I'm Birdy27 of Birdy27 Designs and for this installment of A Crafty Life, we thought it would be a great to shine a spotlight on the Etsy NY Team's Fifth Annual Holiday Handmade Cavalcade. Forty amazing artisans are frantically sewing, painting, silk screening, knitting, crocheting, making jewelry, and more in preparation for this market. The vendors will be there with fabulous creations, ready to help the attendees find the perfect gift or selfish indulgence. I interviewed Cavalcade organizer Felicity Stiverson of Wish By Felicity about the fair and the largest Etsy team in the NY area.

Felicity of Wish By Felicity and Kelly of Aperture Agog at the 2011 Cavalcade

Please tell us about this year's Cavalcade.

This is the fifth year of the Holiday Handmade Cavalcade. It will be held on December 1st and 2nd at The Space in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (N. 3rd Street between Kent and Wythe). The market will be open from 11am to 6pm both days and will feature 40 of the best artisans in the tri-state area.

Sounds like it will be amazing. How long have you been with the team? Is this the first time you've served as organizer?

I've been with the team for four and a half years, and this is the fourth Cavalcade that I've helped to organize.

Waiting for the 2010 Handmade Cavalcade to open

How has the Cavalcade grown over the years?

The Cavalcade includes more artists and designers each year. And this is the first Holiday Handmade Cavalcade that will be a two-day event!

Two days! That's fantastic. There are so many flea markets and craft fairs, especially during the holiday season. What makes this market different?

The Cavalcade is unique because it features the work of only crafters and artists who are part of Etsy New York (formerly known as The NewNew). There will be every type of handmade product you can think of: jewelry, clothing, paper goods, soap and body products, accessories, clothing, and children's goods. There will be a number of artists that are new to the Cavalcade this year, in addition to many familiar faces who have vended at the fair in the past.

2011 Holiday Handmade Cavalcade at Public Assembly

The location this year is the super trendy Williamsburg, Brooklyn. How did you pick the location?

We try to pick a different neighborhood and a different venue for each Cavalcade. Because we have even more artists and vendors at this Cavalcade, we needed a larger space to accommodate the event this year, and we're excited to have the Cavalcade at The Space in Williamsburg.

I understand some lucky attendees will receive goody bags! Can you give our readers a little tease?

The first 100 shoppers each day will get a goody bag filled with items donated by our sponsors as well as Etsy New York artists.

What a great incentive to attend. In addition to the goody bags, there is an impressive list of sponsors.

We have so many amazing sponsors this time! Some have sponsored our events before, and some of them are new sponsors. Our main sponsors include Etsy, Purl Soho, Brooklyn Charm, ECOBags, Outright, and Lion Brand. Our swag bag sponsors included The City Quilter, Brooklyn Bead Box, and Swap-bot. We also have several food sponsors who will be selling their delicious wares at the event: Brooklyn Dark, Cultured Confections, Slant Shack Jerky, and Sigmund's Pretzels.

Cavalcade banners are always a special little piece of art

How many events does the Etsy NY Team sponsor?

The team sponsors several events each year, but the Cavalcades are our signature event, and are held each spring and holiday season.

None of this would be possible without a hardworking, committed team. Some of our readers may not know how the Etsy NY Team works. Exactly how does everyone pull together to produce a team show? It's almost impossible for one person to pull together a show of this magnitude.

The Etsy NY Team is a collective of local artists, artisans, designers and crafters who sell on Etsy.com, the largest online marketplace for handmade goods. The Holiday Handmade Cavalcade is a totally vendor-run show. We organize the sellers into committees, such as press, sponsorship, decorations, and written content, and we assign a leader for each committee. Each committee targets their energies toward a specific task, such as conceptualizing and creating the decorations and signage for the event, or writing the press release and written content for our email blasts.

It's really exciting to see the members of our group pull together and pool our resources to create such a unique event. Our previous events have gotten quite a bit of media coverage, in everything from local blogs to Time Out New York, and it's a nice bonus to get good press for our group.

I thank Felicty for taking time out of her busy schedule to talk with me about the Etsy NY Team and the Fifth Annual Holiday Handmade Cavalcade. Please join us for one of the best shopping events of the year!

Until next month, this is Birdy27 signing off. Please support the handmade community. Successful creative artisans can change the world! Chirp, chirp!

Birdy27 is an actor/writer/singer/songwriter/graphic designer/knitter/crocheter/yarn-based accessories designer/jewelry maker/entrepreneur and founder/president of Birdy27 Designs (www.birdy27designs.etsy.com). Please join the action at the Birdy27 Designs Fan Page at www.facebook.com/birdy27designs.

Etsy NY for your shopping needs!

A Crafty Life: Wish by Felicity and the Holiday Handmade Cavalcade