Christmas shopping event to feature local, handmade items

Small Business Saturday will come early this November for local, handmade product vendors. Small business owners and sisters Kelly Gadson of Clay and Janiessa Smith Waller of Trussville are organizing a Pre-Christmas Shopping Palooza at Beverly’s Dance Unlimited, Nov. 12 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Roughly a dozen vendors of handmade products will be present.  

“We can shop the big-box store all day, every day, but there is nothing like a handcrafted, personalized item,” Gadson said. “Anything that you can think of for you or your home, we’ll have it there.” 

The shopping experience will include vendors from the Birmingham Metro area. Handcrafted embroidery items will be available by Heart-N-Home Creations, handmade hair bows and accessories will be on sale by Pretty Gurl Bows, as well as items knit, crocheted and more by Idle Knot.  

Other handcrafted options will include quilts, kitchen towels, wreaths and Christmas ornaments. Baked goods will be available from Simply Sonequa’s Pound Cakes and Lifestyle Catering by Chef Ann. Independent sellers for Paparazzi Accessories, Thirty-One Gifts and Scentsy also will be present. 

There also will be free face painting for children. 

Gadson’s Kreative Kreations specializes in children’s clothes and personalized cups, while Waller has a knack for kids’ gift items and bags through her business, Sincerely St. John’s Gifts Boutique. They recognized the need to bring more like-minded women together in one place for a sales event. 

“We just came up with the idea that more work from home businesses and more direct sales businesses need more exposure in the Clay, Trussville, Springville, Pinson and Center Point areas,” Gadson said. “I want to take the competition out of it and show that if women come together under one roof doing whatever they do, there’s still money to be made no matter what your craft is.”  

For more information, visit the sale’s Facebook event.