Day Trippin'

Because I work all weekend every weekend during tax season, and because I have a bad case of Spring Fever / Cabin Fever, and because it is the first weekend of the 15th Annual Nebraska Shop Hop, my hubby and I decided to hit the road and head out of Lincoln.

First stop was the Spring Bling Craft Fair at Trinity UMC.  I don't do Spring craft fairs, but it's always good to do a little scouting to see what's out there, right? During my little reconnaissance mission  I was dismayed by the underpricing!  But I picked up a couple of neat underpriced items -- a catnip fish toy for Tux the cat ($1.07), and a handmade dish scrubber ($2.00).  I was going to take a photo of the cute little catnip toy, but Tux quickly squirreled it away under the recliner -- his favorite hiding place.

My own craft fair buyer behavior reinforced what I have learned over the past 3.5 years --- always bring some low priced and/or kid-friendly items for "impulse" buyers.

I also found an enterprising local college student at the craft fair who is teaming up with a friend to start an alternative online crafters' marketplace - Locabal.  No monthly fees. No listing fees. No credit card fees.  Direct deposits 7 days after sale.  7.5% commission + 30 cent fee at the time of sale.  Based here in Lincoln. I'm definitely going to check it out!  I plan to stay on Etsy, and Etsy will continue to be my primary sales venue, but I need to explore some ways to branch out -- other venues, wholesale, gift shops, etc.

Then, fueled by fresh coffee, we hit the road -- aptly named Nebraska Highway -- and headed east about 30 miles to the little town of Syracuse, NE, home of the Common Threads quilt shop:

I scored some great reproduction fabric for prairie sunbonnets, some of my favorite thread, and a cute bundle of  forty 2.5" reproduction fabric squares that I plan to turn into a cute little doll quilt.  I know.  Buying more scraps!?!  I already have LOTS of scraps...But not repro fabric scraps :-).

This was a shop hop warm-up.  One down and 38 shops to go!  Not really.   There ARE 39 shops participating, but I will only visit a handful. I hope to head out with one of my quilt buddies for an all day shop hop trip on April 26, so stay tuned.  Have a great weekend!

TTFN
LeAnn aka pasqueflower
http://www.etsy.com/shop/pasqueflower
http://www.facebook.com/pasqueflower
http://www.pasqueflowerponderings.blogspot.com