A three day craft fair is a bit exhausting, a lot of fun and a great place to catch up with old friends and make new ones.  This weekend’s fair at Gawsworth Hall is no exception.

Saturday (yesterday) saw a fairly quiet day for all of us, probably because the weather wasn’t particularly friendly: heavy showers may well have put a lot of people off but the customers who did brave the weather were happy to spend their money on the many stalls.  There was a lot of evidence of early Christmas buying (I’m extremely impressed with the high level organisational skills these people have!).

Sunday (today) was busier after the rain stopped somewhat suddenly at lunchtime, when we were blessed with blue skies.  Monday promises sunshine and blue skies (although I’m not holding my breath) so hopefully we’ll have a busy day tomorrow.  I’m not very good at standing still and doing nothing - talking to customers and, even better, personalising items for them there and then makes the time pass much more quickly for me. 

It was nice to see some new stallholders.  I loved the applique cushion kits from www.picklepatchdesigns.com

cushion kit from Pickle Patch Designs

I also loved these ceramics from Carol of Conway Ceramics.  The stall was full to bursting with my favourite colour . . . blue.  When Carol’s website is up and running I’ll add a link to it.  I’m sure you’ll love her things too.

original unusual blue ceramic vases

Of course, it was great to catch up with the lovely Rama from Veggie Delite.  Rama specialises in the most amazing Indian food.  We ate her food at home this evening - as quick and easy as a takeaway, but deliciously home cooked and authentic.  I can certainly vouch for her mango chutney too!

mango chutney to die for

Rama does meal kits too:

Indian meal kits from Veggie Delite

Like some of our visitors at the fair this weekend, maybe you’ll also be tempted to do a bit of early Christmas shopping . . . and if there isn’t a craft fair near you, the internet is increasingly becoming the place to find handmade and unusual gifts. 

And, best of all, it won’t matter what the weather is like.

The Cheshire Show is a big event in the Cheshire calendar and I must admit I was surprised at just how big, given that it’s on a Tuesday and Wednesday, bucking the trend for weekend events.

cheshire show

Last year, there were queues to get onto the showground to unload, diversions set up for exiting the ground, massive visitor numbers (80,000 over the two days) - but lots and lots going on.  I know people take time off work to spend the day (or even both days) at the show, and local schools come along with groups of children.  I lost count of the number of children I spoke to who were taking part in events with their horses - and the rosettes were definitely out in abundance!

rosette

This year I’ll be there again, in the craft marquee, hoping the weather is just as good as it was last year.  On second thoughts, maybe not.  Last year was a little too hot: the marquee was airless and overbearingly hot.  Us Brits are never satisfied with the weather!  (To be fair, it’s no real wonder, given what the weather throws at us on its ever-changing, thoroughly unpredictable roulette. Throwing often being the operative word!)

If you’re at the Cheshire Show this year, come and say hello!!  If you’d like more information, it’s all here: http://www.cheshirecountyshow.org.uk/

Today was a funny old day. Wet, cold (is it winter again already?) and pretty miserable. It is no real wonder that visitors didn’t arrive in droves for the craft fair at Gawsworth Hall.  The brave souls who did venture out had a lovely time though as they had lots of space to shop with lots of attention and chat too.

All was not lost.  Anyone who does events like this will know that the quiet days give you opportunities too.  Like wandering round and meeting fellow stallholders, buying freshly-cooked Indian food for tea and wonderful handmade soaps for handwashing and bathing, finding out about other events, discussing the merits of wholesale, blogging, websites and magazine features. 

With that in mind, here are some of my discoveries today.  More to follow soon, although I am hoping tomorrow and Monday will be busier days and may not give me chance for many more discoveries!

OK, first off I discovered the wonderful freshly-cooked delights of www.veggiedelite.co.uk - home cooked Indian food, fresh and tasty.  You can even have this cooked for you in your own home within a 35-mile radius of Manchester!

vegetable biryani

I also discovered gorgeous natural handmade skincare products from Laura at www.cherishskincare.co.uk - all natural ingredients.

And such lovely handmade card items, wedding favours and very pretty things, including vintage: www.vintagetwee.com - perfect for special table settings, weddings, etc.

eat me

How gorgeous are these “eat me” signs? Just perfect for a tea party, Christening, wedding or similar!  You must visit the website for more fabulous goodies!!

If the sun is shining tomorrow or Monday - or even if it’s not - you could enjoy a great day out at Gawsworth Hall.  Pop SK11 9RN into the satnav and come along to join in the fun.  Chainsaw carving, cupcakes, artwork and gifts - as well as falconry, mediaeval re-enactments, archery, rides, not to mention the hall and gardens with its tearooms - there is lots to do, see and enjoy.

Oh, and a mini-highlight for me today? Oh, ok, then it was more like a massive highlight: the boys at www.kitschagogo.com gave me a chocolate muffin, just because they had one left over from their lunch.  My new best friends! (I’m so easily pleased aren’t I?)  I love the atmosphere at craft fairs; the people are so nice and that’s what helps the world go round.

This Saturday will see me at the Mother’s Day Craft Market in Didsbury, Manchester:

dignity-craft-event-flyer

It’s being held at Ivy, Ddisbury in aid of Dignity.  I’m told there’ll be a fab mix of stalls selling all sorts of handmade goodies.  I’m really looking forward to it - a great place not just to buy Mother’s Day gifts and cards but also gifts, accessories and treats for all sorts of occasions. 

cupcake clock

Craft Fairs are a great way to build up your own little collection of internet shopping sites - sites where you can buy something different and quite special from individual small businesses and designer/makers.  I make a point of asking for cards or website details from stalls I really love.  That way, it’s so-ooo easy to return anytime to their online store and make a purchase.  Most stallholders at craft fairs have websites these days.

best mum in the world photo frame

If you’d like to pop into Didsbury and have a lovely mooch around the craft stalls, Ivy is in Barlow Moor Road, M20 2GP.  Come along and say hello!  It’d be lovely to meet you!!

More info here: http://blog.didsbury.fetch.it/2010/03/craft-market-ivy-manchester-barlow-moor-road-13th-march/

You can also buy the pictured goodies (and much more!) here: www.1stuniquegifts.co.uk if Didsbury is too far away for you to visit.

I’m off to Worsley Park Hotel today for the craft fair there.  It’s nice to be getting out and about again with my 1st Unique Gifts goodies.  I love the buzz of a busy craft fair, love meeting the public and other stallholders.  There’s usually a great atmosphere at fairs, lots of banter and camaraderie.

The other thing I love is the instant customer feedback.  It’s always good to hear what customers (or even potential customers) think about your work - and it’s even better when that feedback is positive.

I was pleased to find out the fair is even closer than I thought and that the snow which appeared late last night has disappeared.  Yay. Driving isn’t my favourite hobby - driving in snow much less so.

If you’d like more information about the Worsley Park Hotel Craft Fair, you’ll find it here: www.creativecrafts-online.co.uk and if you’d like to pop along, it’s M28 2QT.

Come and say hello if you spot me!

The crafting calendar usually starts slowly.  There have been a few fairs and markets about but I didn’t book any in January as internet sales were busier than I thought they’d be (which is nice, obviously) and I also needed some organisational and admin time, seeing as I didn’t get a spare minute before Christmas.

My first event of 2010 then will be at Worsley Park Hotel in Manchester on Sunday 28th February.  It’ll be great to get out and about with 1st Unique Gifts goodies and meet the public as well as other stallholders.

It’s followed quite quickly by a local one at Croft memorial Hall in Warrington on Sunday 7th March.  When I say local, I mean it’s -ooh - all of 2 minutes’ drive (and half a minute of that is waiting to turn right onto the main road!).

The other big thing going on is this:

www.wowthankyou.co.uk is a new website dedicated to showcasing UK handmade items - and we will be listing some of our products on the site.  It’s brand new, due to launch on 5th March 2010, and it’s really exciting to be a small part of that launch.

I’ll remind you of the website address nearer the time, but for now I have a lot of work to do photographing, editing and listing my items for sale via wowthankyou.

See you soon!

Sometimes quiet fairs give you things that busy fairs just don’t.

Today was just such an example.  I was at a school fair in Horwich, Bolton, which proved to be very quiet for much of the day.  I met a lovely lady though, who runs this website: http://www.prem2pram.co.uk/ and this blog: http://prem2pram.wordpress.com/.  She has some wonderful baby gifts, many of which she makes herself.  Her embroidery is superb and very creative. 

Sue let me know of a few outlets which could be very useful for me, and it was a delight to chat with her.  Although her website is well established, this was Sue’s first fair.  It has to be said, it wasn’t the best of fairs, but it was the organiser’s first one, and lessons are often learned by experience.

Sue took this photo of me behind my stall:

Just a quick reminder - I’m at the Floral Pavilion in New Brighton again tomorrow (Saturday 3rd October 2009).  It’s a great venue, with a view of the sea, and lots of great stalls.  Refreshments available.  Free parking on the sea front - what more could you ask for?

If you’re nearby, do pop along and say hello!!

This is something a bit different.

Here’s a link, which tells you a bit about a Craft Open House, which is a bit like an Open Studio, but with several artists/crafters all sharing the space to demonstrate and or display their craft.  It’s happening in Appleton in Warrington:

http://web.me.com/shelleywalsh/Site/CraftOpenHouse.html

There’ll be the opportunity to chat to the crafters, buy gifts, and see some items being made.  It’s free admission, and looks like it could be really interesting.  It’s happening on Saturday 12th September, from about 10ish till about 4ish.  I’m not sure yet whether I’ll have the time to be there as a demonstrator/seller (it’s busy, busy, busy at the moment), but I’m sure I’ll find time to pop along and see what’s going on.

Wow, is it really Friday already?  Where does the time go?

I’ll be loading up my hire car (see this post for why it’s a hire car: http://www.1stuniquegifts.co.uk/blog/2009/08/whoops-a-daisy/ ) with all my 1st Unique Gifts goodies and taking them to Gawsworth Hall in Macclesfield this weekend for the craft fair.  I really do need a van.  I’ll get round to that soon, no doubt.  Meanwhile, it remains a (… erm, I think the polite word is:) challenge, to get everything in my teeny tiny car.  Hoping for help today as my neck, back and shoulders are still sore and complaining painfully at every attempt to move.  My car is a bit worse off, in the garage as we speak having a replacement bumper, tailgate and boot floor.

The craft marquee will be open on the Saturday 29th, Sunday 30th and Monday 31st of August 2009.  I’m hoping the weather will improve a little from the torrential rain we’ve had this morning.  It can’t get any worse, can it? Don’t tempt fate.  Let’s just get out there and do a little sun-dance.

This link will tell you a bit more about the event: http://creativecrafts-online.co.uk/html/latest_news.html - it does look interesting, and the mediaeval entertainments should be fun.

The postcode for your satnav is SK11 9RN.  It’d be lovely to see you there!