Pins & Needles

I started doing embroidery in a serious way this winter when I cross-stitched a bunch of Christmas gifts (and one fancy deer). That was so fun that I kept on going and stitching things for myself, just for fun. Then soon I had a pile of finished pieces sitting in a drawer.

And so this is all leading up to the announcement that I'm going to try--for the first time in ten years of Craftstravaganza history--to staff my own booth and make a go of selling like a real artist. I've sold stuff at our shows before, sporadically, but always as a small part of Jenna's Scuttlebug booth. And there was the time I had a half table for one day at SpringCon. But this will be separate, with unique new branding, all my own art. I'm excited... and I have a lot of work to do!

I'm hoping some people will buy my stuff, that's one thing. But also this will be a test to see if I've learned anything about being a good exhibitor in the decade I've spent as an event manager. Come see if I succeed, or crash & burn, on Saturday May 9.

Pre-Shopping Craftstravaganza

For years after we first started Craftstravaganza, managing the event took up most of our time. My wife and I would frequently reach the end of the day and realize we never had a chance to shop our own show! That simply would not do.

It's important for us to give back to our artists, and besides, having the chance to browse and buy from artists that we selected was the main reason we created the show to begin with. So now I have a budget of cash in pocket and plan which booths to hit up so I don't miss anything.

Here are some of my anticipated acquisitions for this year's event.

 Original painting, DC Ice

 Woven scarf, Taillon Made

 Upcycled necktie, AENDEE Products

 Mortar and pestle, Fringe & Fettle Ceramics

Nerdy terrarium, Moss Love