Miss Courageous

Art in the Park

2011-09-06T17:40:00.006-06:00

This weekend marks Boise Art Museums 57th annual Art in the Park.

Come see me in space 105/106, I'll have so many fun new items to choose from!

Cast your vote!

2011-08-24T17:36:00.002-06:00

The nice folks over at Fine Tuxedos and Formal Wear Accessories have a little contest going, and I'm luck enough to be part of it! So, please head on over to their blog and vote for my Lego Belt Buckles, product lucky number 7!

Etsy Front Page

2010-12-20T13:15:00.003-07:00

LEGO my bracelet!

2010-12-09T18:47:00.005-07:00

Now available in my ETSY shop.

Where I'll be Friday Nov 5th

2010-11-02T17:21:00.000-06:00

Please Help

2010-10-22T17:01:00.002-06:00

Gina Gregerson lost her house, and everything in it, in a fire today. She is a close friend of a friend, I've met her several times and she is a very kind person that helps animals. Please help out if you can.

Art in the Park 2010

2010-09-06T11:02:00.003-06:00

About Time

2010-06-27T10:13:00.003-06:00

Mr Courageous

2010-05-16T14:35:00.002-06:00

I've been working on a few things for the boys. Stay tuned, hopefully I will have plenty to offer in time for fathers day! I'll have more cufflinks, card cases, belt buckles, and cool new money clips (for bills & change!).... photos to come.

Just in..Case

2010-02-15T10:23:00.005-07:00

By popular demand, I've added card cases to my line of products. Durable, stainless steel business or credit card cases. Check them out!

LEGO cases just $15.00

Resin coated game card cases $20.00

Idaho Indie Works

2010-02-04T09:21:00.002-07:00

Idaho Indie Works is an etsy street team.
But we want more... stay tuned, how does "Idaho Indie Works LLC" sound?

I started Idaho Indie Works, and I think we're ready to take it to the next level.

I am constantly amazed by the talent around me, and now I am very impressed by their passion.

PASSION and SUCCESS are synonymous.

R & D time

2009-12-30T10:29:00.002-07:00

As 2009 draws to a close I am looking forward to the new year ahead of me.

I have a few months off from the market but will be doing the First Thursday events with Idaho Indie Works at the Pioneer Tent Building.

I am hoping to take this time to develope some of the ideas that have been floating around in my head. I'm doing a little "research & development."

Without giving too much away, expect to see some more record vinyl creations for the home (hint: a "bright" idea), some more uses for the corks I've got stockpiled, new record vinyl necklace designs, more belt buckle creations, and a new addition to the "accessory" category.

I'll also be taking some time to list more of my work on Etsy, and try to give my own website it's much needed makeover.

And cross your fingers, because this week I'm sending in the storage buckles to Marth Stewart... yes, 2010 is going to be the year of Miss Courageous!

Holiday Grooves

2009-11-10T16:22:00.003-07:00

"Where...?"

2009-08-24T22:35:00.002-06:00

Today Greta handed me the globe and asked: "Mommy, where do the unicorns live?"

Lost thoughts

2009-08-22T22:39:00.002-06:00

I dreamt up a great blog post, it was something about "5 types of..."

It was witty, clever, and well written.

I told myself I would remember it when I awoke.

Apparently I lied to myself, I've no idea what it was, but I distinctly remember it was 5, it was funny, and well, now it's forgotten.

I hate when that happens.

pool of spools

2009-07-26T22:28:00.003-06:00

Somehow my parents find the coolest things.

And you can now find them in my Etsy shop!

The Color Purple

2009-07-13T16:35:00.005-06:00

This morning when swimming lessons were finished and we were about to drive out of the parking lot of the Y, Greta sighed and said: "I wish everything were purple."

I don't quite get a three year olds obsession with a color, but I can't wait to see the look on her face when she wakes from her nap to see what came out of our garden for dinner!

"That was Awesome!"

2009-07-05T09:27:00.000-06:00

Let the fun begin! Ear protection and a fan to wave away the smelly smoke. The magic pagoda.
Sparklers are cool.

We go to my parents house every year for the 4th. Its fun to watch my dad, brother-in-law and nephews take their stab at pyrotechnics and risk loss of digits while my sister reminds them there is no burn unit in Boise. The neighbors gather at the foot of their driveways, each setting off their own fireworks and cheering when my father gets out his mini canon and makes the loudest bang of all. Good times.

This was the first year that Greta didn't go in the house and hide from the noise. Grandpa gave her the headphones to wear and Grandma gave her the fan to wave away the smoke. When the loud fireworks screeched and thundered I expected Greta to get frightened and want to go inside. Instead she turned to me, grinned and exclaimed "That was awesome!" The sparklers were a huge hit, she waved them and twirled and danced like a patriotic ballerina.

This is it folks, America the Beautiful.

Please Vote For Capital City Public Market!

2009-06-20T20:22:00.001-06:00

My Latest Etsy Purchase

2009-06-01T10:17:00.000-06:00

Okay, I couldn't resist this one, she's sooooo cute! The doll is magnetic and comes in her own cute little tin, perfectly portable for keeping little ones entertained on the go.
The shop is cheariefearie Creative Quandries and she has an entire section for magnetic paper dolls, check them out!

Cargo Bike

2009-05-26T13:10:00.000-06:00

Yes, they are giving one of these away, and I think my lucky streak must go on... (crosses fingers)

Choice Cuts

2009-05-25T21:10:00.001-06:00

I don't eat mammals, but I can appreciate a well drawn pig and the irony of wearing it on your belt.

These were a special order for of all people, another etsy artist that works with record vinyl. I hope they're a hit. Be safe, buckleup!

a little Whimsy

2009-05-15T15:57:00.000-06:00

Greta and I both get our haircut by Gigi at Whimsy salon. They are nominated for the parents connect best haircut, please give them a click!

For Haircut
in Boise

Ah, Spring!

2009-05-14T11:24:00.001-06:00

You too can be a better driver

2009-05-10T22:13:00.000-06:00

One day I rolled down my window to let out a bug, my daughter sitting in her car seat behind me asked "who are you going to yell at mommy?"... hmmm, did I have a problem with road rage??? I do admit to getting furious when people speed down my street or roll through the stop signs (which btw seems to be more common than actually stopping at them).

I do find myself much more aware of my driving and behavior behind the wheel since my car is now so easily identified and advertises my business. Thanks to a fellow Idaho Indie Works artist HollyDoodle for my window decal.

I no longer speed, I don't tailgate, I never cut people off, I always stop at stopsigns, and, well, I'm working on controlling my road rage at other drivers. I have no idea why when my husband tooted the horn to wave hello to the neighbors my 3 year old yelled out "NICE STOP!" ;)

Race

2009-05-08T16:15:00.000-06:00

The other day as we were driving around town, my daughter asked me "Mommy, why do the ladies have pink hair?" She had seen the billboards for the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure. Cancer is not an easy subject for a three year old, and I'm not even sure what answer I gave her, something about the ladies were sick and they didn't have any hair because the medicine they take to help make them better makes them lose their hair.

So for her and all the other little girls out there I hope you will never have to face this disease. For the survivors and the fighters, for the courageous and the heroic, I dedicate this blog post to you. To all who fight this terrible thing called cancer, I thank you.

Since I will not able to participate in the race for the cure, I am giving pink record vinyl awareness pins (while supplies last) to thank those that do. Just stop by my booth at the Capital City Public market, on the Grove in front of Qwest Arena. Plus, for Saturday May 9th I will be donating 20% of all of my sales (at the market and on line) to the Susan G. Komen foundation.

First Thursday!

2009-05-04T20:05:00.000-06:00

Come check out Idaho Indie Works at first thursday 6th & main, old Boise

Come Find Me...

2009-04-18T19:47:00.000-06:00

on the Quad at Boise State University for their Earth Day Celebration, Wednesday April 22nd from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

at First Thursday downtown Boise May 7th from 5:00 p.m.- 9:00 p.m.

on Mothers Day (May 10th) at Sawtooth Winery

and every Saturday until Christmas (well almost) at the Capital City Public Market 9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

or shop anytime at MissCourageous.etsy.com

Come see me Saturday!

2009-04-14T18:38:00.000-06:00

This year marks Capital City Public Market's 15th anniversary! The opening day of the Market is Saturday April 18th. Look for me on the Grove in front of Qwest arena.

I am excited to debut some new record vinyl jewelry designs and some fun new belt buckles I've created.

To celebrate opening day I will be giving a free bottle cap key chain or ring with any purchase to anyone that mentions this blog!

See you Saturday, the market's hours are 9:30-1:00

...like a record baby, round, round...

2009-03-20T20:53:00.000-06:00

So today I was cutting some vinyl to make some bracelets... and decided to cut circles out of any left over vinyl scraps... and well, looking at all those circles on my workbench gave me an idea... I hope you like it! I will be making more in different varieties, nice step up from the pendants, don't you think?

I still haven't gotten around to making the bracelets, oh well... another day.

Have you heard the BUZZ?

2009-03-17T16:38:00.000-06:00

Yeah, that's right... bumble bee pendants! In ten mouth watering colors! And they're available for only $5.00 with free shipping in the U.S. (and cheap shipping everywhere else)

Plus I've added a new section to my shop, "Just the Pendant" for those of you crafty enough to add your own chain/earrings/whatever!

My Album Cover

2009-03-16T01:40:00.001-06:00

()
Originally uploaded by Rundadar

Grand Theft Childhood
"nibbled to death by ducks"

To Do This
1 - Go to "wikipedia." Hit “random”
or click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
The first random wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.

2 - Go to "Random quotations"
or click http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3
The last four or five words of the very last quote of the page is the title of your first album.

3 - Go to flickr and click on “explore the last seven days”
or click http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days
Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

4 - Use photoshop or similar to put it all together.

I hope yours turns out as cool as mine did, thanks Rundadar for such a cool photo!

Soft Focus

2009-03-05T23:25:00.000-07:00

So I took a bunch of photos today, and they were all a little fuzzy on the left... was it my settings? the lighting? too much caffeine? Nope, it was Greta... which also explained why there were photos in the camera of toys, the tv, the dog's tail, and the cat under the bed...

note to self... clean camera lens... and clean under Greta's bed.

Etsy Front Page

2009-02-28T21:40:00.001-07:00

Etsy Front Page 2/27/09 Admin, originally uploaded by Etsy Front Pagers.

My pressure gauge belt buckle was on the front page last night. And gone from my shop this morning, hooray!

Thanks Adam

2009-02-19T10:02:00.000-07:00

So this is what I found in my fridge this morning after my nephew babysat last night. Greta said I was supposed to scream, but I laughed.

And yes, we eat a lot of cheese.

What Google Analytics Tells Me

2009-01-15T18:12:00.000-07:00

Well, now Etsy has enabled their sellers to have a new obsession. It's google analytics. This is a tool meant to help analyze your business, but alas, it's a tool that's driving me nuts.

Now rather than, has anybody bought anything today??? I find myself asking:

-how many people were at my site today?
-how long did people stay on my site?
-where are the people from that are looking at my site?

and, the most amusing and frustrating: "what key words did people enter to find me?"
This is amusing because people have searched for things like "amelia earhart hat", "felted wool" and "soap deli" and found my shop. hmmm, interesting.
But the frustrating key words are the ones that tell me somebody out there doesn't want to buy my stuff, they want to make it; "how to cut recycled records" and "make buckle with resin and jar lid" made me a bit defensive. Now the cutting records, okay, I'm not the first or the last for that, but I am the only one that I've ever seen make a belt buckle out of a jar lid.

End of rant.

Here are a couple of my latest creations, try not to copy them, it just pisses me off. :)

I was Tagged (delayed reaction)

2009-01-02T09:56:00.001-07:00

tagged...

I was tagged by Holly of Holly's Diner / HollyDoodle / HollyDoodads fame. I'm finally getting around to playing. (I always lost at tag)

Here are the rules:

1. Link to the person that tagged you, and post the rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.
4. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

So here it goes...

Random/weird (possibly embarassing?) facts about ME:

1. In elementary school I performed a dance routine in a talent show... on a pogo stick to the song "Bare Necessities" from the Jungle Book.

2. I have never been stung by a bee. Consequently I'm terrified of them.

3. My birthmark starts in the white of my eye and works it's way up through my hair, kind of like the hawaiian islands. (good thing I'm not bald) My sister used to make fun of it when she french braided my hair.

4. I had a pet rabbit named Bruce when I was in high school. He would follow me around, jump up on my lap, and even chased cats out of the yard. (and he liked to eat Lucky Charms and grape kool-aid)

5. I'm allergic to cats, but I have two. I believe you can develop immunities to your allergies if you deal with them all the time.

6. I once got lost at Disneyland. I was with my campfire girl troup (okay that part is embarassing enough) and I stopped to look at some flowers and when I looked up the group was gone. I went to the next ride that we had talked about going on and they never showed up. I was found by a couple that had rode up with us (someone's uncle I think) and they bought me ice cream. The group went on two rides without me before they realized they were one kid short. Apparently, even though I was a good head taller than everyone else, I was easily overlooked. Yeah, whatever, I didn't want to go on the stupid submarine ride anyway...

7. I can wiggle my nose and my ears.

Since Holly has already tagged most of the people I know with blogs, (thanks Holly) I'm taqging some more of the IIW team: fran with homemadeoriginals, Pixie with pheartsb, Amber of Refinerii, Hattie of monochromed, Silvia of svsoaps, and a couple of other etsy sellers my sister freakyoldwoman, and a fellow vinyl artist; Amanda of vinylrocksmyworld

Boise Holiday Market Annex

2008-11-30T21:47:00.000-07:00

Great news holiday shoppers! You will be able to find the full line of Miss Courageous jewelry & accessories at The HOLIDAY MARKET ANNEX, downtown Boise in the old R. Grey Jewelry Gallery space. This space is located on Idaho street between Anthropology and the new North Face store in the Mode Bldg.

The store will be open only for the Christmas shopping season. It's a great opportunity to support local artists and purchase unique handmade gifts while avoiding the hassles of the mall!

It is now open and there will be a Grand Opening on 1st Thursday, Dec. 4th at 6 p.m. The space will be open daily with the following hours: Mon – Wed. & Fri., 11a.m. – 6:30 p.m., Every Thursday in December as well as Tues., Dec.23rd, we will be open until 8 p.m. in conjunction with a special Holiday Promotion sponsored by the Downtown Boise Assoc. Saturday & Sunday will be 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Think Green on Black Friday

2008-11-24T21:08:00.000-07:00

The Etsy Trashion Team is having a virtual trunk show, Friday November 28th, the day after Thanksgiving. Check out this blog posting on re-maker.blogspot.com for more info. There will be a lot of free prizes and fabulous shopping deals!

Speaking of deals...
From Black Friday until Cyber Monday I am offering a free set of record vinyl wine charms with any purchase of $40.00 or more in my Miss Courageous shop. (plus free shipping worldwide that weekend) This offer is good Friday Nov 28 - 9:00 p.m. Monday December 1st. Just write "think green" in the notes to seller to receive your free gift!

Dear Santa,

2008-11-22T22:06:00.000-07:00

Dear Santa,
please bring me a 1961 falcon wagon, the tree would be nice too.
I've been good, sort of.

Okay, picture this, shiny black paint, the side panel striped just like my etsy banner, pink, orange, gold with "Miss Courageous" in bright yellow... dark tinted rear windows, and the back full of my market stuff that will never have to be completely unloaded. It's genius.

Groovy Gift Ideas

2008-11-18T09:54:00.000-07:00

I can't tell you how many times people have asked if they can buy my record bowl I used as display at the market. So I decided I should make some to sell. But I couldn't bring myself to do the traditional melted wavy bowls that you heat in the oven. I didn't want to hear people say "I can do that." I want to hear people say "How did you do that?" Soooo.... I present to you, a smooth, hand made bowl, labels and hole sealed, ready for entertaining!

($20.00 available at the Capital City Public Market and other craft shows this season)

And because entertaining isn't complete without beverages, I have cut the label portion out of the records, backed them with reclaimed cork, and sealed them with shiny resin for fun coasters. Choose your favorites for a set to make a wonderful personal gift!

($6.00 each or 4 / $20.00 available at my booth at the Capital City Public Market and other craft shows this season)

upcoming events:
Capital City Public Market: Saturdays 11-3 thru x-mas
November 21, 5-9 pm: Craft O Copia Handmade Holiday Show at The White Pine in Nampa
November 29-30, 9 am- 5 pm: Idaho Indie Works Holiday Boutique
873 W. Cagney Drive in Paramount Subdivision (off of Chinden between
Linder and Meridian)
Meridian

Boise Art Museum presents...

2008-10-30T18:35:00.000-06:00

wishing you a
GREEN holiday!
* an eco-friendly holiday shopping event *

November 15 - 16, 2008

- Gifts Made from Recycled Materials

- Local Artists, Eco-Friendly Items

- Unique Gifts for Everyone on Your List

- Gift Wrapping

- FREE Admission to Boise Art Museum!

Boise Art Museum
670 Julia Davis Dr.
www.boiseartmuseum.org

and yes, Miss Courageous will be there!

Rock Your Home & Office

2008-10-24T20:15:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I've had things for the home for a while now, but I haven't really featured them on the blog yet...

Recycled Record Vinyl Drink charms:
Rock Star Drink Charms available at btcelements.com

Flowers available in my Etsy shop:

and the office, well isn't it about time you had some rock-n-roll at work?

Business card holder available at my Etsy shop.

Don't work too hard, remember, it's happy hour someplace.

the Big & the Little

2008-10-17T07:12:00.000-06:00

Ahhhhh... this is why we all need to get out and see mother nature.

To appreciate the vastness.

And to observe something a bit smaller.

I've just returned from a trip through the Oregon mountains and out to the coast, and if you've never been through Oregon, you should add it to your list (if not for the natural beauty then at least for the delicious locally brewed beers and coffee!)

What do poodles, sewing machines, and dragonflies have in common?

2008-10-06T21:20:00.000-06:00

They're just some of my new shapes for recycled record vinyl pendants!

Awareness Month

2008-10-01T09:40:00.000-06:00

October is national breast cancer awareness month. Just mention the word cancer and people will tell you stories. Sad stories, scary stories, and stories of hope and survival, courageous stories.
So I have created my own version of the awareness pin out of pink record vinyl. I gave some of these away at the Capitol City Public Market this spring during the Race For the Cure and I will be making more today to give out this Saturday as well.

It's a Major Award!

2008-09-16T09:17:00.000-06:00

Okay, I know that a major award really is a lamp shaped like a ladies leg, but doesn't it sound fun to say "Major Award!"
As a last minute entry to Art in the Park I wasn't expecting to take home an award. I wasn't able to attend the dinner where they announced the awards since my mother in law had been watching Greta all day and I needed to get home. So when I arrived the next morning and people kept coming by congratulating me it was such a nice surprise!
I won "Most Unique Art" (and yes! ***grin**** $200.00)

My booth display.
At one time we counted 27 shoppers in my tent!

Art in the Park & Hyde Park

2008-09-02T22:05:00.000-06:00

I just found out this morning that I will be at Boise Art Museums 54th annual Art In The Park this week end, September 5,6,& 7th. Yippee!!! I'm so excited to be a part of this huge event! Please stop by my booth to say hello, I'll be at booth 143.

The following week I will be joining the IdahoIndieWorks Etsy street team at the Hyde Park Street Fair. Come support local Etsy artists!

And The Winner is.....

2008-09-01T09:32:00.000-06:00

So I went to Random.org to have a number generated, each post was assigned a number in chronological order. And the lucky number is 20! Congratulations to Cynful, I'll be contacting you to select your buckle from the available choices!

Thanks for playing everyone, remember, be safe: BuckleUp!

BuckleUp Give-Away!

2008-08-17T09:41:00.000-06:00

So heres the deal. Take my survey, post a comment, and if you like, please sign up for my e-mail list (I won't spam you, I promise!) and one lucky person will be chosen for a free belt buckle! BuckleUp belt buckles are made with reclaimed wall paper samples and upcycled jar lids for a one of a kind buckle you are sure to get many compliments on! Entries must be received by midnight mountain time August 31st. Watch for new listings soon at BuckleUp.etsy.com!

Buckle Up on Etsy

2008-08-12T23:45:00.000-06:00

I make belt buckles because I love accessories. And I love fun accessories. I make upcycled buckles because I can. So I've moved them into their own little space on Etsy. It's called BuckleUp and so far there is only one listing, but as soon as the resin has cured I'll have a whole new batch o' buckles to list. So stay tuned, and stay safe, buckle up.

Donate your jar lids or mint tins and receive $5.00 off any belt buckle, either on etsy or at the capitol city public market.

Hyde Park Gallery

2008-08-06T12:42:00.000-06:00

Miss Courageous jewelry is now available in Boise's historic north end neighborhood! Come visit the wonderful Hyde Park Gallery on North 13th St. in Boise. You'll find beautiful works of art and a wonderful neighborhood shopping experience. I love places that support local artists! Some of my other fellow Idaho Indie Works artists can be found there too, jmcraftworks, pheartsb, refinerii, and paintedpawstudio.

Miss Courageous on Boise's Channel 6 News

2008-08-05T09:38:00.001-06:00

Fly away with Bella Grano

2008-08-02T18:44:00.000-06:00

Check out the Idaho Indie Works Blog!
BellaGrano is giving away a super-de-duper cute-as-all-get-out airplane necklace!

The Front Page

2008-07-25T14:46:00.000-06:00

Oh the elusive front page. And I missed it. Apparently this was on the front page two weeks ago, and I didn't get a screen shot. Worse yet, I didn't get a sale! LOL

It's My Birthday Sale!

2008-07-18T15:01:00.001-06:00

I'll be having a sale Saturday July 19th at my space at the Capitol City Public Market to celebrate my birthday!!!
All necklaces (regularly $18.50) will be only $15.00 each or 3 for $43.00!!!
Can't make it to the market? Contact me to take advantage of this special offer!

Recent Press For Miss Courageous

2008-07-09T09:02:00.000-06:00

These just hit the newstands! Eagle Magazine and Meridian in the Middle just released their "Green Issues" and they did a piece on local green fashion. Now if they had just mentioned where to purchase my products.... at Capitol City Public Market, at JuJu Accessories, at Cinnabar Caffe, coming soon to Sparrow in Nampa, and of course on line at misscourageous.etsy.com.

New Banner

2008-06-30T09:45:00.001-06:00

I'm loving my new banner at the market. I'm still working on my displays, I know there are some better solutions so you can shop and see things easier. I'm still crossing my fingers to get into art in the park, so I need to be ready!

My Recent Etsy Indulgences

2008-05-27T07:57:00.000-06:00

I love shopping. Okay, most women do. Shopping on Etsy can give you an even better feeling. Not only have you found something you really like, but it's also way more unique than anything from the mall, AND you're supporting independent artists at the same time.

It just doesn't get any better than that. Here are my recent purchases for you to admire:

my new hat from bkmhattitude , I lllllove it!

My new purse:

from hollyberrydesigns it's called the goldilocks bag because it is just the right size.

I haven't received my other purchases yet, but you can bet the mail carrier is going to be my best friend when I receive them!

Soaps to go with my new downstairs bathroom:

from anniepoo ,you just have to love her shop name!

And finally a car litter bag to match my Element:

from allysonhill ,she was the featured artist and I didn't even realize it when I was choosing something from my favorites. I'm so excited about this, the straps are fully adjustable and theres a liner inside to hold the trash bag. Super cool design!

Okay, I'm off to find some more great things, I've been eyeing a t-shirt from feralgirl and I could also use some new dish towels :)

Fine Line Between Courageous & Crazy

2008-04-29T18:31:00.000-06:00

So people are telling me this will get easier. So people are telling me they warned me. So people are telling me I'm nuts. So we adopted a puppy. We had no intentions of getting a large dog. We were even planning on waiting until Greta was out of diapers. But sometimes opportunities arise that you just can't pass up. Or maybe you just fall foolishly in love. This is Trixie, a 5 month old chocolate lab. She needed a home. Apparently I needed less sleep and less time to get work done. And Greta needed someone to get all riled up when it's getting close to bed time. So, tell me again, is it going to get better? easier? am I crazy? But aren't they adorable???

If anyone knows any tricks for balancing puppy, toddler, and a business feel free to share! (or any tips on getting my poor kitties,that have been hiding for the last week, used to this clumsy giant pawed playmate?)

Greta is modeling a record album tote made by her aunt Dawn, aka: freakyoldwoman and her alter ego starlettwinkie so check out her shops and tell her I sent you!

Getting ready for market

2008-04-16T21:09:00.000-06:00

Here we are, the countdown to Capitol City Public Market opening day. It starts on Saturday April 19th. Am I ready you ask? Oh heck no! I don't have enough product, I'm not organized, and I'm not sure of my set up. Funny, but I'm not really worried about any of that. I am worried, however, about the weather. Mother nature can do brutal things to outdoor markets, and my main enemy: wind. The tent turns into a giant kite, and I turn into Mary Poppins, holding on to the center, ready to fly away. Not to mention displays and signs can blow over.
Weights: check! Walls: check! Heater: check!

So with one year under my belt here are some of my tips for doing an artists market or craft show:

have alot of change. Then get more.
put your information on the customer copy of your receipt book before you start, you can use a stamp or print labels, this way, if somehow they don't get a business card, they still have your info.
Make a price list with tax and total, if you're like me my math skills are completely absent early Saturday morning. I still use a calculater for figuring change, that and plenty of caffeine and I'm in business.
Have things in different price ranges. I like to have available impulse items, like magnets & keychains. People like to have something to bring home when they've been enjoying themselves and these small items can fit the bill easily.
Have discounts for multiple item sales. I have a 3 for price on most of my items, for instance all necklaces are $18.50 or 3/$45.00. People will remember someone who has a birthday coming up, or that new outfit they need to accessorize.
Raise your tables. This makes a huge difference, and thanks to my friend Angie for sharing the tip. I used pvc pipe as "stilts" to raise the table up to 36". High enough so people don't have to bend over to see things and the little sticky toddler fingers can't grab things as easily.
Put something at eye level. Have something interesting to draw people to your space. Whether it's a colorful sign or a hanging display, it will make your booth more interesting. (Last year I had the wall o' bottle caps, I may do something different this year!)
Get a banner for the front of your tent. Make one if you have to. Create brand identity and get your name out there.
Give your customers the option of wearing their purchase or carrying a cute bag. I have at least 50% want to wear their new treasure, and advertise for me in the process.
Dress appropriately, layer. You never know with early spring, and if you happen to be set up in the shade it's going to be even colder. If you're in the sun, you may need some sunscreen. Prepare for both! Pack some "little hotties" hand warmers and a tube of SPF.
Know where the nearest atm is, especially if you don't take credit cards.
Have a sign-up book for e-mail mailing list, you can let your customers know about new items, special sales, or send them coupons for their next visit.
Learn to smile when someone asks how you make things or other trade secrets (I'm still working on this one!) It's okay to make a joke or be evasive about answering, just don't be rude.
Have different levels on your display tables. This brings more visual interest as well as gives you more room to showcase your wares. Last year I stole my husband's shoe shelf from the closet, this year I found some shelving at Lowes that you can easily break down and remove the legs. I'm looking forward to being able to pack things into the car easily.
Bring your tools so you can alter or adapt things to your customer's wishes. I will happily switch cord lengths or change a pendant to a key chain to please a customer.
Make friends with your neighbors. You never know when you might need change for a $50 or run out of credit card slips, or simply need a quick potty break!
Please don't just sit behind your table, greet people, welcome them, walk around and interact! Show that all of these wonderful creations came from you and yes, you do have a personality. :)
Most of all have fun! I am so fortunate to be able to sell at this venue, and I love seeing people shopping and having a good time.

I'm sure I have a few more tips, but I think I've given you enough for now, and I've got to get to work, the clock is ticking!!!!

Idaho Indie Works Etsy Artists Show & Sale

2008-04-04T18:40:00.000-06:00

My wonderful etsy street team had our first big event last night. I must say, it was a huge success. Thank you to everyone who came out to support our Etsy introduction to the community. You can see photos of the event in our flickr pool: http://www.flickr.com/groups/boiseidahoetsystreetteam/

Based on the crowds last night, I'd say most of Boise now knows about Etsy!

A big hug and thanks to Sem Olaya from Decore Furniture Concepts for hosting the 25+ artists that showed up to display and sell their wares.

Buy Local, Buy Handmade!

First Blog Post!

2008-04-04T17:13:00.000-06:00

Good evening Miss Courageous!
I've finally started a blog... I'll be posting some of my favorite creations and some wonderful finds here so stay tuned! I'm also planning on bringing you "tales of Miss Courageous" stories of everyday courage from ordinary people as they "be heroic". Get ready for some whimsy, wit, and inspiration, because after all, there's a little "Miss Courageous" in all of us! :)
Be Heroic,
Millie