Now that it's May, Wellspring is right around the corner! I'm so excited to meet more of my fellow ADFers. Yesterday at Muin Mound, I learned some very exciting things about Wellspring! For one, Skip told me that the ceremonial installation of Kirk as the new Arch Druid will take place on Saturday. This means I won't miss it! YAY! Second, apparently they're having a professional videographer coming to film the entire thing in the hopes of distributing it to something like the Discovery Channel for a documentary about us! Holy dandelions! That's so exciting if a bit nerve-inducing as well. I would really love to take part in it but struggle with displaying my Pagan life in such a public way. Someone at Muin Mound suggested making myself and my husband masks. I think I'll do this. We were highly encouraged to have ritual garb anyway (or just dress nice), so this gives me a good excuse to put together a new cloak at the very least**.
In other news, since Skip is now the head of the ADF store, I talked to him at length about the possibility of vending at Wellspring. I explained that I didn't have a tax license and that I knew it was illegal to sell without one. I'm just not willing to risk the huge fines, even if it's unlikely that I'll get caught at Wellspring. After talking to Skip, I found out an even more important reason why one shouldn't sell "under the table," as it were. Apparently there are vendors at the Brushwood Center all festival season, and they have to pay a hefty insurance fee to be there - slightly over $600 a year. In my opinion, it just wouldn't be honest or ethical to sell under the table when there are other artisans legitimately selling and paying so much for insurance.
Luckily, Skip explained that ADF has figured out the consignment issue! Thanks to some of Kirk's connections, ADF has a lawyer and a CPA. ADF is now able to legally contract its artisans to sell through the online store and at festivals. Skip gave me a contract to fill out (he said I was the first person to get one!). ADF takes a cut and I have to fill out a W-9, but I don't have to worry about having a tax license*** (ADF takes care of that as well as the Brushwood insurance), and anyone (not just ADF members) can visit and purchase from the ADF store****. I'm really excited and am definitely planning to sell some dolls at festivals and on the internet store. I spent much of today going through my old inventory and making new dolls! I started two large dolls and am nearly finished with over a dozen little Goddess dolls. Whoo! I'm a one-woman sweat-shop!
* I know I've been posting a lot today... I guess I just have a lot to say!
** My husband wonders whether or not people in masks and cloaks will make everyone look like loonies, but they're such an integral part of modern Paganism and general "shamanic" practices that, in the right context, I don't think it's a bad thing. It's our liturgical wear, our neo-ethnic wear, and our mental key into ritual. If people like to dress up and really express their inner selves during such a spiritual time, I don't see it as a bad thing. I completely understand my husband's ponderings, and I often have them myself, but in the end I love dressing up.
*** We don't charge taxes anyway because of our church status.
**** I highly encourage any artsy ADF members to look into it, especially if you were thinking about selling anything at Wellspring.
[ For my LJ friends, please visit me at: http://adfcatprints.blogspot.com/ ]
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