Honestly it doesn’t take much to convince me to go shopping. Lately my shopping urge is usually immediately followed by a “just say no” mantra (I’m trying to be less spendy in general), but this past weekend that wasn’t the case. I suppose I was feeling sort of entitled, having been so good for so long, and it being my birthday. And what better place to let go than at an awesome indie craft show like Pile of Craft? I was honestly planning my purchases before the show even started.
My first purchase was one I’ve been eyeing for a while. Juliet over at The Broken Plate Pendant Co. makes these lovely pendants out of solid color Fiestaware plates, and I’ve been wanting the a green one forever, or at least since she started making them earlier this year.
I love green so much, so I have a lot of green stuff and I wear green all the time. That day I was wearing a green flower in my hair and green platform sandals. So, I decided at the last minute to go for contrast instead of matchy-matchy, and got an orange one instead. She only had one orange pendant, so I feel like it was meant to be. 🙂
Well, that opened the floodgates. Right next to Juliet’s table was Giant Dwarf, maker of beautiful felt things, especially these lovely flower headbands, that I see on everyone every time I go to Philadelphia. Guess what? She sells bundles of the beautiful felt she uses! I tell myself this was totally NOT an impulse buy, because I was legitimately thinking about my fall collection and how I wanted to use some felt on one of the wristlets maybe. Anyway, I bought two bundles. 🙂
Speaking of meant to be, my table was right by Fisticuffs. I see him everywhere and have somehow escaped every craft show we’ve both been at without a leather cuff. I knew this had to change ASAP. I’ve always wanted a leather cuff, and I never see any small enough to fit my wrists (except for at Fisticuffs!).
I debated with my neighbor (Tasha McKelvey) for a while on black vs. brown leather…or perhaps something metallic? There were some pretty cool silver ones in the mix, too. But then would that defeat the purpose of a leather cuff? I went back and forth with Tasha for some time, in-between serving our customers. Finally I spied this itty bitty red cuff, and I knew it was the one for me. Red! Only one of my favorite colors! Of course!
I confess this was my only impulse buy. I had in no way been contemplating buying art, but I saw this on the table at Found Studio’s booth and it called to me. It’s green! It says CRAFTY on it! It has eyelet lace on it! And as you know, my sewing room (okay, it’s more of an “area”) is all green. In an effort not to be too reckless, I waited until the end of the show, and I decided if nobody else bought it, then it was obviously meant for me. Guess what?
This last one is a bonus, but totally related because Elisa Shere is also from Baltimore. I actually bought these earrings from her at the Art Star Craft Bazaar in Philadelphia, and I have literally been wearing them every day since!
I have dozens and dozens of pairs of earrings…they are my favorite type of jewelry. But I usually end up wearing silver hoops every day. I am ashamed to admit that before now, I was wearing an icky cheap pair that I got at the mall. They had started to turn a gross non-silver color. How on earth could I preach to gospel of buying handmade if I was subjecting my own earlobes to this nonsense!?
Anyway I lost one of the icky hoops just in time for Art Star, and I had already bought a stack of rings from Elisa at the Spring Bada Bing in Richmond, so I knew exactly where to go for some handmade, real silver loveliness.
I love all of my new, indie goodness! While I try not to shop too much anymore, the money I do spend I want to spend with other makers. Not only because of the idea of creative tithing and supporting my indie craft/design/art community, but because that’s where all the best stuff is. Seriously, why would I shop anywhere else?
