Small shops and local vendors came together on Saturday with hopes to sell their unique handcrafted items at the first Sunshine Handmade Market in Downtown Fullerton on Saturday.
These women-owned businesses have been motivated by their own passion to sell their handmade products. There were seven vendors at the event that had a variety of products on sale.
W.E. Bookstore
Interested in supporting independent authors? W.E. Bookstore is an online bookstore, just for that. The store helps independent authors get acknowledged by giving them a platform since most self-publishing authors have problems getting their books in bookstores.
Business owner Arilia Winn initially had a stationery shop where she sold handmade journals and notebooks until she broke into the publishing industry and combined her two favorite hobbies: creative writing and selling handmade journals.
“I started seeing that there was a need for publishers who were reputable and who weren’t just trying to take people’s money or make a quick buck,” Winn said when asked about why she started her business.
Her online store consists of self-published books, mugs, apparel, bookmarks, candles and more. Check out her online store by clicking here.
Pura Tierra Inka Blends
This store offers handcrafted natural products including soaps, balms, soy wax candles, bath salts, bath bombs, essential oil rollers, beauty products, diffuser jewelry and more.
The small business started off when Yajaira Morales had a vivid dream of selling her own products at a farmer’s market in 2019. Her business was soon established in 2020 and her dream was brought to life with the affordable self-care items she now sells.
Her main focus for every product was to share and embrace her Peruvian culture by getting native ingredients derived from Peru such as lucuma, maíz morado and maracuyá.
She also uses the Quechua language to name her products as a way to connect customers with a touch of Peruvian culture. This way, she can teach the ways of life of Indigenous people around the world.
“We want our customers to enjoy these products and learn the way my ancestors used natural resources for their well-being,” Morales said.
Click here to see more of their products.
Little Sweets
Started off with a passion for baking, this small business specializes in customizable unique desserts ranging from cupcakes to macarons.
Sarah Molina makes all of her pastries in her own home and quickly began getting customers.
“Owning a small business bakery is definitely a learning process with time management and marketing and staying up until 4 a.m. but I love it and I don’t see myself going back to a corporate job,” Molina said.
Molina is based in Anaheim and creates a variety of designs for desserts such as holiday-themed and different seasons. To see her pastries, visit the Little Sweets Instagram page by clicking here.
Anaheim Roasting Company
Owners Kimberly and Jesse Torres began their business by selling bags of roasted coffee beans to their church members and later received much positive feedback.
This company now sells tasty coffee drinks including lattes, frappuccinos and small coffee sample bags after only starting off with two coffee pumps and their coffee bags at their first farmer’s market event.
Find them at local markets and keep up to date with their events through their Instagram page by clicking here.
K&K Succulents
K&K Succulents entices plant lovers with their unique arrangements and other goods such as baskets and gift boxes.
This mother and daughter business ran by Kayla and Kelly Joaquin is based in Whittier. They are accepting local pick-up and delivery for their succulents.
To check out their Instagram page, click here to see their designs.
Defining Purpose Jewelers
This dedicated jewelry shop sells many accessories including necklaces, earrings, bracelets and handbags. Almeda Smith-Allen started her jewelry business in 2019 and hasn’t looked back since.
Each of her designs is one of a kind and stands out in its own way. Keep up with her work through her Instagram page by clicking here.
Blissfully Pure Shop
Those with a self-care obsession will be glad to hear of Blissfully Pure Shop’s natural bath salts and handmade soaps
Jennifer Moreno started her business during the lockdown of March 2020 and has expanded her shop to sell a wide range of products including goat milk soap, loofah bar soap, lotions, smudge sticks and more.
Visit the shop’s Instagram page here to see more products.
There will be many more Sunshine Handmade Market events to come. Organizer Arilia Winn will have the second event in early June in Fullerton and hopes to host it every month. For more details, visit their Instagram by clicking here.
The organizers of Sunshine Handmade Market are also looking for more small businesses and vendors who are interested in participating in their upcoming market events. According to Winn, any small businesses, whether their products are handmade or not, are all welcome. If interested in becoming a vendor, contact [email protected].
