List Therapy

So once again this craft fair thing has kind of crept up on me.  Am I prepared?  Not so much.  How shall I manage this new anxiety settling in?  With a list of course!

Things to make:

·         2 sets of coasters

·         10 VHS notebooks

·         2 board game bracelets

·         1 pair sample Scrabble earrings

·         12 35mm film bookmarks

·         10 VHS bookmarks

For the Display:

·         Earring display

·         Keychain display

·         Laminate price signs

·         Print newsletter sign-up sheets

·         Buy another folding table

·         Pick up card display

I’m optimistic about this Hometown Celebration and it is slated to be the biggest thing I’ve done to date.  Not necessarily nervous, just need to get rolling.  Looks like I’m going to be one busy mama after the little one goes to sleep this week!

As always:

Scope the store:  www.averygraydesigns.etsy.com

Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Avery-Gray-Designs/302205723247359

Chief Plays With Glue

I said I would blog more so here I am… blogging more.  I also need to start gyming more, cleaning more, and sleeping more but that’s another subject for another day. 

When I pull in the driveway from work and see an Amazon package, a small part of me feels like a kid on Christmas.  Laminator arrived, was open and used promptly, and even put away with minimal mess created.  I laminated all the sides to the VHS boxes I had already disassembled.  When I was a kid in grade school I remember being fascinated about how the Indians would use every part of a buffalo.  Fur for warmth, meat for food, bones for tools, etc. etc.  That’s how I’m trying to look at my crafting from here on out.  When I buy something how can I use the whole buffalo?  I use the packaging from the VHS but then end up discarding the tape.  If anyone out there has any ideas please let me know!

I’ve gotten pretty good at doing this with Monopoly games.  The box, property and chance cards all become notebooks.  The houses and motels become earrings or charms for jewelry.  The tokens become key chains and charms for bracelets.  The paper money is used for decoupage on everything from light switch covers to coasters.  I’m thinking of trying to make paper beads from the Monopoly money. 

To see what I've done with Monopoly games so far:  www.averygraydesigns.etsy.com

My Indian name would be: Plays With Glue

My Heart Will Go On...

Last night I was fairly productive considering I have a sick wife and now VERY active baby on my hands.  We haven’t found the proper size baby gate as of yet so the little one kept me on my toes for the vast majority of the evening.  When I was chasing my infant around the living room I did manage to get a few things done:

I created an event page on my Facebook page for the Egg Harbor City Hometown Celebration.  This does not seem like much I know, but if you only knew how technologically impaired I am, you would be impressed.  You can check out my Facebook page here:

 www.facebook.com/pages/Avery-Gray-Designs/302205723247359  (and maybe like it too…)

I made 10 VHS notebooks.  I finally got the new wire binding in.  It’s a little thinner than the last brand I bought, most likely because I went down just 1/8 of an inch in size.  The VHS notebook lay a little more flat now so it actually looks quite nice.  Some of the titles from last night include:

·         Harry Potter & The Sorcerers Stone

·         White Christmas (I know it’s only June)

·         What’s Eating Gilbert Grape

·         Buffy the Vampire Slayer (before Twilight made vampires sexy)

·         Bugs Bunny Cartoons

·         The Mighty Ducks II (Classic)

·         Three Titanic Notebooks! (some of the kids may not understand this, but it’s actually 3 notebooks because the movie was soooo long it couldn’t fit on just one VHS) 

As a side note… I have had the Titanic theme song stuck in my head ever since.  Damn you Celine Dion and you’re infection melodic voice!

The notebooks listed about should all be online and available for sale within 48 hours.  In the meantime, there are still plenty of awesome notebooks and other goodies already posted in the shop.  I’m also making it a priority to get some earrings and jewelry listed as well.  Bit by bit we’re getting there!

www.averygraydesigns.etsy.com

I'm on Fire

Disclaimer: there is going to be a fair amount of back-patting and self-congratulatory behavior to follow.  Saturday I was super productive.  I had a bridal shower to attend on Saturday afternoon; my wife had training so my mother-in-law had the baby all day.  There is nothing better than a quiet house to get things accomplished.  I made 5 VHS notebooks about a dozen Monopoly key chains. 

That’s not even the impressive part.  I listed 15 items to etsy in one morning.  I even figured out my camera settings to take more appealing pictures.  I haven’t decided if I’m going to go back and reshoot all the previous listing, but for whatever reason the food setting works like a gem. 

 

AND… first time ever a post with matching photos!  Go me.

Quite possible my favorite Monopoly Keychain ever.   $5.00

Fresh from Hogwarts.  Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone VHS Notebook.  $8.00

Board Game Bangle.  So stinking cute.  $15.00

Like what you see?
Check the shop: www.averygraydesigns.etsy.com

Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Avery-Gray-Designs/302205723247359

P.S.  I know people are reading this… I see the stats… How about a comment now and then?  What do you like? What don’t you like? Ideas? Feedback?  … Anything? 

Eating My Metaphorical Vegetables

So life can’t always be sugar and cupcakes, sometimes you just need to eat your vegetables.  This weekend I’ll be doing just that.  I need to re-organize, re-prioritize, and re-structure.  I need to take stock in what I have before I bring anything else into the house.  My craft space is limited at best.  Very limited.  I literally have a small spot of a closet and my dining room table for small periods of time in between meals.

The problem here is my brain thinks faster than the United States Postal Service.  I get these grand ideas and before whatever I buy even gets here I’m on to the next thing.  (For more on this view my previous post about the perils of eBay)  Or in the case of the laminated book marks my laminator isn’t here yet but my brain is obsessed with Monopoly charm bracelets. 

I think had I been born 5-10 years earlier they would have diagnosed me with A.D.D. because my focus is laughable and I’m so easy distracted… oh look a penny.

As always: scope the shop- www.averygraydesigns.etsy.com

The Perils of eBay

I should preface this post by stating that I, Stephanie Bense, have a problem.  It isn’t something I’m proud of, and I have worked hard to conquer this addiction only to fall at its feet again last week.  eBay.  I seriously need better self-control.  I have one of the steps has to be cutting old ties, which means I REALLY should delete the mobile app off my phone… but… I can’t.  Here are a few of the completely unnecessary things I have bought in the past two weeks:

·         A set of Star Wars Monopoly property deed cards.  Because at the time I figured they would be a cute addition to my monopoly notebooks for that dork in your life.

·         16 Monopoly tokens.  These I’m still justifying because the monopoly token key chains have been a real hit anywhere I seem to set up at.

·         3 reels of film trails.  That’s right, count them up: three.  A Bugs Life, The Emperors New Groove and The Mighty Ducks 2.  Why three? Because I wanted to make 6 inch book marks and can now make thousands apparently.  As an aside, The Mighty Ducks 2 quite possibly one of my favorite movies of all time!

So now not only do I have my previous sort-of-almost-kind-of finished projects.  Now I have NEW projects to start thanks to my low impulse control, the accessibility of eBay mobile and the ease of PayPal.

On a side note, I sighed up for the Egg Harbor City Hometown Celebration and needed more inventory anyway.  July 6^th will be here before I know it so time to let the creating begin!

As always: check out the shop: www.averygraydesigns.etsy.com  This week I will be adding the Monopoly token key chains (compliments of my eBay addiction)

Don't Call It A Comeback...

I could write a short novella about the reasons why this blog got neglected over the past few weeks OR I could just jump right back in to it.  I’m choosing the latter.

I spent an hour or two yesterday just listing items on etsy.  By far this is my LEAST favorite part.  Crafting is fun and creative.  Craft fairs are engaging and interactive.  Staring at a computer screen assigning value to things you made… not so much.  That being said my shop will be the featured shop of the South Jersey Etsy team and I didn’t want to be embarrassed by having 4 items in the shop.  I listed mostly the notebooks as I didn’t want to take all the Monopoly key chains and earrings out of their packaging to take photos.  I have a fresh batch of pieces coming in the mail so I’ll photograph the newer arrivals when I make them.  I think the Monopoly key chains are becoming one of my personal favorite items.

Crafts on the horizon:  More notebooks for sure.  I just got a bunch of VHS cases so I would like to do a batch of those next.  I need to order more o-wire stat.  I also plan on using the side panels of the boxes for bookmarks.  I have to be honest, I’m not sure if people even read physical books like they used to anymore, but I like the idea of wasting less of the actual box that I make the notebooks into.  I also have 35mm movie film coming to the house.  I have NO idea what to do with it, I just know I was on eBay and something compelled me.  Stay tuned for more on that.

July 6^th  I have to get my application in for the Egg Harbor City Hometown Celebration.  It will definitely be my biggest show to date so I’m excited.  Also, significantly less nervous having now practiced at smaller venues.  Speaking of other venues:

Always Be Inspired

Thrift Shop and Unique Boutique

227 Philadelphia Ave.

Egg Harbor City, NJ

They have weekly flea markets and also have an assorted selection of items by the one and only Avery Gray Designs.  I have to admit I feel a little proud.  I just set out taking this stuff seriously the last few months and I feel like things are really starting to happen. Good things are happening.  So I’m back.  Let the blogging commence!

Check out the shop at: www.averygraydesigns.etsy.com