DIY Mega Chalkboard - Part 2

And here it is!  The final results.  Click HERE to see Part 1.

The frame was a little tricky, to be honest.  In hindsight, it might have been better to attach the frame to the chalkboard BEFORE we attached the chalkboard to the wall.  But, well...we tend to figure these things out as we go.  

We used liquid nails around the edges and reinforced with real nails to attach it and seal it to the chalkboard.  We just painted white over the nail heads to hide them.

And now it's ready for use!!  Since I've never written on a chalkboard before, I thought it a good idea to purchase a guide for some tips and tricks.  

This book is bursting with inspiration for lettering, borders, drawings...wonderful stuff!!  You can purchase it on Amazon.

And there you have it...our first chalky session.  We're having lots of fun with our new mega chalkboard and hope to have some cool stuff to share with you in the future.  Hope you enjoyed this little project of ours.  If you've done a mega chalkboard in your house, let us know!  We'd love to see.  

Until next time...

Layered Mermaid Soaps

One of my fav soaps to make are "picture soaps".  They have cute little images embedded in them that wash away as you use the soap.  I've done so many different designs.  Even ones for my niece and nephew with their photos in them!  Here's a sneak peek at how I make them. 

Before we get started, I have to give a shout out to Peach Pops Clipart on Etsy for the gorgeous mermaid clipart I use in this project.  Their designs are so fun and cute!

Get all of your materials ready first.  This project is a little time sensitive in parts so you want to have everything at your finger tips.
  

I have cut out the little mermaids (printed on water soluble paper) to fit the size of the mold I'm going to use.  I don't want the edges of the paper to go all the way to the edge of the mold.  We want a nice "frame" around the edge of the paper so the soap seals the image in place.

Cut up your clear soap base.  I like to use small cubes...they melt faster.

Important: use your 50% power setting on your microwave.  It melts the soap more evenly and won't overheat it, but you still have to keep your eye on it.  Melt in 15-30 second increments to start with - you'll get a feel for timing the more you practice.  

It's good to have some soap chunks that aren't completely melted with the rest of the soap.  Just gently stir them in.  It will regulate the heat a little as well.  Don't stir too vigorously - you don't want to create air bubbles!  Spritz with alcohol if you do get some bubbles.  This will help them burst at the surface.

We're melted!  I've added a pinch of glitter to this first batch of clear soap.  I want there to be a cute little sparkle on the image.  Use alcohol to incorporate the glitter into the liquid and stir through any clumps.  It shouldn't clump if you haven't added too much glitter.  Just a pinch.  :)  Stir gently...remember, no bubbles!  We are not adding fragrance to this layer.  

Pour an ever-so thin layer in the bottom of your molds. I spritz with alcohol to help even out the soap.  You want the bottom to be covered but not thick.  We just want a nice, clear layer on top of our image.

When the first layer is solid, you can add your image.  Before you touch the paper to the soap...spritz, spritz, spritz the soap surface with alcohol.  You want it to be pretty wet.  Drop your image in.  If it doesn't sit how you want it to, if you've spritzed enough alcohol, you should be able to move it around.  Spritz it so there are no dry spots on the paper but don't let the paper start to buckle.  It should be laying flat on the soap.

STOP:  Some tutorials tell you to just add the next layer of white.  Don't do this!  Pour another very thin layer of soap onto the back of the image.  This will seal the image in and prevent any weird layering that might happen with your white backing soap.  Trust me on this.   

Get your white soap ready!  Small chunks.

Again, use 50% power and melt in 30 second bursts.  

When the white soap is melted, you can add your fragrance oil.  The amount will depend on how much soap you are using.  You can use this handy dandy fragrance calculator at Brambleberry.com.  P.S. Their fragrance oils are DIVINE, too!

Tip: If you're using a fragrance oil that has vanilla in it, you will need a vanilla stabilizer or your lovely white soap will go brown after a while.  Not pretty...unless you wanted brown soap.  :)

Now you're ready to pour the "back" of your soap.  I don't fill mine totally to the top as I've overflowed far too many times.  It gets messy and ugly and you waste soap.  :)  Spritz with alcohol to zap any bubbles that rise to the surface.

Now off you pop for a nice cup of tea while you wait for these babies to set.  Leave them for a good hour or more (will depend on your mold size - bigger molds take longer, obviously.).  When they are ready...pop them out, wrap in cling wrap or cello wrap and give to a friend.  They will love you for it!

This tutorial is the basic process of making a layered soap with an embedded image.  Let me know if you have questions - happy to help!  

Tips & Tricks - Craft Shows

It's the end-of-year craft show season!!  I've learned so much from being both a seller and a customer at craft shows over the years.  I figured it was about time to share what I have learned.  Hopefully some of these points  will be helpful for you, too.  Here are some things that help me stay focused and organized:

Early prep

I set out tables, packaging and boxes in the few days before the show.  This helps me plan out in advance how I want to display my products. As a visual person, this is vital for me.  I'll take a photo or two to show how it's set up and then I can refer to that again when I get to the site. 

Packing the car (Part 1)

Pack the car/truck/whatever the night before and give yourself ample time before doing so.  I have far too often left things until the last minute and it's extremely stressful - especially when it gets really late at night.  I don't sleep well because I feel like I've forgotten something.  You need all the sleep you can get it.  Tomorrow is going to be a long day!

Packing the car (Part 2)

Packing stock in smaller, well organized boxes is helpful because lugging around big, heavy boxes on the day can make you tired quickly and, if you're like me, prone to back/muscle injuries.  

Seating

Get rid of those slouchy football/camping chairs!  Switching to a small, folding stool may be the best idea I've ever had.  It's smaller and lighter to transport.  It sits up higher.  You can pop on and off it quickly to greet and help your customers.  Overall, it gives a better, more professional look to your booth - you are part of it, after all!  

Prepared for chilly mornings too!

Tent: White or Colored?

When I got my BRIGHT pink tent, I was in love and at the first show I used it, it was a big hit!  What an attention-getter!  The 2nd show, I noticed my customers having to take my products out into the "real" light to see what I was actually selling and what the colors were.  By the 3rd show, I had customers actually shielding their eyes as they walked on by.  Plus...I got a major headache!  Not fun!  So, I am switching to a white tent for future shows.  I have plenty of ideas to decorate and still make it attention-getting.  

See?  Everything is pink!!

Displays

I keep my displays simple, clean and straighten things up frequently throughout the day.  I easily get overwhelmed looking at booths and tables with many different products strewn all over the place.  I want to be able to quickly know what I'm looking at so I can either take a closer look, or move on.  As a customer, I'm more inclined to move on if things aren't well organized.  Eeek!

Signs

Clear, acrylic document stands (found at office supply stores) are perfect for easy-to-read informational and price signs.  Those little ingredient labels on individual products can be hard to read (especially in a pink tent, HA!).  I saw a lot of people reading the ingredient and info signs I had out at a recent show and they were happy to get the information right then and there without having to ask.  Customers love to learn - just in different ways so it's good to give them options.  Make sure you have business card stacks scattered around on your tables, too!

Take a Friend

Even if you're a one-person show, it helps to have a friend or assistant on the day.  Not only are you able to get a potty break, you get a chance to walk around the show, check out other vendors' work and do a bit of networking.  All of that is really hard to do when you're on your own.

Incidentals

Keep a box of these items handy:

Scissors, tape, zip ties

Pen/Marker

Water, snack/candy/energy bar

Painkillers, band-aids, tissues

Extra business cards

Small notepad

After the Show
I pack everything up, go home, unpack the car...and head straight to a hot, relaxing, glittery, fizzy, soothing bath.    Ahhh...

I'd love to hear what little tricks you have learned on your craft show journey!