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!!

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!

Today was quite a special day really.  I haven’t taken a day off from the business since I started it in May this year.  When I say I haven’t taken a day off, I mean literally - I have been working seven days a week, and long days at that.  I have taken half days off, here and there, and I can down tools when I get tired or need to do something else, so the pressure isn’t as bad as if I’d done the same as an employee.  And the whole thing is a lot of fun really:  painting, designing, attending a variety of shows in sometimes gorgeous surroundings, meeting lovely people, and learning new stuff about websites (not my fave bit, but I do like the fact I’m learning!!).

However, it was a lovely treat to go out for the day.  I wrapped up two parcels first thing, and took them with me to post (ha, so I suppose even my day off included working a little bit!  Not that I mind.)

We went to the peak district.  Here’s the river at Matlock Bath looking peaceful and calm:

Matlock Bath

water feature

It’s going to be a busy weekend coming up (is there any other kind at the moment?).

I’m off to the Wirral on Saturday the 8th August, for the new monthly craft fair at New Brighton Floral Pavilion.  It will be quite a big fair, with over 80 stalls.  Should be a great shopping experience for customers, many of whom have already started their Christmas shopping.  Oh, to be so organised. Sigh.

Then on the Sunday, I’m back up to Samlesbury Hall (in Blackburn) on the 9th August for the Wild Lancashire Country Show, which promises to be a great day out in fabulous surroundings.

Oh, and there’s a wedding to go to on the Saturday evening.  Phew!  it’s making me exhausted just thinking about it!! 

I am hoping to get all outstanding customer orders sent out this week, which (if I manage it) will mean I start the weekend with an empty order book - a first, if it happens!

(Sharp intake of breath)… what a fabulous place Samlesbury Hall is!  I was there today, with a stall at their monthly Farmers’ Market and Craft Fair, and what a fabulous venue.  Comfy, beautifully upholstered chairs behind each table, clean loos with leather armchair, posh soap and hand lotion, reduced prices on food for stallholders (delivered to you), and just a fabulous setting: beautiful, historic building with intricate carving, amazing stained glass windows, fireplaces you could house a small family in.  Amazing.  Oh, and really fabulous customers and staff too!

You really must visit if you get chance!  It’s just 10 minutes from junction 31 of the M6.

Just look:

Samlesbury Hall

Henry the Eighth