The event is free and open to the public.
Vendors from Indiana and beyond will come together at the daylong convention. Spectators can browse the stalls and purchase specialty and novelty products.
The convention will be filled with veteran vendors as well as some newer ?additions.
Andrea Bear and Todd Handlogten participated in the event last year and decided to set up shop again at this year’s convention.
“We were really impressed with the organization and dedication that the organizers put into arranging and running the show,” Handlogten said. “Everything from load-in to load-out was smooth and well thought out. The people in attendance at the show really have a great appreciation for handmade and original items. We met a lot of really nice people and really had a great time.”
Handlogten said he and Bear started their business, Bearmojo, when they were experimenting in their favorite medium, fabric.
“We started Bearmojo about four years ago out of an intense love of fabrics and a way to use that fabric to make money to buy more of it,” Handlogten said. “Yes, a vicious cycle of fun.”
The wallets, Handlogten said, started out looking pretty standard.
The duo decided one day to spice up their product and add some extra pizzazz.
“Andrea had an amazing brainstorm that whisked her away to make a monster wallet using a piece of bright colored fur we had on hand,” Handlogten said. “When she emerged from our studio with the first monster wallet, the new direction of our company was born. As we make each monster they start to take on a personality of their own and really come to life by the end of the process.”
Today, the two have expanded their business to include a full line of pillows, bags, stockings and other clothing items. Handlogten said the goal is to make children of all ages smile with their products.
“Of course we hope they take away a monster with them, but we hope that every person that enters our booth walks away with a huge smile and that we helped them get a good laugh for the day,” Handlogten said. “Our monsters are for the young at heart, and we hope that our monsters help everyone feel a little more cheerful after they meet them.”
Sarah Fisher, proprietor of Purple Hippo Stitches, will come in from Cincinnati to share her products with ?attendees.
She said she started her business in Bloomington while she was a graduate student and has seen considerable success since.
“I started designing my own cross-stitch patterns with vintage motifs but modern and snarky sayings,” Fisher said. “I now offer finished cross-stitch pieces as well as 20 DIY kits for people to learn from. I’ve also expanded to a brick-and-mortar store called The Hoop and Needle. Unlike traditional needlecraft stores, we try to offer edgy, fun and modern patterns.”
Fisher said her fellow artists in Bloomington really helped her find her footing in the business and develop her brand before venturing out into the world.
“I went in not knowing any of the artists or crafters and felt like a huge outsider,” Fisher said. “By the time I left Bloomington two years later, I actually felt that I had a community and tons of connections in the crafty world. Crafters in Bloomington really help each other out. I can still count on them for honest advice and brainstorming.”
Handlogten said he only sees positive results from attending the convention and encourages everyone to ?attend.
“You can find that one of a kind item for the unique person in their lives, or for themselves, that you can’t find at the mall,” Handlogten said. “When you walk in the door you get to actually meet the people that make the items. You get to chat with the amazing artist that crafts the items that caught your eye. You get to ask them what inspired them, what it’s made of and how they did it.”
