Hay I'm new here!

 

Hi, my name is Camille Hinkle, Owner of Handmade Market and I am so excited to share with you how HMM came to be and where it is now.

HMM officially came to be January 1, 2018 when I opened my first retail store. But Wait.... before we get into that lets go back about 60 years or so.

I probably started crafting when I was a small child and needed cloths for my Barbie dolls. Well that long ago my parents didn’t have the money to purchase those cute and adorable packaged Barbie Doll Clothing. I was lucky to just have a doll. So when my Barbie needed cloths my mom said, well you will have to make them. And I did. With the help of my mom, she started to teach me the beginnings of sewing. So I guess you can say she is responsible for HMM. Love you Mom.

Well that was a long time ago and I am not going to bore you with the next 60 years. But art and crafting has been a part of me for those 60 years in one form or another. So probably in the last 15 years is when I got serious about my crafting and started to do a few craft shows. Mostly they were your church bazaars and local shows that pop up in the neighborhood.

You know, you never really know if people are going to like your stuff or not, and when you actually sell something, it gives you that feeling of WOW, maybe I have found a place for my passion.

Well over time you make your way into getting into better more established Craft Shows. Typically as the saying says you get what you pay for. Yes, these shows are more expensive to participate in but they are established and have a wonderful following. If you can make it to that level you will do just fine. Most times I can sell enough to cover my expenses and have money left over. To do what you say?  Well of course, you buy more supplies.

So for the next 12 years or so that is what I did, Craft Show after Craft Show. Loved every minute of it, you meet great crafters, you meet great customers. The whole experience is very uplifting.

Did I say uplifting, yes and you will do a lot of that, lifting that is. Putting on a show is a lot of hard work, from creating your products, to packing your car for a show, unpacking your car when you get to a show, setting up your booth. Then comes the breakdown of your booth. Packing up again and packing your car again. Did I say something about Lifting? Then you get home and you unpack your car and everything back in the house. You know 12 years of that and it gets old, but you do it because you LOVE IT.

WELL, let’s get back to where it all began in 2018 years ago, when I opened my first (did I say first, it may be my only, but who knows) retail store. But then in about 2020 we all had to face the dreaded Covid and unfortunately the Owners of the Mall required me to close my little boutique.

For me it has allowed me to work on a website, since my retail store was forced to close.  But don’t get me wrong.  I never look back; I only look toward the future as you never know what it may hold.  Since that time in 2020 I shortly was able to find a new location for my retail part of my business.  I vended in on location for almost 2 years and as you have it business come and go.  But that is ok because opportunities are always available around the corner. Currently I am vending in 3 retail location and doing well.  Not having the responsibility of your own brick and mortar store has allowed me to focus on working on my website. 

I'll be back.....