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Thursday, September 24, 2009
Edible Play Dough: um or should I say Fun Dough?: A Tutorial

In my quest to find make at home play dough ( or as we call it "Fun Dough" as Playskool has that name on lock) I have accumulated several recipes that I think are good ...because as well all know all "Fun Dough" isn't equal!
Edible fun dough is great because anyone who deals with kids knows that it toys will eventually end up in a child's mouth and now with it being edible you will not have to worry about calling poison control or having child protective services making a "visit" to talk about your unfit parenting skills. Also , if you are making this for yourself ( which is fine, we don't judge...and I play with it as well) then these are great for a variety of craft projects and smell great. Just note that some of these recipes contain peanut butter, so if you or the person that you are making this for is allergic to nuts, then please do not use.

The following are a variety of recipes that are my fav's :

{Kool-Aid Play Dough}
1 cup flour
1 cup water
1/2 cup salt

3 teaspoons Cream of Tartar

1 package Kool-Aid Mix (any flavor of unsweetened)

1 tablespoon cooking oil

Mix dry ingredients together in a lare saucepa
n. Slowly add water mixed with oil and stir over medium heat until mixture thickens to dough. Turn out onto a heatproof bread board or counter top and knead until cool enough for children to handle. Dough will be the color of the Kool-Aid mix and will smell like the Kool-Aid mix. (Can be stored in a tightly covered container for up to six months)

{Jell-O Play Dough}
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1 cup water
1 tablespoon oil
2 teaspoons Cream of Tartar
1 (3-1/2 oz.) package "unsweetened" Jell-O

Mix all ingredients together and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until consistency of mashed potatoes. Let cool and knead with flou
red hands until dry.
Storage: This recipe needs to cool completely "before" storing it in an airtight container!
Note: The items made from this play dough recipe can be painted when they are dry.


{Oatmeal Play Dough}
1 part flour
2 parts oatmeal
1 part water

Mix ingredients together and form into shapes.
Note: The items made from this play dough recipe can be painted when they are dry.


{Peanut Butter/Graham Cracker Play Dough}
Use equal amounts of Peanut Butter and Marsh
mallow Cream Graham Crackers Crumble up Graham Crackers into crumbs, then set these aside.Mix the peanut butter and Marshmallow Cream together . Cover surface area with wax paper or use a breadboard, let children make into shapes. Roll shapes in Graham Cracker crumbs, then eat! Storage: When not using, MUST be stored in an airtight container. Note: This is more of an interactive dessert for kids more so than play dough, but great fun

{Peanut Butter Play Dough}
one 18-oz. jar creamy peanut butter

6 tablespoons honey
3/4 cup non-fat dry milk

Mix ingredients together, using varying amounts of dry milk for desired consistencies. Knead it with fingers, forming into desired shapes, adding other foods like M&M's or peanuts for eyes, mouths, etc. Great fun!
Storage: When not using, MUST be stored i
n an airtight container.

{Yummy Edible Play Dough Recipe}
1 1/4 Cup confectioners' sugar 1 1/4 Cup powdered milk 1 Cup corn syrup 1 Cup peanut butter Mix ingredients together in bowl. Kids can mold, create and eat when finished.






{Girl Scout Peanut Butter Play Dough}

1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
2 cups powdered sugar

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, using your hand
s. Dough should feel soft and pliable. Form shapes and be creative!
Storage: When not using, MUST be stored in an airtight container.


{Smooth Peanut Butter Play Dough}
2 cups smooth peanut butter
2 cups rolled oats
2 cups dried milk
2/3 cups honey

Mix all ingredients until thoroughly combined.
Storage:
When not using, MUST be stored in an airtight container


{Frosting Play Dough}
1 can frosting (any flavor)
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter

Mix together until dough reaches desired consistency
Storage: When not using, MUST be stored in an
airtight container and refrigerated. Next time you want to use it, let it come to room temperature for pliable dough.

{Chocolate Play Dough}
8 oz. semisweet chocolate
1/4 cup plus one tablespoon light corn syrup

Melt the chocolate in a metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water (a double boiler). Stir the chocolate with a spoon until smooth, then stir in the corn syrup. The chocolate will stiffen almost immediately but stir completely combined. Transfer the chocolate to a sturdy plastic bag and refrigerate until firm; the consistency will be that of Play Dough.
When firm, the dough can be worked by kneading. If it is too hard, cut off small pieces and knead until pliable. If the dough sticks to the counter when rolling, lightly spray counter or breadboard with vegetable spray or lightly grease with vegetable oil.
Hand shape the dough into a rope or braid, making t
wo or three long ropes and twist or braid them together -- can be used as the outside edge on top of a cake or around the base.
Make ribbons to cover the cake. To do this, pat your dough into a disk shape and roll dough out to desired thickness using a rolling pin or else use a manual pasta machine.
Storage: When not using, MUST be stored in an airtight container and refrigerate.


I find that using a wooden spoon works best when mixing play dough and also a spatula. Also some of these doughs need to be refrigerated ..as they are made with edible items. Of course it will firm up in the fridge so once you remove, you can let sit for a couple of minutes and/or knead in your hands with a little canola oil( not much, just lightly coat your hands). If you can't find an air tight container or if you don't have a "vacuum saver" bags, you can just put in zip lock back and press out the air.



photos & receipes courtesy of Karen H Ilagan , Jek in the Box & Family Corner
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Thursday, September 17, 2009
The Craft Fair: Tips & Tricks For A Smoother Day

Even though the summer craft season is winding down, the fall and holiday craft show season is just heating up! I am always on the hunt for new info about upcoming show, tips, tricks or any other info that I may not have thought of that will make my life and show experience easier.
I have seen alot of info over the years, so here is just some of my tips that will hopefully help you or at least give you ideas!

{TIPS}
Having done Craft Shows & Fairs for awhile, here are some of my following tips and info that have helped me over the years:






  • Price all items to the dollar to avoid dealing with loose change. So if something is $3.50, either price it at $3 or $4. It is easier and will save you and the customer hassles.



  • Bring a buddy along, even if they don't stay for the whole event( some people just can't seem to get up early on the weekends) ask them to come for a couple of hours to man your table during peak times like 11-3 or 12-4, etc so that you can take a break , walk around or etc.



  • Bring CHANGE, CHANGE and more CHANGE. I have found that people tend to make a stop at the ATM before a show, anticipating buying, so they pay with nice $20 dollar bills. The best ratio I have found is fifty $1 dollar bills , two $10 dollar bills and six $5 dollar bills for a total of $100 dollars. Whatever ratio you do , just make sure to bring alot of ones like you are going to the strip club.



  • Because people are going green and trying to conserve , I have found that lately more people are not giving out bags with there merchandise. But it is handy to have some because there will be people who ask for them. If you are not going to provide "Company Bags" , (which we highly suggest )with your logo on them or etc, then those good ole plain plastic bags or paper bags from the will do.



  • If you have never done a show before and have the time and space, try setting up your table in your home (or garage) and see how it looks, that way you can fix anything you don't like about it before you get to the show.



  • Don't bring out your whole inventory, I suggest bringing out a nice range of pieces but not each and everything you make



  • If you cannot enclose the sides of your tent and need to, just purchase heavy shower curtains (the ones with the metal grommets) and clamp them underneath canopy to metal frame with grommet size down. Then tie down bottom ends thru grommets at each corner to pull tight. Viola! Four walls and since shower curtains come in a variety of colors you can find a solid one in to match your canopy color.



  • No need to buy a Tablecloth, just purchase a Full or Queen size flat sheet(not the fitted) for your table cloth. You can purchase these at any linen store, Walmart, Kmart or Target in variety of solid colors for just a few dollars. And the good part is that they come in hundreds of colors are durable and can be easily replaced.



  • I suggest an apron or pouch for the cash , as I have heard horror stories of those big cumbersome cash boxes getting taken. With a pouch or apron you can always have it on you.



  • Make sure to take a variety of priced items, especially with this economy. This is a buyers market, so people are more apt to make a variety of smaller priced purchases as opposed to one large one. Of course this also depends on your product. So if you have a larger product maybe make smaller items "specifically " for the craft show and label them "Limited Edition" so that customers know this is the only place and time to get it.
{TABLE}
One of the best tables that I have found ( and trust me I have reasearched and gone thru alot of tables) is this 6ft Folding Table (standard craft show size) at Walmart. They also sell the brand at Target as well. Though the standard price is around $89, they usually have it on sale and you can get it for $40-$60, maybe even cheaper. This table is sturdy and has a nice hard High-density polyethylene top as well as easy to carry and set up with handle to carry. If also comes in 4ft size for those of you needing smaller tables.

Or you can also get a nice 6ft Resin Folding Table at Amazon , just remember that a table without the center seam will always be more durable. If you don't have a car that can carry a non folding table, then these are the best ones to get. And if you still are unsure about the amount of weight the table can hold, you can always place a "stablizer" underneath the table where the seam is located. Like maybe stack your cartons/boxes that you carried your products in under the seam.

{CANOPY}

If you are serious about doing craft shows, you will end up at some point needing a canopy. They are large, cumbersome and can be annoying to lug around, but they are necessary.
The most popular canopy is the EZ UP, pop up tent. Though they are easy to use( most of the time) , they are not "Water Proof". And that is VERY IMPORTANT. Most Pop Up tents are "water repellent" and not "water proof", so that means that the water will bead off for awhile, but eventually it will soak thru ( as I have found out the hard way)
If price is the main issue for you, then you can get an EZ UP or any other pop up tent from EBAY alot of them coming with four walls and some with a roller bag for easy transport. If you want to spend a little more to get a good tent, we recommend Swiss Gear Canopy, it is Water Proof , pop up construction and comes in a canvas zip up bag with wheels for easy transport. You can get them for about $100 but check Ebay as you may get it cheaper. Just remember that most craft show spaces are 10x10, so just get the 10x10 tent size .
The following are places to find canopies of a variety of prices and styles.



{WHERE TO APPLY}
One of the number one questions I get asked is "Where do you find the info for the shows? So I have compiled a list of some( I am sure not all) of the better avenues to find show for your area. The good thing about all of these is that they can be categorized by city/state. But one of the best resources is "word of mouth" , so when you are at a craft show talk to your neighboor. Find out how they heard about the show, what other shows they do and more importantly what kind of turnout business the shows tend to do. Actual first hand account of an event is the best information to have...do you actually think the promoter of the event is going to tell you the "real truth" about turnout and buying?

{CRAFT SHOW RESOURCES}
_____________________________






  • Indie Craft Fair Guide-geared towards the large heavily publicized annual shows, like Renegade, Bust, ETC



  • Indie Craft Shows- geared towards the true handmade artist so they have alot of smaller crafts shows listed as well as the larger ones



  • Craftlister- large comprehensive list of events, not just craft shows, but fleas, markets, streetfairs, and etc. Can search by state or zip code for free for up to one month. Since you will need to apply to shows several months in advance you can get free limited time (days-week) searching up to one year in the future by either paying or commenting on crafts shows past and present. Time of access depends on how many comments you make.You do have to sign up (for free) to access the free membership comment program.



  • Event Lister- Same as Craftlister, with benefits, membership program, etc



  • Craft Fair Online-group shows and resources



  • Art & Craft Yellowpages- subscription service, catagorized by state



  • Bob's List- List by state



  • I Want Crafter's Guide- For Tri-State area and a little bit beyond, so includes NY, NJ,PA, Delaware,Maryland & Virginia



  • Also Google "Craft Fairs or Street Fairs in... insert city" and some will come up that you may not have known about.

There are no hard and fast rules about craft shows but hopefully this will point you in the right direction.

Have any craft show tips, tricks or resources? Send us a comment..

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Saturday, September 12, 2009
Download Day: Freebie Labels for the DIY gift

I love pretty things on paper, and these labels are no exception. The lovelies at Eat Drink Chic created this DIY homemade bubble bath gift that I thought was so lovely that I had to share.
By using a bubble bath formula by Abigail Beal, they then created labels and packaged it all in a lovely frosted bottle. With a few materials you too can duplicate this gift or make a variation .


{HOMEMADE BUBBLE BATH}

Abigail Beal a.k.a. “the Gift-wrap Goddess” has written a formula for four different bubble bath scents based on a foundation of castille soap, distilled water and liquid glycerin. All of which then have different essential oils for the appropriate aroma.

The homemade bubble bath was then poured into a frosted glass bottle , which can be purchased at Save on Crafts , who sell a variety of sizes and styles (as well as separate cork) or if you are really in a bind and can't find one, you can always buy one from the local liquor store( of course the liquor is still in it). Just pour out ( or down your throat, know one will know, lol) rinse thoroughly and let dry.















{WHAT YOU NEED FOR LABELS}

  • Scissors/Scalpel
  • Double-sided tape
  • Color printer
  • Medium sized glass bottle - (preferably frosted glass with cork)
  • Light brown recycled paper or white textured paper crisp image, textured for vintage feel
  • Bottle Labels -Download Design
    _____________________________________
{INSTRUCTIONS: LABELS}
  • Print out your labels on your color printer.
  • Carefully cut around the edges of your back and front labels with a scissors.
  • Cut out your round seal. I found that cutting carefully around the seal with a scissors was sufficient but if you want to be really precise try using a circle punch of a similar size or an adjustable rotary circle cutter.
  • Cut a thin rectangular strip of paper for the top seal- the dimensions of this depend on your bottle. Experiment and see what looks best.
  • Use double-sided tape to stick your labels and seal in place on bottle.
*label design and DIY courtesy of Eat Drink Chic*
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Friday, September 4, 2009
SELL YOUR ASS OFF: SELLER SITES FOR YOUR PRODUCTS

Most people have dreams of becoming rich off of Ebay or "Quitting their day job" off of Etsy, but the reality, though that dream is achievable it will take alot of hard work and sacrifice to come true, as well as a place to sell your items. So you believe that you have a great product and want to get it out, now what are some of the venues to sell your "crafty goodness"? Below are a couple of sites that a seller can set up a store for there items. Since most everyone of the planet is familiar with Ebay , "the mass market seller site" and Etsy, "the handmade & vintage site" those are not included on the list. These are alternative or additional ( depending on how you look at it) seller sites.


{Seller Sites}
_____________________________


  • 1000 Markets-free to open and list Commission upon sale is 5.5% + 50 cents. This is a juried site


  • ArtFire-considered the etsy alternative since very similar to etsy in shop setup and site. Two shop levels, free and verified. Free has up to 12 listing and verified has unlimited listing with no fees, but it costs per month



  • ArtseFest-three price tiers, lowest price is $14/mo..


  • Big Cartel-three levels of membership, gold(free),platinum($10), diamond($20). build your own shop and up to 5 listing for free gold membership


  • Buy Sell Community-very similar to craigslist of other classified ad placement site.

  • Coriandr-free shop with 20p listing fee plus 2.5% commission on sales. It is Paypal compatible but there is no credit card on file to be a seller.


  • Crafter's Buzz-very similar to other classified ad placement site. bonus of having craft fair info on every state in continental usa


  • DaWanda-much like etsy in structure, but has No cost to list or setup, 5% commission of sale price


  • Ecrater-There is no final value fee or commission, also no listing fee and paypal compatible


  • Ehive-for the United Kingdom. free to list



  • Elsewares-really about the independent artist. pre-screening process and not really a shop set up, just pics and list of designers names


  • Erayo- wholesale marketplace for jewelry/accessories and fashion. pre-screening process , must contact and submit 5 images


  • Girl Shop Spot- more for paid advertising, but can set up shop there. membership is free


  • Go Zabo-juried site, create online gallery for free. Really caters to art/print media


  • Handmade Catalog-$4.95/mo or $40/yr for basic membership and up.5-15% commission on sales


  • Hyena Cart-specifically for earth friendly shops.$10 setup fee then $5/mo after than


  • Icraft-For Canadian Sellers, $25 registration fee, free monthly fee (5 item limit ) to $15 (150 item limit )20 cents each additional listing). There is pre-screening process.


  • Imagekind- A part of the cafepress community, geared towards art sellers. fast shop set up, monthly fee, no inventory to worry about and you can set your own markup


  • Lovli-it is free to list, with 3.5% commission on sales


  • Seeking Designers- for fashion and style.free to join, really about promotion & new things in market than selling.can submit your product for free but company will decide if they want to put on website


  • Shop Handmade-free listings (paid for by sponsors linked in your listing - or pay 25 cents), set your own commission (determines rewards and exposure)


  • Silk Fair-free listing, 3% commission on sales, (not just handmade)


  • Supermarket-strict pre screening process, alot of applicants so may have to contact again


  • U Shops-free listing, core based on linking to shop


  • Wink Elf-basic listing is free,unlimited listings with 2.5% sales commission, listing upgrades optional(highest fee $.25). featured store $5.00/month, or $50.00/year


  • Zibbet-free basic account with up to 25 listings. No Listing/Sales/Final Value Fees. Upgrade to premium accoutn at $7 /mo
*pls note that prices and info/polices are subject to change to please check site for cost/policy*

There are positives and negatives to every site and as with any online venue, its all about traffic. You can have the greatest product and shop in the world, but if no one sees you or knows where you are, then it doesn't matter. I suggest before committing to anything and taking the time to set up your shop in any of these venues, to really do your research. Some of these sites get more traffic than others and some of them are easier to setup and sell than others. Yes, one may be cheaper with lower or no fees , low commission and ease of use, but if it is not getting alot of traffic then what is the point?
No matter what site you are on , the key is to promote off the site, get the word out there about your product!


If you know of any other sites of venues, share it with us!
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