By Ruth SOWBY

For three years, every first weekend of each month SoCal Etsy hosts a three-day, pop-up market in the Town Center near the downstairs center courtyard. Etsy fans are used to buying unique, homemade items from the Etsy online marketplace; however, fans and first timers equally appreciate seeing Etsy products up close and personal.    

On Friday, April 4 dozens of customers perused and snapped up the merchandise that ranged from jewelry to silk scarves to felt toys to Easter wood. Especially popular were the silk scarves from first time vender and Irvine resident Gulnura Abytalieva. She is hoping to develop a following on Etsy. Not an artist herself, Abytalieva imports most of her wares from Central Asia. She receives homemade felt animals and flowers to add to her collection of the silk scarves she creates herself. She heard of the pop-up market on Instagram and joined the 25-30 vendors selling on the weekend.  

Etsy artist and crafter Stephanie Payan founded the SoCal Etsy Guild to attract and organize the vendors at the markets. The Guild covers five counties in Southern California, from Oxnard to the border. Payan said many of the vendors make their living by selling on Etsy. Payan also makes her living selling on Etsy. Her specialty is hand-crafted jewelry.

Also taking place at the market were Do-It-Yourself activities, live art, food and giveaways. 

There is no Etsy warehouse, just millions of people worldwide selling their arts and crafts.  

“Etsy is a community supporting positive change for small businesses, people and the planet,” according to Payan.