Craft Fair Panic

Despite having a rotten cold that shows no sign of diminishing, I have systematically been making things for the impending craft fair.  I am now getting in a state of panic as what I have made at the moment doesn't even fill a shoe box!

I shall probably add some cat toys and key rings but am struggling with making larger items.  Any ideas?

The Tiny Bird

Something different today.  I wrote this short story back in January 2007 and thought I would share it with you.  I don't profess to be a great writer.  I didn't even pass my English 'O' level but that doesn't prevent me from wanting to write.  Here goes:

The Tiny Bird

Amber sat in the garden convalescing.  She had been ill for quite some time now and the consultant said that she needed complete rest if she wanted to get better again.  It was a warm spring day.  She sat back in the sun lounger with a light blanket over her legs and chest and observed nature all around her.

Spring bulbs had popped up out of barren swathes of earth, bobbing their flowers heads in the gentle breeze.  The grass was lush and verdant due to months of rainfall.  At last Amber could see light at the end of the tunnel after seasons of poor health and hopelessness.  Her eyes became heavy as she contemplated her surroundings and she drifted off into slumber.

With a start, Amber awoke.  She felt something on the bottom half of her leg.  Perched on her big toe was  the teeniest tiny bird she had ever seen.  How strange and yet how beautiful.  It was about as big as her baby finger and iridescent black in colour as though it had been brushed with stardust.  The little bird danced about on Amber's legs before flitting up to the nearest bush where it became hidden by the leaves.  She smiled at this welcome intervention before drifting off to sleep once more.

Amber stirred as she listened to the most tuneful birdsong.  She looked up towards the apple tree where she could just about see the tiny bird nestled among the fragrant pink blossom.  It was though it was singing 'follow me, follow me, follow me'.  She mustered up all her strength to stretch out her arm in the direction of the tiny bird before slumping back into her seat with exhaustion.

Amber's Mum had begun to worry.  Each day her daughter insisted on sitting out in the garden to be with the tiny bird.  Amber recalled the antics that it had been up to even though her mum had never seen this mysterious bird.  Even in a rainstorm Amber was adamant that she wanted to be close to her new companion.

The spring and the summer became distant memories as the trees began to change into their autumn wardrobe.  The lawn now sun scorched gave in to the change of season.  Amber lay back in the sun lounger.  She now had a thicker blanket over her legs to ward off the autumn dampness.  The sun was lower in the sky now and the days became increasingly shorter.

One day in October Amber felt the best she had for a long time.  Tiny bird was livelier than usual and it flew from tree to bush to ground to tree. Amber chased her friend around the garden and from time to time it would fly down and sit on her shoulder or even on top of her head.  She became dizzy as she was led in a figure of eight shape around the lawn.  The tiny bird became more and more animated and almost frenzied before it soared up at hyper speed towards a hold in the clouds.  Amber fell to the ground.

When her Mum discovered Amber's body her spirit had already left.  Her Mum knew that her daughter's condition was terminal but was not really prepared for the day her daughter would leave.  As she cradled Amber in her arms she felt something brush against her hand.  It was a tiny iridescent feather that looked as though it had been brushed with stardust.

Simone Whipp 2007

Another Wreath

Today is uncomfortably hot so I have made a wreath in cool tones with a silvery mica sheen.  Perhaps not traditional autumn tones, but it reminds me of a moonlit night!

Today is forecast to be the hottest day of the year.  I don't 'do' heat.  I am going to sit indoors and craft away until the sun goes down and then I am going to craft some more!

Autumn in Summer

Yes I know that we are in the heart of summer but I am in autumn mode as I complete projects for the September craft fair.  Today I kept out of the sun and spent the whole day making this paper wreath!  Hopefully I will get quicker as my skills develop.  It really is very pretty as I gave it a fine mist of mica powder to enhance the golden hues of the autumn.

My jam gift tags are much more practical but hopefully the wreaths will draw people to the stall.

We're Jammin'

In the words of Bob Marley, 'we're jammin'' or not as the case may be.  I am not making jam yet - far too hot - but come autumn time I will probably be making some jams, jellies and chutneys.

Thinking about jam, I thought that some jam gift tag labels may be a good seller for my craft stall either for people to dress up their own preserves or to buy for someone else who is into jam making.  Another reason for making these is that if they don't sell I can always make use of them myself!

I still have to add scalloped edged labels to the bags as I have done to two of them.  After a lot of trial and error, I have reached a look that I am pleased with - distressed, rustic and homespun - just like me!

Craft Assembly Line

I have provisionally booked a table for a September craft fair.  I am excited and terrified all at once!  Having caught a shocking cold, I am trying to keep clear headed, not panic and methodically make lists of all the things I need to do to make the most of the opportunity.  My biggest obstacle is having enough stock.  Generally the things I make are quite small so I will have a bit of a struggle to fill up a table.  I may have to fill in gaps with dried Hydrangea heads, battery tea lights (in jars?)  and maybe a few mini pumpkins!  Any ideas are most welcome.

On Saturday I went to visit the craft fair which are held monthly.  The setting is within a church with beautiful stained glass windows.  It is cool and dark in the church so I thought my tea lights could show the stall off nicely and give it a bit of atmosphere.  I had a chat to some of the stallholders who said they use the fair as a networking opportunity rather than focus on sales.  I hardly saw any buyers which was a bit of a concern but maybe come September there will be more visitors.  Who knows?!!!

So now I need to get my head down (despite feeling under par)  and come up with a plan for an interesting stall with a variety of things for sale for the best chance of success.

The Elusive Craft Fair

I am having a bit of a whinge today partly because I have a cold and feel like I have swallowed a packet of razor blades and also because my OH has a hacking cough that has kept us both awake at night for over a week.  I have continued to make cards - mainly 'get well' ones funnily enough, but my enjoyment is marred by the lack of an outlet to sell them.

I recently found out that there is monthly craft fair not too far from where I live and I thought this would be the ideal opportunity for me to showcase my wares.  I contacted the group but was told that 'unfortunately'  cards and jewellery are the two most popular items made and that the fair had filled up all places for these items.  I am not a two trick pony though and can turn my hand at making most things.  I have contacted them again enclosing a picture of one of my 'summer sprites' as an example of other things I make and asked them if there is a gap in the market they would like me to fill.  I have yet to hear back but my cynical self believes that they want to keep the fair as a bit of a clique between particular groups.  I would love to be proved wrong!  Edited: I have been proved wrong!   I can have a stall if I don't sell cards or jewellery items.  It looks like I will be busy learning new skills then! :)

So here I am today feeling despondent.  My son thinks my cards are too plain.  I have explained to him that they are thank you cards and get well cards and don't have to be fancy or over embellished.  He thinks I have the market all wrong and we lock horns because each of us think we are right.  My idea is to focus on these types of cards and offer a few really special large wedding or special anniversary cards but I don't want to put a lot of time into the types of cards that don't bring me joy.

Whenever I am in a dilemma I turn to you, my blogging friends, to help me put things into perspective with your cool reasoned heads!  Can you think of anything I can make either for a craft stall or my etsy shop that people would want to buy?

This is a topic I go round and round in circles with. My son thinks I should give up craft altogether and concentrate on painting instead.

Maybe in this overcrowded market he has a point.