Woven Basket #9

I'm on a roll now having woven 9 baskets in 2008 considering I just started a couple weeks ago. Today I did a small wall basket made of oak. I used #3 round reed looped around itself to form the handle. I think it turned out very cute. Tomorrow I will try to get more pictures taken.
Love,
Nancy

A Quiet Day

Today I've been doing a bit of paper crafting in preparation for the church craft show where I plan to sell my baskets and hopefully get some classes lined up. I've been using my Cricut and using the markers to outline and then cut different shapes. I've made some charms that I can thread onto a lollipop stick. I felt like I was in need of some lesser expensive items aka cheap. I plan to sell these for only .25 but hey it all adds up. I've also been planning my craft space. I need to plan to use vertical space as my horizontal space is limited. I plan to get milk crates, place them on their sides and then have a board going across between two of them. This will give me a shelf. I can stack these two high for additional space. I'll paint the boards a pretty color, I'm thinking red. Right now my plan is to decorate the booth with fresh red and white to attract the buyers and future students.

Love,

Nancy

Scrapbook Sharing

Scrapbook Sharing

www.smallbusiness.officelive.com

Today I heard about http://www.smallbusiness.officelive.com/ . It is a website run by Microsoft that is geared specifically for the ultra small business so it sounds perfect for those of us just starting out. I was told it is very easy to design my own web page and it will grow with me as my business grows. I am going to have to spend much more time researching this, but it sounds perfect for me. I can start out with just e-mail and blogging and can move on up to where I can sell things directly from the site. I heard about it from the podcast "Lets Talk Success With the Marketing Lady." This has been a very helpful and interesting podcast and I've enjoyed downloading all the shows and listening to them. Not having any knowledge of marketing, I've gained insight with every show I listen to.

Today I also finished lashing on the rim of the basket that I started yesterday and I got it stained. It turned out to be a very pretty basket.

I've been letting some of the housework go so when I post this blog, I've got to get busy and take care of my wifely/motherly duties which really should come first.

Happy Friday everyone,

Love,

Nancy

Woven Basket #8

Today I've been weaving a basket on a slotted wooden base. I don't know what I was thinking. I thought that without having to weave the base it would save me time. Nope. It has so much more weaving than a regular basket of the same size. I also forgot how tricky those first two rows can be to keep all the stakes in place. I just need to put the rim on it and it will be done.

Love,

Nancy

Basket Weaving, Basket Making

I wove two very simple round baskets this morning. They are for the scout camp out. One is slightly smaller and simpler that the boys can weave and the other just a little larger with a double lashed rim for the parents to weave. I'll get pictures up this weekend of them. I sure hope some of the boys and their moms or dads want to weave a basket. With a little luck, I hope to gain one basket class to teach from this trip.

Wall Basket

Basket Weaving, Basket Making, Candle Holder

Today was a good day. I am trying to put weaving as a priority on my schedule and I did get a basket woven! It is a cute little market basket with a swing handle. I made it out of some space died pastel reed and some pink stakes. It was nice to complete a basket from start to finish. I'll swap out this picture for it when I get a picture taken of it. I sent my check of $30.00 for the Church craft bazaar so I will have a craft space. I plan to sell my baskets as well as get some classes lined up to teach. I've never done a craft show before so I have hopes of making $200 and scheduling 5 classes to teach. I wonder if I've set my goal too high or too low. Well, if I achieve the $200 and the 5 classes I'll be super excited. If I don't I'll be disappointed. I've already been having feelings regarding fear of failure. Fear of failure has stopped me countless times for starting my own business. I have to be in charge and not let fear stop me this time!
Love,
Nancy

Kitchen Utensil Basket