Hand Crafted Business Owners UNITE!
(Disclaimer: This was actually written in 2016. I cannot believe that I didnât post it... ugh)
AVAST THERE MATEYSâ!!! Thars a storm a-brewing within the community of hand crafted business owners....do you feeeeel it? Do you seeeee it? Â Do you understand it?
Let me paint a picture for you..... bear with me, I will get there.
Have you ever attended an ARTS and Crafts event?
If you havenât, then you should. Â They are pretty awesome in all of their glory. Â Rows and rows of small home based businessâ selling their wares.Â
There is enough yarn in all of the crocheted items that if unwound, would circle the globe at least 4 times. Â Enough Tutuâs to clothe the New York Ballet! Bows so that every man, woman, child, dog, cat and iguana could have one in every color and style! Jewelry!!! Oh the Jewelry! Â So much jewelry that every ear lobe on the planet is not safe from being adorned and every neck surrounded in sparkle! Â Wreaths made from pine cones or pipe cleaners or (more)yarn or burlap(burlap?) or linen or Christmas tree ornaments hot glued together so that nothing shall separate them... not even a strong West Texas wind....all tied together ..with?... a bow.
The are items made from wood; from door shutters; old table tops;tree branches; door knobs (which are adorable necklace holders);clothes pins and spools..
Stained glass, wind chimes, lawn ornaments and painted _________(pick one: plates,saws etc).
...and items made from fabric...oooohhhh the fabric. Â Purses, backpacks, makeup bags(me), tablet covers, aprons, bibs(also me) and messenger bags(me again)..
and last but not least; the food.....yummmmmm. Â you have both your savory: Jars of veggies, salsas, pickles, peppers.... and your sweet: Fudges, cakes, jams/jellies and cookies.
The list can go on and on limited to only the artists imagination.
Everything is made by someones own two hands (and their helpers if they are lucky to have them). Â These people have utilized their own time and their own money to throw their passion into a handmade _________(insert whatever), for you to purchase. Â We are a proud group. Â We take our craft seriously, I say we because I know that I do... and of all of the craft events that I have been too I have yet to meet an artisan that does not.
Those that are lucky enough to have a studio area to work in I salute you (and I am a little bit jealous), but then there are the rest of us whose homes perpetually look like they are loosing at a game of Jumanji.... yet we soldier on, making the widgets that we hope you will buy.
We pack up all of our beloved widgets and pack our cars to the point of bursting.  If you donât own a trailer, but own a SUV (like we do), then your teenage years of playing Tetris have not gone to waste because you will FIND a spot for each and every container that you need to take!!  We get up at the break of âOh Hellâ, have a cup of coffee or three and head to the event in time to set up.  Passing many a rooster and waking them up for a change.  We hustle to unload and lug our containers into the venue (among all of the other vendors doing the same)  The event starts at 9 and they donât let you in until 7.  so we have 2 precious hours to unpack and set up our booths.  Placing our objet deâart
