Stashbusting Confession #1 & Stashbusting Creation #2 - amongst other things.

As some of you may know, I'm participating in The T-Shirt Diaries Stashbusting September.  Conditions of participation, are that you will not buy any new crafting supplies for the month of September, and only create with what you have in your "stash".  IF you cave in and buy something during the month of September, you MUST name and shame yourself.

Well here I am.  I am weak.  Yesterday I bought Christmas paper.  BUT along with my confession comes justification - and it is quite valid.

I sell ALOT of my cards that I make.  I am always having to replenish my supplies of cards up for sale.  I am going overseas very soon... for a month.  I will be out of the country for the most of November, and part of December.  So I need to make my Christmas cards NOW - so I can start selling them and will have a good stock pile to sell even whilst I am out of the country.  So I think that this is an exception to the rule.  What do you think?

On to the next thing.

So you might have noticed that I haven't blogged about my Stall at the Fete last weekend.  I've ummed and ahhhed about whether I will bother.  Let me outline why I feel this way.

- My spot at the fete cost me $30.
- I had to finish work 3 hours early on Friday (which my boss wasn't thrilled about) and got to the Fete early to set up.
- The carpark wasn't close to the hall I was to set up in.
- I went back and forth four times to get everything inside carrying as much as humanly possibly on each trip.
- It was drizzling rain and humid, I got very sweaty and wondered why I bothered wearing makeup.
- My sister was really sick and couldn't come help me.
- BUT - my brother's girlfriend came and helped for a couple of hours which was super nice of her.
- I did end up standing there by myself for a few hours which was disastrously boring.
- A kid stole a bracelet off my table.
- A woman searched through my entire card range - there was at least 70 cards and was picking out all her favourites which was making me super excited.  She ended up buying one card.  I had to pretend I wasn't about to cry.
- I only made $26.50 - over a 5 hour period - which means I didn't even break even, let alone make a profit.
- I couldn't even go to the toilet.
- I had a hard time getting people to even stop at my stall to have a look, let alone eat a lolly out of the bowl on my table.
- I was starving and thirsty but food was a good distance away and couldn't leave my table (I didn't trust other stall holders to watch it.. I'd only known them for like an hour.. and getting to know them consisted of "hi, how is your stall going? and pretending to be interested in Enjo")
- I had to pack up and drive myself home and try to not cry because of the disappointment and tell myself this was the first time and the first time is always the hardest.
- I got home to no dinner.

I did take a photo of my table and will post that when I get home, as I don't have my cord with me right now.

So I have somewhat gotten better at hiding over the disappointment of my unsuccessful attempt.  On Monday whilst driving home from work I drove past the local Uniting Church and saw on their sign out front they were having a Car Boot Sale the weekend after next.  It was really hard to write down all the details as I went by so I had to turn around over and over again and drove past it 4 times before I got all the info I needed hehe.  I gave the fellow a call and I'm in!  They have been running this sale every second month for as long as I have lived in the area.  Get this... my table (which they are providing) will only cost me $10!!  Much improved.  So if I make $10 plus the $3.50 that I didn't make at the last stall I will break even.  Downside is I have to get up at an unearthly time of morning cause it starts at 7am (and I'm only groaning cause I don't have kids) and set up time is 5:30am.  Yuck!  Fingers crossed for good weather and success second time round!!

Now, I have already been busily preparing for the Car Boot Sale.  This is where my Stashbusing Creation comes in.  I have been busily making jewellry.  Mostly earrings, to fill my awesome new earring stand I found at the Op Shop for $4!!  Can't go wrong there!  I have so many beads stashed away.  Making jewellry is not my most favourite craft so I spend more on beads then I probably should because I rarely make stuff, but I'm pretty sure this is the case with most crafting fanatics.. we have more stash then we have time and motivation to do something with.  The photo is bad quality, but is all I have for now.

When I showed my husband the stand when he got home he said "Whoa that's alot of earrings".  I think that means that is going to be enough.  But I'm still going to make more incase...  I've also made a few necklaces, bracelets and matching necklace/bracelet/earring sets.  I'll plug away at the jewellry for another day or two, then move onto cards.  I'm running low on my essentials let alone making Christmas cards!! (with my new delicious paper hehe).

I also have a supportive father/boss.  I work for my dad in an Accountancy office.  It's as boring exciting as they come and I work 3 days a week.  The other week he built me a trusty little stand so I could put it on the Reception desk and hopefully sell a few cards here and there.  I painted it white and put in a nice long nail to hang the cards on, and it sits just to my left.

I've only sold two so far, but at the end of the day, it's an Accountant's office.  Can't expect huge things...

Let me think if there is anything else...  Oh yes, I'm having a Stampin Up! party next month.  I have the most awesome demonstrator who conveniently is a good friend of mine.  You should check out her website as she has HEAPS of awesome classes and demonstrations and hosts a truck load of parties.  My party will be on Saturday 23rd October - no time yet but I'm thinking morning.  Kristy will be showing us a whole heap of the new products from the new catalogue so I'm super excited about that.

And I think that's it for now.  I will still do a post with pictures of my BIG card stand for my stalls and how my table looked last week... but for now this will have to do!

Until next time..
Christy