I’m going to share a table at a craft show in a couple of weeks with another Workamper. I haven’t done that in eleven years so this should prove interesting.
When we lived in Bellingham, Washington, I used to do craft fairs with my sister, Scrabblebuff, almost every weekend from September to December each year. We never made much money but usually we covered our expenses and had enough profit to go buy more supplies.
Since I moved away from the Pacific Northwest and my little sister, I’ve realized that part wasn’t really too important. Mostly what we did on those weekends was spend time with each other. We empathized with each other if her stuff was selling but not mine, or mine instead of hers. (while trying not to feel too smug about it) We’d try to figure out what we could do better next week and make plans to increase production of the things that sold well. Sometimes we laughed the whole time. There were plenty of weekends when we bickered like sisters tend to do. But we were together. And we got to wear our Christmas sweatshirts too.
I moved to California in 1997. Once there, I only tried to sell my crafts at one small fair . My son went with me and we had a good time but it wasn’t the same. So I stopped doing the fairs and turned to to internet to market my dollhouse miniatures. Financially, I was quite successful on line, but alone in my craft room, in front of the computer, somehow wearing those Santa sweatshirts wasn’t quiet as much fun.
This past Spring we spent nearly a month at Scrabblebuff’s house, near Tacoma, while we waited for my son’s wedding in May. We went shopping together, and played endless games of Scrabble. We debated the relative merits of the candidates and the relative merits of our shoes. (we are both diabetics with foot problems). While we didn’t do any crafts, she did pull out her fancy new computerized sewing machine and fixed my privacy curtain for the motor home. I wish we’d had a little longer to play. I miss her.
So when my friend and I go set up our table, I’ll enjoy making a few dollars while selling some of the scarves and Christmas ornaments I make as we travel the country. But I’ll also be remembering the fun my sister and I used to have doing this. And of course, like before, whatever does n’t sell, she’ll get for Christmas!
See ya down the road,
Yarntangler.
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I used to do craft shows too, but I always did them by myself. Occasionally I would take my niece with me, but mostly just me. I made teddy bears, stick horses, appliqued dish towels, bath salts and home made soap. I loved doing the shows but have only done two in 8 years since I started living in the travel trailer.
My friend Lynda and I are thinking about doing some this winter, though, and I think it would be fun.
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