Craft Booth Pictures...

You **knoooow** you want to see photos from this weekend's Craft Fair....

You know you want me to show you the delights and delectables from my Christmas Craft weekend....

The car is packed and ready to go. We are in a Marquee this year, as opposed to the main House, so i am dressed ready! Chunky scarf and wool layers a-go-go. Thick socks and Big Boots.

 I popped over to the venue, the afternoon before so i had already managed to nab my preferred area. In a corner and next to the heating!

We had clips and bits so i managed to hang fabric and quilts from the back of the Marquee to help keep us cosy and get the stall 'in the mood'.

(i am saying 'we' as my mum helped me allll weekend xx)

I love having 2 tables in this shape as it has an inviting shop feel to it. A cosy corner of Christmassy Crafting. It is also easier having two 'counters' to serve from as it can get very busy when chatting.

 Fat Santa Men..... Lavender Cushions displayed in Vintage a trug.... my Nans old pot stand at the back (which i spray painted about 2 hours before it arrived here)

 Lovely colourful quilts to keep us happy and let everybody see "There is a fun stall down the back here"

 And, of course, all the Christmas Decorations ready to be mauled by children who approach the stall with a kind of wild and wonderful gleam in their eye... "Mummy, loooooook"

Children and adults are welcome to fondle our merchandise. It is a scratch and sniff stall.

 And the EVER wonderful Jo & Charity were at the Fair. I love these ladies - unfortunately they have no website to direct you to, so you'll have to dream and ponder their wares....

 And, introducing my new Crafty Bosom Buddies: Random Granny & Elsie Sparrow.

I am going to find where they live and stalk them. I hope that's okay with them?

I am in love - they are truly mind sparkling.

Their stall looked divine and magical. Their creations are heart tickling.

 I bought some *cute* little girls with plaits - these 3 are destined for the SmallFish Christmas Gift Advent Calender. Don't worry, she can't read yet and won't come to the blog and see.

Also (terrible quick photo - sorry) behind 'the girls' is a quilted and appliqued Ice-Cream Van zipper purse which i bought for myself. Just dreamy :)

 I fell in love with this rug as SOOOOOOON as my friend Jo put it on her stall.

Just look at it! It is awesome. She charged me way too little for it. These should sell in Liberty's for hundreds of pounds. It is knitted..... (wait for that information to sink in.....) Yes - k n i t t e d!

Using giant needles and old rugs cut into long strips.

 It is so thick and chunky and cosy and perfect.

I should have asked her to do me a scarf....

(Which reminds me of a project i want to do with Felted wool jumpers....)

 The moment i saw it, i wanted to get my bare feet scrunched into it's chunky warmth.

I have put it in my bathroom as the colours reflect fantastically off all that bathroom white-ness.

I LOVE it - thankU Jo. Thankyou to all the Ladies i bought from over the weekend. ThankU for being wonderful and for making unique and quirky handmade goods.

ThankU for the handmade chocolates (that i ate so quick they never got near the camera)

ThankU for the knitted Guinea Pig and the Vintage fabric Angel

Thank GOD for the talents and tenacity of those who craft by hand xxxx

And ohhhhhh, thanks for a day off at home.

Squelching about in pink socks and yellow slippers. Mopping the floors and washing down the kitchen. Putting the clothes into the was machine and eating mushrooms on toast.

Lucky, happy, satisfied me xxxx

Craft Stall Ideas...

A few more stalls from my last Christmas Fair to inspire you or to give ideas for your own craft stalls set up...
I have used lots of natural twigs - both to hang items from and to give height and interest at the back of the stall. The lovely ladies (below) made full use of the deep floor space in their rooms and had tables coming out to create a 'walk-in' area. I always think that gives a stall a nice feel. Also, the lady on the right has used tall garden trellis as a backdrop. They needed extra lights so the trellis was a great way to hang lighting and stall notices / price posters.

The stall below was just filled with stunning patchwork cushions and pillows - then they had baskets nearer the front with smaller items. They had one stall holder in front of the displays with a money belt to take monies and talk with customers.

The stall below had a stunning range of jewelery and scarves. All her display items were vintage curiosity BUT... i think a stall can be 'over-dsiplayed' or too neat making a barrier for customers as they don't feel they can 'touch' anything.

Also, in my experience, anything displayed 'behind' a stall, rarely ever sells.

There is really nothing special about the stall below. Boxes and shelves covered quickly with black / white cloths. No great thought to product placement. But this is no bad thing...The pretty stall items are bright and fun and they really display themselves. It was easy to feel you could pick up any item and touch it. Indeed, it was condusive to buying as i bought some gloves!

Stall below has high shelving with glass items on and then all the table items were easy to handle. She didn't need much in the way of extra displays as her items were all prettily packaged.

My friend below - Yvonne. Lovely lady. her stall is clear and with a wide range of display shelving. Nothing is overcrowded, everything is labelled clearly. All her stock is very well lit. Yvonne is always the first person setting up and the last person to leave. Her stall is so very professional but, if you'd like a stall like this, you need to carry alllllll these items to every fair and spend an age getting it ready. I don't have that patience!

Below, my good friend Judith. her stall is always prettily arranged and very organised with all items in one place 1) an area for candles 2) an area for bottle bags etc.... Judith has been doing the Christmas Fairs for years! what draws people to her stall? she has one combined colour theme and every mixes and matches together. Judith repeats items each year with a slightly new design so people always know that they can come and get what they wanted. Judith asks to be in the same pitch at each event so customers can find her easily....

Judith also has lovely Christmassy smelling items that make customers swoon.

We all spent much longer on these stalls (except Yvonne, who always puts in 110%) because it was a full weekend show. We get the same high number of shoppers every year and they come to buy. When everyone puts this much effort in to their stalls, it makes for a good fair xxx

It's all in the details...

A weekend Craft Fair in a very grand National Trust House - Canons Ashby, Northants.
Sooo pretty and so old! A perfect setting. Don't get me wrong though, it is still local to me and has the same feel as smaller events. It was predominantly "crafts" and the people were almost all locals. This was the backdrop to my stall, from Friday eve through to Sunday later afternoon... i know! WoW! An 'oh so very old' stone fireplace.

And i could try to photgraph the whole stall... but by doing that, i miss out the details. So craft fans, it's all in the details:

My cards at the front of the stall in a giant teacup - help yourself to my contact details and a chocolate (especially for bored little hands with faces at table height)

Baskets arranged all around my sparkling mirror Christmas Tree. Each basket stuffed with felt decorations. I did a mix and match discount thingy....

Giant bells all tumbled into a glass trifle dish. I think the dish was thrifted locally some years back. It has never seen a trifle in my house but is often used for fruit, sweets, or bells!

Mini bells interspersed with the felt decorations....

All the "Gingerbread Life" collection a sweet little basket - i think that was from my local Vintage / Antiques Bargain cellar - all priced so customers can see straight away without having to ask.

Yet another vintage item. An old wooden Apple crate - this was great to hold purses and craft packs all in an orderly fashion. Hanging the button embellished purses over the edge, just to catch your eye.

My faithful old shop dummy bust. fantastic to give height and interest to the display. Things are easier at eye level and customers can handle to brooches without worrying about delicate displays.

The overall effect - it is hard to give you a general impression but i hope i did okay? This was a whole long weekend so it was worth making a real effort with the display. Under the tables i had all my boxes to hand to replenish sold stock. Also, behind here, i had a small table with my till and my bags and pen / paper so i could keep organised.

I hope to show you a few other stalls too (when i get the photos edited) just to show you i do go round (and shop) and other stalls and i'm not completely self obsessed!

p.s. *waves* to my 'stalker' lady and her mum who travelled over from Wolverton!! i was touched and so pleased to see you :) thanks for coming all that way x

also *waves* to stranger man who made me blush by telling me he reads my blog - thanks!

and *wave* to anyone from my Fairs who has found their way to my blog. You peeps make it all seem worth while.

K x