A Fairbridge for all weathers

I'd been plugging the Makeshift Arts and Crafts Market at Fairbridge on Facebook for a couple of weeks now, and last Saturday was when it all happened! The fair itself was a wee bit on the quiet side, but I'm still delighted with the outcome. Although Birmingham city centre is only seconds away by car and a few minutes on foot, I guess it's difficult to convince visitors to go out of their way, past car dealerships and industrial areas to find us. We also learnt, closer to the time, that other events were also happening in the area, so there was a bit of a clash.

Well, *shrugs* certainly can't moan about Boremingham!

In spite of the quiet turnout and a bit of rain, we had a really good time! Fairbridge offered both in-or-outdoor space to stallholders for free, all we had to do was donate a tombola prize. Entry for visitors was free too so I hope the Centre made lots of money through the raffle, cake sales and other activities for their generous support of local designer-makers, musicians and small businesses.

Selling cakes galore, finger puppets, face-painting, balloons and tombola raffles all for a great cause!

Supporting local musicians...it did rain at one point, so the wellyboot backdrop is v. apt!

Do you know the Madras man...*hums*

I got a chance to catch up with my crafty chums, meet new ones, make some money, while Andy had the pleasure of eating lots of cake and getting plenty of female attention (since he was in the overwhelming minority!) There was plenty of time to wander round and chat to other stall holders, so I thought I'd take pics for a little feature on local artists and designer-makers while I was at it.

Me first, I'm a local designer-maker too! It's been a while since I ran a stall. This time I thought I'd lighten things up with a yellow backdrop. Anyone with more tips or suggestions, please let me know!

Now all my work shows up against it, with hidden storage under my shelves too! *beam*

First, let's start with Emma O'Brien, Coventry's resident naughty-monster maker, who runs The Lock Gallery and monthly Cov Art Fair at the Canal Basin in Coventry and was the first arty-fartist I met in the area. Emma also works at the Mead Gallery, Warwick Arts Centre, where she's helped start the hugely popular Knit, Stitch and Crochet Club of which I'm a big fan. More on that in a later post, but what I want to know is where she finds the time to do all this! Have you got more hours in the day than the rest of us, Emma O. B.?

They come in all shapes and sizes for people of all shapes and sizes!

She's also started making zombies. They appeal to my visceral sense of humour so much, I HAD to have one! This one has wool guts spilling out, the one I bought had a bone leg (don't misread that!) and wool blood gushing out of the wound. What macabre fun!

Bleeeeurgh!

There were a couple of gems, such as Alison Perry's luxuriously presented jewellery stand.

Dramatic and gorgeous

Yup, this one is All About the Beads. What I love most about Ali is how she gives every piece incorporating gemstones and lampwork glass beads a title, just like a rare masterpiece! Names like 'Sheherezade', 'Angels on Bare Skin' and 'The Woman Clothed with the Sun' describe her creations perfectly and make you ache to wear them. Even a non-jewellery person like myself...

Scrummy boiled sweet delights! But don't take my word for it, go see for yourself!

And it's a craft fair, so beads and, yup, you got it, buttons are out in profusion. Julia Gandy, who runs the Transport Museum Craft Fairs,  also makes unique and elaborate Hole-Button Jewellery. Her chunky necklaces and fascinators would make a great statement at a wedding...without upstaging the bride, of course...uh, unless you ARE the bride, then it doesn't matter!

Fascinating array of colours

Since we're onto wearables, these girls are part of a collective Sent 2 Coventry, together with Emma Gluyas, owner of Arty-Em Gear. I forgot to take any pics of her knitwear, remade vintage and upcycled clothing (Doh!) but you can still check her out with the link above.

Gemma Hall of Ragamuffins Vintage probably doesn't think she's an artist (I love that name!) but her display was pepped up with lovely bunting and fabric hearts for that touch of retro chic so she certainly has an eye for detail. Plus, since she shared the room and her copious hangers with us absent-minded sods who packed a clothes rail without hangers, she definitely counts as fam! Do visit her website when it's up, the garments she personally selects are truly special.

Looks the part too!

Now then... I've covered cuddly companions for your soul, jewellery to dress up your outfits, clothes to, uh, stop you going out naked, so it must be time for furnishings and accessories to make your house a home!

How about Karmen's Kreations for her calming and spiritual oil-on-canvas paintings, prints and cards? She also sells wonderful handmade throws and duck feather cushions at reasonable prices. I remember thinking how beautiful her stand looked, with embroidered table coverings, flowers and fairy lights, while I was tagging Darn Stuff during set-up. I couldn't believe it when she told us it was her first time at a fair! *pheweeeeet!* Let's give this talented lady the support she deserves!

Charming Carmen also kept me well-plied with compliments about my work throughout the day *preen* 

And now I must admit I've kept the best till last. Mel Smith's happy go loopy stand was my absolute favourite, and if you love vintage and shabby chic, I know you'll see why!

It's all in the details, every single teeny tiny one of them.

Look at all THIS!

Soya wax teacup candles, loopy storybook bunting and all kinds of wonderful treats...

Mel particularly recommends her SOS jars for students first leaving home. They contain every fiddly thing you might need but almost certainly won't have...like Blu-tack! All so beautifully presented.

Having subjected poor Andy to what was effectively one giant hen party on a Saturday afternoon (giant party, NOT giant hens!) this had to be the icing on the cupcake...look what he won from the tombola! *falls off the chair howling with laughter*

His best macho look, considering the floral lace bag and bunny poking out.

Bless his cotton socks...

Apparently the Pandy'd hoped to win it 'cos he thought it'd be just my thing. Awwwww... it certainly matches my outfit!

'Happy birthday!', he said, even though my birthday's in April...
I should've posed with my new boney-legged zombie!

Last things first...

Although my last post of 2010 was all about the friends I've made from showing my work at craft fairs in the UK, my last fair of the year was a first for me on the smaller island I call home. The experience has given me a few valuable reminders that I'd like to take with me into 2011.

1) Adobe is great for recreating textures and such-like newfangled visual effects, but Cotton Wool and Crepe Paper are anyone's faithful friend at $1 a pop.

2) It's great to be accepted by fair organisers who appreciate my work, but that's nothing like being invited to a show where my auntie is one of the organisers...

3) where my cousins will promote my Smelly Babies amongst the soon kueh, bak chang and  nonya kaya (local turnip, meat dumplings and coconut jam) they've been enlisted to sell.

Hey everyone, those are my Smelly Babies at the front there! *BEAM*

I added my own style to these gingies for sale at the bazaar - it was fun, and they completely sold out!

4) where my mum (and other camera-shy relatives) will help me sew like a factory, make me a spiffy slideshow to show off, help to set everything up, offer me their opinion on how the display looks...

5) where other family and friends could just drop in to show their support, without long distances and real winter stuff like snow to hinder them, aaaand...

Making sure my relatives feel surrounded by the warmth of the festive season...haha!

6) indulge in guilt-free shopping ('cos it's Christmas! And for charity!)

Whaaaaa...it's taken you so long to blog about this...do I hear you say? Ya...well, everyone in my family had decided to buy their X'mas gifts from me this year, friends have loved the smelly babies for office gifts and so have their friends and colleagues...I've been trying to keep up! I've also been on a very special trip recently and will tell you more about that soon...

In the meantime, I just want to say a special THANK YOU to my family and friends for a great Christmas and a rollickin' start to 2011 - I hope you've all had a wonderful start to the new year too! xxx

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