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Show-Me Music & Arts Festival

The time has arrived!  After months of planning, it's finally time for the Show-Me Music & Arts Festival!!  This Friday, Saturday and Sunday, June 17-19.  This is the first festival of its kind to come to Springfield, MO.  Top artists such as Tim McGraw, Trace Adkins, Gretchen Wilson, Big & Rich, Kellie Pickler, REO Speedwagon, Train, One Republic, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Sawyer Brown, Joe Nichols, Little Big Town and many more will grace the main stage for the three-day festival!  There will also be a tent with local artists such as Big Smith, Mark Chapman, Machine Gun Symphony and more!  Camping and RV sites are available, as well as a Kids Zone Area!  And don't miss the celebrity chef and comedian tents as well as the 40+ arts and crafts vendors that will be there!  See items from Kel's Custom Designs, ArtbyBelle and Cathy's Crafts!

Kel's Custom Designs got the invite in January and has been anxiously awaiting its arrival ever since!  

With all the entertainment and things to see, there will truly be something for everyone at this family-friendly event!  Check out www.showmemusicfest.com for more information!  Hope to see you there!

I'm Moving to Halfway!

You might be asking yourself "Where the heck is Halfway?"  Well...Halfway is half way between Bolivar and Buffalo!  Pretty creative naming tactic if you ask me.  :)

I'm also happy to say that today is the last day I will have to pay rent.....at least in the forseeable future.....

With that being said, I will be taking the month of June to clean, pack, move, unpack, organize, etc.  I do have a couple of shows coming up (Jen's Country Cuts' Customer Appreciation Day this Saturday, June 4, and the Show-Me Music & Arts Festival, June 17-19), and will continue to prepare for those!  If you have special orders, please bear with me as I move from place to place to get them completed. 

I'm excited to get all settled in and start creating again!  Thanks for your continued support! 

On This Memorial Day...

Remember the soldiers who gave their lives to defend this country.  

Traditional observance of Memorial day has diminished over the years. Many Americans nowadays have forgotten the meaning and traditions of Memorial Day. At many cemeteries, the graves of the fallen are increasingly ignored, neglected. Most people no longer remember the proper flag etiquette for the day. While there are towns and cities that still hold Memorial Day parades, many have not held a parade in decades. Some people think the day is for honoring any and all dead, and not just those fallen in service to our country.

There are a few notable exceptions. Since the late 50's on the Thursday before Memorial Day, the 1,200 soldiers of the 3d U.S. Infantry place small American flags at each of the more than 260,000 gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery. They then patrol 24 hours a day during the weekend to ensure that each flag remains standing. In 1951, the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts of St. Louis began placing flags on the 150,000 graves at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery as an annual Good Turn, a practice that continues to this day. 

More recently, beginning in 1998, on the Saturday before the observed day for Memorial Day, the Boys Scouts and Girl Scouts place a candle at each of approximately 15,300 grave sites of soldiers buried at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park on Marye's Heights (the Luminaria Program). And in 2004, Washington D.C. held its first Memorial Day parade in over 60 years.

To help re-educate and remind Americans of the true meaning of Memorial Day, the "National Moment of Remembrance" resolution was passed on Dec 2000 which asks that at 3 p.m. local time, for all Americans "To voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to 'Taps."  The Moment of Remembrance is a step in the right direction to returning the meaning back to the day. What is needed is a full return to the original day of observance. Set aside one day out of the year for the nation to get together to remember, reflect and honor those who have given their all in service to their country.  

Courtesy of:  http://www.usmemorialday.org/backgrnd.html

Also, on this day, we will remember those who lost their lives and their homes in the tornado that destroyed the town of Joplin, MO.  While the town is 70 miles away from where I live, the impact has reached Springfield, MO and has greatly humbled the residents of this community.  People are pulling together to support the town directly to our West in any way they can.  Big Fish Tees is offering stylish T-shirts for $10 and 100% of the profits are going to disaster relief efforts.  And there are COUNTLESS other organizations and groups donating items and money, volunteering, housing/rescuing animals, and just being there for support.

So, this Memorial Day, honor those who served this country and those who have passed on before us.  Tell and show the ones you love how much they mean to you.  Do it today.  There might not be a tomorrow.

Jen's Country Cuts Customer Appreciation Day

Next Saturday, June 4, my friend (and hairdresser), Jennifer Holman will be having a Customer Appreciation Day for her friends and customers from 7 AM til 4 PM.  Jen's Country Cuts is located at 120 W. Main St. in Walnut Grove, MO.  She is fortunate enough to own her own business and it just happens to be behind her home!  She loves the town and everyone in it!

During her Customer Appreciation Day, she will have drawings for hair products and services, as well as a drawing for $50!  She will also be serving hamburgers from locally raised cows (from her parents' farm), and there will be a bounce house for the kids!

It's definitely worth the drive!  Her prices are so affordable and she always does an amazing job.  She also features my jewelry in her shop!  So, of course, she has asked me to participate in this years' Customer Appreciation Day!  I'm honored to participate and proud to call her a friend.

Thanks, Jen, for all you do! You are an amazing, beautiful, outgoing person, wife, mother, daughter, granddaughter, aunt, sister, and friend.  I'm looking forward to next Saturday! 

My Etsy Shop Is Open For Business!

I've FINALLY decided to start adding items to my Etsy shop!  I only have two items listed for now, but there are many variations of these items!  Hopefully I'll get more added this week, but I'll be working hard preparing for this Saturday's Craft Show!

This Saturday, May 7, I'll be in Bellefonte, AR (just South of Harrison) at The Depot Truck Stop for the Second Annual Spring Fling Festival!  This awesome event is put on by the Touched By An Angel Community Giving Program, a local Not For Profit Organization.  Several different bands are lined up to play and several vendors will be set up.  There will also be a silent auction, a bike show (and ride, weather permitting), and a horseshoe tournament!  

BANDS SCHEDULED:

Wrathogen Solace, Harrison, AR

Kickin' Kountry, Harrison, AR

Good Literature, Springfield, MO

Nocturnal Loons, Harrison, AR

Project Straight Jacket, Harrison, AR

Christopher Dees and Friends, Harrison, AR

If you are unable to attend and would like to donate to the cause you may do so by contacting The Bank Of The Ozarks.  The Depot will be donating 10% of the days sales to the cause.  Don't forget to bring your lawn chairs!

Check back often for more items on Etsy!  Also check out my website and Facebook pages to keep up with upcoming events and new items!

One Of A Kind!

I've been doing a lot of creating lately!  There are several craft shows coming up and I want to have plenty to choose from!  

I've been looking for unique strands of beads at flea markets to re-purpose into jewelry.  I no more than got these items in the door at work, when someone snatched them up! 

  
I'm planning on hitting a few flea markets this weekend to see what other treasures I can find! 

It's Time For A New Look!!!

Kel's Custom Designs is getting a whole new look!  My prices and customer service will stay the same (after all, I believe those things set me apart from other artists, designers and crafters), but my website, business cards, postcards, and banner are all changing!  I'm excited about the changes that have taken place in my business so far (new ideas, new designs, new events), but this really takes the cake (mmm....cake)!

First of all, I've re-designed my website.  For now, the layout is the same; a basic 5-page template from Vistaprint.  But the design has completely changed.  This weekend, I will be adding a shopping cart/E-commerce feature for online sales.  Up to this point, I have been selling at crafts shows, via friends and family, and through word-of-mouth on Facebook.  It's time to expand my market!  Here is a screen shot of my newly designed website: 

 

Also, through Vistaprint, I was able to design matching business cards, postcards and a new banner to be used at craft shows!  

With the new design, I thought it was important to add my Facebook and Twitter information to my business cards and postcards.  I want to be accessible to everyone on every platform for customization and special orders.

I think everything turned out great!  I'm excited to design other promotional products through Vistaprint such as T-shirts, coffee mugs, magnets, tote bags, etc.

What do you think about my new look?

Mimi & Colette

This week I'm featuring a WONDERFUL shop I discovered on Facebook.  Mimi & Colette is located in Palatine, IL and makes an assortment of re-usable, upcycled and functional items.  Her handmade items are reasonably priced and, if you ask nicely, can be customized.  

Her re-usable Swiffer covers caught my eye right away.  While I liked the selection of colors available, I thought I'd ask for a special color combination.  Alice quickly replied with a message eager to honor my request.  I was impressed right away with her willingness to go above and beyond.  She created a special listing in her Zibbet store, and notified me that it was ready for purchase.  I paid that night and she shipped the next day.  

My custom Swiffer cover came very well packaged.  Like a gift, really.  It even included a handwritten thank you card! 

I am VERY pleased with the work she does and the level of customer service she provides.  In addition to the thank you card, she even included a small cloth to match the cover!

If you're in the market for a gift or something for yourself, please take a look at her store.  If you would like a different pattern or color combination, just ask.  A seller's willingness to oblige is an indication of the customer service you will receive during and after the sale.  In times like these, customer service is VERY important.  I commend Mimi & Colette for the level of customer service they have provided and continue to provide to their customers - whether they be first-time customers or loyal repeat customers.

Mother's Day Shopping Expo

Make plans to attend!  This will be a one-stop-shop for Mother's Day gifts!  You'll find items from jewelry to bath products to on-site photography and more!!!  Come join me for a wonderful day of fun and excitement, where you are sure to find the perfect gift for every Mom on your list.  Food will be provided by Wild Plum Cafe.

When:  April 16 from 9 AM to 4 PM

Where:  Lamar Memorial Hall, 1104 Broadway, Lamar, MO  64759

I will be accepting custom pre-orders since Lamar is an hour and a half away from where I live, and you never can tell just how busy I'll be!  Check out my website and follow me on Facebook to see some of the things I have created!  

Hope to see you there!

Other vendors/artists who will be in attendance:

• The Gourmet Cupboard
• Lily's Ribbon Extravaganza
• Scentsy
• Mary Kay
• Kactus Flower
• Usborne Books
• Tastefully Simple
• Lynda Killingsworth-crochet & stuffed animals
• Miche Bags
• Just Because-Lampwork Beads
• Ann Bush
• Premier Designs Jewelry
• Creatively Designed Photography
• Jewelry In The Rough
• Shelly Keener-knit items & bows
• Essential Bodywear
• Button Man Company
• Kris Silver-Fused Glass Pendants
• The Shops at The Gallery
• The Urbane Peach Boutique
• The Pampered Chef
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