Handmade stuffies at local markets

THE DALLES — “I have severe ADHD and once I started making the stuffies for my kids, I kind of hyper-focused and I made like 15 of one item at a time, and my house was just kind of overflowing with it,” said Veronica Tucker, owner of The Pink Bee.

The shop started as cold process soaps, shampoos and conditioners, and expanded to crocheted items when Tucker took up the hobby. As a mother of eight, Tucker began making soap as a crafty cost saving measure for her own household. But she found joy in the work and decided to start selling at The Dalles Farmers Market with the encouragement of her friends and family. When her mom crocheted Easter bunnies for each of her kids, she was inspired and taught herself.

“I do everything,” said Tucker, “I’ve done poison dart frogs, potatoes, chicken nuggets, acorns, dragons, elephants, just about any animal or mash-up of animals you can think of, I have made it.”

When she began as a vendor at the farmers market, she was selling out every week, which prompted her to try selling at more venues year-round instead of just the summer. She found success at Artisan Market and Brick City & Games in The Dalles.

Tucker also works on making her prices fair and accessible. “I want children to have something special,” she said. “I really want to make sure that a parent or a child can come in, and they can pick something out they really love and be able to afford it without worrying about where the money comes from. I love being about to provide that special gift or that custom order.”

To figure out the prices for each item, she adds the material costs and her hourly rate of about $12 an hour and adjusts as needed based on what she considers fair. A large white and pink dragon sold at Artisan Market came to $287 before adjustment, but “that’s too much for a family to afford for an item that’s a want, not a need,” so she priced it at $150.

“[It’s] been a big investment,” said Tucker, explaining that it took her three years to learn to crochet, another two to gather the courage to sign up for The Dalles Farmers Market, and three more years as a vendor before she began talking to other stores about selling her products. “I also do it because at the end of the market season, it pays for my children’s school clothes and school supplies.”

For those interested in finding The Pink Bee, Tucker is at The Dalles Farmers Market almost every Saturday, as well as has stuffies available to purchase at Artisan Market and Brick City which is moving to a larger location on 2nd Street. This summer, the Pink Bee is also selling at Third Thursdays in White Salmon from 5 to 9 p.m., and the Portland Saturday market when she’s not at The Dalles. To check out more of her work, look for @ThePinkBeesCreations on TikTok, Instagram, and Etsy. Custom requests can be made on her Etsy, or if you stop by her booth at the farmers market.