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Raleigh's Handmade Market Downtown Expo

Over the weekend I went to the Handmade Market in downtown Raleigh at Marbles Museum. Like most Raleigh small shopping events… and there are a lot of them which is awesome for shoppers…this one was very intimate, but busy, and you got to meet the owners and in this case, the owner/designers. I enjoy looking around unique bazaar (not bizarre) environments. I get a lot of inspiration and it’s visually stimulating. I remember in Charleston there’s an area downtown that has something very similar but I think it’s year round. There is a lot of pottery and women weaving baskets right in front of you. Similarly at this handmade expo, I saw handmade cards, clothes, jewelry, photographs, bags, candles, and anything else you can think of making… these creative entrepreneurs at this expo had created them and were now displaying them for sale.

Handmade Jewelry made in Raleigh

Here’s a photo of a woman named Marcia (pronounced Mar-cee-ah)…

A Raleigh Baby Clothes Designer

…who makes baby accessories and girls clothing. She uses a lot of fabrics with cupcake designs. Oooh…how adorable! The baby booties made of felt are also sold at NoFo at Five Points in case you want to see them in person. Marcia’s business is called Small Beans.

For the handmade expo, it couldn’t have been a better spring weekend either. The weather was spectacular for people to get outside (and the pollen count was actually lower than it has been in days for allergy sufferers). And there was a small outdoor informal Christian rock band and a good flow of visitors were walking around the Exploris Museum and on Blount Street downtown. For a moment there, I actually felt like I was in a city. Remember, I’m a Washingtonian transplant from years ago, so to me, a city is like a bustling and happening place like DC and now possibly Raleigh (well…give it a few more years).

Raleigh's Marbles Kids Museum

Anyway… here’s a photo of me buying some patterned pencil cases with the designer Valerie who sells bag and other patterned pouches, business card, and tissue box holders. Her business is named Holland Fox named after a grandmother of hers. How catchy!