What have I gotten myself into...

This is where things get a bit scary...

We often are approached by different craft shows around town that would like us to display our magnets. I have always been thankful for their offer but have graciously declined as we are so busy just keeping up with our Etsy shop. Of course doing the show circuit might be an amazing opportunity, but let's be real here, I have a full time job... this is not my main work. Things can get a bit crazy and we are so very thankful for the success we have had on Etsy. First with our frames (an old venture), a jewellery hobby (that one was more for fun and I think I spent more than earned..haha) and then now our animal magnets. Etsy has enabled us to make a bit of side income and I am grateful, but sometimes you just don't have the spare time to include shows in the mix.

So you are wondering where the scary part fits in right? Well I sorta.. kinda.. agreed to do a show this upcoming weekend. You ask "How hard can this be"? For starters, you need to make sure you have an amaze balls booth. This means signage, props, A LOT OF STOCK, and an ability to accept credit cards. Wish me luck that this can all get pulled together in the next few days :) And as for the show.. it is a collaboration with our local Whole Foods. They are pretty much awesome in my books. Apparently Etsy and Whole Foods are doing a joint venture across North America, where they offer a few Etsy sellers a chance to sell their products during one weekend day and there are no table fees. How nice is that? The only thing is that I was contacted only last week so this is why it is a bit scary..lol.

Since I have been begging my better half to do shows for the last couple years.. I think it will actually be quite fun. Mostly, I am excited about decorating the table!!! Here are some quick inspiration ideas....

... and don't worry - I will be sure to post a pic of our finished table next week!

I like the painted boards - I think I will try painting magnet boards with a farm background for my animals to live on.
{image via here}

And what about the triangle banner.. super cute right? {image via here}

They have a great booth display. Not too colorful but they understand scale and proportion.
{Image via here}

For this one, I am in love with the bright pop of color in the table cloth. It needs some refining.. but a great idea.
{Image via here}

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Animal Magnets - Our newest Etsy Shop

www.originalanimalmagnet.etsy.com featured on Etsy Front Page!!!

Woo ho...it is Friday. Definitely one of my favorite days. A few years ago, I actually purposed to not love the weekend so much. I figured it didn't make sense to rush the week and just live for weekends.

Really, live is short enough already; so you have to enjoy the whole week (not just Sat/Sun). I am pleased to report that my plan worked and eventually I found everyday to be exciting....lol.

But, I still have some loooong weeks where that weekend is like a shining star...an oasis in the desert ;)

I am very excited to report that our newest Etsy shop (wheww..how many do I have now!) has made it onto the FRONT PAGE not once...but TWICE. We have been open less than a month, and have had an amazing 30+ sales, two front pages, and featured in the Etsy emailer that is sent to thousands of people. This is such a blessing, and it feels so good to have craft hobbies on the side of my 'real' job.

For March, I am going to try and share photos of what we are currently working on. Our magnets are so fun and quirky. We are really hoping we can start selling them as unique farm wedding favors or birthday favors. Of course, I think the majority of people are getting them as office or home fridge/magnet board gifts. Either way, they are a great conversation piece and I think they always make people giggle.

Our chartreuse Dinosaurs

This awesome blue set was on the front page too!

For those horse lovers.

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Make it: Newborn Facebook memory book

Instead of joining the masses and shopping... (ok, fine. I did go down to Robson Street for a walk, but it was only for an hour so it doesn't count)  ...I decided to finish up a little memory book I had made for my friend Amanda. Really, I am not sure if this flip book is a good idea or sort of weird..haha...but I think it will be a nice memory in the years to come. When Amanda had little Emmitt, I realized her Facebook wall was becoming inundated with tons and tons of comments from friends and family. In this day and age, facebook is the perfect tool to connect us all, and especially when you do not live close to those you want to share your special moments with. Of course we all know this and I guess that is why so many people are on Facebook. But...what happens in fifteen or even thirty years when facebook is possibly no more?? Where is all this online info going to go?? This is why I thought it would be a great gift for Amanda to remember all those loving comments left for Emmitt on her wall.

The book is quite basic, I have taken screen shots using print screen (that little button at the top right of your keyboard) and then hit paste in photoshop. I was then able to save each screen shot (after trimming away some of the side screen junk) and send it off to the printers. As I was putting the book together an idea came to mind. Wouldn't it be super cute to have the front page done in the Facebook font? After a bit of research, I was able to download a very similar font called Lucinda Grande and it even had a bold version. I left the words as lower case on the cover to match Facebook's logo style.

However you make your memory book, I do feel it is a nice way to capture a special time that might be lost if we rely solely on facebook as our way of communicating images and thoughts!

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