Making Things to Sell

In order to be ready for the Barn Sale, I have set a few deadlines in my head.  August 15th is the last day that I can MAKE things for the sale.  Since that deadline is rapidly approaching, I find myself cranking things out at warp speed.  I made almost fifty necklaces in the last two days!  Making them takes some time, but packaging them up, pricing them and organizing them is a whole 'nuther ball of wax.  

I've made lots and lots of Feedsack pendants.  I think they are different and original, but I don't know if everyone will.  I need to make a sign that explains what they are made of and how maybe if you look close you might see a piece of your Grandmother's apron or a part of a quilt you once slept under.  I wear one almost every day and I usually get some compliments on it.  There are a few bottle cap Arkansas map pendants in there too.

The Feedsack pendants get packaged up on cards and sealed in little plastic bags.  I think they look semi-professional that way.  I also think they look like something you could pick up as a gift for someone and give it to them they way it is in the package.  (Pardon the glare - I took these in a hurry last night before I relegated it all to the storage area).

Today I ransacked the vintage game piece drawer and make necklaces.  I have been hoarding old game pieces for so very long.  It was hard to decide to part some of them out.  Especially the gorgeous Bakelite dominoes.  But, I did it.  

Red Bakelite Domino pendants.

Butterscotch Bakelite Domino Pendants.

Vintage Dragon Dominoes.  I made some sideways so the Dragon is flat and others long-wise so the Dragon sort of looks like an "S".  

Vintage Checkers.  Some of them have a star on them, others have a planet with stars.  Some are wooden and some are clay.  The clay ones have a really neat "clink" to them.  

Here they are on my craft cabinet waiting to be sold.  I don't want to package up the game piece necklaces.  I think I will display them as they are so people can feel them and see what they really are - old game pieces.  They have a nice feel to them and fun patina.  

Last week I dug out the huge thimble collection I bought a couple summers ago.  I added a small bouquet of vintage millinery flowers to each one and made them into little brooches.  

All sorts of colors and different types and styles of thimbles.  I also make a bunch of mini bottle brush trees in thimbles, but I haven't added pinbacks to them yet.  I made one thimble bouquet necklace that turned out SO stinking cute, but I don't think I have time to find more flowers by the 15th to crank any of them out.  (But, it is so darn cute....)

 This weekend I reconstructed a bunch of vintage horse ribbons.

Razorback themed ribbons.  I hate making Razorback stuff, but it sells, darn it.  If I could find and legally use some vintage Razorback artwork, it would be a bit more appealing to me.  

I also made JUNK QUEEN ribbons.  I only made pink, white and purple, but I think I might make a few other colors.  I like subtle colors like pink and white, but other people might like something a bit more "loud" like red, blue, green or yellow.  I have plenty of ribbons, so I need to do that while I still have time.

Each ribbon is a vintage horse ribbon with added ribbon and edging.  I used a paper poker chip in the center with the JUNK QUEEN on top.  On the back there is an old milk cap with the pinback added.  

I like the purple one too.  What else can I say other than JUNK QUEEN?  I may make some that say  JUNKER and FLEA MARKET QUEEN.

I also have a bunch of birthday ribbons made up, but I didn't photograph them.  This is the one I wear on my birthday.  I LOVE birthday's but I[m not sure other people really think ahead to them.  So, I don't know if they will speak to people or not.

Here's the one I'll be wearing at the Barn Sale.  If I remember.  

(Remind me Lara, okay?)

I found an offer for 100 free photos, so I had my blogheader photo printed off 100 times.  I'm using those for all my packaging along with the business card above I got for free from VistaPrint.  I hope my use of that photo and the color pink isn't too overwhelming.  But, I really want a cohesive look to everything.  Kind of my "brand".  

I also have a fleeting desire to make BRIDE TO BE ribbons and maybe even BABY ribbons in pink and blue to wear at showers.  But, I don't know if I will have the time or if anyone will even want one.  Actually, I have no idea if I will even sell one single thing that I have made.  This is a Farm Fresh Vintage Market which leans more towards rusty and crusty.  I'm not even sure if this is the right marketplace for what I am making.  But, I've already MADE it all, now haven't I?  So, I guess it's kind of late to be second guessing myself.  If I don't sell a thing, I guess I will have a ready made Etsy Shop, now won't I?

I still have to price everything, and that is really, really REALLY hard for me to do.  I am a pretty low spender.  But, other people seem to have deeper pockets than I do.  So, pricing is just really hard!!!!!  Any ideas would be appreciated.  I have "ideas" but I'm not really 100% certain.  

I promise all this Barn Sale talk will be over one of these days soon!