I am blessed to have been raised with a family that appreciates art, craft and handmade goods.
While I was growing up I went to many, many craft shows all over southern Ontario. Mostly I was a customer at those shows but at a few of them I worked, assisting my cousin, Ken, and his partner with their Fimo jewelry business. I really liked going to craft shows and being a part of the community of artisans when I worked at the shows. I remember always feeling so inspired by the all of the creative people and their handmade goods.
The biggest and best craft show of all was the One Of A Kind Show in Toronto, just before Christmas. My Mom, my Aunt Marlene (AKA: Auntie) and I went every year and usually bought a lot of Christmas presents. I loved our annual trip to the One Of A Kind Show and looked forward to it every year.
I was so happy when OOAK started an annual show in Vancouver a couple of years ago. It was one of the things I really missed about living in Ontario. For the 2009 Vancouver OOAK Show I helped my friend Corinne and hung out at her booth for the duration of the show, selling her beautiful jewelry*. I had a lot of fun. At the time I was thinking about starting the pottery business and I knew then that being an Exhibitor at the 2010 Vancouver OOAK Show was where I wanted to be.
Last April I submitted my application and a coupe of days later I got the phone call letting me know I was accepted! Just thinking about that phone call now makes me smile.
Selling my pottery at the OOAK Vancouver show in December is going to feel like a full circle moment for me and I can’t wait to set up my booth and meet my Mena Dragonfly customers, I think they’re going to be a good bunch of people – I hope to see YOU there.
Here are the details:
December 9 to 12, 2010 at the new Convention Centre
Thursday to Saturday: 10:00 am – 9:00 pm
Sunday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
*Corinne is coming back to Vancouver for the OOAK Show! Check out her new Fall line (I’ve already got my eye on a couple of pieces).