Craft Show Pics

This past weekend I was at the Beacon Hill Holiday Fine Art & Craft Show. The weather was gorgeous, but maybe too gorgeous! Traffic wasn't as good as past years, but I still had a blast. I was in a room with 3 other crafters..Here are a few pics of our stuff!

My table

My friend Diana Sironi's Art

Crystal Garden

Jane had beautiful items! It's hard to see in this pic, but the sparkle these give off is spectacular!

That's all I have for pics! It was a small cozy room. I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving! 

Sweet Diversion

Usually, I dislike when I get off track from a plan, especially when I am on a time constraint. This time however, it was a pleasant surprise. I have a 20 minute break at work. My plan was to go to the post office. I had to ship off this lovely purse to Australia! I went with 2 ladies from work, and lucky me, there was no line at the PO! Working in downtown Boston, this is rare! We took a detour to CVS to pick up some candy for the office. As we left CVS, we noticed a new store where an old favorite used to be. The new store is called Sweet, and we are sure glad we found it! The store is super cute..as I walked in, I noticed the girly pink high backed benches and the marble table tops. Then you see the CASE..full of the most delightful, mouth watering, cupcakes I have ever seen. They even have frosting shots! Here are a few pics to tempt you:

I love their packaging! I will be back to sample some of these for sure! 

I have a 2 day craft show this weekend in Boston. I will post some pics from this event when I can! 

Craft show season!!!

Craft show season is upon us! I have only done a few shows, so this is mainly new territory for me. I have 3 more this season, maybe 4. I have to remember next year to apply early for them. I have learned a few things that may come in handy for anyone new to this. I am sure there are many other great tips out there I would love to hear about! First, it is very important to make a list of everything you think you may need..such as scissors, tape, pens, etc. Have a dolly/hand truck!!! It is so much easier to get everything to your spot. The last show I did, my spot was at the very end of the building! If you have a friend, bring them! It can get slow at times with no customers, so a friend can always fill in the gaps..or a good book. It is also a great time to network with other crafters. You can learn of other shows around the area, and just get your name and business out to more people. People can be weird, so don't take it personally..Not everyone will love your things as much as you do. It's ok! Just smile and be friendly. I am hoping as November comes, people will be more in the holiday shopping spirit.

I have been super busy sewing up a storm. I am trying to get a large enough inventory so my table will look full and give people a good selection. I made a bunch of  Ipad covers. Here are a few of them..They are padded and have either a snap closure or velcro.

This last one is made from wool I scored at a yard sale!

I also made a few more oilcloth totes. These are great! You can get them dirty, sticky, you name it..it just wipes clean. 

I hope everyone is enjoying the Fall! We actually have snow in our forecast this week! I am hoping it just sticks to the mountain region! Snow in October is NOT a good thing!

My favorite time of year

Autumn is my absolute favorite time of the year! I love the smells and the colors when the leaves begin to change, then fall. It is also the time of year when there are festivals, harvest and craft fairs all over the place! Today, I went to the Vintage Bazaar at Pettengill Farms in Salisbury Ma. It takes place twice a year in June and September. If you love vintage and antiques then this is the place for you! They had it all- furniture, tins, cookware, linens, fabrics, pottery, etc. I was in heaven. Here are a few pics from my time there. I love how the vendors set up their spaces!

I just love the color of this old truck

Pettengill Farm is gorgeous and I will have to remember to check this place out next year in the Spring and Summer. The grounds and little pathways were inspiring.

One of the vendors that caught my eye was Havana Banana. She has vintage notions , fabrics, trims, and gorgeous lace by the yard. I got some lace to try and incorporate into my purses and pouches. I think they will add that certain charm. Here is what I scooped up from there.

Lastly, a few weeks ago I purchased 2 cute watercolor paintings from Noisy Merriment. They are the cutest owls and the colors are perfect with the wall color in my bathroom. Go check out her shop!

I am off to sew! I have a 2 day craft fair in November. It is time to get cracking on some new items! Enjoy the start of Fall everyone!

Weekend projects

This weekend was a busy one for me. Bright and early Saturday morning, I went to a bunch of a yard sales. I had them all mapped out and borrowed my dad's navigation system ( I really need one of these for myself!). I am new to yard/estate sales and I am soon realizing that most of them are never as good as they advertise themselves to be, but with a little digging and good negotiating you can score some great finds! One of the ads that caught my eye was a yard sale in Georgetown, MA. It listed tons of fabric, buttons, and sewing supplies, so I knew I had to check it out. I am glad I went! I arrived and saw boxes and boxes of fabrics. The woman running the sale was cleaning out her late mother's home. Her mother loved sewing and had rooms full of stuff. I dug through every box and quickly made a pile. Here a couple of pics of the fabric. The second one is mostly all wool. The top fabric is a really pretty Japanese pattern I can't wait to do something with!

I finished 2 projects this weekend as well. A friend of mine from work found a bed sheet with a pattern that she just loves. She asked me if I could make her a tote bag from it. The fabric is pretty thin, so I added some heavyweight interfacing to make it a bit more sturdy. I added a solid pink lining and front pocket and it turned out really cute! I hope she loves it!

Lastly, I recently purchased an Ipad. I love it and wanted to make a cover for it to keep it protected. For my first stab at it, I think it turned out pretty good! I lined it with fleece for extra padding and added a magnetic snap closure. I may have to add these to my store :) Thanks for visiting!!

More estate sale finds...

I am really loving these estate sales! It is fun to rummage through boxes and find treasures. On my way home from work the other day, I stopped by an estate sale in a neighboring town. Not only do I like the rummaging, but it is neat to go inside these homes and see different decorating styles, etc. As soon as I walked in, I saw a table full of fabric and linens. JACKPOT! I found 2 super soft cotton kitchen towels with the cutest pattern sewed onto them. I snatched those up and a few other fabric remnants. I made 2 pouches out of the towels. Here they are! I just love these.

I love how they came out and that the cotton has that raw organic look to it. I just listed them at my Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/melsyboo14 and hope they sell soon! We are preparing for Hurricane Irene here, so I am trying to get a lot of sewing done today, since we will most likely lose power tomorrow :(. I hope not! 

Giveaway-RaeoLight

Check out this giveaway for 2 4x6 prints! Hurry, it ends real soon!!

http://shabbylife-shabbylife.blogspot.com/2011/08/giveaway-raeolight.html?showComment=1313714141040#c3185425939420242721

Little Girl Tote

Here is the tote I made for my niece. She is actually my friends' daughter, but they all call me Aunty Melissa! So cute..She turned 5 recently, "One whole hand" as she describes it :) I am going to fill it up with girly things I am sure she will love. I added piping around the pocket to give it a little something extra. I am pleased with the way it came out and may have to add some of these to my store!

Christie Cottage Giveaway

Head on over to Christie Cottage for a great giveaway!
http://christiecottage.blogspot.com/2011/08/win-it-wednesday-new-giveaway.html?showComment=1312632295161#c6280436346566267822

Ylang Ylang and Lemon Detox & Acne Soap

Visit to a Castle

Sundays are my "me" time, and I like to take random drives to clear my head and get ready for the work week. It was a gorgeous day this past Sunday, so I headed towards the coast. I found myself in the Cape Ann area of Massachusetts and remembered Hammond Castle in Gloucester http://www.hammondcastle.org . I have always wanted to go explore it and soon found myself wandering around its enchanting grounds. This castle was built between the years of 1926 and 1929 by John Hays Hammond Jr. Second only to Thomas Alva Edison in number of patents, John Hammond was one of America's premier inventors.  His most important work was the development of remote control via radio waves, which earned him the title, "The Father of Remote Control." I could get lost in all the rooms here! It was so much fun, I felt like a little kid! The steep, winding stairs reminded me of the stairs at Blarney Castle. Here are some pics of my visit :)

These are the view from the back..what a view!

The Steep Stairs

Antique furniture and tiled floors..I love the textures

Drawbridge, Gargoyles, and Lion

Stone Arches and Medieval store front

I hope you enjoyed a glimpse into this castle! If you are ever in the area, I highly recommend a visit here!

My First Estate Sale!

I have been hooked on a show called Cash & Cari. For those who have not seen it, it is about repurposed items and estate sales. The other day I happened to look up estate sales in my area and found a great website http://www.estatesales.net/. They have photos of some of the items and I was intrigued. One in particular caught my eye, so I decided to go check it out. It felt so weird combing through a strangers home. The house was in need of major updating, and was chock full of antiques. In one of the photos I saw a canister set for flour, sugar, etc. I thought it would be great for my sewing notions. Of course it was gone by the time I got there, but I did manage to find another set and some really neat things!

I found this 1950's tin canister set

Vintage aprons with the tags still attached!

Yards and yards of fabric!

I am now hooked on finding more of these estate sales! It is addictive! Enjoy the weekend everyone!

Giveaway for pet lovers!!

I found this great blog through Etsy..http://www.sewsavoirfairecreations.blogspot.com/

Go enter the giveaway for a custom pet bed!

Weekend Coin Purse Frenzy

I had a sudden urge to get some coin purses done, so I went through my scrap stash and got to work. I cut a bunch of them out, and finished all but 4 of them.

The owls are a popular seller, so I hope to get these finished by next weekend!

I am also going to create a super girly tote bag for my friends' daughter. It is her birthday very soon and I am sure she will love a pink and frilly tote bag filled with goodies. I will post pics once that is complete! The weather here is finally getting back to normal. We had a few days of sweltering heat and humidity. I am thankful for air conditioning!