The end of the Year is coming!

So I am getting ready to write my Christmas blurb for cards this year, and I usually go back and read the old ones - this was my all time favorite, so I thought I would share it with you all:

Dear Friends and Family,

Well the holiday cards just didn’t make it out in time so I truly hope you don’t mind receiving at least one more! 2006 seemed to fly by and now I can hardly believe that it is 2007. Usually I want to reflect on the past year and tell everyone what great things we did and celebrate our accomplishments. However, this year I just find myself hoping for another year just like the last.

Like most other moms of small children, I often find myself wishing for one thing – more time. However, I have discovered, after thinking about this past year what I really want is to just hold time still, just for a little while longer. I would like another year of being able to kiss boo-boo’s and wipe tears. Another year of being the only one in the house able to decode 3 year old talk such as knowing which juice is the “other-one-kind” and which video is “the one with the red-haired guy”. Another year of chocolate ice cream is more powerful than money. Another year of mommy watch this, look what I did, and hold me’s.
Another year of ‘made-up words’ such as “marsh-a-roni” for marshmallows and “cudoo” for playdoh. And many more years of mommy I love you’s.

So, as we begin a new year, I wish all of you the best of health and happiness, and the ability to hold on to just a little bit more of your time!

Love you all!
April

New items

I have finished some new magnet boards that are NOT for kids. Most of my boards before were aimed at kids and had kid friendly fabrics but these new magnet boards are sleek and modern. Here is a peak - but they are only available at my etsy store - www.mooremagnets.etsy.com

I currently have 2 sizes available 8inx8in and 10inx13in, but since I do this myself - you can request any size you want. Hopefully this week I will finish the spice rack that looks similar to this board!

Very exciting stuff is happening in my workshop right now! Make sure you visit often for new items!

Projects, Projects, Projects

So I have a list of Projects! Some that I have been working on for a long time, some that I have been promising to finish for a long time, and many many more that I have ideas for but haven't started. So, the next few weeks I am only working on custom orders and I am going to complete some of these un-done projects. This week is the giant Lighting McQueen magnet board for my son! Disney's Cars was one of my son's favorites for a long time and when we moved him into his new room we decorated it in Cars stuff. Way back then, I found this really cute fabric and I have been promising him a magnet board ever since. The last 2 or 3 weeks he has been reminding me of this so I am finishing it today! I will post a picture when I get it done - but don't worry Disney, this one is for personal use - not for sale!

Next week I am going to focus on the Apple Tree custom order which I am very excited about, and also starting my jewelry display set that I have been thinking about for a long time. I also need to get started on the organization projects for my boys that I am hoping to add for sale at some point. I like to test out all of my new projects before I put them for sale, and I have found that my 3 boys are great testers.

I am posting this for all of you to keep me in line - so leave your comments and remind me to stay on task. The next few weeks should be very exciting!

Getting Organized for a Craft Show

Hello World! You can find me on the web at www.mooremagnets.com

So, I am going to be in a craft show this Saturday, Arts on Easy Street in Salisbury, NC. I have been assigned to space number 2 - I don't think I have every been this close to the entrance before, so I think I need to be really organized and keep my space neat. So, here is what I am doing/have done in the past.

I have plastic see-through bins for products, tools, show props, supplies, and unfinished product to work on. I don't mix any of these items together anymore so that set up and take down are organized looking. I have found that this is very beneficial because shoppers and vendors (and vendors are shoppers too!) are watching so you want to look organized at all times.

I have table cloths that I made out of sheets (got a great deal on them at the outlet store on clearance) that reach the floor to cover all of the bins under the tables. I use PVC pipe and PVC clamps (I will try to take a picture this weekend) to hold the cloths down at the bottom - The wind is always a factor!

I pack my SUV (couldn't do this in the Honda!) so that I can fit as much product as possible. In fact, I have in the past left some of my booth set up at home so that I could have more product instead. I try to pack so that the items (like the tent and sandbags) are the first things out and last things in the car.

I have a separate card table that I use only for checkout and what I am working on so that I am not mixing unfinished with finished product. I forgot this table at my last show, and realized that this is essential to me a shows! I keep bags, a receipt book, and calculator in their own box (one that has a lid) so that I am not looking for these items every time I have a sale.

I display items so that people can touch the items and see the quality that goes into my work. I mix things up in the displays, as I have found that when I display like items together people don't see everything.

I have items that are from 50 cents up to $50 so that I have something for every price range. I can't tell you how many times I have covered my booth fee from only selling the 50 cent items!

I wear an apron with my logo on it, but I don't keep my $ in the apron pockets - I do keep business cards handy at all times!

Talk to people, smile, tell them how much I enjoy what I do!

Successful Beginnings

I opened my Etsy store on June 1st and I am happy to report that to date I have had 2 sales. It is very exciting making and selling your own wares! I have had an online store since 2006 and I have been making magnet boards and other items since 2005, but Etsy is a whole new ball game. I am hoping to expand myself and continue to be successful. I also show and sell my items at various craft shows, and I am hoping to do 12 more before the end of the year, but I would eventually like to be busy enough with my online ventures to cut back on the number of craft shows that I do. Although this does make me kind of sad since I love being at and in craft shows. However, with 3 active boys it is hard to miss out on all of the activities that Saturdays and Sundays bring. Right now though, business needs to be my focus until things stabilize. So, off to to some marketing and creating!

Introduction

Hello World! You can find me on the web at www.mooremagnets.com
I am going to start out this blog telling you all how Moore Magnets was born:

Moore Magnets came to life as a result of my search to find cute but functional products for my sons’ room. My husband and I were sharing a two-bedroom house with our three boys ranging in age from 3 to 11. Because of our lack of space and the range in ages, I was becoming more and more frustrated trying to find decorations and furnishings for the boys’ room that would be functional and age appropriate for all the boys. I began making furnishings that would provide storage as well as play space. As friends and family visited and saw the new items, they began to ask where I found the pieces because they were exactly what their kids needed.

I wanted to create items that would not cost people a fortune, but more importantly, items that kids would use for more than six months. I also recognize the cost of batteries and the level of noise created by many popular toys today, and I wanted to have fun things that did not require batteries, with the only noise being my son’s voice saying, “Look what I made, Mommy!”