Hearts + Crafts Indie Craft Market: Summer 2011

So, I was at the Hearts + Crafts Indie Craft Market outside Java's Cafe in Rochester, NY this past Sunday.

I am so bad about getting photos of shows posted right after a craft show. It always takes me a few days to recover... About one day to recover physically (for some reason, craft shows are so tiring!) and the rest of the week to recover my house after neglecting housework for the week before a show!

The weather was a little crazy. We got rain, thunder, and sunshine...all in the 7 hours we were there! Luckily, we were underneath an overhang that covered the sidewalk, so when it rained, no one's tables got really wet. And the rain didn't last long and soon gave way to hot sunshine that made steam rise off the wet street. But there was a blessed breeze that occasionally blew through the street between the tall, downtown buildings, so it wasn't unbearably hot. (Thank You, Lord!)

As always, I was freaking out the week before about not having enough stock, and I had way too much! There were actually some monsters I didn't end up putting out! (~gasp!~) There just wasn't any room! I have to remind myself that doing a show where I only have a 6 ft table space is much different than a show where I have an entire 10 x 10ft space.

I did have to stock up on Nubbins after my last show on the 4th of July. Nubbins are always the most popular item.

I made some new signs for the "Bunny Nubbins" and "Owl Nubbins".

Mom came, as always, to help me out and be my backup. In return, I gave her a corner of my table to sell her coffee cup greeting cards, post-it notebooks, and "Monster finding" binoculars!

The girl on one side of me was brand new to the craft show scene. This was her second show ever! She made these beautiful paper flower arrangements. The most impressive part was that she hand makes the paper herself! She was a sweet girl. I hope she does well and continues to grow her business!

On my other side was my fellow RNESTer John of Jackbear Stamps. One of the other booths, Peace Love Bird, were giving out paper moustaches on sticks...so John took inspiration and made himself a paper beard! (Beards or moustaches? Which is the cooler trend?)

All in all, it was a great show. I had lots of fun seeing people from other shows... fellow vendors and customers alike! As well as a few people who I wasn't expecting to see (and you have that "out of context" moment where you can't figure out who they are!).

I recognized this little girl and couldn't remember where I'd seen her beautiful little face before. As she was examining the Nubbins, she told me "I already have some of these! You did a show at my school!" and I realized where I'd seen her before! She was such a sweetie! And...her mom bought her a new monster (which I'd just finished last week!)

(*image credit for above photo: Lisa Barker)

I had a great time. This show is a keeper! You can go here to see some more photos of the show, taken by the show's awesome co-organizer, Lisa Barker! :D