I have been quite busy this week but nothing FUN to share! I know...how boring! I've just been finishing up some work for my Dad, easing back into my day job (yes, my Mat leave is almost over....so sad!), getting ready for Easter and planning a "First" Birthday Party! Crazy hey...what a fast year!

On another note, I'm booked for the next Some Good Market at Canon Wood Hall on Saturday, April 13th. There will be a lot more vendors this time round...it's 2 floors this time instead of just one! I have so much "to do" for that and I honestly don't see when I will get time to get at it. I have a lot of restocking to do from the last market! Oh my, I fear I won't be able to sleep thinking about it.... putting it out of my mind now!

Lastly, the reason for this post. I had a somewhat strange email last week, from an associate producer of Come Dine with Me Canada. I thought it was junk mail at first but it turned out to be legit. I guess they came across my blog somehow and wondered if I would mind spreading the word...

Looks like they're coming to St. John's this summer and are looking for contestants! So all you wanna-be chefs out there, go apply and make us proud! ...I think my husband should apply! hehe! He makes some mean dishes when he gets in the mood to cook! And he can break out his guitar (or zillion other instruments) and entertain the guests! ^_^

"Some Good Market... Goes To Town" was a hit on the weekend! I had a good time and made lots of sales! Every time I partake in a craft fair it just makes me want to do more and more! Here's a pic of my table. The tables were smaller than at some other fairs, but I was in the center by myself so people could access my bags from all sides! Sweet! ....However I do need to invest in a sign I think! Just a small one to hang on the front with my bunting.

 Working on a few custom orders this week...and a gift for a friend!

I received my order of "soft-oleum" from Above Ground Art Supplies today so I tried some block printing again. I'm still not getting the results I wanted! I may go ahead and order some different inks that a friend suggested! Maybe that's a part of my issue.... I'm just not getting enough coverage. The image I am printing is quite "filled", so I will try an outlined image first to see if that works better.

My test fabric...

Quick update...

Finishing up a few bags for the Some Good Market this weekend at the Canon Wood Hall on the corner of Military Road and King's Bridge Road. I have a table booked so come on down for a peep! Lots of vendors will be there! Should be a great time!

I was lucky enough to hang out a little last week with Renee Scott from Brindy Linen and she lined me up on Block Printing! Yay! Looking forward to having some block printed bags made for the Etsy Shop and the Farmers' Market this summer! Keep checking in! It's all new to me but I think I'm gonna love it!

Also, working on a new pillow.... the Moose!

New Bunny Pillows in the shop! 

A sweet little white bunny printed on a lovely cotton and linen blend fabric. The pillow back is made of a pretty black and white pattern fabric. This little pillow, which also serves as a plush toy, would make the perfect gift for Easter or any time of the year really! 

Take a look...    www.SHbyLana.Etsy.com

This week....

1. Finished up a linen dress that I started last week for myself! I used the Built By You Series, from Simplicity. Pattern no. 3835!

2. I also added some felt applique on a bargain shirt I bought at Old Navy for August back in the fall. I knew we would be going to Florida this month and none of her summer clothes would fit her obviously..so I grabbed it for $2.97. When I got home though, I noticed there were a few rips in it! No need to fret...just cover it up! Took all of 15 minutes!

3. I went shopping yesterday for a few things for the trip...a new neoprene case for my camera! Love it! ... And a few odds and ends for August. Of course, she needs to be able to hear the cartoons on the plane ride down south! What's better than Minnie Mouse headphones! Rockin'!

4. Lastly, I downloaded a few new apps for the iphone...PicFX, Viddy, Camera! and Snapseed. I've been enjoying the light leaks and bokeh from the PicFX app (as in the picture of August above). I've also been enjoying making some videos of August using the Viddy app. My only problem with that one is that I can't add my own music. There are a few options in the app but very limiting! It's pretty new so I'm sure it will be improved upon soon..as more people start joining and begin leaving comments and reviews!

***I just have to say...

I wrote about taking some new pics of my hoop art a couple of posts back! It worked... I get daily hits on them now on the Etsy Shop! And was even added to a few treasuries and "hearted" a bunch! The power of good (or at least "better") photos!

I added a few new items in the shop today! Lovely linen and cotton reversible baby dresses. Boy do these look cute! I started out designing a pattern to make one for August. It seems that I estimated wrong because the first was too big (maybe a 18mo+) so I cut the pattern down and tried again... still a little too big (12-18mo). I have to give it one more try over the weekend...this time I think I will get it! But the good news is that now I have a few for the shop! hehe! I think they're just adorable!

It's true what they say, it's very difficult to price your work! There are many formulas but if you ask me they're pretty much all the same! The only difference I find is that you multiply the wholesale by 2 to 2.5 to achieve the retail price on average! 
This one comes from the Etsy blog!

Materials + Labor + Expenses + Profit = Wholesale x 2 = Retail

So lets break the dress down:

Materials - $20

Labor - $15/hr for a total of 2 hours, $30

Expenses - $0

Profit - $5

$20 + $30 + $0 + $5 = $55 x 2 = $110

Now, being a new mom and knowing the mess kiddos get in $110 seems a little steep for a dress but in order to run a profitable handmade business this is what you would have to charge, especially if you're selling in shops. This doesn't even include the time it takes to design the dress. Also, if you notice I didn't include anything for expenses in this model. This would normally include things like Etsy fees and commission, packaging, shipping supplies, advertising, gas to go get supplies, etc.

So here's a little look inside the world of pricing handmade goods. It's a hard thing to do! And if you check out the shop, you'll see I sell most everything for wholesale prices on there! They say NOT to do this because you run the risk of undervaluing your work but when others are low balling their work it's difficult to ask for more sometimes. Ultimately, you have to stick to your pricing and hope that shoppers will make good choices when looking for items and understand the hard work that goes into making handmade goods!

I've been playing around with some Etsy photography this past little while. I had a great spot in the old house for taking pictures...my daughter's nursery! But I'm trying to find a "good" spot here in the new house! 

I tried making a light box using this tutorial, but I wasn't completely happy with the result! I haven't wrote it off yet (it's in the basement) but the pictures weren't as bright and nice as I would have liked! Knowing me though, I probably didn't have the light in the right place... or enough lighting! 

A little while after this, I read a blog post from Stacie Bloomfield of Gingiber and she demonstrated how she took some photos for her Etsy shop so I gave her method a try! She simply bought two pieces of foam board and created a little cubicle next to a window and voila, instant bright, clear pictures! So I did something similar!  This seemed to work better than the light box for me. Although, I did set this up on a somewhat "snowy" day but I can see how it could be great on a bright, sunny day! 

 The Results: