The Burrow joins the Vintage Market

This summer can be called Summer of Crafting 2014. I embarked on a mission to create and become a member of the crafting community. I have always gone to flea markets, re-sale shops, and outdoor markets and thought I can do that. Well this summer I did. On July 19 I joined the French Nest a outdoor vintage market full of artistic and creative vendors.



Here is how my summer goals started out

Everyday I would do..

2 hours of painting on canvas
2 hours of crafting for French Nest
2 hours of yoga
2 hours of house projects

Well by June 19 that fizzled. As the market event drew nearer I began to panic and dropped all other activities until it was over. And I fully dedicated myself the burrow and it's debut at The French Nest Market. I took an excert from www.thefrenchnest.com "Founded in 2008, the French Nest Open-Air Market is the only outdoor artisan, vintage, and antique market in Northern Colorado. Every third Saturday May through October, 75 or so vendors gather to share their passion for hand-made and hand-collected goods. The French Nest Open-Air Market offers a unique, outdoor shopping experience where you will find one-of-a-kind treasures directly from the artisan or collector. Held in Civic Center Park in Downtown Fort Collins, the Market experience includes coffee, pastries, delicious food, face painting, performers, and fun!" 



The day of the nest started early. We had to be at our tent site at 630 am UGH. We pulled up and started unloading. First to get unloaded was our 10X10 canopy tent we purchased the night before. We took it out of the brand new box and realized there were no stakes and no canopy, just the frame. Sugar honey iced tea! We unloaded the rest of my items and David and Jackson ran to Walmart to get a new one. He also made sure to get some fresh burritos and coffee from Mugs. Our early saturday morning ritual. Anytime we have to be out of the house before 7 on a saturday we always reward our diligence with the best breakfast burrito in the world.

Husband made it back with plenty of time. But by 9am when the Nest opened it was getting hot and we made our first sale by 9:01am. Bye Bye pretty green mirror. We made a number of sales throughout the day. Most of our knick knack items were purchased and a few larger items as well. Half way through the day we reduced some prices. Except for those few items I hoped would not sell :) (this is why I cannot work in retail). My favorite sale of the day was to a former student's mom. She bought the potato and onion wood box. Everyone who walked by took a look at this item but no buyers. I had just lowered the price when Ray and his mom walked up. Now that the year is up I can say he was one of my favorites, especially because he is obsessed with two things - Darth Vader and Spiders. The event was started by 4 sisters! They walk around the event wearing monogrammed aprons and tell everyone Bonjour! And the best part was the french music they played during the event. Magnifique!
Many people asked me if I had a store and although I am flattered the answer is no. Throughout this process I began to realize that crafting to sell can overtake your life and feel like a full time job. I worked for almost 6 weeks on creating items for the French Nest. It was a summer well spent and I learned a lot about giving something ugly a new beginning. I struggled most with wanting to keep everything I made. This may just have to be my summer project. The work is too much to take on in the school year. I plan on opening up an Etsy store soon! Stay tuned for the announcement! My goals will be to do a few pieces a month and to continue to hunt for interesting items.

At the end of the day we counted up what we made, subtracted what we spent, then divided by the number of estimated hours I dedicated to this project. The grand total was $1.20 an hour. Time well spent I should say.