Busy Junkin' & A Craft Show

It has been a little quiet here but a lot has been going on. Dh and I just got back from a trip for a couple of days. Of course a good bit of it was made up of junkin'. We came back with a load from south Mississippi, Gulfport and Biloxi to be specific. We loved it there and wondered why we had not been there before.

We spent time looking for places that have junk, collectibles, antiques, and so on. This is one of our favorite adventures in this craft business. We get to spend time in sometimes smelling, dirty, crowded stores that are piled high with crap. Well, crap or beauty, depending on how you look at it, and depending on what it is. This adventure is sort of like looking at a house that is a fixer upper. You have to imagine it in all fixed up, repaired, upcycled and in all it's glory, that is to come. It hasn't happened yet, but it can. As dh says, you have to have a vision of how it'll turn out. I say, it has to call my name. We are saying the same thing but in different ways. Oh, we saw a lot more than we brought home. There is a lot more we could have purchased. We could have rented a trailer if needed. However, we bought what called our names.

As you see from the photos one of our goodies is an old trunk. We are going to use that in our booth so you'll have to come see us at a craft show to see how it gets used. The rest of it will be altered, painted or have something creative done to it.

I am a sucker for candlesticks. Especially big, chunky, heavy ones. Not so pretty? That is okay. I'll love on this big fat momma and bring some life to her. She is downright hefty.

The rainbow colored table will no longer be rainbow colored. She will find new life with some beautiful new neutral colors to suit your decor.

The rest of our fabulous finds will be restored with paint and sealed to protect it. If you see something you'd like to claim and have me custom paint it just for you, then please PM me ASAP.

These ugly ducklings are in line to become beautiful swans, along with some things I got a few weeks back in Opelousas.

Tomorrow I'll be working on creating some beautiful swans. I'll be posting them here first and you can see for yourself how they turn out.

We are adding some new product lines to our booth, some that will add instant appeal to our friends and customers. We are working with a partner for a handcrafted line using reclaimed wood from St. Mary Parish. We will have some for the first time at at our first show of the season. I am also working on a line that will appeal to your sensibilities in a clean and aromatic way.

Our first craft show on Saturday, October 7, 2017. I hope you'll come join us. We will be at Shadows on the Teche in New Iberia, LA. You will find the Shadows at 317 East Main Street. Admission is $5 for those 12 and over.

More to come later!

God bless,

Cindy

Spring Fever On the Brain

I know it’s just February but spring is upon us!  Here in south Louisiana February has been mild to say the least.  Now today’s weather has been sketchy but it is temporary! 

With Spring Fever on the brain my mind turns to the spring craft show season.  We have been to quite a few craft shows since the spring of 2013.  In the beginning I was very nervous about investing money into a booth fee and travel expenses for craft shows.  However, I have found it pays off for us.  We also enjoy meeting new people, other artists and crafters, and shoppers as well.  All too often I do not get to take advantage of tours of the plantations hosting craft shows or mingle very much during the show.  L  However, we try to make time to visit with others.  One of my favorite things to do is to meet up with fellow crafters and have dinner the evening before a show. 

I want to share 3 shows with you that I have confirmed on my schedule.  Two are shows I’ve done before and one is new to my crew and me.  I have done Shadows and Southdown for several years now.  Market at the Mill is somewhat of a newcomer to the show scene.  However the possibilities there look endless! 

~ Shadows on the Teche (New Iberia), Saturday, March 5.

317 E Main St, New Iberia

www.shadowsontheteche.org

This show is in historic downtown New Iberia at the plantation home, Shadows on the Teche.  They have expanded the number of craft booths this spring.  This means that even if you think you’ve seen all there is to see at Shadows, think again.  There will be more to see and do this spring.  Food and beverage available for purchase on site.

This description is taken from their website:

“The Shadows will host its Spring Arts and Crafts Fair on Saturday, March 5, 2016. From 9 AM to 4 PM, more than 100 fine artists and skilled craftspersons will display and sell their art and products. Adults pay $5.00 for admission which allows access to the gardens which contain booths filled with variety of items from pies to handmade wooden items. Admission also include a special tour of the Shadows and film which offers an introduction to the historic site.  The Shadows Gift Shop will also be open that day.   Attendees will be given wristbands which allows them to return anytime during the day.”

~ Southdown Museum and Plantation Marketplace (Houma), Saturday, March 19

1208 Museum Drive, Houma

www.southdownmuseum.org

This long-running arts and crafts show has many repeat artists and crafters each year.  You’ll find over 300 booths to visit and from which to shop.  There is food and beverage for purchase as well.   All food and beverage sales go toward the upkeep of Southdown.  Volunteers man the food booths from various businesses and community service groups.  There is an admission charge of $5.00 for those over 12 years of age.

~ Market At the Mill, Cottonseed Oil Mill (New Roads), April 8-10

311 Mill St.

www.marketatthemillnewroads.com

From the Market’s website here is a description of everything started:

“The Cotton Seed Oil Mill is a cultural icon in the City of New Roads.  For many years, the nearly 50000 square foot building lay idle until 4 years ago when our Mayor decided it needed to be put back to use.  The wide open floor plan lends itself perfectly to many type of events.  Thus, in the Spring of 2011, Market at the Mill was born.  In only its first year, the Market was a resounding success and continues to grow each year by leaps and bounds.”

I am excited to be trying out Market at the Mill.  From what I have found online, those who attend will find arts, crafts, antiques, jewelry and handcrafted items.  The venue looks delightful.

If you come out to any of these shows I hope you’ll look us up.  We love meeting those who follow us online.  We will have some items this time that we have not had before … glass magnets, hand painted upcycled home décor, and of course our ever popular car coasters, handcrafted tumbled travertine coasters, honed travertine trivets, framed tile art and more.

If you are attending a show and would like to pre-order for delivery at the show, just let me know by email @ customcoastersbycindy@comcast.net or call me at 985-381-3154.  All pre-orders must be paid.  A paid pre-order guarantees we'll hold your order just for you at the show.

If you’d like to get an idea of what we will have with us, please take time to look at our websites.

www.customcoastersbycindy.com

www.summerfieldchantilly.com

While we cannot produce or use every idea or inspiration we receive from customers, we do welcome their input.

Keep Crafting!

Cindy

Has This Ever Happened to You?

Hello Everyone,

Have you ever worked and worked on something and then ZAP, all your work was undone in one fell swoop? You spend time saving your work as you go and then a simple “click” and it’s all gone. Yeah, you know this frustration? Well, that happened to me last night. I was working on building an inventory list for my coasters and trivets in Excell and everything was going SPLENDIDLY. Then I got mixed up and in a click, or maybe a click or two, I had wiped out all I had done. I wanted to cry! I still want to cry! Now I have to start over–unless I can get my tech support, who happens to be dh, to help me figure out a way to export all my style numbers from my website to Excell. My plan is to ask him about it when he walks in the door this evening. Well, I might let him eat supper first. You know the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, right? Maybe the way to his brain is through the same route? KWIM? LOL

In the meantime I plan on sorting my coaster sets and trivets that are already made up. Then I’ll get them boxed up and label the boxes. After that, which I hope gets accomplished this afternoon, I’ll start on more designs.

So what is going on with all this activity? Well, it looks like I have 5 Saturdays in a row of craft shows. Three are in Houma, one is in Thibodaux, and one is in Baton Rouge. I am so excited to be approaching craft show season. I love working in my studio but there comes a time I like to get out and meet new people. When you are looking for something to do that is family friendly, I hope you’ll come out to a local craft show or festival. I hope to see you at one the upcoming shows. I have a list of the upcoming shows pinned to the top at my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/CustomCoastersByCindy.

Toodles for now,
Cindy