my BHM purchases.

yesterday was the spring Bloomington Handmade Market, an event i have looked forward to since the fall/holiday market back in november. this time i went to shop (of course) and also to interview some vendors who live in town for a feature article on the BHM for my arts reporting class. i'm really excited about writing it, and i will definitely share it with you when i'm finished!

for now i'll just share my purchases with you. please forgive me - i only remember a few of the vendors' names. woops! by the time i did my shopping, i had thrown my journalism skills to the wind and decided to forget any important information! rebellion!

fabric-covered button earrings! eee! i can't remember the name of this vendor, but he had lots of cool guitar straps and camera straps. on an unassuming table, he had these precious earrings i couldn't believe were still around by the end of the BHM. i sure did snatch 'em up!

i had a great time interviewing katie vernon yesterday. her illustrations are unique and playful (the caption on the back of this postcard is "you warm my heart"). she called it a hipster card. perfect! you can buy her cards and prints at chipmunk cheeks on etsy and see much more of her work at katievernon.com.

i stumbled upon another card print that i had to have. (can't remember the name of this vendor! ahh!) i have a thing for dandelions. it's a long story, but i'd love to tell it sometime if you're interested. it's what inspired me to get my tattoo. anyway, i knew i had to have this print when i found it, and i think i will frame it and add it to my dandelion art collage in my room.

i absolutely love vendors who use only recycled and upcycled materials to create their wares. i perused the reuse first table at the last minute and just couldn't part with this adorable upcycled card catalog mini notebook. (maybe it's the secret nerdy librarian in me i've been harboring all these years.)

the pages are made from repurposed paper, so the back of each page has either random text or photos. (i chose one of my favorite pages to display here. mmm sammich.) i love having a little notebook with me to jot down ideas or just use when i'm bored, waiting somewhere. i'm pretty happy about this little guy. go to the re-use first etsy store to see more!

that wraps up my purchases. i didn't spend more than $5 on a single item and only spent $22 total, a small price to pay for local handmade OOAK (i hate when people use that acronym) items that i already love and cherish. 

i will leave you with a few BHM observations: 

1. i purchased from two male vendors. two out of four! more boys should be crafty. dear crafty boys, i am here waiting for you. let's get in love and make things all the livelong day. i'm serious. you know where to find me.

2. this event could be so much bigger! yo BHM, there are zillions of vendors who would die to do this show if they knew how cool it is. i can honestly envision it doubling in size and drawing a much bigger crowd. advertise and attract the masses!

3. i've heard that bloomington was recently ranked one of the rudest cities on the U.S. i refuse to believe such a thing and will base it on clear evidence of all the friendliness i witnessed yesterday. everyone i interviewed was super nice, and the mood in the convention center was all-over jolly. keep it up, bloomington. 

that's all for now. stay tuned for my BHM feature article. hooray!