my people's market, 2018 holiday season

hello my sweet cherubs!

it has been SO LONG since i last posted a blog post, let alone a real blog post where i talk about what’s really going on! i decided that this year i am going to get back into blogging, i’m ready to get back into it xanga-style! IYKYK and yes, it’s hard to realize that, wow! i’m a mom and i’m old and xanga was 20 years ago. what is life!

anyways, i have a backlog of pictures that i have built up and i just can’t start sharing anything new until i work through it all. i’m so sentimental and i basically have seven years of work to get caught up on, so let’s get started!

thanks to corbin at corb.in for this nice photo of me!

here is a sweet look at 2018 rachel. i’m so young & happy & impressionable! lol. this was my first holiday market that i had done, i think ever. i was so pumped to get into this holiday market for portland bipoc, my people’s market. it was a night market that went through the weekend in inner southeast.

i had just left my tax accounting job that past may to go into calligraphy full-time. i had a few wedding jobs, but honestly not that much work to do, so getting into this market kicked my booty into gear and i think i made all of these products for this market. if you look at the card rack, i made all of those cards fairly quickly using watercolors & calligraphy, and they are still in my line today! and they have sold really well.

this was such a special market, because i got to meet one of my dear stationery friends, genesis duncan of graphic anthology! she was one of the other stationery vendors, so i said hi to her downstairs before the doors to the public opened up. she was so warm, kind & friendly and so supportive! if you know genesis, you know what i’m talking about. we became fast friends & met up for coffee later where she told me all about her business & shared her secrets. a true gem! i feel o lucky that i met genesis when i did. she taught me so much about business, and i would not be where i am today if it wasn’t for her.

on that note, please go check out genesis’ line: graphic anthology. a bright, fun colorful collection of heart-felt sentiments.

you can really tell that this was one of my first markets, lol. it’s adorable! this picture is such a timestamp. i can see that i making letter banners at this time: these were letters that i cut out of paper and then sewed to a piece of string! talk about a labor of love. i got started selling these back on etsy.

i can also spot my calendar i made! i don’t even make a calendar now haha. i was so ambitious then. and then you can also see the fabric hangings that i made, i spot the “today is yours” one on the front right.

i do love the everglow handmade banner that i made! i painted it by hand, i think with a fabric ink pen. it’s so cute & i should really get it out and hang it in my office, but i guess it’s a little big. it looks great on the table!

oh, here is a nicer close-up at the card display i had on the table. and you can see these mini cards in the front, they are similar to business card size, and are one-sided with a blank backside. i loved these because they were such a fun way to send encouragement to a friend! i would love sticking them in cards, or in people’s mailboxes, or on their desks. i guess they were more fun to have when you have co-workers or live with roommates. i should think about starting making these again! i love the mini positivity burst that they are.

my people’s market was such a great first show for me to have! i remember the thrill once i found out i was accepted to the show. such an amazing feeling! i cherish those highs. they aren’t as abundant as you may think they are.

anyways, what a nice first step down memory lane. i hope you loved looking back to see where everglow started! i will have to do a side-by-side comparison sometime so you can more easily see how the brand has grown with time.

until then, enjoy the rest of these pictures of my table.

cheers!

-rachel