So I suck at blogging... but here's a lame update

I had every intention of blogging regularly and completely failed. I cant blame it on anything but myself. I've spent my time working on creating new things and perfecting what I'd already been making and honestly let my blogging drop on my list of priorities. Crafting has become therapeutic for me during this quarantine.

I took this whole stay at home order as an opportunity to work on the thousands of things I've pinned over the years. I've also worked on branding and packaging for Thread & Grace. I set up my Etsy store and have made it a point to share my content on crafting Facebook groups.

I have also made the effort to like and comment on other creator's posts on Facebook and Instagram. I've met some really talented creators too! I love how supportive the crafting community has become.

I've been doing a lot of woodworking and I'm really loving it.

My husband likes to give me shit for taking over the garage but at the same time he's teaching me how to use new tools and even helps me add handles and take measurements. He even bought me a new palm sander. Earning brownie points... :)

I will attempt to get better at blogging. If you're really interested in following what I'm doing you should follow me in Instagram or Facebook. I'm most active on those platforms and post at least once a week. 

Thanks for stopping by!

- Kara

Funny Fridge Magnets

I've recently been making funny magnets with cute puns, sarcastic quotes, and sometimes straight up bad language (not pictured). There's something for everyone!

I'm preparing for a craft show that I've never done before. It's a MUCH bigger event than what I'm used to and draws in quite the crowd. The town hosting the fair is notoriously a "hippie town" with the cutest shops. My husband and I love visiting when we have a free weekend day that we can make the drive. It is a bit of a haul so I'm attempting to keep the items I create smaller in size and easy to transport.

I'm hoping that I'll do well at this show and have the confidence and determination to continue doing it year after year. It's always the first year that just seems so intimidating. I hate that. Luckily, I'll have my other half there to encourage me throughout the day. He's always come out to see me at each fair or festival that I do, but has yet to stay for the entire event. I know he can do it. I'm just not sure how much he'll enjoy it. :)

Rollin with the Gnomies

Someone send help... I've made at least a hundred of these things. Story time continued below...

I made like five or six for a craft fair back in October out of t-shirt scraps thinking no one was going to like them but I'd seen them everywhere and thought they were cute, so why not.

People... let me tell you that those things were the FIRST things I sold. I screwed myself because I had no idea how to price them and I'm pretty good at not charging enough for anything that I make because I'm cheap. I sold these guys for $5. Now, if I'm using materials that I already have, that's not bad. However, I had the bright idea of offering custom orders and blah blah blah.

 

Sooooo... I ended up selling around 30ish at $5 each and barely broke even. No profit at all, BUT I had a lot of new and happy customers. I eventually cut the cord and told people that I couldn't make any more until after Christmas... and that I was raising my prices. Plus, I was getting sick of making them and burning the ish out of myself with hot glue.

 

I've replenished my stock of gnomie friends and even made some tinier little guys that I've so cleverly called "little gnomies". I'm sticking to the upcycling goal by using flannel shirts or men's dress shirts to make the gnome hats and body. I have a super lame tutorial on how I make my gnomies on Instagram if you'd like to check it out.

- Kara

Upcycled Cedar Fun Signs

Found two big pieces of cedar in a pile. I rescued them thinking they'd make great signs. Cut, sanded, and stenciled...and we have some super cute (and funny) little signs for your shelves. Working on putting these in the Etsy shop soon!!

Tiny Trinket Trays

Found some tiny little dishes at one of my favorite junk stores and knew exactly what to do with them. These make the perfect little ring dish. I put them everywhere. Near the sink, on the vanity, or my bedside table. It helps because otherwise my rings are randomly sitting somewhere and grow legs and walk away from where I put them.

I have a handful of these in my Etsy shop. Check em out!

Upcycled Ornaments

I cant help it anymore. It started with t-shirts and then it was a bunch of other things. Like old wood trim or Jenga blocks. I made these ornaments for a holiday craft show years ago and just recently found these pictures on an old Facebook post.

The little snowmen and reindeer are made from Jenga blocks. I used acrylic paint and then added the details with a sharpie. I had some red rhinestones in my stash for the Rudolf noses. I made tiny snowmen scarves from fun printed ribbon. I added some tiny eye screws to the top and threaded some twine through to hang them. These were great inexpensive items at the craft fair. They make great gifts for coworkers, neighbors, teachers, etc.

I found a piece of door trim in our garage a few years ago that inspired the ornaments in the middle picture. I cut the trim down to pieces that were roughly 5 inches each, sanded, and painted them with white chalk paint. I had a set of metal letter stamps that I'd never used and thought it would be cool to add some cute "farmhouse" quotes, inspirational words, or holiday themed messages. I drilled a hole through the top and added jute for hanging. I still love these so much. So simple and cute. Every year since, I've made some version of these ornaments.

Everyone Loves Puppies

Puppy paws are the cutest, aren't they?!? I made a ton of wood slice ornaments for a holiday show in October and put these together at the last minute. All of of fur babies had their own ornaments on the tree this year. I even made one for our sweet girl, Maggie, who passed in early 2019. Man, we miss her.

I brought these as examples to display at my craft show and take orders. I was surprised how well they did! Everyone loved them and I've made quite a few for fur baby Mamma's this Christmas.

Twas the Nizzle Before Chrismizzle

Total pain in the ass to put on a curved surface but my favorite so far. I have one left! These were a hit this season!

Woodslice Christmas Ornaments

I've been trying to branch out and do new crafts that I always see on Pinterest and say that I'm going to make someday. Finally tried the whole wood slice ornament thing. I love how they turned out.

Tons of T-shirt Scarves

It was a great year for donations from friends and family. It was hard to part with some of these. I love them more every year I make them! I have a few customers that love when my scarves feature Marilyn and I usually never hang on to these long.

I've been collecting shirts for months and usually start putting them together in late summer. I've collected a bunch of band tee's and some fun colors and prints that I think are very different from what I usually do, but I think they will be loved.

Kick Ass T-shirt Collection

I love putting these pictures together. One of my favorite parts of the scarf making process is pairing shirts that I think have a similar theme or color scheme...or would just look cool together.

The hardest part is keeping in mind that not everyone has the same style as I do and might like patterns and colors that I don't. Since I shop second hand for most of my materials, it's up to the thrifting God's what treasures I'm blessed with for scarf making. I had a great day at the thrift today.