Sarah Jane's Out to Sea Collection

Are you one of the faithful awaiting Sarah Jane's latest Out to Sea collection? Apparently they're facing some stormy seas en-route to Singapore, & may come ashore much later than the end- August anticipated time. Let's hope everything goes smooth sailing for them, so that we can all feast on their treasures comes September :D

Natalie's 1st bouquet of flowers, from a Man ^^

She saw me receiving flowers from my husband occasionally, & said that it's unfair that I (& not her) get flowers from him.

At the supermarket yesterday, she saw stalks of flowers (wrapped, ready to give) being sold for $1.50 each. She bugged me for one, insisting that it doesnt cost much anyways. But, I refused as I felt flowers should be given in a more "special" setting, or for a special occasion. 

I told her to ask from her Dad instead.

She remembered that, & asked her Dad to get her some flowers today. And, reminded me during the day, to send a message to him, not to forget to buy her some flowers.

Ask, & you shall receive ;)

My husband was amused, &went along with it, buying her this pretty pink roses made into a beautiful bouquet. 

She was totally delighted with this pretty bouquet, & the charming act by her father. 


It's such a sweet & endearing scene to witness, knowing that her very first bouquet of flowers, came from a man, who truly loves her.

Zippered Wrap-around Purse

Finally! This was a custom order for a customer who wished to have 5 individual zippered purses, all sewn together onto a "cover". I readily agreed, thinking that it's quite a straightforward job. But, it turned 

out to be much more challenging than I had imagined. Perhaps because it's a first attempt, so some of the measurements & calculations were off. 

This resulted in some frustrating moments of undoing & unpicking. 

Now, I'm just glad that it's completed, & hope the new owner will love it. :)

Public Garden @ MICA Building

 Card Organizer Purses & iPhone Case/Mini Purses all lined up, ready for tomorrow's Public Garden. Made with Patricia Bravo's Summer Love collection fabric.

Hope to see you there ;)

My 1st Craft Fair, @ MAAD

This was the booth I set up at MAAD (market for artists & designers) yesterday. As it was my first time taking part in such craft fairs, I had no idea what to expect nor exactly what I'll be needing.

For those intending to take part in future craft fairs, these tips may prove useful for you ;)

Lessons learnt:
===========
1. With my basic"package"@ MAAD, I was provided with a large wooden trunk case, a stand for it, a stool, & a lamp.
=> Next time: I definitely need a table. I hardly got enough space to lay out my items decently.

2. So glad I decided to bring my unused curtain fabric as a "table-cloth". It proved useful to transform the overall look, & cover up the mess under the stand.
=> Next time: I'll bring an extra piece (the larger, the better).

3. I had no idea where is a "good spot", chose a bright spot right in the middle of the room. (the layout of Gallery 2 where I was, is designed in a "maze-like" manner) And, I found a nice cosy "nook" in between it all.
Pros: It's bright, & I seem to have a nice space all to myself.
Cons: Customers may feel intimidated to "come-in" if they're just casual "browse-rs", & may choose to walk past & not look at all. And, the enclosed area, can be rather tight & crowded when several customers choose to browse at the same time.
=> Next time: I'll probably choose a spot at the side, where the main-stream traffic will be flowing by. They can browse through my stuff without feeling "intimidated" by the enclosure.

4. I had a dilemma about packing my purses, or to just leave it as it is. My main concern is, I'm worried they may get dirtied/stained etc. And thought, customers are free to open it up to take a look. However, it turned out that many wont bother to open it up, & wont bother to ask either. And, if I offer to, they may feel pressurized... so, they'd rather reject.
=> Next time: I'll leave it as it is. The items getting dirtied, is just another risk I have to take as a seller. Worst comes to worse, I'll reduce the price for a dirtied piece. I'm sure many would be happy to get it at a "steal" ;)

5. Lastly, pricing. This has always been a tricky factor for many sellers. You believe in your item, & know the amount of work that goes on. It's definitely worth the price! But, customers may not find it priced reasonably enough. So, what's the balance of skill/professionalism/uniqueness, & getting a sale?
In business sense, not closing the sale (no matter how great your product is) is not really good business.
=> Next time: I'll consider this factor more seriously, such that the pricing is more acceptable to the visiting crowds, without over-compromising the price for what it's worth.

Thank you for reading :) I hope these are useful tips for you who're venturing into craft fairs in the near future.