"CRAFT SHOW" TIME
Craft shows are exciting and fun and they will be here soon and, and, and ...you should go to them...........
Wait a minute! Actually they're here now. Everywhere! I only know this because two years ago, I bought a directory of all the craft shows in the area and found out that there are a ton of them all over the place, all year long.
Not just around the holidays like I first thought. But hey, what did I know? Both me and Debbee were totally new to this. I was always more into flea markets. And the flea market people that I talked to said my stuff was really meant for craft shows. But I was not so sure.
I knew that eventually we were going to have to get involved with craft shows if we were going to show off our goods that we made. But where were they all? I would watch the News Herald classified to see what was coming and got some information from the paper. But I knew there had to be more shows. But how was I going to find them?
I thought that there must be an association of craft shows. Afterall, there is an association for everything, isn't there? Or maybe a guild, or a club? I remember making phone calls to places like Farmpark to get information about their craft show, or calling a church in Painesville that I saw in the News Herald classifieds. And I would always ask about this "magic" list of local shows. Where are more shows?
Then finally someone gave me the answer. I wish I could remember the circumstances, but no matter, they gave me her phone number. Yes, yes! This was it! The magic phone number of Jennifer of North Royalton, who possessed all the information anyone can use on craft shows.
She makes the directory called "Northeast Ohio Arts and Crafts Shows". Hallelujah!! "Over 450 shows". And it is terrific! Worth the ten bucks.
I sent her a check. She sent me the golden ticket. And all year long, she would email updates.
What an angel! Craft show heaven. Locations, costs, dates; the works.
After all of that, doubt set in. After all the research, the phone calls and the web searches on finding craft shows, I thought maybe I did not really"belong in a craft show". My stuff was not craft show worthy.
Afterall, when I heard 'craft shows' I thought of the creme-de-la-creme of crafty, talented people who make great things. Like all the great water color artists, or maybe all the great paper flowers centerpiece arrangement makers. Or how about all the great plastic jewelry, bracelet and necklace makers. To me, the craft show rookie, these people were all the graduates of Michael's and/or Pat Catan's, and they got together for one big celebration of their work. Not some laid off salesman who liked to make stuff in his garage. There is some real talent at these shows. The ones who do the quilts always impressed me. That is talent. Some of them are magnificent. I thought "who wants my plant stands anyway when you can get them at Walmart?" Who wants my stuff?
But then I thought about my daughter's dining table that she had for eight years and still going strong and how we could all sit around it for celebrations. Or the wine glass holder on her credenza! And my grandkids toy box and the stools they use everyday for brushing their teeth and washing up. And the utility bench in their garage for taking their shoes or boots off before going into the house.
These "things" are not hidden away. They are being used everyday and used hard.
That's who wants my stuff. People.
People who need to reach something a little higher than they can reach. Hello step stool!
Or get that plant off the floor and show it off proudly. Hello plant stand!
Or just sit down and take a load off while enjoying nature in their backyard. Hello garden bench!
That is who needs and wants my stuff!
Real people!
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