Local business owners to host maker unifying, handcrafted-only swap meet
April 3, 2025
Poster provided by Toni Mehring
On May 25, two local business owners, Toni Mehring and Tianna Hambleton, will host a handcrafted-only swap meet in the Belmar Library’s community room.
About the event
Mehring said the gathering will give people a place to share their creations and get to know other creatives. She added that it may also serve as a networking opportunity for local artists.
Those interested in participating can reserve a spot on the swap meet’s Eventbrite page; right now, there are only 50 available spots, with the potential for an increase if needed.
The event’s page emphasizes that participants must bring items to swap, ideally 10-20 or more small creations, but Mehring said that this is a suggestion, not a mandatory amount.
“I don't want people stressing out about not getting that number done and not coming in. I want people to come in," she said.
Both Mehring and Hambleton suggest that attendees bring items they can easily carry around during the event. To give some examples, Hambleton shared what she will bring to swap.
“I know that I'm going to bring smaller, more portable things. Earrings, jewelry, bracelets, things that people can carry around with them and swap pretty easily,” Hambleton said.
According to Mehring, the inspiration for putting this gathering together was a “fond memory” of a similar event she experienced in Girl Scouts. She is excited to see what people bring to swap, and she hopes to host more events like this in the future.
"I would like to make this a regular thing. I would love to do it seasonally so that people have a, you know, a chance to do it,” Mehring said.
Hambleton would also like to see more of these events and appreciates the idea of them from a business perspective.
“It's a really cool community builder. It's great for networking, for somebody who is very timid about getting her name out. And, you know, doing the business side of things, I think this is a really easy way to ease into that, so I would love to do more of these," Hambleton said.
About the event co-hosts
Mehring is the owner of My Mind is Alive Studios, a community arts business focused on all forms of self-care, creativity and interaction. She hosts events that feature activities like crafting and painting, as well as care classes.
Mehring said she has been working to host more of her events in sober spaces. On April 20, she will host a sober Taylor Swift-themed “Paint and Listen Party” to celebrate the anniversary of her album “The Tortured Poets Department.”
Those interested in more information can view Mehring’s Eventbrite page here, where she posts information on all her events. She also posts announcements on the My Mind is Alive Studios Instagram page.
Hambleton owns TianLand on Etsy, where she sells horror-themed beaded earrings and handmade jewelry. She said she began crafting jewelry during the COVID-19 pandemic for fun and was able to make a business out of it.
“I started COVID crafting. I do bead work, wire work, jewelry stuff and I started making horror-themed earrings just kind of for fun, and then, I ended up with a bunch of them,” Hambleton said.
Hambleton is hoping to get her work in some of Denver’s horror-themed shops soon. Those interested in more information can follow her on Instagram to view announcements related to her work.
Hambleton and Mehring have known each other for more than 20 years and met in college. “She's one of my very best friends in the whole world and probably will be until the end," Mehring said.
This is their first event together, and Hambleton expressed excitement at getting to co-host with Mehring. She shared that Mehring pushes her to put herself out there more with her business.
“[Mehring's] been rocking it in this space with her creations, and her classes and everything like that. So, I was very grateful and very lucky to have her invite me to co-host this," Hambleton said.
