I love checking things off

This is a picture of jar lids I have at my house. I really love cool old jar lids. The flower ones I found at a thrift store in a whole set. I made some jam for the holidays once and put it in these jars but the lids did not stay on very well which is a bummer but i love them all the same.

Anyways this weekend was very productive. I was not in the mood so much for going out so I accomplished a lot.

I finally finished Blair's swap! Sent on it's way this morning!

Also shipped out this morning was a mini swap for Abby, owls to sell at Paper Boat Boutique and owls and button rings to sell at Glitter Workshop.

Now I will start on gifts to take to Cleveland with me and a few more swaps. I love swappin'! Can't get enough really.

If anyone is looking for a good book to read I just started On Beauty by Zadie Smith. I really like it. I also just finished The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler which was also very good. Nothing like a good book to read! I am really looking forward to reading the new book by Paul Auster. I love him. My friend Nelson said it was so good he read it all in one sitting. I trust him so it makes me even more excited. Why can't there be 20 extra hours in a day that could be evenly distributed to all the things you enjoy doing? reading, crafting, knitting, crochet, swap projects, a movie...ahhhh

How and Why

People come in here all the time and ask me how i got into all this stuff.

I think it was more of a series of events that led me to selling collectibles and loving the toys as much as I do.

Here is Part I..

I went to Europe when I was 19 yrs old with my BF, Lisa. While in Austria, we discovered Kinder Eggs. It was love at first site and bite. We found it to be the perfect amount of chocolate, the perfect toy and perfect amount of joy and satisfaction with opening and eating a Kinder egg. So we started getting one or two a day. Then I left and never laid my eyes on one of those orange and white packaged toys for years. :(

Then I moved to Seattle and found several places that sold them. Oh it was love at first site again. I was so excited that I would always buy them by the twos. Some of them found other places to live but here is my collection as of today. I still love them and can't imagine getting rid of any of them. Someone told me I could sell them on ebay but I would cry...

I think that is where my toy love and collectors side began.

Then I started to visit Giant Robot website and I would do purchasing from time to time. I always thought it was more fun to see things in person as sometimes I would get things and not be that satisfied. However there were no stores in Seattle really focusing on these toys.

Then I met Sally and more events led to today...

More about that next time.

I would heart a day off

I have been busy caring for Plush YOu blog and ignoring this one. I also have been working a lot because of the upcoming Valentine's Day, the Plush show, wholesale orders, etc. that there is not too much to talk about. I am working two weeks straight but have made it my goal to do the below:

1) finish swap for Blair

2) start swap for Laurie

3) send swap for Abby..this is just a little one so should be easy to accomplish right? right?

4) focus more time on good friend, Colleen's, baby shower gift...i am going home (Cleveland) in a month and need that sucker done!

5) Finish merchandise for Glitter Workshop and Paper Boat Boutique

Why aren't there at least 24 hours of awake time in the day??? I swear i am averaging less and less amounts of sleep these days. Yesterday I probably could have passed out standing up I was so tired! Or I need a clone of myself which would benefit NO ONE but me....

In MA

Thank YOu Magpie for putting up an image on your blog about my owls. It's nice to see I share space with Faythe....I love her stuff. Hopefully more of her goods will arrive to Schmancy soon.

I heart sunshine

This is Seattle on a beautiful day. Something we have had very little of this winter. We have finally gotten some sun a few days in a row. It is so nice to see it and feel it. I really love it.

This weekend was nice and relaxing. I worked on my swap for this lovely person. Worked on more owls to send to a few more stores around the country. Watched Bonnie and Clyde and wished I looked like Faye Dunaway....i loved her style. Went out with my friend Nikki on Saturday after she modeled for Fancy, Schmancy, Pants ad we are putting in Bust. It was nice to walk around with someone in case I took flight- it was very windy!!! We met up with Nelson and Norm later on and it's always great fun to hang out with them all. Had one too many drinks though so I felt pretty bad for Superbowl party. I don't like football at all! But i think most of Seattle was watching and I did feel pretty bad for the Seahawks. They got robbed in my opinion. But I don't know if my opinion counts since I don't know anything about football. It was still fun to hang out with some good people and eat food, drink cheap beer and watch it.

Selling your goods continued

I thought I would post more about selling your stuff to stores. I have been selling various pieces of merchandise for about 12 years now. I have done craft fairs in various cities along the way. I actually think this is a great place to start for people just beginning to craft items they would like to sell. I did one in Cleveland way back when and then when I started making more stuff in Seattle again I did I Heart Rummage. Rummage was a great way to find out what people liked and a good price point for my items.

The one thing that can piss stores off is if you under sell your items at fairs and then sell them in shops for a lot more. It makes sense in a way because you are making all the money so why not sell more at cheaper costs? It just builds bad blood between the customer, the business owner and you. Now that I am a business owner, it makes complete sense. It would get really annoying if someone said "oh this is so cute but i can get it for half the price at rummage". You'll loose store accounts.

Here are some craft fairs to check out!
Urban Craft Uprising

Renegade Craft Fair

Art vs. Craft

Mutation Craft Fair

Craftacular

Bazaar Bizarre

I am sure there are many more, these are just a few I have found that look good to me!

Selling your goods

I am starting a list of stores that I would like to sell to. It is pretty long and I am happy to share it with others that may be in the market for consigning their goods. If you would like to add to the list and keep it going feel free to contact me for it.
I decided to put up a few pics of Schmancy. The one that is a bare store was taken when I first opened. Second pic was taken the other day. It's fun to see the changes. Despite the highs and lows, I still love my little shop and feel very proud she's still kickin'.