SWE CRAFTACULAR Wants YOU!!!

WE WANT YOU!!!!!

 We really do! We are still looking for vendors and crafters to take part in our 4th Annual Craftacular Craft & Vendor Fair. Spaces start at only $35 (with discounts for SWE families). All money raised from booth rentals goes directly to our PTA. Our PTA will then use the money for things like school improvements, updating our technology and, most importantly, finding resources to help our families in need.

This will take place on Saturday, November 5th, 2016 from 9am to 2pm at Southwest Elementary School in Durham. You can find us at 2320 Cook Rd. not far from Southpoint Mall.

If you would like more information please click HERE.  

Hope to hear from you soon! 

Meet the Vendor: Tara Parrish- Tarandipity Designs

 Another vendor who will be at SWE's 3rd Craftacular Craft & Vendor Fair. Remember to show your love by going to any of the social media sites that our vendors are sharing and "LIKE" or follow them.

 

 

 

 Hi, my name is Tara Parrish! I'm a wife & mother of two! My shop name is Tarandipity Designs. I started creating baby headbands & bows shortly after my daughter was born. I design all different styles but specialize in NFL/College/Sports teams & also Wool Bow Headbands! I'm really looking forward to participating in this years Southwest Elementary Craftacular! See you all there! 

Tarandipity Designs

www.tarandipity.etsy.com

Facebook: Tarandipity Designs

Instagram: @tarandipitydesigns

These are great photos so why not show some love for the photographers as well by checking them out at the following places:
http://www.raleighfamilyphotography.com/

https://www.facebook.com/jessi.caparella

 

http://www.momentsbymegan.com/

 

Remember Craftacular is coming up on Saturday, November 21 from 9 to 2 at 2320 Cook Rd., Durham, NC

 

Keep It Local, Folks.

So, the beauty of an event like the Southwest Elementary School's 3rd Craftacular Craft & Vendor Fair is that it gives us as a community the opportunity to support local and independent businesses. Each person that has a table at the craft fair is some one trying to support themselves and or their family in some way. They are artists, crafters, food vendors and independent consultants. They work hard at what they do; be it creating something from nothing or promoting a product they truly believe in. 

Each person has their own reason for doing this. For some, it's about making a little extra fun money. For others it's a way to support their families. Their work helps put food on the table while often times allowing them a schedule that allows them to stay home with children or another that may need their help. Whatever the reason, they work hard at what they do.

Countless hours are put into building their business. Time spent promoting themselves, their art or their product online. Not too mention creating art or displays for shows. Time is spent talking to people. They spend time talking to themselves, convincing themselves that they can do this, that others DO value their work. 

I know this because I am one of these people. I have bounced between selling my own art as well as being an independent consultant for a direct sales company. For me, I get the most joy out of creating and sharing my own work. It's just what works for me. I know how hard it is to suck it up and put yourself out there. I know how quickly the wind can go out of your sails when a show does poorly but I also know the buzz you get when a show goes well, when your items are selling or at least getting oohed and ahhed over. I know the sweat, tears and stress that goes in to this.

Because of this I want to make this show the best show it can be for all those involved. Support local and in doing so help support your community and our school.

I hope you will fill up your cars and trucks with all of your family and friends and take the time to come out and see us on Nov. 21, 2015. It means a lot to a lot of people. It means a lot to me.

I shall hop off my soap box now and leave you with this:

Meet The Vendors: Bags By Betty 54

Now comes my favorite part of the blog, introducing you all to the people who will have tables at Craftacular Craft & Vendor Fair. Today I would love for you to meet Betty & Danielle of Bags By Betty 54!

Hi everyone! We are looking forward to being a vendor at the upcoming Craftacular in November! We are busy working on new items to have at the sale but wanted to take a moment to introduce ourselves to you!
Our shop name is called BagsByBetty54. We have a shop on Etsy and will also be on the new Handmade by Amazon which will be launching this fall. You can find our shop at: www.etsy.com/shop/bagsbybetty54 
The shop is named for my mom; Betty; who lives in Michigan. I'm her daughter, Danielle, and I live in Burlington, NC. My mom loves to sew and quilt. She creates everything you see in the shop. I handle all of the shipping, communications, and shop setup. She comes to visit us in NC about every 6 weeks because I have a 3-year old daughter that she loves to spoil and play with! We both love to travel and visit Florida and Disney World as often as we can! We sell baby toys and quilts, table runners, casserole carriers, and purses. Everything is one-a-kind and cannot be replicated. This makes for a very unique, special handmade gift. We are looking forward to meeting you all in November at the craft fair!
Thank you!
Betty & Danielle

I hope you will all stop by their shop and check them out. There is some REALLY cute stuff there. Also make sure to stop by and say hi on November 21 at SWE's 3rd Craftacular Craft & Vendor Fair!

Things Are Starting to Get Real

Things are really starting to fall into place for this year's Craftacular! We are starting to get a ton of inquiries about spots for the craft fair. This year should definitely prove to be the best one of all. If you know of ANYONE who would like to participate in this year's Craftacular Craft & Vendor Fair have them contact us at swecraftacular@yahoo.com or send them directly to the website http://www.swepta.com/craft-fair.html. We are accepting applications for artists, crafters, entertainers and direct sales companies. All the money earned from the renting of spaces goes directly to Southwest Elementary School's PTA to be used for all sorts of things that the school desperately needs.
Another way we make money at the craft fair is through a bucket raffle that we hold during the event. Each of the vendors offers a prize to be raffled off. Raffle tickets are $1 each OR, our more popular option, $20 for your age in tickets. It's a lot of fun and we always have some wonderful prizes.
Keep watching this spot. Shortly I will start featuring vendors so that you can see exactly who will be selling there wares this year.

Tell your friends!!!!

We Are Back!!!!!

I am sooooo very excited to announce that the date for Southwest Elementary School's 3rd Annual Craftacular Craft and Vendor Fair will be Saturday, November 21, 2015!!!! More details will be coming your way shortly.
I am very excited and hope to make this event bigger and better than anyone could imagine!

Here is the link to our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SWEcraftfair . You can like that page and keep up with details. Vendors will be on a first come first serve basis with last year's vendors receiving first dibs.
If you applied in the past please watch your email for a message coming soon. Help spread the word and support our school!

Scholastic Book Fair

Have I mentioned that SWE PTA's Craftacular Craft & Vendor Fair is coming up on Saturday, November 15 from 9 to 2 at 2320 Cook Rd. in Durham? I have? Oh, well have I mentioned that on that day we will also have our Scholastic Book Fair open to the public while the craft fair is going on? Yep.
In the school's media center you will be able to purchase books from Scholastic. There are a number of books that are available only in hardback at your regular bookstore but Scholastic sells paperback versions. Your purchases at the book fair also directly benefit our school as a portion of those sales gets donated back to us.
Stop in. Check it out. Tell your friends.

Book Harvest

Book Harvest will be joining us at SWE PTA's Craftacular Craft & Vendor Fair on Saturday, Nov. 15 from 9 to 2. If you live in the Durham area and are not familiar with Book Harvest you should be. It is a great organization dedicated to getting new and gently used books into the hands of kids from low-income families who may not otherwise have access to books in their own homes. These kids are even given the chance to choose what books they want for themselves. The books aren't chosen for them. This can give a kid a real sense of power and an eagerness to read what they, themselves have picked out.
Book Harvest has a variety of programs available to help disperse the books. They have Book Babies, Books on Break and Community Book Banks. You can find out more about these programs HERE. The thing is, they actually need books to be able to GIVE books. If you have them, feel free to bring your gently used children's books with you to the Craftacular event to donate to Book Harvest. They take books of all reading levels as they give books to kids of all ages.
This is truly a great way to help out the community right here in Durham.
Stop by the Craft Fair and say hello!

We Love Our Libraries!

I love libraries. I think they are wonderful places. They give people chances to read things they may not be able to otherwise. I know I couldn't afford to buy all of the books my kiddos and I are interested in. It's very important for kids to have access to books of all sorts to help inspire that love of reading. While you are visiting SWE PTA's Craftacular Craft & Vendor Fair on Saturday, Nov. 15 from 9am to 2pm, please stop by the table that will be set up by the Southwest Regional Library and check out what your Durham County Library has to offer people of all ages.
Here is a link you can check out if you are too excited to wait until Nov. 15 to see their offerings.
http://durhamcountylibrary.org/location/southwest/

And the Applications Begin

I am so happy to say that we already have applications coming in via our PayPal site. I am really excited about this year's event. I can NOT wait to see what wonderful items will be available.
One of the things that we do at the Craftacular Craft and Vendor Fair that is a big hit is our raffle. Each vendor will be supplying an item for the raffle. Last year there were some amazing things on that table. Again, money earned in the raffle goes right back into the school.
Stay-tuned because I will soon be gathering bios of our vendors so you can meet them before the event and plan your shopping list accordingly.

If you are interested in joining us as an artist or a vendor you can find all if the forms here: http://swepta.weebly.com/craft-fair.html

We Need Artists & Vendors!

Please join us for this amazingly fun event we have planned as a fundraiser for our school. We have learned a lot from last year's fair and can't wait for you to join us this year to make it even bigger and better!
If you are interested Click HERE for all the forms that you will need.
Please note that any direct sales companies such as Avon, Mary Kay, Tupperware, etc. will be limited to ONE representative based on a first come/ first serve basis.
And, just in case you are wondering, we already have a Thirty-One representative.

As we receive applicants I will feature artists and vendors right here on this blog.

We're Back!!!!

Here it is... The news you've been waiting for... We will be having our 2nd Annual Craftacular Craft & Vendor Fair on Saturday, November 15, 2014 from 9am to 2pm.
We learned a lot from last year's fair so we hope that this year will be even bigger and better. We are still planning on having food trucks, tons of vendors, entertainment and a raffle.
All the money we earn will once again go to Southwest Elementary School's PTA so that we can do some wonderful things for our school like help towards updating our schools technology.
We hope you will join us either as a vendor or a shopper at our event.
For more information on becoming a vendor please feel free to shoot us an email at swecraftacular@yahoo.com

Stay tuned for more information on getting a booth or participating as a food vendor or entertainment to come tomorrow...

It's The Final Count Down...

I can't believe that in just a few short days we will finally get to enjoy the SWE PTA's Craftacular Craft & Vendor Fair. THIS Saturday, November 23 we will get to see the labors of all our hard work. Don't get me wrong, there's still A LOT to get done but we will get there and it will be awesome!

The one thing we still need is YOU. We need people to come out and support the wonderful vendors and artists that we are STILL adding to the list. We need you to come and show some love to the food trucks who are graciously coming to spend the day with us. We need people to come and purchase raffle tickets and try to in some fantabulous prizes. We need you to come out and applaud for the entertainers... ESPECIALLY for me when I put on a Thanksgiving/Hanukkah story time. We need you to come out for the camaraderie.

Please join us this Saturday, November 23 from 9am to 2pm at Southwest Elementary School, 2320 Cook Rd., Durham for the

SWE PTA's 

First Ever

Craftacular

Craft & Vendor Fair

If you don't I will probably take it personally. No pressure though. ;) 

Meet the Vendor: Jennifer Hosenfeld

Here's another of our fabulous vendors for our upcoming event on Saturday, November 23 from 9am to 2pm.

1)      Your name and the name of your business

Jennifer Hosenfeld, Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant

2)      What will you be sharing at the event?

Holiday gift ideas, booking facials/paries, skin care and makeup

3)      How long have you been doing this?

            8 months

4)      What is your favorite thing about doing what you do?

I love making women feel beautiful and special!

5)      What is your favorite book?

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

6)      How can people get in touch with you?

Phone: 919-480-9562

e-mail: jennifernc@marykay.com

website: www.marykay.com/jennifernc

7)      Is there any piece of trivia about yourself that people might find interesting or amusing?

I started selling Mary Kay because I won a free makeover after buying my wedding dress, and loved the experience!  Now I’m working towards making Mary Kay my full time job!

8)      What did you want to be when you grew up?

Teacher

9)      What is your favorite animal?

Dog

10)   Do you have another ‘real world’ occupation or hobby?

Self-Contained Special Education Teacher

Meet The Vendor: Gail Aiken

Here is yet another of our wonderful vendors for the upcoming CRAFTACULAR Craft & Vendor Fair.

1)      Your name and the name of your business

Mrs. Gail Aiken, CEO of  J.A.S. Event Consultants,  LLS

2)      What will you be sharing at the event?

I will have Holiday Baskets. The products in the baskets will be well known AVON products since I’m an Avon Representative as well. I will have different types of gifts sets for women and for Men. Also, you will be able to order other gift items for Christmas. 

3)      How long have you been doing this?

I have been creating different types of crafts for ten years now even before I began my business.  I’ve always love being creative.  I’ve done Christmas Ornaments, Ladies Jewelry, Knitting, Crocheting, and Latch Hook items.

4)      What is your favorite thing about doing what you do?

It’s very enjoyable creating craft but even more enjoyable watching the customers pick out what they like. Also it’s great to just make things for my family and friends as gifts and see their faces light up as they open it!

5)      What is your favorite book?

The Bible

6)      How can people get in touch with you?

My cell number is 919-949-0919 and my email is gamom14@hotmail.com

My new website is being redone at this time, so just call me!.

7)      Is there any piece of trivia about yourself that people might find interesting or amusing?

When it came to my education, it was all about getting the education to work as a professional in Business. I graduated with honors in Business Management and minor in Retail Management, but I truly wanted to major in the ARTS.  I really wanted to be a Singer and Actress! But I did as I was told, I end up getting a job at IBM when I finished college and I’m currently out on a Medical leave from being a Project Manager at IBM.

8)      What did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a Singer!

9)      What is your favorite animal?

A dog

10)   Do you have another ‘real world’ occupation or hobby?

Yes, I’m also currently CEO of my own Home Base Business.. The Company by the name of 5LINX has given me the opportunity to make extra money to pursue my creative passion. I want to be able to do J.A.S Event Consulting full time one day and with the residual income I’m making from my Home Base Business with 5linx, I know I will be able to do that!!.  Ask me how.