If you're only doing one show, taking plastic might cost you more than you'll make. Many processors have monthly minimums, or monthly fees. The ONLY one I might have you look into is PRO PAY. Maybe they have a plan for the one timer, I don't know. But there are rules you as a merchant must follow. In the eyes of the credit card companies, we are no different than Wal Mart and must follow the same regulations. The number one rule is to GET THE CARD AUTHORIZED AT THE TIME OF THE SALE! Too many crafters just swipe the card throught the "knucklebuster" and wait until they get home. If the card is bad YOU LOSE! You see, many states are now making it ILLEGAL to demand a phone number unless the item is being shipped. And when you look at the slips supplied by the bank there's NO PLACE for the phone number or CVV. And that's for a reason. You cannot write them down. Those pesky privacy laws, you know. So what do you do? You put the 800 number on speed dial on your cell phone and simply call in the transaction. It'll take about 20 seconds, but you'll KNOW if the card is good or not. Now some will say they get the phone number all the time. Really? If someone's gonna give you a bad card, do you really think they're gonna give you a good phone number? I haven't given anybody my real phone number in 20 years. And they never knew. My phone number is none of their business. I just rattle off seven numbers or the phone number from my childhood and they're happy. Now I do some pretty major shows. One time a rep from VISA was at the show making purchases. If the exhibitor demanded the phone number OR had a minimum charge amount, they were politely informed this was against VISA policy. And they could have their merchant account revoked. And once it's gone, you never get another one. You must accept the card for ALL purchases, no matter how small. Yeah, it's a pain when somebody buys a $5.00 item and hands me a VISA, but I must process it. Thank God my profit is 96% on that $5. So do you really want to go through all that for ONE show?

You didn't sell the purses because everything else was $5.00 After you rid yourself of the items you longer wish to carry, the purses will move as I believe they are priced just right. We have always had a saying in this business: "Quick nickels are better than slow dimes". And we price our products accordingly. But a secret here is to establish your price and then lower yout COSTS. Thus increasing PROFIT.

I went to a class on felting at the Sewing Expo in Puyallup WA. It was really interesting. She said to check the item every 5 minutes, even if you know it won't be done. That way you find out if it is developing a hole where you dropped a stitch or something or pulling itself really crooked. She also said that it was the agitation that made the wool fibers felt together. Cold water works just fine. Using a bit of detergent seemed to speed the process. She used to use Dawn, I forget what she uses now. Front loaders won't work because you are checking the item, not running it through the entire cycle. Front loaders have to drain before they'll open (unless you have a really old one) and you just waste tons of water that way. My washer is a front-loader, electronic and everything, and it won't open until you hit the drain button. :-( Checking the item is really important for fit - particularly slippers, hats and clothing items like vests. If you run it through the whole cycle it may work for one yarn, but shrink way up on another. You have to check it if you want a particular size. She says a big NO to spin cycle. Apparently it really will crease things up bad, and they'll partway felt that way, or be discolored along the crease. She squeezes out as much water as possible, then rolls it in a towel, then blocks the piece. White or natural yarn will not felt for whatever reason, and pink is very stubborn as well. She suggested felting a swatch to be sure before buying a whole lot of the yarn and certainly before knitting up the whole piece. Swatches are specially important when felting two different yarns together. She showed a hat that she hadn't swatched, and the band around the head had totally shrunk up, but the crown and band had not. It was because the two wools were shrinking at different speeds. She couldn't run it again, the band would then be REALLY small, but the rest hadn't started felted yet. There was no saving it, and it has now become a showpiece of what NOT to do! She listed a gizmo that could be mail-ordered that you could use in a bucket to felt smaller things. Sorta like the idea of a butter churn, it took 20-30 minutes to felt something. Maybe it would be like a knitter's exercise machine! LOL!

Well, you can't undo what has been done to the work you've already completed, so you'll just have to make a piece to attach to the top (or the bottom) of it, to make it taller. You could use the same yarn, or a different colored one....just use the same weight yarn and make it the same way you did the bag, the same # of stitches around,etc and felt it...taking it out periodically, to ensure it ends up the same size round as the bag....then sew it to the top (or the bottom) of the bag, and I'd make a 'big deal' out of this process.... you can't make it invisible, so I'd call attention to it...for instance, sew it together with sewing thread, but then top stitch over this, using some sort of fancy embroidery stitch...I'd use a different color for this, too. I'd then use this different color somewhere else on the bag....more embroidery, tassels, buttons sewed on with it, etc...the idea is to make it look, not like an error, but as if it were planned..(that's why I'd make the 'new' piece in a completely different color)! Good luck.