it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!?!

For me it is really strange to be working on items that are not in-season. This is the reality of maker life - often we'll be working on holiday items in the summer, simply because of the time required to supply enough stock for the upcoming season. But not only do we have to make the items, they need to be tagged, photographed, listed on websites, and in some cases, we need to apply to craft markets and shows WAY in advance so all of the work must be complete sometimes months before the actual season.

I have been working away trying to finish more of the crocheted trees I had last winter. It seems they were popular, so I've decided to make more this year and I'm hoping they will be just as loved! I am applying to a local in-person holiday market that is scheduled for the first weekend of December. It is nerve-wracking, I'm not going to lie! As a curated show, this means that there is an application process and my work and display will be judged on whether I would be a good fit for the show. There are usually way more applicants than spots available so the likelihood of acceptance is often pretty low, but I'm going to try my luck - I've never seen anything quite like these trees at any show I've been to, but I've never applied to a show with these trees (and only trees!) so we will see how it all turns out.

If I do get accepted, I'll have to pay a vendor fee to participate. Depending on the show, this can be minimal or quite expensive - so as a maker I need to make up the cost of participating at a minimum, as well as any other costs associated with the making. Unfortunately there are a lot of people out there who scoff at prices, and/or feel like vendors at craft shows do not deserve to make even a small profit - but please remember many makers are not hobbyists, they rely on their craft as income. They have often invested in specialized tools and training, websites, branding materials, social media and advertising, and their time/expertise/handiwork is just as worthy of payment as anyone else's.