Today has been an absolutely amazing day. I love meeting crafty people—we're a very inspiring bunch. I'm so glad that we were invited to speak at the Summit of Awesome. (Even though it meant dealing with my deep-seeded aversion to public speaking!) We have met so many people and made so many new friends and have so many great ideas for where to take this business—and the next big steps to take in the coming years—that I can't seem to stop grinning. And this is just Day 1.

Here we are (me at left making the funny face) with Jamie & Blas of Urban Fauna Studio. We spoke on a panel with Jamie & Blas this morning, along with Becky Striepe (aka Glue and Glitter!) on Crafting a Green Craft. We tried to cover everything from the basics—llittle steps!—to materials to green business certification. Jaime and Blas put together some awesome resources, which I will definitley attempt to post here soon!

Here's a photo of Maria Thomas, CEO of Etsy, speaking during lunch today. Let me tell you, this is one awesome lady. Etsy is in good hands. We had a minute to chat with Maria in person after her talk, and I'm so glad we did!

Here's a quick shot of everyone getting crafty at the fibers demo hosted by our new friends Jamie & Blas. Jeff and I learned to needlefelt! And I only stabbed myself with the needle a few times. (Have I mentioned before that I am accident prone?) We'll post photos of our felted creations soon—Jeff wants to add the fourth leg to his new furry felted friend first!

Plus, as if all this awesome wasn't enough, we got to see the DC premiere of Handmade Nation! I had missed my chance to see the NYC premiere, so this second chance to see the film meant a lot to me. If you haven't already seen this documentary on indie craft culture, make a point of seeing it soon. It is so inspiring!

This is our first crafting conference and I absolutely recommend taking advantage of any opportunities like these in your area. Its a great time to meet like-minded people and remember why we do what we do—there is such a supportive, positive community built around the handmade movement!

I'll be back tomorrow with updates on Day 2. Remember to watch our panel discussion tomorrow on selling successfully online on Etsy Virtual Labs! And keep an eye on the blog next week—we have an exciting little giveaway brought about by a new connection we made today!