Handmade Hollaaaaa

I don't particularly love writing when I'm not inspired to, but I know how curious you all are about the results of Handmade Harvest.

I would be too.

The reason I'm not inspired to blog this week has nothing to do with the success of the show.

It was OUTRAGEOUS.

It has everything to do with the fact that my inspiration reservoir is being drained slowly into the shop.

It's our Christmas Flip Week so Blackbird has been closed since Monday and Colleen and I have rearranged the entire place and started all new displays with new merchandise to boot.

It's a winter wonderland in here.

Actually, a blizzard of boxes and bubble wrap...but it will be.

Better be.

By 6pm tonight.

Join us tonight from 6 to 10 for the big reveal and between 15 and 40% off your purchase (shoppers draw candy canes at the cash).

Also for cider.

Maybe with rum.

Unless you're pregnant and not allowed to have any fun...like me.

But back to Handmade Harvest.

Friday afternoon at 3pm, tables were delivered and carted up two flights (by Colleen and Dad...not me) and the painstaking task of fitting a square peg into a round hole began.

By 5pm some eager vendors had begun to arrive to get acquainted with their space and our first ever craft show started to take shape.

With the help of our ever generous team of volunteers (mom, dad, Brad, Christine, Amanda, Terri, Sarah, Kristen, thank you thank you thank you) we began furiously (and at some points ferociously) making maple cotton candy (oh my gosh what a mess, but admittedly kind of fascinating) provided by Fulton's, stuffing swag bags, trouble shooting for vendors who were less than enamoured with their allotted spaces, setting up the Christmas tree for the photo shoots, hanging signage and bunting, etc, etc, etc.

We were amazingly out of there by about 7pm.

Out for a quick dinner with girlfriends who came all the way from Toronto for a crafty weekend, and then home for a sleepless night of tossing and turning over "what if this whole thing is a major bust tomorrow?"s and "what if the vendors are mean?"s and "what the heck am I going to wear over my hugenormous belly and still look half way decent?"s.

I woke up at 6am (Colleen totally woke up earlier than that so I can't complain) and arrived at the hall for 7am sharp.

Crafters starting piling in and the place started to take shape.

Fast.

By 8:15am, on the promise of swag bags to the first 50 shoppers, people began to line up.

By 8:45 there were at least 75 anxious shoppers in line.

By 9:30 I began to pray that the fire marshall wouldn't show up and shut us down for being over capacity.

There was a steady stream of shoppers until at least 4pm.

Some were there spending their big bucks right up until the end.

It was amazing.

Emily Chen of MChen Wears

Melissa DiRenzo of The Sweet Escape

Jenniewren adorable handmade stuff for kiddies

Phlox hand appliqued onesies

Renee DesChamps beaded jewelry

Happy Shoppers!

We will DEFINITELY be hosting another show in the Spring.

In a MUCH bigger venue.

Thank you to Jill Guthrie of jemmTale Photography for these shots, and for a long day of free holiday photo shoots. If you're ever in need an event photographer, family portraits or just great shots of the family, give Jill a call. Not only is she an awesome photographer, she's really nice and cute to boot.

So there it is.

Craft show success!

And on to the next.

Hope to see you ALL tonight.

xo Em