Come See Me! 2016 Craft Shows in Ohio
Hi friends! I’m looking forward to another fun year of craft shows! Participating in shows is a blast because I love meeting you! It’s great to have definite goals to work towards throughout the year, get feedback on my work, and experience others liking the pretty things I made as much as I do. Showing my arts and crafts projects to others, especially in a juried show like most of these are, feels surprisingly like performing, which I’ve always found to be fun and exhilarating. A “juried” show just means that somebody had to pre-approve the items of all of the artisans/sellers participating in...
Read MoreFREE SHIPPING!
At CalicoJoy, simplicity is beautiful. Enjoy free shipping on all items for U.S. orders. In stock items usually ship within 1-5 days. Custom orders will ship within 1-4 weeks for hats, depending on how long it takes me to make your item. If I anticipate that it will take me longer for some reason, I will be sure to let you know. I use first class mail for all orders. Remember, it’s just me here making pretty things for you and shipping them as soon as I can after I finish them! If you are concerned about timing or...
Read MoreColumbus Area Craft Shows: Fall 2015
Hi friends! I’m excited to get to participate in several craft shows this September, November, and December. I love doing these shows because it gives me something to work towards but still allows me to make the things I am inspired to make in hopes that someone will see them and like them as much as I do. I also really enjoy meeting people and getting feedback on my work. Showing my arts and crafts projects to others, especially in a juried show like most of these are, feels surprisingly like performing, which I’ve always found to be fun...
Read MoreFollow @calicojoy on Instagram!
I’ve finally brought some pretty CalicoJoy photos to the wide world of Instagram! If you want to catch up on the fun, follow me @calicojoy! Also watch for special deals and giveaways!...
Read MoreMore babies, more baby blankets.
Hello all! I don’t officially sell baby blankets on my website, but I do like to make them as gifts or if someone specifically asks to buy one from me. Here are some pictures of a few pretty little blankets I’ve made over the past months, each for someone very small and special. I hope I can provide a little inspiration into your own crafting! Click to enlarge photos. This one (above) consisted of a classic shell stitch with three yarn colors: white, mint, and a pink/purple/mint multi. The lacy border came afterward from a chart I found on...
Read MoreCraft Show #2!
It’s been longer than I had hoped in between my first and second craft shows, but I’m so glad there was a second one, and that I have craft show #3 coming right up on the calendar! I found more fun and less stress the second time, since I already had a default set-up worked out, some supplies, and I knew more of what to expect. This time I was one of maybe 30 vendors, many of whom were retail sellers. That made me one of the few handmade artisans of the day. We were set up in the hallways of a...
Read MoreNational Champs
OH-IO, folks. One can’t live where I do and not get a little bit caught up in the buzz, especially when the football team wins big like they did this year! To celebrate, I added to my collection of OSU-themed headwear. I’ll be bringing these and other similar things to a local craft show in a few months! Got any ideas for a new OSU item I could make? I’d love to hear from you at [email protected] or on facebook at facebook.com/calicojoy. 🙂 Order the Game Day Headband online at http://calicojoy.wpengine.com/game-day-headband/ and the Buckeye Logo Hat at http://calicojoy.wpengine.com/buckeye-logo-hat/!...
Read MoreNew England Trip and the Boston-Loving Aunts
Last week the husband and I took a little trip to visit my in-laws and extended family on that side. They live in various parts of New England, so we were able to do some vacationing as well while we were in the area. It being near-peak foliage time, I was set on finding a picture of “rocks and trees, of skies and seas” (referenced lyrics from a favorite hymn). The opportunities were numerous to see all four of those pieces of creation, with our mountainous and colorful drive up there, our visits to Portland and the lighthouses, and...
Read MoreParty Decorating – Party Season 2014
It’s party season! Last weekend was my brother’s high school graduation party, and I helped my mom and sister with some of the decorating. Mom went with a golf theme, and though we all prefer to forego fussiness in favor of simplicity, we thought the results turned out very well. My primary contribution was the “2014” flags, which I made with scrapbook paper, my Cricut Mini, and some dowel rods. They added a lot to the room! Another recent party I attended was a friend’s baby shower (this is the same mom for whom I made the peach blanket)....
Read More5 Ways to Spruce Up Your Wardrobe (Without Buying Any Clothes)
Feeling depressed about your current wardrobe, but guilty about spending more on it? Try these budget-friendly ideas before you hit the mall. 1. Wash your clothes Bring the annoying dry-clean-only dresses and suits to the cleaners (finally), and wash some of the things that you don’t wear often (and therefore don’t wash often). Use a spray-on spot-cleaner and scrub garments in the sink for annoying stains to see if you can salvage some otherwise good clothing. 2. Iron your clothes Use a real iron and a full sized ironing board and do it the way your mother taught you...
Read More“Like” Calico Joy on Facebook!
Did you know Calico Joy has a facebook page? If you like the site, you should like the page! New blog posts, products, and special offers are posted there regularly, and it’s also a great place to get your feedback on ideas for new craft projects, pattern requests, and other fun things. Your support would be appreciated! Just go to https://www.facebook.com/calicojoy and click the “like”...
Read More10 Things to Add to Your Apartment Spring Cleaning List
It’s easy for anyone to feel discontent with his or her home, but maybe you feel more justified in that feeling if your home is a temporary apartment, especially when many of your friends and family are buying or re-decorating (seemingly) perfect houses. After over a year in my current one-bedroom apartment, some of its charm has worn off, and I’ve found myself speaking to others of my little home as though I were ashamed of it, or ashamed of my lifestyle. I was almost immediately convicted when I realized this, because in reality I love my home. We...
Read MorePile of yarn!
Help, I’m buried in yarn! When visiting my husband’s extended family during the holidays last year, I brought some yarn and hooks with me on the trip as I often do. A couple of the aunts saw me crocheting and we got to talking about all of the different needlecrafts we all enjoy. One kind aunt-in-law gave me a big bag full of some of her extra yarn and pattern stash the next day, and some of that has been turned into several of the hats and projects I’ve posted recently! Last month, yet another of the aunts took...
Read MorePeach Chevron Baby Blanket – Free Pattern
It turns out that blankets are much larger than hats, which makes them take longer to finish and therefore kind of boring, or so I thought. The union of the two events 1) an invitation to a friend’s upcoming baby shower for her new baby girl and 2) receiving a trash bag full of lovely “baby” weight yarn from a kind aunt-in-law motivated me to give the baby blanket a chance. It turned out that it actually came together pretty quickly (double crochets, man!), and it was so darling and soft as it grew that now I can’t wait...
Read MoreFinished! Craft Show #1
My first craft show is over and I think it was a success! There was a threat of bad weather, so the crowd turnout wasn’t as good as it might have been, but I still managed to sell several items and make a profit. My products seemed to make people smile when they saw them even if they didn’t end up buying anything, which was sweet! Based on what I saw of the other vendors, I was pretty well prepared, especially for a first-timer. The fact that my items were smaller and less expensive than those of many other...
Read MoreMy First Craft Show
My very first craft show is in one week! I am super excited about it and I’m very curious about how it will go. I practiced a simple table setup the other night, and I’ve been using my Cricut Mini to make some cute tags and signs. This website and the e-commerce setup has been another big part of the projects involved, since I hope to pass out business cards advertising my website. I’ll be sure to let you know how it all goes. I have about 20 hats available to sell and a basket full of small pins...
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