What is The Counted Wishes Festival?

• The Counted Wishes Festival is a Designer-Only, Online, Retail Cross Stitch Show held at this website twice a year.

How long have we been in business?

• The first Counted Wishes Festival was held in the Spring of 2010. Each Festival has been a rewarding experience for the Designers and Stitchers who participated!

Aren't we similar to another show?

• Only in that we are both online.

  The Counted Wishes Festival is inspired by the former Cross Stitch Expo, which was the first online, designer-only, retail Cross Stitch show.

  In our format, the Festival is inspired by the UK Cross Stitch Magazines, in which every issue is a fun dedication to Cross Stitch. Our mission is to make the Festival fun to attend, with lots of great Designs, Show Specials, Grand Prizes, A Goodie Bag Page, Cyber-Classes, and Games to enjoy.

   

If a designer is good, isn't she/he already in stores?

• Not every designer can be carried by stores, nor can stores carry every design. Also, some designers have found that the wholesale system doesn't work for them. (There are many costs to consider in wholesale, such as printing, shipping, etc.)

  As a designer who has been both wholesale and retail, I've come to see that it's the designs that determine how good a designer is- not their selling method.

  And this is a venue for wonderful talent in design to be seen! Because we feature a wide variety of designs from many independent Cross Stitch Designers, we can offer you "What's New and Different" in design...

   

Why aren't we a larger show?

• It's very difficult for designers who sell to stores to appear in a retail setting, which might affect the relationship with their buyers. We respect that and understand the choices each designer has to make.

• Generally, the ratio of independent or retail designers is smaller compared to that of wholesale designers, although it includes more designers overseas.

Who do we accept?

• Some designers in the Festival have been in the design business many years, while others are fresh, new faces. Each one of us brings to the Festival our unique artwork expressed in Cross Stitch Design.

  Counted Wishes exists for all designers- those just starting out, those who may have been discouraged with the wholesale system, those who are both retail and wholesale, or those who are only retail. All are welcome (except those involved in copyright theft).

   

Why don't we feature other manufacturers, stores, etc.?

• The Counted Wishes Festival features Independent Designers only, so that these hard-working people are offered a better chance for their designs to be seen than just link exchanges on the web.

How are orders placed through the Festival?

• Please contact the Cross Stitch/Counted Thread Designers to place your orders during the Festival.

Will Downloadable or Printed Charts be featured?

• PDF Charts, Printed Charts, and Kits are all acceptable forms of delivery in the Festival. Each Cross Stitch Designer will make the choices of which delivery method(s) he/she chooses to sell.

I am a Cross Stitch Designer who is interested in being in the Counted Wishes Festival...

• Please read our Exhibit page which describes how to be a Festival Exhibitor.