The weekend before last I held my FIFTH annual Etsy Made in Canada here in Ottawa.
It was amazing.
Best ever.
We changed up the venue this year due to a scheduling conflict and despite the stress that added to my life a few months ago, it turned out to be completely serendipitous.
Our new venue (Carleton University) meant I could host a greater range of vendors, offer shoppers some wider aisles (though there was some debate as to whether that was a positive thing for sellers...the argument being that perhaps a more crowded feeling space would add a certain sense of urgency to purchasing...I dunno.), more ample parking, accessibility to transit, etc etc.
Overall I feel really good about it and will definitely use this space again.
Our Etsy Made in Canada Ottawa makers! And this isn't even all of them!
Five years of doing this show and this is literally the first time I've felt this confident in the product I have to offer both my makers and our guests.
I can't tell you the number of shoppers (like more than a dozen!) who came up to me during the show to comment on how amazing our makers are and how impressed they were by the show.
We always get a lot of feedback about how talented our vendors are (because duh), but I usually also wake up on post-show Monday morning to an inbox of people who were disappointed with the temperature of the space, or the parking situation, or a number of other things I can't necessarily control...but this time?
Nothing.
The complaint department was crickets!
What a thrill that was for me and my paper thin skin.
That's not to say it's easy, or that I don't have a week of nightmares about being unprepared in some way leading up to the show, but they really do just keep getting better.
I keep adding to my pre-show checklist and try to anticipate any issues that might arise.
And it's working.
Me showing just a fraction of my excitement that the weekend has finally arrived.
As always, I hired Shoebox Pics to capture the event.
Enjoy the following pics and I'll hope to see you at the next one!
Join our mailing list HERE and we'll keep you in the loop!
xo Em
PS. Makers, if you see yourself here and want a copy, send me a note!
Alicja Confections
Among the Pines
Brokenstick
CJ Designs
Craft Collective
Our amazing volunteers Sam and Eric!
Fletch Robbins
Frisky Misky's
Julie. Aka half of Hollow CLAYWORKS.
Mississippi North.
Nomadic Chicken
Pip Robins
Pipsqueak
Sadie and June
Sadie and June
Sprig Studio
Sweet Cheeks Kitchen
Vera and Mordy live painting her beautiful studs!
Wild Things Jewelry + Decor
Zoe's Corner
