The show....whew....
First of all some pictures of the 'set up'. Here is the pickup loaded...we kind of look like the Klampetts comin' to town don't we?
I have butterflys. Will anyone like my stuff? How embarassed will I be if nobody even stops to shop? I have been to craft shows and walked right by a booth and never even slowed down. I have seen many people walk by and no ones slows down. How will that be? I am so invested in these things. I love them...Oh my.
Well...here we go. We go on Thursday to 'set up' the display things and then early Friday take the 'product' and get ready. Here is a little spot of grass with the canopy and all the stuff under it. We lowered the cover because it is windy and we didn't want the top to fly away.....now home we go until tomorrow. (Tomorrow Rick has a big show with his work and can't come help...oh...can I do this?)
We now load the pick up again..with all the 'things'. I love these little guys and find I am grateful
as we begin handling and handling them..that they are light weight - stuffable and not breakable. 
I am not sure what in the heck I'm doing. A couple years ago. I wrote down a dream. I called it Fantasy #2. It details my dream of having a job that involves being creative and working in the Magic Room. Shortly after writing it down and sharing it, Carson shook his finger at me and said, "Mom, this isn't okay...you have to do what you talk about here. Just go in the Magic Room one night and week and DO IT." So reacting like I now had permission - I took up the invitation. I made it my New Years resolution to be creative. I started to play in the Magic Room. Well...now here I am with boxes and boxes of things and headed to try and sell them. I am putting them out there for public scrutney - I have mixed emotions. I will be embarassed if nobody likes them, I will be sad it everyone likes them and buys all my stuff. I will be sad to see them all go. I don't 'make things'. I create them. They come to life for me and I love the feel and smell and handling of them. Because each bag and I make is different...and they develop and become so individual to me - I name them. With wonderful old fashion names. I don't use a pattern...I just pick up a flour sack and discover what it wants to be and let the bag guide me. I also make aprons and other doodley doo's.
Here the bags are lined up ready for business. Look cute don't they?
And again. Here is my friend/sister June. Like she said when she introduced herself, "I am Arlene's sister by choice." Isn't that the cutest?
Well ready for business. BIG disappointment. Last year the show had 5000 attenders in the two days. Today.....we had about 100. That is not a typo. One hundred. Period. The end. We did some major head talking. Because I didn't put the event together...I wasn't really responsible for the poor turn out....and decided to use the time the best I could I went about making friends and pick everyone elses brains, how they did business, how many shows they do a year, what shows to do. I found some really wonderful kind and generous folks. Then a nice thing happened. Late in the day a vendor bought an apron...and put it on...then another and another and another. I made a few sales and received a lot of compliments. I came home feeling better. At least I paid for my booth fee and learned A LOT and made some friends. Now pack up the product again and head home...to return Saturday and re-setup.
Saturday...will surely be a better day. I awoke at 3:00 a.m. to beautiful rain. I have to put beautiful rain here because we love the rain....but today....not so much.
In addition to rain we have wind. Now not southern Idaho windy but wind. Not good. I told June...I have prayed about all of this...perhaps this is my sign...pack it up girl and go back home. Give your things to family and friends and go back to your day job.
On Saturday they (the event organizers) had a scheduled guest to come and do a book signing. Her name is Mary Jane Butters...read about her business here. She is a someone local girl (woman, as she is a grandma) that has a farm on the Palouse and is like the Martha Stewart of country. If you click around on her website you will get a feel for her. And by the way...I like her feel.
She is a cute little thing, the size of Bevie and cutier than a button. She was wearing a two tiered skirt made from vintage red western fabric like you would make little boy's pj's from, topped with a very cute turqoise gingham waist apron, cowboy boots and hair pulled back held with a little vintage pin. She is wearing old 'beady' clip one earrings and a red little silk scarf. All the stuff I love. She is small enough and cute enough to wear it...very cute. Well....because there were hardly any people there to buy her books and have them signed she had time to wander about. She wandered right in. She said, "I love your stuff." "OH! I LOVE IT. I love raggy things...I wear rags in my hair." She then picked out a bag and said I want this one...(Hold. Still. My. Heart.) I then begin to wrap it up and she said, "Just a minute I am not done." She then begins to gather a pile. She handles my things right. She likes them. She 'gets it'. Then she says, "Do you have a website." I share that this is my first show and I am just finding my way. She then invites me to get a website and she will link to me. At this point I stammer a bit. I say, "Mary Jane, I can't like just produce 100 of the same thing and do it like that...they come one at a time...each different." She response..."Oh, yes yes, I understand. You don't want to mass produce because then they will want wholesale orders and you don't want that. You just make them one of a kind.
She gets me. When she returns she gives me a hug and says, "I love your stuff - we'll be in touch."
As I type this it feels a little like Fantasy #3. Just very validating because I so love these things and the creation of them and to know that they are sale-able...that other people can love them. I won't feel sad if they are bought by someone that loves the handle and feel and 'sense' of them. Now to add to the story. Yes, I have an add on. When I was listing her bags on a receipt - I just listed them by name. She bought Lois Ann and Ethel June. (I guess Moms are always are there - thanks Mom for cheering me on - and perhaps I have an angel on my team, also.)
I can just imagine Dad saying..."Arlene - find something you like to do and then figure out a way to have someone pay you to do it." I think he would be happy for me tonight.
Another interesting p.s....
I could have sold these heart shaped rocks 10 times over. June finally said, "Heck - Arlene let's sale the dern things and we won't have to haul them home."
Stumble It!