Getting ready for the Christmas rush!!!!

Yeah, that'll be the day!

I am getting ready for the next Creative Co-op outing on 6th December though, it's our own Christmas Fair.

Here's the lastest in my 'fleecy ornament' range.


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Very simple, but I still don't do myself any favours because I couldn't resist the trellis stitch edging. I know that the more hand work I add, the higher the price has to be, but frankly I just don't like any of them without it.

Here's what I plan to do with some of those fleecy hearts on my sales table:



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Two separate photos, but you get the idea. That's a dollar or pound shop Christmas tree I got last week. Tacky and puny, but at less than 2 feet tall, just the right size for my table. I bought 2, 1 for the 'traditional' ornaments and 1 for the lurid pink and green ones. I'm told it helps if you 'show the customers what to do with them' rather than just putting them out on the table. See, I'm still trying. Sadly, I seem to have exhausted my Etsy customer base for the moment!

Getting Festive

Yes, I know it's only the beginning of November, but you have to start early if you want to have a good supply of handmade goods for the Christmas season. The Creative Co-op will be out and about again on December 6th, so I've started by making a pile of brightly coloured fleecy tree ornaments. Here they are, waiting to have hanging loops attached:


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I have observed that people hereabouts want to shell out only pennies at craft fairs and the like. I have also been advised by more experienced marketeers that if people like your work but cannot afford it, it is nice to have smaller, less expensive pieces, or pictures on cards or postcards, for them to buy. With this in mind, I plan to make tree decorations in varying degrees of complexity, priced to match.
You can't say I don't try!!!!!

Another Outing for the Creative Co-op

The Creative Co-op made a block booking for space in the Craft Hall at last weekend's Local Life Show. Several of us shared the cost by taking tables. It was the 3rd year that the County Council had put on this event and it really is becoming well worth a visit. Many local traders, service providers and community organisations were represented in the Main Hall, along with entertainment in the form of fashion shows and displays by children from a local dance academy. Especially noteworthy was the Community Chef and his mobile kitchen. He gave demonstrations showing how to produce a nourishing seasonal soup and tasty lamb kebabs. The Chef drew quite a crowd, watching him cook and sampling his endeavours. The children were not forgotten - they were able to make themselves a delicious smoothie using healthy ingredients and his bicycle-powered machine! Local artists, makers, alternative therapists and organic products were represented in the Craft Hall and there was also a farmers' market and a vintage fairground ride for the little ones.

Here's a picture of my table - mostly dolls this time, with a couple of embroidered containers and some heavily embellished fabric badges.


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We were given 4ft tables instead of the 2 metre ones we were expecting, so unfortunately it has the look of the jumble sale about it! You can see some of Suze's knitted, felted bags in the left-hand corner, along with some of her jewellery made with semi-precious stones and a display of cards featuring her artwork.

Here's Suze:


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with some of her unusual and colourful necklaces featuring hand felted and knitted beads and semi-precious stones.

This is Tarni, the Chair of the Creative Co-op, with her table:


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and Alana:


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Alana's super halloween spiders and their webs practically walked off the table and she also had some of her summer best-sellers; her driftwood hangings and some brightly coloured tassels made from rescued and recycled fabrics.

Rosie was there anticipating the coming winter weather and doing a roaring trade with her hand-knitted and crocheted hats and scarves:


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And so were Sharon, with her beautiful beadwork and colourful candles and Ruth, with her very original silver and gemstone knitted jewellery:


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Tarni took the children's entertainer, Frankenstiltz, in hand and instructed him in the philosophy and techniques behind some of her artwork and also took the opportunity to introduce him to the RegenerART project that some of the Creative Co-op members are involved in along with other local artists' groups and the The Royal Project .