Wow. I can’t believe it’s been a week since I last posted. I’ve never worked so hard in such a short time. Ever. If you’ve been following you know that I’ve been busy prepping for the big Spring One of a Kind Show (OOAK). Well the show has come and gone but my poor feet will be recovering for at least another day. I’ve done a few craft shows but nothing like this from the loading to the unloading and everything in between. I’ve realized that I’m horrible at taking photos of events I’m part of. I’m not apologizing because I’m choosing to be present rather than experience it all through my lens but that will explain the photos (or lack there of) from the 5 day craziness.

I wasn’t sure what to expect – in the end some expectations fell short but others went beyond what I could’ve imagined. I met so many awesome people, gained over 100 new Instagram followers and had some pretty fab feedback so I think overall it was a win.

This was the first and last in-focus photo I took. The OOAK show ain’t no Mickey Mouse operation. Look at that sign. I was one of a small group of vendors in the special Etsy section. It’s a great place to start for your first show because you have a manageable space and you’re automatically part of an awesome group of people with the support of such a well-loved brand. I got to know my talented neighbours Erin from Merrily Design and Isabelle from Oh La La verrrrrrry well. Thankfully they’re awesome. Can you spot my red top knot?

I was on my own for this show so that means I spent 11-13 hours a day behind this table for 5 days. My face is saying heeeeyyyyyyy but my feet are saying ‘hell no’. I didn’t think I could be so thankful for a $17 Ikea chair. Finding a way to display my plates on a 4’x2′ table was a challenge but that’s when I’m most creative. I came up with this display on a tiny budget ($20). Recognize that paint colour from a recent makeover?

My favourite part was seeing and hearing people’s feedback to the plates. I got sooooo many chuckles and comments about the plates being so clever and original and I can’t complain about that at a show called One of a Kind.  The most uttered phrase of the week went something like this:

SHOPPER: can I eat off these? 

ME: no (smile) they’re just decorative

SHOPPER: so I can’t put them in the dishwasher? 

ME: no (smile) they’re just decorative

If it was a drinking game I would’ve been drunk by noon every day. I’m going to look into what’s involved in making them food safe but no promises.

I’m not totally sure the OOAK show was the perfect audience for these kitschy pieces but they sure got a lot of attention from the press which frankly made me blush. They were featured on HGTV Canada, Flare, Toronto Life, and even made a TV appearance on Daytime Toronto. They also were part of the OOAK main display and featured in a fab presentation by Cynthia Zamaria on the main stage.

Two major highlights of the show is that you’ll probably see my plates in a super awesome store coming soon and someone from Martha Stewart (!!) gave me their card and told me to get in touch. #foreal

The Be Your Selfie plates were a big hit. I snapped a photo of Olivia from Milk & Heels magazine taking a selfie with the selfie plate. Is that meta enough for you? And can you just imagine the dialogue that was going on between this mom and her daughters? Treat Yo Self or Bitch, Please it’s a big decision.

I went through this crazy craft experience with my BFF Emily and her adorable and feeling induced soy Campy candles. She’s smiling because she’s just happy not to be the one planning this craft show. Have you checked out a Handmade Harvest show? You don’t know what you’re missing.

After five lonnnnng but great days it came to an end. It took two full days for 450 vendors to set up the show but about 30 minutes to break it down. You’ve never seen so many exhausted people hustle so fast. Someone needs to make a doc about the behind the scenes craft show world. Seriously, it’s crazy and magical all at once. There were times I felt a bit like a carnie.

And with that, it’s a wrap! Will I do it again? I’m not sure but it sure was a memorable experience. It did motivate me to hustle harder when it comes to my Etsy shop so stop by soon to see a whole bunch of new plates available to buy while you sit at home in your PJ’s.

Thanks to Etsy Canada & OOAK for hosting and a shout out to all the incredibly hard working artisans and the shoppers that support handmade products!