Crafty Bastards 2010 - Olive Bites DC

Just back from Crafty Bastards this weekend which is the huge annual indie craft show in Washington, DC.

(note- I did not get to see Obama, but I think I caught a glimpse of Michelle scoping out the mustache pillows in the booth next to me - I can't be sure although I have passed this on to the National Enquirer)

This is the first year I did this show and it was my first ever indie craft show.

Etsy had a booth (I never got over there), many amazing artists I admire had booths (I never got to any of them)- I did meet Rikkianne (she got to me) of the amazing Chakrapennywhistle fame and a great bud of mine from my early Etsy days and that more than made up for never being able to escape the booth for even a nanosecond.

The only negative was my 7am set up time (times were staggered) for the 10am show and my 3 hour 45 minutes drive which after a week of round the clock crafting left me in a sort of sleep-deprived craft coma- luckily the crowds were pretty lively and woke me up pretty fast.

2 things about Washington DC, wait 3 things 1- Dogs Everywhere- Next year I am definitely bringing Olive! There was one dog or another sniffing under my table all day long

(this could have been due to the amazing and free boxed lunch - except for the vegetarian wrap- what was in that? - the show provided that I never got the chance to eat - luckily a black lab named Cowboy was able to make use of my red delicious)


2. Bicycles Everywhere - YAY for DC and their bicycle friendliness! I was in a tennis court right next to the valet bicycle parking area and at the show's peak the entire court next to me was wall to wall bicycles - there were hundreds

3. Kids Nowhere - I have never been to a show (and city) with so few kids walking around - I am not sure if this is an indie show thing or a DC thing,

but it did come in handy when hubby yelled out- "damnit Cat!" very loudly -

(he had the taping things up job, and just watching the duct tape king get my only roll of scotch tape stuck to itself ... again ... caused me to grab the roll and take care of it myself - yes, I am one of those annoying people)

luckily for us everyone started looking around the ground for a cat ... and since they are mostly dog people, well ... they were very understanding.

Bottom line is that this is a great show (non-stop crowds and amazing artists) put together by some great people and I can't say enough good things about it, if you get the chance to attend Crafty Bastards definitely grab it.

7 comments

Katie, Interrobangs Anonymous said...

I love looking at the layout and display design you create for your booths! The arrows are genius and the whole setup looks like a fantastic apothecary full of treasures.

M.M.E. said...

I agree, the arrows are genius! Too bad you didn't have the chance to get away from your booth and meet the other artists or play some tennis. :)

sheila at shecological said...

Very chic and interesting display! You did a great job of creating a product identity with your props etc. I hope you made lots of sales for all the crowds! That is hilarious about the "cat"!

sherry said...

An awesome booth, Cat!

xoSherry

Chakra Pennywhistle said...

Cat,
It was such a pleasure to meet you! It was my first experience with that show too! I was in awe of the crowd! Woah! I must tell you that you were the first booth on my list. Could not wait to see your pretty face :) Your work was displayed beautifully!

ecokaren said...

I'm so glad I told Rikkianne to scope you out since you guys hit it off! (it's always sketchy when you try to be a match maker)

I am definitely thinking EcoEtsy should do an AISLE with all the members nearby next year. Have a HUGE banner with the team's name on it, crank up some Inidie music (will leave that up to Rikkianne), and have a ball!

alexkeller said...

love your letterpress tray display! i'm giving that a go for my next show ... and so jealous you got to see Rikkianne - miss that gal! i like ecokaren's idea, too :)