Fair's fair...

...I promised on Facebook to tell you all about the Pennine Christmas Craft Fair the other weekend, so I will!  I love craft fairs...and the Pennine one is my favourite so far.  It's run by a mother-daughter team named 'The Anns' who take care to ensure that all us crafty people have everything we need.  '1 table + demo + rail', it said on a ticket left at my stand.  Yup, I got all that!  And MORE...

I also got a chance to show off my work...some spiffy new designs...my lovely packaging...commissions...and a little surprise just for fun! Heehee...

'Nuther fair, and a revamped display! The dark background helps my work stand out better.

And I also got a chance to catch up with all the wonderful crafty friends I've made since first attending this show at Easter. These events are all about showcasing the crafting community's labours of love, so I think it's be appropriate to bring some of that spirit into my blog by telling you about the people (and their work) I've come to know and love.

First up is Claire Fairall, who makes the most mesmerising array of woolly felted pod bags and drop purses.  I could admire the beautiful colours, smooth curves and wonderful textures she creates forever, but we always end up deeply engrossed in conversations about life, loves, our hopes, cats, children and anything else you could pull out of bags as magical as these... her bubbly daughter helps out too!  Claire proudly told me that Emma now knits almost as quickly as her mum, and no longer needs to look at what she's doing.

One of the rare moments that Claire put her knitting down that weekend, to pose for me...

Hm...looks like I've started alphabetically, so I'll continue this way...then no one will think I love them any less for putting them further down the list...*grin*

The first time I saw Paula Mallison's mouthwatering sweet treats was during a new summer fair held by the Anns in the gardens of Castle Ashby House in Northamptonshire. I sort of thought 'Ooh, cakes!, then wandered off 'cos I wasn't hungry'...

(yes, yes, that must be a first for me..)

I went back for a second look later, and, despite informative signs about how Paula makes these Cracking Creations, I just stood mesmerised by the pretty colours and scrumptious-looking jelly glaze for several moments before spotting a wick on one of them. A...whut? OHHHH...they're candles!!!  Wow!!  uhh yeah...that explains the sign.  I felt like such a dumb*ss.  Paula told me she's done everything to try to convey that these are cake candles, but nothing seems to work.  Customers still approach the stall saying 'Oh, what lovely candles (when she burns a few samples), now which cake would you like, darling?', and ladies walk away with a bag of goodies while their husbands ask when they can eat them... 

And who wouldn't want to when they look like this?

Selling like hotcakes, I should've snapped a pic earlier... O ~ O

Ceramic artists Tim and Julie always stop by for a friendly chat whenever they pass me at the fair.  They specialise in 'hand building' and Raku firing, and offer pottery courses on the outskirts of an fishing village overlooking the sea in their garden and workshop in Croatia.

Delicate, rustic and beautiful...and the pottery ain't bad either! Spot the armour on top left of the picture too...

This is my favourite, I don't know if Julie minds me calling it the 'Loudhailer' (like those twisty ones of Dr Seuss and Horton fame), but I've threatened to adopt him one day and display him next to a little Who from Whoville.

'Oo, hello!', cried the startled visitor when she spun round and spotted this little fellow.

Speaking of surprising discoveries, The Moon Up Above produces silver and bronze jewellery that have been compared to an amazing archeaological find without all the muck. Check out the picture below! I love the caged bird (I think the cage is open at the back so li'l birdie can fly off anytime...which is a bonus)

Have you been to any craft fairs lately where there're ceramic artists, armourers and silversmiths?

Nadine (the artist formerly known as The Silver Queen) and her husband Peter (also her sales rep) were far too shy to pose with their sophisticated new display, but they're never too reserved for a good ol' chinwag about EVERYTHING under the moon above.  Now, that's what I call brand consciousness!

Like museum showpieces, but you're welcome to touch and the jewellery is highly wearable!

'Toughness' and 'delicacy' springs to mind with both The Moon Up Above and another jeweller called Satoko who's adapted traditional Japanese origami into a resilient and modern collection of necklaces, brooches, rings and earrings.  Her work is coated with three layers of lacquer to toughen and waterproof the jewellery, then set with cord, silver, and sometimes, Swarovski crystals. Satoko's Origami Jewellery also produces origami jewellery from sheets of metal polymer clay that are then fired and burnished by hand.

Satoko with her personal sales rep, Chris

Last jeweller on today's post with Lady Luck Jewellery, by Claire Vize. I love her 50s and 60s American-inspired work best, and just HAD to take a picture of her hair that day. I own plenty bandanas 'cos they come in so handy with keeping my headspin beanie on when I break, but here's a new way to wear them indeedy! Claire also hosts the Contemporary Craft Shopping Experience in Warwickshire, and is a Folksy newsgirl. It's great to meet crafters who work so hard to give all the rest of us a big boost! Now if only it were chocolate...hehehe...

Pretty polymer and lucky lady ;)

By the way, Claire's fair is on TOMORROW! That's Sunday 5th December, 10am-4pm. So set your Satnav to CV31 1XN and head on down if you're in the area, ok?

With all these goodies on offer, you might need another bag (in addition to Claire's felted beauties)... what about Joanne Potter's lovely arm candy? Melikes a hearty middle for Christmas, Santa baby! *beam* 

Now in its 5th year, Pennine Fairs has become such a hit that they expanded, offering more stalls and quality craftsmanship to you lucky Northants!

The fair has now expanded into Hangar Two! Hangars are very big places y'know...

Determined window shoppers are gonna have to put up a hard fight, or observe wartime austerity until their next payday...

A miniature biplane on display in the hangar.

Gutted that you missed all this?  Well, don't forget the Contemporary Craft Shopping Experience. 


OH. BIG NEWS!!! I'm also going international!!! The YWCA in Singapore will be organising a Christmas Bazaar which will be held at Fort Canning Lodge on the 18 December 2010, 11am-7pm. Please tell all your friends. Come say hello to Sock 'N' Soul, Darn Stuff and meee!!! 

Just so all you Singapore-based peeps don't feel left out      > U <


So what's your date to remember, boys and girls? 5th for UK peeps and 18th for Singapeeps. Don't forget yah? xxx