Work Work Work

So far this has been a very interesting year! My job has been bouncing me back and forth with hours, and although I do work at home, it drives me crazy when they call me at 3am asking me to work more!  One of the perks of self employment.  Living in Georgia, the weather has been chaotic at best, and my kids have spent more time at home than at school (it seems).  We had a few setback because of the weather & had to fix somethings around the house, and so more chaos.  I am still trying to get my sewing room in order, still trying to put away Christmas decorations (yes, in February, did I mention the chaos?), and I continue to feel disappointed in myself when I don't get things done when & how I wanted to.  I have a lot of plans of making more varieties of items to sell at both the craft fairs and my Etsy store, and now I have all the materials I need, but am just lacking the time.  One thing I know is that I need to set aside a specific time every day, or every week to devote to sewing. 

My goal for this year is to sell at least 2 craft fairs, add purses, totes, coin purses and fandom related things to my inventory, and find a good way to organize all of my fabric in my sewing room.  That may not sound like a lot, but I seem to be having difficulty balancing work, kids, life, and my sewing.  I thought that after band season was over, things would calm down a little, but we can never plan for all the unexpected things in life.  And that is what makes life so wonderful.  Despite the setbacks, despite the plans that fall through, all of it is what makes life more interesting.  you wake up every morning ready to see what challenges, if any, you will face.  I admit, I have not felt that positive about all the chaos and all the setbacks, but I realized that those are the things that make up all of our lives.  Sometimes we do not meet our goals, sometimes we do.  If everything, always, went according to our plans, I would be bored.

So my plans for the next month or so are:

1. Have more Sock Pals stocked up
2. Make several purses, & bags
3. Start "Story Time With Sock Monkey" YouTube videos
4. Keep my Sewing Room as organized as possible
5. Decide Which Craft Fairs I want to have a booth at
6. Blog more!

I swear I have lists of lists to keep as reminders and as motivators, but I am allowing myself to not dwell on the goals not achieved, but instead be more positive about the future, because the future is always unexpected.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

What a year it was!  After the Craft Fair. Sock Monkeys By Cheryl took a back seat to work & family.  I didn't stop making in my spare time, but I was unable to get to do any more craft shows because of certain school events.  Even though I loved my first Craft Fair, the family always takes precedence.   Around the holidays, I did squeeze in time to try some new things for gifts.  I posted pictures of most of them already (the ones that have already been opened) on my Twitter & my Facebook so feel free to check them out.  I made fandom related things from Adventure Time, Doctor Who, Mario Bros., Dora the Explorer, & (sports related) UGA.  So I have been having fun learning how to make new things.  Sock Monkeys will always be my number one passion, but I think exploring other sewing crafts is helping me realize that I can make just about anything with a needle thread.

I will be expanding into coin purses, and purses and tote bags, I just have to organize a bit after the Christmas rush (my sewing room was also my gift wrapping room) before I can really focus on moving forward.  The new year looks bright and I am NOT going to let anything hold me back. 

Wishing you love and soft Sock Monkey hugs!

Cheryl

My First Craft Fair

Many apologies for taking tis long to share my first craft fair with everyone.  I have been a crazy person since the kids went back to school.

Preparing for the Craft fair, We packed the suburban full and arrived hours early, and in the heat of mid day, which was my downfall.  Thinking ahead, and not wanting to spend too much money at the event itself, we had a cooler with Gatorade, water, and snacks.  I had read other blogs and articles on what you should bring and even made a complete checklist, so I was ready!

Starting after 4pm, I had a LOT of lookers, and I also noticed less than half of the other vendors set up for the night before.  I did sell a bit on that evening, and enjoyed the company of my family.  Unfortunately, I got over heated and went home very sick at the end of the day.  The good news is, after a cold washcloth and sleeping under a fan, I was fine the next morning, and ready to take on a new day.  We tried to get there early, but had to wait in a tiny bit of traffic for the runners in the early morning race.  There were many more vendors there already, and we set up quickly, having had a little bit of experience.  I did take home just about everything I had brought except for my canopy and my Sock Monkey Stand since the table I brought on the first day was way too small, so we had to set everything back up all over again.  Sock Monkeys are light, so that wasn't a big deal.

Most people came through after the parade at 10am.  During the parade, no one walked around at all.  The parade was the MAIN EVENT going on there.  I wish I hadn't missed it, I saw a bit of it, but where the vendor booths were set up, we were behind buildings and had no view of the parade.  There were a fair amount of people, but not as many as I had hoped.  I was too shy, and it took a few hours for me to break out of my comfort zone to talk to more people.  I did not want to seem too pushy, but I think I may have ended up seeming more unapproachable even though I said hello to everyone that stopped.  At the end of the day, it was a success! I had made my vendor fee back and a bit more, but mostly I had accomplished my first event and learned a lot.

1. Always make a checklist
2. Set up your booth in your yard a few days before the event so spend less time setting up at the event and you know if you have everything you need.
3. Bring a cooler with (at least) cold water if it is going to be hot.
4. Have business cards/flyers ready ahead of time and a good place to display them.
5. If you bring kids, give them money to spend BEFORE leaving the house (seriously)!
6. Have a sign with your name, or product, made at least a week before, not the day before.
7. Allow yourself to be seen, be friendly, and socialize.
8. Hide your personal belongings under a table cloth or leave them in the car (it just looks neater).
9. Don't let the lack of sales or interest hurt your feelings.
10. Have enough variety in your inventory, and always have more than you will need.

Just a few of my personal tips, but there are lots more!!

I got a lot of helpful tips from the following links:
http://creativeincomeblog.com/crafters-etiquette-the-10-commandments-for-craft-shows/
http://creativeincomeblog.com/craft-fair-checklist-sales-tips/
http://creativeincomeblog.com/craft-show-conversation-starters/
http://creativeincomeblog.com/best-tips-for-selling-at-arts-and-craft-fairs-free-ebook/

I am looking forward to my next craft fair in about a month.  It's time for me to take every spare moment I have to build up my inventory, especially now that I have my own desiccated sewing space!
If you can't wait for the next craft fair, there is always Etsy! 

Click===>   Sock Monkeys By Cheryl

 



 

 

 

Craft Fair This Weekend

So I am ready for my first adventure!  I have never done anything like this before, so even though I have read blogs, I still have no idea what to expect.  So far, I have made a list, bought some snacks, packed the heavier things into the truck, and realized that I still am not ready.  I completely forgot that I need money to make change and have to photo copy a little flyer thing I made.
Still, all is not lost!  We are setting up this evening, and I still have no idea if I keep the canopy set up over night or if I have to take it down and put it back up again early  tomorrow morning.  I promise I will blog afterwards about my experience and post pics on Facebook, but all in all I do think this will be a good experience, if I can keep the family from bickering the entire time, and I'm sure we all know how hard that is with 2 teens.  I wish I had more Sock Monkeys, but I am not going to get too upset over it.  I have a good amount of different Sock Animals, so I do hope that if someone doesn't buy this weekend, they will in the future.  This even is actually a local Founder's Day event, close to home and I have never been to it, but I have heard a lot of good things.
I am bringing along with me supplies to make a few more monkeys in case I get bored I have something to keep busy, a small fan just to keep the Georgia heat from being slightly less unbearable, and a cooler with Gatorade.  The good thing is, if I do forget something vital, home is not far away, and I will have my bf with me.
I will let everyone know how awesome everything goes, and I know I will be exhausted by Sunday, but it will be worth it, even if I don't sell what I plan to, I will have done something new!

Wish me LUCK!

Maing Progress Crafting Sock Monkeys

I have LOT of photos posted on my Sock Monkeys By Cheryl FACEBOOK page!


SOCK MONKEYS FOR SALE

 

 

I also have posted a few of the socks I have on hand to be made into Sock Monkeys, Sock Bears, Sock Bunnies, Sock Cats, Sock Owls, Sock Piggies, Sock Hedgehogs, Sock Dogs, etc!  There is no limit to the Sock Pals I can come up with!!

Future Sock Pals

 

This is only the beginning!  I still have a lot of socks not pictured for the other smaller projects like Owls and Piggies.  I will soon be on more of a regular blogging schedule, but my facebook page will be getting the most attention!

 

 

 

 

 With my first fair coming up at the beginning of next month, look for lots of posts on how it goes!

 

 

New Sock Creations

So I have been trying in my every so minimal spare time to make more Sock Monkeys, stock piling them in fact, in hopes to try my hand at selling some at a craft fair this Summer/Fall.  Still looking for a table, but am not really too worried.  I figure if I can't find one, we can use sawhorses and plywood with a lovely cloth to cover it if needed.
While searching for new ideas on line, as I often do during downtime at work, I discovered how much I LOVE doing Sock Owls, Sock Pigs, and a different style of Sock Kitty!!

These pictured are my prototypes!  I love this pic of my sewing table cause you can see the Sock Monkey Mayhem going on behind! I have made about 5 more Sock piggies and 6 or so Sock owls, perfecting their look more each time.  I will put them up in my Etsy store as soon as I have about 10 or so each ready fro sale.  http://www.etsy.com/shop/SockMonkeysByCheryl

I know it seems odd that I bring my Sock Monkey box with me just about everywhere I go to work on, but last night someone asked if I sold them & wanted my number to possibly buy some!  So even though I do seem a little (a lot) eccentric in my habits, I still think its a good idea.

I do think one reason I've been making more Sock Creations is this week has been a moody sad week for me.  I can't tell you the reason, as I have no idea why, but there are a lot of sad memories that Spring up this time of year.  So I am trying to stay positive, and stay busy, (the latter has been very easy). 

I do put a lot of love in each and everyone.  I am going to have a hard time letting go of a lot of them, but I have sold quite a few before when my daughter was in middle school, and enjoyed the joy it brought those who took them home.  As long as I take lots of pictures of them before they are "adopted"  to remind me just how awesome and cute they are, I will be okay. :)

This weekend is a Fair that I did not have enough Sock Monkeys to try to sell at, but I do think I will be going if the weather holds up!

New Facebook Page

I finally decided that if I was going to start going to craft fairs to try to sell my Sock Monkeys, then I must have a Facebook Page.  I have already posted lots of pictures, and will try to keep posting more as I make more Sock Pals, but I am also trying to get a whole bunch done before I feel I am ready to commit to a craft fair.
Feel free to come like my page to help spread the word!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sock-Monkeys-by-Cheryl/556046834415484

In other news, I had decided to test the waters a little more on other Sock Animals and have come up with some good results!  I have revamped my Sock Cat, make quite a few little Sock Piggies and learned how to make a Sock Owl.  All of these were much easier than I had expected, so I will definitely be adding them to my inventory!  I will post pics of the new Sock animals soon!  As it gets closer to the Holidays I think I may even dabble with Snowmen, but that is still a few months away.

I am definitely shooting for a big festival this September as my first, but hoping I will be doing 1 or 2 before that.  Life, after all, comes before Sock Monkeys unfortunately, as well as my full time job and my 2 teen aged kids.  I did manage to get a woman custom order a Sock Monkey from me recently who had been watching me make my Sock Monkeys while waiting in an office.  Yes, I make my monkeys everywhere I go if I can.  I even embroidered a name on for her which was a first for me, and not as difficult as I had thought.

I have big plans for the future of my Sock Monkey "business" but Etsy sales are non-existent, so we will see how the fairs treat me.  I was selling quite a few when my daughter was in middle school I was selling at least 2 a week to her friends and teachers, so I know they are loveable enough!  I do think that since I have only 2 listings on Etsy and the price of shipping is so high that most people would rather buy something so loveable and cuddly in person.  I will definitely keep the Etsy store going in hopes that the craft fairs will put the word out too.

I have bought a pop up canopy and even a folding chair to ready myself for the oncoming fair!  Now I just need a table and a few signs made up.  I am so excited!