First Thursday's nice and all, but we're also a fan of first Sunday -- that's when I Heart Rummage, Seattle's most famous urban craft show, takes center stage at the Crocodile. Do we get there as often as we'd like? No. Do we love it when we do go? Yes.

Never been? You can check it out this Sunday from noon to 4. It's your last chance before Bumbershoot, though, because IHR is taking the summer off.

Seattlest emailed a few questions to Cassandra Lanning, who's currently running the show.

Assume someone's never been to IHR before. What should they expect when they visit?

First time to IHR? Expect to be a bit overwhelmed as you walk in the door! The atmosphere at the Croc on IHR Sundays is positively charged! You can take your time and have brunch while you spy the vendors from afar and watch all the other shoppers come and go, or you can dive right in and start "rummaging"! Two rooms filled with the most amazing handmade items will keep you busy for hours! You are guaranteed to walk away armloads of treasures!

How did you get involved with I Heart Rummage?

I got involved with IHR in April 2005 as a vendor when I still had my gothic soapmaking business.

What's changed with IHR since the early days, and especially since you came aboard?

IHR has become a more structured show. With our pre-registration vendors can party all night Saturday night knowing that they don't have to get up early Sunday morning to secure that coveted booth space. It's all done ahead of time! We also changed the layout of the booths to create a more free flowing feeling since the space we are working in is quite crowded. Another thing that has changed is the addition of a monthly "Special Guest" booth. Each month we feature a unique local organization to help them get exposure to a potential new audience. IHR has a lot of new surprises up it's sleeves, keep an eye out for more IHR sponsored events!

What's your perspective on Seattle's DIY and crafter scenes? How do we compare to other cities or communities?

Seattle is filled with artists and crafters of every kind! Portland is another great NW city that has a thriving DIY community. IHR shares a lot of vendors with our "sister-show" Crafty Wonderland in Portland. We would like to work together to create a supportive networking community for all of the vendors that attend both our shows. After-all, much of what the DIY revolution is about is to support small independent businesses.

How does a crafter get involved with IHR?

IHR has application and registration procedures outlined on our website. Basically a crafter sends in pics of their work, it is evaluated and if approved they can register for any show they would like to participate in, during that show's registration period.

Do certain crafts have an edge on getting in, or are there crafts that would not qualify for the event?

IHR is an event that showcases handcrafted works with an indie/urban/edgy appeal. Irony and balls (not literally) definitely have an edge on getting in. For all the vendors that apply that do not make the cut, I do try to refer them to and encourage them to sell with some of the "suburban" craft shows which have their own following.

Why the limit to 6 jewelery vendors?

There is an abundance of jewelry vendors out there and they seem to be the most persistent about getting their businesses seen. We had to set a limit on jewelry vendors so that the show doesn't inadvertently become the IHR Gem Show! 6 vendors is approximately 15% of our show and that seems to be an industry standard. If customers were interested, I would love to do an all jewelry show to showcase all the amazing jewelry artists out there.

Any special tips to people wanting to find hidden gems or great deals?

Each IHR event is unique and interesting. There is always a hidden gem in our midst! Don't miss a show, you might miss that special something!

Why are you guys taking the summer off? And do you have anything exciting planned for the last show before Bumbershoot?

Dude! I need a break! Hahaha!!! The June show should be particularly exciting because we have SEVEN new vendors selling with us! We are also launching our quarterly IHR Zine which will be available exclusively at IHR events! It will give readers more in depth info about all of their favorite vendors, as well as spotlight our special guests and how to get involved with them if applicable. It will also offer IHR news, crafting tips, recipes and pictures of the event.

Don't think we're lounging in the sun this summer, we have some exciting new surprises in store for IHR customers! Go to our website to sign up for our monthly IHR newsletter. We'll let you know everything that is going on!