Here's One of Those "Maybe I'm Not Burger King After All " Orders

Recently, I got one of those "Maybe I'm Not Burger King After All" orders.  (AKA: "special orders DO upset us" mentioned in a previous post.)  Acutally, it didn't upset me..it just made me get the old creative juices flowing again.  The older I get, the harder it is to think outside the box.  Creative customers' requests give me that nudge necessary to make me come up with something new.  They plant the seed in my mind.  I produce the "crop".

A customer had previously purchased one of my Soda Santas painted on  Coca-Cola bottle and said she would also love to have a snowman painted on a Coke bottle.  No problem... I've done those before.  Then...here's the "Burger King" moment!  She would love it if I could also make it a fisherman.  Never done that before.  Result!  She bought two!

Snowed under...in 70 Degree Weather!

Green snow!!!  That's what you get when you get snowed under with orders!  Money, money, money!!!  Smart shoppers are getting their Christmas orders in early.  That's great.

Of course, my favorite order is the one where the customer shops on my website, http://www.wood-n-stitches.com/ and finds just what she wants, puts it in her shopping cart, and pays.  Then all I have to do is pull it, wrap it, pack it, and ship it!  Smooth transaction!

Next, there's the order I call "the Burger King order" (the special orders don't upset us kind) where the customer sees something on my site that has been sold or is out of stock.  She sends email and we discuss whether or not I can duplicate.  Most times it is not a problem and I appreciate that she took the time to inquire.  The order gets filled.  Both customer and I are happy!  My motto is "Happy customers become repeat customers".

Then there's the "maybe I'm not Burger King" kind of order.  This is the challenging type that usually takes me out of my comfort zone.  However, thanks to such interesting ideas from creative customers, I've created some great selling new products that I might not otherwise have done.

Where I get orders from is another story in itself.  Besides the usual internet orders and craft show customers' follow-up orders, there are the beauty shop orders, grocery store orders and of course the Wal-Mart orders.  By this I don't mean I that I have things for sale in all these places.  It just means these are places I frequent and living in a small town has its advantages.  Everyone knows you and your business!  People stop me and tell me what they want me to paint for them.

Yesterday, I got my first gas station order.  While I was pumping gas into my van, a lady came over to ask if I could do a special order Santa for her son.  It was nice to visit briefly with her and catch up on what our kids are doing now that they are all grown up.  Our boys grew up playing Little League and Dixie Youth baseball together.

Well, I'd better go shovel some snow, but Lord please ... let it snow...let it snow...let it snow. (Even if it is 72 degrees outside today!)

House Repairs at a Standstill

Well, here's my house as of Sunday.  It has been a week and a half since the tree fell on the roof.  I'm still waiting to hear from the insurance adjuster and still waiting for the carpenter to get in touch with me.  There's nothing I can do until I hear from them.  At least the rain has stopped...for now anyway.  I need to get this mess fixed so I can get on with my crafting.  I've got orders too fill ASAP.

Rain, Rain Go Away (3rd verse)

Rain, rain go away

Come again another day!

I don't want my house to leak!

Would you like to take a peek?

Yep, my house is under there somewhere!  The weather got pretty rough just hours before I was to leave for my craft show in Mississippi.  That's when the HUGE tree on the north end of my house split and fell across the roof (almost full length).  Most mornings I can hardly get out of bed due to my aches and pains.  When that tree hit at 4:30 a.m. that morning, I was out of that bed and wide awake in seconds.  Never thought of my pains!  I was just thanking the good Lord that tree wasn't in bed with me!

Within hours I had filed an insurance claim and my insurance agent had a team of tree cutters clearing my roof.  I left everything in my brother-in-law's (and sister's) capable hands and I left only 2 hours later than planned for my show.

Now the show is another story.  I'll post that later.

Rain, Rain Go Away (2nd Verse)

Rain, rain go away!
I've got another outdoor craft show Thursday!
Rain, rain go away, please!
I need to sell a lot of Santa cypress knees!

The Lord was good to us all for the Barn Sale in Camden, AR last weekend.  The rain stopped.  The craft show area was dry.  However, the parking lot (or rather "parking pasture") was not.  Customers had to park anywhere they could find.  Some were shuttled in from area church parking lots.  I'm just thankful that things went as well as they did.

Now, watching the weather reports, I see I need to be praying for the rain to clear out once again.  Boy, I'm glad I only do two outdoor shows a year.

Come see us on the McAlister's Deli parking lot in Canton, MS (not TX...MS) Thursday, Oct. 8th!

Can the Girl Pack or What?

Well the van is loaded and ready to pull out in the morning...rain or shine!  What you see is a 10' x 20' tent, all the display stands and all my inventory.  I've had people just stand and watch as I start pulling it all out.  They say it reminds them of the clowns getting out of the VW at a circus.  It just keeps coming and coming.

I've also had people just as amazed while watching me pack it all back in the van at the end of a show.  There's a place for everything and everything is in its place.

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

Rain, rain, go away!

I've got an outdoor craft show Saturday!
Rain, rain, go away, PLEASE!
I don't want water up to my knees!

Don't you just hate it when it rains on your parade or as in this case, your craft show?  I've been so pumped and busy getting ready for my first craft show for 2009!  Then the dreaded forecast...rain, rain, rain!!!

I had the same dilemma last week.  At the last minute, I had just about decided to do our local craft show.  Then came the forecast...40% chance of rain.  Knowing I had two big shows in the next couple of weeks, I opted to stay home rather than take a chance of getting soaked.  Wrong decision!  No rain...even the sun made an appearance!

I (and problably several 100 other folks) am praying for the weather to move on out earlier than expected this weekend also.

Here are a few photos from the 2008 BPW Barn Sale in Camden, AR!

If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It

Pardon me while I get on my soap box!  For the last 25 years I have used Delta Ceramcoat acrylic paint for all my painting projects!  Now for some unknown reason (at least unknown to me) they have changed not only the packaging, but also evidently the paint within the bottle!!!  Big mistake!!!  They ruined a perfectly good product!

 It is kind of like the story of the Goldilocks and the Three Bears...Apple Barrel is too thin...Folk Art is too thick...Delta Ceramcoat is (make that was) just right!  What's a girl (Okay, I used that word lightly.) to do?

So far I've scoured the stores and internet for any paint in the old package.  That's the bottle with the rainbow on the label rather than the one with the colorful flower.  Fortunately, I've found a few, but when that is gone...I'm going to be in a pickle!

Any of you other painters/artists have any suggestions?  Please let me know!

A "Hot" Giveaway

Firecracker Kid is having a "hot" giveaway on Oct. 1st.  It's this neat primitive rolling pin / dough bowl holder.  Winner gets to choose color!  "Pop" on over and sign up.  Not that it will do you any good because I'm going to win!  (Only the stand is being given away.)

No Chimney, No Problem

If you don't have a chimney and your little one is worried about how Santa Claus will get into the house on Christmas Eve to leave all those longed for gifts, here's your sign! This is my original take on the familiar Santa's Magic Key. As it says in the note to Santa, just hang the key on an outside door so he can use his magic and this key to open the door. Then Santa can leave it by his cookie plate and you can keep it safe until he needs it again next year.