I know everyone is getting sick of me talking about nothing but the market in Chicago and my etsy site.....This posting has very little to do with either.

Yesterday I made a quick little trip to NYC to see a friend from college and visit the BUST magazine Craftacualr. I wanted to go because I would like to be a vendor at the Craftacular next year and wanted to see if it was worth the several hundred dollar table fee. My sense is- yes, it's worth it. There were so many people you couldn't freely walk, turn or chat with a vendor. It was packed.
As my friend said- you could have robbed Brooklyn blind, everyone in Williamsburg was at the Craftacular. It was a sea of thick rimmed glasses, indie t-shirts, young Dad's wearing a baby in a pouch, and short brimmed military caps. I have never really considered myself hip or a hipster, but apparently I am a little. I got a bunch of compliments on my re-purposed plastic bag, my homemade skirt and I even knew a few of the vendors from chatting on the etsy forums and chat rooms (yes there are chat rooms for the crafty). It was nice to put a face to a name and product.
The show seemed to have a fairly even split of screen printed t-shirts, jewelry, handbags, and crochet hats. It was also like many other shows in that there was a handful of really beautiful products, some moderately nice things and some stuff that wasn't well executed or displayed. Even in the craft world there is always a Walmart.
After the Craftacular, with a BUST magazine, some remnants from Repro-Depot and a couple of indie printed tshirts in hand we headed to Katz's Deli. I had half a pastrami sandwich as big as my head. We talked about the finer points of When Harry Met Sally and the pregnant Cliff Huxtable dreams greasy meat might induce. I even had my first egg-cream soda. As Martha might say: It's a good thing.

Soon it was time for me to head back to CT, and finish my craftiness for the Chicago Show. T-minus 5 days and counting!