First Holiday Craft Show

This past weekend, my husband, our daughter, and I were vendors at a Holiday Craft Show. It was our first professional show.  We were very successful!  We "made our table" within the first hour and a half.  Our "neighbors" were nice and friendly.  I even got acquainted with a lady who no longer makes wreaths and is giving me her unwanted supplies.  How generous!

The two moments that really touched my heart, was when a man walked up, looked at my wreaths (I had my Christmas wreaths, wall angels, and wall Christmas trees hanging off of lattice boards that my hubby built with lighted garland around the top), looks at me and says, "You do absolutely beautiful work. I used to own a florist shop, so I always tell wreath designers when I like their work." Wow! The second day he came back with his wife, and as he was looking at my wreaths, I noticed that his eyes were watery. He then says to his wife, "Just look at her beautiful work", and a single tear ran down his face. It broke my heart, because I think he stills wants to do floral designs but can't because of whatever reason. I told him that his single comment the day before had absolutely made my day.

It was such a great feeling to be able to sell things that aren't moving here. My wreaths and door knob hangers were my big sellers. Some of the stuff I had to deactivate from my shop. My husband sold exactly half of his wood items. A lady bought one of his thread racks and then came back the next day and bought his lap desk! My daughter sold some of the jewelry off of her shop. My daughter and I also have a shop here and our big sellers were our birthstone angel earrings, our ivy leaf necklaces (sold out of that one), and our holiday jewelry (sold out of some designs).   So all in all, a very successful first time show.   Since we did good on this one, we are doing more and will probably do alot more next year.


One thing that stood out throughout the weekend was the fact that Etsy needs to do some major marketing of their site.  Every vendor I spoke to had never heard of it and some of them had been vendors at craft shows AND selling online for years.  I hope I'm not seeming too boastful about the sales we made at that show, but when you aren't getting sales on Etsy, no matter what you do........you tend to think that maybe your designs just aren't "up to snuff".    Well I guess that isn't true.  


With all of this talk of holiday craft shows, I thought I'd share some of my Christmas wreaths that I've posted to my Etsy shop.


                                                           "Snowy"

                                  "Silent Night"  I just love the vintage look to
                                  this wreath and also that some of the song lyrics
                                  are written on the ribbon.

                                                    "All That Glitters"

                                            Christmas Poinsettias Wreath

                                            "Noel"  Now how cute is she!

Well, I hope you enjoyed seeing the first of my Christmas wreaths.  Maybe I'll "see" you around my "Cozy Cottage" sometime.


Until later,
 Melissa

Halloween is nearly here....

Wow!  I can't believe that its mid-month already with Halloween being only a couple weeks away.  If you are still looking for Halloween decor for your home, here are my door wreaths that will show your holiday spirit:

                                     Halloween Witch by the Harvest Moon

                                                Ghosts In The Garden

                                      Halloween Glittery Fabric Rag Wreath

For some cute items for inside your home, here are my Halloween door hangers/pillows:


                                                     Wendy the Witch

                                                   Wanda the Witch

I have a couple jack o' lantern door hangers, but Blogger isn't letting me upload the pictures.  : - (

Here is my Debbie Mumm wall hanging.  I love this one!  If you look closely at the scarecrow, he almost looks like a snowman.  I feel this wall hanging could be displayed throughout the fall season.

Well, that is it for my Halloween items.  I have been crazy busy designing items for upcoming holiday craft shows.  I'm exciting and nervous at the same time, as this will be our first shows since my family and I each opened shops on Etsy.  We have a total of four shops:

Mine:  www.MelissasCozyCottage.etsy.com

My husband's:  www.LarrysWoodDesigns,etsy.com

My daughter's:  www.VampireTales.etsy.com   (All of the fashion, NONE of the gore.)

A shop I own with my daughter:  www.JustUsGirlsStudio.etsy.com

So we are a busy family, working together.

Have a great Sweetest Day with your sweetie!

Until I write again, I hope to you at my Cozy Cottage.

Melissa

Its Nearly Trick or Treating Time

What a great time of year!  The changing colors of the leaves, Halloween decorations,  the Halloween holiday, and trick or treating.  Handmade Underground, a new shop owner on Etsy, featured one of my trick or treat bag sets in a Halloween themed treasury.

www.etsy.com/treasury/MTU3NDA2MDZ8ODU5Njg4MjUy/no-tricks-just-treats

Thank you, Handmade Underground!  I am very supportive of purchasing handmade items.  I am also willing to help promote a new shop that has joined the Etsy family.   You can visit Handmade Underground at www.HandmadeUnderground.etsy.com   Please visit her shop and check out her items.

Now, back to trick or treating time.  Here are my trick or treat bags.  They are in the style of the "old school" paper treat bags.  I thought they would be nice for giving out treats in a small office, a grandparent for their grandchild(ren), or even as a surprise for your mailman.

Hope to see you at my "cozy cottage"!

Melissa

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

The month of October is Breast Cancer Awareness.  My Grandma passed away from breast cancer about thirty years ago and I still miss her each and every day.  I remember how she felt that she was a freak for having had a mastectomy.  I kept telling her that she wasn't a freak.....she was still my Grandma.

I designed a shepherd hook bookmark for Breast Cancer Awareness on my Etsy shop.

I thought it would make a perfect gift for a breast cancer survivor or even for someone going through treatment to show that there is hope.  Unfortunately, the item isn't getting any views on Etsy.  I'm going to retake the pictures and see if that helps any.  I don't know.....  Those pink AB beads are just gorgeous.  Check it out!  All of my bookmarks are shipped in a gift box ready for gift giving.

TGIF!

Paying Back A Kindness

I am a member of Etsy's Etsians In Need Team.  Things have been difficult for my family and I recently.  Finding this team seemed like a coincidence with everything that has been going on....and is still going on.  This team has members that are really in some predicaments and are relying on sales from their Etsy shops to assist them in whatever their particular situation is at the time.  One of the members, LimeysTreasureChest, did a wonderful kindness to me this week.  They featured my Halloween Fabric Rag Wreath in her blog.  Here is that wreath:

I would like to repay their kindness by featuring one of their jewelry designs today.  Out of all of their designs, these earrings are my favorites:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/81804807/copper-leaf-dangle-earrings-copper

She has some awesome designs!  Please visit their Etsy shop at www.LimeysTresureChest.etsy.com.

Yet more autumn decor

My cozy cottage has been a very busy place!  Here are a few more autumn items that I have in my Etsy shop.  The items are Patches the Scarecrow wall or door hanging, an autumn centerpiece, and an autumn themed fabric rag wreath.  That wreath was designed with hundreds of squares of fabric.  Most of the fabrics are sprinkled with gold glitter.

I hope you enjoy looking at my items and I hope to see you at Melissa's Cozy Cottage.

Just who is Melissa...

I guess its time that I sort of introduce myself to anyone who happens to follow/read my thoughts and enjoy seeing the new items that I am designing for my Etsy shop.

My name is Melissa (who da thunk it...LOL).  I am married to my best friend and am the mother to a beautiful daughter and seven....count 'em seven cats (six boys and one girl who is the princess, of course).

I enjoy anything Amish.  A majority of my reading is Amish themed books.  When I heard that Borders was going out of business at our local mall, we went up to start Christmas shopping.  My husband already has a great start on me and we both have a great start on our daughter's gifts.  My favorite author of Amish stories is Beverly Lewis.  Her Abram's Daughter's series was my introduction into stories about the Amish.  My sewing/craft room is Amish themed.  I have a collection of Amish dolls, figurines, paintings, books, and other goodies.  

I used to work for a quilting supply distributor as a fabric buyer's assistant.  I really did enjoy my job.  My favorite part was seeing all of the new fabrics that came in for the different seasons.  I especially enjoyed when all of the fall and Christmas fabrics arrived.  I was able to buy the salesmen samples, which provided me with a very large collection of fabric that I now use in my Etsy shop.  I have some bittersweet memories of working there, but resigning my position to be a stay-at-home mom was the best decision I made.

I always decorate our home for the different seasons and have always wanted to sell my home decor designs, thus was the beginning of Melissa's Cozy Cottage on Etsy.  I haven't been selling as much as I would like to, though.  Everyone says its the economy, its the economy, but if that is the case then why are others in the home decor area selling?  Then I hear, work on your tags, change your tags, change the title of your items, change this, change that, etc, etc.  I do all of that and am still no where farther than before I made all of the changes.  I work hard on all of my designs and make sure that everything is well designed and constructed.   I am thinking of looking into other venues.  My family and I are also thinking about buying a stall at this big fall craft that this large Christian church sponsors every fall.  We went to it last year and it seemed quite nice.  All of the sellers got along and it was well set up.  We'll see.  

Seeing as its the last couple days of August, I'm having my husband bring down all of my fall decor.  I designed most of it.  Door wreaths, table arrangements, wall hangings, etc.  I'm sure he is really looking forward to hauling down my huge box of scarecrows.  I have a great collection of all sizes and types.  I can't wait to get started decorating!

Speaking of decorating for fall, here are my fall wreaths, my cornucopia wall hanging, and an autumn wall hanging.  All are currently available at my shop:

                                      www.MelissasCozyCottage.etsy.com

I hope you enjoy viewing my new autumn designs.  Maybe I'll see you around my Cozy Cottage...