The Big Crafty: over 140 artists, free beer all day, a DJ playing 45s, several live music acts, thousands of attendees, all in the heart of downtown Asheville. The summer edition of the bi-annual craftfest was a huge success. As a first-timer, I have to say I was blown away. 

I met tons of awesome people and makers, made some new friends, was approached about few possible future vending opportunities, mingled with some fellow Crown Towners (Verabelle, Monkey & Squirrel, Stitch Machine, and Mason & Virginia), bought great one-of-a-kind gifts, and best of all, I got to meet some fans and blog followers in person (you guys rock!). One regret is that I didn't bring any Charlotte goods (what was I thinking?!), because Charlotteans were representing in rare form (holla!). 

The Friday before the show I had a visual merchandising epiphany: peg board. It made all the difference. With only two trips to the local hardware store, a visit to Michael's, two trips to Kinko's, and a stop at Office depot (all in one day) I was ready to make a Price Is Right Plinko-style display board. It made a HUGE difference too. Now there are several "stations" for people to view the merch (plus I can drop ping pong balls down it, at parties, in the off season).

(Lots more Big Crafty after the jump)

I spent hours and hours conjuring, designing, and creating some new goods just for Asheville. My fingers may be blistered, my sleep pattern a bit disrupted, and house is a complete disaster (think paper/metal/mylar diarrhea), but it was time well spent. After looking over the books, I crunched some numbers, and I made a sale every 3.6 minutes for 6 hours straight! I can't wait till the December Big Crafty!

Even the Card-Agains got a display face lift (upper left)... thank you Office Depot for having brochure holders.

Oh, and I almost forgot! Not Made In China was featured in a local Asheville Blog, ASHVEGAS. Here's an excerpt from their Big Crafty press release:

"...These artists and crafters push craft beyond traditional boundaries and blur the lines of art and craft. One of these unique vendors is Final Approach, selling vintage, upcycled suitcases. Subject Matter Studio is screenprinting The Big Crafty posters and having a booth at the event. A new vendor to check out at this summer’s event is Not Made in China with exciting new work and a North Carolina edge. For kid-friendly items, swing by the booths of Crankypants Knits, Uncommon Kid, Knockabout and Betsy Cousins with Wonderland 5...."