Business & Tech
600 Block's Etsy Meetup Day Offers Swings, Swag and Sweets in Downtown St. Pete
Etsy Meetup Day brought creative minds together for community building, craft making and some pretty sweet deals on handmade products.
ST. PETERSBURG - For artists and their followers, the 600 Block's decision to host a National Etsy Meetup Day was heaven sent.
Cornflower Bleu owner/artist Lisa Costello was excited to be vending at the gathering. Her one of a kind photo frames were a hit with guests. "I'm having a blast" she said. "We're all on Etsy, so it's nice to network through an event like this."
Etsy.com is a website dedicated to the growth and nourishment of designers, artists and literally everything and everyone in between. Random yet priceless items go up for sale on a daily basis -- handmade jewelry to wedding invitations to vintage ice skates.
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Since the launch in 2005, Etsy boasts hundreds of thousands of sellers, while buyers multiply with each passing day. The New York Times even noted Etsy as "a crafty cross between Amazon and eBay."
Retailers on the 600 Block of Central Avenue are among the creative types who sell their items on Etsy, in addition to having a bricks-and-mortar storefront.
Find out what's happening in St. Petefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Etsy Meetup Day last week drew such shops as the Eve-n-Odd Gallery, which had a setup for craft lovers to hand make Father's Day cards for free; Ramblin' Rose offered a complimentary "Handy Dandy Guide: A Little Book of Useful Things to Make."
For snacks, there were plates of pastries scattered around the arcade and the Royal Brownie Co. was on hand to dish out delectable brownie bites for all to enjoy. A lemonade stand stood in front of the Crislip Arcade where cups were being sold for a slim 25¢.
A group called Swings Tampa Bay (www.swingstampabay.com) had a tent equipped with paint, brushes and lots of love. Co-Founder, Hunter Payne, said that he and a friend set up a couple of their swings in Tampa and it created a stir of social interaction that spurred the idea to start making swings.
It was voted number one for the "10-100-1,000 Award" by Creative Loafing. Payne describes Swings Tampa Bay as "a spontaneous community building tool." The crew sets up at local events and offers blank canvases in the form of wooden swings for guests to paint (for free) and then the swings are dispersed throughout the community.
"The swing is used as a vehicle for a powerful yet simple community building tool" said Payne.
Swings, swag and sweets: another beautiful event in downtown St.Pete.
