Kristen Rask has always loved to make things. It’s allowed her to handle challenges such as anxiety and connect with like-minded people.

“I always felt like making was something to help me navigate my feelings,” Rask said.

Her passion for crafting led her to open a store with quirky handmade toys in downtown Seattle, write eight crafting books and become the president of Urban Craft Uprising, a women-owned event production company that hosts Seattle’s largest independent craft show.

Since 2009, the company has expanded its events to Portland, Redmond, Edmonds and Tacoma. And in 2024, it introduced the Bend Handmade Market to the streets of downtown Bend.

On Saturday, the Bend Handmade Market returns for its second annual event, featuring over 100 makers and artists selling handmade clothing, jewelry, housewares and ceramics.

Rask, who began working with Urban Craft Uprising in 2008, said she loves to champion small businesses.

“It’s so exciting to have this job, seeing vendors go on to be multi-million-dollar companies. I love the story of small business makers. I think so many of those stories are so fascinating, like how someone gets there and makes the plunge because it’s obviously very scary to put yourself out there. It’s a very vulnerable position,” Rask said.

“Right now, especially, it feels like almost a political act to shop small. I think it’s also very scary to be a small business owner right now.”

Ceramics with Scandinavian flair

Rask loves to watch other makers pour their passion into the craft, bringing something new and one-of-a-kind into the world. Many of the crafters, artists and designers create quality work that could be passed down to future generations, she said.

One of the returning vendors is Maren and Laura Ceramics, a creative collaboration of nine years between lifelong friends who work and share a studio in their hometown of Sisters.

Laura Campbell has made ceramics since 2001 and is the ceramic maker of the pair, shaping porcelain on a potter’s wheel or with her hands into dishware, jewelry and figurines.

Maren Veloso does the surface design, hand-painting each piece with cobalt before it is covered with glaze and fired. The blue and white designs are inspired in part by Veloso’s Norwegian heritage.

“I grew up around Scandinavian design. My grandmother collected blue and white pottery from all over the place,” Veloso said.

Campbell and Veloso, who each have their respective art practices, combined their talents to make a lonely job less lonely.

“We grew up together in Sisters, so it felt like a revelation to decide to make them together after making separate stuff for so long,” Campbell said.

It was an easy decision for the duo to bring their wares back to the Bend Handmade

Market, after seeing the advertising, organization and impressive turnout of last year’s event.

“Right after we left, we were like, ‘We’ll do that one again,’” Veloso said.

In addition to showcasing local makers, the show also includes vendors from across the Pacific Northwest.

“We’re excited to do it again and bring new vendors this time and also new people that are local,” Rask said.

What goes into the jurying process?

The show receives a large number of applications, making it competitive for vendors to be included in the market.

For those curious about the jurying process, Rask said it prioritizes people of color and makers who live in Bend. It also aims to distribute categories evenly, so one category isn’t oversaturated.

For vendors interested in participating in future markets, Rask suggests signing up for Urban Craft Uprising’s mailing list to stay apprised of important deadlines.

For shoppers, organizers recommend planning ahead of time to walk, bus or bike to the market to avoid congestion and parking challenges. The market will span three blocks in downtown Bend, closing portions of Bond Street and Oregon Avenue to vehicles.

If You Go

What: Bend Handmade Market

When: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday

Where: Bond Street and Oregon Avenue, Bend

Cost: Free

Contact: urbancraftuprising.com/bend-handmade-market