What a fun thread! I made the loop potholders as a little girl. I liked to polish sticks up and desparately wanted a rock tumbler but my parents said it was a gimmick and wouldn't buy me one. (A couple years ago i visited CalamityJ and she gave me one, finally!) I was so excited when I learned to sew in 8th grade at school. I taught myself to embroider around the same time, my mom embroidered but didn't sew. My Memere (Mom's mom) did everthing, and very well. I also one of those plastic children's looms as a little girl but I wasn't very good at it. I remember the knitting knobby but didn't do well with it. I just saw some things - necklaces- at the farmers market made out of those "ropes" from the knobby today! Somewhere along the way I learned to knit and crochet, but I prefer crochet. I used to make and sell terrariums in Almeden wine bottles. And I macrame'd in my late teens and early 20s. I had one of those piggy banks made from a bleach bottle made by my Memere. My other grandmother was a cook and a gardener, but she got one of her friends to crochet clothes for a little doll that I still have and love. One Christmas my mom and Memere knitted me a whole shoe box of beautiful Barbi clothes. Memere made my Chatty Cathy an incredible wardrobe as well. I think many of these things are still at my Mom's house. My mom gave the old doll carriage that had been hers and then mine to my niece, her grandaughter, and I haven't dared to ask her what happened to it now that she is grown up. My Memere made a little quilt for it to go with when it was passed on to me, and I wish I had that little quilt. I have some of my Mememre's quilts, and I have an unfinished one that I started for me. In more recent years I decoupaged a lot, especially some lamps. I scrapbooked a lot for several years, now I'm wondering if I should get rid of the supplies. And I have so much glass for the plate flowers and totems, and molds for concrete objects. Now I am mosaicking. I wonder if I'll ever settle on one or 2 things? Kathy

Thanks for the report - only 65 days 'till Christmas and people are already starting tpo buy for it here...

Danaoh, I have a show tomorrow and am also in the same spot as you. We went to look at the space last week and like Arlene said, they are letting us spread out. The spaces in the main room are 8x8 and for the same price we will have double the space. Only time will tell, but we may ask for the same spot every year. lol Wishing all you fellow crafters great shows.

I went to a house sale in Hollywood Hills in a lovely hillside home that was benefiting children with some illness. Several ladies planned it. The home was emptied of furniture except for tables, end tables,dining tables, coffee tables & several trees were decorated with salable items, they also had the patio set up with tables, card tables & I think a pool table. They had cookies & punch or coffee(before you worried about hot coffee getting spilled) but the eating had to take place in 1 area of the patio.(garage perhaps if cold there) this was 1 fine home, the upstairs was off limits. The downstairs bathroom was black marble, large pieces(12x18in with gold vein imported from Italy) floor, walls & ceiling, toilet & pedestal sink were black with beautiful gold faucets,very fancy, & glass shower with gold fixtures- everything spotless & nicest bathroom I've ever seen. It was a very comfortable experience as everyone there was very nice,helpful if you asked about something otherwise left you alone to look. Tables were in center of rooms so you could walk all the way around them since dining room tables were large,with plain colored table cloths on them but that way you could have taller items at center of tables & flat things that weren't breakable near edges of tables. I think a couple of card tables on patio were covered with a 4x8 piece of plywood to make large table out there, a round table was a large piece of plywood cut to 60 or 72 in or removed from a table like that & placed on something else, maybe a built-in bbq. I did that with 60 in round piece on a card table once but you need to have someone there so they don't tip it, think my hubby anchored it to the old card table some how but some don't. There were few pics on wall not for sale but too hard to move but otherwise personal stuff was moved out. We could tell a lot of work went into it. Lucky for them it was lovely day so no problems with rain or snow like you might have to deal with & heavy coats etc. I would keep the food & drink in 1 place tho, as we used to have "dime-a-dip" luncheons & I saw people take their foot & grind spilled coffee or food into the carpet instead of trying to get it up with a paper napkin or asking for a damp cloth to try to remove the spot. Hope it works out well for you! And do help her with cleanup. So many times at different functions whether PTA,school or church minute people are full they "have to go" so rest of us always got stuck cleaning up, most times it was OK as fun bunch but if 2-3 are stuck with ton of dishes to clean-no fun!! Jan