Here’s how Renegade Craft Chicago 2012 went!

Renegade was AWESOME.

I couldn’t have done it without the help of the Wonder-Bred Italian Boy though. Remember that time when I wrote that post about “how to be the world’s greatest boyfriend”? I need to add an adendum to that post:

• Drive YOUR car 6 hours with your girlfriend with her and her friend’s craft booth setups, some of which poking you in the back the whole time.
• Set up said craft booth and duct tape tent when it comes out of the bag broken.
• Learn how to work the craft booth so your girlfriend can go watch the Chicago Bears game in the bar across the street.
• RUN (yes. RUN.) to the laundrymat down the street when an unexpected storm leaves your girlfriend’s setup soaking wet.
• Continuously organize your girlfriend’s wares when they look disheveled.

So, Renegade. It was huge.

I knew it was going to be, but I had no concept of how huge until I got there. I didn’t sell as well as I’d hoped (and apparently you can get the “same kind of crap (that I make) at Charming Charlie’s, but it doesn’t cost $30” — probably because some poor kid in Malaysia made that crap for little or no money).

However, I had a great time, saw a lot of adorable dogs (I’m that weird dog lady, just look at this dude) …

… and I met a bunch of really cool people.

Next door to me was a couple from Chicago, Jeremiah and Michelle, who own a company called Reuse First.

Jeremiah was supremely helpful since I was a n00b to the fair, and they made some really cool stuff. We had a discussion about how everybody thinks they can make anything because they saw it on Pinterest, which was sparked by the candles and planters they made from glass liquor bottles. I’d seen a (VERY DANGEROUS, and don’t do it) tutorial about making them, but apparently it’s much easier and safer to use the appropriate equipment (or just buy a candle from them). I ended up getting a really cool candle from them for my parents to thank them for watching Mr. Barnabus Stinson while we were gone.

Directly behind me was Paisley: Modern Gear for the Modern Tot.

Melissa from Paisley and I have pretty much the same taste in fabrics, and apparently what she considers scraps are pieces large enough to make my wallets. So we’re going to be talking soon (about fabric scraps, not baby gear. c’mon guys).

I was glad to find Kate Funk a few booths down from me.

I met her at Craft Saturday a while back, and I knew she had just gotten the 2013 Super Amazing 100% Awesome Cat Calendars printed, so I stopped by her booth for a bit. This year’s calendar theme is movie monsters. Adorable. And hilarious. I don’t even LIKE cats.

AND I *almost* bought this TriForce cutting board from 1337 Motif (leet motif for the non-geek) for Mark, but decided against it because I had no idea where we’d put it.

Stay tuned for my Etsy shop to be fully stocked again, I’m hoping that it will be in a week or two. I want to take good photographs of everything before I list. In the meantime, if you saw something posted here, on twitter, or on Instagram that you really like, shoot me an e-mail or a comment because I think I have all the stuff that I posted still in stock.

So this weekend, I’m planning to RELAX mostly, but I’ve got to teach a patchwork class on Saturday and Sunday. Otherwise, yoga, sleep, chilling out.

What are your plans for the weekend?