Last Thursday on Alberta - August Edition

Another successful Portland craft show last night. My loving husband came home from work a little early to accompany me to set up at Last Thursday on Alberta, a monthly street festival in NE Portland.

I did this festival for the first time last month (in July) and it was a huge success. For me. I'm just a little guy compared to these life long crafters.

The street closes at 6pm but you can set up on the sidewalk anytime, as long as you don't move your stuff into the streets before 6pm. I showed up around 5 last time and that seemed to work fine. This week, not OK. Since it's free to set up, people don't mess around. I ended up in front of Townshend's Tea House, squeezing between a lady that had been setting up in that same spot for 5 years, every month and gets there around 11am (1st sign I am a rookie) and another 2 girls setting up their canopy of bowties for sale (super cute). Anyways, this location was good, but not as great as last months in front of The Hilt. I think after a certain hour it didn't really matter because the streets were packed.

This may be the last month the weather is nice enough for it, but I really enjoy this one. We packed up around 10pm, around the time when the "buying crafts" type of people are replaced with the "get drunk and dance" kind of people. It looked like the party was just getting started. A little more energy and we might have stuck around to watch, great people watching event.

Here are some pics of my display before the sun went down. I'm still working with a few tables and a flat display. Until I can keep more inventory and do shows more regularly, this is how it's going to be. My goal is to up it to a booth by December, I'll keep you posted. Good thing is, people don't care what your stuff looks like, handmade? OK good I'll take it.

Me...

Setting up.

iPad Cases...

I discovered owls are so in right now.

Reusable Snack Bags...

Cards...

Bike Stuff in Every Size....

 

Cell Phone Cases...

Wallets...

So I met some interesting people, made several sales, and I even ran out of business cards. I like it!

My next show will be Sunday, September 16 at Portland Center for Performing Arts 25th Anniversary with Handmade NW. It is from noon to 5pm, come out and join us!

Portland Craftlandia

Since before we moved to Portland I have been looking forward to living in the land where crafts and handmade stuff is embraced to the max. 

It took a few months to get settled here but was finally feeling ready to jump into a (small) craft show. I started looking for something in my area, but turns out I was a little late. 

All the awesomeness seems to happen in the summer. And since summer is here, that meant I missed all the application deadlines. There I go not really thinking ahead.

This is the one I really wanted to start with... close to home, short, easy enough for a little crafter like me.

 Bad news for me, the event was full. Sad.

Turns out this week was my lucky week, and also a little unlucky but I'll get to that in a minute.

24 hours in advance of this weeks event I got an offer to fill a vendors space that had cancelled. Yippeeeee, jumped all over it. Now I had 24 hours to find all my craft show stuff ....my inventory, tables, signs, get help setting up, make a bunch of last minute stuff and stress out because that is just how I roll and get moving.

With the help of my husband (rummaging through our storage unit to find my craft show stuff), 

my brother (showing up right at setup time to help me unload and have Starbucks with me),

and all my supportive local fans that stopped by to entertain me, support me, and give me some company for a bit I did it!

I ended up even getting a slightly discounted spot (awesome) for having to be in the sun (double awesome), I guess Portlanders do not like the sunny spots, I was in heaven. 

Maybe the discount was due to the fact that I was IN THE SPEAKERS. When the lunchtime band started, youch. I couldn't hear anything for the rest of the day.

My pic at the show, yep that's me with no canopy in full sun.

Arts on Main - 7/25/12
My Table

Arts on Main - 7/25/12
Cuteness watching the lunchtime band. 

Some of my more popular items, bike and coffee related... surprised?

Cell Phone Wallet/Clutch - Orange Bicycles - $18

iPad Case - Cafe Au Lait - $20

Card Wallet - Pink Bike - $7

 All in all it was a good show, a good time, and a perfect day for it.

Oh, except for the not so perfect part I was going to tell you about.

Even though I live 8 short, very walkable blocks from this event, I had to drive to bring all my stuff. So that meant I had to park. Which apparently means I had a 50-50 chance of doing something wrong and getting a ticket. I was in the unfortunate 50%.

I intentionally checked on my car about half way through the day. Ended up missing the guy that ticketed me by 7 minutes.  When I got to my car at the end of the day and saw the little yellow thing on my windshield I was feeling very discouraged. I just participated in the most expensive craft show ever and was going home with negative balance. 

Oh well. Live and learn right?

Well no, because I had plenty of time left on the meter so what gives? I got in my car, opened it up and happy day - it wasn't a parking ticket! 

My front license plate (yes this is required in Oregon) had fallen off. Whew -- it is fixable! So, I fixed it. No wait, my husband fixed it. I went to court. Contested it. And now, victory - ticket has been dismissed 24 hours later. That, to me, is considerably equal to the success of the craft show. 

So, two firsts in Portland this week, went to court and participated in craft show. check and check.

Thank you to all of my supporters and helpers. I am hoping for another spot to open up so I can participate in next weeks show too. Except this time, with my license plate attached to the front of my car!

Protect your new iPad...

It wasn't cheap...

Here are some iPad cases with velcro strap closure on the top... These case are all made with a thin fusible fleece lining to keep the case light and compact, but also to protect your iPad from dust and scratches and anything else that could come in contact with it when you throw it in your purse!

Any of these iPad cases below with velcro closures (to fit iPad 1 and 2) are $15... can be made with any pattern/color variety you would like!
Send an e-mail if you're interested to scrapsandstraps@gmail.com!
Thanks for looking :)

 

iPod Touch Cases Now Available!

Protect your iPod touch or iPhone with this mini version of the iPad cases you have seen. You can always order matching iPod and iPad cases for your Mac toys.

This is just a sample... you can have it made with the fabric of your choice;

It  can also be used as a digital camera case if yours fits.... mine does!

On a side note...now that the iPad 2 is officially available for purchase, don't forget to order your case to have somewhere to put it when it arrives! :)

Vertical Ipad Cases...

What a concept! I have been making the cases for Ipads horizontal  this whole time. And being that they kept turning out pretty cute, I didn't think to change it up and go vertical. But, they are turning out pretty cute this way as well.... I can't decide which I like best though. Here are a few samples from my attempts at going vertical with these cases, let me know what you think!