what a wonderland: Crafty Wonderland and lessons learned

Here we are! Crafty Wonderland, Sunday November 8th 2009 and a little booth for ouou. I've got to say, this was my first craft fair since childhood Girl Scouts but it was probably just as fun. The following photo shows where my booth was, the words "table ouou" are actually written over my sister's back... so there you see I took the picture facing away from us, but along one of the 5 isles where people were set up.

There were 40 other vendors, tons of Etsy artists, even some people I recognized from the streets of South East Portland- here I am among my heroes! Does it sound silly? Working a craft fair in this town is like some crazy combination between the first day of opening your very own storefront and playing shop in the dress-up corner.

At first, seeing my 2' X 2' table made me a little nervous. Remember those two suitcases *full* of cards I mentioned? Yeah, it was way too much stuff. Celeste and I scored a second table, and while entertaining my nephews we managed to arrange quite a bit of stock in the 4' space with enough time to spare for a walk around the block to clear my head.

The boys and my sister had to go back home for much of the afternoon, what with naps and being toddlers and all that. There were a lot of older kids there, 3 to 8 year old's who looked pretty comfortable. I would have liked to talk to more sellers about their experiences but I was too shy, maybe at some future shows I'll be able to come out of my shell a bit. My friends arrived after a little over 2 hours, which was great timing to refresh my spirit (and grab a bite to eat!). I couldn't wander far, though, giddy as I was. I just wanted to keep seeing who would turn up next!

It was a busy show, with a great crowd of vendors and customers. I would do it again in a heartbeat. I'm a little sad that Crafty Wonderland is canceling its every 1st Sunday monthly craft fairs in favor of seasonal fairs, but I also feel like I got to be part of something special by attending this one.

Here I am saying "Don't take my picture!". Sadly we didn't get any follow-up shots so this will be the one. :0)

Craft Fairs 1, 2, 3

It is a crisp, clear autumn day here in Oregon and I am enjoying it from indoors, warm with some tea and the messiest darn room you could imagine. Yes, friends, I seem to thrive from the chaos-order-chaos scenario of getting things done, and this little ouou is making a big mess in preparation for her very first craft fair. I have these two days off (my weekend now falls on Wednesday/ Thursday) to sprint to the finish of a million small tasks before we are ship shape for Sunday's show.

Crafty Wonderland is a monthly craft show here in Portland, Oregon that really gets hoppin' as the Christmas season looms. I had the option of either participating in November or December's show. Since this is my first craft fair and I'm on a budget, I decided to test the waters in November and observe how I do. I know some people prepare for these fairs as far in advance as May, so this November scramble I'm going through is certainly the first page of notes in an adventure of craft fair schooling. ;)

Along for the ride, of course, are my sister C (who just recently re-opened her Etsy shop) and my two twin nephews, MNJ and SL (who will be auspiciously celebrating their 15th month birthday Sunday, Crafty Wonderland day).

Since coming back to my blog I haven't yet caught you up on the boys, but those little babies from summertime have grown into little toddler engines this fall. My fast and furious pace is scheduled around the framework of naps, groceries, mealtime, bedtime and all the other unpredictable daily grind of a twin toddler household. The boys and my sporting sister will be accompanying me throughout the day so that we all might glean some tips from Crafty Wonderland this Sunday, so you'll get to see plenty of pictures of the whole family next week.

Alberta Street

The draw in moving to Portland was not just having my big sis to adventure with, or watching my twin nephews grow and explore their world, but also the promise of an abundant and thriving art community. I have the luck of working for a company that embodies old world artisan spirit and therefore work alongside numerous local artists, but have found this first year in Portland that the way you enter into the community of artists is not just by creating, or through work contacts, but with the support of friends.

local printmaker Emily Riley and our shared table outside at
Last Thursday on Alberta Street yesterday

One such friend is Emily Riley, a truly skilled print maker and painter. She is a member of the Talisman Gallery, a cooperative gallery on Alberta Street in NE, and one of my closest friends in town. I'm pretty familiar (and comfortable) with selling online; much of my business plan is still focused on the Internet as means of communication, networking and expression, but Emily has played a role in encouraging me to show my drawings around town, in person, despite my shyness, hesitations, scheduling conflicts... or all the other road blocks that have manifested since arriving in this arty town.

Yesterday I left the glow of the computer behind to set up shop at my first ever outside booth. Attending Alberta Street's Last Thursday was a complete blast, with the constant river of people flowing by, odd parades making their way down the street, and such pleasant weather after a day of overcast foreboding skies. I was surprised to find people were eager to talk about art, process, and other sellers out that night whom they had enjoyed pouring over. It was great fun.

ink drawing on woodblock print BELONGING
by Emily Riley

I was surprised, also, by just how inspiring spending a night out talking about drawing, printmaking, design and other local artists could be. It was very, very hard arriving home at 11:30 p.m. and not cracking open the sketchbook.

ouou shows off her wares; single cards,
stationary sets, journals and original drawings

I feel as though I'm entering into the weekend with bold exuberance for some fresh new drawing, as well as mindful that I've been posting about a new year with new experiences lately- only to stumble into one such experience! :D Find out more about Emily's art at her website here, or visit her Etsy shop here.

More Autumn color tonight, this time from a neighborhood walk some days ago around the Mt. Tabor area. What is this amazing bush that has these wonderful purple berries!? I was so glad I had my camera at the ready (and it wasn't raining. this is Portland, after all).

I have been sketching, I promise... and here's a sketch to prove it. Things may be really up in the air for me right now but it feels very good to have a goal of increased creative output, the first most immediate goal being new designs for the Gocco. More sketches to come, both here and on my Flickr. Short post tonight... it's my Friday!

Happy Etsy*versary

my workspace last year

Step 5~ Don't Despair!

Hi all. Today is my 1 year anniversary on Etsy... or (since I'm not on Etsy right now) as an Etsy artist. I only just happened to recognize this while fiddling with my account this morning before leaving for work. Sure, I started thinking "...wow..." about how far {we've} come since last year, but it also made me feel sentimental and reassured about the decision to reopen.

Although the shop is not quite up yet, things are coming into focus in that arena. I bought envelopes and supplies and had a few days to try out some new designs. This year I don't yet have a desk, or a printer, so many things seem precariously balanced, but the same sort of leap was needed last time around. Celeste and I are talking about visiting the Holiday craft fairs in town ~ Portland is a hub of crafting ingenuity. If any of my readers are in the area at the end of the month, my coworkers and friends are participating in the Sunday Best Holiday Sale--- go check out their wonderful blog and be sure to stop by the sale itself!

Otherwise the company of my big sis, snoozing twin nephews, and Return of the Jedi are cheering me up this evening and helping me to shake off the remaining jitters. I hope everyone out there is looking ahead to a bountiful Holiday season, a super crafty weekend, or maybe just some sunny days. And, may the force be with us, everyone! :)