a rustic beachy theme as much as I can. I have earring cards, and necklace hanging cards. I still need to get some price hang tags or stickers. And what to do with my hair things? Lay them on the table? Barrette cards?
Any ideas????

I'll do a mock up of my show set up after I've stitched the velcro to the sheets and the skirts.

It's coming together!!!! And I couldn't have done it without my sweet husband. He's always the man with a plan! I thought of the rafia skirts on my own, though! LOL.

If the rain ever lets up, I'll TRY to do a mock set up this week....but I'm not making any promises. But you will see the full on set up before it happens....and during!

I'll see you soon! I have so much to show and tell you!!!!