Busy as a Bee

Truly rug hooking is my passion but I've had to knuckle down of late and finish some partly made dolls started months ago and make new items for my show which occurs tomorrow.  Making dolls, bears, make-dos and things used to be fun until I got hooked on hooking, now I have to force myself to do it and I tend to wait until it is a crisis.

A few years ago I used to do maybe 8 or 10 shows per year.  But eventually dropped the ones which weren't profitable much above the recoup of my booth fee.  Although in the beginning it was fun to sit and chit chat with customers and other vendors, it soon became work to load the car, unload and set up the booth, tear down booth and load it into the van, come home and unload the van and put everything away. 

The show in Lewes is a good one, lots of fun, music, food and I sit and hook between customers.  I even have repeat customers who come to see what I have and since I know their 'likes' I usually do sell them something.  Sometimes it gets so buy I don't have time to sit and pull loops unless someone inquires on "how to hook".  Ahhhh, music to my ears ~ getting someone else hooked.

I did finish this cute piece by NotForgottenFarm and it will go with me to the show so my excuse for hooking was 'it is for the show'.  But problem is hooked items are more costly than a doll or make-do.  However, I did sell a couple hooked purses and two sizable hooked pieces in July so that was a nice little bounty for me.

Just this morning I did finish up the 4th Candy Corn Cat which I think is cute as the dickens.  Making multiples is not my favorite thing to do but there were only 4 of these that I made so that wasn't so bad.  I cannot get this picture to straighten up yet it was okay before I posted it.  There's no problem with me correcting a situation like this on my web site because there is a 'picture tool button'.  So if anyone knows how I can correct this on Blogger, please enlighten me.

Speaking of multiples, I also did 4 wool Jacks on candlesticks.  I didn't have one in stock and they usually sell pretty well since they are not only decorative for the fall season but can opt as a make-do pincushion.  BTW, that cute rug is one by Tonya Robey of MadHen which I purchased on e-bay a few years ago; I just LUV her stuff..... and no, it is not for sale.

Here are two pictures of the booth space at the July show in Lewes.  Thankfully the weather was great and hope the same will be true for tomorrow.

The doll in red sitting on the table to the right, and two of the 3 little 'tykes' seated to the right of the hooked face Annie sold at the Lewes show in July too, so my doll quantity is a little sparse this time except for witches.

I do have a couple Christmas items to take in case anyone is in the market to get ready for that this early.  Heck, I was in a dollar store this morning and they are putting out the Christmas items already right beside the Halloween so guess I'm not too far off the mark.