First Craft Show of the Year

After doing several craft fairs/shows for the last few years, it's hard to believe that the Beach Plum Festival at Island Beach State Park on Sunday, will be my first show of 2011.

As much as that surprises me, it's even more shocking to know I do not have another show booked for the rest of the year! Hmmm, I might have to do something about that.

So since the hurricane, the hunt for beach glass has been quite disappointing. Unfortunately, the hurricane came in near high tide, and wreaked havoc with the dunes. By tearing up the dunes and dragging the sand down the beach and into the surf, the hurricane essentially buried anything that was stirred up by the rough ocean. Had it come in during low tide, the high winds and rough surf would have tore apart the lower part of the beach and probably uncovered sea treasures that have been buried for a couple of decades.

Oh well...we were lucky the damage wasn't worse...very lucky.

If you're in the area of of lower Ocean County, NJ and have nothing on your calendar for Sunday, stop by Island Beach State Park.

'til next time...
R

Beach Plum Festival- Island Beach State Park, NJ

One of my favorite fall events, The Beach Plum Festival in Island Beach State Park, runs this Sunday, September 12th. The showers projected for Sunday appear like they will hold off until late afternoon/early evening.

Last year's festival was well-attended, as evidenced by the huge customer lines waiting to purchase jars of Beach Plum jelly (sorry, I'm already turning down orders for a jar of the unique jelly...and I'll have my DH standing in line all day to fill family orders...lol)

If you opening weekend of the NFL doesn't thrill you , and you're looking for one more day at the beach, head over to Island Beach State Park (just south of Seaside) It's a beautiful state facility with miles of gorgeous beaches. Stop by my display if you come down and say Hi!


A new payment processor is about to come on the scene and perhaps pose a challenge to Paypal, the leading online processor. The company is still in pre-launch and is offering a decent promotion for members who join. Currently PayBox is offering a $50 sign-up bonus, and offering members to voice their opinions on what we would like to see from a payment processor.

http://www.paybox.me/r/ridethewave

At this time, they aren't asking for any financial info, just a name, email address, log-in and password and your in. Attracting possible more sales with a new processor is well worth the 60 seconds it took to sign up and verify my email address. Take a look and let me know what you think. http://www.paybox.me/r/ridethewave


Hope to see you at the show!

R

Summertime and the end of finding sea glass...

Well Memorial Day has come and gone, and there's only a few more weeks before school is out for the summer. Soon it'll be time for the pool everyday, ice pops and baseball games, fireworks and occasional trips to the beach.

The beach will no longer be mine to share with the few locals that enjoy the solitude of an empty beach. This will certainly mean a temporary end of finding sea glass washed up on the beach by the tides. Instead the "bennies" will bring their long nets and scoop up the shell beds in the shallow water, hoping to find a couple "gems from the sea". They will leave the remains of the what their nets scoop up, along with their trash (I know those that love handmade are also equally eco-friendly as I), and eventually sometime after Labor Day, they'll venture back home. If I'm very lucky, I'll find a piece or two on our trips to the beach, and maybe my crew (the boys) will stumble upon a few pieces.

And just maybe, like a few years ago, a jewelry-quality piece will show itself in the summer surf....and hopefully, I'll be ready to pounce before one of our visitors to the beach scoop it up with their nets.

CreationsByRobin will be at the following venues over the next few months...

June 18th- JerseyMade in Mount Holly, NJ This will be an EtsyNJ get-together at the all-handmade brick & mortar store. If you're in the area, stop in...you never know what kind bargains or sales you might find! I'll be at the shop from 6pm to closing.

July17th- The Handmade Faire- Freedom Park, Medford, NJ- In this blogger's opinion, the BEST Show of the Summer! Last summer there were approx 90 vendors and thousands turned out. If you love handmade, then this is THE show to attend!

September 12th- The Beach Plum Festival, Island Beach State Park, NJ- Spend the day at the beach, and check out the handmade goods. Come out and extend your summer...I'll be in the same location as last year- right in front of the stand (and not to far from the beach plum jam)

See you at the shows....or on the beach! 'til next time....

R