I would have bought the skate! It's great! Might change out the berries to look a little more vintage, but overall I would have had to bring it home. Nice work.

LOL! Thanks! I didn't care for the berries on this either, but they were on the tree that way & it was actually sold months prior to the shows (this was the only pic I had loaded). In fact, I didn't even have any with a tree in them for the shows, some had a couple pieces of greenery, but no berries. I had some on wreaths too, only one of those sold.

I thought the skates would be a big seller, but not as much as I had hoped. Everyone loved them, but only sold 3.

It's really hard to know what's going to sell and what isn't. I did a show a couple weeks ago and none of my garden people sold. I had them in 2 spring/summer shows and several sold.
You did a great job on all of these. I especially like the skate.

spnquen...great recycling & mostly GJ!...I am loving everything you did here! Your ice skate is WAY cute...I hang a couple outside with garden (pine) greens ...love how you did up this one in red!

And that window is very nice...old ones sell around here for $10 - $15 (without any decor)...that would be a great display inside or out! TFS your pics & success, too, I would say! Jeanne S.

I love what you are selling - and I think your prices are right in line. It all depends on the crowd. Don't ever think your stuff is not good enough for the prices you ask. I felt like that for so long .... I was happy with what I sold - but more unhappy what what DIDN'T sell . I was so hard on myself . I realized - it's not my stuff .... every area has a different buying crowd. I think you did awesome ! I know you'll keep doing good --- expand your area of selling ! It's a fun adventure !!!

Everything you made is really wonderful. If I were buying, I'd have to fight with myself over the window or the ice skate. The lantern is really cute. I have started collecting them to do like kudzukween and doctor up pictures of cute figures or family members with glitter and bits and pieces inside a lantern or jar. A cute mini-Christmas scene would have been awesome in that lantern. The cutting board is so me ... lol! And I like what you did with the cabinet door and plate too.

As for pricing, toomuchglass is so right. Different shows draw different crowds. Some are people who expect to pay next to nothing for crafts and at others people tend to compare the craft items to what they'd find in a store and find that the asking price is very reasonable in comparison. I imagine if you do enough craft sales, you get to know which sales draw which people.

I like all of it! The skate is so nice with "Believe" on it, perfect & love the vintage aspect of it. Think you could antique the berries if you have more trees with them on, with a little bit of med. brown stain, not too dark, might have to experiment a bit. just put on a vinyl glove & bit of stain on an old sock or rag & give each 1 a quick wipe. The window is so nice but maybe with economy slow, people would go more for a scene that wasn't for Holidays. Glad you made a "deal "with the lady. I like that you have a nice variety of items. What does your friend sell? I take it that it isn't GJ or recycled items. What kind of paint did you use on the skate? Sure looks like a pretty color & I guess it stays on well also. I can't write like that so if I had 1 it would be plain & I'd but some silk holly in it! Glad you did well! Thanks for pics! Jan

You are very crafty!I love all the items here, especially the HOME plate, the window with the scene, and the skate. I would pay more than what you are asking, they are so nicely done...can picture each of these in my own home.

Are you in a mostly rural area? What goes for little in these places (like mine) would be $$$ near big cities.
Have you ever thought of having a shop on Etsy?

Keep at it...you have great ideas!

your things are lovely, and I think your prices are reasonable. The right person just didn't come along for a few things. I often see things that I like a lot but I don't buy because I don't have a place to put it, or its not in my budget. Sometimes I don't buy then regret, but if its a one day fair, I don't get to go back. Do you have a card that you give out? It could have a blog or email or etsy adreess on it for people like me who hesitate and think about things later!
Good luck and thanks for showing.
Kathy

Sunnyca, my friend sells lights that she makes out of things she finds at the same places I do, GS, GW, TS, etc... they are very cute & I would have to admit that it's probably her stuff that draws more of the crowd than mine. To answer your question about the paint I use on the skates, I use just regular acrylic paint & I use a sealer over that.

Here is pic of a few of my friend's things, it's not a great shot, since I had to zoom & crop the photo.

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Here is another skate that I made for the 2nd show, but it didn't sell either, even though it looked darling up next to the white window. I eventually sold it to a lady that works at my bank.

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My friend & I do very well at the 2 shows we do & we've been told that we draw the majority of the crowd at both of them. I think the other vendors dislike us for that. This was our best year yet, in spite of the economy.

I keep thinking I'm going to do a show that I keep hearing about that's in a much larger town than where I go now (very tiny!). I've heard that you can charge much higher prices for your stuff there & you'll most likely get it & be sold out at the end of the show. My friend doesn't want to do it because it's out of her small town comfort zone, but I'm all for trying it at least once! I've been doing the same 2 shows for 5 years now.

lily51, I sometimes think about doing Etsy, but I hate dealing with shipping things. Too lazy I guess. LOL!

Thank you all for your kind & encouraging words!

You have some beautiful items here! Love the skates! They would look so cool as front porch decor....glad you sold some things and maybe it's just the economy...people are being more frugal all the way around this year.

Thanks so much for sharing with us!

I love the white skate too!! That is a terrific idea & stars really make it along with the fur!! Gives me that warm & fuzzy feeling you get around holiday time,(I love the holidays)! Thanks for the skate paint answer. I would imagine larger town the price would be a lot more for a table or booth & "regulars" might get the "best" spots. Going somewhere else can be a worry, bad roads, weather turning bad etc. So I would consider all that & having to get up early to get there. Costs involved in going there count against your profits. We did Craft Boutique for 2-3 years in a woman's club & then over to bank we had a room they let us use. After we quit, Tole painting came in & I was still making crafts so our local park had tables to rent so GF & I shared a long table but they didn't do much advertising so we didn't sell much, few customers that came bought something from us but not many came as cold day & they bought little things so we took home most of what we brought. Shortly after that Craft Boutiques became jewelry & company made jams with country looking cloth with ribbon around or made in China stuff with that pulled off & ribbon added,etc.& I lost interest. I haven't been to any this year, few & far between, only couple I would liked to have gone to but had to do other things. Anyway check out distance ,costs before you go & also do you want to do it every year or make a lot extra so you can do your local 1 too. Jan

I LOVE the white skate!!!!!!!!!! I have a pair that I put out at Christmas time. I'd like to copy your idea. Both of yours look so cheerful.

You are such an inspiration!!

I feel like a lazy slob with cabinets full of 'junk' that really need to be put together.

You have really piqued my curiosity with talk of your spoon ornaments. I am a sucker for ornaments. And spoons can be put on our ouside trees so I do think they count as 'garden junk'. So I would really like to know exactly what you did with them... if that aint asking too much. Though now that you mentioned them, I'm getting some ideas myself, but I would still love to know what yours looked like.

THANKS!
Cait

I love all your beautiful creations and would certainly have made a purchase if I was at the show. I think your prices are right in line . . . don't lower them. You are very creative and I enjoyed looking at your items. TFS

shpnquen...on the white iceskate...did you use a Cricut machine for the white "Christmas" lettering or a stencil ...I recognize the rhinestone "magic" as stick-ons. Your red skate you said you painted...same with lettering...am interested in how you did it...I think they are very lovely, stenciled, freehand or whatever. TFS! Jeanne S.

Yes Jeanne, I created the words for the skates with my Cricut and you are also correct about the jeweled word being a "sticker". I can't paint any kind of detail (letters, scenes, etc.) but I can recreate finishes, if that makes any kind of sense. LOL!

Thanks, shpnquen! (yup, makes sense!) LOL! I LOVe 'both skates! Beautiful work!
I have 2 DD's that have Cricut's...so wanted to share this post with them. Jeanne S.

I hope no that sees these lives in northern IN or southern MI! I won't have anything to sell next year! LOL-jk!! (sort of)

I already know one other vendor at the first craft show I was in is planning on copying the skate idea. That was the only thing they picked up & looked at in our booth.

I know what you mean, shpnquen...it's all part of the crafting circa. I'm in IA...& I hang a pair of skates on an old parking meter by my garage with lots of pine greenery...I just thought this was a cute idea with the lettering. Had also seen a pair of ceramic-like material red skates at Kohls with white fur...someone has posted it already on the Holiday forum in their holiday decor. Also my GJ & Holiday friend, Luvs, does wonderful, wonderful projects with her Cricut...I think it would be fun to think up creative ways of using it. She made these Halloween blocks for me this yr. Jeanne S.

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Those blocks turned out really cute! Lots of people are getting Cricuts & the possibilities are almost endless with it. It takes a lot of getting used to & kind of on the pricey side, even for the bare necessities for it to function.

Your display sounds cute! How cool to have a parking meter!

I seen those same skates at Kohl's you mentioned & actually, there are white ones too & those are where I got the initial idea of putting the fur at the top of my white skate. I don't know, I might try adding some fur to one of the red skates to see if I like it. I also have some sable colored fur trim too.