Yep, it's official.  I'm crazy.  I had been thinking, "When I finish Handstitched Class, I should really take it easy for awhile.  No big events.  I need a break!"  And then, when I heard about participating as a vender at the Indie Craft Parade, a very cool craft show in Greenville, SC, my good intentions met their doom.  Being in a craft show just sounds so... fun.  And the event falls right before my birthday.  It would be like a birthday present to myself, right?  Oh, and I could share the entire process with you?  Surely, that's a win-win? 

All of those question marks are in acknowledgement of the logical errors therein.  I know with my brain that doing a craft show is a ton of work with financial considerations.  But, my heart is like a kid envisioning that idealistic summer lemonade stand.  It's all fruity like that.  Oh, and there are pennents at the Indie Craft Parade.  Those are almost as good as ric rac.

image courtesy of Indie Craft Parade

So, I applied just to get the decision off my mind and found out early this week that I'm in.  There was a token day or two that I let pass before paying my vender fee, but really, I knew I was hopeless.  Here are the official details:

*Indie Craft Parade runs September 7-9 in Greenville, SC to the tune of thousands of guests.  Tickets to get in for the Friday night Gala are $25.  Admission is free on Saturday and Sunday.

*I'll be bringing a variety of items I've made for classes and magazines that I've been storing away for about a year with the vague thought of doing a craft show someday.  If I enjoy this process (and actually sell stuff), I may do the Indie Craft Parade each year as my annual unloading event.   This will free me up to create without that nagging "who is this for?" feeling.

*I'll also be making about 50 new items in specific categories that I hope will be marketable.  I chose things that I like to make anyways and that allow me creative expression like baby quilts and journal covers.  I'll share more details about my inventory strategy in a later post.

*I have to design a booth!  Holy molly, this is the scariest part!  How to display all these items, how to tag them, what about a sign, background, bags?  There are lots of questions here.  I've already done some brainstorming and I bet you'll help too!

Ok, what do you think?  I know that I'm crazy (see opening statements), but haven't you ever dreamed of doing a craft show?  Don't you think it would be fun?  Later when I admit that I'm feeling totally overwhelmed or if I don't sell hardly anything you can say "I told you so" but for now, dream a little with me?

Also, if you have questions, go ahead and ask them.  I'm looking forward to sharing the behind the scenes on craft show prep. As a serious newbie, it's sure to be amusing, if not educational!