Crafts Shows Not To Sign Up For and My First Etsyversary

• When it's advertised on craigslist and you don't hear about it anywhere else
• When it's way out in the suburbs (no offense to you suburban dwellers- but in case I wasn't sure before- I definitely do not belong there).
  
• When it's held at a volunteer-run WWII Commemorative Air Force Museum
• When a few weeks before the show you receive a "general policies and waiver" form in the mail including policies such as "no ripped jeans"
• When you arrive at the show and see that it's being held in a quonset hangar and your table is all the way at the end by the opening, and it's windy, despite the fact that the organizer told me it was indoors.
• When an hour into the show WWII planes start taking off about 40 feet from my table and the organizer walks around and hands out earplugs

And you certainly should not sign up when the craft show has ALL of those things. Yes, I'm telling you from experience. Needless to say, I wasted my beautiful Saturday morning surrounded by tacky jewelry, bags with over the top beaded handles, cheesy scrapbooky things, and soaps with really strong scents. I just didn't belong there.

Wait, I thought we were at a craft show- what's with the airplanes?

Talking to some of the other vendors, they were telling me how great it was to be at a show with all handmade products. Apparently they've all been to other shows with lots of non-handmade products like Mary Kay and others like that. I was shocked, I've never even heard of such a show. It made me really grateful for the amazing crafting community I've found through etsy, the blogging world, and the great craft scene in the Twin Cities.

So thanks to all of you! And in thanks for being such great crafters, and in celebration of my first etsyversary (I just made that up- go me) I will give a 15% discount to any of you who want to purchase something from my shop over the next week. That's right, I joined etsy and started selling my crafts for the first time a year ago today. It's been great, and although it's a bumpy road and I'm still learning A LOT, I really feel like I've come a long way- from bad photos and some questionable sewing to what feels like much more professionally made and unique products. Just write "etsyversary" in the comments to seller and I'll adjust the paypal invoice.