Mermaid Musings on a Monday

kuzu-zangpo

(Bhutan for Hello)



a recycled junk mail bottlecap magnet by inkspired

sold on Saturday!!!

Yes, it's true.

I actually sold a few things at the Adams County Fairground Craft Fair.

I am trying to remain positive,

it was actually a bummer of a craft fair.

I was placed in the second, much smaller building.

That's okay, you get to know those around you

 and it can feel much more friendly.

Unfortunately,

the sponsors of the fair neglected to post ANY signs

directing traffic to our building.

:0(

The main, larger building seemed to have much much more traffic.

(several people reported)

Well, as any craft fair vendor will tell you,

YOU HAVE TO HAVE TRAFFIC TO SELL THINGS.

recycled bottlecap magnet by inkspired

www.inkspired.etsy.com

A single sign placed on the door that says

'more crafts'

is not really going to get people to come see what's up.

sigh.

It was a very good learning experience.

I saw some fabulous displays.

Lots of very creative people.

Met many very nice crafters.

:0)

"Blue Hair with Pearls" Collage Art Doll using all recycled paper

www.inkspired.etsy.com

My FABULOUS all-day helper was

Amber

My WONDERFUL friend

Julie

brought us lunch, soda,

and some encouragement.

"Blue Lagoon" Collage Art Doll

using all recycled junk mail

by inkspired

www.inkspired.etsy.com

Of course, the danger of going to craft fairs - vendor or not

is buying other crafters' stuff!!!

Yep,

I succumbed.

We did purchase a very nice quilted polar fleece blanket/dog cushion for

The Tanner.

The vendor was just behind me all day, and she was very nice.

Her blankets were great!

After the show she surprised me with a gift

of a leash cover; blue with multi-colored dog paws all over it.

I haven't tried it out yet,

but I know Tanner will be super spiffy and the envy of all the neighbor dogs!

The other items I purchased are for gifts

so nothing more to be said!

Collage Art Doll made from all recycled junk mail by inkspired

Oh! Oh!

I should mention that ALL my unframed

Collage Art Dolls

are on a super discount sale

for the month of October!

Each unframed CAD is only

$15 each

:0)

"Mermaid Fashionista"

unframed Collage Art Doll by inkspired

www.inkspired.etsy.com

I have decided that this needs to be a 'Mermaid Monday'.

I purchased the neatest (American slang for really cool) collage mermaid on etsy.

"sleeping mermaid" by www.EKM79.etsy.com

I purchased a couple more of her collages for gifts.

Wow, does this woman have talent!

Her collages are very different from mine,

don't you think?

"Long and Lean" Collage Art Doll by inkspired

NEWS FLASH

NEWS FLASH

I have changed the settings on my blog!

You can now easily leave comments

WITHOUT HAVING TO SIGN UP FOR ANYTHING!!!

This makes it much easier for you to leave me feedback!

Comment!

Send me a favorite poem or quote!

Let me see your favorite recipes!

If you note in the comment that it is okay,

I will be happy to post as many as I can!

See your name in

inkspiredmusings' blog!!!!!

oooh, ahhh.  oooh, ahhh.

recycled bottlecap magnet with all recycled junk mail by inkspired!

Time for a little mermaid fun!

Coloring fun -

stained glass look Little Mermaid from Dover Books

a little mermaid humor -



vintage illustration



Some mermaid hippie art -

"Marisa Mermaid"

some cross stitch mermaid crafting -

and let's finish with just a bit of mermaid Tattoo Art -

Thanks for listening to my Craft Fair Tirade.

I really can't end without thanking

Michael

my most wonderful husband

who patiently puts up with my last minute jitters,

goes to the office supply store the night before

to pick up some things I have forgotten,

runs to the credit union to get cash for my money box,

gets up at 6am to help me do last minute stuff,

follows me to the Craft Fair and helps unload all my things,

(Did you notice this was all BEFORE 7am?)

shows up at the end of the Fair to help me load all my things,

and generally for just being an all around super duper person!

Thanks!!

I also want to thank my most patient son

Peter

who had just moved two days before,

and still got up and arrived at my house

BEFORE 7am!!!

He was a great help in unloading my stuff at the fairgrounds.

He has always been very supportive of my art,

which is just such a huge gift on his part!

(He also thinks I'm slightly crazy, but oh well!)

oops,

I almost forgot to thank

Pam

who helped me get my things ready for the Fair,

and stuffed many a plastic bag with art and descriptions and business cards.

Saved me loads of time!

Well, before this gets too goopy, I better sign off!

I hope you have enjoyed some Mermaid sightings today!

inkspired

http://www.inkspired.etsy.com/

http://www.inkspiredmusings.blogspot.com/

Getting ready for a Craft Fair

Hi y'all!
Today I am trying to take hold of and be in control concerning my upcoming Craft Fair. It is at a county fairgrounds (Adams, for those of you in the area) with 250 booths. WHAT!!!
This will be the largest venture I have tried.

Adams County Fairgrounds 22nd Annual Fall Festival Bazaar

Saturday, October 1
9 - 4

sponsored by the Adams County Historical Society

This is a picture of what the table looks like when I make recycled bottlecap magnets, using all junk mail for the pictures and phrases.

Michael has a short tolerance for messes,

so I have to clean up every day or two if I'm lucky!

What? It's a kitchen table and that's where we have to eat?

Nah.

We can be couch potatoes and eat in the family room!

Okay,

maybe that's not very family-like!

one of my recycled junk mail bottlecaps, with a very sturdy magnet on the back

I have pretty much organized all my bottlecap magnets

and all my domino handpainted/stamped magnets.

This is a photo from last year's Senior Center Craft Fair, Brighton, Colorado.

I sold many santa stockings with hand made yoyo embellishments.

On the bottom Left corner of the first photo -those are word sets of my magnets

made from an Art Nouveau alphabet,

resized, tweaked, resized some more, spoken stern words to;

then I print them out, and hand color each letter with art pens mostly.

Very detailed work, and I just love doing the coloring!

I have posted several of these magnets, so I will just do one or two today:

It's nice to have one part for the Craft Fair ready to go.

I also do bottlecap ribbons that spell out words.

I finish with more ribbons, and if I do say so myself, they look really pretty.

Tell me what you think!

Latin for 'peace'

No, I have no idea why blogspot has turned this one on it's side.

sigh.

I really need to finish up many more.

I have the sets all gathered, I just need to do the ribbon/bow part.

Oh!

and I'm having a little jewerly party at my house Friday.

WAIT A MINUTE...

that's tomorrow.

EEK!!!

Edvard Munch's 'The Scream'

c.1896

so there's finish the blog, check back with teamcac for an answer to questions submitted, let the dog in, drop off a check at the Adams County Historical building,

figure out a menu for the party, buy food for the party, let the dog out, COMPLETELY clean the family room, kitchen area, eating area, and probably the bathroom too. Oh, and the floor and the carpet.

I need to finish up bottlecap ribbons, finish up with some bottlecap magnets, go to XPedX to buy plastic bags, let the dog in, figure out some way to hang the papel picado banners I want to sell, get out my 3panel display board and get it all set up with jewelry and Collage Altered Dolls, let the dog out, get the $$ for my money box, make sure my calculator has the right paper in it, give Tanner his pills, let the dog in, get out my display forms and figure out what jewelry goes where, put price tags on everything, print and cut out more business cards, make sure my help is in place, check to see if I need more help, arrange lunch for the day,

oh dang, I better just get to it!

You know, lists can be very helpful to get organized.

Or they can be so crushing that it's time to go to Dairy Queen

for a Pecan Mudslide.

That's DQ ice cream, caramel sauce, hot fudge sauce and lots of pecans.

My favorite.

Guess I better close for today and go do some things on my list!

:0)

inkspired

http://www.inkspired.etsy.com/

dominoes@myinkspired.com

or use the comment box on my blog!

http://www.inkspiredmusings.blogspot.com/

Late Summer Picnics

Howdy!

(American slang, South Western USA)

'Dorothy' from the Wizard of Oz, Barbie, 2007

The kids are probably back in school,

but the days are still wonderfully hot,

beckoning all to come outside and enjoy the last days of summer.

Let's plan a weekend picnic, while we can!

Yogi Bear and friends on a picnic, Hanna-Barbera

First, we need -

  

SUNSHINE!!!

(all the bottlecap magnets are recycled or upcycled,

and have an Art Nouveau Alphabet that has been sized,

tweaked and generally messed with,

and then hand colored by inkspired.

These are not decals, or rub-ons.)

c.1910

The second most important thing about a picnic is

THE FOOD!!!

This can include some serious planning,

some make-ahead food items,

or

you can grab McDonald's on the way!

Either way, you MUST have a picnic blanket.

That's just part of the deal.

Picnic = Blanket and Food

Some things in life we just don't have a choice on, do we?

Now this picnic is a little short on the food.

Here's another idea: 



ah....this one's nice...

WAIT!

That's not food....that's felt!

c.1904

ahhhhh... that's better!

Now, what do we carry all that food and plates and spoons and forks and napkins and bug spray, and don't forget the blanket!?

Silly, a picnic basket!

they come in all shapes and sizes -

by Sutherland Baskets

Your picnic can be casual -

http://www.holdthemeat.com/

elegant....

http://www.electricblanketsss.com/

a little more elegant, using a table

(must be portable for a true picnic however)

Personally, I think all picnics should have chandeliers....

well,

at least fancy ones I'm sure!

http://www.porcelainpolyester.etsy.com/

I'm sure Mrs. Bucket (That's pronounced 'bouquet' of course)

would approve the above accouterments.

By the way, if you have never seen the BBC comedy

'Keeping up Appearances'

you have to go find some episodes and watch them immediately!!!

Incredibly funny.

You can have a casual picnic with family and friends -

Betsy McCall with a friend

The Bear Family

Or,

you can have a more intimate picnic -

c.1905

c.1912

Okay, let's see:

*picnic blanket

*picnic food

*picnic basket

*picnic go-ers

*sunshine

...now what have I forgotten?

Oh yes!!!

picnic fun!!!

Sometimes good food and a nap are perfect,

but sometimes the picnic go-ers want a little entertainment.

Kate Greenaway

skipping ropes....

c.1854

a little picnic dancing...

flying a kite...

catch up with a little beading...

You could gather a few wildflowers

being respectful of the environment of course,

a recycled lightbulb flower 'terrarium'

or fairy house?

Don't forget to bring your flower press,

or a large heavy book with paper towels

to press leaves and flowers:

http://www.desertdangles.etsy.com/

Soaps, homemade or purchased, with pressed/dried flora and fauna.

This is a simple craft; all you need is a bit of clear melted wax.

Using a light glue, tap down your dried flora onto the soap surface.

Using an old brush, brush on a thin coat of clear melted wax to seal.

You can brush on a couple more coats if you desire, making sure wax is dry before adding another coat.  Tie a pretty ribbon and fix to soap with a small straight pin, and you have a lovely, personal gift

and a remembrance of a special picnic!

Bring some mazes, puzzles and paper dolls for the kids to play with in the car, on the way to the picnic, and on the way home

(if you haven't tired them out and they are all sleeping!)

Bring some old magazines that the kids can cut up and make more outfits for the paper dolls. Throw in a glue stick, pair of scissors and you are ready for them!

Career paper dolls. I am sorry, I don't know where I found these, so please just use them for personal use.  :0)



Use those same magazines to cut strips from colorful pages,

and you can easily do some iris folding

with a tape dispenser and scissors:

Iris Folding Pattern - kite

butterfly iris folding pattern
removed at the request of bergkaarten

Well, that should give you a ton of picnic party plans,

inspirations

and ideas of grandeur!

And just think, you have all week to gather supplies

and be ready to go the first thing Saturday morning!

:0)

inkspired

http://www.inkspired.etsy.com/

dominoes@myinkspired.com