Hillsdale High School is holding a holiday/craft Fair , Saturday December 12th. We are looking for vendors that want to sell their goods. They need to be affordable and marketable. We have a lot of jewelry vendors, so we are looking for other ideas. We are only charging a flat $100.00 for a 6′ table and a donation for the raffle. We expect a very large turnout so this will give you great opportunity for sales. We are in a great location with heavy traffic and this will be well advertised. We intend to make this an annual event.
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Can you please tell us about the upcoming Petaluma Downtown Craft Mart and who might be interested in attending. Kristine McFarland: The Petaluma Downtown Craft Mart is the brainchild of five Petaluma crafty ladies who have done our share on the craft fair circuit in San Francisco, Sacramento and various places in the U.S. We all realized that there isn’t one definitive fair in Sonoma County, and really wanted to create a unique event to highlight the wealth of talent we have up here, to create a buzz to showcase such talent and create a crafty culture that has been missing. Nicole Vasbinder: We also want to create an event that is inclusive of the whole town. Something that will attract all ages and people from all different walks of life. That’s why we have vendors that represent the indie side of the craft community as well as vendors that are a little more traditional. We are also super excited that it’s right next door to TAPS brewpub as there will be a place for the dudes to hang out who otherwise might not come to a craft fair. Ha! Carrie Caudle: This is a great event for families to attend. There will be a number of adorable gifts for little ones, and kids can find reasonably-priced things to get for their parents, too. I love having an alternative to the mall for family shopping! And any place where hipsters and grandmas can mingle is all right by me.
I am sure you are excited about arranging and promoting a fair of your own. How has this process developed? Nicole: It came together pretty organically. After I opened StitchCraft in January 2008 I started meeting all sorts of crafty people in Petaluma. I’m a natural networker and starting talking to people about putting on a craft show in downtown that would get foot traffic and would be centrally located. 
Elaine, Melissa, Carrie and Kristine all said that they would want to help plan and that’s how we got together.
Seems as if Petaluma is becoming a hub of independent thinking. do you think it is the new home of the D.I.Y movement ? Nicole: I know! It’s a pretty special place. We have so many talented people in Petaluma as well as special events like Whiskerino and Butter & Egg Days. And Sonoma County is home to companies like O’Reilly Media (Craft Zine, Make Zine and Maker Fair) and events like Handcar Regatta. Maybe it is the new Craft Mecca! Elaine: I’m a little biased in my answer, having moved to Petaluma when I was 5 and basically living here since. The green valleys, the swirling winds and the early fog, just make an artist’s heart leap with joy. Petaluma is positioned in a way that nurtures creativity and I find it very exciting that so many liked minded hearts are finding their way here… Melissa: We definitely have something going on here and it’s in our blood as a community. We are known for originality in so many areas
How did you come up with a product that is valuable, useable, and almost totally green? Being a bookbinder, I was well aware of the piles of paper in the production process that just goes to waste. I had been saving this waste for years and trying to think of a use. When I discovered the huge supply of books that libraries have no choice but to discard, I was able to put the two things together. Although I am pleased that my journals are almost 100% made from reclaimed materials, I really can’t take that much credit. It just happened that way.
Not only did I find the exact crowd to sell my journals too, I soon learned how much I enjoyed being a vendor.
What advice can you give new crafters that are entering the market place? If nothing else, just have fun. It is more important to make friends then to make money. There have been many times I’ve come home from a day of miserable sales, but I can honestly say I still managed to enjoy myself.
linen bags inspired by little red riding hoods picnic basket, fun home decor items like toilet roll cozy’s, plushies in the shape of poop dollops and rotten teeth, coffee cup cozy’s that double as wrist cuffs, utensil burritos that hold your utensils for lunch on the go, pin cushions in the shape of egg. Many things I make are embellished or adorned with cute creatures, have satirical messages which are appliquéd or hand screen-printed, stenciled or stamped. For example the toilet roll cozy’s are hand printed with an anthropomorphic poop dollop and a translation of the word “CACA” in other languages. I have Japanese and French so far. My travel utensil holders are screen printed with animal kingdom feeding behaviors and their definitions such as Carnivore, Omnivore, Herbivore and Fungivore. My poop dollop plushy, well it’s just cute. I’m just starting out so in the future I hope to have even more.
What inspired you to go into the craft business, do you still have a day job? I’ve always dreamed of working for myself. Having a quirky sense of style I noticed that there were a lot of crafters out there making things and selling them. It just seemed like people were making really unique and interesting things that were functional, and artistic. Things you would never find in the main stream. That kind of got my mind going and I just decided that I wanted to make things that reflected my own sense of style. Voila here I am.
