2022/12/13

Showtime Again! Chimacum Arts and Crafts Fair 2022

And so, we have come to the final event of 2022, as well as one of our favorites: The annual Chimacum Arts and Crafts Fair!

It was my intention to post well in advance of the show, but "the usual" happened: We get really busy ahead of events, so we get caught up in making items rather than writing blog posts.

So instead we'll share a few impressions from the show... which also capped off our first year "back" on the show circuit after what we now think of as "The Covid Years."

All in all, it was a good show, and we were happy to re-meet some old familiar faces, as well as make some new friends! There's little doubt that many people are experiencing challenging economic times, and it was primarily "the little things" that were the hot sellers. 

Of course, every show has its own unique character!

Somewhat noticeable — on a more personal level — is the fact that the whole "Community Rocks" craze that took off around 2016 or so has somewhat died down. 

When I originally started painting Alchemy Stones (almost 15 years ago!), it was a very esoteric artform and there were only a few dozen other people in the US that I was aware of doing it. 

The whole landscape changed with Community Rocks projects springing up in every town across the nation and abroad... and suddenly "painted rocks" became quite commonplace.

It seems like Alchemy Stones have now become more "interesting" and unique again... and I'm happy about that!


Meanwhile, Sarah's Faery Howses and Alchemy Stones are becoming more and more integrated as a "joint but individual" venture. Not so long ago, we acquired the domain "Sticks and Stones" which will take over as the "umbrella" over our creative projects... but Alchemy Stones and Faery Howses will continue to be their own "brands," as well. 

Like many things, it'll be a slow and gradual process to meld it all together!

We'll try to post updates as we progress, but Alchemy Stones and Faery Howses are only part of our creative lives, so it'll take time!

As always, we are very grateful to the organizers of the Chimacum Arts and Crafts Fair who always put on a great event! What was particularly nice about this year's event was that we are now able to set up on Friday evening, which is a lot better than having to get up and put together a booth at oh-dark-thirty in the morning!

Last but not least, thanks to the many who came by and visited the booth during the two days of the show! We hope to see you again at future events, or via our online stores!