Christmas is here... busy!

 I have my first official Christmas Fair on Saturday morning... i have been sewing up some final pieces for the stall.... busy.

 I have to get the last few items decorations and items listed in the SnowFish shop... busy!

 I have had many deliveries over the past week - things need unpacking and every item needs a home or i will NEVER find it again! future projects and supplies replenish.... busy.

 Last minute Bulk orders and Custom requests *so proud and pleased* .... busy!

 Got to somehow fit in my own Xmas shopping and ordering of photo-books and calenders and a million 'events' for the Local School and village fundraisers... busy.

 And i cannot use the toilet as the new bathroom flooring isn't dry yet... (bursting)

But i can get on and finish the Studio interior as The Man with The Floor has finished... busy!!

What was that story i found about Babushka?

"Once upon a time, in a Russian village, there lived a woman called Babushka. She always seemed to be busy with sweeping, polishing, cooking, dusting, gardening... so busy that she began to lose sight of all the beautiful things around her. So busy, she didn't look up to see the brightest new star that had appeared in the night sky..."

The Babushka tale is a very old story. So old that many Russian children no longer know it at all. It is a cautionary tale about a woman too busy to notice anything around her... so busy in fact, she missed the arrival of baby Jesus.

Busy, yes. But never too busy for what truly matters in life xxx

Craft Exhibition - Boddington, South Northants

As promised, i took a few photos of my display at the Art & Craft exhibition over the weekend.

It was a really long weekend - 10am till 4pm on both days, which is exhausting but it means i can put up a really nice display... which i enjoy!

The above 2 are quilts that i have made recently. The floral extravaganza is made from 14 different Cath Kidston fabrics. It is available in PaperFish.etsy.com and will be in my *new* shop http://www.lovepaperfish.com/

The animal baby boy Cot Quilt was a real success.

On the wall at the back here - i displayed the quilt i am currently making for my daughter. I had alot of nice comments and chats with craft and fabric fans - about colour choices and getting projects 'finished'!

I used lots of my vintage homewares and a pot of yellow Gerberas to help make my display stand ZING!

These are also new... The above are 12 scallop pennants i call "Artisan Bunting" with each scallop a different mix of linens with hand embroidered and machine stitched embellishments. These were really popular and i have plans to make many more. They are designed for the grown-up bunting and craft lover, to hang on shelves or on a mantlepiece. I am so proud of these and can't wait to develop this idea.

I hung mixed bunting all across the ehibition room too. It was a real 'country fair' english shabby feel and the reactions from the public was so much fun. Sometimes when i sit and 'make' in isolation i worry that people won't enjoy the same things that i do. It is a great feeling to get positive reactions and sales. Also to chat with people who always supply me with new ideas (Thanks Juliet for the Pockets Thing!) 

Vintage suitcases to add height and interest and because i love them and because i can carry my products easily in suitcases. I sold many lavender cushions which was such a compliment.

I also put out books and magazines and freebies on the stall to help engage people in conversation aswell as set 'the scene'..... i even sold some Christmas Decorations this weekend! i apologised for my prematurity but customers were easy to forgive me and liked to see what new Christmas 2010 stock is on it's way.....

Mini Lavender and Clove cushions with off-cuts of Cath Kidston fabrics... the smell!

And i had a small area to sell some supplies were i put a portfolio of me and my work and also displayed my sketch book and all the craft artciles i have written.
All in all it was fun. I took some money and people loved their 'finds'. I chatted much about sewing and crafts and patchwork and .... ahhh, so much other stuff.
Thanks for looking - hope it inspires you a bit xxx

Rock & Roll Sunday Fair...

Sunday. The local indoor Rural Market.

It is a market held 4 times a year to support local, independant, rural traders. It's all for sale, everything from Crafts to Chutney... Walking Sticks to sausages... and PaperFish likes to get involved!

I had a smaller stall than usual. I have been concentrating on new web business so i hadn't got such a huge stock to offer...

I also wanted space to set out a table for Children - you remember how it was when you were little? being dragged around places of a weekend with your parents stopping to chat every 5 minutes and you weren't allowed to touch or buy anything....? i hated that: children need fun :)

So i had an extra table and chairs next to me where children were offered the chance to make some exciting bracelets from various beads, buttons and ribbons... it was so much fun (as always!)

The bracelets were great! very imaginative and all quite different.

I was worried stupid about the huge needles we had to thread the felt beads - luckily, no major accidents and the results were worth it.

Sisters getting stuck in...

And my star of the day - Pretty Pollyanna, who managed to make a huge threaded necklace and matching bracelet. She worked so hard on it and talked non-stop the entire time. I barely had a bead left!

Of course, the advantages of helping set up the Market - is i get to choose which stall is next to mine :)

Naturally i chose the local Chocolate Makers (originally from Finland!) Their chocolate is amazing and the couple who run the business are such lovely people. We talked children and the politics of 'formal education'... it was all very continental.... and yummy.

A new lady at the market - it is a shame she has no website because her stained glass creations are just sooo lovely. There was a really high standard of good quality stalls and it was a great atmosphere.

My girl and me bought matching kitten friends and pottery mice for them to chase... (mine is pink, hers is blue)

And the lady with the knitted glories was selling her items for less than the materials used to make them... dolls around £3.50... kittens £1 a piece.....

I know, it DOES make life difficult for those of us trying to make a living from this.... but it is her hobby and her life. Who am i to criticise her pricing? she was colourful and fun to have on board.

Lastly and by no means least-ly (?) i popped The Fudge Man right in front of me...

Pardon?... are you accusing me of spending all my pocket money on handmade chocolates and fudge?... that would be very rude of you and simply quite untrue.

(They had freebie tasters of everything)

I sold a few pieces and took some orders for bunting. Then i went back to my parents and helped PaFish cook up Sunday Roast Dinner. A neighbour came round to talk with me about cars, randomly, and i finished the day watching Antiques Roadshow.
It ain't Rock and Roll Folks, but it's my kind of a Sunday.

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

Weekend Craft Fairs...

So, i found myself at 2 Fairs this weekend. The first was in a school and was a very small fair. I'm afraid there was little to report from there, other than some lovely people that i met.
The Sunday Fair was where it was allll happening. "MaKe" in Wolverton, Milton Keynes. If you missed it, you missed a treat! What a joy to be at a fair that was so friendly, with so much space and very well organised. I had a massive stall area to play with which is always so nice. I hate being rammed table end to table end in a grotty light-less hall. This was a theatre - blissful hall and so sunny (when Jamie opened those wooden shutters)

I am in no way ashamed to admit, i had my small Christmas Tree up and was selling early decorations. Why not? People were enjoying them and buying them so i make no apologies for it.

I love looking at the stalls all set up - 2 mins till the Fair opens to the public (stall holders grabbing drinks and toilet stops, worrying about where we parked our vehicles for the day...)

Lovely lovely JANE Charles and her wonderful felt items. Isn't she great? watch this space for her own etsy shop http://buysmallbeans.etsy.com

Her items have an almost scandinavian look to them? and Jane herself was wearing fab clothes (wish i'd got her in a shot now...)

A lady selling her paintings - she was telling me she is a keen photographer too and this was her first fair! Great artwork lady x

Cake Makers / decorators, mmmmm.... look at that castle - it is darling!

Oh... and, ummmm they were selling cupcakes too so i HAD to have one....

I would love to be really slim and wear tiny jeans and tight vest tops, BUT... i think i like cake even more than i want to be thin (i tell myself i'm feeding my hour glass figure)

Cute, cute, cute.... this lady is fresh from Art School - cast out into the big bad world and she ended up next to me.... poor / lucky her (depending on how you view it)

She is Jessica Sharp and you can see some of her stuff here: http://nellieandelsie.etsy.com but again, this is a virgin etsy shop so keep watching, there is more good to come from Jessica (ooohhh, teacups and whimsy and seaside shells and nostalgic letters)

I didn't get a chance to catch this lady's name but she was a stunning artists - and needs to keep her stuff to galleries as she was soooo good and her stuff is much too divine (and heavy) to be carting around to fairs.

Jamie's Wife.... "Mrs Chalmers". Now, no offence J, but i'm pleased i have a pic of your good lady rather than yourself. You are such a limelight gent and your wife was so quiet - she is also far better looking :) "Hello MrsXstitch - it was lovely to meet you" x

Schmooze himself, MrXstitch had a really lovely, simple and galleresque display of Cross Stitch pictures he had swapped with other cross stitchers / embroiderers / contemporary needlefolk.

There were some great pieces....

I really liked this picture>>>>> but i want to clarify, this day was far from being 'pants'. It was great. Thanks J, thanks Carole, thanks to all of those who came along, it was nice to meet previous internet customers!! get to know new people and share the enthusiasm for crafting.

Back to the grindstone.... x