What is a monkeybox?

When I was a little girl, we had a pet monkey named Amanda. My Dad worked in the produce business, so each night he brought home that days culls in a big box - spotty cucumbers, pithy apples, limp celery, moldy oranges and the like. We called it a monkeybox. It was really just trash, but my Mom would take each piece of fruit and trim it, pare it and cut it up to make a beautiful fruit platter for Amanda. Even though it was deemed trash by one, it still had life left in it and was good for the purpose we needed it. That's how I live my life - thrifting, yard saling, looking for another's trash to be my treasure.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Getin' My Craft On

I am tired.  Exhausted.  I have been working night and day getting my new booth ready.  My"other" booth has taken me a year and a half to get set up the way I like it and to keep it filled up.  My "new" booth is bigger and it was completely empty, of course, so I have had to take out all my fixtures and all my stuff PLUS trying to set it up in an artistic way so that it looks good - not just a mumble jumble of junk.  I want this booth to look more like a little vintage market with different areas and different themes. 

During the days I am home, I hunt and gather things then in the evenings, I price it all.  Last week I took out three carloads of things and it only made a dent in the booth!  That is a good thing!  Now I can take even more out there.  Not only am I taking out much of my vintage hoard, but I am doing some different things.  I am making some ephemera packs of junk, packets of old marquee letters and numbers and some handmade things.  I showed the glittered cookie cutters last week - thanks for the input on the price I put on them.  I stopped at the Super Cheap Thrift yesterday and found a tabletop tree for $3.00 (I knew one would come to me) and set it up in the booth.  I put the cookie cutters on it and set the tree on an old fruit crate, so it is good to go.  *Crossing fingers*  This new place is all about re purposing and reinventing things. Junk is "COOL". 

The owner of "The Locals" decided to have a soft opening on Thursday at noon, even though many of the booths are still empty and people are in and out working and filling their booths.  She opened the door about noon and put out a "We're Open" sign to see if anyone would come in.  They did!  By Friday evening - a mere 15 hours after they had "opened" - I had already made rent!  I made over $50.00 in that short time.  She said people were crazy for my things.  I have super high hopes for this booth.  :)

Today, I decided that I would made a few more things to take out this week. 
I saw these glittered Christmas bulbs on Pinterest and decided to give them a try.  I might add them to a wreath or just put them in a glass jar.  (It gets dark so dadgum early that my photography isn't that great.) 

A wreath - tell me, what should I price this one?  It's door sized and has a lot of ornaments on it - but mostly plain colored ones.  I cannot bear to glue the fancy ones on a wreath....

These are kind of odd.  I bought a bunch of these Civil war Re-Enactment Mittens at a sale this summer.  They reminded me of Santa mittens, so I decorated each one and put a tag on it that says, "Why fill a stocking when you can fill Santa's mitten?"  I think they would look good on a door or wall with evergreen sticking out of them.

Some vintage bead ornaments.  There are big - their heads are nearly as big as a ping pong ball. 

It makes me so nervous to make things to sell.  I never see the things like I like out for sale.  So, I will either sell it all, or not at all.  Oh well, it's a learning curve.

Now, what else can I make? 

11 comments:

  1. I've seen the bulbs on Pinterest too - it's a great idea - the ones you did look really cute!!

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  2. Well craft on.Looking great!!!!!!I have got to try those bulbs because of course I have a horde of those in the basement!Great wreath.It's wreath week here and the dining room table is COVERED in Shiny Brites.Hope you sell tons.Thanks for sharing.

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  3. Congrats on having an empty booth to restock....that means you're a success! You're living my dream right now, of having your own booth. And I think it's great that you're mixing in your crafts with the vintage stuff. Check out the Christmas crafts on Flickr. You might get some ideas there too!

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  4. I think everything looks great! I am so happy for you that lots of things are selling. Enjoy your crafting, such cute items! Love the wreath!
    hugs, Linda

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  5. Shara,

    Wishing you GREAT success in your new booth! It sounds like you are off to a great start. I hope it continues to only get better. Can't wait to see pictures!

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  6. Good luck with the crafting and the new booth...always fun to mix it up a bit and it sounds like you are!

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  7. Good luck with your new booth! I believe your hard work will pay off nicely!

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  8. Shara, didn't you sell one of your wreaths for $40 last year? If so i think I would go to about $50/$55 - it's always better to start high than too low - and this one looks nice and full!

    Your new booth sounds like the kind of place I would love to visit! Craft on, indeed!!

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  9. Congrats on the new booth!! Sounds exciting.

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  10. That beautiful wreath should sell for $50 or $60. You do very nice work.

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  11. Anonymous2:49 PM

    Wow, I love those sparkly bulbs! You've inspired me to try them! My name is Maggie and I stumbled upon your blog not too long ago, and I love checking in to see what thrift store treasures you have found! I am a junker myself!!! Keep up the great work, I LOVE your blog!!!

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