Iluma Art Market 19th to 20th March 2011 Post-Mortem

Hey you,

Hope everyone had a good weekend. Btw, thanks for all the wonderful comments in my last post. I unearthed a couple of former lurkers. Yay!

Sarubobos display to amuse the crowd

As some of you who live in Singapore may know, Iluma has changed ownership and with that in mind, I went with the possibility that this could be the last time I sold at Iluma. I had pretty good memories of selling at Iluma with only 1 disastrous outcome. So over the weekend when I sold at Iluma, I kept a positive mind and I'm so happy it worked out. My total sales? 28!!!

I was a little absent-minded and forgot to take pics of a few people who came by. Here are the ones I remembered.

 

Meet Cindy. I know her from red dot design museum. Love her hair!

Meet Weng. This guy feeds me! And he made 1 sale for me!!!

Meet my little nephew. This is the effect I have on little kids. That's why my career as a kindergarten teacher was short-lived.

Meet Batman. That's my BIL. Early last week I saw him and mentioned I would be selling at Iluma. He said he would come by and he did!!!

Meet moi. I had a hard time posing for this pic seeing how I had to resist the rabbit ears and the tilting of the head hehe.

Have you heard? I went into the rompers business. This is a teeny little project I'm doing with my younger brother. I'll list them in my catalog soon. I discovered rompers aren't hot at Iluma.

I had a little secret agenda when I sold at Iluma. Just before the 1 week school break, I attended a parent-teacher meeting at my girl's school and was told my girl lacks confidence when it comes to oral presentation. She clams up when she's with a total stranger. Seeing how the oral exam's coming up soon for her primary school final, I thought it would do her good to help me make some sales. (it's like training in oral presentation, right?) I gave her on-the-job training and let her handle the customer on her own. I'm mighty impressed. She was very good. She made a total of 6 sales. I actually saw her grow more confident right before my eyes.

On Sunday, my son managed to make 2 sales. I was watching from a distance and I was happy that he was able to handle the customers well and he even put on a smile!

So that was my little thing and since I had my little helpers man my table, me and hubs went to have our mini-date. Yes, we held hands.

We went to a red building next to Iluma for tea and guess what it's called? Can you see the sign, top left of building? Little Red Dot.

It had a rather interesting sign on the tables. No Durian! I really wanted to find out what bad experience the cafe had to include the fruit in the sign. If you've never eaten durians before, let me describe it to you. The most foul-smelling fruit on earth. But that's just me. Many Singaporeans love the fruit. I can't eat it. People have mocked me for not being able to eat it. I'm so one-of-a-kind.

Lastly I have a bag to show you. This is another crescent bag. I like it a lot but it didn't sell. I have no craft markets lined up yet so I'm gonna laze around for a while. See ya.

Iluma Art Market This Weekend

I have a date with Iluma Art Market this weekend! Yes, I've booked a table and for 2 days I'll be battling the wind, the sun and the rain (if any). Yippee, another outdoor art market.

In the past, whenever I go out to sell my bags, I always wonder if it's going to be my LAST craft market. I get discouraged if the sales aren't good and start to wonder if I should keep going.

This week I have done a lot of reflection. Being in the handmade biz, I often want to be appreciated for what I do. Because I make everything I sell, I do admit I sometimes take it personally when I get negative comments or sniggers. But that means giving control to a total stranger to determine what happens to my biz. So I'm taking back the control and whatever happens, I'm gonna roll with the punches. (I've always wanted to use this expression!)

One day I will stop selling my bags. But until then, I hope you enjoy everything I make.

These are just a "few" things I made this week.

19th to 20th March 2011 (Sat & Sun)

Iluma Art Market

201 Victoria Street

Singapore

12 noon to 7pm both days

Iluma Christmas Arts Market 18th to 19th December Post-Mortem

Boo. I had to wake up at 6:45am this morning. I know for most of you folks, that's normal. For me, after sewing hysterically for weeks and a weekend spent at Iluma selling my bags, I just wanna sleep in. My son's school wanted the boys to be in school early for something-something. As I have told you before, despite the school holidays, my kids still go to school for sports. I've discovered this year that in Secondary School, sports is a major part of a student's life. It was really cold this morning. I seriously didn't want to get out of bed. Boy, I really feel old when I feel cold getting out of bed. I know that cold in Singapore is probably "regular weather" in some countries. I don't know how folks in cold weather countries cope. I know me bones rattled this morning!

Oh, how hectic has my sewing life been the past few weeks? It's been insane. I'm quite amazed I could sew at this rate, just spitting out pouches and bags day after day. But I'm so glad I can take a break.

This weekend at the Iluma Christmas Arts Market, I learnt a few things. First major lesson. The night before a craft market, DO NOT eat any take-away crab smothered in salted duck egg yolk which your husband brings home. No matter how delicious it looks or tastes. It was 1am on Saturday morning and I was still up packing my stuff. Me hubs came home from work and told me about the unusual treat he had brought home. Of course I had to eat it. It was strangely delicious. And oily from the egg yolk. And salty from the egg yolk. And so joyously great to eat. I literally fell in love with me hubs all over again while I was eating it. And thinking happily it was a good thing my kids were asleep as I didn't want to share the crab!

Anyway I woke up with a not-so-good tummy. I felt like the yolk was taking a mighty long time to digest and that gave me a huge headache which raged the whole morning. Great lesson for greedy me. I'm just so glad my kids came along to help me. I was rather snappish in the morning. But my kids were real understanding. I'll post a pic of the delicious indigestible crab later if I can get it from me hubs.

Edited: Yes, got the pic.

Yummy. Crab smothered in duck's egg yolk

Second major lesson. Stock up, stock up, stock up.

Day 1 - table

Day 1 - rack

Day 2 - table only

My stock was pathetic. On Sunday, I had to ditch the rack. Still, I managed to sell a total of 23 bags and pouches! I couldn't believe it. I feel so loved. Muah, muah.

I wanted to try out new lucky tees to wear at my craft markets and wore my Threadless tees on both days. 

Saturday - Sex, Drugs & Rock-and-roll Tee

Sunday - Refresh Your Ego Tee

I sold 3 of my Echino bags. That made me so happy.

Blue Panther Mini Zip Handbag

Red Panther Crossbody Bag

Red Panther Sexy Wristlet

I sold all my zip pouches except this one. I wonder why?

Red Panther Zip Pouch

So I have 2 other Echino bags left.

Echino Fuschia Birds Crossbody Bag

Echino animals/birds crossbody bag

For the brown bag, I wondered if anyone noticed that I used brown houndstooth canvas for the handle? Took me 1 hour just to turn the handle inside out because canvas is very stiff. Ouchy. I did it while watching a TV show.

If you are interested enough to see which bags I have left in my stock, please go to www.projectsbyjane.com

Petra from White Cottage came to visit. Last weekend, her White Cottage partner, Janet came by. Why don't they come together? I was sad Sally from SalangCreation did not sell because she was just next to me the previous weekend and we can yak all day. But she came by to say hi. But I have my dear Vivien to talk to. Plus, she feeds me!  Her girl Amelia sells costume jewellery and owns fabric co - an online fabric shop. Check it out dear fabric lovers. She's giving a discount. Oh, my sister, Elaine came too. And she bought my stuff! She's always showing support for my bags and I'm so grateful for that. Family love. I saw a few repeat-customers who came to buy my bags. I really appreciate the effort. I felt touched.

I shall leave you with this funny (at least I think so) photo of me. Hope it makes you laugh.

See you in my next post.

My Last Craft Market for 2010

Last Sunday on the way home after my Iluma Christmas Arts Market, I felt this wave of exhaustion overcome me. I was thinking that I have ANOTHER craft market to prepare and make bags for when all I wanted was to just sleep till 2011. For a few minutes, okay hours, I actually envied those "handmade" sellers who BUY their products from overseas to sell at craft markets. You know who these sellers are from the huge amount of stock they have on their tables. But no, I soon got over the envy because I'm in this for my passion in bag-making. Although I really, really just wanna sleep till 2011.

Last week I was garang and made Echino bags I thought were cool and women would want. Turned out only 2 women were willing to splurge on them. This week I decided to concentrate on replenishing my stock. (Also, I'm aching all over and still sleepy)

First up, 3 stripey poufy drawstring pouches.

faded red/white nautical

faded blue/white nautical

taupe ticking

Next I made some cotton zip pouches with my favourite print and some remnants.

Pink MoMo

Yuwa Kitty

Michael Miller's Apples

RJR 3 little pigs

faded blue/white nautical

Robert Kaufman's birds print

 I discovered I did not sell out all my zip pouches last weekend. The Robert Kaufman's birds print was the last zip pouch standing.

Linen cotton zip pouches

This week I wanted to make some zip pouches with my linen-cotton print because I LOVE linen-cotton.

Flower linen-cotton slub

Yuwa psuedo cross stitch

Echino red panther

Yuwa polka dots

Oooh, I made a sexy curvy wristlet. I really like the shape. It took me a while to template it. Eventually, the curve looked best when I used a plate from the kitchen to draw the curves. I kept the zipper area a little curved but not too much.

Echino red panther wristlet

I have 6 perfect size lunchtime pouches left and really didn't need replenishing. But I wanted to make a new batch. I modified the casing a little and now the new batch is reversible. Plus I added beads.

Mr's March Antique Rose by Lecien

Green polka dots

Khaki polka dots

Yuwa Kitty

Michael Miller's apples

I think this is all the energy I can summon to make this week. This morning, for the first time I slept 8 straight hours and I felt really good. So I'm ready for my last craft market for 2010.

This weekend I won't be wearing my Roots lucky tee. Me hubs is scouring the net for more Roots tees for me. The one shop that sold Roots tees in Singapore closed down some time ago. So come Saturday and Sunday, I shall need some divine intervention to help me sell my bags and pouches.

Jane & her lucky tee

Last weekend at Iluma, I tried a popular drink sold at a little kiosk near where I sold my stuff.

Bubble Tea

To get this bubbly goodness, you have to join others in a long, long queue. Seriously, would you queue till the road just to get a drink? The black thingy in the milk tea is pearls, I think made of tapioca flour. Very chewy. To be honest, the drink isn't that fantastic. Just like any other ordinary milk pearl tea you can easily get elsewhere. But already I'm thinking of how to persuade my kids to queue up to get me another cup of pearl magic tomorrow! If you're in Singapore, please drop by Iluma to buy my bags and pouches. It's my last craft market for 2010! See ya.

Iluma Christmas Arts Market

18th to 19th December 2010
201 Victoria Street
Singapore 188067
12pm to 9pm both days
Nearest MRT stn: Bugis