Need craft fair scrapbook advice

[happycampers]

My church is having a craft fair in a couple of weeks. I've been getting greeting cards and different paper crafts ready to sell there. I've been working on some small premade scrapbooks as well and I'd like some advice.

Of course, I'd love to hear, "They are gorgeous. You won't have any trouble selling them for $1000."

What I really need is constructive criticism, ideas for improvements, and suggestions for pricing. I also need help with the NA baby faces. They don't show up very well by themselves. Everything I've tried would only look appropriate on a messy eater page or in Tammy Fae's baby book. I've done colored markers, brown only, colored pencil, watercolor pencil, pencil, chalk.

These are 6x6 albums. Both are very similar on the inside with blue and pink versions. I thought they'd make a cute brag book for a new grandparent (or parent).

Lots of Cricut (AMU and NA), some sizzix, sewing on every page and mat.

Here are the covers:

Page one:

Page two/three:

Page four/five:

Page six/seven:

Page eight/nine:

Page ten/eleven:

Page twelve/thirteen:

Page fourteen/fifteen:

Page sixteen/seventeen:

Page eighteen/nineteen:

Page twenty:

Thanks in advance for any advice or opinions you can give!

 

[Faerie]

I think they're adorable! I'm so bad with pricing though so I'm useless there

 

[happycampers]

Obviously, all of the sewing is not showing up well in the pictures. Each page has machine zig zag stitching around the mats (as well as in other places).

 

[Kim1964]

I haven't the slightest idea what they should go for, but they are wonderful!

 

[calanniebu]

How do you do the zig zag stitching - regular machine?

 

[wdwmickey]

Those are so cute!! Lots of work too! I'm sure you will sell them, I just can't give you a price. When I've sold albums at silent auctions they always go for about what it cost for materials. So I don't try to sell my work anymore.

 

[happycampers]

How do you do the zig zag stitching - regular machine?

I used my machine for all of the sewing on this project.

 

[happycampers]

Those are so cute!! Lots of work too! I'm sure you will sell them, I just can't give you a price. When I've sold albums at silent auctions they always go for about what it cost for materials. So I don't try to sell my work anymore.

It's funny that you mention auctions, because that was one of my ideas for what to do with the albums if they don't sell. My kids' school has an auction every year and asks for donations. I could donate and get a tax deduction or save anything that doesn't sell for baby gifts.

I really tried to keep the cost of materials down. Most of the embellishments are the Cricut cut-outs and the sewing (paper, thread, there are a few brads and some ribbon). I got what I think was a pretty good deal on the books ($4 each). Most of my investment is in the time it took to cut out and sew.

When I look at what other premade pages go for and consider that these books are only 6x6 (I have some 8x8 ones I need to finish.), I was thinking $40-$50. DH was thinking $50-$60. Fifty would be right in the middle. That would be $2.50 per page for 20 single pages. Does that sound like too much? At that price, I'm still not working for much with how many hours went into it. I hate to charge too much, but I don't want to work for pennies.

 

[rlovew]

They are adorable and obviously a lot of work. I am not good with pricing things.

For the baby's face could you use wiggle eyes and maybe a red circle for the mouth. Otherwise suggest they cut out a picture of their child to go on the face.

Rebecca

 

[happycampers]

The googly eyes sounds like a good idea. I'll have to try that.

 

[piratesmate]

Have you ever seen the Create-A-Face download from One Little Spark? Although I haven't tried it myself, I've read that it works with Sizzix. There is a link to the program here: http://www.onelittlespark.org/create-a-face/

I first read about it on Karlum's site. She has some samples of her cards that show people made with the Sizzix dies...but their clothes are much more awesome than plain Sizzix ones!! I thought the faces were really cute. She has a link to a download with directions on her page also.

ETA: Sorry - I was so busy getting the info to share about the faces I completely forgot to tell you how great those books are!! Sadly, I'm another one who's lousy at figuring prices. Knowing how much work goes into them, I'd say you and your husband are probably pretty close to what people will pay for them. Of course it really depends on your area, your clientele, the rest of the craft fair, the weather, the mood....

A number of years ago I sold hand-painted wooden ornamental pieces at our church craft fair. I had a friend help me with the pricing since she did this also, quite successfully, at various craft shows in her area - about an hour & a half away. The pricing didn't seem to be a problem and I sold about $200 worth of stuff in about 7 hours at an average price of $6.50 per item. My friend took her things to a show the same weekend & sold over $800 worth of stuff. BUT her stuff sold out in 4 hours...these were the same type of items & priced the same way. The difference? She'd been doing it for years & she had a "client base". People would walk up & simply say, "I'd like one of everything new this year."

 

[happycampers]

Those are some cute little faces. The New Arrival babies have faces on them that were cut by the Cricut. They just don't show up well. I don't know if it's because of the small size, the color of the paper, or what. I don't know how I'd line up those facial features with what's already cut out on them. I guess if I made other babies I could use the blackout feature so that it wouldn't cut the eyes, nose and mouth. Then it might work doing those faces as a home made rub on. They are cute.

That's amazing the differences in the shows. I'm sure a client base does help a lot. I've heard mixed results from so many people. I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much, but when you've invested a lot of time and money for supplies, it's hard not to. This is the first craft fair our church has hosted. I'm not sure how much that matters. We do have a soccer league on our fields right next to the church, so there will be some traffic. Hopefully they won't just come in to browse.

 

[MazdaUK]

have a look at what things are going for on e-bay, or google "pre-made albums" and see what you come up with. The problem, I think, is that people who appreciate the work are those likely to do it themselves. Some friends were looking at my albums last night and said "you've put a lot of work in", but they wouldn't do it themselves, and they wouldn't pay someone else to do it for them because its not that important to them. grandparents are more likely to pay up, because they haven't got all the expense of the baby How about having some bookplates available "My special grandson/daughter....." as a "free with purchase" incentive?